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The Path of Change: PM41126516

ROD GRAHAM TRANSFORMS HORIZON NORTH

U R BANOMICS: IMPACTING HOUSING STARTS

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Back row left to right: Christie Dyer Jeff Trost Eric Strybosch Andrew Machalski Front row left to right: Shareen Kritzer Karny Dhah Breanne Maurice Kirstie Redlick Missing: Tim Harding

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STORY TITLE // SECTION

Supporting the visions of entrepreneurs one story at a time.

Volume 26 | Number 2

REGULAR COLUMNS

14

Government New Year’s Resolution: Focus on Honesty, not Fantasy

By Paige MacPherson

16 20

CONTENTS COVER FEATURE

34

The Path of Change

65 89 94

Hanoi Jane Visits Alberta

By Frank Atkins

Urbanomics Impacting Housing Starts

By John Hardy

Leading Business The Calgary Report Current developments for Calgary Telus Convention Centre, Tourism Calgary, Calgary Economic Development, and Innovate Calgary

Marketing Matters

By David Parker

Rod Graham transforms Horizon North

By Melanie Darbyshire

ON OUR COVER: ABOVE: ROD GRAHAM, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF HORIZON NORTH LOGISTICS INC PHOTO SOURCE: EWAN PHOTO VIDEO

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STORY TITLE // SECTION

Supporting the visions of entrepreneurs one story at a time.

Volume 26 | Number 2

69 31

CONTENTS COMPANY PROFILES

69 83

THIS MONTH’S FEATURES

28

McKee Homes

Celebrates 30 Years

41

The VAULTS

Storage Space Re-imagined

48 54

86 10

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W hat to Wear to Work in 2017 Advice from the experts

By Melanie Darbyshire

P ersonally Impersonal Why companies are bringing people together the old-fashioned way

By Erlynn Gococo

I nternational MBAs Learn globally, succeed locally

By Kim Locke

T he Golden Years How to maximize the benefits of your RRSP and TFSA for retirement

By Melanie Darbyshire

T he Condo Buyer’s Market Too much inventory

By John Hardy

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New Board Chair and Vice Chair announced St. Mary’s University names former energy executive Don Verdonck new chair of the St. Mary’s University Board of Governors, effective January 1, 2017.

St. Mary’s University is pleased to announce the appointment of Don Verdonck as the next Chair of the St. Mary’s University Board of Governors.

Mr. Verdonck joined the Board as a member-at-large on January 1, 2009 and assumed the role of Vice-Chair on January 1, 2012. He succeeds Terry McCoy, who had served as Chair since 2012 and as a member of the Board of Governors for 14 years.

An experienced senior executive in the energy industry, Mr. Verdonck is currently Vice President, Thermal Oil with the Athabasca Oil Corporation.

He also currently serves on two private oil and gas boards and is past President of St. Stephens Protomartyr Ukrainian Catholic Church parish council.

“We are extremely fortunate to have Don Verdonck as Chair of St. Mary’s University,” said President Dr. Gerry Turcotte. “He is an experienced executive and dedicated member of our community who brings with him tremendous leadership and governance skills that will prove invaluable as we continue to move forward as an institution.”

St. Mary’s University has also appointed Georgine Ulmer as Vice-Chair of the Board of Governors assuming the role vacated by Mr. Verdonck’s appointment as Chair. Having served as a member-at-large since January 1, 2003, this will mark Mrs. Ulmer’s first time as an officer of the Board at St. Mary’s.

Mrs. Ulmer is a management consulting executive who is President of Churchill Strategies Inc. where she is dedicated to assisting companies and organizations in the public and private sectors with leadership development and organizational change.

Mrs. Ulmer is also actively involved with numerous organizations and currently sits on the Boards of YW of Calgary, the Calgary Telus Convention Centre and the Rockyview Hospital Development Council.

St. Mary’s University is an innovative teaching and research university that provides affordable, accredited and highly valued degrees in the liberal arts, sciences and education. The campus is located on a historic site in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where our students are inspired to combine academics with a passionate commitment to ethics, social justice and respect for diversity of opinion and belief.

GOVERNMENT NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION: FOCUS ON HONESTY, NOT FANTASY // PAIGE MACPHERSON

Government New Year’s Resolution: Focus on Honesty, not Fantasy

BY PAIGE MACPHERSON

I

t’s a new year: a time when people commit to stop dreaming, and start doing, adopting an air of clarity and honesty about their goals, their failures and how they’ll improve.

Can we send that message to our governments?

In 2015, Alberta’s NDP government raised business taxes, and still business tax revenue flowing to government coffers declined. In 2017, perhaps it’s time to recognize the economy has worsened since then, and the tax hike doesn’t seem to be improving anything.

Remarkably, the provincial government spent the latter months of 2016 pushing the idea it was improving the employment situation for Albertans. A $9-million ad campaign focusing on the carbon tax pushed the message the government has created oodles of glorious new green jobs.

Good on them for being transparent. Other service providers are doing the same. The YMCA let parents know in a letter that the cost of childcare will go up.

The carbon tax isn’t all that transparent, by design. It’s a hidden consumption tax. While Premier Notley is feeding Albertans the lines that gas price increases won’t matter since gas prices fluctuate anyway, and that they won’t notice the carbon tax on the price of consumer goods, businesses are making it clearer. And so they should.

But shouldn’t government officials be clear about that too?

Here in Calgary, 2016 at least brought some changes that reflected reality. Calgary city council froze property taxes for 2017, and although they could have gone further, the freeze was welcome.

Been there, done that. The NDP is simply going down the same path as former PC governments, taking billions of dollars out of the hands of actual job creators and throwing it into various forms of corporate welfare.

And as councillors’ wage growth is tied to annual earnings in the province, their salaries are going down in 2017. It’s not as though councillors made this decision themselves, but the reduction makes sense.

Unemployment is at its highest in over two decades. Sixty thousand Albertans have now been jobless for half a year or more. Why not be honest about that and turn over a new leaf?

Still, Calgary city council should be honest about its own spending which has increased 2.35 times the combined rate of inflation and population growth over the last decade.

Mayor Nenshi says suburban businesses could see “shocking” tax increases – why not reduce spending to stop that?

The provincial government can no longer reasonably blame all job losses on the price of oil; not when the government is imposing policy decisions that are increasing the cost of doing business.

It’s time to be honest about the carbon tax, too.

Trucking companies are sending notices informing customers their rates are increasing thanks to the carbon tax.

Grimshaw and Hi-Way 9 are both introducing surcharges.

Ultimately governments should focus on honesty, not fantasy. Municipally, it’s fantasy that the government can’t do anything to control tax increases. Provincially, it’s fantasy that the government is creating jobs and not costing them.

Business owners are being honest. In 2017, let’s send a message to our governments to be honest and transparent about the cost of their policies, too.

Paige MacPherson is Alberta director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, a nonprofit, non-partisan citizens’ advocacy group dedicated to lower taxes, less waste and government accountability. For more information, visit taxpayer.com.

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HANOI JANE VISITS ALBERTA // FRANK ATKINS

Hanoi Jane Visits Alberta

BY FRANK ATKINS

I

n early January, Jane Fonda visited Alberta. Ms. Fonda came to Alberta to join with aboriginal leaders to denounce the approval of two pipelines. More generally, Ms. Fonda came to Alberta to protest the oilsands and their contribution to climate change. This, of course, is another in a long list of left-leaning Hollywood types who do not like fossil fuels. For instance, I recall a picture of a smiling Daryl Hannah getting arrested in Washington in 2011 while protesting the oilsands. James Cameron came to see the province, after he called the oilsands a “black eye” on Canada’s environmental record. The question that always comes to my mind when this happens is: how did these people get to Washington or Alberta in order to protest?

Clearly their trips involved the use of fossil fuels. This is reminiscent of David Suzuki flying all over the world to protest the use of fossil fuels. Perhaps individuals on the left side of the spectrum do not have brains that are wired to understand hypocrisy.

This is not the first time Ms. Fonda has done something questionable in order to gain personal publicity. People my age will remember the Vietnam War and all of the protests. Ms. Fonda took these protests one step further, and actually visited North Vietnam during the war, and had her photograph taken sitting on a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun. For a long time after this photograph was taken, the press called her Hanoi Jane. In what can only be called twisted logic, Ms. Fonda has recently tried to (sort of) apologize for this photograph (but not really the visit to Hanoi) by saying she was not against the U.S. soldiers, but just against war. I cannot understand how you can separate war from the soldiers. Further, how can you be against war, but you can sit smiling on an anti-aircraft gun.

MS. FONDA APPLIES THE SAME LACK OF LOGICAL THINKING IN HER PROTEST OF FOSSIL FUELS. APPARENTLY IN HER MIND THERE IS NO TRADE-OFF BETWEEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. Ms. Fonda applies the same lack of logical thinking in her protest of fossil fuels. Apparently in her mind there is no trade-off between economic development and environmental protection. In this line of thinking, we need to stop using fossil fuels completely, and it must happen immediately. In her defence, this is the general mindset of most left-wing anti-oil individuals, including Gerald Butts when he was with the World Wildlife Fund and a noted anti-oil crusader. In her response to Ms. Fonda’s visit, Premier Notley showed she has finally realized Alberta depends on oil, and has recognized there is a trade-off between developing oilsands resources and protecting the environment.

In spite of all her hypocrisy and twisted logic, Ms. Fonda did manage to say something during her visit to Alberta that made a great deal of sense to me. In a reference to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s first year in office, she said you should not be fooled by good-looking Liberals. I regret we did not learn that lesson before the election of 2015.

Frank Atkins is a senior fellow at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.

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FEBRUARY 2017 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

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Repsol Sport Centre New name and brand identity for former Talisman Centre

One of Calgary’s leading multi-sport and recreation complexes has undergone a name and brand transformation. Repsol Sport Centre is the new corporate brand identity of the former Talisman Centre – the 34-year-old iconic tented facility located in the city’s centre on the banks of the Elbow River in the middle of Lindsay Park. Though its name has changed, Repsol Sport Centre remains one of Canada’s foremost training, competition and fitness facilities for elite and amateur athletes alike.

The name change (which became official on November 14, 2016) was precipitated by the acquisition of Talisman Energy Inc. (“Talisman”)

by Repsol SA (“Repsol”) of Spain last February.

Originally built in 1983 for the Western Canada Summer Games, it was renamed Talisman Centre in 2002 after the City of Calgary sold the naming rights to Talisman for $10 million for 20 years. In its takeover of Talisman, Repsol will continue the sponsorship legacy of Talisman.

The name change is accompanied by a new logo and colour scheme. The logo’s red and orange tent arches utilize Repsol’s branding colours and were designed to highlight the facility’s dual mandate, as directed by the City of Calgary, to support both members and sport partner athletes.

brand evolve to reflect the impact of our innovation and the value it brings to our members and sport partners.”

The new brand identity is prominent in the newly designed repsolsportcentre.com website, the mobile app, social media, facility branding, advertising and in branded merchandise.

An animated logo video, viewable on the new website and social media, is also available.

“Repsol is pleased to continue sponsoring this world-class sport and fitness facility, which represents a very important and longstanding commitment that was established as Talisman Energy and now continued as Repsol,” says Jim Hand, vice president of Repsol’s Canadian business unit. “We are proud to share a common vision of supporting the community through a facility that provides wellness and recreational opportunities for the citizens of Calgary and beyond.”

“We believe Repsol Sport Centre is at the forefront of driving the best sport training, competition and fitness experiences in the industry,” says Jeff Booke, CEO of Repsol Sport Centre. “Just as our company has evolved, so too must our

As a training facility for many of Canada’s Olympic, Paralympic and World Champion athletes, Repsol Sport Centre has aligned with Sport for Life’s long-term athlete development framework.

PHOTO SOURCE: REPSOL SPORT CENTRE

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FEBRUARY 2017 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

CHESTERMERE

Kinniburgh

CHESTERMERE KINNIBURGH

IMPACTING HOUSING STARTS // URBANOMICS

IMPACTING HOUSING STARTS THE DOWNTURN AND THEN SOME

BY JOHN HARDY

I

n most ways – from retail, new home building, construction and commercial real estate to restaurants, car dealers and the gamut of oilfield services – the domino effects of the downturn have challenged the focus and the long and short term strategy of most Calgary businesses.

Klassen points out that while most of the concerns and Calgary business crisis-management is understandably targeted on oil prices and the consequences of the downturn, area builders and developers have additional issues and their possible impact on the business of home building and housing starts.

The new normal has yet to be defined but, particularly the dynamic business of new home building and development in the Calgary area is a vital barometer for solidly managing challenges and focusing on growth and success.

“We believe the first part of 2017 will continue to be a challenge, as we get a strong indication of supply on the MLS market. Once we work through the supply and demand situation, and if we can see a steady improvement in terms of employment, it’s likely that the latter part of 2017 and more into 2018 will show signs of recovery.”

“Over the past year or so we’ve certainly seen consumer confidence take a significant hit due to the economic climate caused by the declining energy industry and subsequent layoffs,” explains Allan Klassen, senior vice president, Calgary Housing with Brookfield Residential and chair of Building Industry Land Development (BILD)-Calgary Region. “The impact on the housing industry has been significant with an approximately a 30% decline in housing starts. The ripple effect on immigration, supply, and pricing have all impacted the industry in numerous product and market segments.”

He adds that Calgary unpredictable business speedbumps continue to demand adjusted business focus and approach, especially for Calgary developers and builders. “With this kind of environment, it’s been imperative for Calgary home builders’ strategies to be focused on affordability and focused on a very changing and diverse market.”

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FEBRUARY 2017 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

Calgary area builders and developers also deal with other, non-downturn related issues. Alberta’s new building code rules, announced last fall, are spiking builder and developer construction costs for aspects like new energy efficiency requirements for windows, lighting, insulation, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning.

In the business of home building, higher costs of construction may not necessarily play out to higher new home prices. “Although there have been some adjustments in terms of pricing there has not been a significant drop in costs,” Klassen says. “In fact, with the strong US dollar and new energy building codes, costs are on the rise.

“Pre sales particularly have not gone down in price, though builders have added more value or provided more

IMPACTING HOUSING STARTS // URBANOMICS

“THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT IF THE VALUE IS THERE, THEN PEOPLE ARE STILL ACTIVELY PURCHASING NEW HOMES.” ~ ALLAN KLASSEN

discounts in the current environment. When the market comes back to balance, prices will increase pending supply and demand.”

Some things never change. Another constant and significant competition for Calgary housing starts is re-sale real estate.

The Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB) agrees that Calgary continue a buyer’s market, driven by lower prices in many (not all) Calgary re-sale areas, the availability of lowerpriced homes and, according to some realtors, consumers strategizing to find re-sale homes before the economy turns around, boosting prices higher.

New home builders and CREB realtors also mention the Calgary impact of last year’s new mortgage rules. “The effect of the changes is still being understood but we believe the impact is likely more to be reflected in terms of what housing type buyers choose rather than whether or not they choose to buy,” BILD’s Klassen suggests. “People may need to opt to a town home or apartment product versus a single family home, or something smaller.”

Despite the 30 per cent slump in housing starts, new home construction is an encouraging outlook. “There have been many pockets of the market in the Calgary region that have

done well,” he emphasizes. “From the northeast projects like Cornerstone to lake communities like Auburn Bay. “The bottom line is that if the value is there, then people are still actively purchasing new homes.”

He is upbeat and positive about the 2017 indicators for Calgary area builders and developers. “In terms of signs of recovery, we will need to see a declining trend in terms of unemployment. People need to feel secure about their jobs.

Once this trend starts to reverse, consistently, over a few quarters, Calgary’s consumer confidence will strengthen.

“Obviously a steady price in terms of a barrel of oil will be also be imperative, both for the oil and gas industry as they initiate new projects and again for the psyche of the consumer.”

And he underscores that Calgary area builders and developers are adjusting business plans and strategies and they are prepared and ready to grow the business. “Our priorities will be to continue to work with both the municipal and provincial governments to ensure we manage housing affordability and make the right decisions both in the short and long term for our province and our city. The Municipal Government Act and the city charters remain front and centre in all that we do.”

ABOVE: ALLAN KLASSEN, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CALGARY HOUSING WITH BROOKFIELD RESIDENTIAL AND CHAIR OF BUILDING INDUSTRY LAND DEVELOPMENT (BILD)-CALGARY REGION. BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // FEBRUARY 2017

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BILD

®

TOGETHER NO, WE DIDN’T FORGET U.

In fact, bringing you more diverse, affordable housing is why the Canadian Home Builders’ Association – Calgary Region and the Urban Development Institute – Calgary have joined together to form a new organization called BILD Calgary Region.

BILD, the Building Industry Land Development Association, is the voice of industry encouraging effective policy and regulation for building great cities in our region – now, and in the future.

Learn more at bildcr.com

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New Year, New Rental Opportunities with AnyQuip During challenging times, business owners have to think outside the box. With the assistance of Calgary-based AnyQuip, companies can now earn income right from their inbox by renting out their idle heavy equipment.

Established in 2015, AnyQuip is Canada’s peer-to-peer equipment rental network. With over 4,000 equipment listings in Western Canada alone, verified members can rent heavy equipment needed in many industries. Owners can earn up to 60 per cent on their idle equipment, while renters can save up to 30 per cent compared to traditional rental rates.

AnyQuip was co-founded by Steve Skiba (owner of a civil construction company), Clark Johannson (a tech entrepreneur with a web development company) and Jen Lussier, (a marketing and design specialist). Backed by a team of rental experts with over 20 years of experience in the equipment rental industry, AnyQuip is responsible for advertising the listings, collecting the fees and ensuring the equipment is returned in good condition.

“If you are an owner and you have equipment sitting idle, there is a benefit to posting it on our site where it can be safely and securely rented out to someone else,” says Lussier. “We screen all our members, we have strict insurance contracts and we do a pre- and post-inspection. We monitor the whole process, allowing owners to earn money outside their core business.”

Renters also benefit – often securing rates up to 30 per cent less than traditional rental houses. “Everyone prices their own equipment, so someone might have an older dozer that they would like to make $5,000 on versus a brand-new one that might cost $15,000 to $17,000 for a month.”

Dealing with a wide variety of industries including civil construction, oilfield construction, mining, forestry, agriculture and industrial support, the list of rental equipment is endless and includes skid steers, rock trucks, crushing equipment, trailers, light towers, generators, heaters, pumps and even camp accommodations.

Signing up is simple, fast and free. AnyQuip screens all members to ensure they are reputable businesses and have the ability to provide insurance. Contracts that outline usage, insurance verification and mandatory inspections approved by both parties provide a secure rental transaction. Owners and renters also rate each other and those with higher ratings appear higher in the search engine.

HASKAYNE

MBA ‘‘

The highlight of my Haskayne MBA was connecting with a diverse network of leaders and peers. Real world challenges, valuable insights and timely experiences were brought to the table, providing a myriad of perspectives that challenged my preconceived notions. This experience armed me with the sound leadership, strategic thinking and collaboration skills required to succeed in today’s challenging corporate environment.”

SueAnne Fu-Joncic, MBA’10 Manager, HR Process & Integration Suncor Energy

The Haskayne MBA. Calgary’s MBA.

The whole process gives owners the flexibility to set their own preferences for when the rental is available, the length of the rental, if they want to provide

haskaynemba.ca BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // FEBRUARY 2017

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an operator and if they will transport the equipment themselves. All details are negotiable between the two parties as they work on reaching a deal beneficial to both the owner and the renter.

Once the rental contract is confirmed, AnyQuip secures payment from the renter and holds it for the duration of the rental as collateral. As soon as the rental is complete, a payment is sent by electronic fund transfer or cheque with AnyQuip only charging 10 per cent of the rental price.

With low oil prices impacting a lot of companies across Western Canada, renting heavy equipment may be the

perfect solution, allowing business owners to offset operating and carrying costs associated with stationary machines. The increased cash flow not only allows companies to gain access to capital for operations and further growth, it also improves utilization rates and if applicable, allows companies to bid competitively on projects.

“What it comes down to is we are trying to help companies be more competitive,” concludes Lussier. “Lots of owners are forced to sell their equipment at a loss at auction because they need the cash flow. This gives them a different option.

You have to be creative with $40 oil.”

PHOTO SOURCE: ANYQUIP

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MNP LLP Merges with Atlantic Canada’s Largest Regional Accounting Firm One of Canada’s largest national accounting and business consulting firms just got even larger. MNP LLP, headquartered in Calgary with 65 offices and 4,000 team members across Canada, merged with Halifax-based WBLI LLP, effective January 1, 2017. The merger provides benefits to both parties with WBLI seeking to expand its breadth of specialty services and MNP seeking to build on its presence in Atlantic Canada.

“This merger is strategic and historic for MNP as we will now provide all of our services from coast to coast,” says Daryl Ritchie, chairman of the board of MNP. “MNP’s strategic plan for growth and our entrepreneurial spirit have always been the driving force behind our success and this merger builds on our plans for expansion in Atlantic Canada. With WBLI on board, we can now truly call Atlantic Canada home.”

The merger comes on the heels of MNP’s acquisition of PwC’s Atlantic Canada consumer insolvency practice and its 31 offices in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, P.E.I. and Newfoundland in March 2016. “This acquisition expanded the MNP brand into the Atlantic Canada marketplace, adding to the firm’s insolvency service line which has grown substantially since then,” says Jason Tuffs, CEO at MNP. “But MNP was still seeking an established, respected firm to join forces with to establish and grow its accounting, tax and consulting presence in the region.” WBLI was exactly that firm.

Started in Atlantic Canada in 1976, WBLI is the region’s largest independent and full-service firm of chartered professional accountants, delivering a full range of accounting, tax and business advisory services. Clients come from various sectors including private enterprise, professionals, fishing, mining, real estate and construction.

“In addition to sharing common values and client-centred approach, MNP understands all of the specialized markets and sectors in which our clients operate and more,” says

Kirk Higgins, managing partner, WBLI. “MNP also provides us with a large national presence and access to hundreds of MNP experts and specialists in service lines that we do not currently offer.” In particular, Higgins says joining MNP will enhance WBLI’s insolvency division, WBLI Incorporated.

He also predicts MNP’s international tax practice will be of further benefit to the Atlantic Canada firm.

In addition to MNP’s almost 60-year history, WBLI was attracted by MNP’s status as one of the 50 Best Employers in Canada by AON Hewitt for eight consecutive years. “MNP is more than just a large national accounting firm with a long history,” says Higgins. “Knowing their team members value the firm and continue to feel valued themselves brings us a lot of confidence we are joining the right firm.”

WBLI partners and staff will remain in their current locations, which are being rebranded as MNP.

ABOVE: JASON TUFFS, CEO AT MNP. PHOTO SOURCE: MNP

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FEBRUARY 2017 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

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BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // FEBRUARY 2017

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WHAT TO WEAR TO WORK IN 2017 // DRESS FOR SUCCESS

WHAT TO WEAR TO WORK

in 2017 Advice from the experts

BY MELANIE DARBYSHIRE

D

ressing for work is kind of like cooking dinner. You have to do it most days of the week, the options can seem limited and boring, and it is easy to get stuck in a rut. To help Calgary’s business people figure out what they should wear to work in 2017, we’ve enlisted the help of some experts: Brenna Hardy and Phaedra Godchild of Styleista, a Calgary-based team of fashion stylists; Whitney Titheridge, owner of Crabapple Clothing Company; Rob Nicholl, a custom clothing specialist at Supreme Men’s Wear; and Ketevan Gvaramadze, Holt Renfrew’s fashion director.

FOR WOMEN On the Top: Hardy recommends a well-fitted blazer in a neutral colour.

“It’s an investment piece and something you can wear for five years minimum, so don’t be afraid to spend a bit of money on a good-quality option.” Gvaramadze recommends a double-breasted version, which evokes one of the most important trends of spring 2017 – power dressing. “It can be paired with jeans and a tee for a more casual feel or it can be worn with more tailored pants for the office.”

Another item to include in your wardrobe is a classic collared blouse. “I believe it gives limitless versatility,” says

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FEBRUARY 2017 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

RST 750 BE AMONG THE FI Titheridge. “It can be worn under a sweater or cardigan so that we just get a glimpse, as a stand-alone piece with your ankle pants or pencil skirt, or on the weekend with some distressed jeans and a leather jacket.” Gvaramadze recommends an oversized, tailored collared shirt as another way to achieve the power look.

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Good blazer options can be found at Judith & Charles, Holt Renfrew, Smythe or Theory. Sacai is a great shirting option and Whitney recommends Equipment for a collared blouse.

On the Bottom: Hardy recommends a pencil skirt.

“It is key as it is very versatile and flattering on most body types. It is feminine yet classically conservative.”

She says it can be worn with a blouse (and blazer) or a sweater, and looks great with pumps, and stacked-heel or ankle boots.

Both Titheridge and Gvaramadze advocate pants. Titheridge likes a fitted-ankle pant while Gvaramadze recommends a pair of high-waist, tailored trousers. Regardless of the shape, Titheridge stresses that fit should reign supreme. “Alterations are sometimes necessary. A little taking in at the waist or sewing down pockets can make all the difference and is a worthwhile expense for staple items.”

Another thing to keep in mind with pants is proportion. “If you are

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LEFT: WOMEN’S CLASSIC STRIPED COLLARED BLOUSE. PHOTO SOURCE: CRABAPPLE CLOTHING COMPANY

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // FEBRUARY 2017

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WHAT TO WEAR // DRESS FOR SUCCESS

wearing a slim bottom feel free to experiment with a more flowy or unstructured top. However, if you have a wide-legged bottom, stick to something more fitted or tailored for the top half.”

Good pencil skirt options can be found at Aritzia/Wilfred and Judith & Charles.

Gvaramadze recommends Brunello Cucinelli, Theory and Vince for classic luxurious staples and Titheridge highlights Cambio as a great pant line.

On the Feet: Hardy recommends a pair of good black leather (or patent leather) pumps. “They say you mean business and work day or night,” she says. “If you already have black you could branch into nude and/or grey.” They work with a suit, skirt, pants or jeans.

As an alternative to a pump, Titheridge says short booties, a dressier sneaker (depending on the workplace dress code) or an oxford can also portray a sleek vibe.

Changing your shoe gives any outfit a different look, explains Gvaramadze. “Be more sporty with a pair of sneakers or dress it up with a classic pump.” Titheridge says to have fun. “My advice is to play with your footwear, with proportions and with pant styles, but most importantly trust your gut and your inner fashionista!”

When choosing footwear, don’t sacrifice comfort for price. Hardy says Nordstrom, Nine West and J.Crew have some good, affordable options. For highend footwear she recommends Stuart Weitzman and Ron White.

FOR MEN On the Body: All experts recommend a tailored suit jacket and pants. “These are interchangeable in the wardrobe and can be worn more formally in the office or more casually on the weekend or evenings,” Gvaramadze explains. “A businessman can pair his suit jacket with a pair of tailored pants or even jeans.”

For colour, Godchild recommends charcoal and navy. “They are the most versatile colours. You can pair them with any other colour in your wardrobe.” Nicholl notes non-standard colours like rust, burgundy and forest green are increasingly becoming basics. “They can be worn with the same variety of colours as basic blues, greys, browns,” he says. “They’re not in-your-face but still fun and different.”

He also recommends suits that have details – contrasting stitch, patch pockets, buttons that pop and patterns – to add a fashion element to office-appropriate clothing. “These allow the suit to be worn as separates, creating more versatility.

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FEBRUARY 2017 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

WHAT TO WEAR TO WORK IN 2017 // DRESS FOR SUCCESS

For example, patterned suit trousers go with blazers, vests and sweaters.”

Another item to include is a separate vest to add contrast to a suit. “A solid vest with a patterned suit or a patterned vest with a solid suit.”

Another key item is a sport coat. “Pairing a sport coat with cotton twill pants and a collared shirt works for meetings,” Godchild says. It can also elevate a casual look. “For instance, on a casual Friday it can be paired with a collared shirt and dark denim and it’s a perfect corporate casual look.” Nicholl agrees, “Sport coats are increasingly important in the business wardrobe. They can be dressed down as much as up.”

Both Godchild and Nicholl highlight the importance of versatile separates to mix and match for fresh combinations every day. “It keeps the wardrobe interesting so that the wearer doesn’t get tired of his clothes by wearing the same outfits over and over,” Nicholl explains.

Good suit options can be found at Supreme Men’s Wear, Harry Rosen, Henry Singer, Baldessarini, Berluti, Burberry and Barena. Godchild also recommends going the custom route with a bespoke tailor such as J. Yunger Bespoke Clothier. Supreme Men’s Wear, Holt Renfrew, Modern Menswear and Baldessarini offer good sport coat options.

On the Feet: Godchild says every businessman needs a sleek laceup dress shoe. “Shoes are very important in any man’s wardrobe. Stay clear of clunky square toe dress shoes and wear a sleek round or almond toe shoe.” While leather is a go-to fabric, Gvaramadze and Nicholl suggest suede as another option.

Nicholls says the selection of colours and details in men’s shoes has expanded beyond basic black, brown and tan.

“Colours like grey, navy and two-tone add variety but are still versatile.” Godchild recommends cognac or dark brown shoes as the most versatile.

Depending on one’s work environment, Gvaramadze recommends a pair of white sneakers, which can help RIGHT: MEN’S PATTERNED GREY SUIT JACKET WITH CONTRASTING STITCH AND SEPARATE SOLID VEST. MEN’S TWO-TONE LEATHER LACE-UP DRESS SHOES. PHOTO SOURCE: SUPREME MEN’S WEAR

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // FEBRUARY 2017

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WHAT TO WEAR // DRESS FOR SUCCESS

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ABOVE: MEN’S SPORT COAT AND VERSATILE SEPARATES. PHOTO SOURCE: SUPREME MEN’S WEAR

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FEBRUARY 2017 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

THE PATH OF CHANGE // COVER

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FEBRUARY 2017 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

THE PATH OF CHANGE // COVER

The Path of Change: ROD GRAHAM TRANSFORMS HORIZON NORTH

BY MELANIE DARBYSHIRE

M

ajor change is rarely easy. It often demands time, patience and perseverance; tests the limits of adaptability; challenges old norms. Those undertaking it must have vision and, just as importantly, the ability to convince others of that vision. When implemented for the better, it can bring new beginnings, reinvigoration and greater opportunity – the difference between surviving and thriving.

Major organizational change – one that transforms a business into something greater and altogether different from what it once was – is all of this, and then some. Just ask Rod Graham, president and CEO of Horizon North Logistics Inc., a fullservice camps and catering, manufacturing, transportation and logistics company headquartered in Calgary. Since taking the helm of the 10-year-old public company in early 2015, Graham has led it through transformational change – from a decentralized holding company with multiple, stand-alone operating entities to a centralized organization operating under a common vision, mission and value set – and he’s just getting started.

“For 25 years I have wanted to change the way energy service companies and exploration and production companies deal with each other,” Graham explains. “It is, in my mind,

a counterproductive, power, pendulum process that advantages the service company in a high commodity price environment or advantages the exploration companies in a low commodity price environment.”

He is now orchestrating that change at Horizon North. A service company at its core, Horizon North’s base business is providing workforce accommodation solutions – it has 10,000 workforce accommodation rooms – to the oil and gas, energy, mining/exploration, forestry and construction industries across Western and Northern Canada and Alaska.

Accommodations range from single-person solutions to 3,500plus bed lodges, for short- or long-term rent or purchase.

The company carries out the design, manufacturing (at plants in Grande Prairie, Alberta and Kamloops, B.C.), quality assurance and control, and project management in house. It also provides transportation, site installation, soil stabilization, matting, power systems and utilities services.

Graham’s resumé leaves no doubt as to his qualifications for creating change. With an HBA from Wilfrid Laurier University and a CFA and MBA (Ivey Scholar) from the University of Western Ontario, he cut his business teeth at

ABOVE: ROD GRAHAM, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF HORIZON NORTH LOGISTICS INC PHOTO SOURCE: EWAN PHOTO VIDEO

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // FEBRUARY 2017

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THE PATH OF CHANGE // COVER

ARC Financial Corporation. “I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now without having spent 11 years at ARC,” Graham says. “It really built a foundation for a lot of the skills that I’m levering off of for rolling out Horizon North.”

After ARC, he worked at Peters & Co. and then cofounded Northern Plains Capital Corporation, a private equity firm. “Over the course of my career I’ve looked at 800 different companies in the energy infrastructure business and have been part of an investment thesis for 40 of them,” Graham says. “I’ve sat on 15 different corporate boards in that process.”

Horizon North is not the first company he’s transformed. In 2010, he stepped in to lead the turnaround of Edmontonbased ZCL Composites Inc. “It was a very complex turnaround,” he says. “The company went from being very close to bankruptcy to one that is now extraordinarily flush with cash and has very strong margins.”

Graham originally joined the Horizon North board of directors in 2007 and served as chairman from May 2012 to

January 2014. When the previous CEO decided he wasn’t up to taking Horizon North to the next level, Graham agreed to step in. “I sat down and built out a five-year plan for where I want the organization to go,” he explains. “The intent was to build it into a chronology of steps.”

The first step was examining the industrial business and its customers – who changed dramatically during the recession.

“Customers are looking for a cost structure that fits and a quality offer that still allows them to maintain talent,” Graham explains. A focus on the best quality and cost structure was needed. “This then affords tremendous pricing latitude in terms of the way we deal with our customers.”

A change in the approach to sales was also prescribed. “I wanted a highly-technical, cerebral approach to selling,” Graham says. In place of hockey tickets and golf games, the sales team examines reserve profiles and production plots to figure out where to position camp assets and how to pitch certain customers.

Integral to this change was Graham’s approach to human resources and his belief in business as a team sport. “We

ABOVE: ABORIGINAL AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS TEAM. FROM LEFT TO RIGHT THEY ARE TRISH CAMPBELL, PAT HAMMERSCHMIDT, LORI JOHNSON, KEVIN REEVES AND SHEILA COLLINS.

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PHOTO SOURCE: HORIZON NORTH

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THE PATH OF CHANGE // COVER

utilized non-traditional hires as the basis for pushing forward,” he explains of his hand-picked team. “A comingling of traditional energy people with individuals who have come out of industries that have suffered extreme duress.” Included among these was a senior quality manager from Lexus and Horizon North’s new VP of sales and marketing who came from outside the energy business. “Our VP of manufacturing was at one point running 14 plants for Honda in Japan. He has a PhD in lean manufacturing and supply chain management.”

Lean manufacturing is a core tenant of Graham’s leadership ethos, stemming from his time in Japan where he completed his MBA. “I fell in love with the concept of lean manufacturing and process,” he says. “And it always stuck in the back of my head that if ever there was an opportunity for me to effectively template transformational change it would have lean as its core.”

Graham’s “right arm” is Scott Matson, senior vice president finance and CFO, who commends Graham’s leadership skills.

“Rod is inspiring and leads from the front, setting a strong example of what is required and expected both for his direct reports and for the rest of the organization.”

Despite all the progress, Horizon North has nonetheless faced serious challenges over the last two years. The transformational process combined with Alberta’s recession took a toll, and roughly 900 people were let go. However, Graham highlights the silver lining of low oil prices. “It has been the collapse of the commodity price that has allowed me to get personnel and customers to listen to the argument for driving our industry to maturity and professionalism between supplier/customer that all sectors of our economy (except energy) has experienced.”

Matson notes other reasons for Horizon North’s resiliency.

“We are focused on maintaining the health of our balance ABOVE: ROD GRAHAM, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF HORIZON NORTH LOGISTICS INC AND SCOTT MATSON, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FINANCE AND CFO. PHOTO SOURCE: EWAN PHOTO VIDEO

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THE PATH OF CHANGE // COVER

sheet to ensure we have adequate financial flexibility to both survive and to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves.”

by Calgary-based DIRTT Environmental Solutions, which enables customers to experience the environment and design of a property before it is laid to ground.

The Fort McMurray wildfire in May 2016 was another setback. The company’s flagship 665-room property, Blacksand Lodge, burned down. This was after it had served as a respite for almost 1,250 evacuees during the first five days of the fire.

To augment its permanent modular business, Horizon North acquired Karoleena Inc. in May 2016. The company designs and manufactures designer prefabricated homes at its plant in Okanagan Falls, B.C. Homes are ready in six months. “We had the quality, the cost structure, the software but we didn’t have the architectural flare and that’s truly what Karoleena brought to the table,” says Graham.

Graham is quick, however, to focus on the good news: the acquisition of Empire Camp Equipment Ltd. in August 2016.

“It brought 1,700 rooms to our fleet and allowed for us to get some diversity,” he says. “They had a couple of contracts for completely non-energy related activities, which is where I’m driving our business.”

He also highlights Horizon North’s dedication to safety, put to test by the wildfire. “We’ve got world-class safety statistics because we invest and it truly is part of our culture and DNA. That allowed for us to have no injuries when the fire occurred.”

One key area Graham has continued to focus on is community relations, in particular with First Nations. The organization is partner in 17 First Nations joint ventures and roughly 12 per cent of its 1,100 employees are of First Nations descent. “A lot of people talk about having a First Nations file, but we live it,” Graham says proudly. “We have had tremendous success in working with First Nations people.”

With 2015 and 2016 – and the focus on operational excellence within the base business – behind him, Graham is now looking to continue to build out Horizon North’s permanent modular construction business in 2017 and beyond. The company builds both commercial and residential modular structures in controlled plant environments.

This business, he explains, began with getting the right quality and cost structure in place, as well as the right software – such as 3D virtual reality software, provided

Since acquiring Karoleena, Horizon North has developed a lower-scale brand, in terms of fit and finish, called Kadence.

Graham has big plans for Kadence in the rebuild of Fort McMurray. “There certainly is the demand for this type of square footage at the pricing point we’re looking at,” he says.

“We can build a house in roughly one month.”

Outside of Fort McMurray, Horizon North’s permanent modular division has already had some impressive wins including a hotel in Revelstoke, a transitional housing project in Vancouver and a First Nations multi-family home project.

For 2018, 2019 and 2020, Graham plans to expand Horizon North’s utility capabilities, especially in remote areas, and its building maintenance division. He’s optimistic about Alberta’s future, noting the federal government’s approval of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline and Enbridge’s Line 3. He cautions, however, of potential headwinds like the provincial and federal carbon taxes. “Business is tough, there’s no doubt about it, but I believe we’ve got the right people in place, the right balance sheet, the right board and the right product offering.”

If there was ever a man to effect both organizational and industry-wide change, Graham is he. With his grand plans, solid leadership and dedication to excellence, Horizon North’s transformational journey has good odds. The final destination appears bright.

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // FEBRUARY 2017

39

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PERSONALLY IMPERSONAL // EVENT PLANNING & CATERING

Personally Impersonal

WHY COMPANIES ARE BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY

BY ERLYNN GOCOCO

I

n a time where everything is so digital and impersonal, why should companies bother investing time and money in events? With all the technological advances in our world, many of us already experience the benefits of Skype meetings, virtual multiperson conference calls and job interviews, online group chats and even online dating – the list goes on and on. So why host events when we can communicate and “meet” from the comfort of our work desks, or even from our homes?

Living in a practically virtual world, it raises a good question: should companies continue to invest time and money in bringing people together the old-fashioned way – face-to-face?

ABOVE: UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN KICK OFF EVENT. PHOTO SOURCE: UNITED WAY

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PERSONALLY IMPERSONAL // EVENT PLANNING & CATERING

Dr. Megan McElheran, a clinical psychologist with WGM Psychological Services Ltd., certainly thinks so. From a psychological perspective, McElheran says, “Human beings are social animals and our connections and attachments to one another are essential for our sense of well-being and health across a number of domains, and we have the research to support this.”

Christina (Tina) Chow of Raymond James Ltd. couldn’t agree more and believes “face-to-face events to raise awareness and give back to our communities in which we live and work are necessary.” Many of the events her company organizes or sponsors help support local charities such as Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Calgary Food Bank, Believe in the Gold, and St. Mary’s Feed the Hungry, just to name a few.

She goes on to say that much of communication is non-verbal, and when we turn to digital mediums to communicate with one another, much of what we are trying to say gets lost in translation; whereas face-to-face interaction allows people to gauge how another person is feeling and/or doing. McElheran believes seeing and feeling the impact of our communication on others helps to guide, shape and correct our behaviours, which in turn, helps us to feel a greater sense of competence and efficacy.

Chow, a financial adviser with Raymond James, is also a member of the Raymond James Canada Foundation Advisory Committee whose role is to help facilitate philanthropic efforts and events across the firm. In addition to their charitable efforts, Raymond James also hosts a National Business Conference each year and is the company’s largest program with over 500 delegates attending, says Chow proudly.

Advisers attend a three-day conference which focuses on business development but also provides social opportunities to network with peers, something that would not be possible without bringing their people together in one room.

Companies that host events, in turn, allow employees “to perceive themselves as competent relative to those with whom they do business, and social events, and the interactions that happen therein, are one way to accomplish this,” states McElheran.

Even companies that rely heavily on digital marketing and technology to help boost sales still see great value in personal face-to-face interaction. Just ask media and

LEFT: DR. MEGAN MCELHERAN, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST, WGM PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES LTD. MIDDLE: CHRISTINA (TINA) CHOW, FINANCIAL ADVISOR AND MEMBER OF THE RAYMOND JAMES CANADA FOUNDATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE. PHOTO SOURCE: RAYMOND JAMES

RIGHT: DENNIS PLINTZ, SENIOR VP OF SALES, SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY.

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PERSONALLY IMPERSONAL // EVENT PLANNING & CATERING

marketing-savvy local Realtor, Dennis Plintz, senior VP of sales with Sotheby’s International Realty. Plintz’s team, consisting of six full-time employees and up to 10 part-time contractors, meets at least once a week in person to “checkin” but also touch base with each other on items not directly related to the business. Weekly meetings begin with each person using a “one-word check-in” or a “good news story.”

This, according to Plintz, allows him to assess where each individual is at personally and/or professionally.

“Asking questions is one thing, but seeing a person’s body language in response to a question is everything,” says Plintz.

Echoing what McElheran previously stated, he believes person-to-person interaction allows him to gauge where his team is at and if there are issues that need to be addressed.

As one of the top performing realty teams in Calgary, Plintz is adamant that “encouraging human interaction and socialization in a day and age where it has become less and less is critical for high-performance teams to continue to grow.” In addition to what is done internally, Plintz and his

ABOVE: UNITED WAY SPIRITS OF GOLD EVENT. PHOTO SOURCE: UNITED WAY

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PERSONALLY IMPERSONAL // EVENT PLANNING & CATERING

“THE RESULT IS PRIDE IN THE WORK UNDERTAKEN – WE ARE ENERGIZED

BY ONE ANOTHER’S SUCCESS WHICH TRANSLATES INTO HELPING OTHERS SUCCEED.” ~ KAREN YOUNG

team hosts one to two client events per year with a dual purpose: to celebrate with their clients while supporting a local charitable cause.

But events cost money, sometimes a lot of money, and given the current economic downturn, many people would assume most companies have scaled back or even cancelled events altogether.

While some have chosen this route, it seems the economy hasn’t lessened people’s desire to help and give back.

Karen Young, president and CEO of United Way Calgary and Area, says her organization hosts two major annual corporate partnership events in Calgary: their Campaign Kick-Off in September and the Spirits of Gold in February. While the kick-off, which includes a parade advice. s up p ort . insig h t. a ssista nce. ww w.po sey la neweddings. ca

ABOVE: KAREN YOUNG, PRESIDENT & CEO, UNITED WAY CALGARY. PHOTO SOURCE: UNITED WAY

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// EVENT PLANNING & CATERING

A GREAT EVENING OUT AT ALBERTA BALLET

and special events at Olympic Plaza, helps to raise awareness on social issues and formally notify the public that this year’s campaign has begun, the Spirits of Gold event recognizes the workplaces, individuals and agencies that participate in their annual fundraising campaign.

Young approximates that 2,000 people attend the Campaign Kick-Off and another 600-800 attend the Spirits of Gold, including most of the United Way employees. Young says it is important to note that no donor dollars are used to host any of United Way’s annual events; the Campaign Kick-Off is sponsored and the Spirits of Gold is funded through ticket sales and sponsorships.

United Way’s mission is “to improve lives and build extraordinary communities by engaging individuals and mobilizing collective action,” and as such, staff meetings take place monthly so that employees can share their stories and discuss the impact their organization has on Calgarians.

“The result is pride in the work undertaken – we are energized by one another’s success which translates into helping others succeed,” boasts Young. All of United Way’s success and support would not be possible without the face-to-face interaction provided to their employees, the general public and the agencies with whom they work.

Benefits of a Group Sale GROUP BENEFITS Host a unique evening of live ballet with your co-workers or social club or as a first class client hosting opportunity.

• 20% discount for groups of 10 or more • 25% discount for groups of 30 or more • See the spectacular world premiere of Our Canada, the music of Gordon Lightfoot • Enjoy Alice in Wonderland, a treasured family ballet

Even with the conveniences of today’s technology and social media platforms, it seems nothing can truly replace the benefits and effects of a personal touch and face-to-face interactions – and these include numerous health benefits too.

Most of us are so attached to and reliant on our phones, devices and the plethora of apps that come with them that we don’t realize the negative consequences it has on our well-being. There is, according to McElheran, a cost to interpersonal effectiveness if this is the only medium people are using. Online or digital networks can contribute to a sense of community, but cannot, without a doubt, be compared to the benefits of in-person or one-on-one interaction.

“Chemical reactions occur in the brain and body when we feel a strong connection has been forged with another in an interpersonal interaction; and these reactions support robust health-related improvements such as immune function, for example.

“So while online and digital communication should and will continue, and are important to support the various ways in which business is done, they are not substitutes for getting together in real time, and in person,” assures McElheran.

Discover Alberta Ballet’s 50th Anniversary Season albertaballet50.com Learn about our group benefits at albertaballet.com/group-sales

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // FEBRUARY 2017

47

INTERNATIONAL MBAS // EDUCATION MBA

INTERNATIONAL MBAS

Learn globally, succeed locally

BY KIM LOCKE

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FEBRUARY 2017 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

INTERNATIONAL MBAS // EDUCATION MBA

A

lberta is at a crossroads between its traditional global positioning as an oil and gas powerhouse and a more diversified energy economy that leads rather than overshadows other industries. It is now more important than ever for professionals in this province to expand their horizons and gain international experience.

While obtaining an MBA can help launch someone’s career to the next level, adding an international component to that MBA can open up an array of career opportunities that would not otherwise be available.

The Alberta School of Business at the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business are recognizing just this: the increasing importance of the integration of global and local perspectives to a well-

rounded MBA experience. Both schools offer international options that cater to the career goals of today’s diverse student bodies. Possibilities include one- to three-week summer exchange programs, a semester or year abroad, and international weeklong learning modules.

The University of Calgary is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The business school has spent the past half-century positioning itself as a premier educational institution for those wanting to further their business-related knowledge and launch their careers to the next step. Now, Haskayne offers a variety of opportunities for its students to strengthen their global perspective and become leaders who are ready to take on today’s multifaceted business challenges.

Tailored to senior professionals, Haskayne’s executive MBA program is rated in the top 20 in the world by Ivy Exec. The

ABOVE: STUDENTS COMPLETE A GROUP PROJECT DURING AN INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE. PHOTO SOURCE: EWAN PHOTO VIDEO

LEFT: THE HASKAYNE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS. PHOTO SOURCE: CODY TRITTER

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // FEBRUARY 2017

49

INTERNATIONAL MBAS // EDUCATION MBA

EMBA attracts a diverse student body to all of its streams, and particularly to its global energy EMBA program.

This program, tailored to senior professionals with an average of 13 years of work experience, has a unique international focus in that it is separated into intensive and compressed learning modules. Each of these is delivered in a different global location and the learning that occurs when a group of leading executives, 40-50 per cent of whom are from outside Calgary, travel together to energy centres in China, the Middle East and the U.S., cannot be replicated elsewhere.

The international experience extends to students in the daytime and evening MBA programs as well. Zhiwei Han, the director of Haskayne’s international summer MBA exchange program, has spent a number of years fostering summer exchange opportunities for students at 15 prestigious

institutions across Europe and Asia. These have been wildly successful, and many students each year participate in exchange programs in the U.K., France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Japan, Korea and China.

Han says participants reap huge benefits from international summer programs, and students continually tell her these exchanges are amongst the most valuable components of the Haskayne MBA. “Students come home with increased employment opportunities, an expanded business network, and knowledge of international business practices and customs that cannot be achieved other than by immersion in another culture,” she says.

While all exchange programs have an academic component, international exchange programs also offer students a chance to get out of the classroom and participate in business

ABOVE: STUDENTS LEARN GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES FROM A LEADING PROFESSOR. PHOTO SOURCE: EWAN PHOTO VIDEO

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FEBRUARY 2017 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

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INTERNATIONAL MBAS // EDUCATION MBA

tours – or even to work on a significant project for a local or international company. Visits to Alibaba’s headquarters in China or an Audi factory in Europe, for example, and the chance to speak with and learn from executives provides perspective and knowledge that can’t be learned at home.

And some students do not come back home right away.

Instead, they transition their exchanges into jobs abroad.

Students often structure an exchange to be the last component of their MBA and find the contacts they make with other students and instructors, or interaction with executives during company visits and guest lectures, lead to international employment opportunities.

Han is tirelessly dedicated to the students she serves and constantly strives to provide relevant opportunities. She keeps close tabs on what today’s MBA students are looking for and sees the exchange program growing alongside the global economy. With the increasing popularity of Haskayne’s exchange programs, she is aiming for partnerships in South America, Africa, the U.S. and other locations, as student interest dictates. She is also hoping to add exchange programs during the traditional school year to provide even more opportunities for the diverse student body, many of whom are fitting in a part-time MBA with a full-time career.

For those who are completing their MBA while still working full time, the summer exchange program offers an unmatched opportunity to study internationally, without undergoing the disruption a traditional semester-long term abroad would cause.

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he finds having the London School of Economics on his CV is something that sets him apart from other MBA graduates.

Says Bennett, “Oil and gas is only a small part of the global economy. The program provided me with an exceptional opportunity to get outside of the Calgary bubble and expand my horizons on an international basis. The Calgary market is getting more and more competitive and there is a considerable advantage to having been exposed to different industries, cultures and diversity of thought.”

Bennett considers the people he met in the program to be one of its biggest assets, and echoes what other students have said is one of the greatest advantages of participating in an international exchange: the opportunity to meet people from around the globe. “The student body was very diverse. I have expanded my network and I now know numerous MBA students and graduates from world-class cities around the globe. My experience at the London School of Business has been a definite highlight of my MBA program.”

Haskayne MBA graduate, Vadim Demb, is a senior project engineer. He participated in a summer exchange to the Norwegian School of Economics in Bergen, Norway, an exchange that is understandably a natural fit for Haskayne students, given that Norway also has an energy-based economy. The curriculum attracts students from around the world, many from top-rated schools.

Andrew Bennett is currently enrolled in Haskayne’s MBA program, and expects to graduate this year. A petroleum engineer in a major energy company’s new ventures group, Bennett participated in last summer’s three-week exchange program at the London School of Economics.

Demb chose to participate in this exchange in large part to have the opportunity to meet and interact with such students, as well as learn from top professors and instructors with industry experience. He considers this to be one of the most valuable aspects of a summer exchange program.

Demb, who completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Calgary, was pleased to find, after participating in an exchange, the U of C experience is absolutely comparable on a global stage.

Bennett is specializing in finance and jumped at the opportunity to study in a world financial centre to complement his Haskayne MBA. He is applying the concepts he learned abroad during an intensive course in applied valuation and securities analysis to his current position, and

“The exchange experience was very valuable,” he says, a sentiment that is strongly reflected by the many students who take advantage of the opportunity to imbue their MBA degree with a global focus and see it pay off in dividends down the line.

FEBRUARY 2017 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

THE GOLDEN YEARS // RRSPS, TFSAS AND TAX PLANNING

The Golden Years

HOW TO MAXIMIZE THE BENEFITS OF YOUR RRSP AND TFSA FOR RETIREMENT

BY MELANIE DARBYSHIRE

L

ike the generation entering it today, retirement in Canada has changed. Less than 40 per cent of Canadian workers have a registered pension plan; there is no longer one standard age of retirement; and, increasingly, retirement itself lasts longer. Individual responsibility for retirement is greater than ever before, and the mechanics and options for how to retire are more complicated.

For many people nearing, entering or in retirement, registered retirement savings plans (RRSPs) and tax-free savings accounts (TFSAs) are as much a part of their lives as are seniors’ discounts and driving glasses. Deciding whether, how much and when to contribute to an RRSP or TFSA is no easy task, nor is deciding when and how much to withdraw.

The considerations are different for everyone.

To make contribution decisions pre-retirement, experts recommend understanding how much income you’ll need in retirement. “As a rule of thumb, you’ll need somewhere between 60 to 70 per cent of your current take-home income in retirement,” explains Graham Heron, regional tax leader at MNP LLP. This assumes certain expenses – like mortgage

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payments, childcare and work-related items – won’t exist in retirement. “On the other hand, you’ll have a whole bunch of extra time on your hands and if your hobbies are on the more expensive side, maybe 60 to 70 per cent won’t be enough.”

Understanding your current burn rate – how much money you actually spend – is vital to knowing what you’ll need in the future. “It doesn’t have to be onerous but it’s really fundamental to retirement planning – knowing what your cash needs are on a monthly basis,” says Judi Meyer, CFP and senior financial planning consultant at Scotia Wealth Management.

Don’t overlook irregular expenses. “One should definitely consider major, infrequent expenses (major house repairs, dental costs, etc.) as well as routine monthly expenses,” advises Doug Chandler, a Canadian retirement research actuary with the Society of Actuaries. Heron agrees, particularly in relation to later in retirement. “Medical costs and care, assisted living – those costs can be fairly substantial and can become a very significant concern in your late 70s or 80s.”

THE GOLDEN YEARS // RRSPS, TFSAS AND TAX PLANNING

Inflation is a factor many underestimate. “People often mistakenly look at CPI and the Bank of Canada indication of 1.8 per cent and believe that’s their inflation rate,” says Meyer. “But in Calgary our inflation rate is closer to three per cent.” At this rate, she says, the purchasing power of the dollar is cut in half every 24 years. “Inflation really erodes buying power over time.”

Increasing lifespans also affect how much is needed in retirement – in 2014 the average life expectancy of a 65-year-old Canadian man was 87.1 years and 89.4 years for a Canadian woman. “Many of us underestimate our lifespan,” says Meyer. “For a 65-year-old couple today, there is a one in four chance that one spouse will live to age 94.”

When determining whether to put money marked for retirement into an RRSP or TFSA, Heron recommends comparing the tax rate now to that in retirement, since an RRSP is taxable income when withdrawn. If the marginal tax rate is expected to be lower in retirement, put the money in an RRSP. “You’ll get the tax deduction and an absolute savings because the deduction will be at a rate that’s equal to or greater than the corresponding rate when you pull the money out.”

On the other hand, all experts agree on the power of TFSAs. “TFSAs are an excellent savings tool and can be

used long and medium term,” Meyer says. “For many people they’ll be the first line of order for savings.” Heron highlights their usefulness for retirement planning.

“TFSA accounts are the biggest change to retirement income planning in decades. The eligible contribution for TFSAs continues to grow and as of 2017 the eligible contribution into this savings option will be $52,000 and will continue to grow at $5,500 per year subject to future government changes.”

So what should a retiree draw on first? As with contributions, it depends on a person’s circumstances but in general, Heron advocates an approach that first looks to government programs – Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and old age security (OAS) – to determine how much of retirement income needs are met by these programs, and go from there.

One important consideration, especially for upper-middleincome individuals, is the income threshold for the OAS clawback, which in 2016 was $73,756. “As soon as your taxable income in retirement exceeds the clawback threshold, for every dollar you earn over that threshold you have to forfeit $0.15 or 15 per cent of your OAS receipt,” Heron explains. While not typically a huge component of retirement income, OAS is not unsubstantial. “If you can

ABOVE: JUDI MEYER, CFP AND SENIOR FINANCIAL PLANNING CONSULTANT AT SCOTIA WEALTH MANAGEMENT. DOUG CHANDLER, A CANADIAN RETIREMENT RESEARCH ACTUARY WITH THE SOCIETY OF ACTUARIES.

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // FEBRUARY 2017

55

Give Gifts That Help Your Loved Ones Reach Their Dreams

In their journey of a thousand miles, meet step one.

Give Gift Certificates to invest in someone’s future. Available in a range of denominations*.

Buy today at FirstCalgary.com/Gift or at any of our branches.

“What if instead of ‘things’ we gave our loved ones a head start?”

Saving. It’s that “thing” in the back of many of our minds that just never seems to get the focus it truly deserves.

When we’re faced with unexpected expenses, student debt, housing debt, family expenses and enjoying life, the task of saving – of saving early – can be daunting.

In an economy where the resilience and ingenuity of Albertans continues to be put to test, one organization is encouraging us to think differently about the gifts we give to our loved ones this year.

“What if instead of ‘things’ we gave our loved ones a head start? Or a boost to savings? This is what we want to encourage. Saving early and consistently are the best ways to build for the future. When you couple that with a smart investment, those savings can really start to add up over time,” says Shelley Vandenberg, President of First Calgary Financial, a division of Connect First Credit Union. “Kick-starting savings for someone’s dreams - whether that’s an education, a holiday, a home or retirement - that’s a gift that’s impactful.”

First Calgary Financial has launched a new series of gift certificates, available in a range of denominations to invest in someone’s future.

They’re the perfect, thoughtful gift for everything from Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Valentine’s Day to birthdays, baby showers, and Weddings.

Better yet, for younger people, they help instill an early understanding of the importance of saving, while building financial literacy skills and savvy. Each gift certificate gives the recipient the chance to sit down with a the First Calgary team to look at their plans and how best to achieve them. It gives youth a head start towards their goals, whether that’s a new home, a travel adventure or an entrepreneurial dream.

GIFT CERTIFICATE 100 | $200 | $250 | $500

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The gift certificates can be invested into a variety of deposit options, including an RESP, RSP, TFSA, or simply to boost one’s personal savings. One of the options includes their Enhanced Growth term deposit, a great way to invest into the market without the risk.

The Calgary-based credit union aims to offer innovative, responsible and people-focused options; just as they do through their No Fees For Me chequing accounts and their member-owned profit-sharing approach to banking.

Find out more about this new way to give at FirstCalgary.com/Gift or visit one of their local branches.

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Times are tough.

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403.520.8144 FirstCalgary.com/Retire

THE GOLDEN YEARS // RRSPS, TFSAS AND TAX PLANNING

“IF YOU’RE DRAWING MONEY FROM YOUR RRSP AND ARE BELOW THE OAS CLAWBACK AND THEN SOMETHING COMES UP – YOUR FURNACE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED OR YOU NEED TO BUY A NEW VEHICLE – PULLING THE MONEY FROM YOUR TFSA IS A BETTER PLACE TO PULL IT FROM.” ~ GRAHAM HERON

preserve it as a base level item in your retirement income, the better off you’ll be at preserving the rest of your capital for that 25-year retirement span,” he says.

When you withdraw your RRSP – early or late – can be critical. For those with a large pool in their RRSP, deferral of withdrawals until the mandatory age of 71 could help to keep income levels below the clawback threshold. On the other hand, early withdrawals of small amounts (for example, $2,000 per year from age 65 through 71) is another strategy. “That $2,000 will be considered pension income and eligible for the pension income credit,” says Heron. “It will effectively come out at a very marginal tax, or no tax, but it’s also dropping that pool of required income that will come out after you turn 71.”

In addition to the OAS clawback, Chandler notes other income-tested benefits and tax credits that start at age 65, all of which suggest the RRSP should be used first. In addition to the Alberta Seniors Benefit there is phase-out of the federal and Alberta age amount tax credits, the GST rebate and the new Alberta carbon rebate. “It might even make sense to continue to add to a TFSA with extra RRSP withdrawals after retirement,” he says.

Money withdrawn from a TFSA doesn’t show up on the tax return and thereby has no effect on income-tested benefits.

“It could be your rainy-day fund,” says Heron. “If you’re

drawing money from your RRSP and are below the OAS clawback and then something comes up – your furnace needs to be replaced or you need to buy a new vehicle – pulling the money from your TFSA is a better place to pull it from. I generally would be reluctant to draw on the TFSA until I was worried about the OAS clawback.”

Chandler agrees, noting delaying CPP benefits can also help.

“For some seniors who have paid off their mortgage, the CPP and OAS benefits payable at age 70 might cover their routine expenses, leaving TFSAs for vacations, unexpected expenses and (maybe) an estate.” Meyer adds, “For those with a long lifespan, seriously consider delaying CPP benefits. Compared to age 65, you get a 42 per cent bump to age 70, whereas it’s a 36 per cent reduction to age 60.”

On the other hand, Chandler says, if the strategy is to maximize income-tested government benefits after age 65, then drawing CPP early at age 60 can reduce taxable income.

“Once again, individual circumstances like life expectancy and ability to manage money each make a difference.”

Not an uncomplicated exercise by any means, for Calgarians thinking about or in retirement there are many things to consider. Both RRSPs and TFSAs are powerful tools and when used correctly can make for a comfortable retirement.

Understanding where one is at, and where one would like to go, is the key.

ABOVE: GRAHAM HERON, REGIONAL TAX LEADER AT MNP LLP.

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FEBRUARY 2017 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

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THE CONDO BUYER’S MARKET // REAL ESTATE

THE

CONDO BUYER’S MARKET TOO MUCH INVENTORY

BY JOHN HARDY

R

eal estate professionals are somewhat optimistic about Calgary’s condo market, but they are also cautiously realistic about expectations and trends.

Like most sectors of real estate, employment and migration are vital factors impacting Calgary condo market trends.

The stats show that stereotypically downsizing baby boomers have a significant impact on the buying and selling of condos but, due primarily to Calgary’s median age being 36, millennials and gen-Xers drive the local condo market. The unfortunate business aspect is that although they are key factors when it comes to traditionally triggering migration to Calgary, millennials and gen-Xers are also the demographics that are most impacted and are most often casualties of job losses and cutbacks.

“Employment and migration are absolutely the key aspects of condo supply and demand,” explains Ann-Marie Lurie, chief economist of the Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB).

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“When migration levels and employment rates fall, as they have for the past two years in the Calgary market, it causes a weak demand environment.”

As with other sectors of real estate, Calgary condo trends are impacted by inventory, price and demand. “[It] still continues very much a buyer’s condo market,” says Jim Sparrow, Realtor at Royal LePage Calgary. “And it has been a Calgary condo buyer’s market trend since 2014.”

According to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) – Canada’s national housing agency – housing starts for the Calgary market were down for 2016. CMHC’s Richard Ho, principal, market analysis (Calgary), notes the biggest culprit of the slump was a drop in the pace of condo and apartment construction. “Demand for all new homes – especially condos – has dropped as Calgary’s economy continues to be battered with job losses, the job market, income worries and low population growth, while the supply, especially of condos, remains high.”

Culture, Delegation and Morale

…what really matters

Let’s Ask an EOer

By Melanie Darbyshire

“C

lients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients” Sir Richard Branson.

Wise and extremely quotable management advice from the outspoken and flamboyant British billionaire magnate, investor and founder of the mega-successful Virgin Group. And it resonates with dynamic local business owners, leaders and EO Calgary members.

To a significant degree, management is an attitude, an approach and an outlook; and particularly the approach about staff, delegating and helping to inspire and achieve a company culture, staff morale and company spirit.

“Staff spirit and morale play an enormous part in running a successful team,” says Dave Nolan, EO Calgary member and president of Studio Y Creations, an innovator and leader in the theming and display industry. “People who are happy and motivated are much more productive and creative. When you work in an environment that breeds good morale it feels energizing and uplifting.

“The opposite can be said for working conditions with low morale. An unhappy workplace breeds contempt, poor quality work and lack of unity.”

According to Corinne Lyall, owner and broker of Royal LePage Benchmark and an EO Calgary member, “You will not get productive employees without ensuring they are happy and feel like they are working in a safe environment. That means eliminating toxic people from your company who are creating drama. It’s surprising what damage one negative person can do to the morale of employees.

“But the leader must stay flexible without being taken advantage of. I feel that I have happy staff who appreciate their jobs

because I allow them the flexibility to make decisions without me micromanaging their daily activities.”

Delegation is a key word that comes up in the management approach to company morale.

“It is important to delegate, but it’s more important to delegate appropriately,” points out Glenn Street, owner (“top dog”) at Street Characters and an EO Calgary member. “Some entrepreneurs fall into one of two camps. They either don’t delegate at all because they feel they are the only ones who can do it, or they delegate then abdicate, meaning they delegate and assume because they have delegated the work it will get done and they are often disappointed.

“Through EO, I’ve learned you must delegate, but do it appropriately. You should have reporting and KPIs (key performance indicators) that hold the person you’ve delegated accountable.”

“It’s important to delegate the tasks that are not the best use of your time,” Lyall adds. “If you were to calculate what your earnings were by the hour, you should ask yourself if the task you are about to implement is worth what you should be paid. If not, it makes sense to delegate the work to someone whose skills match the tasks. It’s all about the highest priority and best use of your time.”

It can also be a humbling and refreshing experience. “The best part about delegating a task effectively is finding someone who can do it better than you!” Nolan says with a smile.

Some suggest it all comes down to the undefinable company culture. “It is the key to any organization,” Street says. “You either have one by design or you have one by default. While my experience is that morale will ebb and flow, you need to be conscious of it.”

Contributing Members:

Upcoming Events: Feb 1

• Leadership Breakfast Series

Feb 10 • A Walk to Beautiful with Jimmy Wayne Feb 28 • Executive Learning Day - People

Glenn Street

Dave Nolan

Corinne Lyall

“top dog” at Street Characters and an EO Calgary member.

president of Studio Y Creations and an EO Calgary member.

owner and broker of Royal LePage Benchmark and an EO Calgary member.

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

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

www.eocalgary.com

|

For membership inquiries: membership@eocalgary.com

THE CONDO BUYER’S MARKET // REAL ESTATE

“For the last three months of 2016, sales of condos and apartments have been down by as much as 40 per cent for the same three-month period in 2014,” Sparrow points out.

“Active listings or inventory is 22 per cent higher than it was at the end of 2014.”

Although it is much more complex, and while Realtors use the industry jargon of “absorption,” the real estate sector and specifically the condo market is consistently a business of supply and demand.

CMHC is forecasting overall new housing starts in 2017 to remain at 2016 levels (in the range of 8,400 to 9,400 units) mainly due to a large inventory of multi-family units on the market.

When it comes to the popular real estate strategy of forecasting and tracking price points, Sparrow cautions it’s vague and confusing to try to guesstimate or track average condo square foot prices and median condo square foot prices, especially in such a fluctuating market.

According to the stats, for the last three months of 2016, particularly compared to 2014 prices when a boom was happening, Sparrow says “both average and median condo sale prices are down by double-digit percentages. The average 2016 condo price was down at least 10 per cent from 2014.

And the median condo price was down about 12 per cent.”

CREB’s Lurie notes the estimated 2016 price for a typical Calgary condo was $277,945, down by about seven per cent from the end of 2015, and rental vacancy rates are at an all-time high.

CREB’S LURIE NOTES THE ESTIMATED 2016 PRICE FOR A TYPICAL CALGARY CONDO WAS $277,945, DOWN BY ABOUT SEVEN PER CENT FROM THE END OF 2015, AND RENTAL VACANCY RATES ARE AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH. ABOVE: JIM SPARROW, REALTOR AT ROYAL LEPAGE CALGARY. ANN-MARIE LURIE, CHIEF ECONOMIST OF THE CALGARY REAL ESTATE BOARD (CREB).

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C e l e b r a t i n g

1 0

C

Y e a r s

Official Nomination Form

Go Online to www.businessinCalgary.com/leaders Submission Directions: Please complete the application in its entirety. Scan and email to leaders@businessincalgary.com, or send the form via fax to 403.264.3276. If you require more information about the Leaders program please call 403-264-3270.

Eligibility: All nominees must own, be a partner, CEO, or president of a private or public company, and be

a primary stakeholder responsible for the recent performance of the company. In addition, the nominee’s company must be Calgary and area based and have been in existence for a minimum of three years.

Judging Panel and Criteria: The independent panel of judges will consist of a selection of successful business leaders from the community. The judges will analyze an extensive list of criteria that will include finances, strategic direction, product or service innovation, company leadership (including personal integrity, values and key employee initiatives), community involvement and philanthropic activities.

Nominee Print or Type Only Please

Nominee’s Name: Title: Company Name: General Company Phone: Business Address: City:

Province:

Postal Code:

Company Website: Nature of Business: Nominee’s Phone:

Nominee’s Email:

Assistant’s Name: Assistant’s Phone:

Assistant’s Email:

Has Nominee previously been nominated for Consideration? Yes / No Year(s): For any questions or follow up related to this information, please designate a contact, or confirm nominee or assistant as primary contact.

Platinum Partner

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Official Airline Partner

THE CONDO BUYER’S MARKET // REAL ESTATE

CREB and many Calgary-area real estate agents mention sales of high-end properties have picked up. CREB stats show there were more than 430 Calgary homes above $1 million sold last year, which is up from about 390 the year before. It included the sale of two condos for more than $5 million in The River, a luxury downtown development.

Sparrow explains while the numbers may be positive in terms of sales, it may not be such a positive reflection of prices. “In all market segments, owners of properties over $1 million are selling for far higher percentage concessions than are those with $300,000-$400,000 units.”

Last year, some Calgary analysts were speculating Vancouver’s foreign buyer tax, combined with Toronto’s notorious overpriced condo market, could be a rebound boost for the price of Calgary condos. Most Calgary Realtors agree that boost didn’t happen. In the Toronto and Vancouver markets, home prices increased by about 30 and 15 per cent respectively, although, last year, the Bank of Canada issued a warning those housing prices are unsustainable given national economic situations.

“When it comes to condos and most Calgary real estate, neither the average or median prices are really meaningful metrics. ‘Benchmark’ is a better measure but the numbers still leave a lot to be desired. It’s all about price point and area of the city. Demand and prices vary dramatically depending on where you are,” explains Sparrow.

Of course some valid real estate clichés, like location and price, are still key factors, but he emphasizes that, when it comes to Calgary condos, demand is king. “Oil at $100ppb drew a lot of people into the city, many of whom lived and worked downtown. In 2016, companies continued to lay people off, even with $50 oil. Investors have still not been drawn to the apartment market as they suffer from the same trepidation local buyers do about prices continuing to fall into 2017.”

“We have seen prices adjust and start to get closer to the current economic environment,” Ho says. “We do expect to see the market gradually shift from a buyer’s market to more of a balanced market in 2017.”

The encouraging positivity is echoed by the Ottawa-based Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) which has

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FEBRUARY 2017 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

SPARROW EXPLAINS WHILE THE NUMBERS MAY BE POSITIVE IN TERMS OF SALES, IT MAY NOT BE SUCH A POSITIVE REFLECTION OF PRICES. “IN ALL MARKET SEGMENTS, OWNERS OF PROPERTIES OVER $1 MILLION ARE SELLING FOR FAR HIGHER PERCENTAGE CONCESSIONS THAN ARE THOSE WITH $300,000$400,000 UNITS.” crunched numbers to forecast that this year, overall real estate sales will rebound in Alberta and Saskatchewan as oil prices inch up and the provincial economies improve.

CREA also cautions about minimal price growths for 2017.

The association calculates the Vancouver market will likely experience a decline in sales and prices this year, and the Toronto market will have a modest price growth of less than two per cent, mostly because inventory has fallen to all-time lows. Both markets are running out of homes to sell in the $3 million and up price range.

Many Calgary-area real agents and analysts are also voicing cautious optimism that, as stability happens in the oil market and the employment picture turns around, there will be noticeable strengthening in Calgary’s condo and overall housing market.

Leading Business FEBRUARY 2017

IN THIS ISSUE...

• Policy Bites: Five Policies That May Impact Your Business in 2017 • Member Profiles

CalgaryChamber.com

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // FEBRUARY 2017

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2017 Board of

Directors Executive

Policy Bites: Five Policies That May Impact Your Business in 2017

Chair: David Allen, Founder & President, Situated Co. Vice Chair: Phil Roberts, President, Vintri Technologies Inc Past Chair: Denis Painchaud, International Government Relations Treasurer: Wellington Holbrook, Chief Transformation Officer, ATB Financial CEO: Adam Legge, President and CEO, Calgary Chamber

Directors Linda Shea, Senior Vice-President, AltaLink Bill Brunton, Vice President, Habitat for Humanity, Southern Alberta Mike Williams, Executive Vice-President, Encana James Boettcher, Chief Idea Officer, Fiasco Gelato Brent Cooper, Partner, McLeod Law LLP Desirée Bombenon, President & CEO, SureCall Contact Centres Ltd Mandeep Singh, Audit Partner, Deloitte Jason Hatcher, Managing Principal, Navigator Greg Garcia, President and CEO, Calgary Elite Roofing Brian Bietz, President, Beitz Resources Management Adam Legge – President and CEO Michael Andriescu – Director of Finance and Administration Kim Koss – Vice President, Business Development and Sponsorship Scott Crockatt – Director of Marketing and Communications Rebecca Wood – Director of Member Services Justin Smith – Director of Policy, Research and Government Relations Leading Business magazine is a co-publication of the Calgary Chamber and Business in Calgary Calgary Chamber 600, 237 8th Avenue S.E. Calgary, Alberta T2G 5C3 Phone: (403) 750-0400 Fax: (403) 266-3413 calgarychamber.com

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There is consensus 2016 was a tough year for many Calgarians. Calgary’s unemployment rate has surpassed 10 per cent and there are now 42,000 less jobs in the city than just two years ago. There are many factors outside of government control – such as a falling price of oil – that has hindered our economy. However, current policies are making it difficult for businesses to succeed.

Let’s examine some of the Chamber’s upcoming advocacy initiatives that ought to be on your radar for the year ahead.

Inter-Provincial Trade Barriers. The Canadian Constitution prohibits the use of tariffs on goods coming from other provinces. However, provinces have erected many regulatory barriers such as labelling, packaging and advertising requirements, provincial board markups, and professional licensing standards. The Canadian economy is losing out on billions of dollars every year due to mind-boggling rules and over-regulation. The feds and provinces should make removing these barriers a priority as they hurt importers and businesses entering new markets, and increase prices for all Canadians.

Carbon Tax. The carbon tax will affect people differently, depending on where they are employed, their level of income and their spending habits. Rebates will be given to 60 per cent of Albertans to offset the increased cost of living and certain businesses will receive transfers to help them cope with the tax. However, many businesses will be harmed by higher input prices (e.g. transportation costs) and reduced consumer purchasing power. If consumers must spend more of their income on energy prices, they will have less to spend on other goods and services.

There will be much more to come on this topic.

Increasing Minimum Wage. Alberta’s general minimum wage is set to increase to $13.20 per hour on October 1, 2017 (11.5% increase), continuing the expected increase to $15 by 2018.

Increasing minimum wage is a blunt and inefficient tool that forces small businesses to bear the cost of an issue that must be the responsibility of society at-large. Layoffs may occur due to cost increases, further adding to Alberta’s high unemployment rate. Minimum wage is not an effective way of addressing the core issues of poverty. More impactful policy alternatives, which target those who are in the most need, must be explored before moving towards a sharp wage increase.

Higher Business Property Taxes. Downtown businesses have long shouldered the burden of Calgary’s non-residential property taxes. The city has a revenue target they must achieve to meet their budget. With less revenue coming from downtown, many businesses outside the core will see their taxes increase. City council has shown positive steps to reduce the additional burden being placed on small and medium-sized businesses through a $15-million tax relief and $50,000 for a small business tactical support team. Implementation of these programs have not yet been determined.

Municipal Government Act Review and City Charter. The Municipal Government Act (MGA), which “provides the governance model for cities, towns, [and] villages,” is being modified. The fiscal framework modifications that may affect Calgary businesses are being discussed during consultations early in 2017. The revised MGA and city charters may potentially give cities more autonomy to expand taxes and other revenue-generating mechanisms. These include: expanding development taxes, mandatory affordable housing, user fees and other non-property tax revenue. Much like the carbon tax, many Calgary businesses do not have the capacity to bear these additional costs.

FEBRUARY 2017 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

AMVIC Licensed

Chamber Member Spotlights The Calgary Chamber is proud to represent many Calgary businesses large and small; this month we are highlighting some of our industry leading members.

TD Canada Trust TD is the sixth largest bank in North America by branches and serves over 22 million customers in three key businesses operating in a number of locations in financial centres around the globe: Canadian Retail, including TD Canada Trust, TD Auto Finance Canada, TD Wealth (Canada), TD Direct Investing, and TD Insurance; U.S. Retail, including TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, TD Auto Finance U.S., TD Wealth (U.S.) and an investment in TD Ameritrade; and Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities. TD also ranks among the world’s leading online financial services firms, with approximately eight million active online and mobile customers.

For more information, visit TD.com.

Deloitte Deloitte LLP, one of Canada’s leading professional services firms, provides audit, tax, consulting, risk and

financial advisory services to a wide range of Canadian and international clients. With a proven track record for producing results, Deloitte focuses on collaborating with clients to understand their business and bring the most effective resources (people, methodologies and tools) to develop solutions for their clients’ most critical issues.

For more information, visit Deloitte.ca.

Concorde Entertainment Group Concorde Entertainment Group has been shaping Calgary’s hospitality scene since 1987 with the opening of Republik, a college bar dedicated to alternative music fans, and has since grown to become one of Canada’s largest and most diverse hospitality companies. They are driven by a common goal of creating experiences and spaces that provide guests the opportunity to unwind, gather, connect and have fun. Their restaurants and entertainment venues include Anju, Bourbon Room, Bridgette Bar, Clive Burger, Double Zero, The Palace Theatre (formerly known as Flames Central), Goro + Gun, Local 510, Local 522, National (with locations on 17th, 10th, 8th and West Hills), Palomino, Ricardo’s Hideaway, Sky 360 and Wildhorse Saloon.

For more information, visit ConcordeGroup.ca.

Thanks The Chamber thanks the following long-standing member companies celebrating anniversaries this month for their years of support to the Calgary Chamber, and their commitment to the growth and development of Calgary.

Member name

Years as a member

Calgary Real Estate Board

60

Calgary Public Library – Administration

25

Dr. Diana Monea Prof Corp.

15

Phoenix Research Inc.

15

ARUP DATTA ARCHITECT LTD.

10

World of Spas

10

Haathi Consulting

10

CSJ Holdings Ltd.

10

Eagle Professional Resources Inc.

10

Dawn Gordon Tractor Service Inc.

5

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FEBRUARY 2017 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB) This month, the Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB) is celebrating 60 years as a Calgary Chamber member. CREB is one of the largest real estate boards in Canada. It is a not-for-profit, voluntary membership organization with over 5,200 licensed brokers and registered associates that represent 240-plus member offices. One of the main functions of CREB is the operation of the Multiple Listing Service (MLS®) System. Through the MLS® System, members, and in turn their clients, have immediate access to the latest information on properties listed for sale.

For more information, visit Creb.com.

by Rennay Craats

McKee Homes | 30 Years | 1

Airdrie’s family builder for 30 years

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Photo by Michael Cudjoe Photography Ltd.

Rob Doel, Elaine McKee-Doel and Grace McKee.

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irdronians can’t throw a rock without hitting a singlefamily, multi-family or commercial building constructed

by McKee Homes. The prolific builder has been a presence in the city for the past 30 years, making dreams come true one home at a time.

After emigrating from Northern Ireland with his family in 1981, Martin McKee found work with construction companies in town.

Then one day he came home and told his wife Ruth that they were going to open their own company and build some homes. Ruth supported her husband’s vision and McKee Homes was born.

When McKee hung out his shingle in 1987, his was a two-man operation run out of the basement of the family home. He

McKee Homes | 30 Years | 2

Ser v ing Calgar y and surrounding areas for 35 years.

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McKee started his homebuilding company with $5,000, which he used to option three lots from Melcor Developments in Meadowbrook in 1987. In the years that followed he slowly and steadily grew the business. Within a few years, McKee Homes had moved out of the basement and into a tiny office space in what is now Waterstone in Airdrie. recruited Rob Doel, McKee’s daughter Elaine’s then-boyfriend and now husband, to join his team.

“My dad risked everything to start the company,” says Grace McKee, Martin’s daughter and executive vice president of McKee Homes.

McKee started his homebuilding company with $5,000, which he used to option three lots from Melcor Developments in Meadowbrook in 1987. In the years that followed he slowly and steadily grew the business. Within a few years, McKee Homes had moved out of the basement and into a tiny office space in what is now Waterstone in Airdrie. The staff grew as well: Elaine McKee Doel joined the company in 1990 and Grace joined a few years later.

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Honoured to be a part of the McKee Team!

Congratulations on 30 years!

Building Futures Students learning home building from the ground up, while getting their high school education.

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Contact us at 403.250.7030 • du-all@telus.net

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Photo by Michael Cudjoe Photography Ltd.

Sales Team – Rob Doel, Doug Kirk, Chuck Leclerc, Jennifer LaSaga, Heather Yates, Nancy Harris, Alexandra Larsen, Alan Stuckert and Kari Ann Hodge.

“Starting out so small, all three of us came in very early on in the process and learned it from the ground up. We had no choice but to do every position,” says Rob Doel, land and development manager.

Rob started at the end of a shovel, doing everything from laying rebar to pouring concrete to erecting walls. He moved into sales and learned from Martin at development meetings and lot draws. Grace started out answering phones but turned her talents to building a database, determining pricing, and then found her calling in design and estimating.

“It’s interesting to look back, because the three of us have gone where our natural strengths took us,” says Elaine McKee Doel, president.

Together the family grew the company into a major homebuilder in the city, helping to shape the residential landscape of Airdrie. They offer clients the complete package – their years of experience and diverse talents and education mean McKee Homes can take good care of clients every step of the way.

Over the past 30 years, McKee Homes has built well over 3,000 homes for around 9,000 people – an achievement the entire staff is proud of. Each homebuyer is treated like family and each home carries the high standards set by Martin McKee. When the patriarch passed away in 2006, the family was determined to continue to run his company as he had, reinforcing his values of quality, integrity and honesty.

“We really wanted to re-establish our identity as a company and make sure people knew that McKee Homes was here and wanted to continue to be here,” Elaine says.

McKee Homes | 30 Years | 4

Congratulations

McKee Homes!

They redefined and re-enforced the company’s mission and vision that would carry the next generation forward.

Their mission is to craft exceptional homes for their valued customers and their vision is to be the most highly sought-after homebuilder in their chosen markets.

“That’s what we do. That’s our reason for getting up and coming to work,” she says.

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The mission has been accomplished. McKee Homes has a solid reputation for great quality, exceptional service and amazing design and innovation. The company is currently building in

Partnerships fuel the company, whether they are with clients, staff, developers or trades. McKee Homes has enjoyed many long-term relationships with its partners who share the builder’s philosophy and high standards. McKee Homes stands behind its product and if there are any issues the team and its partners are dedicated to making it right. four areas in Airdrie – Cooper’s Crossing, Bayside, Ravenswood and Hillcrest – as well as Vista Crossing in Crossfield.

Just as every family is unique, so too are McKee homes. No two homes are the same.

Clients can modify an existing floor plan so it better meets their needs and tastes or they can completely customize a design from start to finish. The company employs three home planners who consult with clients and help them through all the design selections, large and small. Having educated, experienced people to guide homebuyers along is a huge advantage and it demystifies the at times overwhelming process.

Sometimes the best way to clarify what McKee Homes can do is to show people.

McKee has dozens of show homes representing many different home plans to serve as jumping off points for clients. Seeing a final product can help clients figure out what they want in their own homes and to more easily visualize the possibilities.

“Grace works really hard to make sure that the show homes are all unique so we can show people a bunch of different options and they can see them applied to a house. I think that really helps people make a decision,” says Heather Yates, sales manager.

Rather than staging a home so it represents a family environment, Grace and her team ensure McKee homes are designed with families in mind from the very start.

Their homes are practical, functional and beautiful spaces for all types of families to grow in. Every detail is considered to ensure customers get everything they want as well as everything they didn’t know they wanted.

And with access to design websites, architectural magazines and television networks, today’s homebuyers arrive armed with examples of the things they like and want to incorporate in their new home. McKee Homes has great designers to implement these ideas and fantastic trade partners who are always on top of trends and new products in the marketplace to help clients get exactly what they want, whilst keeping in mind affordability and value.

“It’s exciting for us to be able to send our clients to our partners and know that they are getting the best and most current products,” says Grace.

McKee-built homes are found throughout Airdrie. So is the McKee name. The family is a proud local builder that lives in and supports the community. They attend many fundraisers and are happy to sponsor events and organizations to make it a better

Congrats to McKee Homes!

We look forward to continuing this partnership for many more years to come.

Ph: 403-852-7193 Fax: 403-946-0023 info@formworxinc.com

McKee Homes | 30 Years | 5

Partnerships fuel the company, whether they are with clients, staff, developers or trades. McKee Homes has enjoyed many long-term relationships with its partners who share the builder’s philosophy and high standards. McKee Homes stands behind its product and if there are any issues the team and its partners are dedicated to making it right. They strive to ensure complete customer satisfaction at every level.

After all, clients are more than just business transactions. They are friends and neighbours, and everyone at the company takes pride in knowing their friends are living in and loving their McKee home.

President of Form Worx Gerry McKee

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Photo by Michael Cudjoe Photography Ltd.

Design Team – John Melissen, Ashley Bevelander, Alexandria Rawlyck, Alex Maxwell, Grace McKee, Don Friesen and Heather MacPherson.

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McKee Homes | 30 Years | 6

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Family is paramount at McKee Homes, and there is often a family connection to its community involvement. McKee Homes hosts an annual golf tournament in memory of founder Martin McKee, with all proceeds split between Community Links, Agape Hospice and the Airdrie Hospice Society. place to live. When Genesis Place announced it needed to rebuild its pool, McKee Homes stepped up with sponsorship and remains an ongoing supporter. It has also supported everything from sports teams and rodeos to the Airdrie Food Bank and the Boys and Girls Club.

Family is paramount at McKee Homes, and there is often a family connection to its community involvement. McKee Homes hosts an annual golf tournament in memory of founder Martin McKee, with all proceeds split between Community Links, Agape Hospice and the Airdrie Hospice Society. Over the years McKee Homes has donated more than $158,000 to these causes. It also sponsors the George McDougall High School Ride of the Mustang in which teams of students ride stationary bikes for 48 hours straight to raise money for the Alberta Children’s Hospital. In the past six years students, including

plumbing • furnaces • air conditioners • fireplaces • hydronic heating • service • renovations

We are proud to partner with McKee Homes.

We congratulate them for their business integrity and conscientious efforts in our community.

#102 – 2890 Kingsview Blvd SE Airdrie AB, T4A 0E1 P (403)-980-8223 • F (403)-980-8224 • www.cycloneplumbing.ca

Kingswood Interiors is proud to congratulate McKee Homes for 30 years of excellence.

McKee Homes | 30 Years | 7

info@kingswoodcabinets.com www.kingswoodcabinets.com

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Photo by Michael Cudjoe Photography Ltd.

Warranty Team – Robin Noseworthy, Allison Fadden, Marnie Maddison and Andy Morrell.

Rob and Elaine’s sons who attended the school, have raised nearly $650,000, making them one of the top fundraising charity events organized by youth in the province.

McKee Homes is committed to the community and to the industry, and those two areas came together in another innovative program called Building Futures. Four years ago, Rob and Elaine’s sons’ teacher approached the couple with a crazy idea: creating an unconventional learning opportunity for Grade 10 students. They readily agreed to be involved.

McKee Homes | 30 Years | 8

“Before we knew it we had 34 kids full time on our job sites, where we built them a temporary learning centre in the detached garages for teachers to work with them on their entire academic curriculum, all the while building two houses,” says Elaine.

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Congratulations McKee Homes on 30 Years!!

McKee Homes is committed to the community and to the industry, and those two areas came together in another innovative program called Building Futures.

Students from the three public high schools spend the entire year learning in a very different way. They link the things they learn in the classroom to real-world applications, never again needing to ask why they have to learn math or if knowing how to speak in front of other people is important. Attention to detail and pride in one’s work filtered from the job site into the classroom, and some students who came into the program with struggling grades left it with vast improvement. Building Futures gives students confidence and leadership while exposing them to a range of career options they may otherwise never have known existed.

“They get a taste of it all, right from excavation of the basement and concrete pouring to framing and insulation and drywall, and they get experience in all the trades and professions. It’s job experience for 80 jobs, all in 10 months,” says Rob. During the school year, students get to experience every step of the process, including those that go beyond building.

Last year there was a design component in which students were asked to complete a design board to plan the furniture and decor that meets the family’s needs while staying on a budget. McKee Homes also teaches students about sales with a Realtor open house during which they can interact

with professionals in the industry. Students also learn about mortgages and financing, which will serve them when they become homeowners themselves.

To enhance the experience for students, McKee Homes brought in SAIT to partner with the initiative. A faculty of construction instructor comes out to work with the students on projects and invites them to tour the campus to get an idea of what programs are available after graduation. There have been students from the first years of Building Futures who are now attending SAIT

or studying engineering, and one student has gone to work for McKee Homes. It has become a highly coveted program, with more than 100 applicants hoping to secure a spot each year.

This interest is great news. The McKee team knows how tough labour shortages can be and is excited to help generate more enthusiasm about trades among young people.

The program has attracted a lot of attention and acclaim during its short life. In 2014, Building Futures was awarded second place in the Canadian Education Association’s Ken Spencer

Congratulations McKee Homes on 30 Years!

We wish you many more years continued success!

McKee Homes | 30 Years | 9

5925 12 St SE Calgary, AB T2H 2M3 Phone: (403) 259-6730 www.hawthorninteriors.com

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Photo by Michael Cudjoe Photography Ltd.

Office Team - Elaine McKee-Doel, Maxine Wall, Susan Snider, Shelley Fiander and Trisia Beaudin.

Award for Innovation in Teaching and Learning. And last year, Kingsmith Homes in Cochrane was inspired to start its own Building Futures program for high school students there.

“I continue to be really proud of all those people who put their trust in us that this was going to work and it was going to be great – and it has been,” says Elaine.

Honoured to be part of the McKee Homes team.

Congratulations on your success over the past 30 years!

McKee Homes | 30 Years | 10

We look forward to continuing our work and achievements together in the future.

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7003-5th Street SE 403-253-4441 www.mohawkflooring.com

Granite Gallery would like to congratulate McKee Homes for their 30 years in business!

Congratulations McKee Homes!

We look forward to a continued relationship with them for many more years to come.

1089 - 57 Avenue N.E. Phone: (403) 250-3636 • Fax: (403) 250-3638 www.granitegallery.ca

Congratulations

McKee Homes on 30 years!

IDEAL is proud to be a partner of McKee Homes since the very beginning.

From roofing to spray foam, attic insulation to batt & poly, McKee Homes utilizes all of IDEAL’s services to provide their customers with a safe and energy efficient home.

We thank the McKee Homes family and their staff for our 30 year partnership.

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Congratulations McKee Homes on your 30 year success and all the best for the future!

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www.idealinsulation.com (403) 236-8080 contacts@idealinsulation.com

McKee Homes | 30 Years | 11

Congratulations to McKee Homes on 30 Years Wishing you continued success!

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Photo by Michael Cudjoe Photography Ltd.

Construction Team – Derek Werenka, Mark Carrier, Dave Werenka, Terry Lindsay, Mike Macsymic, James Huntley, Sheri McAllister and Mike Pierce.

The Building Futures program is only one of the areas in which McKee Homes has been forward-looking and invested in the future. Since it started 30 years ago, the company has always tried to stay ahead of the curve in many areas including energy efficiency and better building practices within its homes. Now, as it celebrates three decades in business, McKee Homes is looking ahead as much as back.

When the new national energy code was adopted on November 1, 2016, McKee Homes didn’t have to make any changes to its practices as it was already meeting or exceeding the standards and regulations. Instead it took it a step further and began using triple-paned windows for even greater efficiency. In fact, McKee Homes is now looking at efficiency in a different way.

With the carbon tax promising higher power bills, the McKee team is looking at implementing technology into their designs

to help further reduce utility costs for clients, whether that is through LED lighting, Lutron dimmers and lighting controls, or using the best efficiency appliances.

“There are some cool affordable products out there that people can use, and we’re really going to look into that for 2017,” says Grace.

While 30 years in business is an incredible achievement, the milestone won’t change how the company operates. The coming years will see the McKee team simply continuing to do all the things that have made it successful to honour Martin McKee’s vision for the company. They vow to maintain their high standards, unbeatable quality and unwavering commitment to Airdrie and its residents in order to reach their main goal: to create incredible homes for happy clients.

“We love what we do. It’s so rewarding to build a home and have people move into it and live there,” says Grace.

McKee Homes | 30 Years | 12

And with thousands of Airdronians happy in their McKee Homes builds over the decades, McKee Homes’ love for the business and the community shines through.

Congratulates

McKee Homes on 30 years!

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406 First Avenue NW, Airdrie, AB T4B 3H1 (403) 948-6595 • www.mckeehomes.com

Congratulations McKee Homes on 30 years!

Wishing you many more years of continued Success.

graphicrailing@gmail.com • 403-650-8400

McKee Homes | 30 Years | 13

Graphic Railing

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Congratulations McKee Homes on 30 Years crafting exceptional modern homes!

Congratulations McKee Homes on 30 years of success

Watt Consulting Group has been a proud partner of Geomatics Engineers and Surveyors, Civil and Municipal Engineers and Traffic and Transportation Engineers serving the Municipal market for over 30 years.

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PGC17_CustomerAd_McKeeHomes30Year_3-3125x4-75.indd 1

12/20/16 3:45:01 PM

Westcon Precast would like to personally thank McKee Homes for allowing us to be part of their team in contributing to the creation of beautiful custom homes.

We are proud to be associated with a company whose craftsmanship and customer service exceeds all expectation.

McKee Homes | 30 Years | 14

May we continue to be a part of such an exceptional team. Happy 30th Anniversary McKee Homes! Many more successes to you all.

4412 - 54th Avenue S.E. Calgary Alberta T2C 2B9 Ph: 403.279.2534 (Office) • www.westconprecast.com

Photo by Michael Cudjoe Photography Ltd.

Storage Space Re-imagined at the VAULTS

by Rennay Craats

S

elf-storage units conjure images of dark corridors leading to manual roll-up doors with crates of old, forgotten stuff packed behind them. Recreational vehicle storage is often equally grim, with vehicles parked out in the snow in a remote field. The VAULTS has completely changed the image of off-site storage with the introduction of its luxury storage condominiums.

“We don’t believe you’re just storing stuff. We believe you’re storing stuff that you love,” says James Murray, vice president of the VAULTS. And things you love should be displayed, not hidden away. The VAULTS allows people to combine luxury lifestyle with the practical need to store cars, recreational vehicles, motorcycles and other precious items they don’t have space for at home.

The site in North Calgary is currently under construction, and car enthusiasts are eager to secure their spots.

“Luxury storage condominiums have been available in North America for over a decade,” says Joe Mahovlich, president and founder of the VAULTS. “After visiting and researching many different formats and locations, we set our sights on

establishing a higher standard that would truly create an inspirational space for all unit owners, as well as provide a secure storage solution.”

The first two phases have been released, with phase one ready in March and phase two in June. Sales for these first 19 units have been brisk and few units remain available. The 43-unit complex is comprised of five floor plans, with units ranging from 1,650 square feet to more than 4,000 square feet and starting at $349,900. Each unit includes a spacious mezzanine perfect for recreation and relaxing with family or to house a personal office. Twenty-six- foot ceilings ensure any vehicle will easily fit in the unit, and with a 13.5-foot clearance under the mezzanine, units can accommodate car lifts should owners wish to include one or more.

The VAULTS condominiums go well beyond just storage.

They offer a space to showcase and enjoy prized possessions or a place in which owners can pursue hobbies like art and woodworking. No matter what they are using it for, owners can customize their storage space to make it fit their individual needs perfectly.

the VAULTS

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“It’s designed to be that inspirational space. Owners can take it from a blank canvas and make it their own,” Murray says.

walls are primed drywall just waiting for owners to add their own flair to the space.

‘Blank’ may give the impression of basic, but the VAULTS is anything but. It comes standard with polished concrete flooring, a three-piece bathroom, and is ready for cable, phone, security and Internet connection. Large windows, some of which offer great views of the green space behind the facility, let in lots of natural light and add to the feeling of home. The

Possibilities are endless. While some are satisfied with the impressive standards upon moving in, others are excited to put their own mark on the space. Owners who need a bit of guidance with designing their perfect space can look to the VAULTS’ interior designer Jillaine Jurchuk for help. She is on hand for everything from colour choices to decorative touches

That’s why you want it done right. And that’s why we are proud to be the excavation partner for the Vaults. The Vaults secure luxury, and we secure confidence. For everything that rests on your excavation – cost, quality, safety, your good name – rely on Keystone. ourlifeisdirt.com

the VAULTS | 2

Actual buildings and views may be noticeably different from what is depicted in renderings, sets and photos. The developer reserves the right to make modifications, substitutions, change brands, sizes, colors, layouts, materials, features, finishes and other specifications without prior notification. This is not an offering for sale. Any such offer may only be made with the applicable disclosure document and agreement of purchase and sale. The Concord Limited Partnership. E&OE.

as you wish. Live life large with less hassle at THE CONCORD.

state-of-the-art gym or golf simulator, set your pace as exciting or relaxing

at the west-facing indoor pool and patio to tuning your body at the

throwing an extravagant reception at the grand lounge. From sunbathing

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to furniture, mill work and high-end garage cabinetry. Some owners are opting to celebrate their favourite luxury vehicle by matching the trim or wall colour to the pantone colour of that special car. The VAULTS’ preferred partners are also on hand to provide owners with full enhancements including security systems, audio/video integration, special floor treatments, fixtures and furniture.

Owners who buy early can make enhancements to their space at the construction stage. The VAULTS is happy to accommodate requests, whether it’s to add additional

plumbing, include a bar kitchen or change the style of the staircase up to the mezzanine. Client satisfaction is the goal, and the developer has thought of everything in order to achieve it.

Units have trough drains so owners can wash their vehicles in their unit, but with a wash bay on site, they won’t have to. They can drive into the large private bay and hand wash their car without leaving the storage complex.

Also, the VAULTS aims to create a community and not just a storage unit. To that end, the clubhouse will be available to all owners to use as a way to encourage a community atmosphere within the complex. The 1,300-square-foot two-level space will be a great place to visit and connect with like-minded enthusiasts, watch television, prepare a snack, or to entertain friends.

BLACK stone Proud to be the Land Survey service provider to the VAULTS! 4663 Quentin St SW, Calgary, AB T2T 6E1 Phone: (403) 807-2496 • www.blackstonegeomatics.com

While it is intended to be an inclusive community, with a name like the VAULTS, it’s no surprise the development focuses heavily on security. The two entrances into the nearly threeacre property are fully enclosed with the rest of the perimeter being concrete walls. Entry will be granted only to unit owners and nominees to ensure the highest level of security. Owners then enter their personal unit with a FOB but they have the option to enhance unit security if they choose to. There is also 24-7 monitored security along the perimeter and in common areas to ensure the VAULTS is secure.

the VAULTS | 4

Congratulations to the VAULTS!

We are honored to reflect and support The VAULTS high standards as their preferred A/V Systems Integrator for Audio, Video, Network, Security/CCTV & Automation Services.

Congratulations on your very successful launch!

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250-558-8470 • dycor@shaw.ca the VAULTS | 5

The VAULTS has seen to keeping property safe not only from uninvited visitors but also from accidents. There is a sprinkler system throughout the complex in case of fire and the walls between units have a two-hour burn rating for added safety and security. As owners may be tinkering with vehicles in their units, the air is completely exchanged every hour to ensure it’s a healthy environment.

“We’ve been working with The Concord downtown to package the two together,” Murray says. “At The Concord you have this wonderful luxurious living space so you can travel without having to worry about your home and then you can store your stuff here, within 15 minutes of the downtown core. It’s a nice easy solution.”

Not only is the VAULTS close to downtown, it is minutes from Deerfoot Trail, Stoney Trail and the airport. It’s the perfect location, and it was a major consideration for Mahovlich.

The ease of access allows people to get wherever they want to go, in any direction, quickly. It is also in a community with architectural controls in place, which is important for future real estate value.

The whole package is appealing to many Calgarians, and the time couldn’t be better for a luxury storage condominium development. More people are moving out of estate homes and downsizing into luxury condominiums, and the problem of what to do with their overflow property arises.

The VAULTS in Calgary is slated for completion by the end of 2017 with plans to scale right across the country into such markets as Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg in the future.

With the developer’s attention to detail providing the luxury lifestyle, its focus on security, and a dedication to customer satisfaction, the VAULTS is sure to be a luxury storage brand to watch for coast to coast.

Ph: 403.250.2353 • Fax: 403.250.2657 www.evolutionglass.com

Evolution Glass Inc. is pleased to have provided the custom windows to the VAULTS.

North Calgary Location: 1750 – 120 Ave NE P: 403.201.9999 info@thevaults.ca thevaults.ca

Thank you for your partnership and congratulations on your success!

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BUILDING COMMUNITY AT THE CALGARY TELUS CONVENTION CENTRE Calgary’s Otafest transformed from a self-described gathering of nerds to a large-scale community event with one simple change in 2016.

Organizers moved the 18th annual edition of the premiere Japanese animation festival to the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre (CTCC).

“We needed a bigger space for vendors and artists to showcase exhibits and products,” says Jenny Chan, chair of the 2017 Otafest organizing committee. “And we wanted a better main events room for our attendees.”

She says holding the three-day event in the heart of downtown Calgary at the CTCC added “a festive flair” to its already vibrant flavour. Many festivalgoers wear costumes of their favourite Japanese comic book and cartoon show characters. Classics include Dragonball Z, Sailor Moon and Pokemon.

“We had such a blast,” Chan recalls. “It was just so jubilant and there were lots of colorful characters.”

The festival also coincided with Canada Day, drawing in hundreds of people downtown that day for the country’s 149th birthday celebrations. In all, Otafest attracted 8,000 people, introducing many to Calgary’s culture of Japanese animation (or anime) for the first time.

Each year the festive features voice actors, cosplayers (dressing up and portraying anime characters), panel discussions, meet-and-greet sessions, bands, exhibits, show screenings and sketching and autograph sessions.

“The most fulfilling feedback we had was from kids who said that Otafest was a safe place for them to come and have fun,” Chan says. “Some people have said that Otafest was where they made their lifelong friendships.”

Geared for all ages, the event largely attracts thousands of people in their teens and 20s. Many discover the event through Japanese anime clubs at high schools and universities.

“We’re a festival that’s put on by regular fans who just want to share the world of Japanese animation,” Chan says. “We’re a community within a community and we attract people from across southern Alberta.”

For more information on growing your community at meeting, festivals and events, contact the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre at 403.261.8500 or sales@calgary-convention.com.

calgary-convention.com BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // FEBRUARY 2017

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Agriculture is a Growth Business in Alberta

BY STEPHEN EWART

A

griculture is a growth industry in every sense and that means economic growth in Alberta.

Farming and ranching have always been staples of the Alberta economy and the province has a global reputation for top-quality products and excellence in food safety and sustainability. Now, Calgary and southern Alberta are an emerging centre for all aspects of agribusiness.

At a time when Canada’s energy sector is desperate for access to global markets, agriculture is already export-oriented and tied into supply chains worldwide.

Alberta agriculture and agri-food products are exported to 140 countries.

However, Albertans aren’t content to simply be hewers of wood, drawers of water or even reapers of crops. There’s a growing opportunity to do more – to develop and manufacture value-added products for consumers – to grow and diversify the sector.

Innovations around crop science and livestock are creating business opportunities and agribusiness is a key sector in the 10-year economic strategy for Calgary Building on our Energy that supports growth and diversification.

Food processing and manufacturing employs about 18,600 Albertans and accounts for more than 20 per cent of all manufacturing in the province. A 23.4 per cent increase in sales in 2015 – the most in two decades – meant Alberta contributed $13.6 billion to Canada’s $95.7 billion in food manufacturing sales, third after only Ontario and Quebec.

The top exports were wheat, beef, canola seed, live cattle and pork. Almost 40 per cent of exports went to the United States, followed by China, Japan and Mexico.

With a record of success in value-added food and beverage processing and excellence in crop science and animal genetics as well as emerging fields such as agri-technologies and agri-

finance, Calgary has the foundation to support a prosperous industry for decades.

There are numerous business advantages that attract companies to Calgary. Here are five of the most prominent in the agriculture sector: • Proximity to high-value farmland: Irrigation is a distinguishing feature of agriculture in southern Alberta and enables cultivation of specialty products such as hybrid canola seeds, sugar beets or potatoes.

• Anchor firms/skilled workforce: Global leaders such as Dow AgroSciences, Bayer Crop Science, Agrium, Old Dutch and Sofina Foods have operations here and local postsecondary institutions offer education in horticulture, food safety, livestock genetics, crop science and veterinary sciences.

• Distribution advantages: Distribution centres in Calgary can reach four million consumers in a one-day round trip by truck and 16 million within a one-day, one-direction trip.

Intermodal facilities for two class 1 railways and Canada’s fourth busiest airport provide access to consumer markets worldwide.

• Research and innovation: Alberta is a leader in agricultural research with almost two dozen universities, colleges and specialized institutes focused on innovation and advancing science and technology around livestock, field crops, food processing and food safety.

• Proven food processing capacity: Agri-food is the largest manufacturing category in Alberta and Calgary has a mix of multinationals, mid-size companies and niche food and beverage processing and manufacturing companies.

Global meat processors Cargill and JBS Food Canada have large operations in southern Alberta.

Times change in all industries but the opportunities for growth by innovative agribusiness companies are clearly deep rooted in Alberta.

Stephen Ewart is manager of communications and content for Calgary Economic Development.

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Tourism Calgary Focusing Marketing Efforts on Highly-Targeted U.S. Travellers

BY CASSANDRA MCAULEY

I

t is shaping up to be a strong year for U.S. visitation to Canada, and subsequently to Calgary. With the favourable dollar, sesquicentennial celebrations and dedicated marketing efforts, Canada is looking to build on nearly 10 per cent growth from U.S. travellers last year, with an expected increase of a further 7.8 per cent in 2017. With approximately 30.9 million Americans considering visiting Canada in the next two years, the opportunity to market to this audience is unprecedented.

The Conference Board of Canada is expecting overnight travel to Calgary to grow by 2.5 per cent in 2017, and American travellers are an important market for our destination.

To drive visitation from the U.S., Tourism Calgary is working closely with its partners at Destination Canada and Travel Alberta to promote our country, region and city to U.S. travellers, while creating urgency to visit. The re-targeting campaign ensures highly-qualified potential visitors are exposed to Calgary-specific content, curated by advocates including travel media, explorers and locals.

Targeted first at markets with direct access to Canada, including Seattle, Houston, Dallas, Boston, New York, Minneapolis/ St. Paul, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, potential travellers expressing interest in Canadian tourism content then receive information about Alberta. If they engage with that content, Calgary-specific information is shared.

The primary channel for these efforts is a long-haul targeted microsite, found at http://www.visitcalgary.com/ basecamp-calgary. The microsite is refreshed seasonally, ensuring relevant content for vacation planning is always available. The site features a library rich with content crafted specifically for U.S. audiences, based on research insights gained from other efforts in 2016.

THESE RESEARCH INSIGHTS INDICATE U.S. TRAVELLERS ARE INTERESTED IN A COMBINATION OF URBAN AND ADVENTURE EXPERIENCES. TO RESPOND TO THIS, MANY OF TOURISM CALGARY’S MARKETING EFFORTS SHOWCASE “TWO WORLDS, ONE DAY” OPTIONS FOR EXPLORING THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS AND CALGARY’S CULTURE ALL IN THE SAME DAY. These research insights indicate U.S. travellers are interested in a combination of urban and adventure experiences. To respond to this, many of Tourism Calgary’s marketing efforts showcase “two worlds, one day” options for exploring the Rocky Mountains and Calgary’s culture all in the same day.

Similarly, content also highlights the opportunities for experiencing the Badlands and the city all in one day.

The first six months of the campaign yielded over 17 million impressions and 20,000 incremental individual visits to Tourism Calgary’s microsite from long-haul U.S. travellers, indicating heavy interest from this target market. As the U.S. campaign expands, these numbers are expected to grow, especially as more content is created based specifically on the behaviours and interests of these travellers.

To learn more about Tourism Calgary, and all there is to experience in our city, see visitcalgary.com.

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // FEBRUARY 2017

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From Book to Byte BRINGING LAW DIGITAL

BY LINDSAY DAVIES

I

n a world where many processes have gone digital, and paperwork is becoming a relic of the past, the field of law is still bound to paper-based document control.

Calgary-based entrepreneur and lawyer Adrian Camara noticed this tendency and saw an opportunity to fill the gap by bringing the field of law into the paperless world.

Meet Paper Interactive, a cloud-based legal management and digital document creation and signing tool for startups and small businesses. The aptly named company takes the hassle out of legal paperwork for lawyers, entrepreneurs and small businesses who can use Paper for a variety of legal management needs.

From incorporating, to adding investors, hiring employees or sending an agreement for digital signature, Paper handles many legal services that lawyers and entrepreneurs need, all in a handy digital format.

The idea for Paper came from a very obvious gap in Camara’s field. “As a lawyer, I help a lot of companies fix legal disasters created from document generators. Cloud-based information has won in many other sectors, from construction to health care. Legal is still document based. It was an obvious play to take it full cloud. We believe that the pathway to powerful legal is rooted in code, not documents,” says Camara, chief executive officer, Paper.

The Paper team’s motivation is mainly a result of experiencing the frustrating outcomes of poor planning and management.

The large founding team, consisting of six members from various professional backgrounds, have all had to rise above situations where they were personally impacted by poor legal planning and document management.

“The engineering team has a personal mission to make sure strong legal resources are more available,” says Camara.

Camara and his colleagues had a very successful year in 2016, and the team is looking forward to building on that success in 2017. Paper was voted the winner of the People’s Choice Award by more than 700 attendees at Startup Calgary’s Launch Party in November. They also made their first $100 from a beta user and secured their first U.S.-based company to trial the system.

Paper launched their free, interactive partnership for earlystage companies in the first week of January. This system will allow startups to divide equity, secure intellectual property and add new founders, among other features designed to help early-stage teams.

Paper plans to launch their fully interactive corporation and commercial agreement platform in late February 2017.

The team is looking forward to being on track for scalable revenue in the first quarter and moving towards collecting user feedback, and improving integrations and tools for lawyers to work with their clients in the year to come.

To learn more about Paper’s user interface or about investing in Paper, visit https://get-paper.com.

To learn more about Innovate Calgary and how it supports new and emerging technology, visit innovatecalgary.com.

PHOTO SOURCE: PAPER INTERACTIVE

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Connect with the world at the centre of energy.

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MARKETING MATTERS // DAVID PARKER

Marketing Matters

BY DAVID PARKER

I

t was nice on a new year catch-up with Sharie Hunter of Arthur/Hunter to hear her so excited about new awards and new clients.

She closed 2016 by being awarded annual reports for Inter Pipeline, ARC Resources, Painted Pony and Synergy Resources. ARC Resources was the company Arthur/Hunter earned a MarCom Platinum Award for its “Strong Today, Strong Tomorrow” report and a MarCom Gold for its 2016 Sustainability Report. It also won a Canadian Regional Design Award for Calgary Opera’s “Be Amazed” campaign.

Hunter is a passionate patron of the arts in Calgary and says she is privileged to have been named to the boards of both Calgary Opera and Honens.

And she begins 2017 with several new accounts to her roster including: Viewpoint Group, Cowtown Opera, the British Consulate, the Canadian Institute, the Woodrow Wilson Centre, and the Canadian Energy Executive Association.

Looks like another good year.

Always happy to hear of Calgary companies with contracts beyond the city, it’s great to see Tim Flaman, formerly with Western Sky Creative, is helping launch a new national communications firm. The head office will be in Calgary with additional offices in Toronto and Ottawa.

Flaman now resides with Strut Creative as vice president of a joint venture called L°attitude formed between the Calgary agency and Canadian Geographic.

Strut founder Aaron Salus and managing director Chris McPhail have worked on Royal Canadian Geographical Society projects for many years including its giant floor map program that gives students a new perspective on geography with the use of massive 36x26-foot maps rolled

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out over school gymnasiums on which students can walk from province to province. They are both on the board of the new venture and both have been honoured by being named fellows of the Royal Geographical Society.

L°attitude will leverage the creativity of Strut’s staff and the vast experience and contacts of Canadian Geographic.

One of its initial projects is to tell the story of Captain John Palliser with the use of feature stories in Canadian Geographic magazine, a hardcover book plus an educational component using an interactive website and smartphone promotion.

And Flaman’s Western Sky clients will continue to be supported through the team at Strut Creative.

Todd Sloane, owner and lead creative at Tag Advertising, has been handling TacoTime Canada for over 20 years, but for the first time he was able to persuade it to take 30 per cent of its marketing budget towards online.

Using its own online media department and working with in-house digital media partner Zugalu, Tag created the Cactus Family in 30-second YouTube videos.

While many QSR (quick service restaurants) suffered big losses during 2016, TacoTime saw an increase in sales across Canada.

And the Cactus characters are about to make their in-store debut on cups, plates, bowls and wraps.

Parker’s Pick Recycled can sculpture commissioned by Karo that I hope you saw in the Core.

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