Business in Calgary - December 2020

DECEMBER 2020 | $3.50 BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

Re-Imagining

Centini

PM41126516

CHEVONNE MILLER-CENTINI ON THE FUTURE OF A CALGARY ICON

B OMA CALGARY NEW - WINTER 2020

PAGE

41 |

SMALL BUSINESSES BANKING FOR BETTER DAYS

PAGE

37

A NEW, SMALLER TELESKID JOINS THE RANGE

3TS-8W | ROC: 3,208 lb

NEW 2TS-7T | ROC: 2,096 lb

Unique machines with endless possibilities.

3TS-8T | ROC: 3,695 lb

JCB Teleskids are the only skid steers and compact track loaders with a telescopic boom, allowing you to lift higher, reach further and dig deeper than ever before. With three models to choose from, with rated operating capacities from 2,100 lb to 3,700 lb, you can complete tasks and access areas you wouldn’t have thought possible ... until now.

GET OFF THE IT ROLLER COASTER Is poor IT service impacting your business?

CALITSO delivers: • Fast response time • On-site Technicians • 24/7 Service Desk • Cloud Back Ups • All-Inclusive Pricing Switch to CALITSO IT Solutions now and receive your first 30 days of better IT service, free.

Unit #131 4999 43 ST SE Calgary, AB, T2B 3N4 | 587-794-4134

STORY TITLE // SECTION

Supporting the visions of entrepreneurs one story at a time.

Volume 30 | Number 12

REGULAR COLUMNS

9 12

Time for change in Calgary

By Brad Field

Indigenous and NonIndigenous Support for TMX Runs Deep

By Cody Battershill

14

Mental Health is a Top Priority Due to Covid-19

By Garth Mann

CONTENTS

54

Parker’s Pen

COVER FEATURE

26

Re-Imagining Centini Chevonne Miller-Centini on the future of a Calgary icon

By Melanie Darbyshire

ON OUR COVER: ABOVE: CHEVONNE MILLER-CENTINI, RESTAURANT DIRECTOR AND PROPRIETOR. PHOTO SOURCE: BOOKSTRUCKER

FIND US ONLINE! B US I N E SS I NCALGARY.COM BUSINESS IN CALGARY

@BUSINCALGARY

BUSINESSINCALGARY

4

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

28

By David Parker

CALGARY’S BEST-SELLING URBAN COMMUNITY

SMART

design with room to grow makes it a true lifestyle

INVESTMENT Love living close to everything you love. New retailers now open.

Find your new home in the NW at myuniversitydistrict.ca CONDOS

TOWNHOMES

RENTAL APARTMENTS

LOOK CLOSER

Visit Our Discovery Centre

SENIORS LIVING

STORY TITLE // SECTION

Supporting the visions of entrepreneurs one story at a time.

Volume 30 | Number 12

24

THIS MONTH’S FEATURES

22 32 37

I t’s all Downhill From Here Ski hill ready to navigate though challenges during new winter season

By Jamie Zachary

T he Switch to Virtual Learning Students and instructors in-transition

By John Hardy

S mall Businesses Banking for Better Days Experts credit financial relief measures, more personalized services behind uptick in optimism

By Jamie Zachary

CONTENTS

41 47

B OMA Calgary News Winter 2020

S ome Lucky White Heather in Calgary The Scottish Shoppe & A Little Bit of Ireland Turns 50

47

6

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

BEHIND THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE MANOR VILLAGES FRONT LINE

FIGHTING Covid WITH

TECHNOLOGY

UV STERILIZING TROLLEY Breaks down the DNA of pathogens such as bacteria & viruses Each Evening the common rooms are sterilized with UV–C for 99% kill of bacteria & viruses.

The Trolley disinfects the surfaces of objects —puzzles—cards—and air–borne pathogens.

D R .W E L L N E S S Facial recognition & temperature scanner with fever alert The equipment is no–contact & self–checking temperature scanner for staff & guests.

Abnormal Alberta’s COVID Self–Assessment or Body Temperatures.

The Manor Village at Varsity

The Manor Village at Garrison Woods

The Manor Village at Rocky Ridge

The Manor Village at Signature Park

40 Varsity Estates Cir NW (587) 393-9999

2400 Sorrel Mews SW (403) 240-3636

450 Rocky Vista Gdns NW (403) 239-6400

1858 Sirocco Dr SW (403) 249-7113

The StayWell Manor at Garrison Woods

The Manor Village at Huntington Hills

The Manor Village at Fish Creek Park

174 Ypres Green SW (403) 242-4688

6700 Hunterview Dr NW (403) 275-5667

22 Shawnee Hill SW (587) 392-2400

themanorvillage.com

WE A RE PROTECT ING T H E V U LNER A BL E P O P UL AT I O N FO R A N E N J OYA B L E L I F E ST Y L E

PUBLISHERS

Pat Ottmann & Tim Ottmann

EDITOR

Melanie Darbyshire melanie@businessincalgary.com

MERCURY MESSENGER mercurymessenger.ca

RELIABLE - PERSONAL - CONSISTENT SERVICE

COPY EDITOR Nikki Mullett

ART DIRECTOR

Jessi Evetts jessi@businessincalgary.com

ADMINISTRATION

Jessica Patenaude jessica@businessincalgary.com

ACCOUNTING

Deliveries requiring either car, truck, van or bike downtown Deliveries starting at only $3.50 Hours of operation 8am to 6pm After hours & weekend deliveries available Proudly owned and operated by Calgarians

CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT NOW

Call 403-255-4000 or visit us at mercurymessenger.ca

Nancy Bielecki nancy@businessincalgary.com

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Brad Field Garth Mann Cody Battershill

THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Melanie Darbyshire Rennay Craats Jamie Zachary John Hardy

PHOTOGRAPHY

Cover photo courtesy of BOOKSTRUCKER

ADVERTISING SALES

Chris Miller 587-774-7614 chris@businessincalgary.com Evelyn Dehner 587-774-7615 evelyn@businessincalgary.com

DIRECTORS OF CUSTOM PUBLISHING Kylie Caetano 587-774-7624 kylie@businessincalgary.com Courtney Lovgren 587-774-7613 courtney@businessincalgary.com

EDITORIAL, ADVERTISING & ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES 1025, 101 6th Ave. SW Calgary, AB T2P 3P4 Tel: 403.264.3270 | Fax: 403.264.3276 Email: info@businessincalgary.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS Online at www.businessincalgary.com Annual rates: $31.50 CDN | $45 USA $85 International | Single Copy $3.50 Business in Calgary is delivered to over 33,500 business people every month including all registered business owners in Calgary, Banff, Canmore, Airdrie, Okotoks, Cochrane and the Calgary Chamber members.

The publisher does not assume any responsibility for the contents of any advertisement, and all representations of warranties made in such advertising are those of the advertiser and not of the publisher. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, in all or in part, without the written permission of the publisher. Canadian publications mail sales product agreement No. 41126516.

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to circulation dept.

1025 101 6th Ave. SW Calgary, AB T2P 3P4 info@businessincalgary.com

WWW.BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

8

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

Business in Calgary magazine’s circulation is audited twice a year by BPA International.

TIME FOR CHANGE IN CALGARY // BRAD FIELD

Time for change in Calgary

BY BRAD FIELD

T

his month marks the end of 2020, a mythically bad year. Feeling reflective as we head into the holiday season, I have been looking back through the two years worth of monthly columns I have submitted to Business in Calgary and the thoughtful comments and insights I received from people in response. We have talked about important things through these columns. A clear theme has appeared – one that gives me hope for Calgary’s future. Read on and tell me if you agree. First, a summary of the topics that have sparked the most conversation.

I have written about the crippling spike in non-residential property taxes in Calgary and the related need for economic diversification. We need to take better advantage of our best natural resource. No, not the oil and gas reserves, but the majestic Rocky Mountains and the beauty of our city’s setting. Calgary is desperately in need of an integrated strategy to build the active, youthful city of the future: one that attracts creative and diverse talent from around the world to live, work, play, and compete. It is no secret that top talent is drawn to cities that offer not only economic opportunity, but exciting sport, recreation and cultural experiences as well.

We have also discussed innovation and the need to support entrepreneurs and small businesses more effectively in Calgary. Our business culture in this city should be the envy of the world. From the First Nations people who traded furs, through the ranchers and merchants who built the town (and launched the Calgary Stampede), to the explorers and financiers who built the oil and gas industry, and now to the leaders of today’s tech start-ups, Calgary has entrepreneurship and innovation deeply baked into its culture.

When discussing the municipal government, I have commented on the drop in public trust caused by a squabbling City Council, questionable spending decisions, one worrying case of blatant misappropriation of funds, and a tendency by our municipal leaders to think they can spend their way back to prosperity. We need strong leadership and true innovation to drive far better efficiency at City Hall. Otherwise the recent property tax hikes will look tame compared to those to come.

Finally, I have written about the social struggles in Calgary, including addictions, homelessness, and the effect of the COVID-19 crisis on mental health. Calgarians are altruistic.

Research shows that young people in particular want to live in a society where those who flourish despite tough economic conditions do so by putting people first, starting with their employees. Successful businesses are the seeds of successful societies. Governments fertilize those seeds with public education, public health and supports for the disadvantaged and those who fall on tough times. Together, we reap bountiful harvests.

Can you guess the theme I see that ties two years of columns together? That theme is change. Peter Senge, renowned management guru said: “People don’t resist change; they resist being changed.” As we head toward 2021, it is time for change in Calgary. Fortunately, Calgarians themselves do not need to change. We already have all the resilience, determination, entrepreneurialism, creativity, and altruism needed to take Calgary in a new direction. We have done it before. We will do it again.

Wishing you and your loved ones a safe and joyful holiday season.

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // DECEMBER 2020

9

OF ENERGY

DECEMBER 2020

NEW YEAR

BRIGHTER OUTLOOK CANOE FINANCIAL’S RAFI TAHMAZIAN ON WHAT 2021 MAY HOLD FOR ALBERTA ENERGY

OF ENERGY VOL 2, ISSUE 4 | DECEMBER 2020

PUBLISHERS

Clean and Green Geothermal Energy Opportunity

by David Yager

Cover: New Year, Brighter Outlook

by Melanie Darbyshire

03 06 10

Profile: Millenia Engineering FEBRUARY 2019

by Renaay Craats

Pat Ottmann & Tim Ottmann

EDITOR

Melanie Darbyshire

COPY EDITOR Nikki Mullett

ART DIRECTOR

Jessi Evetts jessi@businessincalgary.com

COVER PHOTO

Lynn Streeter Photography

ADMINISTRATION

Jessica Patenaude jessica@businessincalgary.com

ACCOUNTING

Nancy Bielecki nancy@businessincalgary.com

THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Melanie Darbyshire David Yager Renaay Craats

ADVERTISING SALES

Evelyn Dehner evelyn@businessincalgary.com Kylie Caetano kylie@businessincalgary.com Chris Miller chris@businessincalgary.com Courtney Lovgren courtney@businessincalgary.com

EDITORIAL, ADVERTISING & ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES 1025, 101 6th Ave. SW Calgary, AB T2P 3P4 Tel: 403.264.3270 | Fax: 403.264.3276 Email: info@businessincalgary.com The publisher does not assume any responsibility for the contents of any advertisement, and all representations of warranties made in such advertising are those of the advertiser and not of the publisher. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, in all or in part, without the written permission of the publisher. Canadian publications mail sales product agreement No. 41126516.

COVER 2 • Business of Energy • December 2020

WWW.BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to circulation dept.

1025 101 6th Ave. SW Calgary, AB T2P 3P4 info@businessincalgary.com

Clean and Green Geothermal Energy Opportunity | David Yager

CLEAN AND GREEN GEOTHERMAL ENERGY OPPORTUNITY

by David Yager

G

ood news is hard to find amidst the modern media’s relentless focus on seemingly endless challenges Albertans are facing in 2020.

Which is why so many missed Bill 36, the new Geothermal Resources Development Act. This is the long-awaited legal foundation for Alberta’s fledgling but promising geothermal energy (GE) industry. While not the silver bullet to quickly revitalize the economy (which no government can miraculously create), it unlocks a remarkable opportunity to make Alberta’s energy mix significantly greener while putting the nuts, bolts and brains of the oilpatch back to work.

Bill 36 was the necessary next step to launch geothermal development including the processes for leasing exclusive development rights from the Crown. In the same way that the province owns the rights to all subsurface resources such as coal, oil and gas, drilling holes in the earth to extract heat to turn it into money requires appropriate and binding permitting.

Saskatchewan and B.C. already have this framework in place.

GE is subterranean heat from the earth’s core which can be tapped and employed for structural heating (homes, buildings, warehouses, greenhouses) and electricity

generation. It is renewable energy like wind, solar and hydro. It is plentiful and the primary source is free. The advantage GE has over wind and solar is it is an ideal baseload energy source because it delivers 24/7/365. It is unaffected by the sun, wind, season or weather.

Most important for Alberta is that the people, equipment and processes used to exploit GE are the same as for oil and gas. No retraining is required. It is just a matter of switching the subsurface target and drill and equip the wells to extract a different form of energy.

After years of probing subsurface Alberta, the public geological data and knowledge base is extraordinary. The temperature at the bottom of every wellbore is known. When it comes to dealing with steam, hot water and heated reservoirs, thanks to the oil sands Canada is already a technical leader in thermal resource extraction.

GE is a win/win good news story for all Canadians. But for most of this century, concerns about climate change have created the mantra that the best oil business is no oil business. It is regrettable that the people and equipment will serve no useful purpose following the essential transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. But this is a small price to pay to save the world.

3 • Business of Energy • December 2020

David Yager | Clean and Green Geothermal Energy Opportunity

But if the world really wants and needs clean and reliable low-carbon energy, some better than interruptible wind and solar power is essential. Energy that doesn’t require scouring the earth searching for rare minerals to make batteries and magnets for wind-driven generators. An unlimited energy source that Canada can develop domestically, become world leaders, and export its application all over the world. Energy that uses the same the people and equipment as oil and gas without retraining or massive disruption.

We’ve got it! Let’s get on with changing the channel.

The serial entrepreneurs of Canada’s oilpatch follow the news and know the direction society wishes to go. There are multiple GE projects underway in Alberta and Saskatchewan. What Alberta needed was enabling legislation, which is what Bill 36 delivers. Here’s how GE works.

When most think of geothermal they probably envision the famous U.S. geyser Old Faithful or harnessing the steam that leaks to the surface in Iceland.

But in recent years, technological advancements in GE have allowed developers to extract heat and generate electricity from what is really only hot water. A valuable aspect of all the holes drilled in Alberta is the subsurface temperature of every well is known.

Razor Energy Corp., a Calgary independent producer, operates part of the legacy Swan Hills oilfield. After nearly 60 years on production, volumes are high but each barrel is comprised of about three per cent oil and 97 per cent water.

Really hot water. Over 100oC. Understanding the GE potential, Razor moved to electricity generation. Razor was already using produced gas to generate electricity. To create thermal power, they use the hot exhaust gas to make the water hot yet. Employing a 6MW ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle heat conversion) turbine, Razor figures they will soon be able to generate 21kMW of total power from their oilfield of which nearly 30 per cent, the GE portion, is 100 per cent green and renewable.

And they can sell this power back into northern Alberta’s electricity grid because the asset is already connected. Because most hydrocarbon production requires electricity, a major attraction of harnessing GE from or near existing oil and gas producing sites is they are either connected to the grid or are close to it. This further reduces the final cost of geothermal power.

From its headquarters in Saskatoon, DEEP Earth Energy Production Corp. has been exploring GE opportunities in that province. It examined the geology and settled on a location along the Saskatchewan/U.S. border, what the company believes is the hottest spot in the province. To explore for heat they drilled the deepest will in the province in 2018 to a depth of 3,530 metres.

The found “brine transmissivity” or moving hot water. Encouraged, DEEP drilled four wells this year. The downhole temperatures are in the range of 120oC to 130oC, a satisfactory level for lower temperature hot water GE in other parts of the world.

DEEP’s vision is to become a producer of sustainable, base-load renewable energy for a variety of applications. Besides electricity generation, the hot water and waste heat can also be used for greenhouses and aquaculture.

While the business model is targeting water hot enough for economical electricity generation, the secondary target is water warm enough for reliable, year-round heating for structures such as buildings or greenhouses.

The completely “outside the box” approach to GE development is Eavor Technologies Inc. of Calgary and its “Eavor-Loop” system. Eavor’s approach is to locate hot but impervious rocks then use them to circulate cold water from surface and return it to surface containing enough heat to warm structures or generate electricity.

Exploiting the continuous advancements in horizontal and multilateral drilling, Eavor envisioned two wells from surface feeding and draining 10 to 12 toe-to-toe multilateral boreholes through the formation. This massive reverse radiator greatly increases the surface area of the water/wellbore/rock interface.

4 • Business of Energy • December 2020

Interruptible renewable electricity from wind and solar is not practical for exports.

Eavor undertook a demonstration project near Rocky Mountain House last year. A suitable formation was identified at 2,500 metres that had a temperature of about 70oC. What was critical at this stage was that Eavor prove it could drill the series of connected “heat exchange” horizontal boreholes and that the Eavor-Loop would indeed deliver warm water to surface on its own. The pilot project cost about $13 million. It worked and began turning cold water into hot water earlier this year.

Besides Bill 36, Alberta has made significant funds available for research and exploitation of emissions reduction initiatives through the TIER program and Emissions Reductions Alberta.

Funds from the large emitter carbon tax are helping fund various forms of emission reduction and low-carbon energy. GE qualifies because whether it is used for structural heating or electricity, it is replacing either coal or natural gas.

And the greatest collateral benefit is that GE employs underutilized oil and gas labor, expertise, equipment and technology, direct spinoffs unavailable from wind or solar power.

There has been a lot of advice offered about how Alberta should embrace renewables, but much of this comes from people who don’t understand that exports are what has made the province’s energy industry so large. High-density energy resources like oil and gas can be practically shipped long distances, like gas to the east coast of the US or oil to Gulf of Mexico.

Petroleum and now LNG is shipped all over the world.

Interruptible renewable electricity from wind and solar is not practical for exports. Further, all of North America already has electricity. These sources are not even practical for supplying electricity locally on a continuous basis. Batteries for large scale deployment of interruptible renewables don’t exist yet. The business opportunity is limited because the technology is imported. Landlocked Alberta is unlikely to become the world’s next big supplier of wind turbine blades or solar panels.

GE is different. Not only is it more practical for base load heat and electricity, the equipment and processes to exploit it commercially can be developed in Alberta and exported globally.

While lots of places in the world have hot rocks, they don’t have drilling rigs, horizontal wellbore expertise, pumps, oil tools and significant experience handling high volumes of high temperature fluids.

If governments and consumers provided GE with the same support that wind and solar has received through higher fixed electricity prices, GE could achieve a similar outcome with private capital. Structural heating might also require financial support to get started. Both would deliver a more stable clean energy source better suited to the Canadian climate and latitude. Using local workers, equipment, and knowledge, not imported solar panels or turbine blades.

And create a new clean technology export opportunity where Canada can lead, not follow.

B O E

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

5 • Business of Energy • December 2020

Clean and Green Geothermal Energy Opportunity

“

Clean and Green Geothermal Energy Opportunity | David Yager

Cover | New Year, Brighter Outlook

Rafi G. Tahmazian.

Photo by Lynn Streeter Photography.

6 • Business of Energy • December 2020

New Year, Brighter Outlook | Cover

BRIGHTER OUTLOOK CANOE FINANCIAL’S RAFI TAHMAZIAN ON WHAT 2021 MAY HOLD FOR ALBERTA ENERGY

by Melanie Darbyshire

A

s 2021 gets underway, any positive news is welcome news. On the heels of a year that no one will soon forget, the general desire is for a calmer, more predictable and opportune time, one that will see more folks than not get ahead. For Albertans, our collective prosperity – and its propensity to rise – is inextricably linked to the energy industry. If it does well in 2021, we all benefit.

So what’s in store for Alberta’s energy industry this year? Where is it headed and what will it look like on the other side of 12 months?

“The dynamic is changing in the Alberta basin,” declares Rafi G. Tahmazian, senior portfolio manager and director at Canoe Financial. Tahmazian has been in the sector since the 1980s, starting in the oil patch, then in investment banking on the sell side and now on the buy side. “We’ve gone from an ‘exploration basin’ in the 1980s and ’90s, to what we called an ‘exploitation basin’ in the late 1990s and 2000s, into what I now refer to as a ‘manufacturing industry.’ There’s less science required, less entrepreneurship. It’s all about driving costs down to produce the cheapest product.”

Being a true manufacturing industry, Tahmazian explains, will lead to consolidation. In all four areas of Alberta oil and gas production – heavy oil, light oil, liquids and gas – the big players will get bigger as they consolidate. Case in point: the merger in October between Cenovus and Husky, whereby Cenovus transitioned from a leveraged pure heavy oil play to a large integrated longer-term outlook business.

“The big players all realize they don’t want to spend multiples of their cash flow to grow reserves and production base at this point,” he says. “They just want to become bigger, smarter, which means they can get things for cheaper. I can see there being 15 to 18 significant entities in Canada that are 100,000 to 500,000 barrels per day producers that represent the vast majority of what is happening in the province in terms of production. And they will control the best of the best assets.”

This consolidation could be quite significant. “It will lead to more hardship on the employment side,” Tahmazian notes. “Unchanged though is the fact that governments will reap the rewards on the revenue side through royalties and taxes. So the energy sector will once again do more than its fair share to contribute to multiple provincial and federal coffers. How will the feds show up to help alleviate our employment stress?”

77 •• Business Business of of Energy Energy •• December December 2020 2020

New Year Brighter Outlook

NEW YEAR

Cover | New Year, Brighter Outlook

When it comes to the price of oil, Tahmazian believes a reasonable outlook by the middle of next year is $55 per barrel for the following 12 months. While global demand dropped from around 101 million barrels per day pre-COVID to 75 million barrels per day in mid-March, it has rebounded nicely to 92 million barrels per day in November and is projected to continue to rise.

With OPEC back in control of the price (the COVID-induced drop in demand and price of oil took out many high-cost US shale producers this year, causing U.S. production to drop from 13 million to 10 million barrels per day and shifting the global power balance back to OPEC), he believes they will slowly ratchet up the price.

“OPEC has seven million barrels of excess capacity offline, and they will bring that on as demand continues to come back,” he predicts.

“More concerning about the collapse in the price of oil is the destruction of the global capital spending structure,” Tahmazian cautions. “We already saw the super majors back in 2015/16 completely reverse their spending, and on global FID projects. Now we saw this huge machine in the U.S. drop from 700 rigs per day down to sub-200 rigs per day. You see massive projects canceled. Nobody wants to direct capital towards this sector anymore. All this anxiety and negativity towards it. And this battle against the producer. This is killing supply.”

It’s a real problem, he continues, because while demand is recovering back quite nicely, supply is collapsing. The supermajors, responsible for the ‘stable’ base global production, are really far behind right now on the maintenance costs to keep these fields from declining. “You need massive capital punched in in there or you’re in trouble,” Tahmazian warns. “We actually see a significant energy crisis developing as a result of this.”

In Alberta, oil sands and liquids (condensate) producers stand the most to gain. “As the price of oil rises, oilsands producers’ demand for condensate also rises, which means we are going to get even more valuable pricing for the Montney and Duvernay producer. We anticipate

consolidation in that area, where there’ll be three or four significantly large producers that control the vast majority of that area.”

With a $55/barrel outlook, Alberta producers look good to investors. Based on their average historic valuation, average return from here is 300 per cent. “Since COVID and the collapse of the market, several companies have sharpened their pencils and tightened this and that, reducing their net back costs by up to $10,” Tahmazian notes. “We own companies that have a higher net back today at $40 than they did at $55. The differential has narrowed and costs have come in.”

“

Pipeline issues are also starting to be rectified, he adds, through Enbridge’s Line 3 and Line 5, TMX and Keystone: “Add them all up and in 24 months from now we have another million barrels of throughput.”

Pipeline issues are also starting to be rectified, he adds, through Enbridge’s Line 3 and Line 5, TMX and Keystone: “Add them all up and in 24 months from now we have another million barrels of throughput.”

8 • Business of Energy • December 2020

Even if the storage problem is solved, which Tahmazian acknowledges is likely at least 10 years away, wind and solar would still only cover just under four per cent of global energy: “That’s a huge move for that area but it’s still completely insignificant.”

And the demand for oil, he argues, is not abating soon. “The vast majority of global demand for oil growth, which up until COVID was an average of 1.3 million barrels per day of added demand every year, is coming from the developing world. For those people it means survival. There is no replacement for oil right now.”

Alternative energy, which comprises eight per cent of global energy (1.8 per cent of which are wind and solar, the remaining being biomass, hydro and nuclear) is completely inadequate to meet growing global demand. “The power of alternative energy lies in our ability to fix the transportation issue and the storage issue,” he explains. “We are really short on the transportation side. Bulk storage will actually crack the nut and move the dial over time. So we want to invest in energy storage. We think that’s the technology that has the biggest impact on growing alternatives.”

Even if the storage problem is solved, which Tahmazian acknowledges is likely at least 10 years away, wind and solar would still only cover just under four per cent of global energy: “That’s a huge move for that area but it’s still completely insignificant.”

From an investment standpoint, Tahmazian says his firm is buying the buyers. Given consolidation in the market and fewer entities representing different core plays in the basin, the aim is to own the best in class names. “You want to own the ones that are the best stewards of capital,” he advises. “That have the cleanest balance sheets. Doing cash transactions, buying assets cheap without diluting the value.”

Tourmaline Oil Corp., Canadian Natural Resources and Trican Well Service are all good bets he opines. Consolidation, he adds, will mean that assets will be purchased by cash rich companies in advantageous positions with good management teams. For example, he expects Cenovus to do a massive disposition process as a result of its merger.

A federal government supportive of the industry would make a huge difference. “From the day this government was elected, they were adamantly opposed to the sector, would not support it one bit and would do what they could to materially submarine it in a way that least affected the economy,” he laments. “What we need to do is put all our effort into affecting change and getting a government that instead recognizes that Canadian energy should be applauded.”

“We should all be proud of Canadian energy because of our human rights record, our environmental, social and governance record,” he concludes. “We need to start making consuming countries accountable for the oil they use. Not all oil is created equal, and I B would love for our oil to be challenged against all other oil in the world.” OE

9 • Business of Energy • December 2020

New Year Brighter Outlook

“

New Year, Brighter Outlook | Cover

Sitting: Travis Wolfe, P.Eng., General Manager/Partner and Greg Sunley, P.Eng., Process Eng. Manager/Partner.

Standing: Robert Gasper, P.Eng., Sr. Project Manager/Partner and John Homer, P.Eng., Sr. Project Manager/Partner. Photo by Riverwood Photography Inc.

MILLENIA ENGINEERING

25 YEARS STRONG

BY RENNAY CRAATS

W

hen Millenia Engineering started in 1995, the founders created the core values that would establish the company in the industry. By stressing integrity, flexibility, honesty, and excellence through innovation, they positioned Millenia for success.

Now, 25 years later, those same core values are what have made Millenia Engineering a preferred EPCM company in western Canada and beyond.

Millenia provides professional and innovative facility engineering in the oil and gas and petrochemical industries in western Canada and the United States.

10

With its stable of talented engineers and designers, the firm has all disciplines covered, with a key area being process engineering. The depth of experience and expertise in this area really sets Millenia apart from other engineering companies; none can compare to the talent and knowledge of Millenia’s process engineering department. Combine this with solutions-driven execution teams and whatever the project, clients can expect superior service and results from Millenia.

“We provide fit-for-purpose solutions. We don’t try to design something that a client doesn’t need. We give

Happy 25TH Anniversary Millenia Engineering!!

We wish you many more years of success.

Site # 39127, Range Road 193, P.O. Box 1358 Stettler, AB T0C 2L0 Canada

T: (403) 742-2212 | F: (403) 742-2214 | E: info@flaretechinc.com www.flaretechinc.com

CONGRATULATIONS , MILLENIA, ON YOUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY! Valard has enjoyed doing business with you and we look forward to continuing to do so in the future.

COMMITTED TO BEING THE BEST

www.valard.com

MILLENIA ENGINEERING • 25 YEARS • 2

Wishing you many more years of unparalleled success and unrivaled services.

Congratulations on 25 Years.

Happy anniversary!

ELECTRICAL & INSTRUMENTATION / CHEMICAL INJECTION SYSTEMS / COMMUNICATIONS

WWW.EPSCAN.COM / 250.787.9659

Happy 25th Anniversary Millenia Engineering!

clients what is suitable for their particular situation,” says Bob Gasper, partner at Millenia.

Miquelon Meter Services supplies remanufactured and new Daniel Senior / Simplex meter runs to plants, fabricators, engineering companies, testing companies and anyone else who needs to measure their gas / liquids / steam. We now sell meter runs to over 24 countries around the world.

9720 – 54th Ave NW Edmonton, AB Canada T6E 0A9 Phone 780.434.3411 | Fax 780.435.0334 | www.miquelonmeter.com

01 JANUARY SUN MON TUE

02 FEBRUARY SAT

SUN MON TUE

1

2

1

2

8

9

8

9 10 11 12 13

10 11 12 13 14 15 01 JANUARY

16

4

5

6

7

SUN MON TUE

4

5

6

7

11 12 13 14 04 APRIL

SAT

1

2

3

8

9 10

15 16 17

25 26 27 28 29 1 30 2 3 5

6

SAT

5

6

7

8

9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

6

7

FRI

SAT

1

2

8

9

SAT

6

6

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

SUN MON TUE

31 2

28 29 30

WED THU

FRI

SAT

21 22 23 24 25 SUN MON TUE WED THU 26 FRI 27 SAT 8

3

4

5

6

7

8

13 14 15

4

5

06 JUNE 28 SUN MON TUE

1

9 10 11 12 05 MAY

3

6

7

3

FRI

SAT

4

5

1

2

8

9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 06 JUNE

14 15 16 17 18 03 MARCH

19 20

28 29 1 30 2 31 3 4

5

21 22 23 24 25 SUN MON TUE WED THU 26 FRI 27 SAT 7

8

16 17 18 19 20 SUN MON TUE WED THU 21 FRI 22 SAT

23 24 25 26 27 28 29 1 30 2 31 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

07 JULY 25 26 23 24 5

TUE

6

27 28 29

WED THU

7

17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 SUN MON TUE WED THU 25 FRI 26 SAT 27 28 29 1 30 2 3 6

7

8

4

5

9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

08 AUGUST 27 28 29 30

FRI

SAT

1

2

3

1

2

8

9 10

8

9 10 11 12 13 14

SUN MON TUE

3

WED THU

4

5

FRI

SAT

6

7

15 16 17 18 19 08 AUGUST

20 21

25 26 27 28 29 2 31 3 1 30

29 1 30 3 4 2 31

6

4

8

15 16 17

5

6

7

8

9 10

6

9 10 11 12 13

28 29 30 31

WED THU

22 23 24 25 26 SUN MON TUE WED THU 27 FRI 28 SAT 5

7

9 10 11 12 13 14

09 SEPTEMBER SUN MON TUE

5

6

7

WED THU

FRI

SAT

3

4

1

2

8

9 10 11

19 20 21 22 23 SUN MON TUE WED THU 24 FRI 25 SAT 26 27 28 29 1 30 2 3 5

6

7

8

4

9 10 11

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

29 30 31

26 27 28 29 30

SUN MON TUE

7

WED THU

3

4

FRI

SAT

5

6

1

2

8

9 10 11 12 13

SUN MON TUE

5

6

7

WED THU

FRI

SAT

3

4

1

2

8

9 10 11

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

17 18 19 20 21 SUN MON TUE WED THU 22 FRI 23 SAT

21 22 23 24 25 SUN MON TUE WED THU 26 FRI 27 SAT

19 20 21 22 23 SUN MON TUE WED THU 24 FRI 25 SAT 26 27 28 29 1 30 2 31 3 4

24 25 26 27 28 29 1 30 2 31 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

28 29 1 30 2 3

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

7

8

4

5

6

9 10 11 12 13

5

6

7

8

9 10 11

26 27 28 29 30 31 28 29 30 LIFTING & MOVING YOUR WORLD ncsg.com • 1-855-560-5050

24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

LIFTING & MOVING YOUR WORLD ncsg.com • 1-855-560-5050

Millenia’s clients are interested in environmental initiatives as well, and together they are exploring various options that lean green. Some clients are looking to reduce CO2 emissions while others are seeking ways of using waste streams to generate power. Millenia and its clients are exploring the hydrogen market as an area that is gaining momentum in the industry.

“There is a global movement towards using hydrogen as a fuel source. It’s becoming popular because of its compatibility with greener energy and growing demand for energy storage,” says Greg Sunley, process engineering manager and partner for Millenia.

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 09 SEPTEMBER

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

10 OCTOBER 11 NOVEMBER 12 DECEMBER With over 35 years of service excellence, NCSG provides 10 OCTOBERsolutions 11 NOVEMBER 12 DECEMBER turnkey to customers in a variety of industries.

WED THU

4

5

9 10 11 12 13

9 10 11 12 13

18 19 20 21 22 SUN MON TUE WED THU 23 FRI 24 SAT

5

3

FRI

2

8

2

11 12 13 14 07 JULY

4

WED THU

1

7

4

3

7

28 1

SUN MON 30 31

SUN MON TUE

SUN MON TUE

Congratulations to Millenia Engineering on 25 years from your friends at NCSG!

18 19 20 21 22 SUN MON TUE WED THU 23 FRI 24 SAT 4

FRI

24 25 26 27 28 29 2 1 30 31 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

FRI

4

20

05 MAY 24 25 26 27

WED THU

3

16 17 18 19 14 15 02 FEBRUARY

17 18 19 20 21 SUN MON TUE WED THU 22 FRI 23 SAT

04 APRIL

7

WED THU

03 MARCH

FRI

3

WED THU

The firm provides a turn-key service to clients, offering conceptual studies and initial consultation through to detailed engineering and start-up. The range of services on the menu is wide: feasibility studies to stress analysis, production optimization to facility debottlenecking, 3D scanning to safety and operator training and manuals. Millenia has experience in a wide range of projects including enhanced oil recovery, acid gas injection schemes, heavy oil processes, carbon dioxide injection, sulphur plants, power/co-generation, NGL recovery, compression, pipelines, refineries as well as petrochemical (Ammonia/Urea/UAN). No matter the type or scope of the project, Millenia is committed to exceeding expectations in all areas, especially environmental stewardship and sustainable development practices.

Millenia is proud to be cutting edge and stays on top of technologies and trends in the industry. With the current climate, companies have to be more creative to find work and Millenia has diversified its offerings and expanded into the United States to achieve this goal.

The Millenia U.S. division focuses on petrochemicals in the Midwest and oil and gas refinery opportunities in Wyoming. Much of Millenia’s project work in Canada is being done in the Montney gas fields with greenfield

Building a Quality Product Safely and Efficiently

CONGRATULATIONS Millenia Engineering on 25 Years of Business Excellence!

P.O Box 579 Rocky Mountain House, Alberta Reception: 1 (403) 729.3335 Toll Free: 1 (800) 333-6850 www.bunch.ca

and brownfield projects in Grande Prairie and northeast British Columbia as well as projects in Saskatchewan.

With a strong team of field-orientated designers, its reputation and strong relationships with its clients has led to Millenia also providing operations support on the plant floor level for facilities.

Client satisfaction and retention is key for the management team, and with many clients staying with Millenia for decades, it seems that they are hitting the mark. Clients know what they will get working with Millenia—a highly skilled team of creative thinkers who pride themselves on providing innovative solutions on time and on budget. As many Millenia employees have been with the company for many years as well, there exists stability and familiarity with what each client needs that allows projects to run smoothly with predictable results.

“We (Millenia partners) situate ourselves on the front lines staying intimately involved in projects and guiding their progression, with accountability firmly in our hands,” says John Homer, partner at Millenia.

The importance of the vendors in a successful project cannot be understated. Millenia values and is proud of its business relationships with manufacturers and vendors, which are vital to project outcomes.

These relationships have allowed tight deadlines or unrealistic hurdles to be navigated to allow certain successes to be realized.

MILLENIA ENGINEERING • 25 YEARS • 4

The team knows its clients well and communicates with them effectively throughout the life cycle of a project.

They work together to identify the specifics of a project in order to tailor a plan that best meets the client’s needs. Millenia goes above and beyond to give clients the best possible experience by providing unbeatable service and accountability while employing the latest technology to facilitate superior results. “Over the past many years we have been utilizing technology to provide project value to clients.

Specifically, use of 3D scanning technology allows our

QUALITY VALVE BRANDS YOU TRUST, SERVICE YOU CAN DEPEND ON

At la s S e r i e s an d T r i d e n t S e r i e s

Congratulations Millenia on 25 Years!

1.866.723.4279 | WWW.CNCFLOWCONTROL.CA

designers to interlace a design 3D model into reality thus showing clients and construction participants the exact vision of the full design,” says Travis Wolfe, general manager and partner of Millenia Engineering.

The team has relied on technology more this year as COVID-19 shut offices and sent employees home to work remotely. Millenia was able to adjust and adapt quickly both within projects and in the day-to-day operations of the company. In response to the COVID-19 lockdown, management quickly altered procedures to convert the review and approval system for documents and drawings into a virtual one. This allowed all team members to interact in real time to increase productivity and facilitate collaboration, and in the end they didn’t miss a deadline during the transition.

This challenging time has spurred innovation and, while being apart can be difficult for a design team, the resulting productivity demonstrated the strength of the team and why Millenia has been so successful for a quarter of a century.

Whether it is operating in a time of boom, bust or global pandemic, Millenia remains adaptable and accommodating so it can provide quality results. This nimbleness further ensures client satisfaction in any situation.

“We have large company depth with small company flexibility,” says Wolfe.

Millenia has also brought a great deal of large-company skill and experience to the table for clients. The four partners boast years of combined field and home office experience in facility design, project management and construction management, and they are happy to share their knowledge with the motivated group of young engineers coming up behind them. There is no shortage of hands in the air when the management team asks for volunteers to take on a remote application, train a group or find new software that will make the output even better.

“I think we are the best version of Millenia that I’ve seen in a long time because there are a lot of young engineers who want to collaborate and take ownership, making the company grow, and maintain our integrity. Our culture has given way to a cohesive team that is enjoying the journey together,” says Wolfe.

With its recent head office relocation, still in the Calgary beltline, the company continues to grow its team and its scope as the partners look ahead at the potential in the next 25 years. The team is grateful for its past and current customers whose trust and partnership have helped establish Millenia Engineering as a go-to firm in western Canada, and the partners are eager to carry on these relationships for decades to come.

Tower 1 Suite 410, 110-12th Ave SW Calgary, AB T2R 0G7 Phone: 403-571-0510 | www.milleniaeng.com

Congratulations Millenia Engineering on 25 years in the making.

We are proud to partner with you to deliver essential solutions through every step of the natural gas value chain. www.enerflex.com

MILLENIA ENGINEERING • 25 YEARS • 6

EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES FOR OILFIELD DRILLING, COMPLETIONS AND PRODUCTION NEW, UNUSED, IN-STOCK AND READY TO GO TANK SIZES:

TANK TYPES:

AVAILABLE OPTIONS:

EQUIPMENT IN STOCK:

• 400 BBL • 750 BBL • 1000 BBL • 1250 BBL • 1500 BBL • 2000 BBL • 2500 BBL • 4000 BBL

• Storage • Process • Production • Skim • Pop • De-Sand • Rental Style

• Single and Double • Internal and External Coatings and Insulation in Accordance with Industry Standards • Custom Skid or Anchor Chair Design for Pile Installations • Fire-Tube/Burner Heating Systems, Immersion Heaters, Electric Heat Coils, Glycol Heat Coils Etc. • Heated Vaults

• Well Site Separator Package, Skid-Mounted • Oil Treaters and Flare Knock Out Drums Free Water Knockout (FWKO) systems • Line Heaters • Dehydration Packages and Amine Packages

BUY BACK OPTIONS • RENT-TO-OWN • IN-HOUSE FINANCING • FLEXIBLE PAYMENTS Inclusive Energy Ltd. is the fastest growing service company with a vast variety of high quality equipment and quick turnarounds to meet the demands of the growing energy industry.

We offer all related services for turnkey projects to help customers execute projects from start, to finish helping us to establish ourselves as an industry leader.

HEAD OFFICE: (403) 444 6897 | SUITE 5050, 150 6TH AVE SW

INCLUSIVENERGY.COM

JAMES STOBIE APPOINTED TO DIRECTOR AT SYNTHESIS DESIGN Born in Aberdeen, Scotland, James Stobie moved to Calgary in 2001, where he started at Webber Academy. When his parents moved to Texas, he completed Grade 10 at Awty International School in Houston but then moved back to Calga to finish Grade 11 and 12, Calgary graduating from Webber Academy in 2006.

He studied at Loughborough University in England, earning his B.Sc. in Architectural Engineering and Design Management and his M.Sc. in Low Carbon Building Design and CFD Modelling. From 2011-2018, James worked in Vancouver, B.C. in custom design at Synthesis Design, a residential firm offering custom home and interior design. Synthesis has a strong inte background in providing residential addition and renovation design services as well as custom houses and interior design and is a 2020 Western Living Designer of the Year Finalist.

Recently, James was promoted to Director of Design and Operations. His new role will bring the established Vancouver Synthesis Design brand to Calgary. Initially, he will be providing design and consulting support to the Vancouver

office. James is in the process of opening a Calgary Design Studio. He will also market and develop Backyard Suites throughout the inner-city, especially focusing on pre-manufactured ModCube concepts. “We are hoping to provide this service throughout Alberta, not just Calgary, so hopefully you’ll see some concepts popping up in Canmore, Banff, and throughout the smaller cities,” he notes.

He is looking forward to working through custom design again and dealing with the clients directly. James finds it rewarding to see clients excited by the prospect of what they can do with their home, what it can do for their family, and eventually settling in. “It’s such a sense of accomplishment and even

better when they invite you over to celebrate it all at the end.” James was appointed to Webber Academy’s Board of Directors in January, 2020. Reflecting on his experience at Webber Academy, he is thankful for the study habits acquired. “e ultimate lesson that studying for AP exams taught me was to always push myself.

If I hadn’t pushed myself to study for those exams, I doubt I would’ve been able to cope with the university work and studies,” he says.

James also learned the importance of honesty, integrity, and respect for everyone. “You never know who your friends will eventually become or where everyone will be down the road. I’ve leaned a lot from my friends.” f

WEBBER ACADEMY Learn more at www.webberacademy.ca

INDIGENOUS AND NON-INDIGENOUS SUPPORT FOR TMX RUNS DEEP // CODY BATTERSHILL

Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Support for TMX Runs Deep

BY CODY BATTERSHILL

C

anada’s no stranger to pipeline debates. As far back as the mid-1950s, the country’s had its share of disputes over oil and gas transmission.

The good news is we’ve had more successes than failures in advancing pipeline infrastructure. Far safer and more reliable today, pipelines bring essential energy products to markets across Canada and beyond our borders.

But it’s time Canada expanded its pipeline capacity. Even with the current COVID-related economic downturn, reputable research organizations like the International Energy Agency predict demand for oil and gas will rebound as the COVID recovery finds its footing.

All of this underlines the need, right now, to push hard on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project and to grow our market access for the long term.

And yet, pipeline opponents continue their objections to building pipeline infrastructure. Consider the poorly researched, largely out-dated and deeply flawed report from pipeline opponents the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

To his credit, Langley B.C.-based professional chemist and biologist Blair King has thoroughly critiqued the CCPA report. On the CCPA claim that TMX is no longer needed because markets have changed, the statement proves to be false and based on old and highly selective data. Search “A Chemist in Langley” for King’s complete critique.

A second equally false claim from activists is that Indigenous opposition to the project prevents its completion. But many Indigenous community members disagree.

Keith Matthew, former Chief of the Simpcw First Nation, a part of Shuswap Nation located North of Kamloops, discussed in a recent radio interview the agreements his community has negotiated with TMX. “It’s really helped us in terms of our economic development. Now we’ve got no unemployment in my community, and the TMX dividends are being used to build a new administration building.

“Typically those opportunities would have gone past us. Now we’re a major part of the regional economy, probably the biggest employer in the North Thompson Valley.”

The former Chief says the TMX agreements have provided his community with important cultural benefits. “We’ve taken control of our own destiny, and we’re in a growth mode. We’re using business revenues to rebuild our culture, our language and our history.”

Whether you’re an Indigenous or a non-Indigenous community member living in rural or urban Canada, you know the value of employment. As of this past summer, fully 6,070 people were working on TMX, including more than 600 Indigenous. Other projects, including LNG Canada, Coastal GasLink and Keystone XL, tell similar stories.

In short, these are real, well-paid jobs created by oil and gas projects in Canada, supporting thousands of workers and their families. TMX is worthy of the support of every Canadian – in spite of the predictable and false criticisms of opponents.

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

12

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

30 STRADDOCK BAY SW A1025402

$924,900

STRATHCONA PARK

44 TIMBERLINE WAY SW A1046478

$999,900

SPRINGBANK HILL

Built by Ken Homes, this house is situated on a large pie shaped lot backing onto a park. The main level of this home presents 7.5’ engineered hardwood floors and 10’ ceilings throughout and an open concept, which is perfect for entertaining. The living room features a fireplace which is open to the casual dining area and well-appointed kitchen with large island/eating bar, plenty of counter and storage space and top notch appliance package. The master retreat and spa-like 5 piece ensuite have vaulted ceilings and the ensuite boasts in-floor heat, 2 vanities, a tranquil soaker tub and separate shower.

The main level presents wide plank hardwood floors, 9’ ceilings and is illuminated with recessed lighting and custom imported light fixtures. The living room has access to the lower deck and striking feature fireplace, which is open to the custom-built kitchen with oversized island/ eating bar, an abundance of storage space. A casual dining area with a built-in buffet is adjacent to the kitchen.

The spectacular master retreat boasts 11’ ceilings, access to the upper deck plus a walk-in closet and spa-inspired 5 piece ensuite with dual vanities, a tranquil freestanding tub and oversized glass shower.

3620 8 AVENUE NW A1043386

$1,849,900

PARKDALE

306055 24 STREET W C4297835

$2,499,999

RURAL FOOTHILLS COUNTY Built by Hudson Fine Homes, situated in the mature community of Parkdale. Offering over 3,900 sq ft of developed living space, spacious bedrooms and superb finishing and painstaking attention to detail throughout.

The main level presents Canadian made Mirage white oak flooring, 10’ ceilings and is illuminated with an abundance of natural light, recessed lighting and chic custom light fixtures showcasing the living room with floor to ceiling feature fireplace flanked by built-ins which flows effortlessly into the casual dining area and beautifully appointed kitchen finished with spectacular book matched countertops and backsplash, massive island/ eating bar, an abundance of storage space.

Privately nestled on 4 acres near DeWinton, this elegant custom-built home will take your breath away at every turn!

With 7,700 sq ft of living space, you’ll experience tranquil country living at it’s finest. The main floor introduces hardwood floors, 10’ ceilings and is illuminated with pot lighting and stylish light fixtures, showcasing a formal dining room with fireplace, panelled walls and beamed ceiling which flows into the show-stopping kitchen appointed with 2 islands (one for prep & one with seating for 5), an abundance of counter and storage space, high-end appliance package and bright breakfast nook.

“Selling Calgary's Most Beautiful Homes"

Each office is independently owned and operated.

www.tanyaeklundgroup.ca | Direct (403) 863-7434

MENTAL HEALTH IS A TOP PRIORITY DUE TO COVID-19 // GARTH MANN

Mental Health is a Top Priority Due to Covid-19

BY GARTH MANN

W

hen it comes to mental health, employers and managers need not sit back passively. An effort must be put forward now to show leadership at all levels for providing support for senior residents and frontline staff-associates at senior supportive care communities.

THE CORONAVIRUS HAS NOT JUST BEEN A RESPIRATORY AILMENT, IT IS A WAKE-UP CALL TO BECOME AWARE OF

The coronavirus has not just been a respiratory ailment, it is a wake-up call to become aware of mental health needs as a result of long spaces of continual social distancing.

MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS AS A RESULT

Here is a formula of 6 POINTS that must be prescribed for all of us with COVID FATIGUE

SOCIAL DISTANCING.

1: Staff-associates must focus on only their areas of expertise for daily choices to interact with residents and other frontline staff. People feel more productive instead of feeling helpless with the daily exchange of data that is received from Alberta Health Services.

2: Coach staff-associates to focus on the routine of the flow of what is essential to facilitate the residents’ needs in order to avoid stress and a disconnect from our purpose. We ask that staff not push themselves too hard in this workplace environment. Our Mobility Stretch & Flex classes with Mindful Meditation needs to be available to both residents and front-line staff.

3: Be patient with yourself and our residents so there is no apprehension and pressure. We know that we all are impacted by the pressures of COVID. 4: Monitor the media to limit your consumption of more news than is considered healthy. Forego social media connections where the emphasis appears to be negative

OF LONG SPACES OF CONTINUAL

or unhappy. Avoid the news tickers across the TV screen because it may be too much information which can result in feelings of anxiety and depression.

5: Stay connected. Where we aim for residents to not feel isolated, we can aim to mediate loneliness as a major factor in depression. Family communication is essential, whether via Facetime or ZOOM, or better yet a scheduled in-person visit. The Manor Village Life Centers are producing ZOOM sessions for a Virtual Happy Hour where families can chat and toast each other from their home or workplace.

6: Psychology for Manor Village Life Centers has been established by our Wellness Team where ZOOM provides the connection with psychologists to answer the questions of residents suffering from “COVID Fatigue.” Through these meaningful conversations, emotions are sifted through and healthy habits are developed.

The Manor Villages Life Centers has yet to experience a case of COVID-19. Stay well.

Dr. M. Garth Mann is the CEO of Manor Village Life Centers

14

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

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.

SHELL CENTRE

CALGARY CITY CENTRE

400 4TH AVENUE SW

215 2 STREET SW

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.

• LEED Gold Certified • Class A Office • 33 Floors • Retail Space Available • Close to Eau Claire • Global Tenant • Energy Star Certified

This LEED Platinum building opened the doors in 2016.

Calgary City Centre is anchored in Calgary’s remarkable Eau Claire area.

The building has a first-class fitness facility, professional conference centre and more.

• LEED Platinum Certified • Class AAA Office • 36 Floors • 26,695 sf Floorplate • Fully Connected to the Core via +15 Walkways • Breathtaking Finishes • Energy Star Certified

ENCOR PLACE

635 8TH AVE

645 7TH AVENUE SW

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 • 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.

• Class B Office • 25 Floors • BOMA BESt Certified • Cogeneration System • Located on Calgary’s bike lanes • One block from the LRT Line • Energy Star Certified • +15 Connected

Leading Beyond Resilience Insightful Leadership Strategies for an Intentional Future Be resilient. That has been the

no longer. Letting go of what

message since the early days of

was requires shifting the

the COVID-19 pandemic. Adapt,

conversation from “what

pivot, sustain; these have become

happened,” to “what is now

rallying cries for business leaders

possible.”

over the past nine months.

Resilience may have gotten us this far, but at Bright Wire, we believe it’s time to consider what comes after resilience.

As leaders, we must actively and

3. Focus on what matters.

Understand what is critically important for you, for your team and your organization. Stay focused on those enablers of success.

intentionally frame the conditions for success in 2021 and beyond.

To do so, we work with our clients

Resources A readiness mindset and a responsive approach are intentional practises. A focus on leadership and the skill to develop these practises within your people is critical. The experienced and credentialled team of executive coaches and leadership development experts at Bright Wire can equip you and your team with the resources, tools and proven

Responsiveness

in partnership to enable key

Responsiveness is the execution

strategies that include a readiness

of readiness. Work effectively

mindset, responsive approaches

with ambiguous information by

and effective resources.

re-prioritizing in real-time and

strategies to lead beyond resilience and create the future with intention.

applying critical learning from

Readiness

today to a future state. The ‘new normal’ presents an opportunity to

When leaders adopt a readiness

continuously challenge the status

mindset, organizations become

quo because the status quo is

agile and capable of responding

constantly shifting: What about the

rather than reacting. There are three

temporary ways of working should

key features of a readiness mindset:

become permanent? What is in

1. Tolerance for uncertainty.

danger of becoming permanent

Be comfortable making decisions with imperfect information.

2. A willingness to let go of what was. The status quo or how it was ‘supposed to be’ are

Surpass yourself ™

Bright Wire Leadership is an awardwinning team with over 100 years of collective experience. We empower leaders and forge performance cultures.

You chart the course; we light the way.

that should be temporary?

Understanding the potential and possibilities, even in uncertain times, builds capability for whatever comes next instead of waiting for a return to predictability.

Bright Wire Leadership P: 403-917-9421 E: info@brightwireleadership.com brightwireleadership.com

DEFENDERS Here today. Gone tomorrow. USask researchers are documenting the alarming deterioration of the Athabasca Glacier, and the world’s fresh water supplies — from a uniquely Saskatchewan perspective.

OFF

THE

Telepresence Robot Helps Sick Child

Z3 Network Solutions Inc, a Calgary-based IT managed services firm, announced today they will be donating a Double 2 telepresence robot to Cody Kirk, a teenager who has a rare disease and is unable to physically attend Notre Dame High School. The robot will allow him to attend school from his home.

The Double 2 robot is an iPad-based innovative technology that uses gyroscope and accelerometer sensors in its base, and is controlled with a desktop, tablet, or smartphone1. Its ease of use will allow Cody to travel between classes and interact better with students and teachers.

Z3 Networks was first approached by Matthew Zuberec in mid July. At that time, Matthew noticed an article from the local newspaper that featured a telepresence device from Z3 Networks. He had built a similar device himself, a simple one that needed more resources and development, which he did not have. When he saw the Double 2 telepresence robot, he knew this would be the solution to the problem his friend, Cody Kirk, was facing.

Cody Kirk, 17, was born with a rare degenerative disorder – Gaucher disease type 1. When he was 12, he developed severe tremors and ended up in a wheelchair. The disease evolved from type 1 (treatable) to type 3 (incurable), a subacute neurological form of the disease with symptoms such as memory loss, intellectual disability, seizures, bone pain, fatigue, enlarged liver and death of bone due to decreased blood supply2. Cody experiences epilepsy, anxiety, panic attacks and bone pain/brittle bones. After one of his violent panic attacks, Cody broke six bones, one of them being his femur and has not been able to leave home since.

Michael MacDonald, Pre-Engineering instructor, at Notre Dame High School teaches Cody his class via Google chat. The

course is a “Design Thinking” project-based class that enables the students to design and build for real world problems. The class decided to build a robot as their project to help Cody but before they could complete it, the pandemic hit.

Anita Graham, Cody’s mom, says: “When Cody test drove the robot, I had not seen him that excited in so long. He told me he will actually feel like one of the ‘crew’ at school. This gives Cody the feeling of normalcy.”

The possibilities and uses of the Double 2 robot go beyond the school. “Not only will this allow Cody to be in class, he can visit his grandparents and friends on the weekend,” says Darryl Graham, owner of Z3 Networks.

ABOVE: THE DOUBLE 2 ROBOT.

18

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

Congratulations Christine Dagenais,

Founder and CEO, Bright Wire Recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women Christine’s passion and committment for developing people transforms leadership cultures and empowers organizations.

Powerful and committed leadership for success in 2021 and beyond. Congratulations to Christine and all inspiring leaders recognized by the Women’s Executive Network.

Surpass yourself ™ Bright Wire Leadership P: 403-917-9421 E: info@brightwireleadership.com brightwireleadership.com

days of

fitness Build your Corporate

STRENGTH CORPORATE RATES: Annual Monthly - $67.50 Annual Full Pay - $737 Family Monthly -$109.80 Family Full Pay - $1272

Contact us today to find out if you already qualify or to get your company involved jwhite@repsolsport.com.

on sale NOVEMBER 15 - DECEMBER 24

GET 12 ADMISSIONS FOR THE PRICE OF 10 Adult (18+) › $135 BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // DECEMBER 2020

19

OFF

THE

New Dean of Business and Technology sets sights on innovation, collaboration and growth Bow Valley College’s new Dean of Business and Technology is looking forward to opportunities for innovation and collaboration.

Alison Anderson started the role on August 4, bringing more than 30 years of instructional, curriculum development, mentoring, and leadership experience. She was previously Dean of the School of University Studies and Career Access at the College of New Caledonia in Prince George, B.C. She was also part of the commerce faculty at the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George.

Anderson has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Northern British Columbia, a Provincial Instructor Diploma, and a Bachelor of Science from the University of British Columbia. She also recently completed the Oxford Saïd Business School’s Executive Leadership Program.

Anderson says she’s excited to be a part of Bow Valley College’s innovative approach to learning.

“Looking at the competency-based learning, the microcredentials, how we can take our programs and elevate them and make them more innovative,” she says. “That’s really part of what I think is very, very exciting about Bow Valley College and what they’re doing here.”

Anderson says her initial goals in the dean position include looking at how the College’s schools can collaborate, such as how health and technology could work well together, or business and technology, or the School of Global Access and technology.

“I’m really looking forward to working with the other schools and seeing how we can develop programs together,” she says.

“Goals for the short term are to understand programs, but also to see areas where we can grow and be innovative.

Innovation and entrepreneurship are really important pieces, because I think education, right now, is in a significant time of change and transition. It’s a really good time to be creative in how we approach education.”

Anderson says the strong technological supports available for learners at Bow Valley College give students the opportunity to be involved in education that isn’t as traditional as it once was.

“With the online environment, they have more choices about when and where and how they want to study,” she says.

The new dean is excited to continue getting to know the city and Calgarians. She already sees growth opportunities for the College to further support the local economy, including boosting the technology sector through its training programs, helping companies by providing upskilling for their employees, and offering chances for learners to transition to new careers.

“There are so many opportunities and sectors that we can, as a College, help to assist and grow,” she says. “I see the Chiu School of Business and the School of Technology as great places that can help our communities and help the members of our communities.”

ABOVE: ALISON ANDERSON, BOW VALLEY COLLEGE’S NEW DEAN OF BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY.

20

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

SB TA

Don’t Overpay CRA (or your accountant)

Small Business Tax Accountants .ca

T2 Corporate Tax Returns $700 to $1,200 T1 Personal Tax Returns $100 Includes: Free Corporate Tax Advice and Legal Advice • • • • • •

Airdrie Banff Calgary Canmore Chestermere Cochrane

Peter Singleton Managing Partner

Rebecca Choi Managing Partner

Jordan Boye Managing Partner

• • • • • •

Edmonton Kelowna Okotoks Red Deer Toronto Vancouver

www.SmallBusinessTaxAccountants.ca Schedule your Free 1-hour Tax Strategy / Expense Optimization Consultation • • •

Elbow & Heritage SW (403) 879-2747 Downtown Calgary SW (403) 879 2747 Quarry Park SE (587) 319-5899

• • •

Airways NE (403) 879-2552 Crowfoot Rise NW (587) 317-3597 Airdrie (587) 602-3131

This Season It’s Your Turn est. 1988

For over 30 years Island Lake Catskiing has provided guests with one of the most amazing back-country ski and lodge experiences around. Give us a call to discuss getting catskiing off your bucket list.

Now Booking Winter 2020/2021 Located near Fernie BC

islandlakelodge.com 1.888.422.8754 Follow: @islandlakelodge

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // DECEMBER 2020

21

IT’S ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE // SUNSHINE VILLAGE

IT’S ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE

BY JAMIE ZACHARY

SKI HILL READY TO NAVIGATE THOUGH CHALLENGES DURING NEW WINTER SEASON

T

his winter, ski season might look a little different than most as health and safety procedures have shifted many industry’s practices due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yet one thing that has remained constant is downhill enthusiasts can still carve through some of the best powder in the country, says Kendra Scurfield, brand and communications director for Banff Sunshine Village.

“Guest can continue to expect and enjoy the best snow in the Canadian Rockies,” she says. “At Sunshine, we’re very lucky that we’re located high up on the Continental Divide, and therefore we’ve become a bit of magnet for snow. This year is no different.”

Like other ski resorts in the Canadian Rockies, Sunshine was ordered closed on March 17, more than three months before its typical end-of-season Slush Cup over May long weekend.

Instead of opening the resort in late June for the summer season as it normally would, staff members devoted

their off-season to re-developing new health and safety operating procedures that aligned with Alberta Health Service protocols. That also included reviewing best practices developed at comparable facilities in countries such as New Zealand, Australia, Chile and Argentina that were experiencing their winter during our Canadian summer.

“Each manager was assigned the responsibility of creating a COVID-19 operating plan for the winter season that reduces contact between guests, enforces social distancing and, overall, really stresses on making our resort safer,” says Scurfield.

“What guests will notice, right off the bat, is an increase in signage that reminds people to social distance from each other and to wear their masks. This year, we have also taken it upon ourselves to enforce a mandatory mask policy to ride our lifts and in places where social distancing might be harder to maintain such as lineups. Masks can be a buff, scarf or neck warmer. It just needs to pulled up and cover guests’ noses.”

PHOTO SOURCE: BANFF SUNSHINE VILLAGE

22

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

20_2174_Bus in CGY_DEC_CN Mod: October 16, 2020 4:59 PM Print: 10/30/20 page 1 v2.5

π SHIPPING SUPPLY SPECIALISTS

OVER 1,300 MAILERS ALWAYS IN STOCK

ORDER BY 6 PM FOR SAME DAY SHIPPING

COMPLETE CATALOG

1-800-295-5510

uline.ca

Need to speak with someone about your philanthropic goals?

Abundance Canada can help.

Achieve your charitable goals with a customized Generosity Plan™ and discover tax efficient ways to support the causes you care about during your life and beyond.

Learn more at abundance.ca or call 1.877.717.0708

Generosity changes everything Abundance Canada is a public foundation, registered with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). We are authorized to receive charitable donations, issue official donation receipts and distribute funds to qualified donees through a donor-advised model we administer. Charity Registration No: 12925-3308-RR0001.

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // DECEMBER 2020

23

IT’S ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE // SUNSHINE VILLAGE

“OUR NUMBER ONE GOAL IS TO GET OUR LIFTS RUNNING AND STAY OPEN. WE WANT TO SUPPLY ALBERTANS WILL A GREAT PLACE TO RECREATE THIS WINTER,” SAYS SCURFIELD, ADDING THEY HAVE ALSO SOURCED TWO TEMPORARY RESTROOM TRAILERS.

Scurfield expects some degree of capacity limits in indoor spaces at Sunshine. To mitigate that, the resort has added two 4,500-square-foot tents that serve as temporary day lodge facilities. One will be in the village area at the top of the mountain, while the other will be at Goat’s Eye, which is the first stop on the Sunshine gondola.

Neither of the two facilities will impact any runs at the resort. The village-based structure allows for enough space so skiers and snowboarders can still ride to Wawa from other lifts in the village. At Goat’s Eye, there is similarly enough of room for guests to enjoy the wild ride of Rollercoaster.

Meanwhile, to allow for increased seating, Sunshine has also winterized the top floor of the Old Village Gondola Station into a picnic area for guests, including heating with tables and chairs.

With three mountains of terrain that span across 3,358 acres, Scurfield feels that, in combination with the new temporary structures being brought in this season, there will be plenty of space for skiers and snowboarders to spread out. To that end, Sunshine does not plan to limit the number of passholders or ticket holders who can ski or ride. In consulting with Alberta Health Services, the resort will also continue to load gondolas to capacity, but only during peak times.

“Our number one goal is to get our lifts running and stay open. We want to supply Albertans will a great place to recreate this winter,” says Scurfield, adding they have also sourced two temporary restroom trailers.

PHOTO SOURCE: BANFF SUNSHINE VILLAGE

24

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

// SUNSHINE VILLAGE

Of note, Sunshine is prohibiting guests from bringing their bags into the lodges unless they are using day lockers. Guests are being encouraged to get ready at their vehicles.

To help space out arrival times and give skiers and snowboarders more options and ways to save, Sunshine has also introduced a new afternoon-only (four-hour) season pass product at a significantly reduced price.

“That will help space out arrival times and reduce busy mornings,” says Scurfield.

And skiers and snowboarders who were unable to use the 2019/20 Sunshine Super Card can exchange it for a 2020/21 card for free.

While travel restrictions will reduce the number of guests Sunshine typically gets from outside of Canada, Scurfield notes most of the resort’s visitors in any given year typically hail from closer to home anyway.

“About 80 per cent of our clientele comes from Canada with Alberta being our bread and butter. Alberta is really number one in terms of skiers and snowboarders,” she says.

“And because we have such a family appeal, this makes it a great place for those with young children to come and share their love of the mountain; introduce them to the sport of skiing and snowboarding. So while we can’t travel south of the border this year, we can still rediscover and fall in love with our own backyard.”

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // DECEMBER 2020

25

RE-IMAGINING CENTINI // COVER

Re-Imagining

Centini

CHEVONNE MILLER-CENTINI ON THE FUTURE OF A CALGARY ICON

BY MELANIE DARBYSHIRE

F

ew establishments are as synonymous with Calgary’s downtown as Centini Restaurant and Lounge.

For 19 years it has been the gathering place for this city’s business crowd, serving gourmet Italian and continental European cuisine in an elegant and private setting, with professional, yet distinctly Calgary, service.

As this city has thrived, so too has Centini. Today, in the face of an increasingly challenging business environment, the seminal restaurant is taking the lead in charting the new normal for its employees and supplier ecosystem, as well as the community.

It’s a role Chevonne Miller-Centini, restaurant director and proprietor, is proud to take up, and one she evaluates every day.

“Interpreting how things are going is my job,” she explains from her restaurant, located on Calgary’s Stephen Avenue downtown. “I come in every day and reframe the answer to that question. You need different kinds of leadership for different kinds of times. And we’ve certainly seen the times change quite a bit.”

The COVID pandemic and lockdown is a challenge unlike any Centini has faced before, and though it has been very

difficult, Miller-Centini focuses on the silver linings. “It gave us an opportunity to pause and reconsider opportunities we never had time to pursue before,” she reflects. “Maybe in some ways we’ll look back on this as a bit of a lifeline, because we were able to plant our feet in some new pastures and get some new things going.”

The hospitality industry in Calgary, along with many others, had already experienced five tough years prior to 2020.

“We haven’t really seen a great year in Calgary since 2014,” she laments. “Many small businesses were struggling and waiting for the worm to turn, and then COVID hit.”

For her, it was an opportunity to launch an online store for delivery service. “When the Premier closed us for in store dining on March 27th, we immediately pivoted to a delivery model,” she explains. “It wasn’t hard because we’d been playing around with the concept for a number of years using third party services like DoorDash and Skip the Dishes. Like any business, we knew that selling online was the future.”

Centini took a pragmatic approach to the online store: “I thought let’s force ourselves to get it up and going and if we’re going to fail, let’s fail fast and inexpensively.

That’s difficult for me because I’m a perfectionist. But RIGHT: CHEVONNE MILLER-CENTINI, RESTAURANT DIRECTOR AND PROPRIETOR. PHOTO SOURCE: BOOKSTRUCKER

26

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

RE-IMAGINING CENTINI // COVER

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // DECEMBER 2020

27

RE-IMAGINING CENTINI // COVER

experimenting and launching quickly is really key. You have to experiment, but not bet the farm.”

With a core team of four remaining employees (all the rest were laid off in March), Centini’s online store launched in 10 days and offered both regular menu items and family-style catering meals. A friendly neighbour call to the Silver Dragon restaurant resulted in a delivery driver. “We built quite a solid going concern, so much so that by Mother’s Day we had returned our entire kitchen to their posts,” she says with pride.

In-store dining resumed in late May in accordance with Alberta Health Services’ capacity and health safety requirements and, thanks in part to the federal wage support, the staff count is now back up to pre-COVID numbers. “But there are still a lot of people still working from home and business is far from back to normal,” she points out.

The self-described “Chief Morale Officer,” Centini notes it’s been an interesting leadership challenge, to which she is bringing all of her past experiences to bear.

Raised on a Charolais cattle ranch near Lacombe, Miller-Centini studied journalism at Concordia University in Montreal before spending 10 years there as an entrepreneur in the publishing industry. Her publication was ultimately acquired by the National Post group. She then worked briefly in the TV and film industry before specializing in investor relations.

She met top chef Fabio Centini in Montreal and the two moved together to Calgary in the late ’90s. While Fabio opened Centini Restaurant in 2002, Chevonne launched a consulting firm focused on investor relations for biotech and technology firms in the west. While Fabio Centini built the restaurant, including an award winning wine list, Chevonne traveled the country working to help executive teams raise capital, figure out business obstacles and chart a successful path to rapid growth. A Queen’s MBA and a certified management consultant designation capped off her educational training.

then moved into modifying the desserts and eventually assumed the top management role.

Miller-Centini’s evolution from “maybe-not-so-silentinvestor” in Centini to leader of the company happened over a number of years. An avid baker, sausage maker and cook, she started with building an onsite bakery for the restaurant,

To achieve a positive vibe and keep “the magic going in the dining room”, she devotes time to talking with her team about where they need to go as a company and what they need to do to emerge from this experience strong. “It is clear

“I’m using all of my experience, skills and background here at the restaurant,” she explains. “I know enough about many kinds of businesses and have the right reference points to grab the wheel here for what is clearly a very different era.

I provide the guidance, inspiration and that gentle push to keep going. It’s harder to run a restaurant that’s busy-slowbusy-slow than it is to run a restaurant that’s busy all the time. To keep that energy level up is quite challenging.”

ABOVE: A VIEW INTO THE OPEN KITCHEN AT CENTINI AND THE MAIN DINING ROOM.

28

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

Your next chapter starts now A successful transition doesn’t happen by accident. Create a plan and prepare for what comes next, so you can take advantage of opportunities and get the most out of your life’s work.

Jim Rea, CPA, CA, FEA, CFP | 403.537.7641 | jim.rea@mnp.ca MNP.ca

RE-IMAGINING CENTINI // COVER

to me that there is a re-interpretation of hospitality,” she offers. “At its core it’s about meeting the guests wherever they are. A very customized experience. To take a very granular view of the customer and fashion everything to them. Our guests will remember how we make them feel and we focus on that intently.”

At the same time, she sees luxury food - a market in which Centini has always thrived - as being redefined from fine dining to made-from-scratch food, no corners cut: “We don’t do this work because it is easy,” she says, “but because it is better, and because we can all be proud of making it inhouse ourselves.” This, she believes, is something everybody wants: “I’ve tried to make the restaurant more accessible. I want people to know that they can come in and have a great plate of pasta for $19. Younger people, people with a mortgage, with young kids. I want to send out a hip and sexy, accessible, come-on-in-with-your-kids vibe that says, ‘We’re not here to gut you, we’re here to work with you.’”

To this end, Centini’s wine program has been gradually overhauled to include more affordable wines. “Everybody’s on a budget these days. So we’re buying Bordeaux and Merlot that we can sell for $50 to $100, rather

ABOVE: A SELECTION OF HAND MADE PASTA PRODUCED DAILY AT THE RESTAURANT. INCLUDES VEAL TORTELLONI, LOBSTER RAVIOLI, GNOCCHI, SQUID IN LINGUINE, CAPELLINI AND PAPPARDELLE — AS WELL AS JARRED PASTA SAUCES WHICH THE RESTAURANT IS BEGINNING TO SELL AND A FEW ITALIAN WINES FROM THE WINE LIST. PHOTO SOURCE: BOOKSTRUCKER

INSET: FRESH CLAMS & MUSSELS IN WHITE WINE BROTH, GRILLED STUFFED CALAMARI.

30

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

RE-IMAGINING CENTINI // COVER

CENTINI ALSO PLANS TO CONTINUE TO BUILD THE COMPANY’S DELIVERY SERVICE: “DIRECT TO CUSTOMER, DIRECT TO CORPORATE. WHEN PEOPLE ARE SOCIALLY DISTANCING AT WORK, THEY MIGHT WANT TO HAVE THE MEAL AT WORK RATHER THAN GO OUT FOR LUNCH OR DINNER. WE’RE GOING TO MEET THOSE NEEDS.” than $800. We’ve realized that being exclusively in the very rarefied luxury market doesn’t serve you well in the long-term.

You have to broaden the offerings to include everyone.”

Centini also plans to continue to build the company’s delivery service: “Direct to customer, direct to corporate.

When people are socially distancing at work, they might want to have the meal at work rather than go out for lunch or dinner. We’re going to meet those needs.”

The grocery category is another space she is looking at. “Grocery stores are trying to provide restaurant quality meals on a takeout basis and we’re interested in seeing how we can partner with them to do that,” she says. Though she declined to name any partners, she admits she has her eye on one top retailer.

“Post COVID, we’re going to have to change the way we approach the whole food sector,” she continues. “The fault lines in the supply chain are visible. We need to grow more food in our province. There’s no reason why produce needs to be trucked in from 2,500 miles away. I see a role for us to play in terms of taking those ingredients and transforming them into a value-added product.” For example, she notes that as the number one wheat grower in the world, Alberta should be the number one pasta producer in the world.

“I see enormous opportunity in the ag food sector, if we position ourselves correctly,” Centini continues. “This is where I’m trying to focus - not only on the day-to-day run of the restaurant with our very circumscribed cashflow, but the big picture opportunities, so that five years from now, we can be more of an integrated food company.”

For 2021, Miller-Centini is projecting business to be significantly down from last year. “I’m unapologetic,” she says. “We did nothing wrong. We’ve adapted and kept working. I’ve had a lot of tough conversations in the last two quarters. One of the biggest issues we’ve faced is the denial of business interruption insurance. We have paid

astronomical fees for business interruption insurance over the years, and when we needed it the most, all the major insurers denied coverage for what is the largest insurable event in history.”

She is encouraged by chefs/restaurateurs in the U.S. like Thomas Keller and Daniel Boulud who have combined forces to litigate the issue, both in the courts and the public arena.

For her part, Centini is lending her voice to the local fight.

“I have to speak up and say that what’s happening to us in hospitality is not fair,” she says. “We really are at the whip end of the stick on this one. As an entrepreneurial sector, we’re not used to asking for government help like aerospace or automotive, but as a sector that represents four per cent of Canadian GDP, we’re going to need some help if this pandemic continues to play out like it is. Our sector is going to need a long runway for recovery.”

In particular, she notes that without the federal wage support, she would not have been able to retain her staff count. “Irrespective of what unfolds next year, we’re anticipating three to five difficult business years ahead in Calgary,” she warns. “But what separates the men from the boys in this business is your meticulousness, your attention to detail and, in no small measure, your business acumen.

You can lose money across a hundred different cost centers in a restaurant. Even when everything goes to plan, there is little margin for error.”

As for her own restaurant, Miller-Centini remains optimistic and ready for whatever challenges or opportunities the future holds. “I always feel like we punch way above our weight,” she reflects. “I’m incredibly proud of how our team is able to bring it day after day. The magic we manage to create is always jaw-dropping for me. Twice a day, the doors open for service and regardless of what’s going on, the show starts. It’s like Broadway. No matter what we’re short on, we make do. We’re grateful and humble and doing whatever it takes to survive.”

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // DECEMBER 2020

31

THE SWITCH TO VIRTUAL LEARNING // CONTINUING EDUCATION

The Switch to VIRTUAL LEARNING STUDENTS AND INSTRUCTORS IN-TRANSITION

BY JOHN HARDY

I

t’s been a challenge – a jarring challenge – for everybody.

For students of course, but also for professors, instructors and administrators.

As much as technology has become an invaluable education tool in the past decade or so, last March’s sudden transition to online learning, as well as the current 2020-2021 curriculums, are proving to be a speed-bumped gamechanger for students and staff and a new way of doing things at the University of Calgary, Mount Royal University, Bow Valley College and SAIT. “While we are all doing our best, it can be tough to build community in the online environment,” explains Tim Rahilly, president of Calgary’s Mount Royal University (MRU), “there is a lot of support for students and faculty and we’re doing well. But we miss those spontaneous hallway and classroom conversations. While the instructor-student relationship is key, we recognize the importance of studentto-student relationships and are working hard to include it as part of the online learning environment.

“Transitioning to the online environment and getting it right has been a big investment of time. It’s important to remember that each class is unique and we continue to

“WHILE WE ARE ALL DOING OUR BEST, IT CAN BE TOUGH TO BUILD COMMUNITY IN THE ONLINE ENVIRONMENT,” EXPLAINS TIM RAHILLY. ABOVE: TIM RAHILLY, PRESIDENT OF MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY.

32

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

THE SWITCH TO VIRTUAL LEARNING // CONTINUING EDUCATION

tailor everything we can to assure the most optimal learning experience in these challenging times.”

Even the most tech-savvy individuals were affected by the abrupt switch-over and the initial scramble. Students and instructors were thrown into the proverbial deep end and involuntarily forced to swim. Suddenly, being on-time for class, doing assignments and prepping for exams were not as crucial as the protocols of synchronous and asynchronous learning, and being ZOOM-savvy.

Granted, the terms are tech-jargon. Synchronous is instruction and learning that occurs at the same time, but not necessarily in the same place. Most commonly it refers to various forms of televisual, digital and online learning: students learn in real time but not in-person.

Education experts mention benefits of synchronous learning like the interaction between participants, the exchange of knowledge and experience and real-time feedback for the instructor.

“AS WITH ANY INDUSTRY, THERE ARE

Asynchronous learning is a format where the instructor and the student are not engaged in the process at the same time, and there is no real-time interaction with other people.

“For students, it means a need to be more self-directed and motivated than learning in a traditional classroom setting,” Rahilly notes. “Particularly when classes contain a lot of asynchronous components.”

CHALLENGES - PROPER EQUIPMENT,

Students and instructors agree about the advantages and speedbumps of virtual learning: it does require significant adjustments. “At first, the pace for changing from in-class to online was a big adjustment,” says Dr. Misheck Mwaba, president and CEO, Bow Valley College (BWC). “However, we have a 98 per cent success rate moving 9,500 learners and hundreds of instructors online in just 10 days. Learning new technologies and discovering ways of teaching and learning were also a big adjustment.

PEERS, THAT THE CHANGE TO REMOTE

“As with any industry, there are challenges - proper equipment, finding suitable places to work, and WiFi and technology issues. We are so accustomed to face-toface (F2F) interaction with our peers, that the change to remote learning has been significant.” He points out one example of on-line learning’s overlooked adjustments.

“Our international students, in different time zones, had to

FINDING SUITABLE PLACES TO WORK, AND WIFI AND TECHNOLOGY ISSUES. WE ARE SO ACCUSTOMED TO FACE-TOFACE (F2F) INTERACTION WITH OUR LEARNING HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT,” SAYS MWABA. drastically adjust their personal schedules and routines due to online class schedules.”

Susan Barker, vice-provost of Student Experience at the University of Calgary points out that “Whether it is online synchronous or asynchronous, some adjustments are easier to make than others. The key adjustment happened in March, and our focus was to transition into a ZOOM platform to ensure lectures were readily available for students. Over the past few months, we have been focusing on assessing student work.

ABOVE: MISHECK MWABA, PRESIDENT AND CEO, BOW VALLEY COLLEGE.

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // DECEMBER 2020

33

Disrupt your Industry with SAIT’s School for Advanced Digital Technology offering innovation frameworks through digital technologies – talent development, change management, and digital learning.

Enabling you and your business to have a unique competitive advantage.

NEW

NEW

NEW

Digital Solutioning

Digital Transformation for Leaders

Transformational Leadership for Executives

Learn about transformational leadership, its importance, and what it means to your role in your organization or industry.

Integrate digital technology into all areas of your business while facilitating the development of digital transformation skills in your industry.

Talent development solutions Introducing the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ of digital solutions. Explore key components and processes to implementing digital technology to build a framework of innovation for your business.

LEARN MORE AT: SAIT.CA/DIGITALTECH

Leadership training solutions

Corporate training solutions

Reimagine your business – from executive to leadership transformation courses and digital solutioning – our tech-driven training hub and made-to-order corporate training solutions will provide your team with the skills needed to succeed.

THE SWITCH TO VIRTUAL LEARNING // CONTINUING EDUCATION

“We currently do not conduct online proctoring, so there have been some issues with regard to online exams. During the initial stages of the pandemic, we were just trying to replicate the faceto-face classroom and exam experiences. We are now looking at a range of alternative assessment methods that are commensurate with the online environment.

“Instructors are now prioritizing with students and clarifying what is acceptable and not acceptable for collaboration. It is a very important learning tool,” she emphasizes. “Connection with others is vitally importance, especially during COVID, so we do want to enable it to happen, not just in exams or assessments where the students own work is required.”

SAIT has had a slight transition advantage when it comes to online learning. It has been using curriculum management technologies for several years and most content is accessible by faculty and students anywhere and anytime. SAIT does not produce a new program without making sure the curriculum is virtually available in its entirety.

While the understandable focus of the pandemic’s impact on post-secondary education continues as a drastic switch with new ways of learning, institutions like Mount Royal University, Bow Valley College, SAIT and the University of Calgary are also intensely strategizing about the COVID impact on their business bottom lines.

Recent Statistics Canada numbers crunching underscores the basic that, while the largest chunk of post-secondary revenue – almost 46 per cent – comes from government funding, tuition fees are also a significant portion – more than 29 per cent.

But StatsCan also warns that, since foreign students pay almost five times higher tuition that Canadian students, the COVID hit could mean Canadian college and university losses between $377 million and $3.4 billion of revenues, just in this academic year.

“International enrollment, disrupted by COVID-19, has been challenging for the post-secondary sector across Alberta and Canada,” Mwaba admits. “Our numbers at BWC are down with a 54 per cent decline in new international students, yearover-year. On the positive side, the number of international

36

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

students continuing their programs this year is up by 30 per cent compared to this time last year.

“Taking everything into account, BWC’s total international learner enrollment is down 15 per cent, year-over-year. On the positive side, our total domestic learner enrollment is up by 4 per cent from Fall 2019 to Fall 2020.”

MRU’s Tim Rahilly notes that “While MRU’s international student numbers are less than some other post-secondaries (3.3 per cent of student enrolment), we are carefully tracking the effect of the pandemic crisis on enrolment.”

UCalgary’s Susan Barker adds, “The delivery of courses online is actually more costly than face-to-face learning opportunities, but the costs have not been passed on to students. For example, we had to purchase an institutional ZOOM license and provide additional support to put materials online and manage them. Our international student enrolment is actually up by three per cent (graduate and undergraduate combined) from Fall 2019 to Fall 2020.”

What about next year and the next semesters? To borrow the business jargon, on Calgary campuses, ‘all plans are fluid.’

“Bow Valley College’s number one goal is to ensure the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff and any contractors on campus. We are planning on phasing-in our re-entry and aim to start that process in January, for our winter term. We will prioritize programs that require specialized facilities such as labs and equipment,” Mwaba says.

“UCalgary has made a decision for winter 2021 and that is to continue with the majority of classes online,” Barker adds, “but with a small increase in the number of face-to-face classes being offered. We will continually review and assess the situation.”

Tim Rahilly says Mount Royal University will continue delivering most classes online during the Winter 2021 semester, similar to the Fall 2020 semester. We will determine in-person exceptions in the next month and notify everyone so they can plan.

Working with the Government of Alberta and AHS provincial health restrictions and guidelines, SAIT has made the decision to deliver the majority of Winter 2021 programming online.

SMALL BUSINESSES BANKING FOR BETTER DAYS // BANKING

SMALL BUSINESSES BANKING FOR BETTER DAYS EXPERTS CREDIT FINANCIAL RELIEF MEASURES, MORE PERSONALIZED SERVICES BEHIND UPTICK IN OPTIMISM

BY JAMIE ZACHARY

K

ryzalka credits part of positivity within the SME community to a lineup of financial assistance programs that have been offered by the federal government through the pandemic and support by financial institutions such as ATB. The Economic Development Canada’s Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP), for example, was announced in response to the pandemic, offering term loans for small and medium-sized businesses to cover payroll and operating costs. Repayable over five years, participants in the program can benefit from a six-month deferral on principal payments.

Furthermore, EDC will guarantee 80 per cent of new operating lines of credit or new term loans.

“We know some clients have depleted their working capital – good, solid businesses that kept their employees on the payroll,” says Kryzalka. “We embraced the BCAP program because we know it’s there to provide capital for those businesses to grow and keep moving forward.”

The Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA), meanwhile, was originally created to provide interest-free loans of up to $40,000 to small businesses and not-forprofits. Repaying the balance of the loan on or before Dec. 31, 2022 would result in loan forgiveness of 25 per cent (up to $10,000).

First unveiled this past April, that amount has since increased to $60,000, and has expanded its scope to also include eligible Canadian businesses that are currently operating through a personal bank account – not just a business account.

“The Government of Canada’s CEBA program was by far the most commonly used relief measure by our clients,” notes Kirk Muise, regional vice president, business financial services, Alberta & Territories for RBC. “At the end of August, RBC had processed more than $6.5 billion worth of CEBA loans representing nearly 163,000 loans for RBC business clients.”

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // DECEMBER 2020

37

SMALL BUSINESSES BANKING FOR BETTER DAYS // BANKING

FOR EMPLOYERS WHO HAVE SEEN A DROP IN REVENUE DUE TO COVID-19, THE CANADA EMERGENCY WAGE SUBSIDY PROGRAM (CEWS) PROVIDES A SUBSIDY TO COVER PART OF THEIR EMPLOYEES’ WAGES. IT’S BASED ON 80 TD Canada Trust similarly provided customers access to the programs such as BCAP and CEBA, reporting considerable uptake in Alberta, which is forecasted to be one of the hardesthit provinces according to a recent forecast from TD Economics.

Shane O’Neill, senior manager, Prairie region for TD Small Business Banking, also notes the financial institution provided business owners with access to principal deferrals for up to six months at the onset of the pandemic that “helped stabilize cashflow and provide breathing room as customers grappled with the quickly changing landscape.”

For employers who have seen a drop in revenue due to COVID-19, the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy Program (CEWS) provides a subsidy to cover part of their employees’ wages. It’s based on 80 per cent of an employer’s revenue loss for most businesses. Those business with losses more than 50 per cent qualify for a top-up of up to an additional 25 per cent.

“A lot of the financing that has been offered to small businesses have been done through these government programs because those were made very attractive … both in terms of the forgiveness elements (and) … zero interest,” says Jason Charlebois, senior vice-president, small business for Scotiabank.

Yet he adds that support from financial institutions such as Scotiabank have extended far beyond just a lending point of view. In fact, in Scotiabank’s New Path to Impact Report released in October, 63 per cent of small business owners say they do not foresee the need for additional financing to continue their operation, with smaller firms being less likely to require more financing.

38

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

PER CENT OF AN EMPLOYER’S REVENUE LOSS FOR MOST BUSINESSES. THOSE BUSINESS WITH LOSSES MORE THAN 50 PER CENT QUALIFY FOR A TOP-UP OF UP TO AN ADDITIONAL 25 PER CENT. Instead, programs such as the Scotiabank Women Initiative, for example, have become even more vital in also being able to offer access to timely financial advice, says Charlebois.

“Launched a few years ago, it’s focused on advancing women-led businesses across Canada by providing access to capital, mentorship and education. Obviously, that program was even more important for women entrepreneurs through the pandemic as it really helped provide them additional insight and advice.”

Kryzalka echoes those comments, noting ATB’s mandate during the pandemic has been to connect with its SME clients to provide access to one of the most valuable resources at this time: advice.

“We’re more than just lenders. When talking about sourcing capital, we’ll always be there,” he says. “But the one thing we really want to do to support small businesses is also providing advice. We’ve done a lot in identifying specialists within our business who really have a sound understanding of different industries, and having them connect with customers and bring out the best practices and ideas of how they can grow and how they can move their business forward.”

Touch Somebody's Heart with Holiday Flowers!

The holiday season may look a little different this year, but staying in touch with friends & family is more important than ever.

Around the Corner or Around the World Panda South Trail 4307 130 Ave SE #37, Calgary, AB T2Z 3V8

Panda Crowfoot 205- 150 Crowfoot Crescent NW, Calgary, AB T3G 2W1

Panda Sherwood Park 550 Baseline Rd Suite #200, Sherwood Park, AB T8H 2G8

1-877-776-7220

Panda Cochrane Bay 4, 505 4 Ave W, Cochrane, AB T4C 1A8

Panda Terra Losa 9772 170 St NW, Edmonton, AB T5T 5L9

403-816-7220

Panda Country Hills 388 Country Hills Blvd NE, Calgary, AB T3K 5J6

Panda Sunridge 3184 Sunridge Blvd NE, Calgary, AB T1Y 7G6

www.pandaflowers.ca

Panda Flowers, keeping it personal since 1999

SMALL BUSINESSES BANKING FOR BETTER DAYS // BANKING

At TD, the financial institution recently launched TD Ready Advice, “a response to financial recovery from COVID-19,” says O’Neill. The program is meant to offer personalized advice and everyday banking capabilities available via online tools, as well as information on relief options.

to do more than help our customers store and borrow money,” says Muise.

“We need to help them find ways to grow their business in a way that is resilient and sustainable, and that requires us to help them across the broader spectrum. How do we help them simplify the overwhelming process of starting a business?

How do we help them recruit and support their employees?

How can we help make it easier to manage their day-to-day operations with digital solutions so they can spend more time in front of their customers? Can we prepare them for longer term plans to enter new markets, or succession plan?

“TD Ready Advice was created to help address the evolving financial needs of individual customers and small businesses,” adds O’Neill.

RBC, meanwhile, has expanded its “beyond banking solutions” to support the new realities of businesses.

That includes a centralized service for everything from payment processing to invoicing and accounting, digital transformation and payroll.

“If we can help our clients through these types of moments of truths, beyond just the transactions, that’s how we’ll help create stronger businesses, resilient economies and prosperous communities.”

“Our ultimate purpose is to help clients thrive and communities prosper. To do that, we, as a bank, need

SB TA

Don’t Overpay CRA (or your accountant)

Small Business Tax Accountants .ca

T2 Corporate Tax Returns $700 to $1,200 T1 Personal Tax Returns $100 Includes: Free Corporate Tax Advice and Legal Advice • • • • • •

Airdrie Banff Calgary Canmore Chestermere Cochrane

Peter Singleton Managing Partner

Rebecca Choi Managing Partner

Jordan Boye Managing Partner

• • • • • •

Edmonton Kelowna Okotoks Red Deer Toronto Vancouver

www.SmallBusinessTaxAccountants.ca Schedule your Free 1-hour Tax Strategy / Expense Optimization Consultation • • •

40

Elbow & Heritage SW (403) 879-2747 Downtown Calgary SW (403) 879 2747 Quarry Park SE (587) 319-5899

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

• • •

Airways NE (403) 879-2552 Crowfoot Rise NW (587) 317-3597 Airdrie (587) 602-3131

TOC

Page 1 - The 2021 TC Energy BOMA Calgary Excellence Awards Go Virtual Page 4 - 2020 TC Energy BOMA Excellence Awards

NEWS WINTER 2020

The 2021 TC Energy BOMA Calgary Excellence Awards Go Virtual

By Lloyd Suchet, Executive Director, BOMA Calgary

E

very other year we at BOMA Calgary convene the membership for an evening where we celebrate the people and organizations that make up the commercial real estate industry. The TC Energy BOMA Calgary Excellence Awards is an opportunity recognize excellence in all manners of property management and operations. Excellence is about continuing to improve and innovate to meet the demands on the time. The submissions are poured over and judged by industry peers, but this is not a competition between people, teams or buildings, but is instead a way to measure up against the highest standards of the industry.

Like many, 2020 necessitated a pivot as we shifted from a Gala event to something that complied with local public health orders stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s why we hosted our first ever virtual Awards Ceremony in September with more than 100 industry professionals in attendance. The Ceremony was stripped down of all the glitz and glamour of a gala event, and there was considerably less networking, but the core of the program, its heartbeat, remained. It was in the voice and the face of every award recipient who

Like many, 2020 necessitated a pivot as we shifted from a Gala event to something that complied with local public health orders stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s why we hosted our first ever virtual Awards Ceremony in September with more than 100 industry professionals in attendance.

1 41

Following a successful virtual Annual General Meeting, BOMA Calgary is pleased to announce the 2020-2021 Board of Directors and a new Executive Committee!

Congratulation to our new Executive, as well as our newly elected Directors - we know you will be exceptional stewards of the association. On behalf of the members of BOMA Calgary thank you for volunteering your time, your energy, and passion.

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 Properties Lance Merrifield, Epic Roofing Jon Holmes, Camfil Aydan Aslan, BOMA Calgary

Executive Officers

CHAIR Richard Morden, QuadReal Property Group CHAIR-ELECT Rob Blackwell, Aspen Properties SECRETARY TREASURER Candace Walker, Brookfield Properties PAST CHAIR Lee Thiessen, MNP LLP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Lloyd Suchet, BOMA Calgary

Directors

Lee Thiessen, MNP LLP *Past-Chair Blair Carbert, Carbert Waite LLP Carla Fedele, Choice Properties REIT Dan Lindsay, GDI Integrated Facility Services Aaron Pratt, Allied REIT Art Skow, BentallGreenOak Todd Throndson, Avison Young Christine White, Oxford Properties 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.

2

As 2020 rolls over into 2021 we will be faced with similar decisions on how to pivot in the age of COVID-19. The TC Energy BOMA Calgary Excellence Awards serves as an important reminder that the work being done throughout the industry is more important than ever. spoke, and was reflected back by the many faces on the screen. What was crystal clear was that these awards mattered to those who put in the work and applied, and just as clear that the industry as a whole recognized those who tested themselves against these standards. In that crucial way, perhaps the 2020 TC Energy Excellence Awards were more important than ever? In an age of social distancing bereft of daily interactions with industry colleagues, it appears that recognition of this type was exactly what was needed to boost morale, celebrate our community, and reminds us that are in this together, and indeed will pull through it all together as well.

As 2020 rolls over into 2021 we will be faced with similar decisions on how to pivot in the age of COVID-19. The TC Energy BOMA Calgary Excellence Awards serves as an important reminder that the work being done throughout the industry is more important than ever. Likewise, it reminds us as an association that the work we do to educate, convene, and advocate on behalf of the industry has a crucial place in these trying time. With that in mind, we are excited for our updated 2021 programming that will feature programs both new and old using the virtual format, and hope that you see the value of the work we do now more than ever.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

3

BOMA Insider BOMA Calgary Recognizes Industry Leaders at the 2020 TC Energy BOMA Excellence Awards The 2020 Award recipients were as follows:

The Malcolm Bryce Award pays homage to the spirit of volunteerism and acknowledges the contributions of BOMA Calgary’s volunteers. This year’s recipients were Parnell Lea, Brookfield Properties and Dr. Glen Kitteringham CPP, Kitteringham Security Group Inc.

The Property Management Team of the Year Award recognizes the people who make a difference every day and go above and beyond to ensure their tenants and the public have access to well-maintained spaces. The winner was Western Canadian Place, QuadReal Property Group.

The Building Operator of the Year Award celebrates the success of individual building operators and recognizes how their contributions support their company’s accomplishments. The recipient was James Laing, Manulife Investment Management.

The Chief Engineer of the Year Award recognizes operations leaders who through their work raise the standards of the industry and demonstrate excellence to their peers. This year’s recipient was CJ Curtis, QuadReal Property Group.

The Building Operations Team of the Year Award acknowledges that it takes a team of dedicated operators to effectively run a building and looks at all aspects of operations including tenant services, emergency preparedness, workplace safety, energy and waste management. The recipient was Brookfield Place, Brookfield Properties.

4

The Pinnacle Award for Innovation allows BOMA Calgary to recognize the innovative offerings of the service and supply side of the industry. This year’s recipient was Epic Roofing & Exteriors.

The Pinnacle Award for Customer Service recognizes and promotes service excellence in the commercial real estate industry. This year’s recipient was Pinchin Ltd. for their industry leading approach to customer service.

WATER

FIRE

MOLD

ASBESTOS

24 HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE

YOUR COMMERCIAL LOSS EXPERTS Over 1,700 Franchises in North America SERVPRO速 Franchise System Serving Since 1967

SERVPRO速 Calgary South

403-255-0202 servprocalgarysouthab.com SERVPRO速 Franchises are Independently Owned and Operated

Like it never even happened.速

The Outstanding Building of the Year (TOBY) Awards looks at all facets of a building’s operation and recognizes quality in commercial real estate buildings while rewarding excellence in building management. The category winners were:

The Pinnacle Award for Above and Beyond recognizes those that have provided a service to a customer that was unexpected, extraordinary, surprising, caring and perhaps even entertaining and outrageous at times. This year’s award went to ServiceMaster of Calgary.

TOBY Public Assembly - Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump, Alberta Infrastructure

TOBY Industrial Building - Starfield Logistics Centre, Triovest Realty Advisors

TOBY Office Under 100,000 sq. ft. 160 Quarry Park Blvd SE, Manulife Investment Management, Real Estate

The Earth Award is the most rigorous of the Awards Standards. The category winners is: Earth Award in the Office Category – 205 Quarry Park.

WESTERN CANADA’S PREMIER JANITORIAL AND MAINTENANCE SERVICE PROVIDER

PROVIDIN G COV ID -19 DISINFE C TION S ERV ICES to ke ep you sa fe Teaming up with Clorox 360 Electrostatic Spraying to keep your business open

1.888.985.7141 | www.servantage.ca 6

TOBY Office 100,000 - 249, 999 sq. ft. Canada Place, Triovest Realty Advisors

TOBY Office 250,000 - 499,999 sq. ft. - The Edison, Aspen Properties

Congratulations! BOMA Calgary would like to thank all of the applicants, judges, attendees and volunteers who helped make this program such a success.

Special thanks to our Title Sponsor; TC Energy, Premium Sponsors; Manulife Real Estate, MNP LLP, QuadReal Property Group and Western Electrical Management Ltd., Gold Sponsors; Bee Clean Building Maintenance, Brookfield Properties, Cadillac Fairview Corp. Limited, Silver Sponsors; SerVantage Services Inc. and Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd. and the draw prize sponsors ServPro of Calgary and Entuitive.

SOME LUCKY WHITE HEATHER IN CALGARY // BUY LOCAL

SOME LUCKY WHITE HEATHER IN CALGARY THE SCOTTISH SHOPPE & A LITTLE BIT OF IRELAND TURNS 50

T

here are many tales about white heather, the beloved world-famous symbol of Scotland. Some say it grows only on ground where blood has not been shed in battle. Others say it grows on the final resting spot of faeries. No matter what the tale, they all say white heather is a symbol of good luck and good fortune. Jim Osborne, the long-time owner of The Scottish Shoppe, which opened 50 years ago under the name White Heather Imports, sees good luck ahead in 2021.

“We need some old-fashioned Scottish white heather good luck and some luck of the Irish too,” says Jim. “It’s time to put 2020 behind us and look ahead to 2021 when we celebrate our 50th anniversary. And maybe a lucky black cat will cross our path to celebrate the occasion too.”

Jim Osborne purchased the Scottish Shoppe in 1996 when the previous owners retired. Jim had a distinguished 30-year career as a cabinetmaker in Scotland and Canada, having immigrated to Calgary from Aberdeen in 1976. Local examples of his fine skills can be found in many locations including The Ranchmen’s Club and The Petroleum Club.

“I had been living here for 20 years and I saw this tremendous opportunity to use my connections and contacts in the Scottish community to grow the business and find new opportunities,” says Jim. “Things have worked out well but no one could have planned for a pandemic and the impact it would have on the community.”

Vital in Kensington Like countless other retailers, the pandemic has hit the Scottish Shoppe hard, but Jim, who operates the family business with wife Janet and son Jamie, has adapted to meet the challenges so far, and they look forward to the holiday season and 2021.

ABOVE: THE SCOTTISH SHOPPE OFFERS THOUSANDS OF DIFFERENT PRODUCTS FROM SCOTLAND, IRELAND AND THE UK.

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // DECEMBER 2020

47

SOME LUCKY WHITE HEATHER IN CALGARY // BUY LOCAL

The store is located right on 10th Street and Kensington Road NW, usually a busy street for foot traffic commuting to and from downtown. “Walk-in business has been slower since March,” says Janet, but it has always been important for us that people have a great customer experience.”

We maintain all the AHS protocols including masks, social distancing, hand washing and sanitizing and our customers have been terrific about that,” says Janet. “We want to make sure everyone stays safe.”

For many loyal customers, a trip to the Scottish Shoppe is a must appointment and Janet says, “When expats, their children or sometimes their grandchildren come to the store, you see the look of delightful familiarity come over their faces. Watching them shop for so many of the products they miss from home is just great.”

To keep the expats and all their customers well supplied with the delicacies and favorites from Ireland and Great Britain the Osbornes have stocked their shelves with all the mainstays and dozens of new products.

The shop carries an incredible number of products from dozens of suppliers in the UK, Ireland, Canada and the USA. From tartan neckties to traditional women’s fashions and from well known brands like James Pringle and Isle.

They also sell handmade cufflinks and fine jewelry including many one-of-a-kind items featuring unique Celtic designs.

The shop also has an impressive variety of food products from Great Britain including jams and marmalades, teas and of course, everyone’s favorite holiday sweet treats from Great Britain.

“This season we’re selling a new line of soaps and grooming products for women and men from Scottish Fine Soaps,” says Janet. “They’re made with fragrances like heather, thistle and black pepper and whisky.

In addition, there’s a lot more than a ‘little bit’ of Ireland available. The shop carries many Irish products including fine merino wool sweaters made by Aran Crafts of County Kildare and a full collection of Irish tartans. You’ll find everything from shamrocks to shillelaghs.

What’s Up with Kilts?

If you want to know about kilts, Jim Osborne is the man to see. For decades, The Scottish Shoppe has been one of Western Canada’s leading suppliers of Scottish and Irish kilts and kits, due in part to his long-established relationships with the world’s top weavers and manufacturers.

“For many Scots and Irish, the kilt is very personal because it symbolizes so much of who they are and where they come from,” says Jim. “Just look at the late Sir Sean Connery, on the day he was knighted, one of the proudest days of his life, wearing full highland dress.”

According to The Scottish Register of Tartans, there are almost 13,000 registered tartans but only a fraction of those are regularly woven. Among the most popular are MacDonald and Campbell. The late Sir Sean Connery wore full highland dress for his royal appointment. Every province and territory in Canada has a tartan and many cities also have tartans. Calgary has two.

The Scottish shop sells many kilts every year. With so many different tartans, the cloth is imported from the leading mills in Scotland and the kilts are hand sewn by a custom kilt maker in British Columbia, using the traditional eight yards of fabric for each.

As well as serving clients throughout Canada, The Scottish Shoppe also makes custom kilts and ships them to customers all over the world including Australia, New

ABOVE: JIM, JANET AND JAMIE OSBORNE HAVE RUN THE FAMILY OWNED SCOTTISH SHOPPE SINCE 1996. THIS YEAR IT CELEBRATES ITS 5OTH ANNIVERSAY.

48

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

SOME LUCKY WHITE HEATHER IN CALGARY // BUY LOCAL

cancellation of most formal functions like weddings and regimental balls. That has put a dent in kilt rentals but the Osborne family are still producing kilts and will be ready when things open up again.

“We’re confident about the year ahead and we’re well stocked. People, Scottish or not, love to wear kilts and you never know who might come through the door. One year we rented kilts to attendees of the Robbie Burnstein fundraiser for Calgary’s Jewish Community,” says Jim. As well as his strong connection with the Calgary Burns Club, Jim is also a life member of the St. Andrew-Caledonian Society, and currently serving as Lieutenant Colonel and area commander for central Canada and the United States with the 78th Fraser Highlanders. The 78th Fraser Highlanders is a North-America wide historical society dedicated to the preservation of the memory of the original Regiment and celebrates the contributions of the early Scots to Canadian culture. Their focus is on a youth program that teaches pipes, drums, drill and instills in young people a sense of decency and good manners.

Adjusting to the Online World

Zealand, the U.S., Europe, and has even supplied to South East Asia, where tartan is very popular. They have even made kilts for customers in Scotland.

The famed Scottish poet Robbie Burns, of Auld Lang Syne fame, was known to wear the black and white Border tartan and every January hundreds of Calgarians don their tartan and kits and come together to celebrate his birthday. The Calgary Burns Club hosts one of the biggest celebrations.

Jim is a past-president and life member and is famous for his own storied “Address to the Haggis.”

Plans for Robbie Burns day celebrations in 2021 are still up in the air. Pandemic restrictions have already forced the

50

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

One of biggest financial impacts from the pandemic has been the cancellation of almost two dozen Highland Games and festivals throughout Western Canada. “The Scottish Shoppe is a major sponsor of many games and we set up our booths at every festival,” says Jamie Osborne. “That’s a significant loss of revenue but just as importantly, we’re missing some great friends. Many event organizers and volunteers are like family.”

With the cancellation of all the events, “we’ve concentrated a lot of effort catering to the online shopper,” says Jamie.

“We’ve made significant improvements to our website and now all our products are available for online shopping. We’ve also set up a delivery schedule making stops and deliveries to customers from Lethbridge to Edmonton. Using the technology has become an important part of our business.”

For more information about The Scottish Shoppe & A Little Bit of Ireland visit thescottishshoppe.com or kiltman.ca, or follow them on Facebook.

Q UA L I T Y • F I T • S E L E C T I O N & S E R V I C E

The Alberta Boot Team.

Photo by Riverwood Photography.

THE ALBERTA BOOT COMPANY KEEPS COWBOY SPIRIT ALIVE

C

lement Gerwing didn’t scare easily. He fought the enemy as a Spitfire pilot in WWII so starting a boot company in Calgary was a challenge he believed he could overcome. After seeing the quality of the cowboy boots coming through the wholesale footwear company he owned part of, Gerwing knew he could do better. Over the course of a few years, he set out to make high quality boots that fit like a glove, marking the beginning of The Alberta Boot Company in 1978.

“Everybody has a bit of a cowboy inside them no matter who they are. My grandfather wanted to do something a bit different so he put together the machines and materials needed to make the world’s finest western boot,” says Ben Gerwing, Clement’s grandson and president of The Alberta Boot Company. “We’ve been making boots the exact same way ever since.”

Ben Gerwing grew up with The Alberta Boot Company and started working for his grandfather and father at 12 years old. He ran errands and then later learned how to fit boots and finally how to make them. Since his father retired a decade ago Ben had been at the helm carrying on the long tradition of quality and service started by his grandfather. He is proud to be the third generation

of Gerwings to provide Calgarians with incredible boots created locally.

“It’s a home-grown success story. We’re very lucky to call Calgary home and to have a lot of support from Calgary and southern Alberta,” he says. “We’re proud to make boots that are going to fit well and last a long time.”

And The Alberta Boot Company boots can last a lifetime, especially since the company can resole and reheel their old boots to give them more life. As people don’t have to replace boots often, Gerwings customers tend to build a collection with different colours and styles. With more than 5,000 pairs of original boots in stock, there is a size, style, and colour that suits everyone. Those with more individual tastes can bring a sketch in to the professionals at The Alberta Boot Company to have their dream boots custom made in the onsite shop. In addition to outfitting local cowfolk, The Alberta Boot Company provides the tall boots to the RCMP, boots for various police departments across North America, and has its boots on the feet of actors in various television shows and movies.

Whether customers are rugged cowboys or weekend cowboys looking for boots for work or for fashion, The Alberta Boot Company still has the best boots in the West.

#50 - 50 Ave S.E - Two Blocks East of Macleod Trail 403-263-4623 • www.albertaboot.com

BUY LOCAL! A CALGARY WIN-WIN // BUY LOCAL With trips from Calgary to Edmonton, Red Deer, Banff, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, the airport and more!

Be a Catalyst for Future Potential Wanting great leaders in your organization isn’t enough - you have to plan for them.

Plan for the future by building internal capability and increasing your bench strength. Our team of leadership development experts and executive coaches design and deliver fully customized, results-oriented and skill-based leadership development programs to drive success.

Travel Safe, Travel Productive, Travel InOrbis.

To activate the potential of your organization, read our latest thought leadership article at brightwireleadership.com/BIC

Phone: 877-601-8747 | Email: info@inorbis.ca Find InOrbis in the Apple App Store and Google Play! www.inorbis.ca

P: 403-917-9421

Family Owned, Local Business

/albertaboot @albertabootco @albertaboot

Serving Albertans SINCE 1978

Choose Local, Keep Alberta Strong!

Y TWO YE RT A FO

LE B

RATIN

G

42

CE

OF QUALITY

Ask us how you can enjoy locally roasted coffee at work!

RS

The Coffee Connection supports local coffee roasters through our coffee offerings.

nd

Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-6pm

We offer bean to cup equipment for your office Loaned Free with purchase of supplies. Ask about our 30day free trial.

Locally Roasted Espresso & Steamed Milk

1000 Café Beverages only $400 monthly

Visit us at www.TheCoffeeConnection.ca Calgary - Edmonton - Red Deer

#50 - 50 Ave S.E — Two Blocks East of Macleod Trail 403-263-4623 • www.albertaboot.com Quality • Fit • Selection & Service

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // DECEMBER 2020

53

PARKER’S PEN // DAVID PARKER

Parker’s Pen

BY DAVID PARKER

T

here are many who might say I’m not the brightest star in the galaxy, but it would seem to me that the projected double-digit tax increase for industrial properties is not the wisest decision right now.

Talking to a respected commercial realtor who specializes in big-bay real estate, he commented Calgary continues to shoot itself in the foot, and there are no tourniquets left.

He has sent over half a million square feet to the Balzac area, and more is expected as once the big warehouse/distribution boys look at the numbers, it’s no contest.

Another told me that he recently helped a logistics company settle in Edmonton rather than worry about the uncertainty of operating in Calgary.

“Business friendly” is a tough sell in competing for new attractions and a bit of a nasty joke for a struggling small Calgary operation trying to stay alive.

But, if you need a boost to suggest our economy is in good shape, I suggest a trip up to the Northwest Auto Mall where Paul Valentine of Valentine Volvo has shown his confidence with the opening of a new Jaguar/Land Rover dealership.

And he tells me that by this time next year he will have opened another Volvo dealership close by, in the Royal Oak mall that is exclusive to import cars.

And although council seems to be doing everything to frustrate those who depend on the automobile as their mode of transportation, watch for at least three more car dealerships to open on the quickly developing Tsuu T’ina lands.

A misconception is the impending death of shopping malls.

Over the past couple of months, no less than five new stores have opened in Chinook Centre. And try getting a good spot anywhere near the doors at Market Mall.

54

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

It’s so nice to keep in touch with people you have been privileged to meet, even if you may never see them again.

Many of us will remember Jean-Charles Bou who was our first – and only – Consul General of France, and his wife Denise. He has retired from Foreign Affairs but continues to serve as a Councillor for Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, on the border of France and Switzerland.

He looks very proud wearing his councillor sash.

I can remember the days Bill Croft was president of the Calgary Research & Development Authority when plans were unveiled for University Research Park, across Crowchild Trail from Brentwood Shopping Centre.

It never fulfilled expectations; although the Alistair Ross Technology Centre was a good start and in the past couple of years it did welcome CMG and the Smart Technologies building.

But the good news is that the park is now under the management of University of Calgary Properties Group that has done such a good job in developing the University District, and we look forward to a new master plan and the construction of more buildings that will attract new companies involved in the wide range of technology.

Final Words I run like the winded.

fleet graphic solutions With custom eet graphics not only do you get professionally branded vehicles but an effective marketing channel. Study after study has shown vehicle advertising to have an incredibly low cost for its wide reach while also having a measurable impact on brand recall and awareness.

Now get your message out with thousands of hits on your eet.

Decals - Fleet Graphics - Architectural Signage - Retail Signage - Promotional Products

introducing

Commercial Vehicles for a week, a month or seasonal contracts

wood auto rentals The vehicle solution for your business

New from the Wood Automotive Group, Wood Auto Rentals has a complete line-up of work-ready vehicles for all industries.

3 weeks for the price of 2!

Introductory offer valid on any rental vehicle!

Ends January 31, 2021.

Jim Skalk

Rental Manager

(587) 391-3761

woodautorentals.com AUTO RENTALS

11580 24 St SE, Calgary, AB T2Z 3K1

info@woodautorentals.com