Business in Calgary - December 2019

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LIFTBOSS

WHISPERING CEDARS RANCH

L

iftboss Inc. was established in May 2006 by four partners John and Andre Gagnon, Dale Ryan Greir, a full-time powerline technician in Calgary, and wife Beatty and Marc Tougas to be a oneAlta., stop shop Janna, a registered nurse in Chestermere, enjoyneeds. raising their flock of 250 dealership for all material handling Having Rideau Arcott ewesindustry in their spare time. the four partners, worked in the before, pooled all there resources, previous experience Ryan’s passion fordesigned farming developed a young agemodel while heto worked together and a newatbusiness fill the that industry needed. alongmuch side hisneeded great uncleniche Howard withthe horses and cattle.

In 2012 they Liftboss is an Alberta owned operated establishedInc. Whispering Cedars Ranch just 10and minutes east of Strathmore. dealership, offering new and used equipment sales, aThe total department, forklift rentals, of forklift ranchparts is a tribute to the memory and dedication Howard who training, and to perform instilled his trained love for the landcertified and animalsmechanics in Ryan. repairs in shop and service vehicles to handle on site repairs.

Liftboss it’s lamb self and on quick Ryan and Janna’s goalInc. is to prides raise Alberta provide response the industry time to customer’s breakdowns. with healthy and proven purebred replacement breeding stock. They are also excited to be involving their one-year-old son Finnegan.

adding JCB construction equipment in 2017 has been a great addition, and has made Liftboss Inc. even more They are of the Alberta Lambindustry Producersin and work closely with visible inmembers the heavy equipment Alberta. the University of Calgary, as wellhandling as other They will always stay GenOvis, true toFarmWorks, their material organizations to better sheep industry in Canada. roots, but having anthe established and well respected construction line has solidified the fact that Liftboss Ryan found being ato powerline technician Inc. ishas here formany the similarities long haulbetween and ready compete. and rancher.

Whether you are looking for a new machine, a rental, service parts on an existing unit, or simply want “It comesordown to planning ahead and completing a task that can be a very second option on something, give them a call and that dangerous, sometimes during a major storm or other elements they be happy point says youRyan. in the rightcan direction. makeswill it difficult to stayto focused,” “Farming be very similar, As a group, Liftboss Inc. do what do based from the dangers of running various piecesthey of equipment to making on fourerrors coreinvalues: do whatcalculations you say you will in a an critical feed or medication that could cause timely manner; be open and honest; do whatever it animal to die.” takes; and service the customer above all else. As each grows, each is held Jannadepartment naturally has compassion for theteam welfaremember of people and animals. accountable to those principles, their focus She has always had lot of interest in the health of the flock. She uses her isnursing to beknowledge a qualityascompany well as advicethat frompeople the veterinarian to develop are proud work for for.prevention and treatment of ailments in sheep flock health to protocols

Customer service was the reason the company was born, and has captured an impressive share “We put the health and safety of our animals at the forefront,” says Ryan. of business for Liftboss. In the past 3 years, the downturn in thetoAlberta has small definitely The couple decided raise sheepeconomy because of their size and gentle affected the sales comparatively or lambs. nature. Specifically, they activity, raise Rideaubut Arcotts, which were developed at the service and Centre parts inbusiness has in the 1980s. Arcott used the Animal Research Ottawa (Arcott) noticed substantial growth.

The Ryan and Janna are excited to expand their sheep farm and involve several breeds to develop the line which have improved maternal sales team builds portfolios their family. characteristics.

Certain breeds used infor the development include Finnish each client’s service Landrace, Suffolk,needs Dorset, and Shropshire and East Friesen. preferences; this way, they can have “Janna and I would not be successful with sheep if it weren’t for our aThe conversation with a client instead Introducing of construction equipment. extremely helpful and supportive family,” says Ryan. “Even though our improved characteristics include high prolificacy, excellent the future of simplyability, walking them the family isn’t in agriculture, they have been quick mothering increased milkaround production, extended lambing season The new JCB Hydradig is the world’s first wheeled excavator and to support us and eager showroom.

Their clients appreciate to learn what we do. They are always coming to visit and help out.” and the ability to breed out of season. They also excel in crossbreeding tool carrier designed for purpose and built without compromise. the attention and reward them with programs with terminal sire breeds which emphasize meat production.

Travel to—and around—work sites faster than ever, maneuver into repeat business and referrals.

With limited chore time and a young child, the family needed to find a tight spaces with greater apply theofright attachments singleand versatile piece equipment that would take care of all their As their ewes average 250 to 300 per cent lambing, Ryan and Janna love safety, Material handling and forklifts werewhere and continue to be they’re needed. needs. From moving large bales of feed and bedding, building much this truly Canadian breed. a huge part of what Liftboss Inc. has grown from, but accessing pens and clearing snow in the winter, Contact Liftboss JCB for needed more infrastructure, information. their search soon lead to the choice of a compact track loader. With One of the biggest challenges for Ryan and Janna is marketing their sheep. research, JCB stood out as the obvious choice. JCB’s wide tracks, excellent cab visibility and side-entry cab have made their lives much “Everyone has tried lamb once, more often than not, this has been a bad easier, more comfortable and most importantly, safer. experience,” says Ryan. “Sometimes it can be difficult to convince them that our lamb is delicious.”

“The staff at Lift Boss, Calgary have been there whenever we need them; answering our questions, providing maintenance and repairs as needed Ryan and Janna have tried different avenues such as direct marketing, and encouraging us as young entrepreneurs,” says Ryan. private buyers and auctions.

EDMONTON BRANCH 7912 Yellowhead Trail Edmonton, AB (780) 474-9900

CALGARY BRANCH 8010 40 Street SE Calgary, AB (403) 301-0041

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The Estate Planner Sheri MacMillan and MacMillan Estate Planning safeguard their clients’ significance

By Melanie Darbyshire

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Keeping the Lights On

By Brad Field

Déjà Vu

By Frank Atkins

Calgary Chamber of Commerce The Calgary Report Current developments for Calgary Telus Convention Centre, Tourism Calgary, Calgary Economic Development, and Innovate Calgary

Marketing Matters

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The Banking Evolution Banking on the consumer

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Gaining a Competitive Edge to Advance Your Career The benefits of continuing education

By Erlynn Gococo

Master Chocolat

Celebrating Business Excellence

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Knowing When to “Lawyer Up” Legal professionals offer advice to business owners on when to ask for help

By Jamie Zachary

DECEMBER 2019 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

Why Give the Gift Horse?

The benefits of being charitable

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Boma Calgary News Winter 2019

NAIOP The 3rd Annual Real Estate Excellence (REX) Awards

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AMJ Campbell is the largest moving company in Canada and the largest agency for Atlas Van Lines with over 35 branches across the country to facilitate your moving needs. If you are looking for a trouble free move from start to finish, Tara will ensure that all aspects of your move are met.

Tara has a strong customer service background of over 25 years focusing on providing the highest level of customer service.

She takes a very personal approach and builds relationships to take care of your belongings whether it is down the street, across the country or overseas. Many relationships are based on referrals from previous clients, friends and realtors. Over the years, she has received countless awards for exceptional levels of quality service through the TERI award program as well as Annual Sales Achievement Awards from both Atlas Van Lines and AMJ Campbell.

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KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON // BRAD FIELD

Keeping the Lights On

BY BRAD FIELD

A

lberta’s budget has long been a topic of conversation around kitchen and boardroom tables. As families talk about tightening their belts because there’s less to go around, the same conversation happens in executive circles. Ongoing layoffs are a perfect example. Our homes have to control spending to keep our lights and heat on.

Businesses have to manage their budgets to keep people employed. Albertans have told governments to do it too, so we don’t leave insurmountable debt to future generations.

The provincial budget was delivered in October amidst varying critique from both the left and right. No matter your feelings on the premier, or the party in power, the UCP budget delivered on what they’ve long promised. After years of overspending, it was time to get the provincial fiscal house in order. The will of the people this past April showed that Albertans, and Calgarians more specifically, desire a return to balanced books.

Finding where to pinch, tighten, eliminate or cut is no small feat. The minister of finance and his cabinet colleagues hinted in the lead up to the budget that municipal funding would be rolled back. As expected, the big-city mayors have kicked up a fuss. As the dust settles on that fuss, what becomes clear is the municipal bottom line isn’t being managed.

Quite frankly, as households are doing more with less, it’s time the city does the same. Reining in spending is hard, but it takes leadership to make hard choices. Smart operational choices, not political choices, need to be a priority. Closing swimming pools was not a difficult choice; it was lowhanging fruit. It ended fruitlessly, and communities get to keep their pools for the time being.

After years of avoiding the reality, spending is out of control in Calgary. Instead of taking a hard look at nice-to-haves, our civic government has gone on the defence and suggested eliminating things that matter to Calgarians. This is a cynical, old-school political manoeuvre, and one Calgarians will surely see through. When citizens have been asked about spending priorities, the questions are premised on the assumption of continued increases. The city’s Action Plan report stated that most Calgarians wanted existing services held at or near current levels, necessitating a 5.3 per cent rise in spending, and providing political cover for continued overspending. That cover is clearly gone.

The provincial budget reminds us that municipal spending growth has surpassed population growth for a long time.

After years of overspending, the province is navigating in the direction Albertans gave them a clear mandate to travel. As one example, the provincial government has signalled the intent to reduce public sector compensation. This may be a subject to broach in Calgary as well.

There’s no question the budget cuts will cause pain in Calgary. Sectors, including our emerging high-tech industry, will struggle with cuts to tax credit programs, and social and community programs took a hit. As individuals, we should try to support our local arts and culture organizations as they adapt to lower funding levels.

When times are great, we get to pretend we can have it all; when times are tough, we must assess want versus need.

Calgarians get that; it’s part of what has made us so resilient.

Let’s live within our means. Let’s do what Calgarians do, and get to work to make it work.

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // DECEMBER 2019

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DÉJÀ VU // FRANK ATKINS

Déjà Vu

BY FRANK ATKINS

I

can’t help but quote the late Yogi Berra who once said, “It’s déjà vu all over again.” The election results are a big throwback to the Trudeau the Elder era. Quebec and Ontario elected the government and the West has been shut out. Canada is a divided, acrimonious country. No wonder there is a strong Wexit movement.

Immediately following the election results, there were calls for Mr. Scheer to resign. The odd thing is there were no calls for Mr. Trudeau to resign. He lost the majority and lost a large number of seats. For reasons I do not understand, the Liberals still view him as an asset. Maybe this is because the press fawn all over him.

The maddening thing here is that the country did not so much elect Mr. Trudeau as it did not elect Mr. Scheer. I think Peter MacKay summed it up nicely saying, “Yeah, to use a good Canadian analogy, it was like having a breakaway on an open net and missing the net.” To take this analogy a little further, the pass to Andrew Scheer to set up the breakaway came from Justin Trudeau. Mr. Scheer was never prepared for what should have been obvious questions. Why didn’t he have prepared answers for questions on his stance on samesex marriage and abortion? Stumbling over the answers he gave made him seem weak and ineffectual. Of course, the press jumped all over this, which only served to make the situation worse.

This will most likely be a stable minority government. The NDP do not want, and cannot afford, another election any time soon. The Bloc clearly like where they are at the moment, meaning they would likely support the government if it looked like they would fall in a vote. So, we are stuck with four more years of Justin Trudeau. This means four

IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE ELECTION RESULTS, THERE WERE CALLS FOR MR. SCHEER TO RESIGN. THE ODD THING IS THERE WERE NO CALLS FOR MR. TRUDEAU TO RESIGN. HE LOST THE MAJORITY AND LOST A LARGE NUMBER OF SEATS. more years of excessive government spending, large deficits and debt, and increasing interest payments to finance the debt. Also, and more importantly for Alberta, there will be four more years of pipeline stalling and anti-oil rhetoric, accompanied by climate change whining.

The only upside I can see here is that this gives the Conservatives time to gracefully engineer the exit of Andrew Scheer. There are several worthy, high-profile candidates out there. Personally, I would like to see Mr. Harper come back, but that is not going to happen.

Although he denies it, I cannot help but think Peter MacKay is quietly preparing. I think Rona Ambrose did an excellent job when she was interim leader. She should have been allowed to run in the leadership race. She probably would have won the leadership and likely would have won the election. Another potential star candidate would be Michelle Rempel. We need to unseat Mr. Trudeau, and in order to do that, the Conservatives need to elect one of these people as the new leader.

Frank Atkins is a Senior Fellow at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.

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PUBLISHERS

Pat Ottmann & Tim Ottmann

Top Priority for New Federal Government

by Cody Battershill

2020 – Kick It Up A Notch!

by Chuck Bean

04 05 06 09 16 19

Why Alberta Needs Accurate Oil and Gas Employment Data 2019 FEBRUARY

by David Yager

Cover: Getting the Message Out

by Melanie Darbyshire

Grande Prairie Defying the Odds

by Jamie Zachary

Profile: Caliper Inspection Celebrates 35 Years

by Rennay Craats

EDITOR

Melanie Darbyshire

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Jessi Evetts jessi@businessincalgary.com

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BOOKSTRUCKER PHOTOGRAPHY

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THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Melanie Darbyshire Rennay Craats David Yager Chuck Bean Jamie Zachary Cody Battershill

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COVER 3 • Business of Energy • December 2019

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Cody Battershill | Top Priority for New Federal Government: Keep Your Promise, Build TMX

TOP PRIORITY FOR NEW FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

KEEP YOUR PROMISE, BUILD TMX

by Cody Battershill

A

s you’re reading this, a new minority Liberal government is installed in Ottawa.

And it seems likely that decision-makers there are, right now, thinking about pipelines.

After all, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau endorsed the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project (TMX), campaigned in favour of it through the fall, and even arranged for taxpayers to purchase it.

So, I was encouraged when the newly re-elected prime minister, shortly after election day in late October, stated he’d move quickly to build the long-delayed TMX. From the perspective of a non-partisan grassroots group that advocates for the energy and natural resources economy, I’d argue the importance of TMX is more crucial today than ever.

For Canadian families, communities, indigenous and non-indigenous groups and for the country at large, it’s vital the PM keeps that commitment – and makes it the national priority moving forward.

According to the International Energy Agency, oil demand worldwide is expected to increase to nearly 112 million barrels a day by 2040, driven primarily by China, India, Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. But Canada’s supply is hamstrung by a lack of sufficient pipeline capacity to global markets.

Because Canada ranks at the top of global energy suppliers in terms of environment, health, safety and human rights, and because pipeline, tanker and tug technologies are state of the art in Canada – as are extraction and refining – Canada is the ideal global supplier.

we need more pipeline access to tidewater.

We need the completion of the TMX program expedited.

Ironically, B.C. whale-watching traffic grows each summer, ferries and cruise ships ply our waters and, as the National Energy Board observed in its report on TMX, Vancouver and Victoria release “about 700 million litres of untreated and undertreated wastewater into the Salish Sea per day.”

Meanwhile indigenous support for the energy sector continues to increase (48 of 51 indigenous groups on the TMX route have mutual benefit agreements in place with the company). That’s why the prime minister really must act on his TMX commitments and move the project ahead urgently.

Reports placed the value of crude oil imported into Canada at nearly $20 billion last year alone.

Canadians just can’t afford to export those jobs to other, less-regulated regimes. Given our technological, social and environmental leadership within the global oil and gas sector, Canada should be the last remaining global supplier in the pool.

Let me break that message down to its simplest, most essential form: our country needs new pipeline capacity to move our industry to the B next level globally, and we need it now. OE

Cody Battershill is a Calgary realtor and founder/spokesperson for CanadaAction.ca, a volunteer-built organization that supports Canadian energy development and the environmental, social and economic benefits that come with it.

So, it’s time to remove the bottleneck and get our product to global markets where it can finally realize its full value. For that to happen,

4 • Business of Energy • December 2019

2020 – Kick It Up A Notch! | Chuck Bean

2020 KICK IT UP A NOTCH!

by Chuck Bean

I

t came to me years ago that running a business is like swimming in the ocean. There are waves, tides, storms and sometimes tsunamis. You must first learn to swim a lap, before you can swim a mile and if you are good at swimming, you can stay in the water a long time. The key to being good is to stay above the waterline. Learn to stay above and you will survive the difficult swims.

Business is no different. We must learn to do things well and keep our head above water.

New years often mark a time of fresh starts and new beginnings. We reset our plans, hold our annual kick-offs, regroup and start anew. There’s nothing wrong with this thinking and in many cases the occurrence of a new year provides an excellent time of change for many.

There is no better time to do business than now.

Energy sector performance in Canada is off its mark; therefore, this is a time for long-term thinking. Now build costs will be low and attention to efficiency and detail will be at its best.

What are you doing to capture opportunity? Do you have a growth strategy? Are you managing by impulse or by plan?

The organization that aligns itself with values based on maximizing their significance during a regrouping of an economy will always win out. The next year or two will be an outstanding growth opportunity for corporate leaders who are serious about their visions, and a time of uncomfortable change for those who are not.

A relevant but older read, the book Good to Great, author Jim Collins states “a major contributor to the success of your corporation will be its ability to determine what it is that it can be the best in its space at, and to steadily work towards that vision.” This makes perfect sense and is a common attribute of the world’s finest companies.

A solid strategic foundation for gaining positive business growth, is represented in these next points.

Get the Right People - The key to success in ensuring that your organization can grow even during stormy times, is having the right people.

The best organizations are aligned with people who want to be there and are A-players willing to play an A-game. They are interested in being on or leading the team, and will stick around while weathering more difficult times.

Entrench a Process - Whether it’s a go-tomarket strategy or a method of shipping boxes, you must have a process that is failure proof, duplicable and can be accelerated. It must deliver better than average results before ever looking for an automated solution. Remember, if your method delivers lower than average results, speeding it up will get you to your losses faster.

Understand Your Environment - Perhaps the most significant factor in Alberta’s energy success will be a strategic understanding of our business environment and how it shapes our future. Watch your competitors and steal their wind. Look for breakdowns that can be exploited. Be sure that your offering is suitable for now and future times.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can just carry forward regardless.

Embrace Technology - Technology enhances.

If you have the right people, process and have a grip on your business environment, introducing technology to gain success faster, is a no brainer.

Alberta’s oil industry is competing on a global level like never before. Emulating the characteristics of world class companies is essential. The turn into 2020 provides an B excellent time to tackle this great opportunity. OE

5 • Business of Energy • December 2019

David Yager | Why Alberta Needs Accurate Oil and Gas Employment Data

WHY ALBERTA NEEDS ACCURATE, OIL AND GAS EMPLOYEMENT DATA

by David Yager

H

ow many people work in Alberta’s oil and gas industry?

With the future of Alberta’s largest economic contributor under siege from climate change alarmists and indifference or hostility from too many federal and provincial politicians, you would think this would be vital information all Alberta politicians could recite in their sleep.

Regrettably, the most obvious source of current, accurate and granular oilpatch employment information – the Alberta government – doesn’t know. Instead, Edmonton releases incomplete and misleading federal jobs data every month.

The root of her concerns was Kenney’s aggressive defence of the oil and gas industry after millions of voters demonstrated they were much more concerned about climate change than Alberta’s economy. Thomas continued, “We Albertans should ask ourselves how far we are prepared to let our provincial government push this polarized partisan narrative in our name.”

Because, Thomas wrote, “…relatively few Albertans work directly in oil and gas (6.1 per cent in 2017).” Employment data was the foundation of her assertion that Kenney’s position was more politics than economics.

The trigger for this column was a commentary in the October 25, 2019 edition of the Globe and Mail titled, “Albertans must not let our government push a polarized partisan narrative” written by native Albertan and University of Calgary associate political science professor, Melanee Thomas.

Where would Thomas get a ridiculously low number like that? From the Alberta government!

Each month the province issues a report titled Alberta Labor Force Statistics. Seventy-two years after the Leduc discovery transformed the province, the Alberta government still relies on Statistics Canada for oilpatch workforce data.

And it’s wrong.

Thomas questioned Premier Jason Kenney’s tone after the re-election of Justin Trudeau’s Liberals October 21. She wrote, “…Kenney described the idea of a Liberal minority government as a ‘Frankenstein’ scenario, in which non-Conservatives pose an existential threat to Alberta.”

Alberta’s report reveals the job figures for September 2019 were 2.52 million in the labour force – 2.35 million working and 166,200 or 6.6 per cent unemployed. Unemployment in Edmonton and Calgary was at 7.3 per cent and 7.1 per cent respectively.

6 • Business of Energy • December 2019

Why Alberta Needs Accurate Oil and Gas Employment Data | David Yager

To report how oil and gas is doing, Alberta publishes one line titled “Forestry, Fishing, Mining, Oil and Gas” – the broad bucket for all raw and unprocessed resource extraction. In September, the total was only 138,600 jobs or 5.9 per cent of working Albertans.

We all understand Alberta’s commercial fishing is struggling (climate change or geography?) and forestry and mining are not large. But this means oilpatch employment is even lower.

Which explains why people who don’t understand Alberta’s economy would justifiably wonder what all the fuss is about. After all, the report reveals there were the same number of people working in “Manufacturing” and nearly 100,000 more – 236,300 – working in “Construction.”

Under “Services-Producing Sector” there were 333,700 reported as working in something called “Trade,” 138,100 employed in “Transportation and Warehousing,” while 187,100 had jobs in “Professional, Scientific and Technical Services.” “Accommodation and Food Services” employed 146,500 while “Finance, Insurance, Real Estate and Leasing” had 105,200 on the payroll.

The biggest employer is the public sector. Total employment in education, health care, social services and public administration was 577,500, or almost 25 per cent of all those working.

This was only 10,000 jobs less than the entire Goods-Producing Sector.

Based upon these statistics, direct oilpatch employment – while not insignificant – is hardly cause for righteous political indignation or justification for Albertans to push for separation from the rest of Canada.

This information reported this way is not only damaging but inaccurate. Repeated without research or question by the national media, it causes many to conclude most Albertans (those who voted UCP) are whining dinosaurs clinging to fond memories of past oil booms and unreasonably reluctant to make the economic adjustments the “climate crisis” demands.

Wrong data like this also allows too many to opine about how easily unemployed Alberta oil workers could make a “just transition” to “cleantech” as solar panel installers, building insulators or wind turbine maintenance technicians.

I have been crusading for years for better employment data as the foundation for more intelligent discussions about the significance of carbon resources for Alberta’s and Canada’s economy. It was a key purpose of my book, From Miracle to Menace – Alberta, A Carbon Story.

Because Alberta without oil, gas and coal is Manitoba with mountains. Relatively few people live in this cold, remote and underpopulated region of North America. Massive deposits of fossil fuels are the primary reason as many people live in Alberta as in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Montana and North Dakota combined.

As chairman of the Petroleum Services Association of Canada (PSAC) in 2009/2010, I helped create a more accurate picture of how many people the oil and gas industry employs – directly and indirectly.

PSAC contracted the Canadian Energy Research Institute and we took apart the StatCan input-output model which provides granular GDP and employment data from hundreds of industrial sub-sectors.

Here we learned that refining, bitumen upgrading and petrochemicals reside within manufacturing, as does building oilfield equipment for domestic and export markets.

7 • Business of Energy • December 2019

Why Alberta Needs Accurate, Oil and Gas Employment Data

StatCan places every job in the country into only two categories: Goods-Producing Sector and Services-Producing Sector.

David Yager | Why Alberta Needs Accurate Oil and Gas Employment Data

Construction to support the oilpatch is huge.

This is where all the jobs in building upgraders, pipelines, natural gas liquids processing facilities and petrochemical plants reside. Construction includes those required to build and maintain the massive road network providing year-round access to hundreds of thousands of oil and gasproducing wells and field-processing facilities.

Over 300,000 people work in “Trade.”

Considering most of the oil, gas and petrochemical products Alberta produces are exported, a lot of these jobs are derived from fossil fuels.

How many of the finance, insurance, real estate and leasing jobs wouldn’t exist without the massive oil and gas industry? The oilpatch supports tens of thousands of those working in professional, scientific and technical services.

Where are pipelines? Where is trucking?

By dissecting the complete oil and gas supply chain in this manner, in its second study in 2014, PSAC reported that in 2009 the oil services sector alone (which supports oil and gas development and production) employed over 680,000 people across Canada directly and indirectly. Over half of all the economic activity on a GDP basis took place in Alberta.

To illustrate what Alberta would look like without oil and gas and to reinforce the number of oil jobs, I hired a bright University of Calgary economics PhD graduate to “decarbonize” Alberta’s economy using detailed StatCan data.

In the book I wrote:

“Support industries (for fossil fuels) include Statistics Canada classifications such as ‘support activities for oil and gas extraction,’ ‘oil and gas engineering and construction,’ ‘petroleum and coal manufacturing,’ ‘pipeline transportation of natural gas,’ ‘crude oil and other pipeline transportation,’ ‘petroleum refining,’ ‘transportation construction engineering,’ ‘basic chemical manufacturing,’ ‘plastic product manufacturing,’ ‘machine shops, turned product,’ and ‘other chemical product manufacturing.’ In 2017 the GDP contribution of these sectors was $108 billion, 35% of the provincial total of $305 billion.

Using this methodology and adjusting for the fact some of these businesses would exist in other provinces but in a much smaller form, Alberta without oil and gas would see its 2017 GDP

decline by 32% from $305 billion to $206 billion.

Big numbers. Statistics Canada also includes jobs using what is called the ‘employment IO (input output) multiplier.’ Using the same categories for employment in Alberta in 2014, the result would be the loss of 355,352 jobs.”

That would have been over 18 per cent of all the jobs reported in Alberta in 2014, not six per cent. And that includes none of the secondary support jobs that are larger than they would be otherwise like finance, accounting, law, accommodations, food services, office equipment or IT. Nor does it touch commercial real estate, residential housing or automotive and truck sales and service.

That’s a lot of solar panel installers and windmill technicians to redeploy. Decarbonization as envisioned by some Canadian climate change alarmists would result in the exodus of hundreds of thousands of people and collapse the economy.

There are other data sources. The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers reports that in 2017 there were 528,000 oil and gas jobs across Canada. That’s 3.3 per cent of the entire Canadian workforce including 62 per cent of the total population that resides in Quebec and Ontario. With the exception of a tiny amount in Ontario, they produce no fossil fuels.

Shutting down the oilsands would be devastating. Fort McMurray and area – 112,000 people in 2018 – would shed tens of thousands of jobs. Operating costs and sustaining capital expenditures for oilsands totalled $33.5 billion in 2018. Pull that out of the Alberta economy and be assured that far more than 6.1 per cent of the workforce would quickly be unemployed.

A consistent and reasonable complaint about climate change is that it is increasingly driven by emotion, not facts. Surely the Alberta government should be the most credible source of accurate oilpatch employment data. These are numbers Canadians can and must understand.

And are in no way partisan.

If Alberta wants to patriate something federal to play tough with the rest of Canada, let’s start B with employment and economic data. OE

Living in Calgary, David Yager is an oil and gas writer, energy policy analyst and author of From Miracle to Menace – Alberta, A Carbon Story.

8 • Business of Energy • December 2019

Getting the Message Out | Melanie Darbyshire

GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT

ALBERTA’S ENERGY INDUSTRY ADVOCATES FOR ITSELF

I

by Melanie Darbyshire

n the contest to gain Canadians’ favour, Alberta’s energy industry is hardly a winner.

Unlike other major Canadian industries – manufacturing, fishing and tourism, to name a few – which garner little disdain from the country’s citizens and politicians, the oil and gas industry often incites at the very least a belief that it must improve (read transform to clean energy) and at the very worst a unique, guttural abhorrence. For many, Alberta’s energy days are numbered.

The reasons for this are many. A well-funded, highly-organized and strategic environmental movement singularly focused on Alberta’s oil and gas industry; the widely-held view that climate change is the issue of our time; misinformation about Alberta’s energy industry; deep-seated regionalism across Canada; and, a lack of advocacy on the part of industry.

Indeed, industry has been slow to the fight.

While it was busy trying to do the business of providing energy, these various factors aligned, along with detrimental government policy at the federal and provincial levels, to pull the rug out from under it. Now in dire straights, it is finally fighting back.

A number of industry initiatives – Canada Action, Modern Miracle Network (MMN), Buffalo Project, Canadians for Canada’s Future (CCF) – have been recently formed. With the purpose of advocating on behalf of Western Canada’s natural resources sector, these groups are hoping to sway reasonable Canadians to their favour. The task, to be sure, is not easy.

“The industry has been so badly beaten up and our people feel so negative and under attack for numerous reasons,” says Jeff Tonken, CEO

9 • Business of Energy • December 2019

Melanie Darbyshire | Getting the Message Out

of Birchcliff Energy Ltd. Tonken and Birchcliff are founding members of CCF, which released a widely-circulated, two-and-a-half minute video in support of the industry in August. “But we are really proud of the industry. And nobody is speaking about it. Nobody is taking the time to reflect back on what energy has accomplished and created for Albertans and Canadians. So we made the video to do that.”

“It has been extremely well received,” adds Mike Rose, CEO of Calgary-based Tourmaline Oil Corp, co-founders of CCF. “I’ve heard nothing but positive feedback from it.”

The video’s message is unapologetically clear: Canada’s regulated, environmentally-focused and strictly-monitored energy sector benefits the comfort, health, prosperity and overall quality of life of all Canadians. The world will continue to require significant amounts of oil and gas for the foreseeable future and without access to emerging markets, a streamlined regulatory system and competitive tax structure, Canada will continue to suffer a massive net loss of capital investment, jobs and economic benefits for Canadians.

“It’s about getting the proper message out,” Rose explains. “Fossil fuels will continue to be used around the world and that use is growing, not shrinking. Canada produces the net cleanest hydrocarbon molecule so we should, logically, if you’re concerned about the global atmosphere, produce as much of the world’s hydrocarbons as possible. Otherwise they get developed in other jurisdictions which have weaker emissions standards.”

Rather than focus only on Canada’s 1.6 per cent contribution to worldwide emissions, Rose urges, focus on the 98.4 per cent of emissions that originate outside our borders. “And we are still working on our own 1.6 per cent,” he adds.

“We’re actually beating our industry targets,” Tonken says. “We were supposed to be down 30 per cent by 2030 [according to Canada’s commitments in the Paris Agreement], and we’ve actually beat that target.”

“Over half of the money spent every year on environmental performance improvement by all industrial sectors in Canada is spent by our sector,” Rose continues. “And that doesn’t

include what is called cleantech, which is the collaboration within our industry on the technology development side for environmental performance improvement.” The oil and gas sector is the largest investor in cleantech research and development in the country, investing an annual aggregate of $1.4 billion.

Industry partnerships like Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) and the Natural Gas Innovation Fund (NGIF) bring all the major players together to focus on accelerating the pace of improvement in environmental performance in Canada’s oil and gas industry. Through collaborative funding, action and innovation, numerous advancements have already been achieved, with many more in the works.

“But the real target,” Tonken says, “if you really want to make a difference, are the emissions occurring elsewhere in the world. That’s why we want to build all the pipelines, create jobs here and end up with a net cleaner environment in the world.”

The exportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG), for example, has the potential to significantly reduce GHG emissions in other parts of the world. “Would it raise GHG emissions here?”

Tonken asks. “Yes: Canada’s emissions will go from 1.6 per cent to 1.6 per cent, because they’ll go up by 0.00001 per cent. But guess what, we can knock out three per cent on the other side.

We could knock out 34 coal-fired plants, which is 52 megatons of GHG emissions.”

Clean and cheap Canadian energy has the potential to improve the standard of living for billions of people in developing countries, thereby improving their environmental performance as well. “When people have water and food and electricity they’ll also start to think and care about their own environments,” Rose says.

Far from rejecting clean technology and renewables, the solution lies in developing both.

“We’re not fighting renewables,” Rose says, “it’s fossil fuels and renewables.”

Jobs – hundreds of thousands of them – from coast to coast and support for indigenous populations, in the form of employment and training, monetary backing, education and selfsustainability, have been and will be lost as the industry continues to suffer.

10 • Business of Energy • December 2019

“I know we both feel pretty righteous about what our industry can do,” Tonken reflects. “We have the ability to use Canadian energy to help clean up the world’s environment, create employment for citizens here and help indigenous peoples across the country. It’s our hat trick and we want to talk about it.”

“I know we both feel pretty righteous about what our industry can do,” Tonken reflects. “We have the ability to use Canadian energy to help clean up the world’s environment, create employment for citizens here and help indigenous peoples across the country. It’s our hat trick and we want to talk about it.”

The conversation thus far, however, has not gone in their favour.

“We got outflanked,” Rose admits of the foreign-funded environmental groups. “They organized to target Canada and the oilsands. But we know they get reclaimed and that from an emissions standpoint they are no different than any other oil development, but we got outflanked and we’ve been playing catch up.”

“We also did a poor job on advocacy,” Tonken adds. “We never educated Canadians properly and didn’t get into the schools. I’m talking 10, 15 years ago. Canadians have lost the connection between turning on the lights and what energy companies do. I can tell you that when I have open-heart surgery, I don’t want windmills or solar. I want natural gas to make sure the lights don’t go out.”

When the attacks started to come, they say, many of the large foreign energy companies which industry looked to lead the pushback didn’t do so. “Instead they quietly sold their assets and left,” Tonken says. “They took the position that they’re not getting involved in foreign politics. Add to that we had both a provincial NDP government and federal Liberal government that did not like Canadian energy. Climate change became a very public issue and when the commodity price cycle in 2014 crashed, everybody came to their knees at once. All of a sudden we had not a little problem, but a giant one.”

For Rose, the climate change factor has been enormously frustrating. “Being a scientist [he is a geologist by profession], I’ve been following since it was called global warming.

The problem the planet has is we’re going from seven billion to nine billion people. We’re polluting the planet and we need to address all forms of pollution – air, land and water.”

“The climate has always been changing,” Tonken continues. “Are we contributing to it?

Probably, to some extent. Are we polluting the world? Absolutely. So let’s go after pollution.”

11 • Business of Energy • December 2019

Getting the Message Out

“

Getting the Message Out | Melanie Darbyshire

Melanie Darbyshire | Getting the Message Out

In addition to CCF’s video, advocacy efforts include ad campaigns, talks and presentations across the country. “We’ve been speaking to universities, Chambers of Commerce, Rotary Clubs, business groups, on television and radio, trying to get our story out,” says Tonken, who is also chair of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), where he is joined by Rose as a member and spokesperson.

Modern Miracle Network’s (MMN) purpose is to inform Canadians across the country about the multiple advances – from the combustible engine to the many medicines that have extended human life – made possible by Canadian hydrocarbons.

With the election of a minority Liberal federal government in October, Rose and Tonken’s desires for industry remain unchanged, including that the Trans Mountain pipeline and other pipelines get built. “We need a federal government that supports Canadian

energy development for all the reasons we’ve discussed,” Rose urges. “Investors look at Canada as a place where you can’t get things done anymore. And when you have that perception, it doesn’t take one pipeline being built, it takes four or five to get rid of the perception. We have a long way to come back to gain confidence back into Canada.”

Tonken is hopeful for better days. “My perfect world is where we can be proud Canadians and proud of our energy industry,” Tonken says.

“Where we’re recognized as the lowest-cost, most-reliable clean energy that we can sell to the world and because of that, our country has enough money to finance all the social things: we take care of the elderly, educate our young, pay for medical care – a flourishing country.”

For more information on CCF, go to https://www.canadiansforcanadasfuture.ca.

For more information on MMN, go to B https://www.modernmiraclenetwork.org. OE

12 • Business of Energy • December 2019

Defying the Odds | Grande Prairie Feature

DEFYING THE ODDS

GRANDE PRAIRIE CONTINUES TO BE BRIGHT SPOT IN CHALLENGING PROVINCIAL ECONOMY

by Jamie Zachary

I

n the darkest nights, the stars shine the brightest – an all-too-appropriate adage that only begins to illustrate Grande Prairie’s seemingly David and Goliath-like triumph over more than a decade of provincial economic uncertainty, say community leaders.

Located more than four hours northwest of Edmonton amid the oil and gas-rich Montney and Duvernay plays, this “little region that could” has seemingly surmounted softness in commodity prices, and instead seen growth where others in the province have seen contraction, investments over withdraws and optimism instead of skepticism.

“We have a pioneering spirit. An entrepreneurial spirit. An innovative spirit. We all have the same ethos,” says Bill Given, the third-term mayor of Grande Prairie who was born and raised in the city of more than 69,000.

He notes new developments and construction in the region are currently estimated to be around $7.3 billion, highlighted by a $2-billion methanol

Grande Prairie Mayor Bill Given.

13 • Business of Energy • December 2019

BARRY SMITH BARON OILFIELD SUPPLY

B

arry Smith was born in Southern Alberta into a hard working family in the Trucking industry and as such is no stranger to commitment and hard work. He moved to Grande Prairie in the late 1970’s and began a career in the Oil and Gas industry in the supply sector.

For the past 34 years he has used his entrepreneurial spirit to raise a company. “We are far from the one room store with two employees that we started with, today.”

In fact, I proudly represent the 130 families that are in the trenches daily of our now 14 branch locations across Alberta and B.C.” This is something that has been foremost in the Company culture. The people here are treated as extended family.

Baron has stocked its stores with some of the industry’s most sought after specialized experience. “Our people come with an array of expertise across many different aspects of the industry.” We respect that talent and protect it as our most valued commodity.” This has made Baron an extraordinary place to work. Proof of this is in the average tenure of 10+ years amongst its workforce. Not surprising then was the 2012 Employer Of Choice award from the Grande Prairie Chamber of Commerce.

From the beginning Smith set out to distinguish his company as an industry leader. “To successfully do this we focus not only on supplying product but by finding the right balance of empowering our people, teaching them to be proactive in offering problem solutions and always going the extra mile in providing service.”

Smith has instilled his belief that “service” comes first and foremost as the main product offering, in everyone that represents Baron Oilfield Supply. It is his belief that once you master that…. Everything else comes as a result. “We don’t under promise and over deliver” Instead, our promise is to always deliver on customer expectations, which is one of our greatest strengths.” It’s a talent born of not restricting our workforce or putting up internal barriers that sometimes tie the hands of our people.” We recognize that our business may not be one size fits all and that each of our locations face obstacles unique to their respective business area. In that regard, we listen and adjust. Baron operates in large part without Corporate Red Tape.”

Success doesn’t happen overnight. Achieving success requires determination, dedication, loyalty and insight.

“There are two very distinct things that set us apart from our competitors. The first is our people, the second is our hands on style of management. Every employee at Baron is involved in daily operations regardless of position, helping to keep a finger on the ever changing pulse of the industry.

“Customers don’t just buy Product”. People buy what you believe in”. At Baron, we believe in being the Best at what we do, at being proactive to industry needs, at supplying quality product at fair market value and accepting nothing less than excellence from our trading partners”.

Over the past several years Baron has looked inward and focused on streamlining operations. Baron has added a distribution centre for valve product in Edmonton, a Central distribution center for flanges and fittings housed in the Grande Prairie location in support of field locations, set up Project teams in Fort St John and Grande Prairie, added a Central Quotations Centre in Calgary and is currently expanding the Grande Prairie location to include a Projects building and yard area.

“We are constantly looking for ways to reduce the cost of ownership and pass this on in savings to our clientele”.

Not only in the product we supply but in the manner in which we acquire and distribute.” In fact, it was Smith’s constant search to improve that led to becoming the only North American distributor for CSC Valves Canada inc(CSC). “We realized that to remain competitive in

bidding projects, we had to find a way to supply a quality valve product unique to the market.” Aligning with CSC has not only allowed us to provide a quality valve to market but also fits with our mandate of industry solutions.” CSC is one of the only valve companies able to do application engineering and build a valve to spec within acceptable customer delivery expectations”.

Baron is also a proud member of a larger group, the Side Group of companies. “Coming together, banding and marketing what each company inside Side Group has to offer, will make us far more competitive and robust going into the future.” Not only is Baron prominent in the Oil and Gas industry but its sister companies hold their own industry prominence, offering everything from Industrial at Northern Metalic, Fleet Rentals from Visa Truck, Rail services from our Rail Yards, Lubricants from Metalic Lubricant division and even land and building development from Devco Development.

“The Oil and Gas industry can be very volatile and while the industry in Alberta faces an unclear future, we are using this time to reposition and become the best possible version of ourselves as an industry contender”.

“I’m excited for the future as we grow and mesh our offerings across a multitude of industry.”

While Baron remains foremost as Smith’s responsibility, he is also looking beyond its roots with the umbrella of strength that exists through diversity among the wider group.

Phone: (780) 532-5661 | Toll free: (888) 532-5661 | baronoilfield.ca

Grande Prairie Feature | Defying the Odds

facility by Nauticol Energy that will be one of the largest in the world.

The facility will convert approximately 300 million cubic feet per day of natural gas into three million tonnes of methanol per year when completed in 2022.

“A project that is adding value to what we’re exporting is significant,” says Christopher King, economic development manager for the County of Grande Prairie. “Aside from the tax revenue and the jobs it will create, it creates a bigger awareness globally that Alberta can value-add.

And the more we can refine these products, the less reliant we are on pipelines to get those products to market.”

Meanwhile, Seven Generations Energy has started construction on a new 60,000-squarefoot headquarters in Grande Prairie that’s

Christopher King, economic development manager for the County of Grande Prairie.

16 • Business of Energy • December 2019

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When they visit our offices, we’re there to greet them. We welcome every professional challenge as an opportunity to continuously improve and produce tangible results our clients are completely satisfied with. We aim to be the propelling force

that drives our industry forward, continually raising the bar on standards for workmanship, safety, efficiency and professionalism.

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Grande Prairie Feature | Defying the Odds

“We’re still a buyer’s market like the rest of the province, but we do have pockets of activity. In many cases, we still have multioffer situations happening,” says Lesley Craig.

estimated to cost $38 million. This comes just three years after Pembina Pipeline opened its new regional headquarters in the city.

The ace up Grande Prairie’s sleeve, however, might just be its economic diversity. While deeply rooted in oil and gas, the region also accounts for 13.6 per cent (3.3 million hectares) of Alberta’s cropland. And Grande Prairie is ground zero for northern Alberta’s forestry sector, with four large operators (Weyerhaeuser, International Paper, Canfor and Norbord) combining as the region’s top industrial employers.

“Overall, we’ve had a pretty healthy economy – even through these last two downturns,” says King. “That’s not just because of our diversity in oil and gas, but also the diversity into agriculture, forestry and services.”

A recently released Vital Signs 2019 report by the Community Foundation of Northwestern Alberta noted the region’s total market size exceeds $4.7 billion in retail spending due to its growing trade area population of almost 290,000.

This year, the city became home to both Canada’s largest Ford dealership (Windsor Ford) and a single-storey Canadian Tire location.

In October, Melcor Developments acquired a 283,235-square-foot retail power centre containing 15 buildings for $54.8 million.

“It’s one thing for me to be a booster of the community. These kinds of investments speak to a level of confidence in the value of making longterm investments in our community,” says Given, adding a new $730-million regional hospital and cancer centre will also open in 2020.

Grande Prairie’s housing market continues to record strong gains, with year-to-date single-

Lesley Craig, president of the Grande Prairie & Area Association of Realtors.

family starts remaining flat and multi-family increasing by 460 per cent.

“We’re still a buyer’s market like the rest of the province, but we do have pockets of activity. In many cases, we still have multi-offer situations happening,” says Lesley Craig, president of the Grande Prairie & Area Association of Realtors, noting the average selling price in 2019 has remained relatively consistent year over year at around $305,000.

“We still see the Grande Prairie housing market staying pretty steady moving forward into 2020.

And while we’ll unlikely see those big jumps in prices that we saw in 2008-09 again, it will B continue to be a safe place to invest.” OE

18 • Business of Energy • December 2019

CALIPER INSPECTION 35 YEARS STRONG

BY RENNAY CRAATS WITH PHOTOS BY RIVERWOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

W

hen Paul Frederick decided to strike out on his own in 1985, he jumped in with both feet. What he lacked in business experience he made up for in determination, technical expertise and industry knowledge. After a few years operating out of his southwest condo, his company began to grow and earn the reputation for integrity and quality work that it enjoys today.

In the heart of a recession, he set out to make his mark in Calgary with Caliper Inspection, and 35 years later he has done just that.

“Once we got established, things started to broaden out a bit,” says Paul Frederick, founder and president of Caliper Inspection. “Now we have about 26 administrative and technical staff, with staff inspectors as well as contract inspectors that we use on a regular basis and many others worldwide.”

The company has evolved into a full-service business that provides not just welding inspection but full equipment mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, structural and industrial coating inspection for

refurbished and new equipment. Caliper prides itself on staying informed about manufacturing standards and codes to ensure compliance with regulations at all times and in all parts of the world. It is dedicated to educating not only its own staff and contractors but also its clients about important changes in the industry. This once-small local business has grown into a firm with strong ties to corporations across the globe and a scope that reaches far beyond its original welding focus.

Today’s Caliper Inspection provides comprehensive expertise before, during and after fabrication, allowing technicians to reduce or eliminate rework. In addition, the Caliper team monitors manufacturing progress to ensure on-time delivery and that the equipment adheres to all standards and regulations. Caliper is a one-stop shop that can assist clients with every aspect of their projects, from weld procedures, drawings and documentation to purchasing and vendor surveys. The company also offers clients quality control assistance by auditing existing programs

CALIPER INSPECTIONS | 35 YEARS

Front row from left to right: Paul Frederick, Rica Hilao, Betty McLean, Samantha Werth, Kelly Bowles Back row from left to right: Donna Milman, Annelise Muller, Kelly Geer, Nick Berry, Alicia Rowley, Wayne Zadderey, Theo Muller.

and helping develop and implement quality control programs, manuals and procedures.

“And if they come across quality control problems that their staff can’t resolve they can resource us to do specialized quality control services – especially when customers come to them with unique specifications or designs that require special needs for the manufacturing to take place,” says Frederick.

More than three decades of experience has positioned Caliper as a leader in equipment inspections, welding consultation, codes and compliance, expediting and quality control.

These services save clients time and money while increasing employee safety, and that is precisely why Caliper Inspection has become a go-to company for clients. The team has fostered strong relationships with clients, many of whom have been working with Caliper for decades. In fact, the company’s first job in 1985 was with PanCanadian, and it remains a trusted partner today in the form of Encana. Clients appreciate the quality standards, professionalism and integrity Caliper brings to every job, so when contacts move to different companies or transfer to different countries, they take Caliper with them.

“We have a good rapport with clients and we end up working for them over and over again.

They keep bringing us with them wherever they end up being relocated,” he says. “They are very appreciative of the fact that we can get results.”

The company is happy to accommodate its clients, offering a global network of like-minded trained and certified contractors to meet client needs while applying Caliper’s high standards. Closer to home, the organization’s main service areas are Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Medicine Hat and Grande Prairie with the head office in Calgary and a new location in Grande Prairie that opened in January 2019. This expansion was key with the Alberta economy and energy projects in the Grande Prairie area beginning to move forward. Caliper identified a growth opportunity in Grande Prairie that will continue to expand as business there grows.

“We saw that there was a missing component in Grande Prairie, so having the local presence of an inspection company like ours utilizing local inspectors is becoming more important,” he says. “There are a number of people setting up manufacturing shops and working in Grande Prairie. When clients are looking for inspectors, there is a limited pool and there was nobody with an office up there to undertake what we do.”

Caliper in Grande Prairie, and other locations in Alberta, is available for much more than inspection

CALIPER INSPECTIONS | 35 YEARS | PAGE 2

CONGRATULATIONS CALIPER on 35 years of Industry Excellence, serving the oil & gas, petrochemical, pulp & paper, power generation, municipal and provincial government agencies. ~ From our entire Team at Select-SAI INC., The Standard of Excellence in Tubular Welding Electrodes.

TM

Select-SAI Inc/Arcos Industries LLC. Tel: 613-361-2223 | www.select-sai.com/www.arcos.us

services. It recently obtained certification to start testing welders for the industry so it will be active in ensuring tradespeople are properly certified.

This complements Caliper’s Canadian Welding Bureau certification CSA W178.1; Caliper is a rarity in that it has corporate certification along with a large number of certified CSA W178.2 welding inspectors. This allows Caliper to retain its high-quality standards while better serving the diverse needs of its clients.

Over the years, Caliper’s projects have been diverse as well. It has been involved with enormous jobs like the Husky Bi-Provincial Upgrader that employed a large number of inspectors in various locations as well as the Encana straddle plant in Empress that saw equipment and materials needing inspection out of Germany, England, Scotland, Japan and South Korea. Caliper has also completed numerous jobs for companies across the province, including many working around Grande Prairie including PETRONAS, Seven Generations Energy, Encana, SemCAMS and Murphy Oil. Whether it’s a job on upstream well-site equipment, a midstream project, bridge or structural steel work, or handling logistics and shipping preparations, Caliper delivers great results to companies in any business requiring manufactured metals.

Outside of oil and gas, Caliper is involved with various infrastructure projects that range from the Stoney Trail ring road to sewage treatment work for the City of Calgary, and through its sister company, Peregrine Integrity Management, it can perform in-service inspections on pressure equipment for such industries as oil and gas, refrigeration and food processing across the province.

It’s clear that Caliper has evolved far beyond merely sending inspectors out to look at welds. Being project based, the company addresses the whole assembly, employing specially-trained professionals with a breadth of knowledge second to none in the industry. The company is the first choice of clients with complicated packages that require specialized expertise and execution. Caliper’s knowledge and execution is what makes them different.

“When we send an inspector out for a complex piece of equipment like a compressor package, we’re not just looking at the welding. We’re looking at the instrumentation, industrial coatings, the way in which things are being fabricated and installed to make sure proper alignment has been done, and doing the expediting to ensure all the pieces for that package will arrive in time to meet the schedule,” says Kelly Bowles, sales and marketing manager for Caliper.

Given its expertise in a wide range of areas and its dedication to exceeding customers’ expectations, Caliper Inspection has become a benchmark for clients locally and around the world. In the end, its services have a negative cost impact; in many cases Caliper saves clients more money than it costs to hire them. And after 35 years, Caliper Inspection is proud to still be saving clients money as it serves the industry.

“We’ve been around a long time and it speaks volumes that we have maintained many of our client relationships over decades,” says Paul Frederick.

And with a planned expansion to the United States east coast and its new branch in Grande Prairie, Caliper Inspection is set to be around for a long time to come.

Calgary: 406 - 11979 40 St SE, Calgary, AB Grande Prairie: 202B – 8502 112 Street, Grande Prairie, AB 403-543-3232 | Toll Free 833-205-6947 CALIPERINSPECTION.COM CALIPER INSPECTIONS | 35 YEARS | PAGE 4

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Here’s to you and the next three billion barrels.

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Central Park The heart of it all

“The heart of the matter” will take on exciting new meaning when it comes to Central Park – the heart of Calgary’s sprawling University District. Kicking off development with a late-October groundbreaking, the three-acre park will be a dazzling green space for the community that lies just west of the University of Calgary, overlooking the Bow River and Rocky Mountains.

Maureen Henderson, director of marketing and communications for West Campus Development Trust (the developer of University District), explains that while the dynamic and innovative area will feature 300,000 square feet of retail across nine blocks and 1.5 million square feet of office space, it is master planned to be a highly-walkable community.

Beyond the amenities on site, the 200-acre University District is surrounded by the University of Calgary’s main campus, Alberta Children’s Hospital, Foothills Medical Centre and McMahon Stadium. It’s also a quick drive to Market Mall.

At the fall preview for Central Park, West Campus Development Trust confirmed that a 38,000-square-foot Save-On-Foods grocery store and pharmacy will be part of the retail space on the street level of a future mixed-use building, with 288 residential rental units above. Another exciting University District “big win” is the confirmation of Cineplex VIP Theatres as part of phase 2 of the retail plan.

And Central Park, scheduled for a summer 2022 completion, will likely be the focal point showpiece, designed with people and enjoyment in mind. “It will be a four-season gathering place for social events, activities, shopping, relaxing and interacting in a modern and welcoming space. There will be a staging area for concerts, a picnic area with tables and barbecue pits, a water fountain, a central plaza lined with street-level retailers and quaint cafés,” Henderson adds,

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“with terrific play features for all ages, patio space, public washrooms and showers for bike commuters, a winter skating rink with a cooling system, a public plaza and underground parking.”

While the strategy, planning and design of Central Park is state of the art, Henderson points out the primary purpose is to create a usable, practical and enjoyable people place.

“With the various landmark features, it will be the perfect home for virtually every kind of Calgary special event. From picnics, performances, fitness challenges, summer markets, ice skating, a stroll along the pathways on a warm summer night or cycling through the colourful changing leaves in the fall.

“With a combination of retailers, open space and a staging area, it will be a natural gathering area in the heart of the community,” she notes. “Interactive features will engage people while functional amenities such as facilities for commuters will encourage everyday usage.”

Henderson adds that West Campus Development Trust is working closely with local talent, specifically to create exciting features within the park space, including Calgary’s own Heavy Industries that will bring a creative placement element to life within the park.

“Of course architecture and design are vital,” she emphasizes with pride. “But we will maintain our focus about creating a connection and a gathering place for Calgary residents and visitors to rest, relax and take in the community.”

AN ANNOUNCEMENT FROM

ALBERTA BLUE CROSS

The Board of Directors of ABC Benefits Corporation is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Komlenic as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Mark currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Alberta Blue Cross.

His appointment comes as current President and CEO Ray Pisani is retiring after an exemplary 35-year career with Alberta Blue Cross including serving for nearly a decade as President and CEO. “We are grateful to Ray for his exceptional leadership of our organization and the significant positive impact he has had on the communities we serve,” says Scott Thon, Chair, Board of Directors of ABC Benefits Corporation. “We are also very excited to have an inspiring and experienced leader like Mark leading our organization. Mark is a wellrespected executive bringing years of experience in technology, customer experience and a proven track record of building empowered cultures.”

Mark’s appointment takes effect November 14, 2019.

Prior to joining Alberta Blue Cross, Mark spent 18 years at TELUS Communications in various senior leadership roles including serving as Vice President, Customer Solutions Enterprise.

Mark is passionate about giving back to the community, serving as a past board member of the Alberta Taekwondo Association and Vice Chair of the TELUS Edmonton Community Board.

“I am truly honoured to be a part of the amazing Alberta Blue Cross team,” Mark says. “I am very fortunate to have had the unique privilege of working with Ray—a tremendous leader and mentor, for the past four years. I am excited to work with our talented team in accelerating our Blue For Life vision, with our focus and unwavering commitment to our customers and their wellness.”

As Alberta’s leading benefits provider, Alberta Blue Cross serves more than 1.8 million Albertans through employer group benefit plans, individual health plans and government-sponsored programs. Alberta Blue Cross processes more than 64 million claim lines annually with a value exceeding $3 billion.

Alberta Blue Cross is truly passionate about serving our communities. Through our employee-led Hearts of Blue charity, Alberta Blue Cross staff support dozens of grassroots nonprofit organizations across the province with their time and resources. And through a multitude of involvements and initiatives including our Healthy Communities Grant and scholarship programs, Alberta Blue Cross provides millions of dollars in support to positively impact the lives and wellness of the communities we serve.

ab.bluecross.ca ®* The Blue Cross symbol and name are registered marks of the Canadian Association of Blue Cross Plans, an association of independent Blue Cross plans. Licensed to ABC Benefits Corporation for use in operating the Alberta Blue Cross Plan. ®† Blue Shield is a registered trade-mark of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. ABC 81541 2019/11

OFF

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The James House Caring about Calgary’s homeless

One of the sad – and urgent – facts of Calgary life is the perceived increase in visible homelessness. It is a long-term problem that is being met with solid and effective solutions.

“Our homeless-serving system of care is recognized as one of the best in Canada and draws positive international attention,” explains Diana Krecsy, president and CEO of the Calgary Homeless Foundation (CHF). “The state of being homeless is not the problem, it is a symptom of a problem, or most often a compounding of several problems that have not been effectively prevented or managed.”

She points out that most of Calgary’s homelessness falls into three general categories: relational (personal crisis, traumatic event, mental or physical illness, or substance misuse), public system failure (health, justice, children’s services, etc.) and structural problems (unemployment, discrimination, poverty and, too often, lack of affordable housing).

The challenge of adequate affordable housing in Calgary received a significant boost recently with the exciting announcement of The James House – an affordable housing project that will support individuals exiting homelessness.

Krecsy explains the much-needed housing will be a stable place of belonging for 27 people who will be given a new lease on life to build a better future and a place to call home.

The project is a collaboration between CHF, its housing partner HomeSpace Society and Calgary’s RESOLVE Campaign (dynamically committed to ending homelessness in Calgary), and has received an unprecedented joint commitment from the Government of Canada (CMHC) and the Government of Alberta, as well as support from the City of Calgary.

Krecsy emphasizes The James House, scheduled for a summer 2020 completion, is also made possible through the generous commitment of philanthropic donors.

“The Logel Homes and Cardel Lifestyles team is honoured to have the opportunity to build a new building for people experiencing homelessness in Calgary,” says Tim Logel, president and CEO of Logel Homes and president and co-founder of Cardel Lifestyles. “As homebuilders, we see every day the importance for everyone to have a place they can call home, for both safety and stability, and improved sense of community.

“When we started building for the marketplace, we made it our goal to build for the community,” Logel says. “We take care of our customers, our employees, our trades and suppliers, so to give the company a deeper meaning we needed a plan to give back to the community – which is why we are so excited to give back to the RESOLVE Campaign.”

The James House honours the homebuilding legacy of Tim Logel’s late father, James. “He would be honoured to have his name on a building that helps those in need of a home.”

Krecsy underscores the impact of homelessness solutions like The James House are not only vital but crucial. “The overarching approach to all new permanent supportive housing is based on a ‘people-first’ approach and a ‘housing as a human rights’ framework. Anyone and everyone who experiences homelessness is worthy of having access to a safe, affordable and appropriate space to call home with the support they need to thrive – a home where they can achieve well-being and become a valued member of our community.”

ABOVE: DIANA KRECSY, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE CALGARY HOMELESS FOUNDATION.

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DECEMBER 2019 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

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Understanding the Ag Business A big win for Calgary’s McCann West

The ag industry is misunderstood, by consumers and by business.

But the industry-leading innovation of Bayer Crop Science Canada, providing farmers with a portfolio of crop protection products, seed treatment technologies and plant biotechnology, together with the dynamic marketing and communication savvy of McCann West’s excellence for best-in-class strategic and creative services – is changing that perception.

“It’s not as simple as saying that Canadian consumers and business are misinformed, it’s more that they are underinformed,” says Karen Pearce, president of McCann West.

“A recent Canadian Centre for Food Integrity survey shows that 54 per cent of Canadians are concerned with food safety, while 93 per cent of them say they know little about Canadian farming practices.

“Canadians are confused and questioning the safety, quality and the sustainability of their food but, for various and valid reasons, their impression of agriculture today is declining.”

She is positive and upbeat about the challenge of relevant and valuable information. “Like with most information intake, many people read headlines and 140 characters versus taking the time to get the whole picture.”

Effectively telling the story of Canadian farming can get complicated. “Bayer has been working with McCann since 2011, and we are pleased to take that relationship to the next level by awarding them our full portfolio of brands,” says Lauren Davis, marketing communications manager at Bayer Crop Science. “It was very important for us to consolidate our marketing communications with one agency because, now more than ever, we are able to offer a full range of solutions to Canadian farmers. The ag category is

complex, and McCann has an integrated team that deeply understands our business.”

At the core of McCann’s focus is the reality that crop science is essential to explore, investigate and understand how crops are grown most effectively and sustainably.

Pearce emphasizes that new threats like pests and disease, optimizing soil health and developing seeds make crop science and technology critical for the benefit of farmers, consumers and the planet.

“Being born into farming is no longer enough to be a farmer,” she adds. “It’s a very sophisticated business that requires constant innovation. In addition to soil science and all the

ABOVE: KAREN_PEARCE_HEADSHOT KAREN PEARCE, PRESIDENT OF MCCANN WEST.

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science behind crop protection that results in higher yields in more sustainable ways, technology is vital to help farmers be more precise.

Digital farming platforms, as one example, allow farmers to aggregate their field data in one place and is changing the way farmers make operating decisions to impact seed and crop performance.”

As the full-service advertising agency for Bayer Crop Science Canada, Pearce explains it’s vital for McCann to focus on the nuances of the various regions across Canada and to fully understand and support the farmer in every aspect.

The federal government’s Advisory Council on Economic Growth recently stated the farming sector should aim to become the second largest global exporter of commodities and food by 2025. “For farmers, that means big challenges for higher yields, battling climate change realities and more scrutiny on food integrity.

“We collaborate with many Bayer partners both locally and around the world to help bring customized solutions to the farmer here in Canada,” Pearce notes. “Which means marketing everything from seed to harvest to help shape agriculture for the farmers and consumers.”

She underscores that information is the driver. “We want to play our part in helping Canadian farmers grow healthy, safe and affordable food in a sustainable way.”

Did you know building a business and philanthropy share the same basic principles?

Moving humanity forward does not have a price tag.

As business owners, our goal is to add value to the lives of our customers and clients. We believe that our products and services are worthy of the time, energy, and investment of those we serve. What we strive to do every day is motivated by good, altruistic intentions at the core. Our products and services are intended to enhance the life of each customer. We deliver this promise to them with passion, commitment, and loyalty. In this sense, building a business and acts of philanthropy are fostered by the same principles.

Philanthropic efforts are long-term, strategic, and aligned with corporate values. They attract employees and customers alike.

Standing for a cause and committing to a long-term solution, rather than short-term relief, places your business outside of the corporate world and into a human-centered world. This subtle shift has the power to change the world - literally - both the world as a whole and the community that exists inside your business.

Our current financial landscape may have you question the possibility of incorporating philanthropy into your corporate mission and culture. But, philanthropy in the bigger picture is about making small steps toward a greater good. It is a group effort. Contributions toward moving humanity forward, do not have to be financial ones. They can be something seemingly small that generates massive impact. Philanthropy is all about the intent and the motion behind it. The mission you decide to endorse could benefit from your support, network, time, or expertise – not just simply a large donation of money. It’s about vision, impact, and working together to make the world a better place.

As a property management company, we have the unique opportunity to provide homes to socially conscious businesses and those in the not-for-profit sector. We are locally owned and enthusiastic about Calgary’s bright future. We are also committed to the future of your business. We believe that you are about to do great things, both within your business and out in the world.

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BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // DECEMBER 2019

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OFF

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KidSport Calgary and Comrie’s Sports Bank Team Up for Youth

KidSport Calgary and Comrie’s Sports Bank are teaming up to help more Calgary children participate in organized sports and activities. The two grassroots organizations announced in October that they have joined forces to better serve their clients. Comrie’s is now part of the KidSport Calgary family and will be known as Comrie’s Sports Bank: A KidSport Calgary program.

The partnership means one-stop convenience for Calgary families. KidSport will continue to provide funding for sports registration fees and Comrie’s will continue to provide families with gently-used sporting equipment – all under one roof.

“We are thrilled to welcome Comrie’s into the KidSport Calgary family. Our ultimate goal for both organizations is to ensure no child is left on the sidelines,” says Wilson Acton, co-chair, board of directors, KidSport Calgary. “By combining our resources and facilities, we are able to significantly increase our impact in the community and reach families in need by offering both sports fee assistance and equipment.”

“Together, we are building on the investment we are making in our local economy, with our sport partners and the families and kids who rely on us, all while expanding the value offering we are providing to our volunteers, donors and sponsors,” says Al Coates, co-chair, board of directors, KidSport Calgary.

KidSport is a national non-profit organization that gets kids off the sidelines by removing the financial barriers that prevent youth from participating in organized sport.

Comrie’s Sports Bank: a KidSport Calgary program, was created in 2014 through the generous contributions of Bill Comrie and the Comrie family. In 2018, it outfitted more than 2,600 children.

Both organizations are 100 per cent community funded.

Adding Comrie’s to the KidSport Calgary family gives donors, partners, volunteers and sponsors the ease of supporting the cause through one integrated organization.

This increases the impact on the community and ultimately ensures more kids have the opportunity to swing a bat, shoot a puck or high step a dance move to encourage them to lead happier, healthier lives.

“We’ve had double-digit, year-over-year growth on both sides of the organization now for a long period of time and we don’t see the end in sight,” adds Acton.

KidSport Calgary will continue to be governed by a volunteer board of directors that is led by co-chairs, Wilson Acton and Al Coates, along with representation from both organizations. The combined organization will continue to grow under the strategic leadership of Kevin Webster as CEO and Jeff Shepherd as director of operations.

For more information, including details on how to register a child, visit http://www.kidsportcanada.ca/alberta/calgary/.

ABOVE: KIDSPORT CALGARY CO-CHAIRS WILSON ACTON AND AL COATES UNVEIL THE NEW COMRIE’S SPORTS BANK: A KIDSSPORT CALGARY PROGRAM NEW LOGO.

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DECEMBER 2019 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

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KNOWING WHEN TO “LAWYER UP” // MANAGEMENT & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

“Lawyer Up”

KNOWING WHEN TO

LEGAL PROFESSIONALS OFFER ADVICE TO BUSINESS OWNERS ON WHEN TO ASK FOR HELP

BY JAMIE ZACHARY

A

sking for help can often be the most difficult decision a business owner has to make.

It can also be the best decision they will ever make, according to local legal professionals who say, like any adviser, a lawyer can help mitigate potential problems before they become full-on catastrophes.

“In general, it’s easier to sort things out before and not after the fact,” says Ted Coderre, barrister and solicitor with the Small Business Legal Centre, offering specialized legal and business advisory services to small enterprises in and around the Calgary area.

RIGHT: TED CODERRE, BARRISTER AND SOLICITOR WITH THE SMALL BUSINESS LEGAL CENTRE.

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KNOWING WHEN TO “LAWYER UP” // MANAGEMENT & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

“Yet in legal matters, it’s pretty much exponential. The cost and risk of sorting out a problem that’s already occurred is usually exponentially higher than it is if addressed at the outset.”

Some of the more common requests from his clients include establishing new service agreements, bringing in new investors or developing new relationships with landlords or business partners.

Having said that, Coderre acknowledges that business owners still need to be rational when deciding to contact their lawyer. His rule of thumb is the more operational the question, the less likely business owners should be calling a lawyer.

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KNOWING WHEN TO “LAWYER UP” // MANAGEMENT & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

GEOFF BEST, CEO AND CO-FOUNDER OF SIMPLEX LEGAL, ADDS BUSINESS OWNERS SHOULD ALSO WEIGH THE COST OF THE LEGAL FEES AGAINST THE SIZE, SCALE AND RISK OF THE TRANSACTION. “A good example is a distiller or a brewer,” he says. “They could have me do research about the regulatory requirements by AGLC on labelling for a still. But my advice is, because that’s core to your business, you ought to understand those issues on your own. That’s the kind of thing you’re going to need to know on a daily basis – even though, in some sense, it’s a legal issue.

“No matter what your budget is or how you scale up your business, you can’t contact a lawyer every time there’s an issue.”

Geoff Best, CEO and co-founder of Simplex Legal, adds business owners should also weigh the cost of the legal fees against the size, scale and risk of the transaction.

“If I’m looking to do anything that I have to live with, something that has a long-term ramification back to my business, then that’s when I’d consider hiring someone,” says Best, who co-launched the in-house counsel boutique about eight years ago and today has a stable of more than two dozen lawyers working with clients across Canada in the financial, aviation, technology, consumer packaging, manufacturing and natural resources industries.

RIGHT: GEOFF BEST, CEO AND CO-FOUNDER OF SIMPLEX LEGAL.

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Do you want to grow your business?

“In addition, if the revenue from a deal is going to be 1/100th of my company’s revenue, then I might not contact a lawyer. But if the deal represents 10 to 20 per cent of your revenue, then you might want to consider getting some advice.”

By the same token, you don’t know what you don’t know. And while some business owners will be adept at identifying those unknowns, others might not know until much later – such as when it comes time to sell the business or buy out a partner, says Robert Worthington, partner with Field Law, one of the largest firms in Canada with offices in Calgary, Edmonton and Yellowknife.

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“The world is becoming more complicated – more regulated by government – and there are more pitfalls. Things are not getting simpler,” says Worthington. “So the unknowns are getting much larger – even to the point that, if there’s a particular area of law and I’m not experienced in it, there’s a bunch of knowns and unknowns for me, as well.

“The good news is you don’t need to know everything. You can be extremely successful knowing very little about the legalities and just knowing when to ask questions.”

That’s where online legal advice offers value. These digital forums have grown up in recent years, offering great starting points to answering simple questions and identifying more complex issues – such as when a business owner should be engaging with a lawyer, says Worthington.

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // DECEMBER 2019

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WORTHINGTON ALSO SUGGESTS HAVING AN UPFRONT CONVERSATION ABOUT THEIR FEES, KEEPING IN MIND SOME SITUATIONS ARE DIFFICULT TO QUOTE – ESPECIALLY WITH LITIGATION WHERE THE LAWYER DOESN’T CONTROL THE PROCESS. “There are some businesses that are a lot riskier and there’s a lot more involved,” he says. “If there’s an intellectual property component, for example, and you find yourself walking into a patent infringed upon, it would be quite dangerous to grab something online. Yet if it’s a residential tenancy lease, these things are done all the time and there are online templates everywhere.”

Coderre cautions against using online legal advice exclusively, however.

He notes jurisdictional issues tend to be problematic for do-it-yourselfers – particularly when it comes to employment standards, real property, shareholder agreements, corporations, financing and security, all of which are regulated provincially.

“I’ve had people come in with contracts they’ve developed, but they cite the governing law as California, and are referring to statutes that don’t exist here,” he says.

“That’s one of those pitfalls – jurisdiction. And Alberta tends to be one of the smaller jurisdictions, even within the Canadian framework. So, it’s difficult to have jurisdiction-specific documents from an online platform.”

SMWL.COM RIGHT: ROBERT WORTHINGTON, PARTNER WITH FIELD LAW.

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// MANAGEMENT & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

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When it comes time to finding a new lawyer, Worthington suggests looking for one that’s right-sized for your business needs. Size matters, yet the most expensive isn’t always the most appropriate.

“If you’re a larger multinational or global company, you should have one of the biggest firms working for you. But for small businesses, then think carefully before going out and hiring the biggest,” he says.

And be honest when you do hire them.

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“Don’t think you’re saving money by only telling them a piece of the story.

It could be that piece comes up later, and it’s already gone sideways,” says Worthington. “Know that everything is confidential and is privileged.”

Worthington also suggests having an upfront conversation about their fees, keeping in mind some situations are difficult to quote – especially with litigation where the lawyer doesn’t control the process.

“Ask them: is this a hard number? Could it change? How will I know it’s changed?

If you get a lot of avoidance or pushback, then make a decision on whether you’re comfortable with that. A lot of the times it’s not that the legal fees are unreasonable; it’s that clients are surprised by it.”

So, is the most expensive lawyer the best lawyer?

“I would suggest getting away from the idea that the sticker price determines the value,” says Best. “If you look at every other purchasing decision we make, we shop around or look for creative ways to do it. We’ll take an Uber; we don’t need to take a limo.

“Many business owners won’t pick up the phone to call a lawyer in fear that it will cost them money and slow them down; that’s a bad combination for businesses.

If law is inaccessible, if it’s budgeted outside the realm of companies, then those companies will self-decision. And when they do that, even if it’s little contracts, they will build systemic risks within their business.”

Coderre adds to get the most out of your lawyer, know your business and be prepared.

“Be as organized as you can. The more you understand about your own business and what specifically you’re looking for, the more it will help,” he says.

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Saliha Agushi AMA Insurance

Jason Berg The Co-operators

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Wuraola Afolayan TD Insurance

Olufunke Akintunde Royal & SunAlliance Insurance Co.

Ashley Bergsma Travelers Canada

Andrea Bouthillier The Co-operators

Dhaerye Agnihotri Workers Compensation Board

Gamu Babalola Van Helden Agencies

Michael Blackman Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc.

Janice Bruce Aviva Canada Inc.

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Kelly Buckton Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co.

Terra Neufeld Federated Insurance

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Emilie Roy The Co-operators

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Marco Yure Gasparian Intact Insurance Company

Fanfei Li Charles Taylor Adjusting

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Alicia Cheon Sovereign General Insurance Co.

Ryan Greenwood Allstate Insurance Co of Canada

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Trevor Grieve Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co.

Sisi Lu Intact Insurance Company

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THE ESTATE PLANNER // COVER

The Estate

PLANNER

SHERI MACMILLAN AND MACMILLAN ESTATE PLANNING SAFEGUARD THEIR CLIENTS’ SIGNIFICANCE

BY MELANIE DARBYSHIRE

S

heri MacMillan’s approach to estate planning involves much more than taxes and law. By focusing first on people – their individual values, beliefs and significance – MacMillan and her team at MacMillan Estate Planning employ a unique method of helping clients plan for their family’s future well-being.

“Our first goal is to preserve harmony,” MacMillan explains.

Harmony, and how it’s achieved, is different for every family, and MacMillan and her team make it their mission to determine this in each case. “We get to the heart of the family dynamics and issues,” she says. “We’re working with the most personal things – death, money, religion, values, children – so it’s really an emotional process. It’s rare, truthfully, to create a plan that doesn’t involve some tears along the way, but there’s still a lot of joy.”

It’s MacMillan’s passion for that joy, and her commitment to ensuring the best outcomes for her clients, that has propelled her and Calgary-based MacMillan Estate Planning since inception 24 years ago.

A third-generation Calgarian, MacMillan’s interest in estate planning germinated when she was young. The eldest of

IT’S MACMILLAN’S PASSION FOR THAT JOY, AND HER COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THE BEST OUTCOMES FOR HER CLIENTS, THAT HAS PROPELLED HER AND CALGARY-BASED MACMILLAN ESTATE PLANNING SINCE INCEPTION 24 YEARS AGO. six children, she witnessed her grandfather’s experience of managing his family’s estate, which ultimately resulted in conflict and discord in the family. “After that, Christmas was never the same,” she laments. “So, I said that when I grew up, I would fix that for our family and others.”

Having recently graduated, MacMillan was working at a large financial institution when she happened to advise a senior couple in their 80s. “They were there to renew a half-million-dollar GIC,” MacMillan explains. “After a few minutes chatting with them I could tell they didn’t have a plan for the money. So, I asked them if they might need it

RIGHT: SHERI MACMILLAN, MACMILLAN ESTATE PLANNING, WEARING HER FAVOURITE DESIGNER KATE HEWKO OF CALGARY. PHOTO SOURCE: LIBERTEE MUZYKA

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THE ESTATE PLANNER // COVER

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // DECEMBER 2019

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THE ESTATE PLANNER // COVER

for an income stream or perhaps for other expenses. What was its purpose? They really didn’t have an answer, so I told them not to renew it, but to think about it and come back in a couple of weeks.”

This was advice her boss did not appreciate. “You’d think I’d murdered somebody!” she recalls of being chastised for putting the client’s needs before the bank’s profits. “I went home that night and said to my husband [her junior high sweetheart]: ‘It’s not right. The whole industry is built on pushing products instead of planning. I just don’t want to do it.’”

She quit her job and two weeks later, at just 24 years old, MacMillan started MacMillan Estate Planning with a secretary and some rented office space. In less than 90 days, she had 38 clients. “I just opened the phone book and started calling people,” she recalls. “I told them I was doing estate planning for families, and they’d come visit me and I’d show them what I can do. And that was it. I’ve never looked back.”

Referrals ensured a steady stream of work, and MacMillan quickly understood her purpose. “Within my second year I realized that my true job was safeguarding significance,”

she reveals. “Meaning whatever is of value and importance to that family in that moment and into the future is what my job is. For some families it’s about protecting a disabled child. For others it’s about building their business. For another it’s about protecting children that are terrible at money management. It just depends.”

Today, MacMillan Estate Planning services high-net-worth clients all over the world, focusing on Canada, the U.S. and the United Kingdom. Its employees include lawyers, accountants and financial planners who work holistically together to meet each client’s every need.

“Our clients don’t need to go outside of us,” MacMillan says.

“We offer our clients a one-stop-shop service – everything a client needs to effectively plan their estate is under our roof. We’ve grown our teams to be capable of servicing quite an international type of client with a multitude of estate planning requirements.”

MacMillan Estate Planning’s services include trust planning, will planning, business succession, tax planning, generational planning, investments and assets, probate and estates, and charitable giving.

RIGHT: SOME OF THE MACMILLAN ESTATE PLANNING TEAM CAPTURED ON THE STAIRS OF THEIR CALGARY OFFICE. PHOTO SOURCE: DQ STUDIOS

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DECEMBER 2019 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

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THE ESTATE PLANNER // COVER

“For the majority of our high-net-worth clients, trust planning is the right approach, which I call putting a fence around the family asset base,” MacMillan explains. “To protect it from non-family, typically exes and new spouses, we put a trust around the family assets and the only parties that can access the family assets are the family members, not the new ones who arrive on the scene later. There’s also wonderful tax opportunities for family businesses with trusts.”

While estate planning typically brings to mind after-life affairs, MacMillan says 80 per cent of MacMillan Estate Planning’s work is life planning. “Designing a person’s wealth to be efficient every calendar year until they turn 100,” she explains, “because people are living that long now. The objective is to map out and optimize the estate throughout their lifespan, and then to share it.”

She delineates the three phases of retirement as early, mid and late. Early is when most people enjoy their own lives, travelling and doing other activities, whereas mid-retirement is typically oriented to giving back, and the latter part is more about family.

“We build a road map for retirement: how to accomplish their

goals and objectives while also be supported by the estate for the next several decades, for example,” she says. “Our clients get really excited by this, because, after all, we live longer in retirement than we do in our working careers.”

The other 20 per cent of MacMillan Estate Planning’s work is on the legacy plan, which ultimately looks to protect children and grandchildren once the client and their spouse are gone.

MacMillan Estate Planning’s clients run the gamut but tend to have a million dollars or more in assets generally. “In Calgary we have a lot of people in their 40s, 50s and 60s, and a bulk of clients in their 80s,” she says. “In London we expect to have more young people, as there’s a lot of tech and new money in that city.” To date, MacMillan Estate Planning has helped thousands of clients.

To build a typical plan takes roughly six months to a year, with the client attending at MacMillan Estate Planning’s offices every few weeks to work it through. “We’ve never built the same plan twice,” MacMillan points out. “Every family is unique, and every plan is customized.”

ABOVE: MACMILLAN ESTATE PLANNING’S CALGARY OFFICE, LOCATED IN THE COMMUNITY OF MISSION. IT IS THE CITY’S FIRST DUPLEX.

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THE ESTATE PLANNER // COVER

TO BUILD A TYPICAL PLAN TAKES ROUGHLY SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR, WITH THE CLIENT ATTENDING AT MACMILLAN ESTATE PLANNING’S OFFICES EVERY FEW WEEKS TO WORK IT THROUGH. “WE’VE NEVER BUILT THE SAME PLAN TWICE,” MACMILLAN POINTS OUT. “EVERY FAMILY IS UNIQUE, AND EVERY PLAN IS CUSTOMIZED.” A flat-rate pricing system means clients know exactly what they’re paying. “It makes it easy for clients not to be afraid to talk to us for an extra half an hour or whatever they need,” MacMillan says. “And we really like that because it keeps us bonded to our families and we don’t feel any pressure. We just do the right thing and it’s good for all of us.”

Once a plan is completed, MacMillan Estate Planning continues to work with clients on an annualized basis to support their plan. “Traditionally we’ll meet with them one or two more times every year to catch up on what’s new in their lives and what changed and then bring in whatever’s changed in law or tax,” she explains. “I call it the maintenance of the house – after it’s built, we still go back and make sure everything is kept up to par.”

Clients’ information is coded in MacMillan Estate Planning’s computer system so that when new legislation comes into play, in whatever jurisdiction, affected clients can be contacted quickly to address any changes that might be needed.

Beyond estate planning, MacMillan is a passionate conservationist, and is in the process of bringing the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT), which operates the most successful orphan elephant rescue and rehabilitation program in the world, to Canada. “We pledged the first million dollars,” MacMillan says, “and we’re really hoping to raise quite a few more million for them over time. We’ve

adopted a lot of little orphaned elephants for our clients; they’re really sweet.”

Founded in 1977, SWT has to date successfully raised 247 orphaned elephants that have been released back into the Kenyan wild, from which 31 new baby elephants have been born in the wild.

MacMillan Estate Planning has also supported the Calgary Zoo Conservation Fund, the Arthritis Society and various causes related to clients. “This is our second year sponsoring a dental practice that travels to South America to provide dental work for children,” she says proudly.

MacMillan is involved in several industry organizations, has been a leading authority on AM770’s “Talk to the Experts” for the past 17 years, and hosts her own radio program, the Strongroom. She speaks at various engagements and hosts many seminars on estate planning.

MacMillan has been recognized with several awards including a 2018 Leaders of Tomorrow Award from this magazine. Furthermore, her firm was named Finance Monthly’s Canadian Trust Planning Advisory Firm of the Year for both the 2018 and 2019 M&A Awards.

“My leadership style is to service my people,” she acknowledges. “My hope is that by actively supporting my team to live up to their potential and zone of genius, they in turn will do this for their cohorts, and ultimately for our clients. It’s exponential.” She shares a quote: “Leadership is not about control but service. It’s not about power but empowerment.”

An avid reader who loves animals, MacMillan enjoys running, yoga, dancing and playing the cello when she has time. “I am a real gentle soul by nature,” she admits with a smile. “I’m the proudest when my family feels loved, when my team feels loved, when my clients feel loved – then I know we’re on the right track in the business. l’m a ‘pie in the sky’ person, but it has worked for me.”

One of her favourite quotes best sums her up: “At the end of life, what really matters is not what we bought but what we built; not what we got but what we shared; not our competence but our character; and not our success but our significance. Live a life that matters. Live a life of love.”

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // DECEMBER 2019

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THE BANKING EVOLUTION // BANKING

THE BANKING

Evolution

BANKING ON THE CONSUMER

BY JOHN HARDY

I

n every business sector, managing change, juggling options and strategizing for growth are crucially important.

Specifically for the Canadian banking industry, times have never been more challenging â&#x20AC;&#x201C; dealing with the impact of everything from business technology and the roller-coaster of the economy to a new universe of competition from fintech (financial technology), widening generation gaps and constantly changing consumer trends demanding a broad range of financial services.

The industry is focused on embracing warp-speed change, but some financial experts suggest that, although Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s banking system is solid and successful, entrenched traditions are limiting banks to talking the talk versus walking the walk.

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DECEMBER 2019 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

THE BANKING EVOLUTION // BANKING

BANKS WILL NEED TO BE ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF TECHNOLOGY TO ENSURE EMERGING CUSTOMER NEEDS AND LIFESTYLE DEMANDS ARE PART OF THE

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CONTEMPORARY BANKING’S THREE UNOFFICIAL DEFINED CATEGORIES ARE COMPRISED OF: RETAIL (ONLINE AND BRANCH) BANKING, PRIVATE BANKING AND WEALTH MANAGEMENT. EACH HAS ITS BASICS, QUIRKS AND UNIQUE FEATURES.

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According to PwC’s Retail Banking 2020 report about the future of the retail banking industry, 61 per cent of bankers say a customer-centric business model is very important, while only 17 per cent say they are prepared for it. The report also notes that innovation within the banking industry is considered to be important by 87 per cent of industry respondents, while only 11 per cent said their organization was adequately prepared.

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Banks will need to be on the cutting edge of technology to ensure emerging customer needs and lifestyle demands are part of the banking new normal.

Contemporary banking’s three unofficial defined categories are comprised of: retail (online and branch) banking, private banking and wealth management.

Each has its basics, quirks and unique features.

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“From the consumer’s perspective, there is less and less of a difference,” says Kendra Thompson, partner, financial services transformation with Deloitte Canada. “Traditionally, the private banking model had been more like regular retail banking with extra service and extra access to preferential pricing and preferential product. The wealth management experience has been largely about financial planning and access to investment products. Of course there are different regulators and different employee models but there is increasing collaboration between private bankers and wealth managers.”

She underscores that digital technology and consumer trends are combining to transform Canada’s financial services sector. “In Canada, we are watching as many institutions are reinventing their client experience both at the branch level and through digital channels. We expect that change to continue and look forward to helping our clients as they transform to be market leading in the context of digitally-delivered financial advice.”

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THE BANKING EVOLUTION // BANKING

Industry insiders acknowledge the role of branch banking is constantly changing and online transactions are customer basics. “Personal banking is about helping clients pay bills, deposit cheques, manage their day-to-day finances or buying a home or investing,” explains Shela Shapiro, RBC spokesperson for Alberta and Territories. “It’s important the customer has the option to bank as they want – in person, online, from a mobile device or at an ATM. “The private banking team leverages the full resources of RBC to design an individually-tailored private banking experience that’s customized for each unique client. It starts with building a relationship and getting to know the client, their family and their financial goals.”

Thompson adds, “Private banking differs from retail banking in that there is usually a minimum account threshold and a more tailored personalized servicing that includes access to preferential rates and products that aren’t typically scaled to retail banking clients. Extra hand-holding, VIP servicing and coordination of access to services across the bank are all features of private banking that are harder to deliver to the average retail banking customer.”

In many ways, some more subtle than others, private banking is the VIP level of retail banking. “It is designed to address the unique needs of high-net-worth clients in their day-to-day banking,” says Todd Peterson, vice president and market manager of TD Wealth. “Private banking provides a dedicated relationship manager as the single point of contact, providing private banking clients with customized borrowing strategies, premium deposit accounts, elevated cross-border banking services and most importantly, a hightouch, proactive client experience.”

He points out that, with the many changes transforming today’s banking industry, the concept of private banking is not so new. “It has been available to affluent Canadian families for decades. Historically, it wasn’t something that was advertised or discussed in the marketplace and, therefore, maybe not as popular.

“TD Wealth has recognized early on that high-net-worth families lead busy lives and have complex banking needs that require a specialized set of solutions.”

Some speculation about the tsunami of change that is transforming retail banking – from talk about a cashless society, debit card popularity to e-Transfers and applying for and getting mortgage approvals online – occasionally goes to the extremes, warning branch banking may be phased out.

The practical reality shows a shift to embracing technology as a powerful tool to reshape retail and private banking and wealth management services. “We are moving to completely redefine the financial services industry towards more digitalfirst models and an industry transformation led by new technologies and vendors,” Thompson adds. “It’s important not to underestimate how much change is taking place and how key digital and data are to that change.”

RBC’s Shapiro agrees that today’s banking is all about change. “As our clients’ needs change, so must we. We continue to transform our services in response to the changing habits of our clients and communities. Personal banking is really the evolution of conventional branch services banking, as we re-imagine the role we play in our client’s life. This evolution has helped us become a digitallyenabled bank, and be on our client’s path, wherever they are.”

Many have predicted the fall of the traditional bank, as disruptive new entrants win share by offering a better customer experience through new products and channels.

But TD’s Peterson is positive and enthusiastic about the future. “The future of branch banking is strong. Our branches

ABOVE: TODD PETERSON, VICE PRESIDENT AND MARKET MANAGER, TD WEALTH.

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DECEMBER 2019 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

THE BANKING EVOLUTION // BANKING

IN MANY WAYS, SOME MORE SUBTLE THAN OTHERS, PRIVATE BANKING IS THE VIP LEVEL OF RETAIL BANKING. “IT IS DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF HIGHNET-WORTH CLIENTS IN THEIR DAY-TO-DAY BANKING,” SAYS TODD PETERSON, VICE PRESIDENT AND MARKET MANAGER OF TD WEALTH. are key to delivering personalized, connected experiences we know our customers are looking for, particularly for providing face-to-face advice in moments that matter, like buying a home or saving for retirement.

“There is no doubt that technology has changed how clients choose to do day-to-day banking. In the past, a private banking client may have called their relationship manager when they wanted to move money from one account to another – something that can now easily be done with the click of a button on your phone or computer.

However, the report emphasizes the banking landscape will evolve significantly in response to customer expectations, regulatory requirements, technology, demographics, new competitors and shifting economics – and banks need to choose what posture to adopt against the changes.

Whether to be a shaper of the future, a fast follower or to manage defensively, staying the same is not an option, PwC warns. “The winners in 2020 will not only execute relentlessly against today’s imperatives, but will also innovate and transform themselves to prepare for the future.”

“However,” he notes, “clients prefer to address more complex needs directly with their relationship manager. Things like wire payments, foreign currency requirements, short-term investments and unique credit needs are all areas where our team of professionals add value by tailoring solutions that are specific to a client’s circumstances and goals.

“While technology certainly plays a role, it doesn’t replace the desire our clients have to be deeply understood and supported in their efforts to achieve their hopes and dreams by a trusted professional.”

The PwC report underscores that, despite the emergence of new competitors and models, the traditional bank has a bright future as a trusted institution acting as a store of value, a source of finance and a facilitator of transactions – and that is not about to change.

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GAINING A COMPETITIVE EDGE TO ADVANCE YOUR CAREER // CONTINUING EDUCATION

GAINING A Competitive Edge TO ADVANCE YOUR CAREER

THE BENEFITS OF CONTINUING EDUCATION

G

iven the current economic climate and global market uncertainty, employees looking to sharpen their skills and gain an edge to advance their careers will want to consider continuing education opportunities.

perceived as assets, and consequently, more likely to survive cutbacks and layoffs. Continuing education courses can help nurture professional growth and give employees the skills they need to stay competitive.

For employers, encouraging and supporting professional development comes with many benefits. For one, having skilled employees allows a company to grow and stay competitive. In addition, employees who show an interest in learning and growing professionally often make ideal candidates for future promotions and leadership roles within a company.

According to Dr. Sheila Leblanc, director of continuing education at the University of Calgary, the number of enrolments at institutions offering continuing education courses appear to be on the rise. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In 2018, there were almost 500,000 registrations in continuing education courses at 31 Canadian universities. This speaks to the demand adult learners have for professional and personal development learning opportunities.â&#x20AC;? (Source: Canadian Association for University Continuing Education.)

By keeping abreast of current industry practices and staying ahead of the game, employees set themselves up for future growth opportunities and for potential salary increases.

Those who show an interest in growing professionally are

38

BY ERLYNN GOCOCO

DECEMBER 2019 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

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GAINING A COMPETITIVE EDGE TO ADVANCE YOUR CAREER // CONTINUING EDUCATION

ACCORDING TO DR. SHEILA LEBLANC, DIRECTOR OF CONTINUING EDUCATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY, THE NUMBER OF ENROLMENTS AT INSTITUTIONS OFFERING CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES APPEAR TO BE ON THE RISE. “According to the university’s annual survey of certificate and diploma program graduates, the top five reasons people enrolled in continuing education programs were: to update their skills; to earn a credential; to upgrade their career; to enhance their earning potential; and to help them make a career change,” says Leblanc.

example, imagine you are mid-career and your educational background includes a marketing and/or communications degree. It’s unlikely you would have studied best practices and strategies around social media or digital campaigns,” explains Brad Mahon, dean of continuing education at Mount Royal University (MRU).

She adds, “Post-secondary continuing and professional education units in Calgary play a significant role in developing a skilled labour force. For example, in collaboration with Calgary Economic Development, University of Calgary continuing education along with Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and Bow Valley College are developing programs to help train highlyeducated workers who were displaced as a result of the changes in the energy sector. These programs will provide training for tech jobs such as data analysts, full stack developers and information technology project managers.”

At MRU, the continuing education department offers a wide array of programs in a variety of disciplines. “Our most popular programs right now,” says Mahon, “include cybersecurity, project management and leadership development. These offerings see a very diverse student body from across multiple sectors. As well, we have a successful cannabis education program meeting the needs of that emerging sector.”

Aside from flexibility and quality instruction, many choose to pursue continuing education to keep on top of the ever-changing workplace landscape. “Regardless of the generation, companies who want to stay ahead of the competition push to innovate their sectors and subsequently transform their workplace. However, now this is compounded as more careers are being affected by automation and artificial intelligence. As just one

Stefan Myroniuk, IT manager with the Real Estate Council of Alberta, took advantage of the program offerings at MRU and recently completed the project management certificate program. “I am an advocate for adopting strong leadership, project management and information security practices and am now considering enrolling in MRU’s advanced cyber security certificate program to further grow my skill sets. I view MRU’s continuing education programs as opportunities to develop and align my professional development goals.”

Mahon adds, “We also have data supporting evidence that people are not staying in one career, rather, their

ABOVE: DR. SHEILA LEBLANC, DIRECTOR, CONTINUING EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY.

42

DECEMBER 2019 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

Running a business can be a challenge. We’re here to help.

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GAINING A COMPETITIVE EDGE TO ADVANCE YOUR CAREER // CONTINUING EDUCATION

CONTINUING EDUCATION IS, WITHOUT A DOUBT, BENEFICIAL TO BOTH EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYEE. IT AIMS TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY IN THE WORKPLACE, PROVIDE EMPLOYEES WITH PROMOTION OPPORTUNITIES AND HELP EMPLOYERS INCREASE PROFITABILITY. IT’S AN INVESTMENT THAT YIELDS POSITIVE RESULTS – FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED. professional life may be viewed as chapters, or even as different stories altogether.

competitive and achieve sustained success in an uncertain business environment.

“For many who find themselves unexpectedly (accidentally) in leadership roles, our management course will help learners fill in some gaps. We can help emerging and even established supervisors explore the fundamentals of leading people, understand how organizations work, how to manage conflict, and how to build and maintain successful teams. People are complex. These courses are always a good investment.”

Verhulp is confident the Haskayne executive education program provides real-world results. “Our program offers an elevated educational experience that combines real-world knowledge, leading-edge research and practical applications to empower leaders and executives to achieve sustained success and to enable our business community to grow and prosper. It’s ideal for those looking to transition from a tactical to a strategic position; those wanting to become an influential leader within their organization; drive innovation and change within their team; or those who need to build their business acumen and be confident navigating scenarios within their organization.

The Calgary economy, in particular, has pushed many to diversify and acquire new skills that can be transferred to new roles and even a new career. “In Calgary, we’ve seen a big change in the energy sector too. As an example, people who had careers in oil and gas are recognizing their transferable capabilities and reskilling. With our short-term, flexible courses, continuing education is helping them to reset for their next professional chapter,” says Mahon.

Karen Cunliffe recently received a continuing education certificate in professional management from the University of Calgary, specializing in risk management, health, safety and the environment. She chose to enrol in the program in the hopes of “future-proofing” her career in Calgary’s oil and gas sector. “If I hadn’t been keeping my eye on the future, I probably would have been unemployed by now,” she says.

“I’ve survived two very, very, deep rounds of layoffs, and I credit that to my education.”

For those already working at a mid-senior level, there also are programs geared at advancing or enhancing their roles or organizations, with a focus on professional development.

Director of executive education Tanya Verhulp explains that her program runs through the Haskayne School of Business, separate from continuing education. Nonetheless, it’s another opportunity for mid-senior level employees to equip themselves with the skills and knowledge required to remain

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DECEMBER 2019 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

“Haskayne’s open enrolment programs aim to equip learners with practical business concepts and develop their leadership proficiency. Whether you are a technical professional attempting to differentiate your skills, an experienced manager with increasing responsibilities or an executive challenged to compete in uncertain markets, Haskayne deliberately designs and delivers programs that support achieving career goals and return on investment for your organization.

Our diverse portfolio of executive programs offers leadingedge leadership skills, core business principles and highperformance strategies.”

Continuing education is, without a doubt, beneficial to both employer and employee. It aims to improve efficiency in the workplace, provide employees with promotion opportunities and help employers increase profitability. It’s an investment that yields positive results – for everyone involved.

“Investing in employee development creates engaged employees who work to align their success with their employer’s success,” says SAIT’s dean of business Janet Segato.

WHY GIVE THE GIFT HORSE? // PHILANTHROPY

WHY GIVE THE GIFT HORSE?

THE BENEFITS OF BEING CHARITABLE

BY DANYAEL HALPRIN

W

e’ve been taught to not look a gift horse in the mouth, but this month we have approached Calgary businesses to reveal their motivations behind philanthropic gestures. What are the benefits of giving back to the community?

The Pint that Keeps on Giving For Tool Shed Brewing Company co-founders Graham Sherman and Jeff Orr, their relationship with social responsibility dates back to 2012 along their circuitous journey to opening their brewery in 2014. Because the then provincial laws made it extremely difficult to start one, yet welcomed imported product, Sherman and Orr circumnavigated the regulation absurdity by shipping Alberta barley over the border to British Columbia, brewing it in that province and then importing their own beer at a surcharge back to Calgary.

“We quickly realized that the hurdles we had to overcome had a bigger cause at stake,” says Sherman. “Because of the prohibitive provincial laws, the amazing Alberta barley farmers were not getting their due credit, and we saw this as an opportunity to scream loud and proud about economic development through agriculture.” Provincial legislation was changed in 2013, making it possible for small craft breweries to open.

When a business is looking to give back to the community, it considers the resources of time, talent, treasure and ties ABOVE: THE TOOL SHED-BREWED MITO POWER BEER FOR SALE AT LIQUOR STORES ACROSS ALBERTA WITH PROCEEDS GOING TO MITOCANADA, COURTESY OF MITOCANADA.

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // DECEMBER 2019

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THE TRUE EDGE OF In todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s competitive business landscape, corporate responsibility is paramount to success.

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILI

Not only does the next generation of our workforce want to see companies make a positive contribution to society, but people across all generations are more sociallyaware than ever before. In fact, 74 per cent* of employees say their job is more fulfilling when they can make a positive impact at work.

While corporate responsibility programs have been around for some time, top organizations are looking for new ways to use them to engage their people and drive business results. Savvy business leaders are embracing strategic, people-focused corporate responsibility to attract, motivate, and retain the best talent, create a more fulfilled and productive workforce, and foster consistent company culture.

ITY

Mission-driven corporations know that to attract the right people they have to offer more than just a job—they have to offer a purpose, a commitment to social good. Partnering with United Way of Calgary and Area creates a shared sense of social responsibility in the workplace–-key for attracting and retaining top talent, increasing job satisfaction, improving company morale, and growing revenue.

Working together to advance social good offers a unique opportunity to strengthen interpersonal bonds and boost morale, while driving personal and professional growth. It makes people feel included in a universal vision.

United Way is Calgary’s go-to partner in corporate social responsibility. As a local social impact organization, United Way offers unique expertise in brokering strategic partnerships with Calgary’s business leaders, citizen philanthropists, and social agencies to drive maximum impact in the community. In other words, United Way has found a way to help people who care put that care into action.

For decades, United Way has been helping corporations strengthen their brand as socially responsible organizations while helping them shape the business leaders of tomorrow. Corporations that take part in the Sponsored Employee Program and the

Employee Accelerator Program help launch and accelerate careers. By participating in the programs, qualified candidates are given an opportunity to gain valuable job experience and develop key skills in the areas of innovation, communication, and adaptability—some of the most sought-after skills in business today. Not only do these programs grow today’s community advocates into tomorrow’s business leaders, but they also provide corporations with unique solutions to advance their corporate social responsibility goals, establish a positive brand image, and— improve their bottom line.

In philanthropy, as in business, new approaches to working are necessary to keep up with the ever-changing world.

One thing that helps organizations bring a refreshed corporate responsibility program to life? The right technology.

Salesforce.org Philanthropy Cloud —a partnership between Salesforce.org and United Way—is a game-changing philanthropic platform designed to advance social purpose. Philanthropy Cloud inspires, connects, and empowers employees and organizations to engage in causes they care about to create lasting social change. The intuitive technology backed by Salesforce helps make it possible to scale corporate responsibility programs and create greater impact in local communities and around the world.

Philanthropy Cloud brings United Way campaigns to life in a digital space, offering year-round employee engagement that allows employees to personalize their giving experiences and gives them control of their philanthropy. The platform delivers timely fundraising campaigns and volunteer opportunities, one-click giving options, and real-time reporting for a direct line of sight local community impact. It’s a one-stop shop for corporate social responsibility, helping retain top employees, enhance brand awareness, accelerate the impact of philanthropic activities, and build strong business relationships with local communities.

*Cone Communications, 2016.

To discover how United Way and Salesforce.org Philanthropy Cloud can take your corporate responsibility program to new heights, please contact us at philanthropycloud@calgaryunitedway.org

WHY GIVE THE GIFT HORSE? // PHILANTHROPY

that it can contribute. Already having the platform and momentum to incite change for the farmers, Tool Shed was excited about other causes it could use craft beer to support.

In fall 2018, Tool Shed and MitoCanada collaborated to create a special beer called Mito POWER, with the proceeds going to MitoCanada from each can of beer sold at liquor stores across Alberta. A kinetic relationship was formed when Sherman met MitoCanada founder Blaine Penny and his crew. Says Sherman, “I was gobsmacked at this group of people, at what they represent and what they’re trying to achieve. This is the type of charity you want to be supporting and the group of people you want to surround yourself with.”

In 2008, happy and healthy four-old-year Evan Penny suffered a brain injury during a routine appendectomy that left him a nonverbal quadriplegic. After Evan’s diagnosis of mitochondrial disease, his parents Blaine and Sarah founded MitoCanada to raise awareness, provide support for families and fund research.

Mito POWER was brewed with the natural energy ingredients of beetroot, guava and apricot. Calgary graphic designer Boyd Wiebe designed the awesome beer label of Blaine, looking like the superhero he is, wearing a battery cell to signify the compromised mitochondria in individuals with the genetic disease that diminishes the body’s ability

to perform the high-energy functions of eating, breathing, speaking and moving.

Also wanting to be involved in the project, CRAFT Beer Market owners helped brew the beer at Tool Shed and hosted the beer launch party at its 10th Avenue location on December 5, 2018.

Selecting MitoCanada as its charity partner for December, January and February, CRAFT served Mito POWER at its Alberta locations with proceeds going to the foundation.

“It’s important to us that the staff take tremendous pride in what we represent, not just putting alcohol on the market,” enthuses Sherman. “It’s a healthy place to be when your staff are creative and passionate about giving back.” Tool Shed also participated in MitoCanada’s Guinness World Record for the most runners linked together in a marathon in the 2017 Scotiabank Calgary Marathon. They are pumped for their next record-breaking project with MitoCanada – creating the biggest glass of beer in the world.

Building Strong Communities Offering quality living environments for seniors, it is beautifully fitting Revera helps provide safe, affordable

ABOVE: EMPLOYEES FROM THE SIX REVERA PROPERTIES IN CALGARY PARTICIPATE IN THE SEPTEMBER BUILD DAY WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY CANADA, COURTESY OF REVERA.

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DECEMBER 2019 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

A city is a profound thing to share.

A message from Eva Friesen Calgary Foundation President & CEO A thriving, healthy, and giving Calgary – that was the vision of our founders, and the mission we continue to honour while learning from the individuals and organizations who join us on our journey.

As the city evolves, Calgary Foundation evolves with it. Our journey has taken us from a responsive grantmaker to a proactive community builder, with the courage and commitment to explore complex, systemic problems in our city. We know society’s biggest problems are interconnected and can’t be addressed in isolation.

From the donors who entrust us to support their philanthropy, to the organizations dedicated to addressing some of our city’s biggest challenges, every contribution is vital to achieving our mission, and we invite you to join us on our journey to influence big change.

This city is an asset shared by all of us; these are our parks, our community centres, our hospitals, our shelters, and they all help create our future.

Back Row: Jim Brownlee, Melanie McDonald, John Fischer, Sherry Ferronato, Wes Peters Middle: Greg Lohnes, Murray Laverty, Cathy Cochrane, Hugh Williamson, Blaine Lennox Front: Phil Scherman, Siân Matthews, Patti Pon, Elizabeth Peters (chair), Eva Friesen (President & CEO), Catherine (Kay) Best, Dr. Alykhan Nanji

WHY GIVE THE GIFT HORSE? // PHILANTHROPY

homes for Calgary families. Revera owns or operates 500 properties – seniors’ apartments, independent living, assisted living, memory care and long-term care – across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. In January 2018, the Mississauga-headquartered company formed a partnership with Habitat for Humanity Canada “Social responsibility makes us feel like we’re actually doing something that helps the community and we feel good about it because that’s really what we’re all about – helping people on a daily basis,” says Mike Eves, executive director of Revera-McKenzie Towne Retirement. This past September, 20 employees from the six Revera properties in Calgary participated in their second build for Habitat for Humanity.

Donning team T-shirts and safety gear, they shovelled gravel, put up drywall, painted, installed fencing and more.

Eves, who was at the end of a shovel, says being part of a construction crew is a fulfilling and interactive way of contributing. “One of the nicest things is when you’re doing the build, the person who’ll be living in the house is also on site. You feel like a neighbour helping out another neighbour.” Revera also donates gently-used furniture from its properties to ReStore, which are then provided to the Habit for Humanity homes.

Businesses recognize that when employees are encouraged to express their creativity and become actively engaged in social causes they develop a sense of pride and enthusiasm for their place of employment, which, in turn, becomes so much more than that. For a recent Habit fundraiser, the staff at Revera-McKenzie Towne created a giant Monopoly game board in which citizens could purchase the town hall, church, businesses and other properties in the town. Now that’s a win for the Community Chest!

Awash in Altruism “Be kind whenever possible, and it’s always possible,” is the core value Canmore-based Rocky Mountain Soap Company lives by, inspiring them to make in-kind donations over the years. In the spirit of spreading positive vibes, in August it collaborated with Calgary lifestyle blogger Ryan Massel, a.k.a. Mr. Fabulous, and his Love Campaign in support of the LGBTQ+ community. As part of his LOVED Collection, Massel

and Rocky Mountain Soap created a soap containing the main ingredient of palo santo, the sacred oil of transformation. “We donated the soap to share the message that we are all different in our own way and part of the same community. It’s about acceptance and love,” says co-owner Karina Birch.

As a natural progression of these campaign soaps, Rocky Mountain Soap introduced its Community Bar Program in October – $1 from the sale of its monthly, limited-edition bar of soap across its 13 western Canadian stores (10 in Alberta) will go toward organizations that support the preservation of nature and those that promote a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

Since 2007, it has hosted the Women’s Run & Walk in Canmore and Burnaby, B.C., with proceeds over the past few years going to Olympic gold medallist Chandra Crawford’s Fast and Female national charity dedicated to empowering girls in sport.

Says Birch, “We all have our heads down working hard and putting a lot of effort into this business, and it feels good to push the pause button and lift our heads up and do some good.”

In January, Birch’s husband and co-owner Cam Baty will travel with a soap maker to Liberia to teach underprivileged communities how to make soap for sanitization purposes and to provide them with the skills to create a sustainable business. Rocky Mountain Soap has created similar projects with Project SHINE in Tanzania and India.

ABOVE: CALGARY LIFESTYLE BLOGGER RYAN MASSEL, A.K.A. MR. FABULOUS, CREATED LOVED SOAP WITH ROCKY MOUNTAIN SOAP COMPANY TO SPREAD THE MESSAGE OF LOVE IN SUPPORT OF THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY, COURTESY OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN SOAP COMPANY.

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TOC

Page 1 - Change is the Only Constant in Life Page 4 - BOMA Insider Page 6 - Staying Ahead of Changing Times

NEWS WINTER 2019

Change is the Only Constant in Life

By Lloyd Suchet, Executive Director, BOMA Calgary

W

e’ve all heard the prescient maxim that change is the only constant in life, and for the commercial real estate industry in these parts it has never been truer. On a macro level, the business and regulatory environment in which the industry operates is under a constant state of flux as the various levels of government implement their policies.

The City of Calgary is simultaneously looking to fix the property tax regime that has led to untenable increases to businesses and properties outside of the core, implement an ambitious climate change mitigation program, and steward the city’s largest infrastructure project in its history – the Green Line.

Looking north towards Edmonton, the new provincial government recently dropped its “tough medicine” budget that aims to rein in government spending to reduce the deficit and improve the province’s financial standing, while implementing measures like corporate income tax cuts to help promote investment and job growth.

But perhaps the most consequential changes depend on the whims of a newly-elected minority government in Ottawa. While we have started on the long road of diversification, the energy sector remains the backbone of our economy and its success and struggles have a significant (and obvious) impact on commercial real estate.

The City of Calgary is simultaneously looking to fix the property tax regime that has led to untenable increases to businesses and properties outside of the core, implement an ambitious climate change mitigation program, and steward the city’s largest infrastructure project in its history – the Green Line.

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BOMA Calgary News

BOMA Calgary News is a co-publication of BOMA Calgary and Business in Calgary.

Business in Calgary

1025, 101 - 6 Ave. SW, Calgary, AB T2P 3P4 Tel: 403.264.3270 • Fax: 403.264.3276 info@businessincalgary.com www.businessincalgary.com

BOMA Calgary

Suite 225, 550 11th Avenue SW, Calgary AB, T2R 1M7 Email: info@boma.ca • Web: www.boma.ca Tel: 403.237.0559 • Fax: 403.266.5876

Communications Committee Christine White, Chair, Oxford Properties Group Rita Borrow, Brookfield Lance Merrifield, Epic Roofing Enam Islam, Hines Jon Holmes, Camfil Aydan Aslan, BOMA Calgary Lucy Skjarstad, Artopex

Board of Directors

CHAIR Lee Thiessen, MNP LLP CHAIR-ELECT Richard Morden, QuadReal Property Group SECRETARY TREASURER Rob Blackwell, Aspen Properties PAST CHAIR Chris Nasim, GWL Realty Advisors EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Lloyd Suchet, BOMA Calgary

Directors

Jay de Nance, RioCan Management Inc. Todd Throndson, Avison Young Art Skow, Bentall Kennedy Canada LP Laura Newcombe, GWL Realty Advisors Candace Walker, Brookfield Blair Carbert, Carbert Waite LLP Christine White, Oxford Properties Group Dan Lindsay, GDI Facility Services

The Building Owners and Managers Association of Calgary publishes BOMA Calgary News quarterly. For advertising rates and information contact Business in Calgary.

Publication of advertising should not be deemed as endorsement by BOMA Calgary. The publisher reserves the right in its sole and absolute discretion to reject any advertising at any time submitted by any party. Material contained herein does not necessarily reflect the opinion of BOMA Calgary, its members or its staff. © 2015 by BOMA Calgary.

Printed in Canada.

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Technology has also changed the way building management interacts with tenants as ticketing systems are ubiquitous in office buildings these days, while the same trend is impacting security and life safety professionals with smart fire alarm and security systems. For BOMA Calgary, these changes carve out a clear role for us an association to bring the industry together, develop best practices and help educate our people so they can navigate this changing industry.

Change is also constant in the day-to-day work of commercial real estate professionals, with information technology continuing to change the way buildings are constructed, leased, managed and operated. BOMA Calgary has been a leader in providing education and accreditation for building operators and power engineers, and the skill set required for that job continues to evolve. A job that was once primarily involved in the physical operation of pneumatic devices is shifting to a highly tech-savvy role where the ability to operate and understand computers and other devices is paramount. Technology has also changed the way building management interacts with tenants as ticketing systems are ubiquitous in office buildings these days, while the same trend is impacting security and life safety professionals with smart fire alarm and security systems. For BOMA Calgary, these changes carve out a clear role for us an association to bring the industry together, develop best practices and help educate our people so they can navigate this changing industry.

Finally, we see the change in the makeup of industry professionals themselves as the boomers make way for gen X, with millennials hot on their heels. As an observer of this industry, I have noted a particularly strong cohort of young property management professionals who bring with them a subtly different perspective and approach that will surely make its mark on the industry in the medium term. But in the short term, we must continue to both nurture and empower this cohort through programs like mentorship as well as the suite of events and offerings from BOMA Calgary’s everpresent NextGen Committee.

To wrap this up, the message is that change brings with it challenges and certain headwinds, but also opportunity. Opportunity to reinvent our economy, our industry and indeed ourselves. Let’s rise to this opportunity.

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3

BOMA Insider 37th Annual BOMA Golf Classic raised $14,930 for the BOMA Calgary Foundation! Special thanks to our Golf Committee Dan Lindsay, Chair; Jeff Leachman, Vice Chair; Nadine Murphy, Carmel Smetschka and Kerrie Nault for a spectacular event!

Jamie MacDonald from Paladin Securities shot Hole-In-One on Mt Kidd #8. Jamie picked up his prize – a cheque for $25,000.

Congratulations Jamie!

Golf Classic Co-Title Sponsor

Welcome New BOMA Member Companies!

Golder Associates ~ Dave Ayriss Regency Cleaning Services ~ Vaydra Francois United Roofing Inc.Rob Hughes The Attain Group ~ Hugh Carlton Lawns Etc. ~ Jonathan Hopkins Seasonal Impact ~ Keegan Andreas IBI Group ~ Johanna Power Guardteck Secuirty ~ Robert Hughes Hart Browning Management Inc. ~ Wendy Browning HushCity Soundproofing ~ Tim Fesik LRI Engineering Inc. ~ Matthew Hopley ProTelec Alarms ~ Victor Podkholyuzin Reggin Technical Services Ltd. ~ Dave Clarke BOND Creative Inc. ~ Nando DeGirolamo Clark Builders ~ Craig Alloway Visio Media Inc. ~ Heather Macrae RYCOM Corp. ~ Jane Wood RPC Group Inc. ~ Alfonso Saena

If you’re interested in becoming a BOMA member, contact the BOMA office at info@boma.ca or 403.237.0559

Lloyd Suchet, BOMA Calgary; Jamie MacDonald, Paladin Securities

Randy Yee, Clifford Iwaasa, Darick Schmidt, Francisco Amaya

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Lance Merrifield, Scott Lee, Chris Nasim, Ryan Dulle

Jason Rucci, Mike Montgomery, Ciara Keene, Mike Brant

Tanya Marsh, David Fisher, Brian Twa, Marina Nagribianko

Jacelyn McCartney, Dan Lindsay, Mike Edwards, Rob Blackwell

Anthony Tran, Hugh Deas-Dawlish, Tania Anderson, David Carter

5

By David Parker

Staying Ahead of Changing Times

A

fter Todd McKay lost his home in rural Alberta to a fire, he claimed the construction industry was the only major industry to become less efficient over the past two decades. He set about assembling a team focused on the development of higher-performance building solutions (technologically advanced and safer with up to a four-hour fire rating), and MgO Systems was founded in 2012.

Today, the Calgary-based company – led by president Scott Jenkins – is winning recognition with its faster, stronger and safer way to build, using prefabricated structurally-insulated wall panels comprised of MgO’s proprietary magnesium oxide-based board for its outer layers, with an insulating core.

NEXT GENERATION KEYLESS ACCESS CONTROL Integrate all your physical security needs into a single platform management tool.

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There have been other changes to the construction industry that are resulting in quicker and safer methods of building – and a good example is the use of modular construction.

Calgary’s Horizon North has long been a leader in the use of modular workforce accommodation and camp management services but its modular construction division is also making great strides in the manufacture of hotels, offices, multi-family residential and retail spaces.

The company has been awarded a contract with the huge LNG Canada terminal and pipeline project in Kitimat, B.C., to supply buildings including the 825-guest Crossroads Lodge and a 119-room Marriott Fairfield Inn & Suites.

In remote areas, modular construction can be 50 per cent faster than a site-built method. And it is now being used more often in city construction.

The Alt Hotel in East Village used modular construction and Reto Steiner, CEO of InDevelopments, is planning to build The Block on 4th, a mixed-use retail/residential project, using modular for the 39 apartment units.

Constructed in town by a local modular manufacturer with layouts by KLD Interiors, the choice of single and double-bedroom units will be delivered to the site at Fourth Street and 19th Avenue SW, hoisted above the retail spaces and slotted into place at the rate of a full floor each week.

Steiner says building off site speeds up construction time to a third of what traditional methods would take.

And BOMA Calgary Environmental Health & Safety committee member Jerry Gao has been wooing property managers with his Leaf Environmental Products.

Gao has a mission to provide effective and cost-efficient solutions for waste reduction through his environmentallyfriendly products.

Leaf is manufacturing completely compostable products including liners for garbage bins that are already being used in many downtown properties.

And a number of towers in the core are being connected to DataHive’s breakthrough connection with secure, fast and direct Internet access to anywhere in the world.

Seems to me the construction/commercial real estate industry in Calgary is staying ahead of the changing game.

7

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The Calgary Chamber is the voice of the business community. We double down on commerce and work with businesses to create catalysts for growth.

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // DECEMBER 2019

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In my first letter this year, I said that we would be in for a very interesting year full of optimism and conviction.

Reflecting on our “year in review” feature we’ve included in this edition, the significance of 2019 cannot be overstated. We’ve had two elections, which saw a new provincial government and a minority federal government elected.

We saw businesses leave Calgary and cut jobs in our city. And we saw our country’s economy face headwinds due to a number of global and national hurdles. Through all this, the Chamber advocated for Calgary’s business community at every level of government, and it was a privilege to be able to do this during my first full year at the helm.

Starting locally, we celebrated small businesses in October. Small businesses make up nearly 95 per cent of all businesses in our city. Over the last few years and through the downturn, small businesses created more jobs across the province than their medium and corporate counterparts. As we celebrated our local businesses, we were joined by over 1,400 attendees and over 90 businesses at our expo.

We saw the Event Centre, one of the most influential upcoming infrastructure projects, get closer to becoming a reality. As part of the Rivers District revitalization, this new Event Centre will be at the heart of creating more vibrancy in our city, both for businesses and citizens alike. The Chamber has been a strong supporter of city council making bold investments in our arts, entertainment and sporting infrastructure. This centre does exactly that and will create opportunities for growth for Calgary businesses.

We continued to work with the city to reduce the non-residential to residential property tax ratio to alleviate pressure on our businesses. We continue to urge the city to focus on fiscal responsibility by finding cost savings as well as further operational efficiencies and sell non-revenue generating city-owned land to create a broader tax base, increasing revenues.

Provincially, we released our election platform in January to communicate to all parties the priorities of our business community.

This included: working towards returning to a balanced budget; a reduction of the corporate tax rate; increasing access to markets; reducing red tape; and preparing our future workforce. After the new government took the reins in April, we saw all the above recommendations realized fully or partially. However, there is still more recommendations we must work through, such as implementing an operational spending growth limit, reducing reliance on resource revenues and adopting a “layered cost” economic impact assessment for policy initiatives. We will continue to advocate for the needs of our business community to the government while continuing to work with them on crucial issues. While the 2019 budget created opportunities for Calgary’s businesses it also took some away and we will continue to advocate for what allows businesses of all sizes to succeed in our city.

We also extended our advocacy efforts beyond our province this past year. Working with the Canadian Global Cities Council, we launched the Canadians for Natural Resources initiative in the spring. The initiative helped further the national dialogue around balancing resource development AND fighting climate change and I was able to take this message to the United Nations in New York City and to the World Chambers Congress in Rio de Janeiro. The Calgary Chamber was proud to add its name to the Chambers Climate Coalition, a global initiative led by the International Chamber of Commerce.

We released a joint federal election platform leading with the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce to speak with one voice about issues that are important for Alberta’s businesses.

This past year has shepherded a great deal of change and as we start to see the effects of new governments, new legislation and a new business operating environment, 2020 will undoubtedly be a vital year to determine how we respond and most importantly how we ready ourselves for the future. We must come together as a nation to tackle issues such as climate change, what the future state of work is going to look like, how Canada plays on the global stage, and what kind of country we want to leave for future generations.

I’m looking forward to all that 2020 has to bring and how we as a business community can be leaders in the most important issues facing us as a city and as a country. There has never been a more important time for us to lean into our roles as business leaders and chart a course for our city and our economy.

Think big, look to the horizon, and find a way to share and bring your vision to life.

To the business community – thank you such loyal, long-standing partners of the Chamber. I invite you all to connect with the Chamber, to receive more information about the policy work we do and to receive more information for upcoming events. Sign up for the Calgary Chamber’s newsletter at www.calgarychamber.com/newsletters.

Sandip Lalli President & CEO Calgary Chamber

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DECEMBER 2019 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

Chamber and Board of Trade CEO’s from Canada’s eight largest cities meet in Calgary for the Natural Resources Summit to advocate for a national vision for our natural resources.

Year in Review

A

s the podium of record for our business community, the Calgary Chamber brings together the leading voices of the day, and advocates for policies that make Calgary a great place to do business.

Looking back on 2019, it was a year of tremendous change.

We had a provincial election in the spring, a federal election and a provincial budget release in the fall. As the year comes to a close, here is a look back at some of our key accomplishments, and a look ahead at 2020.

Our Work Across Canada

Canadians for Natural Resources

In May 2019, the Canadian Global Cities Council (CGCC), a coalition of eight metropolitan chambers of commerce and boards of trade from coast to coast, launched the Canadians for Natural Resources initiative. The Calgary Chamber-led coalition set out to highlight that we are at a critical point in Canada’s history. We cannot afford to think only in terms of “pro-energy” or “pro-environment.” We must recognize that we can and have done both. Canada has the potential to be a world leader in both natural resource development AND fight global climate change at the same time.

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DECEMBER 2019 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

As part of the Calgary Chamber’s commitment to this important “AND” conversation, Sandip Lalli, our president and CEO, took this message to the World Chambers Congress in Brazil, and to United Nations Climate Change Summit in New York City. The Calgary Chamber is a proud signatory of the Chambers Climate Coalition and is committed to doing our part to reduce global emissions.

On October 2, 2019, the CGCC held the inaugural Natural Resources Summit in Calgary, which brought together leaders from across the country to advance this important “AND” conversation. The purpose of the summit was three-fold: to demonstrate the diversity of Canada’s natural resources sector; to showcase the innovative and collaborative work taking place in the sector; and to reaffirm Canada’s potential to be a leader in natural resources development AND a leader in the global fight against climate change.

We delivered on these goals and learned some important lessons along the way. Our top takeaway is that Canada needs more Canada. Through collaboration and nation building, and by rallying to the “AND,” we can make our country a leader on the global stage. Our work now begins on creating the framework and proposal for a vision for our natural resources.

Federal Election Platform In September, the Calgary and Edmonton Chambers of Commerce joined forces to release our federal election platform, speaking with one united voice about how Albertans and Canadians can secure a more prosperous and competitive future. We outlined five key election priorities: develop environmental climate policies that stimulate competition; increase trade within and beyond our borders; modernize our tax system; close the skills gap; and address our fiscal imbalance.

The platform continues the work we had undertaken earlier in the year. Both Sandip Lalli, and Janet Riopel, president and CEO of the Edmonton Chamber, brought these concerns to Ottawa. Joined by four other Chamber CEOs, we met with government officials to discuss innovation and technology, natural resources and the energy sector, internal trade, infrastructure, market access and Bill C-69.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney speaking to Chamber members about increasing competetiveness and reducing regulator barriers to buisness.

The Calgary Chamber will continue to work closely with our elected leaders to make meaningful progress on these issues. Now, more than ever, we must look at both sides in order to tackle the most pressing issues facing our society.

Bill C-69 and Bill C-48 Bill C-69 along with Bill C-48 dominated the conversation and the Chamber’s work to start the year. From the moment the Senate Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources announced public Chamber President & CEO, Sandip Lalli, in a round table discussion with business leaders and hearings on C-69 in February, until the eventual royal Calgary’s City Council discussing non-residential property taxes. assent of both bills in late June, the Chamber worked to represent our energy industry’s concerns around both The tariffs disrupted supply chains and added extra costs bills. We also joined efforts with the Alberta Chambers of for businesses on either side of the border across multiple Commerce on Bill C-69 to increase advocacy capacity for industries. In addition, the tariffs acted as a major barrier to the issue. We were disappointed by the federal government’s the new North American free trade agreement. decision to pass both bills into law and will continue to During the period the tariffs were still in place, the Calgary advocate for policies that improve the competitiveness of our Chamber advocated against retaliatory measures in a business environment. submission made to the Canadian federal government and provided alternative business-friendly responses that would Trade and Market Access better protect open and free trade between Canada and our Canada got some welcome news to start the summer as the largest trading partner. year-long tariff feud with the United States over steel and While the Canadian government did ultimately move forward aluminum came to an end. The U.S.-imposed tariffs on imwith retaliatory measures, all tariffs have now been removed ports of steel (25 per cent) and aluminum (10 per cent) were and we look forward to all governments swiftly progressing eliminated in May of 2019. towards the ratification of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).

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Our Work in Alberta A large part of the Calgary Chamber’s advocacy efforts on the provincial front focused on our provincial election platform. Our platform, released in late January 2019, provided nine recommendations across five key principles: fiscal responsibility; regulatory and tax reform; trade; good governance; and workforce skills development.

Since taking office in April, the Government of Alberta has acted on many of our recommendations, including working towards balancing the provincial budget, reducing the corporate tax rate, reducing regulatory burdens and taking a leadership role in removing inter-provincial trade barriers.

In late July, the Calgary Chamber presented a submission to the associate minister of Red Tape Reduction on steps the government can take to ease burdens placed on the manufacturing, technology, energy as well as alcohol, gaming, liquor and cannabis sectors.

With the release of the provincial budget in October 2019, we saw additional, tangible steps towards boosting competitiveness and providing a responsible fiscal plan. The government’s efforts to returning to surplus by the 2022-23 fiscal year, the adoption of enhanced capital cost allowances and working towards the reduction of regulatory burdens are important steps. Further, we understand the current strategy of taking a broad-based approach to the corporate tax rate, however the decision to eliminate targeted tax credits that have benefited many businesses in Calgary was disappointing. We will continue to monitor the issue, and if the current strategy does not create growth for businesses in our city, we will continue the call for tax programs that are aimed at increasing competitiveness particularly in innovation and technology.

We will remain closely engaged with the government to ensure businesses of all sizes benefit, and to make progress on our remaining key asks including long-term fiscal planning, limiting operational spending growth, implementing a “layered cost” economic impact assessment and a comprehensive tax review. We remain committed to the sentiment from our provincial platform that vibrant business equates to vibrant communities.

Our Work in Calgary With over 1,400 attendees at our expo, over 90 businesses showcasing and around 400 people at our awards gala, Small Business Week was the most successful the Chamber has seen.

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Last year, almost 95 per cent of all businesses in Calgary had 100 employees or less. Small businesses are the engine that drives the growth of our economy and are a vital part of our community’s well-being and prosperity.

The Calgary Chamber has long encouraged city council to be bold and think big with respect to investments in our arts, entertainment and sporting infrastructure. This year, we saw city council do just that and make massive strides to make the Rivers District master plan a reality. The Chamber has been a strong supporter of the Event Centre, part of this larger plan, which took a step forward this year. The Chamber was encouraged to see council invest in Calgary’s future and continues to support this new Event Centre under the seven project principles which include that public funds must be used for public good.

Non-residential property tax increases continued to cause uncertainty and pressure on the Calgary business community, and therefore was a key focus for the Calgary Chamber’s advocacy efforts in 2019.

The high vacancy rate in downtown office space and the corresponding drop in assessed property value resulted in drastically increasing costs for businesses, especially those located outside the downtown core. Adding to the pressure of these increases is the uncertainty caused by several structural issues with the property tax system as a whole.

For the past year, the Calgary Chamber has advocated for three ways the city can improve our property tax system and create certainty for business. The first is a reduction of the non-residential to residential tax ratio from its current position at four to one, down to three to one by the end of 2021. Then, a further long-term fixed ratio of 2.8 to one by 2023. The second is the sale of city-owned lands that are not generating revenue. And the third is fiscal responsibility and restraint to ensure we’re working within our means.

The Chamber will continue to work with the city to address the structural issues that are at the core of rising property tax burdens for businesses in our city.

Getting Ready for 2020 For the past 128 years, the Calgary Chamber has been at the heart of Calgary business, and we know this city and its business leaders are extraordinary. We know every action or inaction at the municipal, provincial or federal level can have a profound effect on their ability to compete and thrive. This is why the Calgary Chamber is committed to remaining the voice and podium of record for the Calgary business community going into 2020.

No Glass Ceiling Can Contain Calgary Firm Three decades of can-do growth puts Goldray Glass at top of decorative design Without a blueprint for the business, the couple had to learn how to do everything on their own. They built their own equipment and learned from scratch everything from cutting, sandblasting and coating glass.

Slowly, their relationships with local glass companies and architects moved them past waterbeds and they began an initial growth spurt that got them in the game designing and producing glass building products.

Cathie Saroka, President & CEO, in Goldray’s Calgary warehouse.

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rom entrepreneurial beginnings in the 1980s, picking scrap glass to make waterbed mirrors, Cathie Saroka had no idea the splash she’d one day make heading up one of North America’s leading architectural decorative glass companies.

Since starting Goldray Glass in 1985, Saroka and her family-owned-and-operated company has continued to find a way to fill a business niche, designing some of the most unique and visually stunning glass building structures in North America.

But the company seed was first planted in the showroom of the Brick Warehouse, where Saroka’s then-husband Greg worked as a commission salesperson.

Greg noticed there was no local supplier to replace broken furniture glass, especially for waterbeds. Frustrated customers would be forced to replace full headboards if a mirror was broken. Still in their mid-20s and with three young children, the couple left their jobs and began to plug away at the business idea in the hope they could make ends meet.

One local business personality who has worked with Goldray Glass for more than two decades is Mogens Smed, founder of Calgary-based construction company Falkbuilt.

“Cathie and Goldray never sit still. They are always growing, always looking to build their brand. Over the years, I have worked with them on a number of projects and am always excited when something comes to light that I can get Goldray involved in – they are as passionate about innovation as I am.”

Smed is well aware of some of the challenges that come with basing a business in the Prairies, but strongly supports Goldray as a groundbreaking company for not just glass, but for always having innovation and development as a key motivator for the business.

“It’s a great relationship to have where I know I can always call Cathie directly and she is always up for something new and challenging. I have always trusted Cathie to provide exceptional products that lead the industry for all of North America,” explains Smed.

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Now, two of Saroka’s three children hold key leadership positions in the company of more than 100 employees and contractors that recorded sales of $20 million in 2018.

Goldray is active in every U.S. state and boasts partnerships with global companies such as 3M, Corning and other internationally-renowned technology companies.

That shop has now turned into a 100,000-square-foot, cutting-to-crating factory with unique design processes that are feeding bold architectural building designs across the continent.

A large focus of Goldray’s business ethos is sustainability and research and development. Members of both the Canada Green Building Council and the U.S. Green Building Council, Goldray has a comprehensive environmental statement that emphasizes their commitment to sustainable practices.

Goldray’s spray room, where they add a unique and creative look to their designs.

A recent innovative project from Goldray that combines both sustainable practices and innovation is the development of bird-friendly glass. This use of a surface ceramic frit treatment can deter birds from flying into structures by reducing glare and providing a “visual noise.”

One of Saroka’s personal favourite projects is the Museum at Prairefire in Overland Park, a natural history museum in Kansas.

Glass being cut to size and prepared for custom orders.

Saroka worked on the museum with used dichroic glass for decorative purposes, Kharfen has architect Jonathan Kharfen, who wanted never seen it used to this extent, where beauty blends so well the building to look like it was on fire, matching the controlled with functionality. burns that are so common in the Kansas prairies.

“He was trying to find somebody he believed could help him achieve his vision of what he wanted this museum to look like and he said, ‘You are the only person who said yes, I want to do this.’ Everybody else kept talking about all the problems with doing it.”

The Museum at Prairiefire features Goldray’s most significant partnership with 3M to create boldly-coloured dichroic glass that changes colours depending on the viewing angle.

“I don’t think it could have been any better. It blew us all away,” says Kharfen from his Verner Johnson office in Boston, echoing Saroka’s comments that most other companies he spoke with showed no enthusiasm about the project.

Each piece of the museum’s exterior glass mimics wheat, corn, fire and smoke – all key components of the Kansas landscape. And while other North American companies had

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“It has all the properties that added up to something that is really quite remarkable. Our expectations were exceeded. It does everything that I wanted it to do and more and this very likely would not have happened without Goldray.”

Kharfen says what stuck out is Saroka’s steely focus to get something done that she’d never done before.

Overall, as Saroka gets set to hand over the company to her son Michael in the coming years, that is the advice she gives young entrepreneurs looking to find their way.

“Over the three decades we’ve been in business, we’ve been able to make a name for ourselves being a company that is innovative and wants to push the envelope doing different things. At Goldray we live to embrace the challenge, and that’s what drives us every day.”

NAIOP Calgary Chapter presents the 3rd Annual Real Estate Excellence (REX) Awards

Thank You to our Sponsors

2019

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Peter Cohos and Rob Proud Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients Sponsored by

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AIOP Calgary celebrates local real estate professionals through the REX Awards, and its Lifetime Achievement Award honours those who have made a real difference in the industry.

This year’s winners, Peter Cohos and Rob Proud, have done just that since the 1980s.

“Rob and I never sought out public attention. We didn’t need recognition so we were shocked when they called and touched that those in the real estate industry would recognize our achievements this way,” says Peter Cohos.

“It was truly unexpected and we’re humbled by it,” Rob Proud adds.

Their achievements are impressive – and linked. They met at Western University and worked at the same real estate brokerage firm, Cohos in Calgary and Proud in Denver. They both returned to school and earned their MBAs in 1984 and upon graduation joined different multinational real estate development companies.

Cohos started Copez Properties in 1986, investing in real estate for pension funds, and when the company grew beyond him, Proud joined as partner.

In the mid-’90s, Copez merged with a publicly-traded real estate company and rebranded as Tonko Development before privatizing again a few years later. Cohos and Proud grew the company to $4 billion in assets, and this sort of growth attracts attention.

DEVELOPING LEADER OF THE YEAR

They were approached with an offer to buy and in 2013 they accepted, staying on as senior management. They merged Tonko, the private company that bought them, and a Toronto company they bought and changed the name to Triovest.

“In the end we had about 600 employees and $10 billion worth of real estate that we were taking care of,” says Cohos.

While not retired, the partners stepped away from Triovest in 2015.

They enjoy a reduced workload allowing more time for family and the organizations that matter to them, all the while maintaining a family office under the Copez Properties banner where they manage a series of investments and a small real estate portfolio that includes a block of land in East Village.

Since the beginning, the keys to their success have been great staff, supportive families, transparency in business and a strong work ethic.

“We were in the service business investing money on behalf of pension funds and high-net-worth individuals and institutions. All we had to sell was our credibility and integrity. We led by example and saw each investor, tenant and employee as our partners. That adds up to the success we’ve had,” says Proud.

Rob Proud and Peter Cohos have had a long career of successes and are well deserving of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Sponsored by

Paige Magnussen - 2019 Winner

Paige Magnussen began her career in Calgary’s commercial real estate industry in 2012 at Bentall Kennedy. Since then, she has worked within the property management group at Oxford and as marketing and business development manager at Engelhart Reed. In 2019, Magnussen returned to Bentall, now BentallGreenOak, as a leasing manager, overseeing its industrial and suburban office properties. Magnussen joined NAIOP in 2016. After serving two years on the Developing Leaders Committee, she became co-chair for 2018 and 2019. In addition, she played an integral role in the REX Awards, acting as the 2019 co-chair. In 2019, she helped to fund the NAIOP Experience Committee, helping to improve NAIOP events. When anyone on the NAIOP board is looking for assistance, Magnussen is always ready to lend a hand. She also volunteers her time with a number of charities including Kindle Pursuit and Bras for a Cause. In 2018, she was a team captain in the Ride to Conquer Cancer, raising just under $50,000 with her team which won one of the top fundraising awards. A valuable team member, Magnussen is developing into a strong leader with the Calgary real estate community.

NAIOP Calgary Annual Real Estate Excellence (REX) Awards • 2

NAIOP Calgary Annual Real Estate Excellence (REX) Awards â&#x20AC;¢ 3

OFFICE LEASE OF THE YEAR WINNER: Golder Associates/Slate Asset Management -

700 – 2 Street SW

Slate Properties/Golder Associates/Colliers Calgary/CBRE Limited Golder Associates occupied four floors within Stephen Avenue Place, in the heart of downtown Calgary. The solidification of the lease has also aided in the revitalization and rebranding of Stephen Avenue Place. This deal was also significant in that it they completed the impossible, moving a suburban tenant back into the downtown core.

FINALIST: Parkland Fuel at BP Centre - 240 – 4 Avenue SW QuadReal Property Group LP/Jones Lang LaSalle

OFFICE DEVELOPMENT OF THE YEAR WINNER: Hexagon Calgary Campus -

Sponsored by

10921 – 14 Street NE

Remington Development Corporation/NovAtel Inc./Colliers International – Occupier Advisors Group/ IBI Group/ Shearer Licensed Interior Design Hexagon Calgary Campus is a state-of-the-art office building with a specialized industrial component and conference/event facilities, serving as the regional office for the technology company as well as the area headquarters for other Hexagon divisions in Western Canada.

This development did not come without its own set of unique challenges. Firstly, the developer was able to design a building which met all the specific needs of each subgroup of the Hexagon Group, while keeping each of them separately contained from one another.

In addition to that, the site had challenges in terms of a stormwater management plan, which engineers on the team were able solve through a network of storm lines.

FINALIST: MacLeod Professional Centre - 3916 MacLeod Trail SE 3916 Macleod Trail GP Inc./Opus Corporation

INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Amazon Fulfillment Centre (YYC1) -

293069 Colonel Robertson Way, Rocky View County

QuadReal Property Group/Amazon Fulfillment Services Inc/Cushman & Wakefield/KBC Advisors Inc./ Gibbs Gage Architects/Dawson Wallace Construction/IBI Group The Amazon Fulfillment Centre is a 600,000 square foot distribution facility located in Nose Creek Business Park. Amazon issued an RFP to the Calgary development community in March of 2017 and required their development to be operational by October 1, 2018. In addition to that, they required the ability to be able to expand an additional 400,000 square feet. Upon winning the bid, QuadReal was able to navigate the challenges to faced, commence construction and delivery a fully operational building to Amazon four weeks ahead of schedule.

FINALIST: Evolve at District - 11127 – 15 Street NE Beedie

INVESTMENT DEAL OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by

WINNER: Sunlife Plaza/Aspen Properties -

112, 140 & 144 – 4 Avenue SW

Aspen Properties / CBRE NIT / Sunlife & Choice Properties REIT Sunlife Plaza is a trio of Class ‘A’ LEED Certified office buildings with a total net rentable are of 1,055,847 square feet. Aspen Properties acquired this property in December 2018 for a total sale price of $225M ($213 PSF). Aspen Properties saw a unique opportunity with Sunlife Plaza primarily due to the scale of the asset, as well as the size of the podium. After their previous successful office reposition, The Edison, the purchaser saw the potential to apply to the same innovation, but on a larger scale. Since closing on the property, renovations have commenced on the lobby, fitness centre, plus 15 level and conference room. This has since increased tenant retention in the complex by igniting the same excitement witnessed on The Edison.

FINALIST: Cominar/Slate Asset Management - Numerous Properties Slate Asset Management / Cominar REIT / BMO Capital Markets / CBRE / RBC / Lennard / National Bank / McCarthy Tetrault / Blakes

RETAIL / MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by

WINNER: SODO Residences and Residence Inn by Marriott QuadReal Property Group/GWL Realty Advisors/Axiom Builders/IBI Group

610/620 – 10 Avenue SW

SODO Residences and the Residence Inn by Marriott is 705,589 square foot mixed use development constructed in the heart of Calgary Beltline District. The West tower, SODO, was named for its South of Downtown location. SODO is a purpose-built rental building comprising of 305 one- and two-bedroom units. The amenity space in SODO includes a state-of-the-art fitness facility, games lounge, library room and communal show kitchen. This space then extends outdoors with hard and soft landscaping, outdoor lounging areas, barbeques and a fenced dog run. The East Tower, Residence Inn by Marriott, is an extended stay hotel brand, 390 key hotel that is the largest of its kind in the world.

FINALIST: Mount Royal West - 906 – 16 Avenue SW First Capital Realty Inc. NAIOP Calgary Annual Real Estate Excellence (REX) Awards • 4

The Flex Work Life W

ith the work world’s low unemployment stats, companies – including those in Calgary – are attracting employees with all kinds of perks.

A report from the Society for Human Resource Management shows that 27 per cent of companies offer employees the option to work four 10-hour days, instead of the traditional five-day workweek. Other popular trends include flextime, the option of working from home and unlimited vacation time.

“In our industry, engineering services, we have utilized flextime with core hours since starting our company in 2011 and we find it to be useful and favourable,” says T.M. Gunderson, founding partner and vice president of Epoch Energy Development and an EO Calgary member. “The core hours are structured for client meetings, project meetings and team workflow on projects while allowing our staff the freedom to start earlier or work later based on their preferences and needs.

“Employing flextime has enabled us to maintain a low staff turnover (less than five per cent) and it not only reduces our onboarding and training costs but also increases staff engagement.”

EO Calgary member Jodi Bloomer, co-founder and co-CEO of Canadian Fiber Optics, admits that although her workplace is not a traditional office environment, flexibility of work time is important. “We do offer flexibility to pick up kids, supporting our team members’ health and wellness endeavours. Flextime isn’t something we have a strict policy on. We have agreements with different team members. But allowing for face-to-face meetings and sharing the same workplace environment is also very important in our business.”

“Flextime is a must in many positions,” says Addison Parfeniuk, co-owner of Two Small Men with Big Hearts Moving and an

EO Calgary member. “Particularly with team members that have families. Recruits have commitments to their families and communities, and we’re proud to accommodate those in almost every circumstance.”

Despite HR trends, human nature is still a vital workplace factor.

“We haven’t yet run across an issue where a staff member wasn’t able to handle flextime,” Gunderson notes. “We trust our staff that they start when they said they started and finish when they said they finished. If the quality of work is maintained to our standards within the time assigned, we don’t supervise the time in and time out.”

Many companies suggest that technology, and particularly remote technology and the 24-7 mindset, is not only redefining the work option of flextime but that it may be making it redundant.

“Remote technology creates more of a transactional type of workplace with more focus on work function and deliverables and less on employee development,” says Gunderson. “Flextime allows for more of a relationship-driven environment with greater focus on workflow, team engagement and the importance of culture.

“Naturally, a downside to remote technology is that staff can be accessible by Slack, text, email and phone around the clock,” Parfeniuk points out. “Over time, we learn that most matters can wait until morning, and train ourselves to make a note and follow up the next day.”

Bloomer shares the positivity. “Tech certainly has enabled easier communication. The mediums we choose enable constant communication, including evenings and weekends, but I wouldn’t say it’s 24-7. It’s essential we all have a break to spend time with family, friends and gain necessary perspective. Life can’t be all work. That’s just not sustainable.”

Contributing Members:

Addison Parfeniuk

Jodi Bloomer

T.M. Gunderson

co-owner of Two Small Men with Big Hearts Moving

co-founder and co-CEO of Canadian Fiber Optics

vice president and founding partner of Epoch Energy Development

The international Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) is the respected, world-wide business networking group — with more than 10,000 members in 35 countries — where business leaders meet informally to brainstorm, compare notes, learn and share relevant discussions about business.

EO has 122 chapters around the world, including the Calgary chapter which is the fifth largest and one of the most active EO chapters in the world.

www.eocalgary.com

|

For membership inquiries: membership@eocalgary.com

SWEET SUCCESS

New flagship store signals continued rebirth for Master Chocolat

by Jamie Zachary

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ife is about to get a bit sweeter for Calgarians as iconic chocolatier Master Chocolat has opened the doors to a new state-of-the-art flagship store in southwest Calgary.

Located at #130 – 560 69th Avenue SW, just south of Chinook Centre, the retail and production facility opened in mid-November as part of ongoing expansion plans for a company that’s been around for just under four years, yet is built on more than a century of family history.

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A 30-metre-long window will provide line of sight to the significantly larger production space. A separate dedicated room will also allow Callebaut and his team to provide hands-on chocolate courses and host children’s parties, team-building events and seasonal festivities.

“It’s about bringing that experiential content to another level. They will be able to see what’s happening. They can sit down, have a hot chocolate and watch what’s happening,” says Callebaut, a fourth-generation chocolatier.

“It’s really the next step for Master Chocolat,” says master chocolatier Bernard Callebaut, whose name has been synonymous with chocolate in the city for nearly four decades. “It is very exciting.”

“Retail is an experience. It’s still very much a brick-andmortar business. People still want to see, smell and taste the product. I don’t think that’s going away any time soon.”

The new Kingsland location replaces the previous one in Manchester Industrial Park, which Callebaut says was bursting at the seams. It also provides customers with added transparency into the chocolate-making process, including what goes into these delicious masterpieces.

The flagship store complements Master Chocolat’s existing footprints in both Marda Loop and the Calgary Farmers’ Market. It also extends some of those locations’ more popular features, including the opportunity for customers to make their own chocolate bar on the spot.

The new location is yet another chapter in Callebaut’s storied history. His great-grandfather started the family chocolate business in Belgium in 1911 where Callebaut later plied his trade before training under the guidance of famed European chocolatier Rene Goossens in Antwerp, Belgium.

“I don’t use corn syrup or vegetable fat and sugar is not the first ingredient on the list. I’m very careful with the ingredients I use. I want to make it clear that when you buy a chocolate hazelnut spread, our customers know we make it with 70 per cent hazelnut.”

Callebaut opened his first store in Calgary in 1983. Since then, he’s not only seen the city’s population boom from 600,000 to more than 1.2 million, but also customers’ chocolate preferences evolve – including wanting to know more about what’s going into their bodies.

As for the other secret to Callebaut’s sustained success?

“You have to be truly passionate about what you’re doing,” says Callebaut, who calls chocolate good for the soul and one of the necessities of life. “When you’re truly passionate, you always want to become better. You always want to raise the bar.”

“People are paying attention; they’re reading the labels,” says Callebaut, noting Master Chocolat’s current products are 95 per cent organic.

“The evolution has been dramatic. What I made in 1983 and what I make today are absolutely different. Dark chocolate, for example, had 55 per cent cocoa and 45 per cent sugar.

Today, my basic dark chocolate is 70 per cent cocoa and 28 per cent sugar.

And it helps to have a loyal tribe of customers.

“I’m very grateful that people in Calgary have been extremely supportive over the years. It’s heart-warming,” says Callebaut. “It shows that if you are a true defender of quality, then people won’t forget about you.”

Visit masterchocolat.com.

Head Office: 130, 560 - 69th Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2V 2H1 403.252.5750 | info@masterchocolat.com

www.masterchocolat.com

The Party that Launched a Decade of Startups in Calgary

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s the global economy struggled to emerge from a historic recession in 2009, a group of entrepreneurs in Calgary put together an event that would showcase some of the most innovative startup companies in the city to help connect them to customers, mentors and funding.

Over the next decade, the suitably named “Launch Party” would play vital roles in both the development of dozens of companies and as an annual coming together of key influencers in Calgary’s ever-expanding tech ecosystem.

Launch Party has grown to become Startup Calgary’s signature event each November and is the catalyst for a more ambitious week that mixes business with a celebration of entrepreneurship in the city’s diverse innovation ecosystem.

Innovation Week was launched in 2018 with a series of learning opportunities to help entrepreneurs bridge the gap between ideas and impacts while also providing social events that bring people together to share their experience.

This year, Startup Calgary united over a dozen organizations and companies – including Platform Calgary, MobSquad, Rainforest Alberta and Creative Destruction Lab – to host events around the city.

At the centre of it all was Launch Party Year 10 with more than 1,200 people, setting a new attendance mark for the event.

The Big Four Building at Stampede Park was transformed to showcase the creative thinking and problem solving of cuttingedge companies. Attendees included representatives of 60 companies that were showcased in previous years.

“The people who come to Launch Party are the people who make things happen in this city,” says Stuart Kinnear, CEO of Interface Fluidics, a Launch Party alum.

One company that set its future course at Launch Party was Calgary fintech firm ZayZoon. The founders of the company met their future chief financial officer at Launch Party 2015.

Four years later, ZayZoon just raised $15 million in its first venture capital funding.

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It is those types of impromptu conversations and connections that make Launch Party so valuable to startup companies.

“I would say probably the most significant and catalytic event of the year for the early-stage startup community is Launch Party,” says Leighton Healey, co-founder and CEO of KnowHow Systems, formerly Bootkik.

The growth and evolution of Launch Party is evident in the number of companies and individual industry leaders participating and the variety of platforms for them to tell their story: 15 – Startups participating in Demo Alley 8 – Accelerators, coworking spaces and service providers participating in Community Zone 5 – Companies participating in Export Alley 26 – Companies/organizations participating in Startup Job Showcase 10 – Entrepreneurs featured in the Thoughts Out Loud Live Lounge The 10th anniversary of Launch Party led Startup Canada to hold its annual Startup Community Builder’s Summit in Calgary this year which attracted leading corporations and startup communities from cities across the country.

“The growth of Launch Party and Innovation Week reflects the vibrancy of our tech and startup scene,” says Danielle Torrie, manager of Startup Calgary. “When Calgary Economic Development is promoting the opportunities that exist here by hosting Startup Canada’s Startup Community Builder’s Summit, it helps us to get the message out at a grassroots level across the country that there are exciting things happening in Calgary.”

More Events and Enhanced Hosting Infrastructure Mean Greater Economic Impact for Calgary JANUARY THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2019 SAW TOURISM CALGARY SUPPORTING 61 SPORT, CULTURAL AND MAJOR EVENTS AND 45 MEETINGS AND CONVENTIONS IN OUR CITY

BY BRIDGETTE SLATER

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uided by Calgary’s Destination Strategy, Tourism Calgary actively works to attract, develop, promote and activate events year round and to enhance Calgary’s hosting infrastructure for the benefit of visitors and Calgarians.

Between January and September 2019, Tourism Calgary supported 61 sport, cultural and major events that injected more than $106 million into Calgary’s economy and 45 meetings and conventions that generated more than $15.7 million in delegate spending. Noteworthy events included the 2019 Canadian Country Music Awards and Week, PGA TOUR Champions Shaw Charity Classic, Red Bull Outliers, Society of Petroleum Engineers’ Annual Technical Conference and the International Society of Biomechanics Congress. In November, Tourism Calgary also worked alongside the Canadian Football League to host the 2019 Grey Cup Championship and Festival, which generated an estimated $35 million in economic impact.

In terms of investing in Calgary’s hosting infrastructure, 2019 has been a significant year. As the stakeholderidentified champion for Calgary’s tourism industry, Tourism Calgary applauded the decision made by all three orders of government in March to support the BMO Centre expansion. Once complete in 2024, this project will give Calgary the second-largest meeting

facility in Canada and a competitive advantage within the international meetings and conventions market.

Subsequently, Tourism Calgary celebrated the historic decision Calgary city council made in July to develop a new Event Centre in the heart of the Rivers District.

Located at the envisioned “critical corner” of Calgary’s Cultural and Entertainment District, the Event Centre will serve as a permanent gathering place and hosting venue that will help attract future festivals, concerts and amateur and professional sporting events.

Looking ahead, Tourism Calgary has secured approximately 54 additional sport, cultural and major events and 48 additional meetings and conventions, which will be hosted in Calgary between 2020 and 2027. Some of these events include the 2020 Golf Canada – Men’s Amateur Championship, 2021 Canadian Ringette Championships and the 2023 World Petroleum Congress.

Calgary is a city with hosting in its DNA. With a number of future events secured and enhanced hosting infrastructure on the horizon, Calgary has the opportunity to host the world and foster shareable, memorable experiences that drive repeat visitation and economic contributions.

To learn more about upcoming events and Calgary’s development as a destination, see visitcalgary.com/ industry-partners.

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // DECEMBER 2019

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GREAT EVENTS COME TOGETHER AT THE CENTRE.

CONNECTING COMMUNITIES BEYOND THEIR GREAT EVENT This season is a perfect time to reflect, celebrate and appreciate the many events hosted at the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre (CTCC). Throughout the year, it’s been our pleasure to help create experiences worth remembering. Experiences that bring people together to share, collect and collaborate. Some highlights include: •

•

•

Economic Outlook 2019 This annual event gave attendees the opportunity to meet with local leaders and to hear experts discuss current and future economic trends and forecasts for our city, our province and our country.

Forward Summit An Indigenous-led, multi-day conference dedicated to advancing economic partnerships, discovering opportunities for change and supporting national relationships between Canada’s industry leaders and Indigenous Communities.

30th International Nursing Research Congress Sigma’s impactful event drew a record number of delegates. More than 1,200 attendees from 44 countries took part in the Congress to explore the theme, “Theory-to-Practice: Catalyzing Collaborations to Connect Globally.”

Despite the many more events CTCC would like to feature, these three represent the diverse impacts on a local, national and international level. The willingness of participants to collaborate within a space that offers creativity, inclusivity and growth has always been the focus and drive at the heart of CTCC. As we bring this year to a close, we are proud of how our internal team and external planners leveraged our facilities and location to create events that enhance collaboration and create unforgettable memories. It’s a shared responsibility to create experiences that we are proud to deliver.

Looking at the year ahead, the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre will continue to host and provide a space that will attract and bring together inspiring individuals within their organizations. Individuals whose participation extends back to their community, beyond the scope of the event. As active catalysts within the business community in Calgary, we are eagerly awaiting to provide a space for all upcoming events that will enhance experiences like no other. From everyone at the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre, happy holidays.

We look forward to seeing you in 2020!

calgary-convention.com

MARKETING MATTERS // DAVID PARKER

Marketing Matters

BY DAVID PARKER

W

AX Partnership is a communications company that values the freedom of the press. More than a little ticked with President Trump’s misuse of the term “fake news” to discredit stories he disagrees with, the creative team at the Calgary agency decided to respond with the FakeNewsTM.com campaign and presented their initiative to the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), the oldest and largest professional journalism association in the U.S. SPJ submitted a trademark application and launched a video that was shot in Calgary using local talent that drives people to the website which contains resources to help people to spot fake news. The day of the launch it sent a cease-anddesist order to the White House.

Since it was launched at the end of October, the campaign has been covered by over 75 publications around the world and has been shared over 380,000 times on social media, all achieved without a single dollar being spent on media.

Last year, Toronto-based Rain acquired the Calgary and Vancouver offices of Karo Group, moving into its 10th Avenue SW location. Gaining momentum with a staff eager to get a fresh start, it has since moved into a classy new second-floor space on the corner of 17th Avenue and Fourth Street SW. Rain has been picking up new clients including the Calgary Marketing Association that now sports a new website, and it is excited to be working for Carya. With over a century of providing assistance in this city as Calgary Family Services, the organization changed its name to Carya in 2014 but is still relatively unknown. Rain is helping with brand positioning, while naming and branding a fundraising event set for next March as it builds a new East Village Community Hub.

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DECEMBER 2019 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

Rain is also working with the Petroleum Services Association of Canada (PSAC) in a rebranding exercise to make it a truly national organization.

Around half of the patients in the Willow Creek Continuing Care Centre at the Claresholm Hospital suffer from some form of Alzheimer’s or dementia. In an effort to help trigger fond memories, it has commissioned Doug Driediger of Metrographics to paint a 30-foot-long interior mural of a local landscape with “windows” of art including scenes of homesteads, harvesting, curling and other community happenings that patients and their families can discuss while walking the corridor.

Forward Level Marketing is moving from a more traditional agency to offer a wider range of services to support its client needs adding a lot of digital experience along with the hiring of Chelsea Balsdon, formerly with Uppercut and Vovia, as its new marketing manager. The company has a real focus on relationships and partner Jon Holden says long-term clients like Westcor treat them as part of the company.

Adding more staff who are passionate about this city will help drive its Move Forward YYC, a major community initiative to make a significant impact on some of the systemic issues that affect all Calgarians, scheduled to be launched next fall.

Parker’s Pick Any restaurant that offers a beer mat instead of a napkin with a cold beer. And they are great marketing tools for beers or bistros, and highly collectible for tegestologists.

Leasing Information: Peter Stack 403.571.2532 peter.stack@cadillacfairview.com

Grow your Business with our Experience Cadillac Fairview offers a diverse real estate portfolio complemented with comprehensive property management services. Through the strength of ownership, strategic acquisitions, and development, Cadillac Fairview provides innovative, sustainable and functional facilities that are able to deliver exceptional solutions to tenants.

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A LEED Gold building serving a global tenant. Shell Centre is connected to the core via +15 walkways and blocks from Eau Claire and Calgary’s extended bike lanes.

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635 8TH AVENUE SW

Unbeatable location with easy access, in and out of Calgary’s core. Encor Place offers an efficient floorplate providing prominent layouts for all sized tenants. The building’s lobby is finished with stunning marble and granite making it bright and welcoming.

• Class A Office • 29 Floors • BOMA BESt Certified • Located on Calgary’s LRT Line • Connected to the Core via +15 Walkways (April 2017) • Energy Star Certified

This vibrant building has a premier location offering effortless access, in and out of Calgary’s core. 635 8th Avenue is situated on Calgary’s intricate bike lanes.

The building offers efficient floorplates and an energetic atmosphere.

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