CONNECT 2020 - Fall Edition by Mississauga Board of Trade

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THE VOICE OF BUSINESS IN MISSISSAUGA

VOLUME 15 ISSUE 4 FALL 2020

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@mbotontario

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CONTENTS ARTICLES

VOLUME 15 ISSUE 4 | FALL 2020

10 What if Your Small Business

Cannot Survive Covid-19? >

Drive Sustainability with Green Teams

How to Embrace the Acceleration of Everything

Co-Working Spaces Reinventing Business Real Estate

How Experience and Strong Relationships helped us tackle an unknown pandemic

32 3 Ways to Position Yourself

and Your Family for < Future Success

the merg construct > WHO ARE THOSE MASKED PEOPLE ON THE COVER? PAGE 18

IN THIS

ISSUE

Chair’s Message

Events at a Glance

President’s Message

MBOT Referal Program

The Political Round Up

New Members

FROM OUR CHAIR

KEYS TO EMERGING FROM THE COVID-19

“SHE-CESSION”

Over the past 6 months we have seen the dramatic impact COVID-19 has wrought in our personal lives and on the economy. One of the most notable and concerning developments has been the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on women, resulting in what many commentators have labelled a “she-cession”. During the 2008 financial crisis, 79% of jobs lost belonged to men, as manufacturing and goods sectors suffered the hardest hit. During the pandemic, however, the numbers have been reversed: in March 2020, 62% of the 1.1 million jobs lost belonged to women. According to a report issued by Royal Bank of Canada (“RBC”) in July 2020, during the first two months of the pandemic approximately 1.5 million Canadian women lost their jobs and 45 per cent of women suffered a decline in hours worked. The pandemic has reduced women’s participation in the work force to its lowest level in three decades according to the RBC report. In recognition of this issue, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (“OCC”) together with MBOT, on September 9, 2020, released a policy brief entitled “The She-Covery Project: Confronting the Gendered Economic Impacts of COVID-19 in Ontario” containing many valuable recommendations. As stated recently by MBOT’s own President and CEO, David Wojcik:

SUSANNE BALPATAKY 2020 MBOT Chair Speigel Nichols Fox LLP

“Temporary business shutdowns during the state of emergency most severely affected sectors that predominantly employ women. Restrictions on schools and paid child-care facilities have shifted additional hours of unpaid family care onto parents, and this work has largely been taken up by mothers.” According to Statistics Canada, women comprise approximately 50% of Canada’s workforce and Canadian women contribute approximately 40% of household income. Based on data gathered by the Business Development Bank of Canada in 2019, the number of female entrepreneurs has also grown three times faster than the number of male entrepreneurs over the past 40 years. As a result, economic recovery is impossible without women going back to work. COVID-19, however, has laid bare many social inequities: that women are more often employed in marginal jobs; tend to make less money than men do; and represent the vast majority of health care, child care and elder care workers. Service-sector employees and part-time workers are also disproportionately women and therefore have felt the economic effects of COVID-19 most acutely. Recent Statistics Canada data shows that in March, 2020 women between the ages of 25 and 54 lost more than twice as many jobs as men in Ontario. Women have also seen much slower reemployment than men; between April and August, 2020 employment gains in Ontario were 200,200 for men and only 131,700 for women.

CONNECT | 2020 ISSUE 4

FROM OUR CHAIR

The increased burden at home is leading to an untenable situation that may force significant numbers of women out of the workforce. So what are some of the key elements of a “shecovery”? Safely reopening daycares and schools is a critical element of any economic recovery plan; without childcare it is virtually impossible for women to return to work. There must also be greater availability of affordable, high quality childcare. The OCC has pointed to the need to rapidly increase child-care spaces while allowing for physical distancing, earmark funding for a potential second wave of COVID-19 and provide additional resources to parents to assist their children with remote learning. The long-term affordability and accessibility of child care are issues that must urgently be addressed by both the federal and provincial governments. Flexible work arrangements are another critical requirement to emerging from the “she-cession”. Flexibility is the cornerstone of an inclusive workplace. Such flexibility allows women and others with caregiving responsibilities to fully participate in their work environment and achieve success. Research has shown that flexibility in the workplace can increase retention, boost career aspirations and productivity, and decrease absenteeism.

407 ETR has donated

$5.2 million to support our local communities and hospitals.

We’re here to support the things that matter most on the road to recovery.

Offering women the opportunity for retraining in areas where there are identified labour market shortages, like the skilled trades, technology and engineering is another key recommendation made by the OCC. Supports must also be made available to female entrepreneurs, such as in the areas of digital literacy, access to trade, mentorship and professional networking. The differences in thinking and leadership skills that women bring are undeniable and vital to the success of Ontario businesses and the economy. As governments, employers and Chambers of Commerce turn their attention to developing strategies for Ontario’s economic recovery, women must be given a seat at the table during those discussions. Recognition must be given to the economic and social importance of advancing women’s workforce participation in the post-pandemic era. As made clear by the OCC, “setting targets and tracking outcomes around Ontario’s “she-covery” builds shared accountability among stakeholders and encourages concrete actions that go beyond platitudes.” Ideally, we can look back on the pandemic experience as a watershed moment when we take the best lessons around innovation and flexible work arrangements to create a better landscape for women going forward. This is not simply a question of equality. According to RBC’s recent report, if labour participation rates were the same for men and women there would be a $100 billion increase in Canada’s economic output. Ensuring that women return to the workforce is therefore critical to Ontario’s recovery and ongoing success. 

CONNECT | 2020 ISSUE 4

Learn more at 407etr.com/RoadtoRecovery

Connect with us on social

2020

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

THE VOICE OF BUSINESS IN MISSISSAUGA Established in 1961, Mississauga Board of Trade proudly serves as a the Chamber of Commerce for the sixth largest city in Canada – the third largest city in Ontario. Mississauga Board of Trade represents all businesses in Mississauga. MBOT’s large, diverse and active membership has made us one of the most vibrant business associations in Canada. As the “Voice of Business” we advocate on policy issues that impact local business at all levels of government, and are influential in helping to shape policy decisions. MBOT also offers a wide variety of valuable business services and professional development programs, networking events and marketing opportunities, to help business grow, prosper, and get connected.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: • • • • • • • •

Susanne Balpataky, Speigel Nichols Fox LLP | Chair Ken Tencer, Syderworks | Vice-Chair Lucie Shaw, Nurse Next Door | Vice-Chair Jim Molyneux, MNP | Immediate Past Chair Mary Ann Wenzler-Wiebe, BDC | Treasurer Steve Rhone, Weston Forest Products Ellen McGregor, Fielding Environmental David Wojcik, MBOT-President & CEO (Ex-officio)

DIRECTORS: • • • • • • • • • • •

France Dube, AstraZeneca Steve D’Agostino, Avega Parveen Dhupar, BTI Brand Innovations Inc. Sameer Sharma, Crown Hotels Adam Nowak, Gallagher Insurance Eileen Waechter, Greater Toronto Airport Authority Linda Kern, Kern Group Amy Delisle, Keyser Mason Ball, LLP Janet Wardle, MHI Canada Anne Liisa Longmore, Sheridan College Andrew Stelmacovich, University of Toronto Mississauga

PUBLISHER: David Wojcik President & CEO ceo@mbot.com EDITOR: Kelsey Lusk Digital Asset Manager klusk@mbot.com DESIGN & LAYOUT: Katika Integrated Communications Inc. www.katika.com ADVERTISING INQUIRES: advertising@mbot.com PRINTING: Katika Integrated Communications Inc. www.katika.com

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES:

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EDITORIAL INQUIRIES:

Kelsey Lusk klusk@mbot.com

DISTRIBUTION: Katika Integrated Communications Inc. www.katika.com PHOTO CREDIT: John Goldstein, Andrea Marchant

ADVERTISERS INDEX A&O Contracting Brite Space Offices Bromwich + Smith Credit Valley Conservation Exit Planning Group Insuranceland

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mbotontario © 2020. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or copied in part or as a whole, without the prior written permission of the Mississauga Board of Trade (MBOT). Advertising content and the comments, views and opinions expressed herein are those of contributors and do not necessarily constitute endorsement by MBOT. Publication Agreement Number 40012444.

MEMBER TALKS

LEARN ADAPT THRIVE

EVOLVE AND ENERGIZE YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE RECOVERY ACTIVATION PROGRAM

COVID-19 has left many Canadian businesses scrambling to pivot digitally in order to meet the new needs of their customers. Making big changes to how you do business can be daunting at the best of times, but it doesn’t have to be – not when you have the right expertise and support to make it happen. That’s precisely why the Toronto Region Board of Trade and World Trade Centre Toronto created the Recovery Activation Program (RAP). This new initiative is designed to help businesses improve their digital capacity, and build their network through curated programs that will help them take the next step toward their digital restructuring. Participants start this process by completing the Digital Needs Assessment, which will gauge their digital competencies against industry benchmarks and allow course experts to connect them with the program that is best suited to their needs. The learning framework of the program is built around five key pillars:

DIGITAL MODERNIZATION

DIGITAL RESTRUCTURE FINANCING

Learn how to use technology to transform internal processes like HR, and business opportunities like sales management and customer relationship management.

Get access to the right mentors, resources, and investors to prepare businesses to undertake a restructuring.

TECHNOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Explore how leveraging data-driven marketing and sales insights can guide business forward.

Discover the equipment and techniques needed to make digital transformation possible.

MARKETING AND SALES

STRUCTURAL AND REGULATORY ALIGNMENT

Ensure your approaches meet legal and regulatory requirements.

The program offers participants unprecedented access to engage with industry leaders, and build their personalised plan to digitally grow their business – at no cost to them. A strong digital approach can help all businesses operate better, create new opportunities, and support future growth. RAP ensures that participants feel confident they are approaching their digital transformation the right way.

Visit rap.bot.com to complete your Digital Needs Assessment today. It’s open to all businesses in Ontario. This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.

CONNECT | 2020 ISSUE 4

PROGRAM SPONSORS

CHAMBER PARTNER

FROM OUR PRESIDENT

How I Lead My Team

THROUGH COVID-19

Quotes from Mississauga CEOs Although we are not clear of the pandemic, most business leaders have had an opportunity to reflect on how they lead their team through COVID. When you’re in the heat of the battle, sometimes it’s difficult to assess your performance. In the aftermath while conducting the post-mortem, that’s when leaders can truly take stock of how they handled the good the bad and the ugly. It was through this lens, I asked seven Presidents / CEOs to share an answer to this question. “How I Coped with COVID as a Leader”. Six responded. I can only assume the seventh is still assessing their performance.

DAVID WOJCIK

President & CEO Mississauga Board of Trade

We start with Sameer Sharma, President of Crown Group of Hotels. The hospitality industry has been devastated by the pandemic. Without business travel and in person functions, there is not much revenue this sector could depend upon. Revenue was a concern, but Mr. Sharma reflected on what he needed to do to ensure the safety of his staff and guests. If he did that, he would be ready when guests started to return.

“Guest and staff safety are paramount. Where you stay or work [are] extensions of your home. We must all stay positive as we adjust with the new normal and look forward to [the] life we were used

to before COVID-19 crisis.” Sameer Sharma – Crown Group of Hotels Manufacturing also had its unique challenges. Employees engaged on the shop floor can’t work from home like others were able to. Alex Mestres, CEO of IPEX by Aliaxis was concerned firstly about his team of more than 6,000 employees but also the delicate balance of safety and keeping the business operational.

“As the unpredictable situation around COVID-19 came upon us, it became obvious that we were in uncharted territory requiring a significant level of creativity and empathy for employees, while managing the potential financial impact to the organization. Ensuring the health and safety of our employees became the highest priority to cope throughout the pandemic.” Alex Mestres – IPEX by Aliaxis Supply chain brought on another set of challenges. International goods flowing across borders from countries with an unknown number of COVID-19 cases. John McKenna, President of McKenna Logistics recognized the biggest fear with his employees was feeding their family and how the supply chain of food would hold up.

“We could see that our team members were becoming anxious in March as the province began announcing restrictions to contain the spread of Covid-19 and we

CONNECT | 2020 ISSUE 4

FROM OUR PRESIDENT

wanted to help them as their dedication to work continued. At the time, we all were very nervous of shopping in grocery stores so we focused on that. The following Wednesday, each team member began receiving their own weekly box of fruit, vegetables, and eggs that we purchased from a neighbouring wholesaler, AJ Lanzarotto, who had lost business because of closed restaurants. The response from our team was considerably more that we expected. The produce boxes were distributed through the end of the summer.” John McKenna – McKenna Logistics

Lumber products are one of Canada’s most precious natural resources and a staple in our economy. Any break in either supply of raw material or demand of product could cripple a business. When you have history and precedent to rely on, you can make informed and calculated decisions. Steve Rhone, President of Weston Forest Products admitted what every leader knew, but few would admit. Leaders just didn’t know what was currently happening and what was around the corner. Frequent, transparent communication with employees was paramount for this leader.

There were businesses that were able to produce and had customers for their products, but a disruption to their raw materials would grind their operations to a halt. Ellen McGregor, CEO of Fielding Environmental is a champion communicator and honest, transparent sharing of challenges which COVID posed was paramount for this CEO. However, once CEOs deal with the emergency at hand, they are faced with another challenge. What to do next. Ms. McGregor, looked down the road and focused on a long game approach.

“COVID-19 has presented leaders with unprecedented circumstances to deal with. No experience was enough to anticipate how to react to this pandemic. To cope, it was imperative to draw on the entire team to ensure we made the best decisions. The first priority was to ensure we took every step possible to secure the safety of our employees. Moving our team members to a virtual environment, and providing the support and tools necessary for success, was the next step. Throughout [the pandemic] we were [and still are] in frequent communication with all our employees, making them aware of what we had done and what we were working on doing. Resilience and change are keys to success we have always counted on and this pandemic was the ultimate test of our resolve and commitment. I am proud of our teams ability to be flexible in such difficult circumstances.” Steve Rhone – Weston Forest Products

“People look to leaders for answers. We had to get comfortable with not knowing because no one knew and information published one day was overturned just days later. So how did we cope? We structured our organization and our cost controls for a worst case long term storm - it is easier to loosen a belt than is to tighten it.” Ellen McGregor – Fielding Environmental

CONNECT | 2020 ISSUE 4

For Lucie Shaw, Owner of Nurse Next Door Mississauga, flexing with the constant changing rules and regulations with long term care facilities was the biggest challenge.

“Frequent communication with our Team and Clients has been my top priority. For us, the Pandemic experience has been similar to many businesses with the added stress that we are in the 24/7 healthcare business. Healthcare rules were changing often and there was a fear of not knowing the extent of our new norm situation. Coping for me was being current on all changes and communication. With constant and timely communication, I was able to ensure that my Team & Clients were knowledgeable with current information to help make the best decisions.” Lucie Shaw – Nurse Next Door Mississauga During COVID, business leaders were constantly challenged to react quickly and decisively. If you made a wrong decision, you simply made another decision. There was no time to second guess why you did what you did. There was no time to perform a detailed analysis on what wasn’t working or why it didn’t produce the results expected. We overused the terms “pivot”, “unprecedented” and “crisis” in our communication, however, all CEOs agreed, the messaging from the leader must be constant if it can’t be consistent, fierce and unvarnished, honest and empathetic, but most of all, delivered with conviction. 

MEMBER TALKS

WHAT IF YOUR SMALL BUSINESS

Cannot Survive COVID-19? TAZ RAJAN

Community Engagement Partner Bromwich+Smith Licensed Insolvency Trustees

After several months’ governments are starting to reopen businesses in phases. As a small business owner this can be an exciting and anxious time. There are three key questions all small business owners are asking:

1. Can my business weather the storm? This is an excellent starting point. Given the ‘new norm’ can your current business model survive and thrive? Is your business set up for the future? For some great resources check out https://www.ontario.ca/page/covid-19-supportbusinesses.

2. Does My Business Need Pivot? Your business may need to pivot. For Big Rig Brewery in Kanata, ON that meant producing hand sanitizer. At Bromwich+Smith, it meant implementing our video and smart phone signing services. A pivot can be temporary, to ride out the storm or it can be permanent to boldly go in a new direction. The key is to look at the foreseeable future and see if you’re business is poised to thrive.

3. What if my Business Cannot Weather nor Pivot? The sad reality is that many small businesses will not survive this storm. The first thing we need here is forgiveness and empathy towards ourselves as business owners. You are not bad, or a failure and you certainly are not alone. According to CFIB’s survey July 2020, forty-one percent of Canadian small to medium-sized businesses on Facebook expect cash flow to be a challenge in the next few months. As lenders tighten up and there is less injection of cash or borrowed funds to keep the business afloat, the reality is that not all businesses can remain open.

Now what? The good news is that you can restructure, and you can open another business in the future too. This is not a time to hold out, barely making ends meet and hoping for things to change. This is a time to take action so you can come back stronger. Small business owners can avoid bankruptcy with a federally legislated consumer proposal, which is an excellent alternative and one to consider before cashing out any investments or selling off assets. A free, personalized and no obligation phone call to a Licensed Insolvency Trustee will provide you with a clear picture of your options and how to get out from under a failing business and spring board on to a brighter, lighter and better future. Call our Debt Relief Specialists today at 1-855-884-9243. 

CONNECT | 2020 ISSUE 4

MEMBER TALKS

What Is Debt? At some point in our lives, almost everyone experiences debt. In fact, a mortgage, rent, credit cards, utility bills and taxes are all a form of debt. When paid on time, debt is a normal and healthy part of daily money management. However, sometimes situations can happen that can knock a person off the rails. The Covid pandemic, sickness, unemployment or under employment, change in relationship status, and unexpected expenses are just some of the situations that can send finances into turmoil.

Bromwich+Smith Can Help! At Bromwich+Smith, we understand that anyone can experience debt. We are a team of Debt Relief Specialists and Licensed Insolvency Trustees authorized by the Federal and Provincial governments to provide debt relief solutions that are legally binding on creditors, will immediately stop creditor actions, and will get individuals and families back on the path to rebuilding their worth, debt free. No matter how difficult or complicated the financial situation appears to be, rest assured that there are always options to explore. Since 2002, we have proudly helped thousands of Canadians eliminate their debt.

Did You Know... 70% of Canadians say money stress occupies 30 minutes or more of their work day. Canadian Payroll Association, Toronto Star, Sept 4 2019

Issues with debt could be having a dramatic effect on the well-being and productivity of your staff.

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Zahra Khakoo - A Member of The Bromwich+Smith CONNECT | 2020 ISSUE 4 Debt Relief Specialist Team

Contact: Taz Razan Community Engagement Partner Direct Toll Free: 1-800-516-7417 Ext. 298 taz.rajan@bromwichandsmith.com 11

The

THE POLITICAL ROUND UP

political

ROUND UP

Local & Regional THE MISSISSAUGA BOARD OF TRADE IS THE VOICE OF BUSINESS AT THE CITY OF MISSISSAUGA AND REGION OF PEEL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT.

COVID19 PANDEMIC All Governments have been focused on the effects of the COVID19 pandemic on the economy and general way of life. Local governments like the City of Mississauga and Region of Peel have enacted a number of initiatives to assist business during this unprecedented time. The Mississauga Board of Trade has been constantly engaged in this issue including advocating for business support programs and business reopenings as soon as possible. Property tax and utility payment deferrals, special rules to allow restaurant patios to expand and

waiving of fees for permits have all been approved. The Region of Peel Public Health Department has been the lead on determining the re-opening of business during the pandemic. Mississauga City Council passed a by-law in July 2020 to make the wearing of masks mandatory in all indoor spaces including businesses. The by-law will be in effect until January 20, 2021 and includes hefty fines for non-compliance. The text of the by-law is here - https:// w w w.mississauga.ca/wp-content/ uploads/2020/07/17111638/COVID19Mandator y-Face- C over ing-B ylaw-0169-2020.pdf. On August 5, 2020, Council enacted

the COVID-19 Related Measures for Restaurants and Drinking Establishments By-law. This by-law established additional measures for restaurants and bars, including limiting capacity to 100 persons and limiting each table used by patrons to 10 persons. Peel Region provides excellent resources for businesses as they open to ensure they do so in a healthy and safe way. Visit https://www. peelregion.ca/coronavirus/ for more information. The City of Mississauga Economic Development Office has also played a very important role in providing support to business during the

CONNECT | 2020 ISSUE 4

THE POLITICAL ROUND UP

COVID19 pandemic. The Mississauga Board of Trade is a strong partner with the city to help businesses as they deal with the effects of this situation. Council recently endorsed an Economic Recovery Framework designed to support local business moving out of COVID19. The full report can be accessed here - https:// w w w.mississauga.ca/wp-content/ uploads/2020/07/22125651/EconomicPillar-Recovery-Plan.pdf. Mississauga has also launched the #MississaugaMade campaign encouraging shopping at local businesses. To participate in this program, go to www.mississaugamade.ca. The City of Mississauga has also endorsed a Smart City Master Plan which is another key component to economic and business recovery. This plan which was endorsed by Council in July 2019 has been updated in the COVID19 era. https://www7. mississauga.ca/websites/smartcity/ SMRTCTY_Master_Plan_Final.pdf The City of Mississauga has also established the Economic Resilience Task Force led by Mayor Bonnie Crombie to develop plans in the areas of an Industry Recovery Plan, Small Businesses Recovery Plan, Tourism Recovery Plan, Creative Industry (Film, TV & Music) Recovery Plan and Land Development Recovery Plan. There are lots of good resources at ht tps : // web. mis sis s auga .c a /cit yo f- m i s s i s s a u g a - n e w s /c o v i d -1 9 recovery/guidance-for-businesses/.

TOURISM MISSISSAUGA The City of Mississauga has established Tourism Mississauga and appointed a Board of Directors to oversee tourism activities in the city. The Mississauga Board of Trade is part of the corporation to ensure the voice of business at large is included in its work. The Corporation is funded through the Municipal Accommodation Tax which is a 4% charge on overnight hotel and CONNECT | 2020 ISSUE 4

motel stays and is remitted to the City of Mississauga. In a typical year, this could yield as much as $10 million of which 50% of that money must be allocated to Tourism Mississauga. Work is very much ongoing to make Mississauga a strong tourism destination for sports, cultural, artistic and business activities. A number of signature events have been booked for the City of Mississauga in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Tourism Mississauga recently launched the It Pays to Stay campaign encouraging people to stay in local hotels and be entitled to a pre-paid Visa card. The campaign lasts until January 3, 2021. To participate go to https:// visitmississauga.ca/promotions. More can be found at www.visitmississauga.ca.

MISSISSAUGA CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION PLAN The City of Mississauga has adopted a Climate Change Action Plan to help minimize and prepare Mississauga for the impacts of a changing global climate. The Plan sets out specific goals the City wishes to achieve. The first goal is Mitigation to reduce corporate and community GHG emissions 80% by 2050, as compared to 1990 levels, with a long-term goal of becoming a net zero community and position the City competitively in the emerging low carbon economy. As this is a ten-year plan, an interim GHG reduction milestone of 40% by 2030 has also been set. The second goal is Adaptation to increase resilience and the capacity of the corporation and community to withstand and respond to future climate events by taking action on the highest climate-related risks. MBOT is actively involved as a stakeholder in this to ensure the voice of business is included in the

planâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development. MBOT is a nonvoting participating member of the City of Mississauga Environmental Action Committee. The City of Mississauga is now looking at programs and services that could be offered to businesses to help them achieve GHG reductions and energy conservation. It will also partner with groups like Partners for Project Green which has access to funds for similar programs.

CANNABIS RETAIL STORES The City of Mississauga decided at its December 12, 2018 Council meeting, that it will opt out and not allow privately-operated cannabis retail stores in Mississauga. MBOT believes that this was a shortsighted decision and that Council, now armed with the success of the roll-out of cannabis stores throughout Ontario, should re-consider its decision. Recent events and the rise of illegal dispensaries in Mississauga have led some politicians to ask that the City of Mississauga re-consider its decision to opt out. MBOT will continue its advocacy role to get Mississauga City Council to change its decision in 2020.

OFFICIAL PLANS Both the City of Mississauga and Region of Peel are reviewing their official plans in 2020-2021 which is a statutory requirement under the Planning Act. While most of Mississauga is developed, the Official Plan still sets out important terms for redevelopment and intensification as well as land use definitions. MBOT will be involved in these reviews to ensure that valuable employment lands are protected, and that residential encroachment does not threaten existing business uses. Staff from the Region of Peel and City of Mississauga are presenting the draft principles of the Official Plans 13

THE POLITICAL ROUND UP

to the MBOT Policy & Government Affairs Committee. MBOT stands on the protection of employment lands from conversion, policies that promote affordable housing and a strong and efficient transportation network through the region.

NOISE BY-LAW REVIEW The City of Mississauga is reviewing its two noise by-laws in an effort to modernize them and have them better reflect community concerns. MBOT is involved in this review to ensure that business operations are not unfairly affected by any proposed changes. While many businesses are adapting to environmental sensitivities some operations do create noise issues. The potential changes will cover aspects such as the complaint response process, residential and construction noise exemptions, permitted periods for amplified sound and noise thresholds.

2021 CITY OF MISSISSAUGA BUDGET The City of Mississauga presented a preliminary 2021 budget to City Council in late June 2020 along with an update on the financial impact of COVID19 on the City’s 2020 budget. The City has established seven financial recovery principles to provide guidance in making financial decisions throughout the pandemic recovery. These include:

“PFAC is working to achieve the community’s vision of a just, secure and sustainable food system for now and the future.”

•

Assess approved and future budgets and business plans to reconfirm priorities, including service levels

Staff will continue to refine the budget and look for ways to trim the proposed increases. Early numbers show the equivalent of a 9.2 per cent budget increase to the City’s 2021 Operating Budget due primarily to a 5.7 per cent increase from the COVID-19 impacts on revenue and costs and a 2 per cent infrastructure levy to help the City maintain existing roads, bridges and buildings and plan for their upkeep in the future. Foregoing the 2 per cent infrastructure levy would result in a loss of $90 million in revenue over ten years, slowing the City’s ability to renew and build new infrastructure. This would be the equivalent of a residential property tax increase of 3.24 per cent while businesses would see a 1.98 per cent increase on their bills for the city portion of the tax bill. Staff from both the Region of Peel and City of Mississauga Finance Departments will present the draft 2021 budgets to the MBOT Policy & Government Affairs Committee at its November 2020 meeting.

•

Public Health is the first priority

•

Preserve the long-term strength of the property tax base

•

Comply with legislation

•

Allow other levels of government time to fulfill their mandates

•

Use reserves appropriately to manage financial challenges

The Peel Food Action Council (PFAC) would like to invite you to save the date for the inaugural Peel Food Forum.

•

Deviation from the financial plan should not be permanent

PFAC is working to achieve the community’s vision of a just, secure

PEEL FOOD ACTION COUNCIL LOOKING FOR INPUT

and sustainable food system for now and the future. We work with the community, businesses, producers, health sectors, environmental sectors, education sectors, and the hunger relief sector to collaboratively strengthen our community’s food systems. The Peel Food Forum will bring together stakeholders and the community to introduce PFAC’s strategic plan for Peel’s food systems and opportunities to network and collaborate. Please save the date for the Peel Food Forum! Building Community Food Systems Tuesday, October 27,2020 10AM - 12PM (NOON) EST Food system stakeholders and partners are invited to network, collaborate and share food system challenges and opportunities. Learn about PFAC’s strategic plan and how you can get involved. Tea With Local Food Leaders Wednesday, October 28, 2020 6PM – 7:30PM EST Community members, stakeholders and partners are invited to enjoy a cup of tea and learn about food systems in Peel from local food leaders. Community members will have an opportunity to provide input on PFAC’s strategic plan and ideas for action items. Follow PFAC on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, @peelfoodcouncil, for event registration and more information on event speakers and schedule. The Mississauga Board of Trade is a member of the Peel Food Action Council.

CONNECT | 2020 ISSUE 4

THE POLITICAL ROUND UP

provincial government MBOT WORKS VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE ONTARIO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (OCC) ON ISSUES WITH THE ONTARIO GOVERNMENT. OUR COMMITTEES WORK HARD LOOKING AT RESOLUTIONS, POLICY DOCUMENTS, GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS ON CONSULTATIONS TO ENSURE THE VOICE OF MISSISSAUGA BUSINESSES IS ADVANCED ON PROVINCIAL ISSUES. MEMBERS OF MBOT ARE AUTOMATIC MEMBERS OF THE ONTARIO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE OCC, PLEASE VISIT WWW.OCC.CA.

parlours have all be ordered closed until further notice. However, on September 8, 2020, the Government paused any further re-openings of businesses and organizations for 28 days to allow the Government time to assess the impacts of Stage 3.

BUSINESS RE-OPENINGS DURING COVID19

The Ministry of Labour, Skills Development & Training has developed guidelines for return to work and help on how to develop a workplace safety plan for business. It can be accessed at https://www.ontario.ca/page/developyour-covid-19-workplace-safety-plan.

On July 31, 2020, the Government of Ontario allowed the Region of Peel to move to Stage 3 openings. Nearly all businesses and public spaces could gradually reopen as regions enter Stage 3, with public health and workplace safety restrictions in place, while some high-risk venues and activities will remain closed until they can safely resume operations.

The Ontario government is helping protect jobs and businesses by extending protection to prevent temporary layoffs from automatically becoming permanent job losses. Although Ontario is now in Phase 3 of reopening, this extension will give businesses more time to reopen and return to full operations. This extension will last until January 2, 2021.

Based on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health and other health experts, indoor and outdoor gathering limits were also be increased to as many as 50 people indoors and as many as 100 people outdoors. Physical distancing remains a requirement for all people of Ontario that are not from the same household or social circle.

Under Ontario labour laws, termination of an employee after 13 weeks of being temporarily laid off triggers costly payouts which, for many businesses, could be the difference between survival and closure. This regulatory amendment delays these terminations and severance liabilities.

Restaurants and bars are now required to stop serving alcohol at 11:00 p.m. and close at midnight. Adult entertainment CONNECT | 2020 ISSUE 4

The Ontario Government is increasing its team of frontline health and safety inspectors by 98 to help ensure workplaces across the province are

doing their part to prevent the spread of COVID-19. With these new hires, there will be more labour inspectors on the ground than ever before in the province’s history. The new inspectors will play a key role in protecting workers by checking and enforcing that workplaces are following occupational health and safety legislation. They will have broad powers to: inspect any workplace and ensure they have COVID protections in place; investigate any potentially hazardous situation, critical injury, fatality and work refusal; order compliance with the legislation; stop unsafe work from being performed; and recommend and initiate prosecutions. The Ontario Chamber of Commerce has developed a business support package as well. It can be accessed at https:// occ.ca/covid19/.

COMMERCIAL TENANT EVICTION MORATORIUM The Government of Ontario enacted legislation that prohibits commercial tenancy evictions in light of COVID19 from May 1 – September 30, 2020 if the landlord and tenant qualify for the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance program. Landlords and tenants are encouraged to participate in the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) for small businesses. The pause on evictions does not apply to those 15

THE POLITICAL ROUND UP

participating in CECRA for small businesses, as the program requires landlords to enter into a rent reduction agreement with their impacted small business tenants and commits them to a moratorium on evictions for three months.

“SHE-COVERY” REPORT LAUNCHED BY ONTARIO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The Ontario Government also announced that residential rents will be frozen for 2021.

The COVID-19 crisis is having a disproportionate economic impact on women, with women’s labour participation rate falling to its lowest in 30 years. Existing systemic inequalities have been further exacerbated by recent shut-down measures, resulting in what some economists are calling a “shecession,” as more women have lost their jobs and fewer women than men are re-gaining employment. As schools began to reopen, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce releases its latest report, The She-Covery Project: Confronting the Gendered Economic Impacts of COVID-19 in Ontario. This brief lays out a path to Ontario’s “she-covery” by offering practical recommendations to confront both immediate and longerterm challenges.

ELECTRICITY RATES The Ontario Government announced that companies that participate in the Industrial Conservation Initiative (ICI) will not be required to reduce their electricity usage during peak hours, as their proportion of Global Adjustment charges for these companies will be frozen. The Ontario government is helping large industrial and commercial companies return to full levels of operation without the fear of electricity costs spiking by providing more stable electricity pricing for two years.

CANADA UNITED The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) supported by the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) created the Canada United campaign to create a $2 million fund to support businesses across the country and promote shop local. The Canada United Small Business relief fund is for businesses that are eligible to apply for grants of up to $5,000. If awarded, a relief grant can be used for any of the following activities purchased, before applying: purchased Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as masks, face shields, and latex gloves; renovated physical space to adhere to local, Provincial or Federal reopening guidelines and developed or improved e-commerce capabilities for your business.

•

Workforce development initiatives should focus on defining critical skills, accelerating women’s reskilling, and ensuring their skills are utilized – with a focus on increasing their participation in skilled trade, technology, and engineering roles in fast-growing sectors.

•

Entrepreneurship should be understood as a pathway to economic growth, and an inclusive ecosystem is critical to supporting diverse women entrepreneurs.

•

Flexible work arrangements are one way to level the playing field for women and improve organizational outcomes.

The full report is available at https:// occ.ca/wp-content/uploads/ OCCshecovery-final.pdf.

“The COVID-19 crisis is having a disproportionate economic impact on women, with women’s labour participation rate falling to its lowest in 30 years.”

Major takeaways from the report include: •

Leadership and accountability begin with a commitment from stakeholders to set collective targets, reward diversity, include women in decision-making bodies, and apply a gender and diversity lens to their strategies, policies, and programs for recovery.

•

Child-care requires a short-term strategy to weather the pandemic and longer-term, system-wide reforms to improve accessibility and affordability.

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THE POLITICAL ROUND UP

federal government MBOT MEMBERS ARE ALSO MEMBERS OF THE CANADIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (CCC) WHICH IS THE NATIONAL VOICE OF BUSINESS TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. MBOT STAFF AND COMMITTEES EXAMINE ISSUES AND RESOLUTIONS OF THE CCC AND PROVIDE MISSISSAUGA’S INPUT. MORE INFORMATION ON THE CCC IS AT WWW.CHAMBER.CA.

COVID19 The Government of Canada has developed significant support programs for businesses and workers during the COVID19 pandemic. Some of the programs include: •

Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy

•

Canada Recovery Benefit

•

Canada Emergency Business Account

•

Business Credit Assistance Program

•

Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance program

•

Regional Relief and Recovery Fund

All of these support programs provide direct financial assistance to businesses and/or workers to help offset the financial situation caused by COVID19. In the recent Speech from the Throne, the Government of Canada committed to extend the CEWS to June 2021 and the new Canada Recovery Benefit to September 2021. More information on all of the programs is available at https://www.canada. ca/en/department-finance/economicresponse-plan.html.

CANADA-UNITED STATES-MEXICO (CUSMA) TRADE AGREEMENT The new CUSMA trade agreement became in force and effect on July 1, 2020.

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More information on the agreement and how Canadian businesses can take advantage is available at https://www. international.gc.ca/trade-commerce/ trade-agreements-accordscommerciaux/agr-acc/cusma-aceum/ index.aspx?lang=eng.

CANADIAN BUSINESS RESILIENCE NETWORK The Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC) along with several other national business associations established the CBRN to help Canadian businesses through the COVID19 pandemic. In partnership with the Government of Canada, it created a coordinated, business-led, inclusive campaign in both official languages, with the overarching goals of mitigating the impact of the pandemic on our economy, our communities and our citizens, and positioning business to help drive Canada’s economic recovery. The overarching goal of the campaign is to mitigate impacts on business and the economy and build resilience against future shocks. To achieve this goal, CBRN helps businesses to: Prepare – By providing insights, best practices and tools to help businesses be ready to sustain operations through the crisis, and a potential second wave, and to plan for a strong and speedy recovery. Persevere – By advocating for timely and effective economic policy and stimulus, providing information and

insights to inform decision-making and highlighting services to support operational health. Prosper – By introducing new policy recommendations, program ideas and recovery initiatives that can be implemented while remaining vigilant about COVID-19. For full details on the program, visit https://www.canadianbusiness resiliencenetwork.ca/.

PEOPLE OUTSIDE SAFELY TOGETHER (POST) The Government of Canada has created the POST program in association with Canadian business. The POST Promise is a self-declaration that a business is working to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Once completed, a business is provided with the necessary communication and implementation tools to educate employees on the five key steps to workplace safety, which were created to be consistent with what has been recommended by the Public Health Agency of Canada. To participate in the program go to https://www.postpromise.com/.

CANADA BUSINESS APP The Government of Canada has launched a new Canada Business App to make it easier to access government supports and programs. Go to https://www.ic.gc. ca/eic/site/icgc.nsf/eng/h_07670.html to download yours.  17

The Panel

WHO ARE THOSE

MASKED

PEOPLE ON THE COVER?

SUZANNE BALPATAKY Speigel Nichols Fox LLP

DAVID WOJCIK MBOT

ELLEN McGREGOR Fielding Enviromental

JANE CHUNG AstraZeneca

SAMEER SHARMA Crown Group of Hotels

JOHN McKENNA McKenna Logistics

JIM MOLYNEUX MNP LLP

PAUL MEO NTN Bearing

ALEXANDRA GILLESPIE UTM

ELLEN McGREGOR

CEO, Fielding Environmental Chair of MERG (Mississauga Economic Recovery Group)

Even with a mask, you will no doubt recognize our illustrious MBOT Chair and partner with Speigel, Nichols, Fox - Susanne Balpataky, MBOT President & CEO - David Wojcik and MBOT V.P. Government & Stakeholder Relations - Brad Butt. You might have also spotted Jim Molyneux, MBOT Past Chair and Regional Managing Partner of MNP. Smiling behind their masks are Alexandra Gillespie, the new Principal of UTM, Jane Chung, President of Astra Zeneca, John McKenna, President of McKenna Logistics, Paul Meo, President & CEO of NTN Bearing Corporation of Canada, Sam Sharma, President of Crown Group of Hotels, Bree Ranieri, CEO CoTalent Corporation and me, Ellen McGregor, CEO of Fielding Environmental. So why did so many business leaders gather? To launch MERG - pronounced with a soft “g”. MERG stands for the Mississauga Economic Recovery Group.

to me. “What can MBOT do to help Mississauga businesses recover from the impacts of COVID”. He went on to say, “We should form a group of senior business leaders from various sectors of the Mississauga business community to think through the impacts of COVID-19 on the various sectors and more importantly, what can be done to mitigate and reverse the effects”. He then asked for my help, which immediately triggered a passion within. After all, my business had been substantially impacted and not in a good way even though Fielding had been characterized as “essential”. I could only imagine the impact on business owners who had been forced to close. With a sense of urgency, MBOT needed to show strong leadership underpinned by well thought out disciplines with an outcomes focus. In late April, the approval was given by the MBOT Executive Committee and MERG was created.

WHAT’S MERG ABOUT?

We began to brainstorm objectives at a 40,000 foot level. We knew we needed data from Mississauga businesses. Data that would lead to advocacy work - with the City, the Region as well as the Provincial and Federal Governments. But more

It began - as all great ideas do - with a conversation. At the beginning of April this year, David Wojcik posed this question

CONNECT | 2020 ISSUE 4

SECTOR LEADERS

THANK YOU to our JANE CHUNG AstraZeneca

SAMEER SHARMA Crown Group of Hotels

JOHN McKENNA McKenna Logistics

SECTOR MEMBERS Life Sciences & Health Care

SECTOR MEMBERS Hospitality, Tourism, Retail

SECTOR MEMBERS Transportation Logistics Supply Chain

JIM MOLYNEUX MNP LLP

PAUL MEO NTN Bearing

ALEXANDRA GILLESPIE UTM

SECTOR MEMBERS Financial & Professional Services

SECTOR MEMBERS Manufacturing Traditional & Advanced

SECTOR MEMBERS Education & Not for Profit

than that, in order to really help Mississauga businesses, we needed data that would trigger actions to leverage capabilities unique to Mississauga. For instance, the creation of new talent pools or alternative access points to capital. The creation of new programs or collaboration opportunities to reduce costs. We knew that quantifiable, accurate, timely data could spearhead powerful actions to help companies recover and exceed pre-COVID measures. With objectives clear in mind and a “working” Charge in place, our minds turned to the “How”. With grey haired experience, we knew what we wanted to avoid. Both of us had been on panels whose work had been thwarted by bureaucracy, misunderstanding and divergent agendas. Both of us had felt the frustration of having recommendations filtered through sub-committees and governing committees - seeing recommendations diluted, mis-actioned or worse, simply ignored. We knew we needed a construct that would be nimble and impactful - lead by senior business leaders who could engage resources and commit their organizations to advance the work of MERG.

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MERG

Supporting Partners

Our solution was to create a panel whose members would have 3 roles. (1) To be part of an oversight committee. (2) To lead a group of companies within their sector. (3) To ensure their own organization provided input to questions they would ask of others. Panel members would ensure that companies from all across Mississauga would be engaged to share facts and ideas. The Panel would then mine data and make recommendations to MBOT for actions, advocacy, and communication. The construct - albeit one that places weighty responsibilities on panel members - is elegant and empowering. MERG is truly MBOT’s grass roots initiative lead by top talent - Done right - and it will be – it will serve as a recovery model for every City across Canada. The picture on the front cover represents the inaugural panel members of MERG and I am honoured to be the inaugural Chair. Huge thanks to our Sector Leaders, Alexandra, Jane, John, Paul, Jim and Sam for stepping up. Stay tuned for updates as MERG helps Mississauga businesses “E-MERG“ stronger. 

MEMBER TALKS

DRIVE SUSTAINABILITY WITH

Green Teams

DEBORAH KENLEY

Senior Coordinator, Greening Corporate Grounds Credit Valley Conservation

A corporate green team is an effective way to inspire environmental change in the workplace. Green teams support corporate social responsibility initiatives and help companies develop and implement sustainability projects. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how to set your green team up for success.

WHAT IS A

Green Team?

Green teams are often self-directed employee-led committees. Their size, scope and level of activity and formality varies according to corporate need. They actively promote sustainability initiatives in the workplace and oversee environmental projects. Successful green teams can build employee trust, increase satisfaction at work and effect positive change beyond the workplace. Here are five steps to creating a successful green team.

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MEMBER TALKS

Create A CORE TEAM

Determine who is best suited to lead the team. Approach employees or colleagues from different departments to ensure companywide representation. Start with 3-4 members. Members should be committed to working toward a shared vision. They don’t need to be experts.

Future-proof your business

Invest in nature with Greening Corporate Grounds

Set THE SCOPE

Establish the structure of the team and the types of activities it will undertake. Align the team’s vision with corporate priorities and determine activities based on your company’s environmental footprint.

Engage EVERYONE

Engage all staff and corporate leaders in the green team’s initiatives. Invite staff to provide ideas or to get involved in implementation. Discuss corporate priority alignment with leadership teams and educate stakeholders on the value of the team’s work.

Start SMALL

Choose small, tangible projects that are achievable and have high visibility to generate interest and build momentum for larger projects. Identify measurable outcomes that support corporate goals.

5. Document, MEASURE, REPORT, REPEAT Showcase your work and measure outcomes to build credibility, generate company-wide support and inspire increased engagement. Communicate the benefits of the work being done to staff, stakeholders and the broader community. Learn from previous efforts and apply what you’ve learned to new projects. A simple way to start engaging employees in sustainability initiatives is by organizing a safe outdoor on-site employee engagement event with Greening Corporate Grounds. To learn more about our Nature @ Work activities, visit cvc.ca/gcg. 

CONNECT | 2020 ISSUE 4

Join a community of business leaders taking the lead in environmental sustainability by changing the way you landscape your property. • Transform sustainability goals into action • Reduce conventional landscaping costs • Prepare your property for climate change Become a member of Greening Corporate Grounds to receive up to $5,000 worth of sustainable landscaping design services.

Discover a better way of doing business. Visit cvc.ca/gcg or contact us for a free site assessment: gcg@cvc.ca or 905-670-1615 ext 439.

SIGN-UP TODAY!

Pressure test your idea. April 8, 2020

Columbus College of Art & Design

February 18, March 4, 25, April 15, May 6, 2021

Virtually via Zoom

Pressure test your idea in 12-weeks with our Intraprise° Sprint, starting this spring! The Intraprise° program will help you and your teams bring your best ideas to market, faster where they can help drive new sources of revenue for your company. It is based on a hands-on approach to learning, giving you the tools for success and showing you how to use them effectively.

We wrote the best seller on achieving more, with less.”

To learn more, join us for our Spring Intraprise° Sprint starting this February including five virtual workshops, customized coaching and much more! 1. Defining Your Idea 2. Creating Intrapreneurial Environments

3. Validating Your Hypotheses 4. Completing Your Plan 5. Telling Your Story

For more information contact Krista at klaughren@spyder.works KEYNOTE SPEAKER

PROGRAM FACILITATORS

Ken Tencer

Vivian Hisey

David Potter

Ken is recognized internationally as a business and innovation thought leader who helps organizations to bring their ideas to market faster and more often.

Vivian works to align sustainable learning strategies with core business objectives for a more productive work environment.

David translates leadership development into innovation performance through experiential educational programs.

IMAGINED BY

PRESENTING SPONSOR

MEMBER TALKS

HOW TO

Embrace

THE ACCELERATION OF EVERYTHING

KEN TENCER Spyder Works Inc.

If this year has taught us anything, it is that change can literally happen overnight. Leaders of organizations must understand that innovation is no longer the “cool” term to talk to at cocktail parties; it is literally the foundation upon which most companies’ survival will be built. But most organizations don’t know how to filter, pressure-test and move their ideas to market, quickly and continuously which is why our firm developed the Intraprise° Program. Intraprise° is a modular program that has proven itself capable of breaking down the barriers to corporate innovation and help put companies on the fast track to successful, sustainable growth. Even the best companies have challenges with taking an idea from the backburner to market. Much like Core Online Marketing; an Oakville-based online marketing company founded in 2004. Over the past several years, Core’s co-founders, Ben Molfetta and Aby Alameddine, have committed Core to identifying technologies that could be developed and brought to market – both on its own or in joint ventures with clients. CONNECT | 2020 ISSUE 4

“If this year has taught us anything, it is that change can literally happen overnight.”

Two years ago, Alameddine identified an opportunity to jointly create a technology with a client in the legal industry. “It was a great opportunity, but it was languishing. We hadn’t spent enough time assessing the potential and deciding how to effectively bring it to market,” says Molfetta. Six months after completing our Intraprise° sprint, Molfetta says Core is ready to launch the new software. “Intraprise forced us to pressuretest our idea and do a comprehensive market analysis. It accelerated things from “a potential technology solution” to “being ready for market.” Molfetta and another team member attended classes and coaching sessions to learn about product development and market fit, competitive dynamics, collaborating with customers, goal setting and planning. Going through this process together meant that they could regularly reinforce the lessons learned. When the sprint ended in December, Molfetta and the team continued to work on the go to market plan while the software was being completed, and then on putting all the mechanisms in

place for launch. “You come out of the program with a real opportunity and a real commitment to continue exercising these skills,” he says. “It’s like building up your muscles – you have to keep working on them.” This spring, another Core team participated in an Intraprise° Sprint to work on a second idea, and to continue down the path of technology commercialization. “Developing the right skills, resources, project plans – it all has to come together,” says Molfetta. “Intraprise° offers a perfect opportunity to focus on the activities that will turn your good ideas into commercial success.” With Intraprise° you won’t just read about a case study, you ARE the case study. We provide you and your team with our established keys to success and we show you how to apply them through proactive learning and progressive action-based tasks. Don’t let your good idea sit on the sidelines, pressure test it with Intraprise° and get it ready for market. 

MEMBER TALKS

CO-WORKING SPACES

Reinventing BUSINESS REAL ESTATE MARISSA TAYLOR

Creative Writer/Blogger BriteSpace Offices

Currently Toronto ranks 3rd behind London and New York respectively for the most growth in co-working space availability per year. This comes as no surprise considering that according to the World Trade Organization, small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) represent over 90 per cent of the business population and SMEs are the main driving force behind the boom in co-working spaces. But what is attracting SMEs and even mobile corporate employees to this type of work environment?

Affordability Affordability plays a key role in the growing popularity of co-working spaces. In Q1 of 2019, Toronto’s industrial real estate market ranked third, however, the GTA supply for this demand was also at a historic low and net rent at its highest. This trend continues to date and presents a two-fold issue for business owners in search of real estate. Low supply makes it difficult to acquire a business location, driving up costs for what is available thus creating added expense. Co-working spaces offer a solution by alleviating this supply and demand issue as well as decreasing costs to the

individual small business owner. They provide affordable options for SMEs and allow them to customize their real estate needs to match the needs of their business. Reduced overhead costs in turn increase funds available for business growth and development.

Mississauga is a steadily growing city, home to 40% of Canada’s business headquarters. The majority of its working population are entrepreneurs and business professionals. As this new but promising industry continues to grow there is no doubt that Mississauga would be the perfect place to help accommodate this growth. 

Community In contrast to the “traditional office,” coworking spaces boast a very different style of work environment, centred around offering a sense of community. Rather than everyone working for one company with one purpose, coworking spaces bring together a diverse group of individuals across many industries under one roof. Each individual working towards different goals and with their own unique way of attaining them. Whether it is a Millennial looking for a place to run their start-up, an established SME or even a mobile corporate employee, the co-working office space provides a welcoming environment for everyone to flourish. This type of work environment encourages networking, sharing of ideas and can even lead to joint ventures that may not have been considered in a traditional work environment.

REFERENCES 1. Toronto’s Industrial Real Estate Market: What to Expect For the Balance of 2019 and Beyond https://urbantoronto.ca/ news/2019/07/toronto%E2%80%99sindustrial-real-estate-market-whatexpect-balance-2019-and-beyond 2. City of Mississauga, 2019 https://www.thefutureisunlimited.ca/ resources/data-centre/ 3. Toronto is the world’s third-fasting growing city for co-working spaces: Study https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/toronto-isworld-s-third-fastest-growing-city-forcoworking-spaces-1.1275541

CONNECT | 2020 ISSUE 4

MEMBER TALKS

CONNECT | 2020 ISSUE 3

EDITORIAL

CONNECT | 2020 ISSUE 4

EDITORIAL

Orchard Villa long term care:

How experience and strong relationships helped us tackle an unknown pandemic our team risked making national news for all the wrong reasons with the slightest mistake.

On the 24th of April, 2020, our long-term customer, Lakeridge Health, requested us to respond to the COVID19 pandemic outbreak at Orchard villa long term care home. At this point, much about the virus was still an unknown. It got its official name just two months prior, the death toll in Europe had just passed 100,000, and the public was discouraged from wearing respiratory protection as there was a shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). We donated most of the N95 respirators in our inventory to healthcare facilities. N95 respirators fell below our requirement for infection control, and the hospitals were running low on PPE. To make matters worse, the lockdowns had affected the supply chains around the world, making it difficult to secure the supplies required for such an undertaking. When we started the project, Orchard Villa had just come to national attention due to the outbreak. Dozens of inhabitants had died, and over a hundred and fifty were infected. The military had taken over the day-today operations of the long term care centre, and Television crews were a constant presence outside. Such was the confusion around this disease that CONNECT | 2020 ISSUE 4

Environmental Abatement Council of Ontario (EACO) started working on general guidelines for COVID19 disinfection as soon as the disease came into public attention. In two weeks, they managed to come up with a set of standards to guide contractors through the process of disinfection. However, the guidelines were general, as it was impossible to design specific criteria at such an early stage. We had to rely on our experience and the relationships with suppliers and consultants to complete the project successfully. Safetech Environmental came up with a curriculum to train our technicians in viral disinfection, explicitly targeting the SARS-CoV-2 virus with the most up to date information available at the time. Our premier supplier, Hazmasters, had the unenviable task of keeping contractors supplied while discouraging the numerous companies that had set up intending to exploit the panic. Even with all this information, we still ran into issues in the beginning. The public areas like the dining room had to be sanitized first. Disinfectants are only effective once the surface is thoroughly cleaned, and the public areas were extremely unsanitary. It took our technicians longer to clean before attempting to disinfect them. Safetech Environmental performed ATP bioluminescence testing and COVID 19 specific Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR analysis to test the

effectiveness of our procedures. After a few initial hiccups involving the type of disinfectant to use (the recommended list of disinfectants was still being populated, and most of them were for household purposes), our team perfected the process and started passing the tests on the first attempt. It still wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t plain sailing though; watching out for the elderly inhabitants accidentally breaching containment zones and risking exposure to the virus became a serious concern. We also had to come up with procedures for our technicians to work in a space where an extremely infectious disease infected half the inhabitants. There were plenty of positives too. Lakeridge health was extremely helpful in communicating with the management and moving inhabitants around so we could do our work. Our technicians were encouraged by the friendly and accommodating staff, and the grateful residents who appreciated their work. And last but not least, the biggest positive of them all, the skilled technicians. These were the frontline workers who never got mentioned. The team that stuck to a plan and got the job done and came out of it with zero complications while working at one of the riskiest sites for COVID 19 infection in the province. ď&#x20AC;ź 27

FROM OUR CHAIR

CONNECT | 2020 ISSUE 2

EVENTS AT A GLANCE

EVENTS AT A

Glance

virtual town hall with THE HON. MONA FORTIER, MINISTER OF MIDDLE-CLASS PROSPERITY AND THE ASSOCIATE MINISTER OF FINANCE, GOVERNMENT OF CANADA JUNE 4, 2020

Virtual Professional Development Series PROTECTING YOUR BUSINESS AGAINST CYBER ATTACKS IN THE MIDST OF COVID-19 JUNE 4, 2020

SERIES SPONSOR

virtual town hall with RACHEL BENDAYAN, PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE MINISTER OF SMALL BUSINESS, EXPORT PROMOTION AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE JUNE 16, 2020 TITLE SPONSOR

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EVENTS AT A GLANCE

MBOT Fireside Chat With AUDI RACE CAR DRIVER LINDSAY RICE JUNE 18, 2020 SPONSORS

MBOT Webinar GETTING BACK TO WORK AND UNDERSTANDING THE NEW NORMAL JUNE 25, 2020 SPONSOR

SUSANNE M. BALPATAKY

LIZA PROVENZANO

PARTNER - SPEIGEL NICHOLS FOX LLP

FOUNDER AND HR EXECUTIVE SPARK HR INC

MBOT Webinar TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TRADE OPPORTUNITIES AS ECONOMIES RE-OPEN