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PHIL ROBERTS TAKES OVER AS CHAIR OF THE CHAMBER

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MARKETING

HILLHURST | $1,595,000 - $1,695,000

NEST

426 or 428 or 43 0 - ELE VENTH S TREE T NW

Three units to choose from, offering luxury in the heart of Kensington! this incredible, architecturally designed new executive tri-plex features outstanding, high-end fixtures & fittings, spectacular interior design (by Monica Stevens Interior Design) and a location second to none, perfect for those who appreciate walkability/pedestrian friendly living it is set on a quiet, tree-lined street just steps away from trendy shops & restaurants, Riley Pk, c-train & Bow River. Walk/bike to nearby SAIT, Jubilee auditorium for a concert, ballet or opera or to downtown from this inner city retreat with bedrooms (2 master suites) & 4 bathrooms, rooftop deck, city views & developed basement. Showcasing exceptional finishes thru-out if offers: Wolf & Sub-Zero appliances, Empire kitchen & bath millwork, Ann Sacks designer backsplash, Caesarstone counters, sitefinished white oak hardwood, European plumbing fixtures, 10” baseboards, 9 & 10’ ceilings, Legrand electrical outlets, ICF party-walls & foundation, heated garage & basement floor.

WILDWOOD | $1,450,000

455

WILDWOOD DRIVE SW

Backs Edworthy Park! Here is your chance to live on the most coveted cul-de-sac of idyllic Wildwood. Located deep in the heart of the community, at the quiet tip of Wildwood Drive, this fully renovated bungalow provides direct access to the park from the back gate. Mature landscaping, western exposure, a hot tub, a huge deck and patio are highlights of the secluded backyard. A complete overhaul in 2014 modernized the entire floor plan and finishes inside and out including new windows. The impressively sized kitchen features granite counters, hardwood and a backsplash of glass and marble.

The master suite includes a walk in closet and ensuite with soaker tub; rare finds in houses in this district. Downstairs is a fully developed recreation room with a stone faced fireplace separating a flex space perfect for a workout area or office.

Enthusiasts of 1950s homes will adore the charming neighbourhood and thoughtful updates. Live moments from the downtown core while enjoying Edworthy Park at your doorstep.

COUGAR RIDGE | $1,395,000

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Idylic location, on the ridge, backing onto a 150 acre environmental reserve. This gorgeous home offers panoramic views overlooking the river and twinkling city lights from all three levels. In excess of 4300 SF of luxurious living space plus a 3 car tandem garage.The home offers extensive use of natural stone, Rundle exterior, stone wall fireplace, travertine and granite countertops thorough out. Custom millwork, coffered ceilings, cove moldings. Main level offers a den, formal dining room, vaulted living room & chef’s kitchen with a huge hidden walk-in pantry, Viking & Bosch professional series appliances (incl. gas stove). An exquisite custom, curved, open-string stairway leads you to 3 generous size bedrooms and bonus/flex room.

The Master boasts the most sought-after views, luxurious ensuite with in-floor heating, 3-sided fireplace, jetted tub, his/ her sinks, and spa inspired steam-shower. The walkout has a full-service bar, home theatre, gym, 4th bedroom & 3pc bath.

Fully landscaped with a SwimSpa and fire pit.

MY EXPERIENcE IS YOUR ADVANtAGE

JUST ASK US!

WORTH ®

YOUR HOME

FOR ALL IT’S

RICHMOND | $1,275,000

2105

NINETEENTH STREET SW

A stunning renovation, worthy of a spread in Style at Home magazine! The jewel of Knob Hill, this ultra-chic 2-storey (no condo fees) is perched on the ridge with city views & a gorgeous, low-maintenance, walled “secret garden” with waterfall, extensive perennial plantings & a big deck, your own private oasis. Inside you’ll find extensive updates incl: kitchen (site finished with high-end appliances), bathrooms (incl. steam shower adjacent to gym), dark hardwood & porcelain tile, designer paint & lighting, plumbing & heating systems, custom window coverings, fireplace feature wall & extensive sitefinished built-ins! Plan offers chef’s kitchen w/ Thermador & Miele appliances, quartz counters & glass backsplash, living room w/modern fireplace, formal dining has a dramatic light fixture & city views, 2 bdrms upstairs including the tree-house inspired master suite w/ fireplace, sitting rm, amazing closet & spa bathroom. Lower lvl has gym, 3rd bedroom & spa bathroom with steam shower. New shingles this year.

ASPEN WOODS | $1,095,000

76

A SPEN SUMMIT CIRCLE SW

Rare bungalow in Aspen Woods! Step inside and be welcomed by an open concept living space, soaring ceilings, dramatic stone-faced gas fireplace and contemporary crystal chandeliers. A timelessly designed, crisp kitchen features granite countertops, Dacor induction cooktop and stainless steel Bosch wall oven and dishwasher. The walk thru pantry offers easy access to the laundry, mudroom and garage. A tucked away office provides a quiet place for work or homework.

The private master suite on the opposite side features a large walk in closet and elegant bathroom with heated floors and soaker tub. Downstairs, there’s lots more living space for entertaining and hanging out. Three additional bedrooms with large windows flank a Jack & Jill bathroom with double sinks. Be dazzled by this rare find with sparkling finishes and an easy-to-live-in layout built with attention to detail by Albi Homes. This is an ideal home for a family with older children or empty nesters in looking to buy in a new upscale district.

DISCOVERY RIDGE | $825,000

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Light & bright, with developed walkout, west backyard & 3100+ SF of living space! This home shows 10/10 and has 3 bedrooms, den & walkout developed with a nanny in mind (4th bedroom & kitchen/wet bar). There’s nothing to do but move in & enjoy: Neutral paint, white millwork, marble accents, granite counters & hardwood (main & upper). The main floor has a den, formal dining room, & great room with island kitchen, nook & family room. White kitchen with marble backsplash, granite counters & stainless appliances including a gas range & contemporary hoodfan. The breakfast nook has marble floor & opens to large deck. Family room has window seat, built-ins & gas fireplace with cabinet above for TV. There are 3 bedrooms & vaulted bonus room with built-in desk, entertainment unit & gas fireplace upstairs. Master has walk-in & 5-piece ensuite. Walkout developed with 4th bdrm, 3-pc bath, family room, flex space, storage (could be 5th bedroom) & kitchenette/wet bar. Beautiful west backyard featuring a walled stone patio & deck with glass rail & stairs to grade.

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JUST ASK US! CHRISTIE PARK | $775,000

6963

CHRISTIE BRIAR MANOR SW

Wonderful 4+1 bedroom family home on a pie lot in desirable Christie Estates with a full brick front & asphalt shingles that were replaced in 2014. It has hardwood flooring on main & upper levels, island kitchen updated with granite countertops & stainless steel appliances (including Wolf microwave, Bosch dishwasher & Dacor oven), 2 wood burning fireplaces (with log lighters), 4 + 1 bedrooms, main floor den, 4 bathrooms, formal living & formal dining rooms and fully developed basement offering a media room, games room, flex space, wet bar, bedroom & full bathroom. The living room has a bay window & vaulted ceiling and shares a 3-sided, granite faced wood-burning fireplace with the vaulted dining room. The family room, bayed breakfast nook & updated kitchen span the back of the house & overlook the yard. A 2 piece bath, laundry room & tranquil den with wainscotting & french doors complete the main. Ascend the elegant curved stairway to 4 upper bedrooms. The master has a sitting area, walk-in & jet tub ensuite.

GARRISON WOODS | $675,000

175

YPRES GREEN SW

Stylish brownstone with beautiful finishes & upgrades steps from the school, bus, shops, restaurants & services! 3 bedrooms, 3 bathroom townhome w/ open-planned main level ideal for modern family living & entertaining. A full-height gas fireplace is shared between the living & dining rms. The kitchen features a large island, peninsula, pantry & granite counters, which compliment the antiqued french cabinetry & stainless appliances including a Viking gas stove & Bosch dishwasher. Wide plank walnut hardwood flows thru the living & dining while durable slate flooring in the mudroom & kitchen is accented by a stone feature wall. The 2nd level offers 2 bedrooms, a computer/homework area, full bathrm + laundry rm! The back bedroom is so large it could be a bonus/media rm instead. The 3rd level is home to the master suite w/ sitting area, walkin & 5-pc ensuite w/ 2 sinks, soaker tub, shower, private toilet & 3-sided fireplace. The basement awaits your future plans.

There is a double garage & patio in backyard.

BELTLINE | $625,000

#630

72 0 - T H I R T E E N T H AV E N U E S W

Refined living in the exclusive enclave of “The Estate” is yours to enjoy in this expansive 2 bedroom + den suite offering 2066 SF of beautifully appointed living space featuring new hardwood flooring & commercial grade carpeting, updated lighting, flat ceilings, cove mouldings, built-ins cabinetry (in living room & in den), french doors, renovated kitchen with centre island, granite countertops & stainless steel appliances and a large master suite w/ wooden shutters, big walk-in closet (w/ built-in organizers) & updated 5-pc ensuite bathroom with luxurious, heated tile flooring. There’s ample space to entertain: Spacious living room opens to dining area & is flanked on either side by french doors opening to a private den & family room adjoining the kitchen. Ideal for those who appreciate privacy (there are only 3 suites on this flr) & elegant surroundings this grand building offers 24-hour concierge, salt-water pool, huge outdoor entertaining area, newly renovated gym & direct access to Ranchman’s Club.

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STORY TITLE // SECTION

Supporting the visions of entrepreneurs one story at a time.

Volume 27 | Number 1

REGULAR COLUMNS

13 14

Welcome to 2018

By Frank Atkins

Balancing Alberta’s Budget is Relatively Easy

By Colin Craig

16

Let’s Keep Keystone Moving Forward!

By Cody Battershill

CONTENTS An Eye for Opportunity

ON OUR COVER: ABOVE: PHIL ROBERTS, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF VINTRI TECHNOLOGIES. PHOTO SOURCE: BOOKSTRUCKER PHOTOGRAPHY

FIND US ONLINE! B US I N E SS I NCALGARY.COM @BUSINCALGARY

BUSINESSINCALGARY

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

Marketing Matters

Phil Roberts Takes Over as Chair of the Chamber

By Melanie Darbyshire

BUSINESS IN CALGARY

Leading Business

102

COVER FEATURE

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JANUARY 2018 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

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By David Parker

PEAK PERFORMER.

INTRODUCING THE 2018 FORD ESCAPE As Calgarians know, if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes. The only problem is you can’t change your vehicle quite so fast. The Ford Escape is the perfect choice for such variability. Crisp and quick in the dry and a regular Mountain Goat when conditions get tricky.

If an SUV for four seasons (in one day) is your thing, then head to where more Ford Escapes are available than anywhere else, Woodridge Ford, the 2016 Ford President’s Award winner for Outstanding Customer Service.

2018 FORD ESCAPE SE 4WD LEASE FOR ONLY 60 MO. @ 2.99% $0 DOWNPAYMENT

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WHERE CALGARY COMES FOR FORD. AT DEERFOOT & DOUGLASDALE • (403) 253-2211 • www.WOODRIDGEFORD.com *AMVIC Licensed. Offers OAC. All rebates to dealer. Offers include freight and air/tire tax. GST extra. Lease payment based on 60 months @ 2.99% with 20,000 km/yr driving limit and $0 downpayment. LEV=$11,318. Conditions Apply. Offer ends 12/31/17.

STORY TITLE // SECTION

Supporting the visions of entrepreneurs one story at a time.

Volume 27 | Number 1

79

THIS MONTH’S FEATURES

18 22

CONTENTS 26 COMPANY PROFILES

79

Calgary Petroleum Club

Celebrates 70 Years

37

D ouble Whammy The impact of new rules

By Colleen Wallace

L ooking Ahead 2018 according to six plugged-in Calgary insiders

By John Hardy

C algary’s Single-Family Market Mild delay in real estate recovery

By Lorena McDonald

A lberta Independent Schools: Serving Students, Parents and Communities with private schools directory

58

P roposed Federal Tax Changes Anger Small Business Owners Battle over government policies heats up

By Mario Toneguzzi

79

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JANUARY 2018 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

62 77

M ental Health in the Workplace What is it and how can employers help?

By Erlynn Gococo

Consumer Choice

at Divergent Healthcare

N

ever has a medical clinic been so aptly named. Divergent Healthcare is exactly that: divergent. Starting with the common goal of wellness, the practitioners at the clinic extend outward from there, bringing their various specialties to play in order to achieve that goal.

“The definition of ‘divergent’ is to branch out and to be different, and that resonated with what I was thinking about when I started the practice almost two years ago,” says Divergent Healthcare founder and chiropractor Dr. Jason Nanda.

And Divergent truly is different. It was important to Nanda to establish a clinic where people suffering from chronic pain or sports injuries could go for treatment, regardless of whether that treatment was chiropractic, physiotherapy, massage or allopathic medicine. The clinic is a collaborative wellness and pain centre that offers clients the expertise of professionals in all areas in order to find the best course of action.

“When people come in I want them to see every one of those practitioners. It’s a comprehensive, collaborative care plan,” says Nanda. “When you mix all the disciplines in, the prognosis goes up significantly.”

Divergent is an evidence-based practice that applies treatments that are backed by the latest research. Using state-of-the-art government-approved technologies, the clinic is able to provide the best care with incredible results. The clinic is the only one

by Rennay Craats

in Calgary to offer the most powerful portable shock-wave therapy technology with the BTL 6000. This technology allows practitioners to break up scar tissue and calcification and promote healing for a variety of ailments including joint pain, back pain, and especially plantar fasciitis. Divergent patients enjoy an impressive 80 per cent success rate using this cutting-edge tool, with many finding fast relief from their pain symptoms. Divergent practitioners also have class 4 lasers in their arsenal, utilizing the most powerful laser on the market to alleviate pain.

Nanda has introduced a system that brings medical doctors, chiropractors and therapists together in an effort to focus treatment on fixing the underlying problem rather than masking it with medication.

“Our system works. It allows doctors to refer clients to one of our manual therapy practitioners to see if they can restore functionality without prescribing medication,” says Nanda.

And having everything under one roof makes it convenient for clients to access all of the different care options needed to treat their chronic pain or sports injury. As the clinic grows and expands to other markets including Edmonton and Vancouver, more clients will benefit from the collaborative, cutting-edge practices at Divergent Healthcare.

Dr. Nanda invites you to call 403-909-8111 for more information or to set up a consultation appointment.

8835 Macleod Trail S #240 • 403.909.8111

www.divergenthealth.ca

Photo by Riverwood Photography

New Approach to Wellness

PUBLISHERS

Pat Ottmann & Tim Ottmann

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Evelyn Dehner evelyn@businessincalgary.com

EDITOR

Melanie Darbyshire

COPY EDITORS

Lisa Johnston, Nikki Gouthro

ART DIRECTOR

Jessi Evetts jessi@businessincalgary.com

ADMINISTRATION

FLEXIBLE. AFFORDABLE. CHOICE.

Nancy Bielecki nancy@businessincalgary.com

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Colin Craig Frank Atkins David Parker Cody Battershill

THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Melanie Darbyshire John Hardy Lorena McDonald Mario Toneguzzi Erlynn Gococo Colleen Wallace

PHOTOGRAPHY

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Our cost control and plan management expertise means you can offer a group benefit plan that meets the needs of your employees at a price you can afford.

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WELCOME TO 2018 // FRANK ATKINS

Welcome to 2018

BY FRANK ATKINS

I

t is 2018, and it seems like such a long time ago when oil prices collapsed (2014), we elected the NDP provincially (2015) and then the federal Liberals (2015). I think Albertans all deserve some praise for enduring these hardships over the last several years. Looking ahead, there is good news and there is bad news for 2018.

ALBERTA ECONOMY AND THE

First, the good news. It appears the Alberta economy is now in a long-awaited recovery. The Conference Board of Canada recently predicted that Alberta’s 2017 growth rate will be 6.7 per cent, and ATB Financial is predicting 3.9 per cent.

This would make the Alberta economy the fastest growing amongst the provinces. A lot of this has to do with some stability in oil prices, and the fact that oil is currently flirting with US$60 per barrel. In addition, one of the hottest plays in the energy sector is in the Duvernay Formation, which the National Energy Board estimates to hold more than three billion barrels of marketable crude, six billion barrels of natural gas liquids and more than 75 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. This is low-cost energy and it will bring muchneeded investment to the Alberta economy.

SPENDING HABITS? THEY WILL

So, there is good news on the economic front. However, there is bad news on the political front. Calgary just reelected a socialist mayor, and we are stuck with a socialist premier and a socialist prime minister. The problem here is that the regimes of these three individuals are driven by the naive belief that the more the government spends, the better off we all will be. The ignored reality here is that you can never get anything for free. It is my opinion that the spending of Ms. Notley and Mr. Trudeau can only be called out of control. It is frightening that, even if the Alberta economy were to continue to boom, we would still be in a deficit position. I am curious to know: if the

CANADIAN ECONOMY CONTINUE TO DO WELL, HOW WILL MS. NOTLEY AND MR. TRUDEAU JUSTIFY THEIR NO LONGER BE ABLE TO SAY THE ECONOMY REQUIRES STIMULUS. Alberta economy and the Canadian economy continue to do well, how will Ms. Notley and Mr. Trudeau justify their spending habits? They will no longer be able to say the economy requires stimulus. The year 2019 will be an election year both provincially and federally, so there is the possibility of a change of government and a return to more sane fiscal policy.

There is another bit of bad news on the eco-warrior front.

Increased activity in the oilpatch will increase the attacks on Alberta oil. Here is an interesting observation: in late November, the Newfoundland government proudly announced the first oil has started to flow from the Hebron offshore platform. Once this announcement was made, there was no doom-and-gloom environmental predictions from the usual anti-oil groups. It seems to me that the environmentalists are not so much anti-oil as they are antiAlberta oil.

So, 2018 brings good news and bad news, and the hope that a political regime shift will help to change the bad news.

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

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // JANUARY 2018

13

BALANCING ALBERTA’S BUDGET IS RELATIVELY EASY // COLIN CRAIG

Balancing Alberta’s Budget is Relatively Easy

BY COLIN CRAIG

D

uring the 1990s, Ralph Klein scaled back spending by 20 per cent to balance the province’s budget. As a result, he paid off the province’s debt, reduced taxes and put Alberta in a position to create one of the strongest economies in North America.

The “Alberta Advantage” he helped create contributed to a flood of talented workers, entrepreneurs and investment dollars.

It’s time for Alberta to repeat what Klein’s administration did right and learn from his administration’s mistakes.

Fortunately, the first step, balancing the province’s budget, is not as difficult as some claim.

Premier Notley likes to leave Albertans with the impression that balancing the provincial budget by 2021 would leave government services in tatters and require “firing nurses and teachers.” Fortunately, analysis by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation shows that’s just not true.

First, note this big-picture calculation – merely reducing Alberta’s per-capita spending levels down to the same level as British Columbia’s government spends per person would put our province in a surplus position. Clearly, the Alberta government is not so skilled at cost-effective service delivery.

Our budget modelling shows that $700 million could be saved by reducing the size of the Alberta government’s ballooning workforce. Government documents confirm that every two years 12 per cent of the civil service will be eligible to retire. Thus, over a two-year period, the government could downsize by 10 per cent largely without requiring any layoffs. Best of all, we’ve exempted health care and education from a reduction in staff due to demographic shifts.

Next, reducing government employee compensation by 10 per cent could yield savings upwards of $2.6 billion. Given the layoffs and large pay reductions we have seen in the private sector, this too is a reasonable measure – especially when one considers the mountain of evidence that shows government employees earn significantly more than their counterparts in other provinces.

Note that even with a 10 per cent reduction in pay, Alberta teachers would still earn more than teachers in Vancouver – a city with one of the highest costs of living in Canada.

Eliminating handouts to businesses, spreading the province’s capital plan over a few more years and a five per cent reduction in non-salary spending could help the government save $4 billion and, combined with one per cent spending growth in future years, lead to a balanced budget by 2021.

Best of all, our budget modelling eliminates the carbon tax immediately, maintains the small business tax reduction and very cautiously assumes provincial revenues will come in $2 billion lower per year than the province has budgeted.

Once the budget is balanced, capping future spending for inflation and population growth would not only put the government in a surplus position and allow for debt repayment each year, the government could bring back our 10 per cent general business tax rate and 10 per cent personal income tax rate.

No tattered services, no fired nurses or teachers – we just need leadership that’s willing to impose a healthy dose of restraint for a couple years. If we see such leadership, Alberta will be in a great position to lead Canada once again.

Colin Craig is the interim Alberta director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

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JANUARY 2018 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

City of Calgary Food and Yard Waste Bylaw Enforced Organic waste streams such as food waste, paper toweling miscellaneous organic wastes are introduced to the TVR™ technology which converts raw waste to a high calorific bio-fuel. Bio-fuel produced is virtually odorless and is significantly reduced in weight and volume.

Businesses and organizations must provide separate food and yard waste collections.

Chain restaurants and organizaions can now rent the equipment to process in-house food waste and the resulting Bio-fuel will be removed on an every two week basis.

#500 Pass Thru Bio-Fuel Boiler System #125 w/ Front Load Ideal for large corporate or governmental sites, and restaurant chains where food waste is generated daily.

Patent Pending

403-932-2823 www.executivemat.com/eco-growth • Eco-Growth.com

LET’S KEEP KEYSTONE MOVING FORWARD! // CODY BATTERSHILL

Let’s Keep Keystone Moving Forward!

BY CODY BATTERSHILL

Y

ou likely heard the state of Nebraska issued a permit recently for a revised route for Keystone XL. At the time of this writing, folks are studying the new permit to determine how it will affect costs and timing.

OVER THE LAST NINE YEARS, A

But in this era of trans-boundary energy protests and continuing opposition to infrastructure, I view the issuing of a permit as generally positive news – as long as the new route doesn’t kill the project’s economic or environmental health.

HAVE VOLUNTARILY SUPPORTED

With that as background, I was happy Danielle Smith invited me onto her radio show to discuss this latest development, as well as the anti-pipeline and anti-oil and gas protests that generate a constant barrage of negativity toward the sector.

MAJORITY OF LANDOWNERS IN NORTH DAKOTA, MONTANA AND NEBRASKA KEYSTONE XL. YES, THE PROJECT HAS SOME VOCAL OPPONENTS AND WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM TO FIND SHARED SOLUTIONS.

In the case of Keystone XL especially, many critics seem to have missed the boat with their ill-informed attacks.

the rule of law and to push to get this important project built.

Over the last nine years, a majority of landowners in North Dakota, Montana and Nebraska have voluntarily supported Keystone XL. Yes, the project has some vocal opponents and we have to continue to work with them to find shared solutions.

Consider the following actions:

But let’s be clear. Keystone XL will do a tremendous amount of good for North American trade, for energy security and for our local economy. And Keystone XL will transport more Canadian energy to the U.S. Gulf Coast where it can displace other, often more carbon-intensive product from Venezuela, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Brazil – and that’s good for the environment.

So, as I did on air, now I’m also asking you: please stay involved in the discussion around Keystone XL and all Canadian pipelines. Please encourage your friends, families, neighbours and colleagues to consider the science, to respect

• Encourage your network to respect the Canadian approvals process and the Canadian rule of law.

• Be in touch with your elected officials. Ask our policymakers to be proud of our Canadian leadership, and to support our energy sector.

• And visit websites like ours (below) to stay fully informed and engaged.

Canadians are leaders in producing oil and gas that strikes an ideal balance between protecting people and the planet.

We’ve been staring tens of billions of dollars of private investment in the face for a decade.

For the sake of our country, it’s time to move this and other projects forward.

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

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JANUARY 2018 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

New Hire Checklist Beyond the resumé

I

n some many ways, the workplace is in constant transition. Brief or detailed, postings outline a company’s wants and needs, and resumés summarize specific skills and qualifications.

While resumés spell out work history and relevant skills, it often takes recruiter expertise and sometimes intuition to determine undocumented intangibles like passion, motivation, teamwork, communication, problem solving, likability and reliability.

“As a leader in the retained search world, I always hear, ‘I want a high performer for this role,’” says Shahauna Siddiqui, partner at DHR International and an EO Calgary member. “Narrowing down the meaning of a high performer is part of the recruitment art and science. It’s never the same for everyone.”

Each company’s wants and needs are individual, agrees executive search consultant Rochelle Dvorkin, founder and CEO of Dvorkin Personnel and an EO Calgary member. “Each company can have very different needs that are dependent on the size, growth plan, if the company culture is formed or not, what the goals of the company are and what the products or services are that they are selling. Employers tend to change what their wants and must-haves are and continue to change as the company evolves.”

“In our company, we look at candidates with experience in similar industries, first. Since we are a visual display company, we prioritize their creativity experience,” explains Milena Radakovic, president of Nexus Exhibits and an EO Calgary member.

“Thinking out-of-the box as well as being flexible are all very important. Wants change from company to company. An accounting firm might not need to look at how creative a candidate is. For us, creativity is very crucial.”

The practical realities of “a good fit” are vital. “It’s hard to describe the top wants for employers without understanding the organization’s culture. It is critical that hires align with the organization’s values or, despite skills, they just won’t fit,” Siddiqui points out. “If an employer is clear on their culture and values, it is easier to definite critical personal characteristics.”

There are various must-have unmeasurables. “What I always look for in candidates is authenticity and self-education,” Dvorkin notes. “More specifically, someone who understands themselves well and knows their strengths and weaknesses and can articulate them clearly.

“Experience teaches that the more educated a candidate is about themselves, the more reliable, passionate, competent, motivated and likable they are.”

Radakovic emphasizes, “Matching with our culture is crucial.

Once there is a short list, usually at the second interview phase, we look for passion. It is very important in our company.”

Siddiqui agrees: passion is a priority. “If the candidate isn’t passionate about what they do, they won’t be successful. Today, millennials need to believe in what they are doing and how they are contributing to the vision. Without that connection, they will move on.

“And employers need to be honest about how they lead and what they really want. Do they really want someone to come in and question everything in order to make improvements?

Or do they want them to come in and follow the established processes?”

Contributing Members:

Upcoming Events: Jan. 10 • Accelerator Recruitment Event Jan. 17 • EOS Traction Day. A Leadership Team Training Event

Milena Radakovic

Shahauna Siddiqui

Rochelle Dvorkin

president of Nexus Exhibits.

partner at DHR International.

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DOUBLE WHAMMY // NEW RULES, TAXES AND RED TAPE

DOUBLE WHAMMY THE IMPACT OF NEW RULES

T

he textbook meaning of incentive is encouragement, enticement and motivation. The opposite is discouragement, deterrent and hindrance.

As small business and housing markets – particularly in Calgary – are waiting for a boost, there is a disparate and unrelated government double whammy happening.

The only similarity is that both Canadian small businesses and Canadian homebuyers are discouraged and concerned.

Small business and the double whammy The federal government implemented a drastic overhaul of the tax system and, effective this month, introduced small business tax rules and red tape. Already contentious and controversial, analysts, tax professionals and well-versed professional organizations like the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) view the changes as unfair and complicated hurdles that will have a detrimental impact.

According to a CFIB survey of 8,500 business owners and 410 tax practitioners, 95 per cent say the proposed federal tax changes will hurt middle-class business owners and their families.

“The changes will affect tens of thousands of Canadian family businesses and show that the government doesn’t understand the realities of a small business,” cautions Amber Ruddy, director of provincial affairs, CFIB Alberta. “Our members and tax experts informed us that those below the $150,000 salary level would be significantly impacted, despite the finance department’s initial claims.”

Eighty-eight per cent of business owners indicate the

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JANUARY 2018 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

changes will make it more difficult for their small business to grow and create jobs.

The CFIB study shows that the cost of complying with existing rules is already disproportionately higher for smaller businesses. Companies with fewer than five employees spend over $6,600 to comply with regulations.

For companies with more than 100 employees, compliance works out to approximately $1,400 per employee.

The federal government has explained the new rules as a strategy to make the system fair, while closing loopholes and generating revenue for the government.

Although tax specialists and CFIB researchers reject the suggestion of “loopholes” for options that are actually tools created by the government to recognize the unique situations and risks of small businesses, the new rules initially targeted: income splitting (sometimes called income sprinkling); passive investments in private corporations; and converting income into capital gains.

“Currently, business owners can lower their taxes by sharing income (salaries, dividends) with their family members,” she explains. “The government will change the rules around income sharing, meaning businesses could face more red tape if you employ family members.

“They will introduce a ‘reasonableness test’ that you need to meet to prove that your family has made a meaningful contribution to your business. Though the government says the test will be simple, we are worried it may not reflect the many formal and informal ways family members contribute to a business.

“Thankfully, the federal government has backed away from some of the worst elements of the legislation,” Ruddy says. “The revised passive-income proposal allows small

DOUBLE WHAMMY // NEW RULES, TAXES AND RED TAPE

“THE GOVERNMENT WILL CHANGE THE RULES AROUND INCOME SHARING, MEANING BUSINESSES COULD FACE MORE RED TAPE IF YOU EMPLOY FAMILY MEMBERS.” ~ AMBER RUDDY businesses a $50,000 annual threshold. Although a step forward, it may be insufficient to help small firms grow.

“But CFIB commends the federal government for not moving forward with measures relating to the conversion of income into capital gains.”

Homebuyers and the double whammy The other unrelated but similarly discouraging aspect of the double whammy may already be impacting Calgary homebuyers.

As of January 1, new rules are in place, making it tougher for homebuyers to qualify for mortgages.

Aside from the upward trending of 2017 mortgage rates, the federal Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI), Canada’s top banking regulator, created new rules to cool the national housing market and control risks taken on by lenders as house prices soared.

There was regional controversy from the outset, as some housing markets, like Calgary, didn’t need the cooling that Vancouver and Toronto did.

The first new rule that now impacts Calgary homebuyers is the OSFI requirement of stress tests to qualify for all high-ratio or conventional uninsured mortgages, using an interest rate two percentage points higher than the negotiated rate for the actual mortgage. Second is the requirement that all federally-regulated lenders adjust for specific local market conditions when determining loan-tovalue (LTV) measurements.

In theory, the new rules are meant to ensure Canadians don’t take on too much mortgage debt and effectively reduce the size of the mortgage that borrowers can obtain given their financial situation.

Especially in the Calgary market, where builders, developers and homebuyers have weathered the bumpy downturn storm, 2017 was the first time in over two years that mortgage rates (for a five-year, fixed-closed mortgage) went above three per cent. And while the late-summer average price of a house in Calgary reflected some yearover-year advances, the outlook for Calgary home prices still forecasts stability rather than significant price spikes.

Analysts and housing industry leaders are cautious about the impact of the new rules, especially on younger, firsttime homebuyers trying to achieve Calgary-area home ownership.

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // JANUARY 2018

19

LEADERSHIP

WELLBEING

WHAT LEADING COMPANIES DO TO ENSURE LASTING VALUE

AN ESSENTIAL RISK STRATEGY BYMITIGATION LISA PIERSON

W A

ith today’s competitive business environment,

BY RICK TIEDEMANN – SR. HEALTHCARE bowls of DIRECTOR fruit inBUSINESS the staffDEVELOPMENT, room andCOPEMAN lunchtime yoga are no longer enough to attract and retain top talent. Companies wanting to recession proof their business musts be committed to keeping employees a business leader, are youtheir too busy to lookhappy after your and healthy beyond some perks. health?

Have youtoken become okay with feeling just okay?

If so, Copeman Healthcare offers a solution that

“Having healthy employees is not a nice to have, it’s a need will address stress and wellness and support your long-term to have. With the complexities and demands of today’s ever business growth. changing business landscape, executive health is not a perk, it is an essential part of building a high performing leaderOften we tend to look after our businesses and employees ship team,” Tiedeman of Copeman better thansays we Rick look after ourselves.

This canHealthcare. result in a gap

between organizational performance and the And it’s not just employees who benefitexpectations from comprehensive physical or psychological resiliency required achieve them. corporate wellness programs.

Companies whotoinvest in these programs see an increase in employee productivity of 51% Reframingtoour thoughts on Leadership Wellbeing is essential according a recent Canadian medical study. in a dynamic business environment. Our organizations must

“In my more than 35negative years in health a corporate role, theresult highest defend against the impacts that from performing teams consistently have the healthiest members the stress of a competitive workplace. and the least amount of leadership downtime due to health issues,” says business Mr. Tiedeman.

A few core principles exist within our collective

organizations that call for aenvironment new narrative around more Leadership Today’s high pressure work is placing Wellbeing. stress on high-performing individuals. The subsequent health impact of this stress diminishes the ability of business People as our #1 asset; leaders to stay focused and fully engaged in the business.

We all recognize that people are the number one asset

So how do tremendous leading and progressive ensure that and have influence oncompanies the performance of an valuable humanItresources appreciating assets rather than organization. stands toare reason that organizations should depreciating assets? want this vital asset to appreciate rather than depreciate

through all business cycles.

One of the first steps is to place investments in healthcare programs to keep your people healthy, and to prevent losses Risk mitigation; in the event of an employee taking sick leave, or worse.

Risk mitigation is an essential business practice. If people are

“Companies are paying enormous amountrisk for life intruly your number onean asset, then strategic mitigation should be The greater theofvalue of the health asset, the surance, butintentional. ignoring the importance preventing greater the should towards effort. problems in energy the firstthat place,” says be Mr.directed Tiedeman.

“Dr. this Larry Ohlhauser said it best in his book, The Healthy CEO: ‘dead The primary CEOs don’t hitrisks theirassociated targets.’” with people assets are that they

In today’s more volatile business climate, companies are

the form of compensation, various formsdimensions of variableof engaging in base strategic risk mitigation in many pay, vacation allocations, theircorporate business. shares, But are car theyallowances, being strategic against risk with professional development allowances, travel upgrades etc. their executives?

Streamlined leadership realize they are more Benefit differentials areteams an acknowledgement of thevulnerneed to able than ever to the increased possibility that they or one appropriately look after individuals who take on roles with of their colleagues may beand sidelined with a health issue.itThis escalating accountability responsibility.

Therefore, is would causethat an immediate and dramatic shift of additionappropriate wellness differentials compensate leaders for al responsibilities already overstressed the higher levels oftostress they endure. colleagues. So businesses are recognizing they need to apply risk mitigation

Key-person roles; strategies to the health of their leadership teams.

Leaders within organizations typically identify key Strategic and tactical leaders see the implementation of individuals who are vital to sustained business performance. health and wellness programs as an investment rather than a When individuals become unable to perform their role, financial burden. A comprehensive program helps compait’s imperative for the organization to fill this talent gap. nies avoida talent risk and place investments where they can Securing suitable replacement becomes a business priority driveresources maximum returns. and such as time and budget are often quickly redirected tostudy ensure that talent gapsthat areemployee promptlywellness addressed.

A Canadian recently showed programs decreased disability costs by 36% and drug benefit

With these four fundamental business principles as a Board costs by 27%.

And with fewer Workers’ Compensation backdrop, we now have the context required to discuss the claims, there is a decrease in insurance premiums. Compapersonal, professional and organizational value associated nies also experience enhanced company culture, increased with Leadership Wellbeing. Developing the appropriate retention, lower staff turnover, fewer sick days and increased framework from these principles ensures that your number productivity. one asset is appreciating, that you are taking steps to Healthy people are happy people. are you productive and minimize your risk for your peopleThey assets, are driving loyal. Andretention today, 61% of that 30-year-old believe their employee and rewardsCanadians are made in step with employer has an of obligation to assist them in maintaining a escalating levels contribution. healthy lifestyle.

If you would like to learn more about how you can Companies wanting to guide their business to success and implement a Leadership Wellbeing Program please contact profit need to invest in the health and wellness of their Rick Tiedemann at 403-768-3417. people. It shows a clear understanding of their priorities: a desire to attract and retain top talent.

retire early, leave to work elsewhere, or get sick and have to

Provocative statements likeand these are starting to be heard in pull back from their roles responsibilities. the business community, but more progress is still needed toResponsibility ensure that a company’s most valuable asset – its people – has its privileges stays protected.

Virtually every organization has a menu of benefit

differentials that are associated with individuals taking on greater responsibility. These differentials may come in

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OFF

THE

Canada-U.S. Relations ... in the Age of Trump “‘He can be a tiresome and implausible public figure at times, and the reservations widely held about him, in the United States and elsewhere, are understandable and not unfounded. He knows what he wants, and he’s quite good at getting what he wants, and his theatrics are often entertaining.”

Those are some recent Donald Trump comments by always outspoken and sometimes controversial Lord Conrad Black, the Canadian-born, British political commentator, columnist, former newspaper publisher, founder of the National Post, former chair of the Telegraph Group and a much-quoted icon of Canadian thought and issues.

There will, no doubt, be elaboration and more Canada-U.S. comments on March 6, 2018 at the Westin Calgary, as the Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI) welcomes Lord Black as its inaugural guest speaker, providing insight into the current state of relations between Canada and the United States.

The Calgary-based CGAI, with offices in Ottawa, is the respected, independent, non-partisan research institute and charitable organization that is committed to raising the knowledge level of Canadians by being a catalyst for innovative global engagement and appreciation of defence, diplomacy, development and aid, with the ultimate aim of ensuring a more globally-engaged Canada.

According to the University of Pennsylvania’s Global Think Tank Index Report, CGAI is consistently ranked amongst the top think tanks in international affairs.

“We take global affairs seriously,” says CGAI president Kelly J. Ogle, with more than 35 years of entrepreneurial experience covering several business sectors including oil and gas, agriculture, trucking, residential development and golf course construction and operations. Various topics need to be addressed from a Canadian and global perspective.

“NAFTA; North Korea; NATO; climate; the Arctic; protecting human rights; upholding the rule of law and

ensuring the free flow of goods, services and people across borders – they are all timely and challenging issues.

“The importance is access to correct information in this age of instantaneous, sometimes ‘fake’ news. Everything CGAI produces must be non-partisan, unbiased and independent,” he emphasizes.

“We do not advocate. Unbiased and independent policy analysis is critical for government decision-makers, business and civil society leaders and the media who look to us for relevant, well-researched policy analysis and creative, practical and thought-provoking policy recommendations.”

The Canadian Global Affairs Institute’s March 6 special event will be significant, important and informative on various levels. “Today’s overarching dialogue and public policy narrative is concerned with how Canada interacts with the United States in the Trump era,” Ogle says.

About Donald Trump’s impact on the future of CanadaU.S. relations? “It is too early to predict whether he will be a successful president or not,” Lord Black wrote in a recent column.

Ogle underscores the hope that the people attending the March CGAI event will take away a better understanding of the importance of Canada-U.S. relations and they will learn about CGAI and its valuable work.

The Canadian Global Affairs Institute inaugural event, with guest speaker Lord Conrad Black, is set for Tuesday, March 6, 2018 from 6-9 p.m. at the Westin Calgary.

More information and tickets are at http://www.cgai.ca/ speaker_series_registration.

ABOVE: CONRAD BLACK.

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // JANUARY 2018

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LOOKING AHEAD // CALGARY 2018

Looking Ahead

2018 ACCORDING TO SIX PLUGGED-IN CALGARY INSIDERS

BY JOHN HARDY

O

f course it’s guesswork, but it’s professional and Calgary-insider guesswork. For a fresh start to the new year, Business in Calgary asked six respected business leaders to share their thoughts on what the city may look like in 2018.

BINFET: From a commercial real estate perspective we have seen the bottom limit as to what landlords are prepared to offer in terms of lease rates. There is a general mindset that three years from now lease rates will indeed increase and that now is the time to lock in commercial terms for office space.

• Curtis Stange, chief customer officer at ATB Financial.

ADDINGTON: Some key indicators suggest that Calgary and Alberta’s economy is improving and gaining momentum – growth in the areas of oil and gas, agriculture and food processing, tourism, and manufacturing. There was a four per cent economic growth in 2017 largely due to oil prices stabilizing, which has spurred investment within the sector.

The retail and housing sector has also improved, which indicates consumers are more optimistic about the economy.

• Joe Binfet, managing director and broker at Colliers International.

• Zoe Addington, director of policy and government relations with the Calgary Chamber.

• Jory Lamb, CEO of Calgary-based VistaVu Solutions.

• Mary Moran, president and CEO of Calgary Economic Development.

• Tom Westcott, 2018 president of CREB.

Reliable indicators of a 2018 turnaround STANGE: ATB Financial invests customers’ money back into this province. We have seen strong loan growth compared to this time last year, and this trend should continue. GDP growth is always a good indicator; 2017 data shows Alberta is on the upswing.

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LAMB: Canada is a beneficiary of a strong U.S. economy and an increase in energy exports is good for all of Canada.

A concerted Calgary effort to attract investment capital into technology and innovation creates optimism for 2018. We will see a continued increase in the number of startups and an increase in economic diversity within the Alberta economy.

MORAN: There is a lot of confidence in the traditional measures of economic health, such as GDP growth, unemployment slowly edging down and crude oil prices above US$50 a barrel. The oil and gas industry is focused on improving efficiency and sustainable growth but likely will not ramp up to previous staffing levels. There is a sense of a sustained turnaround in terms of growth in sectors like T&L [transportation and logistics], cleantech and agribusiness.

LOOKING AHEAD // CALGARY 2018

WESTCOTT: Although our full 2018 forecast will only be available at the end of January, 2017 seems better than expected. There are far more homes available in the lowerprice ranges now than compared to several years ago. This provides more options and choice for potential buyers who may be considering their purchasing power, given all of the changes in the lending market.

Some key aspects of Calgary’s new normal LAMB: There will be a greater number of domestic players in the oil and gas market. Because of our regulatory burdens and high taxation, Calgary will continue to struggle to be a preferred investment location for global players in the

energy industry. The good news? The ingenuity and drive of many Calgarians to create their own future and fortunes will create an interesting time of innovation and growth.

MORAN: The new normal in Calgary will still be driven by the energy industry. The most valuable resource is our well-educated, innovative and entrepreneurial workforce. It’s not a city where people sit around and wait for something to happen. The economy is expanding in key sectors beyond the traditional oil and gas industry.

STANGE: We’ve seen many Albertans struggle in the economy and some Alberta businesses are being prudent in their spending and have had to become more innovative during challenging times. At least for the short term, the new normal for Calgary will be a challenging job market. Calgarians will have to broaden their scope to non-traditional sectors and jobs.

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LOOKING AHEAD // CALGARY 2018

WESTCOTT: The Calgary market always has its ebbs and flows and it’s about understanding the key fundamentals.

For example, looking at comparables when listing a house or considering location and neighbourhoods when buying a home.

BINFET: The new normal in Calgary is the fact that most companies can’t see past a three-year time horizon. Shorterterm vision impacts business plans in terms of capital investments, costs, hiring and office space commitment.

Efficiency and moderation are the new norm for companies going forward.

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JANUARY 2018 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

ADDINGTON: Calgary business research shows much more optimism about the economy in late 2017 than earlier in the year. Many leaders indicated increases in spending and capital investments. Although the economy may be slowly making a turnaround, it has not yet translated into jobs.

Costs for businesses, including labour costs, are high and businesses are cautious to commit to new hires.

ABOVE: MARY MORAN, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF CALGARY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; JOE BINFET, MANAGING DIRECTOR AND BROKER AT COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL; TOM WESTCOTT, 2018 PRESIDENT OF CREB.; CURTIS STANGE, CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER AT ATB FINANCIAL; ZOE ADDINGTON, DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS WITH THE CALGARY CHAMBER; AND JORY LAMB, CEO OF CALGARY-BASED VISTAVU SOLUTIONS.

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CALGARY’S SINGLE-FAMILY MARKET // REAL ESTATE

Calgary’s SINGLE-FAMILY MARKET

MILD DELAY IN REAL ESTATE RECOVERY

At the CP Tradeshow, student teams sell the

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JANUARY 2018 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

COMPANY PROGRAM TRADESHOW 2018 CrossIron Mills | February 10 | 10am - 9pm

// REAL ESTATE

BY LORENA MCDONALD

A

lthough there is mild economic improvement in Calgary, there still remains a delay in real estate recovery as higher lending rates and weak migration continue to affect housing demand.

Resale gains were seen in most of the city’s districts with the largest increases in new community developments. Most units were detached inventory priced between $300,000 and $500,000. Overall, prices for the detached segment remain relatively stable.

“It looks like economic conditions are improving. We saw a bit of an increase in the market during the first portion of the year. As of June (2017), the sales were up by 12 per cent from the previous year, and what we are seeing in the second half of the year is that sales are improving, but not at that same rate,” explains Ann-Marie Lurie, chief economist at the Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB).

Sales growth eased during the second portion of the year as expected. This slower activity during the latter part of the year is usually typical for the winter months – though the economy is still feeling the affects of the past two years of recession.

“We are now traditionally moving into the slower time in the housing market compared to the springtime,” says Calgary Realtor Bryan Shettler with Re/Max Landan, “although the combination of (low) net migration, changes in lending rules and increase in interest rates has an impact.”

Calgary is still in economic recovery as low oil prices and employment rates continue to be key factors influencing the market.

Lurie says, “On the whole, we are generally seeing improved demand in detached homes this year. Now, at the same time listings have also been rising, so we are seeing more product come onto the market and that has been influencing inventory.”

The good news is that pricing is steadying in the detached segment even though there is a slight increase in product.

“Prices are generally stable in the detached market as demand has generally improved, but there still is some inventory in the market that has to be worked through. Now on the whole, prices since October (2017) are just slightly above from last year, but very similar. So, really we are three per cent below highs that we saw in 2014,” explains Lurie.

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For the most part, all districts (except the northeast) have seen a slight improvement in price stability. Still, there is a long way to go before reaching a full recovery.

haskaynemba.ca BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // JANUARY 2018

27

// REAL ESTATE

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“The only sector that has been somewhat different is the west end. This is the only sector where we have really seen prices move similar to what they were in 2014. It was probably the strongest (price) growth out of all the other sectors at 4.4 per cent,” adds Lurie.

Much of the influence on the west district’s pricing is attributed to low levels of supply due to less competition between detached resales and new builds compared to other communities in the city.

ABOVE: JAYMAN BUILT SELLS INNOVATIVE AND APPEALING LANE HOMES, SUCH AS THE AVID IN CORNERSTONE. PHOTO SOURCE: JAYMAN BUILT

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JANUARY 2018 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

// REAL ESTATE

“Some of the areas that haven’t seen as strong of a price recovery have really been in the areas where there is competition from new developments. So, the north, northeast and south districts have seen detached resales competing with all brand-new homes which is influencing the pace of recovery,” states Lurie.

Housing prices are influenced by the amount of product on the market. Hence, higher inventory levels have weakened the overall pricing of detached resale listings in those areas that have more new builds.

Yet, increased sales growth for new detached homes has occurred in some of the culturally-diverse areas of the city.

“Calgary’s new north and northeast, as well as deep southeast have seen the most growth in sales for net new single-detached homes. Favourite communities for new homebuyers include locations such as Livingston, Cornerstone and Mahogany,” says Michael Klassen, sales manager for Calgary single-family north at Jayman BUILT.

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Some of the demand for new homes might be due to the demographic and purchasing trends influencing buyers.

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Klassen proclaims what is driving the trend is the desire for communal living among multiple families and family members. “Many culturally-rich families prefer to buy more than one house on the same street or are looking for diverse layouts with a high bedroom count that older homes don’t have.”

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advance the university vision.

Therefore, a number of homebuyers are looking for communities that offer better affordability and diversity.

“One thing about Calgary is that we are very fortunate to have a lot of product availability in the lower-price ranges. Whether this matches what people want will be a different story, but we do see a lot of supply in the lower ranges,” explains Lurie.

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Meanwhile, the city centre experienced a slim recovery in sales and pricing compared to one year ago.

connection to community, and a dynamic approach.

“For the most part, we have seen sales in the city centre year-to-date as of October (2017) increase by 15 per cent – this is an improvement from the previous year. Also, some of the pricing we have seen in the city centre is about 2.3 per cent over last year (2016) on a year-to-date average basis for the benchmark price, but this is still about 4.4 per cent below highs,” says Lurie.

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Although there remains uncertainty about how demand and supply in the housing market will be affected in 2018, there are hopes for a positive transition in the market as employment and economic gains continue in Calgary.

Find out more at ucalgary.ca/chancellorsearch

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // JANUARY 2018

29

AN EYE FOR OPPORTUNITY // COVER

Eye

AN

FOR OPPORTUNITY PHIL ROBERTS TAKES OVER AS CHAIR OF THE CHAMBER

BY MELANIE DARBYSHIRE

“E

ntrepreneurs live in the gaps created by change,” declares Phil Roberts, president and CEO of Vintri Technologies. “That’s where we see opportunities, jump in and find solutions.” A fitting perspective given his new role as chair of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce – a job he will hold for the next year. Particularly fitting given the city’s new economy.

“The last few years have been very difficult economically for our province, and for Calgary,” he says. “We’re not out of the woods yet, but we see signs that the market has settled, cost structures have aligned to commodity prices and the next couple of years will see better days.”

Roberts faces a challenging task ahead. Not only must he steer the 127-year-old Chamber through the maze of economic, political and social change that will inevitably occur, he must

also guide it through its own major change: a new CEO. With the departure in December of CEO Adam Legge after seven years, the Chamber is on the hunt for a new leader.

“The Chamber is entering a new chapter in its long history and I’m excited to be a part of that,” says Roberts. “We have a great board of passionate volunteers that represents our business community, a very good team that punches far above its weight and a reputation we can continue to build on. As an organization, we’re in the best position possible.”

The search for a new CEO is being led by the governance and human resources committee of the board. Roberts chairs the search committee which is working directly with a consultant to do much of the work. “It’s going well, we’ve identified what we are looking for in our next CEO and the process is well underway,” he offers.

RIGHT: PHIL ROBERTS, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF VINTRI TECHNOLOGIES. PHOTO SOURCE: BOOKSTRUCKER PHOTOGRAPHY

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JANUARY 2018 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

AN EYE FOR OPPORTUNITY // COVER

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // JANUARY 2018

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AN EYE FOR OPPORTUNITY // COVER

Legge, who oversaw a complete makeover of the Chamber, is not easily replaced. “Adam accomplished what he set out to do seven years ago, which is transform the Chamber into a strong, relevant organization that keeps making Calgary a great place to do business, work and live,” Roberts says. “The next CEO will be joining a strong organization with a lot of board support.”

He foresees a smooth leadership transition. “As 2018 chair, I’ll be the main liaison between the new CEO and the board; I’ll be available for questions, directions and continuity between the previous years and our next chapter for the Chamber.”

With many objectives for his tenure, member engagement is at the top. “Members are at the very core of the Chamber and we continue to find ways to engage with them and add value to their businesses,” he says. For example, the Chamber will launch its second year of the Ignite Innovation Accelerator program. “Ignite is designed to help growthfocused businesses outpace their competition through a

rapid accelerator program that takes their innovation idea to market in a 90-day sprint,” he explains.

A third instalment of the Chamber’s signature event, ONWARD Summit, is also planned. “In a focused event, business leaders have the opportunity to hear cuttingedge ideas from some of the smartest minds in business, innovation, technology and global trends to help keep them one step ahead, and find new approaches to doing business,” Roberts enthuses.

His other priorities include expanding the Chamber’s digital strategy, continuing engagement with all levels of government and stakeholders on topics important to Chamber members and building out the next three-year plan for the Chamber (the current three-year strategy is at its end).

No stranger to the highs and lows of business, Roberts has spent most of his career in the technology sector. “I like the rapid pace of change,” he says, “but it’s not just the type of

RIGHT: PHIL ROBERTS WITH HIS BOYS HARRISON AND WILLIAM IN PARIS.

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JANUARY 2018 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

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AN EYE FOR OPPORTUNITY // COVER

WHEN HE’S NOT BUSY WITH VINTRI OR THE CHAMBER, ROBERTS IS INVOLVED WITH VARIOUS CAUSES THAT DEAL WITH SOCIAL ISSUES AND CITY-BUILDING PROJECTS, INCLUDING NORFOLK HOUSING ASSOCIATION, CSPACE AND THE RED CROSS OF SOUTHERN ALBERTA. WITH HIS WIFE AND TWO SONS, WILLIAM, 16, AND, HARRISON, 18, HE ENJOYS GOLFING, HIKING, TRAVELLING AND SKIING. HE ALSO RUNS YEAR ROUND.

change that lowers costs or increases efficiency, it’s change that actually transforms the world around us and creates whole new markets.”

Originally from Montreal, Roberts and his wife, Samantha, moved to Calgary when CP relocated to the city in 1996.

He completed a bachelor of commerce at the University of Calgary and then an MBA at Royal Roads University in Victoria. He started his career as an analyst in Telus’ telemarketing department and within a year had moved to advanced communications. “That was around 2001/2002, after the telecommunication sector had deregulated and the whole industry was in a constant state of flux following the dot-com bubble,” he reminisces. “Telus is where concepts like having the courage to innovate became deeply rooted in my way of working.”

From Telus, he joined Axia NetMedia Corp. to help build out the product portfolio on the Alberta SuperNet. There he went on a three-month secondment to Paris for COVAGE, a partnership formed between Axia and Vinci Networks.

Roberts remained at Axia for eight years, eventually becoming vice president of sales and services. He oversaw the service provider portfolio, government sector, product management, internal billing and invoicing, customer engineering and sales functions for the company. “It was a lot of fun working at Axia and I learned a lot,” he says. “I was fortunate to work there during a critical period of growth.

We saw the evolution of the SuperNet, expansion into Singapore, France and the U.S. market, as well as a move into Fibre-to-the-Home in rural Alberta.”

His move to Vintri in 2014 was, he believes, predestined.

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JANUARY 2018 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

“Back in university, I had a notion that working for a large company early in my career would provide resources for training and learning, and that I would eventually move to smaller companies along the way. I had accomplished what I set out to do at Axia and it was a good time for me to try something new.”

The opportunity at Vintri – which is currently building a data-capture product to help companies make their industrial asset data usable, compliant and insightful – came about through discussions with the founding president, whom Roberts already knew. “What he described fit the type of environment I was looking for where I would be able to commercialize a new technology and I found the industry was primed for disruption – I haven’t looked back since.”

Originally hired on in a business development and marketing role, Roberts became president and CEO in October of 2015. In 2016, he led the company through a complete restructuring of the business. “We saw gaps in the market created by the downturn and positioned ourselves to capitalize on them,” he explains.

“We’re just starting to realize the benefits of our efforts,” he adds. “We’re working with all the major pipeline companies in Canada right now on their asset traceability, and expanding into the U.S. market in 2018.”

He has embraced the role of CEO, calling it both challenging and rewarding. “You live and die by each decision, and other people depend on you to make those calls and get them right more often than not. Being a CEO is about many things, but it boils down to providing a vision for your team, supporting them in their objectives and standing out of their way.”

AN EYE FOR OPPORTUNITY // COVER

sure we had every opportunity,” he recalls fondly. “That taught me two things that still guide what I do. One: change is inevitable, look for it and embrace it. And two: perseverance. Never quit. Hard work is what creates opportunity.”

It’s these characteristics he brings to the Chamber. “We have 75,000 Calgarians still out of work, and one of the highest unemployment rates in the country,” he laments.

“As we slowly come out of some of the toughest times we have faced in decades, this is the time to create a new and innovative future for Calgary moving forward.”

When he’s not busy with Vintri or the Chamber, Roberts is involved with various causes that deal with social issues and city-building projects, including Norfolk Housing Association, cSPACE and the Red Cross of Southern Alberta. With his wife and two sons, William, 16, and, Harrison, 18, he enjoys golfing, hiking, travelling and skiing. He also runs year round.

Transparency is vital to his leadership style. “We all work in one big open area so we share a lot of information,” he says.

“I stop short of disclosing other people’s salaries but other than that, it’s an open book.”

Perseverance, boldness, authenticity and embracing change are other keys to his success. He credits his parents for teaching him these attributes. “My mother, who stayed home, was always advocating and supported us unconditionally, doing everything she could to make

His outlook for Calgary’s future is positive. “I think the number of incubators and accelerators created in Calgary in the last couple of years (Vintri is part of Zone Startups Calgary, an accelerator program launched in 2016) is a reflection of the opportunities people are seeing. It doesn’t mean it’s easy, but it does make me optimistic to see all of this innovation.”

While 2018 will be a year of change at the Chamber, it will also be a year of opportunity. Roberts – with all that he brings to the table – will see to it.

RIGHT: PHIL ROBERTS, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF VINTRI TECHNOLOGIES. PHOTO SOURCE: BOOKSTRUCKER PHOTOGRAPHY

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SERVING STUDENTS, PARENTS AND COMMUNITIES // PRIVATE AND ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS

ALBERTA INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS:

SERVING STUDENTS, PARENTS AND COMMUNITIES

P

arents are naturally concerned about how well their children do at school and about the quality of education. Schooling is a highly-formative experience and convincing parents of the value of a specific school may prove to be challenging among the wide range of options.

This article explores independent (private) schools as one such option in Alberta’s diverse education landscape.

Independent School Enrolments In a 2016-17 provincial system of 704,890 students, 29,418 (approximately four per cent) attended independent (private) schools. Another 6,189 attended community-based private ECS sites (kindergartens) where about 70 per cent of the students have special needs. Some international, First Nations and non-resident students are also educated in independent schools. As an aggregated group, the population of students is approximately five per cent of the education system as a whole. Most of the independent schools enrol less than 200 students per site with a handful teaching over 700 students. The Calgary area is home to approximately 40 independent school authorities.

Board Structures The most distinctive feature of independent schools, similar to charter schools, is that they are generally single-site operations under the supervision of a small board. Each independent school operates with a specific vision and mission that may vary according to the type of education programming. Boards may be elected or appointed and teachers are hired directly.

Since different governance models are practiced and most management is site-based, independent schools do not have

large centralized offices so they tend to not get bogged down in bureaucracy. Decisions can be made more expeditiously and effectively. The schools acquire additional services as required by contracting and collaborating with other local agencies. There may be various support committees to assist in managing all the services and facilities. If a school is not responsive, and parents and students are not satisfied, it will likely fail as parents leave.

Teacher Qualifications Teachers in independent schools hold the same professional certificates as their public school counterparts. Teaching standards are subject to provincial regulation managed

by Alberta Education’s Teacher Certification Branch.

Teachers are evaluated externally by competent individuals appointed by the registrar in order to qualify for permanent professional teaching certificates and their teaching practice is governed by provincial legislation.

Accountability of Independent Schools All community-based private ECS (kindergarten) operators and all independent schools operate as not-for-profit agencies under the Societies Act of Alberta. They must report accordingly to Alberta Education using the same accountability pillars as do public schools but with additional requirements for monitoring, external reporting and teacher evaluation. Standards of accountability generally parallel public schools, which are available on the Alberta Education website.

Government-collected data reveals that independent schools are safe and caring institutions that are responsive to parents, and do a good job of preparing students for life after high school.

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SERVING STUDENTS, PARENTS AND COMMUNITIES // PRIVATE AND ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS

Independent School Economics Considerations In keeping with the 1998 Private School Funding Task Force, Alberta independent schools receive part of the funding public authorities receive per student. Currently, private school funding is limited to a maximum of 70 per cent of the instructional and plant operations and maintenance (POM) funding envelopes provided to public authorities. Independent schools do not receive funding for a number of funding envelopes available to public authorities, including: class-size reduction dollars, technology enhancement funding, transportation grants and capital (school building) funds. In addition, independent school teachers do not benefit from the $2.2 billion government provided to the Teachers’ Retirement Fund to cover pension plan shortfalls.

Milke (2015) recently pointed out that independent schools have saved government some $750 million over the past five years. Milke uses a comparison that a student in the public system costs taxpayers $10,874 in comparison to $5,150 for a student in the private system. It could be argued that tuitions paid by independent school parents make more dollars available to public schools.

Special needs students may qualify for additional grants.

Some specialized schools, termed designated special education private schools, may only admit students requiring specialized supports but their non-special education funding is like that of the other independent schools. No independent school receives funding for capital expenses so a modern facility with specialized theatres or playing fields is not built using taxpayer money.

Independent schools charge tuitions in order to pay for the remaining costs of operating the school. Tuition fees will vary considerably depending on the kind of capital investments for buildings, teacher/student ratios, extracurricular program activities and other program enhancements.

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Current Environment For more than 100 years, Alberta has been well served with a pluralistic system of education. In keeping with the province’s heritage and values, conscientious objectors, minority groups and people from multiple backgrounds have settled in the area without having to extinguish their foundational identities.

One criticism of independent schools is that they do not allow everyone to attend. Public schools select students based on geographic location, specific program types and needs of the student, and sometimes gender. Not every student can enrol in any school. A universal education system that is genuinely inclusive must allow some parental choice so that parents can make positive choices for the sake of their child. In that sense, Alberta’s aggregated, pluralistic educational system is in fact very inclusive, and independent schools play a key role in complementing the provincial system.

Arguments opposing independent schools are nothing new. Opponents often fail to consider the significant contributions independent schools make to society and ignore the fact that the primary beneficiaries are children.

At the end of the day, all students in both public and independent schools are provided a government-approved education through a curriculum that meets Alberta’s expectations. Independent schools are not a “private” matter; they provide a public function by delivering on educational outcomes through not-for-profit institutions that are approved by and held accountable to the public interest.

From the perspective of parents, primary concerns usually revolve around how well their child is doing. They want to know their child is in good hands, and that the school has their best interest at heart. They need assurance that the situation at school is working. In a child’s 13 years of education, each day counts.

For more information, visit the Association of Independent Schools & Colleges (AISCA) at www.aisca.ab.ca. AISCA represents approximately 90 per cent of Alberta’s publiclyaccredited independent schools as well as 65 per cent of the private early childhood services programs.

DIRECTORY // PRIVATE AND ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS

Airdrie Koinonia Christian School

Calgary Academy

Calgary Islamic School

For students with learning difficulties Grades 2-12 1677 93 St SW, Calgary AB T3H 0R3 403-686-6444 admissions@calgaryacademy.com www.calgaryacademy.com/learnmore

Accredited / Eligible for Funding 225 - 28 Street SE, Calgary, AB, T2A 5K4 Phone: 587-353-8900 Fax: 587-353-8999 info.omar@cislive.ca Omar Bin Al-Khattab Campus

Akiva Academy

Calgary Academy Collegiate

Calgary Jewish Academy

Accredited 140 Haddon Road SW, Calgary, AB T2V 2Y3 Phone: (403) 258-1312 Fax: (403) 258-3812 office@akiva.ca www.akiva.ca

For students looking for greater challenge, change and complexity in their learning Grades 5-12 403-686-6444 admissions@calgaryacademy.com www.calgaryacademy.com/learnmore

Accredited / Eligible for Funding 6700 Kootenay Street SW, Calgary, AB T2V 1P7 Phone: (403) 253-3992 Fax: (403) 255-0842 schneiderw@cja.ab.ca www.cja.ab.ca

Alberta Chung Wah School

Calgary Chinese Alliance School

Calgary Quest School

Accredited / Eligible for Funding 77 Gateway Drive NE Airdrie T4B 0J6 Phone: (403) 948-5100 Fax: (403) 948-5563 connect@akcs.com www.akcs.com

Accredited / Eligible for Funding #270, 328 Centre Street SE, Calgary, AB T2G 4X8 Phone: (403) 271-8033 Fax: (403) 288-8887 info@albertachungwahschool.ca

Aurora Learning Calgary Accredited / Eligible for Funding Unit 137, 5305 McCall Way NE, Calgary, AB T2E 7N7 Phone: (403) 277-9535 Calgary.admin@sterling.education

Banbury Crossroads School Accredited / Eligible for Funding B1 #201, 2451 Dieppe Avenue SW,Calgary, AB T3E 7K1 Phone: (403) 270-7787 Fax: (403) 270-7486 general@banburycrossroads.com www.banburycrossroads.com Offers Home Education Program Offers Home Education Blended Program

Bearspaw Christian School Accredited / Eligible for Funding 15001 - 69 Street NW, Calgary, AB T3R 1C5 Phone: (403) 295-2566 Fax: (403) 275-8170 info@bearspawschool.com www.bearspawschool.com

Bethel Christian Academy Accredited 2220 - 39 Avenue NE, Calgary, AB T2E 6P7 Phone: (403) 735-3335 Fax: (403) 219-3059 tbetts@encountergod.org

Accredited / Eligible for Funding 150 Beddington Boulevard NE, Calgary, AB T3K 2E2 Phone: (403) 274-6923 Fax: (403) 275-7799 chineseschoolcalgarychinesealliance.org

Calgary Chinese Private School Accredited / Eligible for Funding 128 2nd Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2P 0B9 Phone: (403) 264-2233 Fax: (403) 282-9854

Calgary Chinese School Accredited #110, 138 - 18 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 5P9 Phone: 403-461-9797 Fax: (403) 228-5330 changclaire@yahoo.com

Calgary French & International School Accredited / Eligible for Funding 700 - 77 Street SW, Calgary, AB T3H 5R1 Phone: (403) 240-1500 Fax: (403) 249-5899 admissions@cfis.com www.cfis.com

Calgary Islamic Private School Akram Jomaa Campus Accredited / Eligible for Funding 2612 - 37 Avenue NE, Calgary, AB T1Y 5L2 Phone: (403) 248-2773 Fax: (403) 569-6654 info@cislive.ca Principal: Mr. Asad Choudhary

Accredited / Eligible for Funding 3405 Spruce Drive SW,. c/o Spruce Cliff Elementary Calgary, AB T3C 0A5 Phone: (403) 253-0003 Fax: (403) 253-0025 info@calgaryquestschool.com

Calgary Waldorf School Accredited / Eligible for Funding 515 Cougar Ridge Drive SW, Calgary, AB T3H 5G9 Phone: (403) 287-1868 Fax: (403) 287-3414 info@calgarywaldorf.org www.calgarywaldorf.org

Chinook Winds Adventist Academy Accredited / Eligible for Funding 10101 - 2nd Avenue SW, Calgary, AB T3B 5T2 Phone: (403) 286-5686 Fax: (403) 247-1623 lmelashenko@cwaa.net

Columbia College Accredited / Eligible for Funding 802 Manning Road NE, Calgary, AB T2E 7N8 Phone: (403) 235-9300 Fax: (403) 272-3805 Columbia@Columbia.ab.ca www.columbia.ab.ca

Delta West Academy Accredited / Eligible for Funding 414 - 11A Street NE, Calgary, AB T2E 4P3 Phone: (403) 290-0767 Fax: (403) 290-0768 www.deltawestacademy.ca

Eastside Christian Academy Accredited / Eligible for Funding 1320 Abbeydale Drive SE, Calgary, AB T2A 7L8 Phone: 403-569-1003 Fax: (403) 569-7557 admin@eastsidechristianacademy.ca www.eastsidechristianacademy.ca Offers Home Education Blended Program

Edison School Accredited / Eligible for Funding Site 11, P.O. Box 2, R.R. 2 Hwy 2A, 1KM North of Okotoks AB T1S 1A2 Phone: (403) 938-7670 Fax: (403) 938-7224 office@edisonschool.ca www.edisonschool.ca

Equilibrium School Accredited / Eligible for Funding Phone: (403) 283-1111 Fax: (403) 270-7786 school@equilibrium.ab.ca www.equilibrium.ab.ca

Foothills Academy Accredited - For students with learning disabilities 745 - 37 Street NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4T1 Phone: 403.270.9400 Fax: 403.270.9438 Email: info@foothillsacademy.org www.foothillsacademy.org

Greek Community School of Calgary Accredited / Eligible for Funding 1 Tamarac Crescent SW, Calgary, AB T3C 3B7 Phone: (403) 246-4553 Fax: (403) 246-8191 admin@calgaryhellenic.com www.calgaryhellenic.com/Our-School

Calgary Italian School Accredited Language School 416, 1st Ave NE Calgary AB T2E 0B4 Phone: (403) 264-6349 clcic@shaw.ca www.italianschoolcalgary.com

Janus Academy Accredited / Eligible for Funding 2223 Spiller Road SE, Calgary, AB T2G 4G9 Phone: (403) 262-3333 Fax: (403) 693-2345 contact@janusacademy.org www.janusacademy.org

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DIRECTORY // PRIVATE AND ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS

Khalsa School Calgary Educational Foundation

New Heights School and Learning Services

Renfrew Educational Services - Bowness Centre

Rundle College Junior Senior High School

Accredited / Eligible for Funding RR6 Site 1 Box 2, Calgary, AB T2M 4L5 Phone: (403) 293-7712 Fax: (403) 293-2245 cheryl.steadman@khalsaschoolcalgary.ca

Accredited / Eligible for Funding 4041 Breskens Drive SW, Calgary, AB T3E 7M1 Phone: (403) 240-1312 info@newheightscalgary.com www.newheightscalgary.com

Accredited / Eligible for Funding 8620 48th Avenue NW, Calgary, AB T2E 6S5 Phone: (403) 291-5038 Fax: (403) 291-2499 renfrew@renfreweducation.org www.refreweducation.org Door-to-door busing available

Accredited / Eligible for Funding • Grades 7 - 12 Phone: (403) 250-7180 Fax: (403) 250-7184 contactus@rundle.ab.ca www.rundle.ab.ca

Renfrew Educational Services - Janice McTighe Centre

Accredited / Eligible for Funding 712 Fortalice Cres SE, Calgary, AB T2A 2E1 Phone: (403) 248-3664 Fax: (403) 273-8012 stjohnbosco@shaw.ca

Calgary German Language School Society Accredited / Eligible for Funding 3940 73rd Street NW, Calgary, AB T3B 2L9 germanlanguageschoolcalgary@gmx.com www.germanlanguageschoolcalgary.com/ index.html Beatrice Binmore (Chair) Ben Van Den Berg (Secretary) Dagmar Blaettermann (Treasurer)

Lycée Louis Pasteur 4099 Garrison Blvd. SW, Calgary, AB T2T 6G2 Phone: (403) 243-5420 Fax: (403) 287-2245 bureau@lycee.ca www.lycee.ca “The International French School”

Maria Montessori Education Centre of Calgary (MMEC) Accredited / Eligible for Funding Toddler, Preschool, ECS 1721 29 Ave SW, Calgary AB T2T 6T7 403-668-8538 info@mmec.ca www.mmec.ca

Montessori School of Calgary Accredited / Eligible for Funding, A.M.I accredited 2201 Cliff Street SW, Calgary, AB T2S 2G4 Phone: (403) 229-1011 Fax: (403) 229-4474 admissions@msofc.ca www.montessorischoolofcalgary.com

Mountain View Academy Accredited / Eligible for Funding 3915 34 Street NE, Calgary, AB T1Y 6Z8 Phone: (403) 217-4346 Fax: (403) 249-4312 Office@mountainviewacademy.ca www.mountainviewacademy.ca

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Phoenix Education Foundation Accredited 320 19 Street SE, Calgary, AB T2E 6J6 Phone: (403) 265-7701 Fax: (403) 275-7715 info@phoenixfoundation.ca Offers Home Education Program

Renfrew Educational Services - Child Development Centre Accredited / Eligible for Funding 3820 – 24th Avenue NW, Calgary, AB T3E 6S5 Phone: (403) 291-5038 Fax: (403) 291-2499 renfrew@renfreweducation.org www.refreweducation.org Door-to-door busing available

Renfrew Educational Services - Park Place Centre Accredited / Eligible for Funding, ECS for typical children and children with disabilities 3688 – 48th Avenue NE, Calgary, AB T2E 6S5 Phone: (403) 291-5038 Fax: (403) 291-2499 renfrew@renfreweducation.org www.refreweducation.org Door-to-door busing available

Renfrew Educational Services - Thomas W. Buchanan Centre Accredited / Eligible for Funding 75 Sunpark Drive SE, Calgary, AB T2E 6S5 Phone: (403) 291-5038 ext 1601 Fax: 403 201 8212 renfrew@renfreweducation.org www.refreweducation.org Door-to-door busing available

JANUARY 2018 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

Accredited / Eligible for Funding 2050 - 21 Street NE, Calgary, AB T2E 6S5 Phone: (403) 291-5038 Fax: (403) 291-2499 renfrew@renfreweducation.org www.refreweducation.org Door-to-door busing available

Renfrew Educational Services - Assessment and Therapy Services For children, adolescents and adults Assessment, Counseling, Treatment and Consultation OT, PT, SLP, Psychology, Assistive Technology / Minimal wait time Extended hours offered

River Valley School Accredited / Eligible for Funding 3127 Bowwood Drive NW, Calgary, AB T3B 2E7 Phone: (403) 246-2275 Fax: (403) 686-7631 admissions@rivervalleyschool.ca www.rivervalleyschool.ca

Rundle Academy Accredited / Eligible for Funding 4330 - 16 Street SW, Calgary, AB T2J 4H9 Phone: (403) 250-2965 Fax: (403) 250-2914 contactus@rundle.ab.ca www.rundle.ab.ca For students with learning disabilities

Rundle College Primary/ Elementary School Accredited / Eligible for Funding • K-6 Phone: (403) 282-8411 Fax: (403) 282-4460 contactus@rundle.ab.ca www.rundle.ab.ca

St. John Bosco Private School

Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School Developing well-balanced students for a life of purpose by inspiring excellence in scholarship, leadership and character.

Offering both International Baccalaureate (IB) and Alberta Learning curriculum.

Alberta’s only Grades 1 - 12 full IB independent scho RR 2, Okotoks, AB T1S 1A2 Phone: 403-938-4431 admissions@sts.ab.ca www.sts.ab.ca City-wide busing. 200-acre campus minutes from Calgary

Tanbridge Academy Accredited / Eligible for Funding • K Grade 9 Phone: (403) 259-3443 info@tanbridge.com www.tanbridge.com Busing available

The Chinese Academy Accredited / Eligible for Funding Office & Mailing Address: 191, 1518 Centre St.. NE Calgary AB T2E 2R9 Phone: (403) 777-7663 Fax: (403) 777-7669 thechineseacademy@gmail.com “The largest heritage language school in Alberta.”

The Third Academy – North Campus Accredited / Eligible for Funding Bay 3, 510 – 77th Ave. SE Calgary, AB T2H 1C3 Phone: (403) 288-5335 Fax: (403) 288-5804

DIRECTORY //

The Third Academy – South Campus

Clear Water Academy

Accredited / Eligible for Funding Box 4 Site 22 RR8, Calgary, AB T2J 2T9 Phone: (403) 201-6335 Fax: 403-201-2036

Accredited / Eligible for Funding 2521 Dieppe Avenue SW, Calgary, AB T3E 7J9 Phone: (403) 217-8448 Fax: (403) 217-8043 clearwateracademy.com

Tyndale Christian School Accredited / Eligible for Funding 28 Hart Estates Blvd. NE, Calgary, AB T1X 0L3 Phone: (403) 590-5881 Fax: (403) 590-6998 tcs@tyndalecalgary.ca

Webber Academy Accredited / Eligible for Funding 1515 - 93 Street SW, Calgary, AB T3H 4A8 Phone: (403) 277-4700 Fax: (403) 277-2770 psutherland@webberacademy.ca www.webberacademy.ca

West Island College Accredited / Eligible for Funding 7410 Blackfoot Trail SE, Calgary, AB T2H 1M5 Main: (403) 255-5300 Fax: (403) 252-1434 Admissions: (403) 444-0023 admissions@mywic.ca www.westislandcollege.ab.ca

Yufeng Chinese School Accredited / Eligible for Funding 708 44 Avenue NW, Calgary, AB T2K 0J4 Phone: (403) 289-7876 Fax: (403) 210-0261

Alternative Schooling Banff Hockey Academy Grades 7 – 12 • College bound hockey athletes Phone: 1-888-423-6369 Fax: (403) 760-0868 registrar@banffhockey.ab.ca www.banffhockey.ab.ca

Calgary Christian School Elementary Campus (Preschool - Grade 6): 2839 - 49th Street SW Secondary Campus (Grades 7-12): 5029 - 26 Avenue SW Calgary, Alberta Phone: (403) 242-2896 admissions@calgarychristianschool.com www.calgarychristianschool.com

Calgary Girls School 6304 Larkspur Way SW, Calgary, AB T3E 5P7 Phone: (403) 220-0745 Judi.hadden@calgarygirlsschool.com www.calgarygirlsschool.com

Edge School Accredited / Eligible for Funding 33055 Township Road 250, Calgary, AB T3Z 1L4 Tel: (403) 246-6462 Fax: (403) 217-8463 info@edgeschool.com www.edgeschool.com

Glenmore Christian Academy Accredited 16520 – 24 Street, SW, Calgary, AB T2Y 4W2 (403) 254-9050 admissions@gcaschool.com www.gcaschool.com

Heritage Christian Academy Accredited / Eligible for Funding 2003 McKnight Boulevard, NE , Calgary, AB T2E 6L2 Phone: (403) 219-3201 Fax: (403) 219-3210 www.hcacalgary.com

TEACHING curious, eager, & energetic

Master’s Academy Accredited / Eligible for Funding 4414 Crowchild Trail SW, Calgary, AB T2T 5J4 Tel: (403) 242-7034 Fax: (403) 242-3515 registrar@masters.ab.ca www.masters.ab.ca

BOYS

the way they learn

Master’s College Accredited / Eligible for Funding 4414 Crowchild Trail, SW Calgary, Calgary, AB T2T 5J4 Tel: (403) 242-7034 Fax: (403) 242-4629 registrar@masters.ab.ca www.masters.ab.ca

Menno Simons Christian School Accredited / Eligible for Funding 7000 Elkton Drive, SW, Calgary, AB T3H 4Y7 Tel: (403) 531-0745 Fax: (403) 531-0747 linda.best@pallisersd.ab.ca www.mennosimonschristianschool.ca

Trinity Christian School Accredited / Eligible for Funding #100, 295 Midpark Way SE, Calgary, AB T2X 2A8 Phone: (403) 254-6682 Fax: (403) 254-9843 www.tcskids.com

WEDNESDAY 7PM

FEB. 28 OPEN HOUSE

REGISTER @ www.northpoint.school/admissions

Kindergarten to grade 9 2445 – 23 AVENUE SW

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // JANUARY 2018

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• • • • •

Forming Christian Leaders Academic Excellence Small Classes Safe & Caring Environment Top Ranking by Fraser Institute

Information Sessions & Personal Tours Visit our website for details Join us & learn more!

A CATHOLIC SCHOOL OF INTEGRAL FORMATION

Jr. Kindergarten to Grade 12

clearwateracademy.com

Contact: Val Blahut 403-240-7924 or vblahut@clearwateracademy.com

• • • • •

University Preparatory School Small Classes First-Class Athletics Program Int’l Mission & Pilgrimage Trips Conscious Pursuit of Virtue

Information Sessions & Personal Tours Visit our website for details Join us & learn more!

A CATHOLIC SCHOOL OF INTEGRAL FORMATION

Jr. Kindergarten to Grade 12

clearwateracademy.com

Contact: Val Blahut 403-240-7924 or vblahut@clearwateracademy.com

WONDER LIVES HERE

At River Valley School we teach each student based on who they are, how they learn and what engages them.

River Valley School is the only Alberta school included in the prestigious Cambridge University Innovation 800 group, representing schools worldwide dedicated to innovation and fresh thinking.

River Valley School has two campuses:

The Early Learning Campus offers full day programming for 3-year-olds to kindergarten. There is also a half day option for 3-year-olds available

The Elementary Campus offers Grades 1-6

BOOK A TOUR AT RIVERVALLEYSCHOOL.CA WHERE YOU WILL FEEL THE SENSE OF WONDER AND LOVE OF LEARNING THAT IS ALIVE IN OUR HALLWAYS, CLASSROOMS, PLAYGROUNDS, AND DYNAMIC SCHOOL COMMUNITY.

River Valley School is a member of the Association of Independent Schools and Colleges in Alberta (AISCA), and accredited by Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS) and Alberta Education.

A message from Erin Corbett, Head of School People comment on the welcoming, affectionate and respectful atmosphere at River Valley School. This caring environment puts students at ease and opens them up to do their best work. Children feel safe and loved. They experience a deep sense of belonging, and know that they are the reason the rest of us are here. As parents you are always welcome. There are no barriers to keep you away from interacting with your child, their teachers, or with me.

Of course academic success is essential but social and character development are just as important. That is why we focus a great deal of attention on the overall well-being of each student. At River Valley School each child will experience excellence.

We are a nimble school with an interest in promising practices in the areas of education, innovation and health & wellness. In addition to core curriculum, students enjoy exceptional instruction in Music, Art, Drama, Physical Education, French, Library and Digital Literacies including coding, app creation, web development, data analysis, and we will soon be adding an augmented reality lab. All of our classes have a low pupil teacher ratio, maximizing instructional time and the personalization of learning.

There is also school-wide use of Seesaw for parent, child & teacher communications demonstrating “in the moment” learning and journaling. Leadership opportunities abound with an elected Student Government, student created clubs and intramural athletics including our sports team The Rapids.

With our Before and After School programs, River Valley offers a safe, caring environment for your child from 7am to 6pm Mondays through Fridays year-round.

Fully owned and operated bussing is also available before and/or after school.

Today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders, innovators, healers, educators, visionaries, artists, entrepreneurs, and environmental stewards. Let’s work together to prepare your child for success in our rapidly changing world.

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IT STARTS HERE. Visit strathconatweedsmuir.com

WEBBER ACADEMY

PRESIDENT’S BREAKFAST CLUB

Speaker Series presents

COLONEL EILEEN COLLINS FIRST WOMAN TO PILOT AND COMMAND AN AMERICAN SPACECRAFT NASA astronaut Eileen Collins reveals encouraging perspective and insight on the leadership skills needed to break barriers and become a successful pioneer in your field.

One of America’s most admired women, Col. Collins became the first female to pilot a U.S. spacecraft with the Discovery shuttle flight in 1995, and the first female commander on the 1999 Columbia shuttle flight. In 2005, NASA tapped Col. Collins to command the space shuttle Discovery’s historic “Return to Flight” mission, NASA’s first manned flight following the loss of space shuttle Columbia in 2003. ea While logging 872 hours in space, Col. Collins earned a reputation for coolness under pressure. With that same calm demeanor, she shares how her career as an astronaut took shape, from her early years in the U.S. Air Force to her ground-breaking experience with NASA. Drawing from her career experiences, Eileen reveals valuable insights learned from both her successes and her failures. From the importance of working with others to achieve lofty goals, to successful leadership in dynamic environments, her perspective inspires you to embark on your own original journey. For audiences interested in space exploration, she can also provide insight into the future of space travel as the world turns to exciting new space frontiers.

TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 2018 7:30 AM - BREAKFAST 8:20 AM - KEYNOTE PRESENTATION WEBBER ACADEMY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE 1515 93 STREET SW

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WEBBERACADEMY.CA

WEBBER ACADEMY IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE APPOINTMENT OF

GORDON FORBES TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Gordon Forbes attended the University of Calgary for his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and is now a registered professional engineer in the Province of Alberta with APEGA. He has an impressive 41 years of experience behind him, with 20 years spent in structural design, construction services, and contract administration. He has spent the past 21 years in managing structural design, quality assurance, project management, and project delivery for large infrastructure projects. p More specifically, Mr. Forbes spent part of his career as a consultant to e City of Calgary. He first worked in the Transportation Project Office as a project manager for five LRT stations and then as the project manager and finally the program manager for the 7 Avenue Refurbishment Project.

In addition to his work in Calgary, Mr. Forbes also worked as the quality manager during the construction of the Confederation Bridge, which is 12.9 kilometers long and joins Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, making it widely regarded as one of Canada’s top engineering feats of the 20th century.

In the last five years, he has worked at his own consulting firm, Forbes and Partner Ltd, through which he contracts his professional services.

Webber Academy is proud to announce the appointment of Gordon Forbes to the Webber Academy Board of Directors.

WEBBERACADEMY.CA

ATTEND OUR NEXT INFORMATION EVENING - JANUARY 18, 2018

Rundle College & Rundle academy Small Class Size. Big Experience!

Rundle College offers an enriched academic experience for students in K through Grade 12 Rundle Academy offers a premier academic program for students in grades 4-12 with diagnosed learning disabilities • Independent, coeducational day school Rigorous university preparatory program Small class sizes ranging from 6-15 students (depending on program) Exceptional cocurricular activities Comprehensive athletic, language and arts programs International travel clubs and outdoor education options Extensive volunteer, citizenship and leadership programs

www.rundle.ab.ca • collegeadmissions@rundle.ab.ca • academyadmissions@rundle.ab.ca

THE RUNDLE EXPERIENCE

Mr. Jason B. Rogers, Headmaster, Rundle College Society The current educational landscape offers many quality choices for our childrens’ education. For those of you continuing the journey with Rundle College Society, thank you for making our program your choice. I hope you and your children continue to enjoy the “Rundle Experience.”

For families who are new to Rundle, let me share the essence of the “Rundle Experience” with you, and reinforce the benefits of a Rundle education.

In 1985, Drs. W.J. Collett and R.C. Conklin set out to create a world-class educational institution where students could reach their full potential. Their vision included small class sizes and students taught by the most-talented and dedicated teachers. Our founders believed that through this essential combination of class size and excellence in instruction, students would be stewarded to achieve their very best.

We have an unwavering focus on the shaping of minds and unparalleled character in each and every one of our students.

Rundle College Society lives by a commitment to small class sizes and premier educators — to delivering our promise of “small class size, big experience” by creating an outstanding learning environment where your child will have every opportunity to excel.

A safe and caring environment The care and safety of your child is paramount. Teachers and staff forge strong relationships with your child, fostering open communication and support. This enables all students to express themselves in a manner that honours who they are as individuals and learners.

Attention to excellence In Rundle’s hallways, classrooms, staff rooms, board meetings and business offices, we strive for excellence in all respects.

Whether we are guiding students in learning a new concept, competing in athletics, performing on stage or travelling on a service trip, we believe that ease is not the goal — excellence is.

Enriched individualized learning Every student is on a journey to find their individual passion in learning. Your child is offered a learning experience that acknowledges their individuality, where they not only learn the curriculum as it is delivered, but also become a creative, introspective and truly evolved renaissance learner. When students understand their own cognition, they are able to apply that knowledge in any situation that may present itself in the future.

Drs. Collett and Conklin were visionaries. Every day, every member of our community continues the tradition of excellence in education they championed — to your child’s advantage.

I look forward to welcoming you and your family to the Rundle College community.

Together: Be Kind, Be Curious, Be Well Our value statement guides our thoughts and actions. By following these simple words, we strengthen character. We truly believe one’s character is central to a life of fulfillment, happiness and success. Throughout Rundle, you see this value statement come to life in our students’ learning and actions.

Third Academy THE BEST-KEPT SECRET IN CALGARY IT’S SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION, YOUR CHILD’S WAY

BY RENNAY CRAATS

A spring 1997 trip home to visit his father changed the course of Sunil Mattu’s life. Dr. S. Lal Mattu was a semi-retired superintendent looking for his next challenge. As a psychologist, Dr. Mattu understood the obstacles special needs children faced in conventional schools and wanted to keep them from “falling through the cracks.”

“My father said, ‘These kids come to us dented and blunted…. Those dents and blunts represent pain and until we take that pain away, they can’t learn. I want to start a school that’s different than any other school in Alberta. It’s going to give a chance for kids and a choice to families to get from where they are to where they want to be,’” says Sunil Mattu, executive director of Third Academy. “I replied, ‘You have a better dream than me. I’ll join you.’

So we started Third Academy in September of 1997.”

“You have to start with healing the heart because a lot of our kids have emotional blocks caused by negative life/school experiences,” Mattu says. “Once they get to a healthier emotional place they are able to learn ABC-123.”

[Third Academy] has quietly been helping children with special education needs from across Alberta and beyond realize their full potential for 20 years.

Alberta has world-class teachers offering a world-class education to most students.

The system, however, was never designed to accommodate the needs of all children. Parents have a right to choose the best educational programming for their children. Third Academy offers that parental choice.

Third Academy is a small independent school that is proud to represent two of the 11 specialized Grades 1 to 12 schools in Alberta that fill the special needs niche. It has quietly been helping children with special education needs from across Alberta and beyond realize their full potential for 20 years. By offering a positive and therapeutic learning environment, children with challenges ranging from academic delays, social, emotional or behavioural issues to physiological impacts have a place that works for and caters to their individual strengths and needs.

The goal at Third Academy is to clear students’ path to success by dealing with the underlying emotional issues that are at the root of the student’s negative school experiences, perceptions and behaviour.

Children who attend Third Academy in the younger grades stay for an average of three years while those arriving in later grades often stay until graduation. The psychology team assesses every student. The instructional team then devises a customized program that best fits the child. To achieve success, students have the support of their teachers, instructional assistants, literacy lead, numeracy lead, technology lead, physical literacy lead, music specialist, drama specialist and the therapeutic expertise of the school’s psychologists, speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists and autism specialist.

The 28 front-line staff at Third Academy are committed to the 125 students, 75 of whom have been assessed to have severe learning disorders. The children benefit from small class sizes, intensive individualized instruction, therapeutic supports and a broad program of studies.

“My children deserve good people in their lives. Good people make good teachers. Our good people, all the staff, are making a real difference for these kids,” Mattu says.

As a teaching and learning environment, Third Academy also welcomes many post-secondary practicum students into the classrooms. Teaching at Third Academy is both challenging and rewarding, and many of the teachers have been with the school for years.

Third Academy does things differently and gets incredible results.

A number of students return to mainstream schools to finish their

PHOTOS BY RIVERWOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

education and children who would have otherwise dropped out of school now graduate and go on to post-secondary institutions or enter the workforce. Alumni have returned to talk to children about their experiences and successes, serve on the board of directors or gain university or college practicum experience in the hallways they once walked as students.

Dayna Johnsen’s experience at Third Academy has changed her life and enabled her plans for the future. When she first arrived, she suffered from social anxiety and had been bullied for years. Her attendance was spotty and her grades suffered. Third Academy provided the support and help she needed to succeed. Now the 11th-grader is a confident, bright young woman whose great grades will help her get into university to become a mental health nurse.

“I have struggled but when I came to this school I realized everyone has their issues,” she says. “Now, I want to help others. I want to make others believe that they’re not worthless.”

“I love the small classes. Teachers help you understand things really well. It’s a great environment. If you’re struggling in school, you should consider Third Academy,” he says.

Students like Hillier and Johnsen – and the thousands of others who came before – are the reasons Sunil Mattu is so passionate about Third Academy. He has seen his children transform, lives change, families heal, and young people flourish and go on to great things.

“I remember all their faces and I know all their stories over the past 20 years,” Mattu says. “Third Academy offers hope for our families and their children. With an intensive, individualized program delivered by committed and caring professionals, we heal children and enable them to realize student success. Our kids are making their dreams come true, each day, one step at a time.”

Third Academy 403-288-5335 | INFO@THIRDACADEMY.COM

In the five years since high school senior Dante Hillier came to Third Academy, he has also overcome his behaviour and learning issues.

Teachers are accessible and take the time to explain lessons in a way that makes sense for Hillier and his confidence and his grades are both up.

WWW.THIRDACADEMY.CA 3, 510 – 77TH AVE. SE CALGARY, AB T2H 1C3

A Leader in Learning Disabilities Since 1979

* Grades 3 - 12 * Small class sizes * Teachers with specialized knowledge of Learning Disabilities * Individualized accommodations and supports to provide success * Wide variety of extracurricular activities * Extensive use of assistive technology 745 - 37 Street NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4T1 403.270.9400

www.foothillsacademy.org

Grades 7 to 12

Be Bold.

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Be Ready.

OWN YOUR FUTURE West Island College Calgary

westislandcollege.ab.ca

@WICYYC

West Island College Calgary

403.444.0023 7410 Blackfoot Trail S.E. ®

admissions@mywic.ca

Every student has untapped potential Academy Program Grades 2-12

Enabling students with learning difficulties to realize their full academic potential

Collegiate Program Grades 5-12

Empowering students to embrace change, challenges and complexity in a supportive environment

Contact Admissions Director, Irina Dart at idart@calgaryacademy.com www.calgaryacademy.com/learnmore Recognized as a Cambridge University Innovation 800 Institution

ENRICHED ACADEMICS, MULTILINGUALISM & GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION FOR TOMORROW’S WORLD FROM PRESCHOOL TO GRADE 12

T

omorrow’s world will require today’s young people to be innovative and creative global citizens. Within a curriculum that places the demands of tomorrow’s world top of mind, Calgary French & International School (CFIS) students enjoy enriched academic courses, take part in an array of co-curricular programming, and graduate fluent in French and English, and competent in Spanish.

Strong academics together with robust language programming is the foundation of CFIS. The school further enhances its French immersion learning environment with a range of co-curricular options—from a Gauss mathematics club to musical theatre— taught by specialist teachers who encourage students to expand their interests and deepen their learning.

CFIS’s overarching programming supports development of the whole child—intellectually, socially, emotionally, artistically, and physically. As multilingual learners in a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Associated School, students are encouraged to lead age-appropriate advocacy and humanitarian work related to their studies both in their community and around the world. Through international connections, including travel studies and exchange programs through Round Square in higher grades, students are taught to effectively and confidently navigate among different cultures.

CFIS places a strong focus on individualized learning. Additionally, engaged principals, specialized classroom teachers, learning strategists and literacy coaches create a low student-to-teacher ratio, ensuring CFIS students receive the attention required to thrive in all subject areas.

As a result of their dynamic learning environment, CFIS average results on Provincial Achievement Tests, Advanced Placement Tests and Diploma Examinations are well above provincial averages and in line with other top schools in the province.

EARLY CHILDHOOD

Students are well-rounded in their achievements, transition easily into university and embody CFIS’s values as leaders, critical thinkers and ethical, responsible citizens. CFIS alumni can avail themselves of an exciting range of post-secondary options, and graduates study in diverse disciplines at French and English universities throughout Canada, the United States and beyond.

ELEMENTARY

RSVP for a tour or open house at www.calgaryfrench.com, call 403-240-1500 or email admissions@cfis.com for details.

Find us on social media!

Next open houses: Jan. 31 and Mar. 1 for preschool to Grade 6 and Jan. 18 for our interactive junior / senior high information session

SECONDARY

PROPOSED FEDERAL TAX CHANGES ANGER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS // FINANCIAL PLANNING

PROPOSED FEDERAL TAX CHANGES ANGER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS BATTLE OVER GOVERNMENT POLICIES HEATS UP

BY MARIO TONEGUZZI

T

he Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) has been exclusively devoted to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) since 1971.

The organization got its start when John Bulloch read a white paper proposing a 50 per cent tax hike for Canadian small businesses. Bulloch was infuriated. He wrote a stern letter to the finance minister and took out ad space to have it published. Support poured in from around the nation.

Thanks to one man who stood up for SMEs, and the support he rallied, the proposed tax changes were withdrawn, and the CFIB was born.

CFIB fights on behalf of SMEs for better taxes, laws and regulations. The organization provides resources for business management and savings for members on essentials, such as marketing, banking and freight.

Now, CFIB finds itself on very familiar ground. When a proposed sweeping tax reform was announced during the summer of 2017, it included changes that would have a drastic, negative effect on small businesses.

“When the changes were proposed, CFIB read through them and pushed back to make sure the interests of small businesses were protected,” says CFIB’s Amber Ruddy, director of provincial affairs, Alberta. “The federal government has made adjustments to temper their proposals, but entrepreneurs are still troubled about the negative effects the revised proposals will have on small and

medium-sized firms. There is still significant red tape being added that will make things more complicated for small business owners.”

Many SMEs took issue with the implication that private business owners were gaming the tax system and using loopholes to create enormous profits while evading taxes.

That notion, as any entrepreneur can readily prove, is very far from the truth.

ABOVE: AMBER RUDDY, DIRECTOR OF PROVINCIAL AFFAIRS - ALBERTA, CFIB.

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JANUARY 2018 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

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PROPOSED FEDERAL TAX CHANGES ANGER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS // FINANCIAL PLANNING

Most SMEs are not the burgeoning empires with offshore accounts and lavish family trust funds that the government is hinting at.

According to Key Small Business Statistics (June 2016), there are 169,305 private businesses in Alberta, of which 165,792 employ less than 100 people. Just 437 employ more than 500 people. SMEs are largely your non-chain restaurants, boutique retailers, fabrication and machining shops – they are run by your friends, your neighbours and people just like you. In the eyes of the government, however, SMEs appear to have Trump-like power and resources.

“The government’s tone was not effective,” Ruddy agrees.

“Treating small business owners like tax cheats is not the way to put through the biggest tax reform we’ve seen in decades. It is clear that the federal government is trying to raise revenue.

Their definition of fighting for the middle class is forgetting that small business owners make up the middle class.

“Removing rewards for being a business owner is not inspiring people to create jobs. CFIB wants to create a positive climate for the next generation of business owners, and treating entrepreneurs like employees doesn’t inspire business confidence.”

looking to join the fight. “We are going to keep going until small business owners are heard,” concludes Ruddy.

She notes that opening a private business is incredibly risky, and there should be rewards, and incentives, for those who are creating jobs and opportunities for other Canadians.

Murray Mikaluk, a partner with Mikaluk & Hill LLP in Calgary, says the concern on the part of small business has not dissipated whatsoever although the federal Liberals have made some changes to their initial tax proposals.

The intense pressure CFIB, its members and other business owners have put on the government to review the proposed tax changes is having an effect.

“I think the biggest single thing I’m hearing from our small business clients is the uncertainty. We just don’t know what’s going to happen,” says Mikaluk.

“The government has now reinstated its promise to move small business taxes down to nine per cent, but there are still measures in the tax package that business owners are not excited about,” confirms Ruddy. “CFIB submitted formal recommendations and formed a small business coalition group made up of 80-plus members nationally. The government has dropped the parts that made it difficult to sell to family members, made some concessions on passive income, but elements may hamper small businesses from growing into mid-size firms.”

He’s been a chartered accountant for 40 years and he’s never seen this level of anger towards a government. It has truly been unprecedented.

CFIB isn’t giving up. There is an “Act Now” button on their website (www.cfib-fcei.ca) for business owners who are

“Not only unprecedented in terms of the fundamental change they’re trying to ram through. The way it was done.

In the dead of summer. Trying to sneak through three major fundamental pieces of tax legislation only giving the community 75 days to respond,” says Mikaluk.

“We have to question: could they really have gone through 21,000 responses in three weeks? The fact that they did not engage with the stakeholders, they did not engage in any

ABOVE: JACK MINTZ, DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY.

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JANUARY 2018 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

PROPOSED FEDERAL TAX CHANGES ANGER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS // FINANCIAL PLANNING

JACK MINTZ, DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY, WAS AT AN EVENT IN THE FALL AND FOUND PEOPLE STILL TALKING ABOUT THE PROPOSED TAX CHANGES AND STILL EXTREMELY UPSET ABOUT THEM. fundamental consultations … there’s a significant amount of distrust within the small business community with respect to this Liberal government and the way they did it.”

The tone and rhetoric within the proposals were also offensive. Small business owners, people who incorporate, are not tax cheats. They are not taking advantage of loopholes. A small business tax culture has been created by successive Conservative and Liberal governments and people have planned around that culture.

“We’ve had some certainty in that regard. And now all of that certainty that we’ve had is gone. That’s where I am seeing the significant angst,” says Mikaluk.

Jack Mintz, director of the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary, was at an event in the fall and found people still talking about the proposed tax changes and still extremely upset about them.

“I just hear an earful all the time,” he says. “I think there’s a huge lack of trust right now in the federal government and it’s partly their own making because they’ve made this into a class-warfare thing. There’s a lot of antagonism.

“There’s a lot of unclarity right now. I think that’s one of the things people are chagrined about – the way this has been handled and the speed that’s been involved without really knowing the full details. To make any changes you need to know the rules so there’s been unhappiness.”

“I call that middle class; not the rich,” says Mintz.

Mikaluk says his biggest single concern in the three proposals is the whole area of passive income. The reality is most small to medium-size business owners – assuming they’re successful making money in their corporation – build up their retained earnings as much as they can with the view that this is going to be their retirement income.

“But really the buildup of the retained earnings to subsequently take out in your retirement years as dividends has been the way we have tax planned owner managers for the last 40 years. That is all up in the air,” says Mikaluk.

The question that haunts small to medium-size business owners is the government’s motivation. Why has this segment of the Canadian economy been targeted for tax reform? Why didn’t the federal government go after the wealthy and their tax strategies – family trusts and stock option benefits?

“It defies logic that our country would have a fiscal policy that penalizes you for transferring your business to your children. That just makes no sense,” says Mikaluk.

In a submission to federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau, Mikaluk described the tax proposals as totally unreasonable and the tone and rhetoric insulting and demeaning.

Part of the angst is over the income splitting because smaller business owners will be the ones most heavily affected by any changes here.

“You are spewing propaganda and false statements in justification of your policy move to increase the taxation on one of the most important sectors of our economy,” wrote Mikaluk.

Mintz says there are about 200,000 Canadian households that receive dividends from private corporations. A significant number – at least about half – are households with $100,000 to $200,000 in income.

“While you are proposing to levy some of the most egregious new taxes on Canadian-controlled private corporations, your government has squandered billions of dollars on Bombardier.”

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // JANUARY 2018

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MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE // CORPORATE HEALTH, WELLNESS & REJUVENATION

Mental Health IN THE WORKPLACE WHAT IS IT AND HOW CAN EMPLOYERS HELP?

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JANUARY 2018 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

// CORPORATE HEALTH

BY ERLYNN GOCOCO

I

n any given year, one in five Canadians will personally experience a mental health problem or illness and approximately eight per cent of adults will experience major depression at some point in their lives, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). And even if an individual never suffers from a mental illness themselves, mental illness indirectly affects us all at some point, whether it be through a family member, friend or colleague.

As we continue to see an increase in the frequency of mental illness, employers, consequently, will experience a variety of challenges in the workplace. And if not addressed, they will also see higher levels of absenteeism, lower productivity rates, reduced employee engagement and increased disability and drug claims resulting from mental health conditions. According to Manulife Insurance’s Workplace Solutions for Mental Health guide, “Addressing mental health in the workplace can feel overwhelming for an employer. As a simple guideline, organizational initiatives should address employee mental health no matter where they are on the health continuum – be that at work and healthy, at work and at risk of an illness, off work recovering, or transitioning back into the workplace following an absence.”

The economic cost of mental illnesses in Canada for the health-care system, according to the guide, was estimated to be at least $7.9 billion in 1998 – $4.7 billion in care and $3.2 billion in disability and early death. An additional $6.3 billion was spent on uninsured mental health services and time off work for depression and distress that was not treated by the health-care system.

Callum Ross, advocacy and policy lead for CMHA Calgary Region, says, “Mental health problems and illnesses are rated one of the top three drivers of both shortand long-term disability claims by more than 80 per cent of Canadian employers.”

Maria Fraga, head of global benefits and wellness at Manulife, says that by enhancing benefits that support the health and wealth of employees and their families, employers are investing in their greatest resource – people. “Manulife is committed to being a leader in strengthening the psychological health resiliency of Canadians by providing a fully-integrated health awareness, education and prevention, intervention and recovery maintenance support program to our clients, their employees and their families. The goal of our psychological health strategy is to help build and support psychologically-healthy and safe workplaces.”

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MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE // CORPORATE HEALTH, WELLNESS & REJUVENATION

But how does an employee’s mental health really affect the workplace and a company’s bottom line? Wayne McNeil, co-founder of Respect Group Inc., says, “One’s mental health can be the most important factor in an employee’s ability to perform. If you take this fact and apply it to the collective work group/organization, it could translate into whether an organization is successful or not.” McNeil co-founded Respect Group in 2004 alongside former NHL hockey player and advocate/spokesperson for violence and abuse prevention programs Sheldon Kennedy.

Ross points out that mental health problems and illnesses account for more than $6 billion in lost productivity costs due to absenteeism and presenteeism, meaning employees come to work despite having a sickness that justifies an absence and as a consequence, they are performing their work under suboptimal conditions.

Outside influences and issues can contribute to mental illness including, but not limited to, our attachment to the online world and, consequently, the decrease in physical activity – we have become a very sedentary society and many Canadians are physically inactive, according to Fraga. She adds, “We live in a very fast-paced world and workplaces are not exempt – not everyone enjoys or can maintain such a pace, which generates stress.”

McNeil emphasizes that stress is a major contributor to mental health. “It often comes from outside the workplace; relationships, a partner losing their job and the economic impacts of that, the constant ‘always on’ feeling as a result of technology and having to respond 24-7. This stress just gets compounded at work, if it doesn’t originate there, and results in people behaving inappropriately with one another; bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination – what we

ABOVE: WAYNE MCNEIL, FOUNDER OF RESPECT GROUP INC. PHOTO SOURCE: RESPECT GROUP INC.

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MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE // CORPORATE HEALTH, WELLNESS & REJUVENATION

have come to call BAHD behaviours. They all lead, unfortunately, to negative mental health outcomes for those being victimized.”

Ross adds that people today lead a much more isolated existence than ever before. “In the 1950s, for example, we had six strong friendships compared to present day where we have two and a half. Loneliness has the same impact on our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.” He goes on to say, “We can build our resiliency to the daily demands on our life by building and investing in our social connections. Workplaces with positive cultures that focus on belonging and connection have less stress leave and sickness. Calgary is at a higher risk for loneliness and disconnection with the high number of migrants and low number of people who were born or have family roots in the city.”

Currently, 40 per cent of Canadians are financially unwell, according to Fraga, which also contributes to poor mental health. And unfortunately, employees are often reluctant to access mental health resources due to the stigma surrounding mental health in the workplace. “There is fear that raising these concerns will ultimately impact the employee’s career opportunities and their job in the future.” For employees struggling with finances, there exists emotional barriers that translate into reduced productivity at work and an unwillingness to look for support and resources to support change.

So what can and should employers do to prevent and treat mental health illness in the workplace?

First off, they must acknowledge that a problem exists. Then, they should contact their benefits providers to find out what mental health programs and supports are available to employees.

In January 2017, Manulife announced that under its redesigned benefits plan, employees in

ABOVE: CALLUM ROSS, ADVOCACY AND POLICY LEAD FOR CMHA CALGARY REGION

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MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE // CORPORATE HEALTH, WELLNESS & REJUVENATION

Canada would receive a mental health support benefit of up to $10,000 per person per year, including family members. These benefits are fully paid by Manulife and the amount represents among the highest mental health benefits offered by Canadian employers, claims Fraga.

Respect in the Workplace, an online risk management platform offered by Respect Group, emerged as a result of the national success of the Respect in Sport programs. It focuses on the prevention of BAHD and provides practical tools to deal with the issues. McNeil says their programs “empower the by-standers to ‘step up and step in’ and create a standard that all employees can adhere to thus reducing the negative impacts on an individual’s mental health, short or long term.”

Ross says workplaces with low levels of stigma around mental health and addiction issues have fewer issues with absenteeism. “The best and only way to reduce levels of stigma in the workplace is to share personal stories of recovery from mental health or addiction issues. For example, when a CEO or leader talks about their son/daughter who struggles with addiction openly, their staff are much more likely to share their own experience and potentially seek help.”

The associated costs for Canadian companies due to mental health issues, according to Manulife, can equate to nearly 14 per cent of their net annual profits and up to $16 billion annually. However, by improving the management of mental health in the workplace and creating a psychologically safe and healthy work environment, employers can help protect both their employees and their bottom line.

ABOVE: MARIA FRAGA, HEAD OF GLOBAL BENEFITS AND WELLNESS AT MANULIFE. PHOTO SOURCE: MANULIFE

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Leading Business JANUARY 2018

IN THIS ISSUE...

• Policy Bites - Our Advocacy priorities and the business issues to watch for in 2018 • Ignite - Small innovations, big results • Member Spotlight • Upcoming Events

Accessible innovation to help grow your business, fast.

CalgaryChamber.com

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2018 Board of

Directors

Policy Bites Our Advocacy priorities and the business issues to watch for in 2018

Executive Chair: Phil Roberts, President, Vintri Technologies Inc Vice Chair: Brent Cooper, Partner, McLeod Law Past Chair: David Allen, Founder & President Situated Co. Treasurer: Wellington Holbrook, Chief Transformation Officer, ATB Financial

Directors Bill Brunton, Vice President, Habitat for Humanity, Southern Alberta Mike Williams, Executive Vice-President, Encana James Boettcher, Chief Idea Officer, Fiasco Gelato 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 Jenn Lofgren, Founder, Incito Mike Shaw, Vice President, Calgary Region Gas Distribution, ATCO Management 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 Zoe Addington – 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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fter consulting with Calgary businesses over the course of 2017, one thing has become clear – government policies are making it harder for businesses to succeed. Through the Chamber’s 2017 Business Leader Market perceptions survey, 19 per cent of businesses identified government and government regulations as a challenge for their organization when trying to grow a successful business.

In 2018, the Chamber will continue to work with all levels of government to identify and address the issues that are making it harder for business to be successful. Here are some of our advocacy priorities and the policy issues your business should be aware of in the upcoming year.

International The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations will be a challenge in 2018.

While progress is reportedly being made on some technical and less controversial files (digital policy, animal, plant and food safety measures, and regulatory harmonization), there have been concerning proposals brought forward during negotiations, including: • Sunset clause – the United States originally suggested NAFTA should expire every five years unless all three countries agree to an extension. They have since stepped back from this proposal and are asking for NAFTA to undergo assessments at regular intervals. While a review mechanism is preferable, this will still increase uncertainty for business and investors.

• Rules of origin – the United States has proposed changes to country-of-origin content, specifically for the automobile sector. For example, there is a proposal to increase the minimum amount of parts made in the USA (referred to as regional content) needed in auto manufacturing to 85 per cent from 62.5 per cent. This could significantly increase costs and disrupt supply chains.

• Government procurement – proposals have been made to limit businesses from other countries from accessing government contracts. Specifically, a United States-stated negotiating objective is to limit Canadian and Mexican businesses to $1 in public contracts for every $1 American businesses receive in those countries.

• Dispute settlement mechanisms – NAFTA’s dispute settlement mechanism has also been targeted by the United States. This mechanism has allowed Canada to be successful in many trade disputes with the United States.

We will continue to work with Canadian policy-makers and other business advocacy groups to oppose these types of proposals that limit market access, increase costs and disrupt supply chains.

Federal In 2017, Finance Canada announced some of the most sweeping changes to the business tax laws seen in decades. While the government has taken steps back from their original proposals, issues with the updated tax changes remain. Specifically, the updates will still result in large

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business uncertainty, tax complexity and administrative costs – all of which disproportionately burden smaller businesses with fewer resources available to navigate the tax system.

Throughout 2018, our priority is to analyze the revised legislation as it is announced, including in Budget 2018, and advocate for a comprehensive and independent review of the Canadian tax system, with simplicity and improving Canadian competitiveness as objectives.

Provincial In 2018, we will be looking at the layering of costs on business – from all levels of government. At a provincial level, in addition to increases in corporate taxes, the carbon levy and labour costs including minimum wage increases, will layer more costs on businesses.

On October 1, 2018, Alberta’s minimum wage will increase to $15/hour. The Chamber supports the Alberta government’s objective to reduce poverty and increase quality of life.

However, this tool ineffectively targets those most in need, while impacting small and medium-sized businesses. The increase in labour costs is resulting in negative unintended consequences, such as reduced hours and a reluctance to hire low-skilled or less-experienced workers at the higher salary range. Thirty-six per cent of businesses surveyed said they would likely need to lay off staff when the minimum wage reaches $15/hour.

Throughout 2018, we will be advocating for the Alberta government to stop the minimum wage increases at $13.60/hour until an in-depth analysis can determine its impact on economic activity and employment. We are committed to working with the provincial government to identify and implement policy alternatives that directly target those in need of support and do not reduce job opportunities, such as an expansion of the Alberta Family Employment Tax Credit to assist all low-income working Albertans, not just those with children.

Beginning in January, Alberta’s carbon levy increases from $20/tonne of CO2 to $30/tonne. While pricing carbon may be the most cost-effective way to reduce emissions, the implementation of Alberta’s carbon levy does not adequately balance the need for environmental stewardship with the need for business and investment growth.

With the recent economic downturn, many small and mediumsized businesses do not believe their customers are willing, or able, to pay higher prices. Only 21 per cent of businesses

surveyed that have been impacted by the carbon levy plan on passing the carbon costs on to their customers. Many business owners have no choice but to “eat” a large portion of the costs.

This means less available funds to reinvest in wage, job or business growth.

Moving forward, the Chamber would like to see more of the revenues collected from Alberta’s carbon levy recycled through a reduction in corporate and personal income taxes.

By reducing other taxes paid by Alberta’s businesses and households, we can encourage a reduction in GHG emissions, while incenting greater levels of investment and maintaining Alberta’s competitiveness.

This year, we will also begin working with Calgary businesses to identify policy recommendations going into the 2019 provincial election.

Municipal In 2017, the principal municipal issue was the significant increase in property tax bills facing businesses outside of the downtown core. To address the large property taxes faced by many businesses, the city chose to access Calgary’s reserve fund to cap non-residential property tax increases at five per cent. Without this tax relief, some small businesses were facing a 200 per cent tax increase.

Given the large downtown office vacancy rate, it is expected the non-residential assessments on properties outside downtown will once again be facing significant tax increases. While not a sustainable long-term solution, we recommend city council extend the Municipal Non-Residential Phased Tax Program, capping business property tax increases at five per cent in 2018. Throughout the year, we urge the city to prioritize the need to address this longer-term issue with Calgary’s property tax model to mitigate large swings in property assessments, along with balancing the distribution between residential and non-residential property taxpayers.

Building off the work done in our 2017 Municipal Election Campaign, A Calgary that Works, we look forward to working with city council in 2018 to build a more efficient, equitable and entrepreneurial city for business. Specifically, we will be advocating for the city to identify and address areas where inefficient program delivery is resulting in greater spending, where onerous regulations are barriers to business growth, and where there are gaps in policy that is impeding innovative businesses from operating in or moving to Calgary.

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Ignite

Small innovations, big results

Don’t take our word for it though; here is what past participants of the program had to say.

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s an entrepreneur, we know that you think of new ideas and ways to grow and improve your business every day. Do you have that one great idea you have always wanted to explore, but haven’t found the time to do it? If so, a business accelerator program could be the tool your business needs.

Bringing a new idea to life is no easy feat. With an average fail rate that can keep even the most seasoned entrepreneurs up at night, investing money and time away from your business to develop a new business line or product can be a daunting task. This is where a business accelerator can help fast track your success.

What is a business accelerator?

A business accelerator is a program that offers a mix of expert support and mentoring services as well as funding opportunities for businesses looking to grow and outpace their competition. These programs are designed to get products and services to market, fast. Usually within a few months successful participants launch their new products into market.

Ignite is an innovation accelerator designed for growth-focused businesses. The Calgary Chamber launched Ignite in 2017 to help businesses pivot quickly by bringing innovative ideas to fruition with limited resources. Ignite is a 12-week sprint that immerses you in a detailed discovery of your business operations and customer segments to uncover new areas of growth and revenue.

It seems that business accelerators have become a growing trend with a new one popping up all the time.

What sets the Ignite Innovation Accelerator apart?

Ignite is an expertly-facilitated, 90-day sprint to help you take the spark of an idea, develop it, test it, and get connected with potential customers and partners. Using new tools and techniques, Ignite will leave you with insights and a deeper understanding of your value proposition and customer needs.

Structured meetings along with homework assignments and individualized resources hold you accountable while engaging your team to reach targeted deadlines.

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“The Ignite program allowed us to adopt some really cool ideas and processes we didn’t have before,” says Erik Allan of Tundra Process Solutions. “I can get excited and I don’t always check my blind spots; Ignite helped me do that.”

Tundra Process Solutions is a manufacturer of a full range of custom-engineered solutions. The company joined the Chamber’s Ignite Innovation Accelerator program in the winter of 2017 to help them launch their startup incubator, the Ace Program. Ignite provided Tundra with the space to test and innovate while being held accountable to deadlines and an end goal. After 90 days, a lot of hard work, feedback and support, Tundra was able to launch a successful incubator.

Not having a fully-formulated idea in mind, Raven Bay came into Ignite knowing they wanted to break into the agribusiness sector. Raven Bay is a full-service management consulting and analytics firm focusing on business strategy and operations and machine learning. Ignite allowed Raven Bay access to industry experts who played a pivotal role in formulating a product and pitch that would resonate with agribusiness clients.

“When we came into Ignite we didn’t have a solid idea to pitch to customers,” says Denise Tsang, director of business development at Raven Bay. “Ignite gave us the opportunity to make it pitchable to our next client.”

As you look forward and plan the year ahead, and investigate ways that your business can better adapt and thrive quickly in a changing economy, the Chamber’s Ignite Innovation Accelerator can take even the smallest innovation and turn it into a great growth opportunity for your business, with not a lot of financial risk or time spent away from your business.

Cohorts start: • January 2018 • April 2018 • September 2018 To learn more about the Ignite program, go to calgarychamber.com/interact/ignite or email Johanna Clark at jclark@calgarychamber.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.

Thanks Bayer Crop Science Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and agriculture. Products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. Headquartered in Calgary, the Crop Science division of Bayer in Canada employs over 400 people across the country, offering farmers a wide choice of solutions with an integrated product portfolio of crop protection products, seed treatment technologies and plant biotechnology.

For more information, visit cropscience.bayer.ca.

ECCO Recycling ECCO Recycling grew out of ECCO Waste with the on-site construction of a materials recycling facility, which opened in 2012. ECCO Recycling has developed several products and services from a range of source materials, including recycling shingles into asphalt, wood materials into mulch and animal bedding, and pavement into aggregate. ECCO Recycling’s overarching goal is to protect the environment by diverting waste and converting it into reusable commercial and industrial products.

For more information, visit eccorecycling.com.

Edelman Since 1952, Edelman has profoundly shaped the ways that companies and brands communicate. Today, in a world of fragmented information sources, declining traditional media relevance and rising peer influence, Edelman has redefined its service offering as communications marketing. They have added top talent disciplines such as research, analytics, creative strategy and media buying, enabling clients to reach their business and communications goals through one fully-integrated agency. Today, with five offices in Canada and more than 60 offices around the world, Edelman partners with many of the world’s largest and emerging businesses and organizations, helping them evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations.

For more information, visit edelman.com.

Canada Council Art Bank The Canada Council Art Bank makes contemporary artwork available to a wide public across the country through three programs: corporate art rental, loans to museums and outreach. With more than 17,000 artworks by over 3,000 artists, the Art Bank has one of the largest collections of contemporary Canadian art anywhere. It houses paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs and prints by emerging and established artists, including a significant number of indigenous artworks. The entire collection can now be explored on their website.

For more information, visit canadacouncil.ca.

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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 Deloitte Suncor Energy RGO Products World Cycles Institute APEGA KBM Commercial Floor Coverings Centron Group of Companies D.B.K. Engineering KVP Registration Services XSENSOR Technology Longbow Capital Maple Leaf Storage Allied Properties Ananta Health TRS Staffing Solutions TWT Group

Years as a member 55 55 50 30 20 20 15 15 15 15 10 10 5 5 5 5

Insurance Bureau of Canada Established in 1964, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is the national industry association representing Canada’s private home, auto and business insurers. Its member companies represent 90 per cent of the Canadian property and casualty insurance market. IBC works on a number of fronts to increase public understanding of home, auto and business insurance. Public understanding is also fostered through IBC’s five regional consumer centres, where trained personnel with years of industry and government relations experience answer thousands of consumer inquiries each year.

For more information, visit ibc.ca.

MacMillan Estate Planning Corp.

MacMillan Estate Planning is committed to protecting the future of families.

For two decades, they have designed comprehensive estate plans that incorporate creative solutions tailored to each family. As specialists, their senior trusted and estate practitioners have a contemporary understanding of the most innovative methods currently available to families. For MacMillan, estate planning extends well beyond the preservation of wealth; it’s about maintaining quality of life.

For more information, visit macmillanestate.com.

TransCanada With more than 65 years of experience, TransCanada is a leader in the responsible development and reliable operations of North American energy infrastructure including natural gas and liquids pipelines, power generation and gas storage facilities. TransCanada operates one of the largest natural gas transmission networks that extends more than 91,500 kilometres tapping into virtually all major gas supply basins in North America. A large independent power producer, TransCanada currently owns or has interests in approximately 6,200 megawatts of power generation in Canada and the United States.

TransCanada is also the developer and operator of one of North America’s leading liquids pipeline systems that extends approximately 4,800 kilometres connecting growing continental oil supplies to key markets and refineries.

For more information, visit transcanada.com.

Suncor Energy Suncor Energy Inc. is an integrated energy company strategically focused on developing Canada’s Athabasca oilsands. In 1967, Suncor made history by pioneering commercial crude oil production from the oilsands of northern Alberta. Since then, Suncor has grown to become one of Canada’s largest integrated energy companies with a balanced portfolio of high-quality assets and significant growth prospects, focused on operational excellence, with the assets, people and financial strength to compete globally.

For more information, visit Suncor.com.

Upcoming Events Make connections and learn cutting-edge business skills to grow your business.

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his year is all about being bold and pushing the status quo. With a wide range of focus areas, Chamber events are your ticket to meeting the right people and making key business connections.

From conversations with political figures and leading CEOs, to a deep-dive approach into specific markets, and tangible takeaways in our learning workshops, there is something for every type of business leader no matter your company or size. Mark your calendars for an exciting lineup of Chamber events in 2018.

Energy Futures

ONWARD

2017 was an interesting year for the energy industry, with oil prices holding steady around the $55/barrel mark, indecisiveness on pipeline projects, and an increasing trend towards clean energy. In early 2018, we will unpack the issues most relevant to the energy industry and provide insights into what this year will bring.

Back for its third instalment, the ONWARD Summit is an innovation and global trends conference featuring some of the smartest minds in business, technology and global trends.

This one-day conference is sure to leave you feeling energized and inspired.

REV

Small Business Calgary Conference

Join us for a one-day power conference that will leave you with fresh ideas to help you grow fast. Uncover innovative marketing tactics, challenge the way you look at your brand, and grow your company. REV kicks off early spring 2018.

Every year in October, communities across the country celebrate Small Business Week. The Calgary Chamber is excited to put on one of the largest conferences of its kind in Canada, right here in Calgary. Look for more details around this event in spring 2018.

Cannabis Conference

Look for these events and more at CalgaryChamber.com.

The coming legalization of cannabis in Canada brings questions, challenges and opportunities as this industry is adopted. The Calgary Chamber is hosting a discussion on the business case around cannabis and the economic impact to the province.

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Bon Ton Meat Market

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he new Bon Ton is far more than a premium meat market with delicious homemade pies and fresh-cut meats.

The Calgary landmark operates in Crowfoot Crossing Shopping Centre, offering a large showroom with a fullservice deli while still maintaining its traditional emphasis on personalized and knowledgeable service.

While the 7,000-square-foot location may look vastly different from the original Bon Ton that opened its doors on 7th Avenue and Centre Street in 1921, the premise behind the business has never swayed. Bon Ton Meat Market remains an old-fashioned and truly unique business with a deep and rich history, but it has evolved with the times offering clients all the latest products from gluten-free options to more exotic products including pheasant and elk.

Today, Bon Ton remains a quality and service-driven company where every client is individually served by one employee from the beginning of their shopping experience until the end. All clients receive undivided attention to ensure their every need is met in the manner to which they expect, deserve and have become accustomed to – as is demonstrated with Bon Ton successfully receiving the Consumer Choice Award for 17 years in a row.

Consistency, Quality, Craftsmanship

To maintain their clients’ complete and unconditional satisfaction, two basic fundamentals form the basis of the Bon Ton business.

Firstly, it starts with buying the best products possible from the highest grades of AAA Alberta beef and free-range poultry to grain-fed lamb, milk-fed veal and fresh Alberta pork.

Complementing the selection of high-end meat products is 24 types of deli salads, a delicious selection of homemade prepared hot and frozen foods, cheeses and mouth-watering desserts.

Secondly, Bon Ton’s staff possess the knowledge, experience and skills necessary to properly prepare all the different cuts of meats. The meat cutters at Bon Ton share over 250 years of experience, allowing them to handle any request while guaranteeing satisfaction.

“We have a tradition for the highest quality,” says Bon Ton Meat Market owner Greg Keller. “Good just isn’t good enough.

It has to be great!”

The future for Bon Ton includes continuing to evolve with the everchanging buying trends of the public, while remaining committed to the finest quality products and exceptional service. In addition, Bon Ton strives to be a good corporate citizen by giving back to the community and supporting a number of charitable causes.

Photo by Jean Perron Photography

Bon Ton Meat Market Bon Ton is proud to be your Consumer Choice Award winner for 17 years in a row 17-time winner

Finest Q uality p roducts Old Fash and ioned p ersona lized service , guara nteed.

Come in and talk to us about your project!

Our showroom is open from Monday - Friday 8am - 4:30pm | www.prestigerailings.com “We’re passionate about bringing spaces to life. Together with you.”

2777 Hopewell Place NE Calgary (403) 250-1020 • Toll Free: 1-800-382-8502

Our friendly experienced staff are always around to help make sure any customer will be a returning customer.

403.282.3132 | 28 Crowfoot Circle NW www.bontonmeatmarket.com BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // JANUARY 2018

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Seventy Years and Beyond The Calgary Petroleum Club celebrates the past and prepares for the future

by Melanie Darbyshire

Michael Erickson, president. Photo by Riverwood Photography.

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Left- Right Front Row: Kevin Nielsen, Doug McNeill, Michael Erickson, Nancy Lever, Toni-Marie Ion-Brown, Kevin Cumming, Noralee Bradley.

Left-Right Top Row: Kevin Gregor, Elysse Dalla-Longa, David Holm, Kevin Zimmel, Judith Athaide, Dale Dusterhoft. Missing: Carey Arnett, Jeff Lawson, Jim Riddell, Grant Zawalsky. Photo by Mark Eleven Photography.

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n 1948, a group of leading Calgary businessmen shared a common vision: the establishment of an exclusive notfor-profit club where they and their peers could gather to meet, dine and connect for both business and social purposes. The founders envisioned a place in downtown Calgary to share information, make deals, cement relationships and which would become the epicentre of the city’s business community.

that reflect what today’s business people desire. The CPC remains as relevant in 2018 as it was in 1948.

This vision culminated, soon after, in the formation of the Calgary Petroleum Club (the CPC or the club).

“The CPC has a rich history and tradition in the Calgary community,” says Michael Erickson, 2017-18 CPC president, and president and CEO of Chronos Resources Ltd. “We have worked hard to hold onto that history and tradition, while continuing to adapt to the rapid changes in our business environment.” The youngest president in the CPC’s history (he is 42 years old), Erickson is determined to ensure the club is relevant to its increasingly diverse member base.

Today – 70 years later – the CPC is all of these things and much more. It is the premier club for Calgary business while at the same time, the CPC has adapted to changing times.

Membership represents the diversity of Calgary’s business community, and includes young business leaders and executives from new industries as well as energy professionals.

The CPC is focused on the services, offerings and atmosphere

To this end, a $7-million, four-month rejuvenation of the CPC was just completed under his watch. The final product when it reopened on October 16: a modern, world-class facility. “What you now see is a blend of keeping with the rich tradition and history of the club, but bringing the facility to a new level,” Erickson says proudly. “I think the new facility sets the club up for success for many years to come.”

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In the Beginning Oilmen and their companies have called Calgary home since the early 1900s, when drillers discovered the Turner Valley oilfield, southwest of the city. Imperial Oil, Shell and Sun Oil opened offices in Calgary, as did other international companies.

By the Second World War, Alberta was producing more than 95 per cent of all the oil in Canada. And Calgary was the centre of the Canadian oil industry.

The inaugural meeting of the CPC took place in the Sun Room of the Palliser Hotel, Calgary’s premier hotel and the city’s tallest building at the time. Club meetings were held in a suite on the Palliser’s 11th floor. The approximately 60 original CPC members established what would quickly become Calgary’s top business club. The stature of the CPC was affirmed when, on April 13, 1950, the Duke of Windsor attended lunch at the CPC and became its first honorary member. He was also the first person to sign the club’s guestbook.

In 1950, the CPC merged with the Renfrew Club (a competing business club). Integral to the merger was the understanding that the CPC would be a club for all businessmen – including bankers, ranchers, farmers and merchants – not exclusively oilmen. To honour this understanding, Ron Jenkins of Jenkins Grocery Store (a forerunner to Safeway in Calgary), a prominent businessman and household name, became president of the newly-merged club.

In 1958, a single-storey clubhouse was opened at 319 Fifth Avenue South West, and has remained the CPC’s home since.

Members own both the land and the building, the latter to which significant changes have been made in the last 60 years – all part of the continual progression of the club. A second storey was added in 1977, and in 2005 an arson fire in the loading dock, which caused major smoke damage to the rest of the building, required four-and-a-half months of repairs. In 2007, the Wine Cellar replaced the billiards room in the basement.

A More Diverse Club The evolution of the CPC’s membership has been fundamental to its longevity and continued stature within the business community. Today, the approximately 1,700 members constitute a broad mix of business people of varying ages (from 21 years to 90-plus years), genders and from a cross section of industries. The CPC’s history illustrates the wisdom of adapting to progressive change. The CPC is a stronger club today as it enjoys a rich past and operates with a vision for the future.

An all-men’s club for decades, women were first invited to become full members in 1988. This change in the club’s membership policy was one of the most valuable changes the CPC has made since its inception.

70 Years | Calgary Petroleum Club | 3

In 2007, Bonnie DuPont became the first female president in the history of the CPC. DuPont joined the club in 1998 when she was a group vice president at Enbridge. “I was encouraged to join by my boss,” she recalls. “He was a member and really thought that it was a valuable experience. Good networking opportunities and a great place to entertain for business.”

At the time there were very few female members. “It was a different club,” she reflects. “Often when I entertained at lunch, I was the only woman in the room. But that started to change in the late 1990s, and of course, we have a great many women members now.”

In 2001, the late Bud McCaig, club president at the time, asked her to join the board. “I was thrilled and immediately said yes,” she recounts, “for two reasons. One, I really liked the CPC and I respected its history and traditions, and two, Bud told me I would be the first woman board member and I was thrilled by the challenge of being the first.”

DuPont worked to ensure more women joined the board. “I may have been the first, but I certainly was not the last,” she says proudly. In addition to more gender diversity, DuPont highlights other changes too. “We not only have gender diversity, but we are a more ethnically-diverse club. We are also more age diverse. We

Bonnie DuPont, former president. Photo by Riverwood Photography.

From

world-class amenities to milestone anniversaries.

Blakes is proud to support the Calgary Petroleum Club and their ongoing commitment to the business community.

Congratulations on 70 years!

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP | blakes.com

4 | Calgary Petroleum Club | 70 Years

Photo by Mark Eleven Photography

attract younger members, and members not only from the petroleum sector, but from other sectors as well.”

Re-Generation Younger members – between the ages of 21 and 36 – are a category of particular focus for the CPC. In 2014, the membership voted to create a separate Young Professionals (YP) category for these business people. YP members pay lower monthly dues and have a lower annual spend requirement. Today, there are approximately 300 YP members.

Since 1962

“With a club like the CPC, it is important to respect the history and tradition of the club and its long-standing members, while continuing to gain new members to carry the future of the club for the next generation,” says Erickson.

Elysse Dalla-Longa, of Tidal Energy Marketing Inc., is part of that next generation.

She was initially asked to be in a focus group when the CPC was deciding how to structure its new young member initiative. “After attending several events – a father-

70 Years | Calgary Petroleum Club | 5

daughter dinner, a chef’s dinner in the Cellar, and a leaders and mentors lunch – I decided to join as a YP member,” she recounts. “I had just returned to Alberta after working four years in Montreal and saw joining as the best opportunity to grow my network within the Calgary business community.”

Dalla-Longa joined the board in 2016 – the first YP member so honoured. She now chairs the house services subcommittee, and sits on the entertainment and marketing subcommittees.

“The experience has been excellent,” she extols.

“I believe the board values my insight as a young professional in our business community as I bring a fresh perspective as well as new ideas on how to further engage the YPs. I’m able to learn how to lead and participate in board-level activity and am a full participant in our planning and decision-making.”

Photo by Mark Eleven Photography

The 2017 Renovation In 2016, the CPC determined that it had to also update its physical presence, ultimately to ensure it could fulfil its

mission to be Calgary’s premier business club. In 2017, after consultations with members, the club executed the most substantial renovation in its history. Toni-Marie Ion-Brown, a 26-year club employee, became the club’s first female general manager in February with the mandate to lead the club through this project.

Ion-Brown worked with the board’s facility enhancement committee, led by past president, Kevin Cumming, and with Lignum Interiors Inc., to bring the renovation project on stream both on time and on budget.

“The board’s strategic planning work in 2015 identified the desire of our membership to update our facility,” Ion-Brown explains. The renovation was extensive and ranged from a new exterior facade with the new CPC branding to a complete modification of all of the membership spaces of the club. “The carpets, the furniture, the wood – all needed a refresh. We created a cohesive facility master plan so that the entire club

Congratulations on 70 years!

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Toni-Marie Ion-Brown, general manager. Photo by Mark Eleven Photography.

was updated, has design continuity and has the elegant atmosphere that our members desire.” The woodwork, carpets and new furniture match throughout the club. Modern light fixtures replaced old ones and the CPC’s art collection was cleaned, re-matted, reframed and rearranged for more prominent display.

A key objective of the renovation was to improve club spaces and ambience. Examples include major changes to the entrance and front lounge that now features more seating and glass walls for greater openness. “It’s more inviting and draws people in,” says Ion-Brown.

The renovation team wanted to ensure changes to the club were not simply cosmetic but also developed new themes and enhanced services for members.

The card room in the basement is now a brand-new sports bar, combining classic menu items such as the “derrick steak sandwich” with new ‘pub-style’ menu items, 12 craft beer on tap (a flight of five tasters is available), 20 premium wines by glass, six large TVs and extended weekend hours. This area of the club has a loyal following of diners and card players and the CPC has ensured this area will also be a friendly spot for these members as it provided new card tables and a poker table.

The objective to better accommodate members includes the addition of new services for members on the go. A coffee bar was added beside the Plus 15 entrance. “Today, meetings happen over coffee,” Ion-Brown says. “So we added a ‘fast-and-fresh’ concept there. You can grab breakfast or lunch and take it back to the office, or stay and eat it at the countertop where you can plug in your device and do some work. It’s space to have a casual bite, coffee or meeting.”

The renovation facilitated change but has many aspects that maintain the feel and tradition of the club, including a dedicated area in the main-floor lounge that features historical memorabilia. The original membership certificates, the CPC’s coat of arms, old menus and pictures are important artifacts from the CPC’s rich past. “We have a lot of history, and we wanted to keep a lot of it down in the ‘well’ of the Renfrew Lounge,” Ion-Brown explains.

70 Years | Calgary Petroleum Club | 7

The CPC’s wine collection – one of the best in Western Canada with approximately 17,000 bottles – is more prominently displayed outside the Wine Cellar too.

A wall of wine was added at the Plus 15 entrance, as well as in the Trophy Lounge, which also showcases the Canadian Energy Executive Association (previously the Oilmen’s Association) trophies. “We want to show our members what we do,” IonBrown says.

The club made a number of functional changes that ensure it can provide its members exceptional facilities for the wide variety of events it hosts.

The audio system was completely replaced and state-of-the-art visual and information technology services were installed, including in all 11 private meeting rooms. The expense account tracking system was updated in order to more easily track member and spousal expenses (spouses receive free memberships).

Photo by Mark Eleven Photography

Proud Partners in Business MNP congratulates the Petroleum Club on its 70th anniversary.

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8 | Calgary Petroleum Club | 70 Years

70 Years | Calgary Petroleum Club | A

Accessibility was also enhanced throughout the CPC. Lifts and permanent ramps were added and a member’s elevator installed. New accessible washroom stalls were also added to the upper and basement-floor washrooms.

“I think we’ve found the balance between the past, the present and the future,” Ion-Brown opines. “I’ve got longtime members sending me notes to say how much they love their club, and then we’ve got the young ones who want to join – it’s a good mix.”

“In my opinion, this renovation is helping to increase the relevancy to the younger generations of business persons,” says Eugene Venini, a longtime member. “Professionalism, great food and the quality of the business experience are constants that have not changed.” Venini’s father was a founding member whose certificate hangs on the wall of the ‘well.’ Venini Sr. joined the CPC after returning from the Second World War and maintained his membership until his death in 2007.

Eugene Venini, a longtime member. Photo by Riverwood Photography.

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10 | Calgary Petroleum Club | 70 Years

70 years of conversations

BD&P congratulates the Calgary Petroleum Club on 70 years!

Photo by Mark Eleven Photography

The Premier Club for Calgary Business The best time and place to witness the significance of the CPC to the business community is in the main lobby between 11:45a.m. and 12:15p.m. on any given business day. A crosssection of high-profile executives, attorneys, accountants, bankers and community leaders all congregate to meet their

Supporting

the

communities

luncheon guest or host and to cross-pollinate with one another before heading off to a luncheon to seal a deal, plant a seed or settle a difference. (Location for lunch matters: a high-profile lunch in the McMurray Room might say that we are good friends whereas a deal may be completed in a private space in the basement or a secluded room on the second floor.)

“I joined by basically taking over my father’s membership in my own right to carry on the tradition in our business,” explains

in

which

we

live

and

work.

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Jim Davidson, Michael Erickson, Elysse Dalla-Longa and Toni-Marie Ion-Brown. Photo by Riverwood Photography.

Venini. “I have many great memories of business meetings where deals were finalized and great business relationships were developed. Having been introduced to politicians, judges and business leaders by my father has held fond memories for me.”

Indeed, if the walls of the CPC could talk, one can only imagine what they would say. Business leaders have made countless deals in the 70-year-old club, many of them historic. One local success story is the creation of FirstEnergy Capital Corporation through a series of meetings at the club. The unique attributes of the CPC enabled the founders of FirstEnergy to meet privately in a prominent business meeting location.

“FirstEnergy opened its doors September of 1993 and the four founding partners spent a year prior to that planning the strategy around the business,” explains Jim Davidson, deputy chairman at GMP FirstEnergy and one of the founding partners (the others were N. Murray Edwards, Rick Grafton and W. Brett Wilson). “We would go into the CPC on a Tuesday evening once

12 | Calgary Petroleum Club | 70 Years

every couple of weeks, into what would now be the Midale Room on the second floor. We would have a working dinner and discuss all of the attributes of the business model that we were proposing, including the philanthropic portion of the business, which was very new to Calgary and the financial services industry, and for which we would become very famous.”

This was all done in secret, with the men arriving and departing the club through different doors.

The four men decided everything in those meetings, including the structure, capital structure, name, size, target employees and timing of the future business development. “The entire business was planned in the CPC and no one figured out that we were doing it,” Davidson marvels. “It was kept completely secret, which, in retrospect, considering how busy the club is, was a bit of a miracle.”

FirstEnergy went on to become a leading energy investment boutique in Canada, and the CPC remained a staple for the

From our family to yours, congrats on your 70th anniversary!

Photo by Mark Eleven Photography

business. “After the formation of FirstEnergy, the CPC was still used as our favourite meeting place with clients and for hosting events, and that relationship has survived until this very day,” says Davidson. “If you were to pick one focal point that served as the pin in the centre map of the oil and gas industry, it would be the CPC.”

A Social Gathering Place Too It’s not all about business though. Venini highlights the many social benefits he’s enjoyed over the years. “Social events during the history of our family from holiday celebrations to special events have been very memorable. More recently New Year’s Eve parties have provided great fun for my wife and me.”

Ion-Brown concurs and notes the various programming that goes beyond business. This includes the leaders/mentors lunches for the YP crowd, member/daughter and member/ son nights, seafood nights, Scotch nights and paint-and-sip classes, to name a few. “People are multidimensional,” she says, “so our programming has to be multidimensional. We have lots and lots of programming to appeal to all different segments.”

Erickson enjoys these events because he can involve his two sons in them. “They have been developing memories of coming to the CPC for events such as member/ son nights and the annual children’s Christmas party,” he says. “A large part of my motivation for taking on these roles with the CPC is to do my part in ensuring that the club remains so that my sons have the option to become members when they begin building their careers, whatever that might be.”

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70

As a member of the entertainment subcommittee, Dalla-Longa is now in charge of building the CPC’s “clubs within the club” strategy, including expanded mentorship programs and a new wine club, Scotch club, book club and card club, among others.

These clubs are all driven by members as volunteers.

across North America as being one of the premier business clubs, and works hard to continue to carry that reputation.”

The Future: Another 70 Years and Beyond

“The benefits are different for the various demographics and age groups,” Erickson adds. “The YP members in their career-building stage gain unique exposure to networking and programs such as the leaders/mentors program and many other valuable events which are exclusive to the CPC. Active members (ages 36-65) in their executive-career stages continue to meet with peers and colleagues to discuss the current business and political issues along with consummating the occasional business deal at the

All agree – the CPC has a bright future. “The CPC has continued to be the “go-to” place for business, political and social leaders to gather and discuss relevant issues facing our city, province and country,” says Erickson. “It carries a well-respected name

Proof of this reputation: CPC members enjoy privileges at 50 clubs around the world through reciprocal agreements.

Proudly serving Calgary & Surrounding communities for 25 years.

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Kevin Zimmel, David Holm, Michael Erickson, Kevin Gregor, Dale Dusterhoft, Kevin Cumming. Photo by Mark Eleven Photography.

Congratulations to the Calgary Petroleum Club for connecting Calgary’s respected business community for seven decades. www.lanequinn.com From all of us at Lane Quinn Benefit Consultants, we thank the Calgary Petroleum Club for their continued business partnership, and we wish them many more years of success!

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club. Equally as important, our senior members, who continue to come and support the club as leaders and mentors of the Calgary business community, are known and recognized by younger members as pillars of industry, and continue to gather with their longtime friends and colleagues. The CPC truly has an iconic place in Calgary’s great tradition of entrepreneurship and relentless positive outlook for our bright future.”

Venini agrees, “The importance of the club can not only be measured by its expansive history but also by its relevance to the current business community and the new generations of Calgary business members.”

“It is a world-class club, just like the city in which it thrives,” declares DuPont. “It is a meeting place; a hub. People say ‘let’s have lunch at the club’ and everyone knows what they are talking about. THE Club. Yes, I think the club will be here 70 years from now.”

An entrenched part of Calgary’s history, the CPC will forever hold an important place in the past. Its place in the future – whatever it may look like – is a certainty: its members, board of governors, senior management and staff guarantee it.

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18 | Calgary Petroleum Club | 70 Years

A PERSONAL TOUCH FOR A POSITIVE CHANGE. Our careers and our lives are often accentuated and highlighted by memorable events—the conference that opened up your thinking or perhaps the convention that led to an introduction with your now best client.

At the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre, we’re working hard to help you create those amazing experiences as we shift the way people think about our service delivery.

Today, if you think of a convention centre, what often comes to mind is the venue: the four walls, the carpet, the tables and the chairs. But if you think bigger, you remember the exceptional experience you had well beyond the venue alone. That’s a positive change and that’s where we’re leading.

While our roots were planted in 1974 when we proudly opened the doors to our own convention centre, what was created was more than just a venue. It was a central meeting space for the people of Calgary, and around the world, to come together in the heart of our city. Twentysix years later, Calgary’s convention centre expanded its footprint with the North Building and reached further out into the world.

Now in 2018, the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre is focused on enhancing the services that we provide well beyond the venue—to create a place and experience that supports all events for people to convene, connect and converse together.

What started as a central location for coming together has grown into a next generation of convention services and experiences. We’re working hard to bring a personal touch and the individual support needed by meeting and event planners and those responsible for creating a lasting memory. Together, we’re looking forward to delivering a much more personal approach to meeting spaces and the important services that support such important and memorable events.

calgary-convention.com BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // JANUARY 2018

97

Navigating Disruption in a World Awash with Uncertainty

BY STEPHEN EWART

P

olitical, economic and technological uncertainty with the potential to seriously disrupt business is at historic levels and navigating these uncharted times will be a challenge.

Trade agreements, immigration, taxes and even the regulatory process for critical infrastructure often dominate news headlines yet they may pale in comparison to the seismic disruption looming with the convergence of three technological trends: the physical, digital and virtual worlds.

We do not fully understand the impact of each one, let alone the convergence of all three. What is being billed as the “fourth industrial revolution” is unleashing a wave of exponential innovation that promises to create unforeseen economic opportunities, and unintended consequences, throughout society.

Amid the uncertainty, the excitement around the opportunities is also palpable.

From artificial intelligence, quantum computing and nanotechnology to 3D printing, robotics, energy storage and autonomous vehicles, the adoption and application of transformational technologies is occurring at an unprecedented pace and scale.

Six months ago, most of us had never heard of blockchain.

Today, it seems the global economy would be unable to function without it as we discover the technology behind cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin that have the potential to resolve major challenges across all industries.

At the same time, the Industrial Internet of Things will see tens of billions of smart devices collect and exchange data through embedded sensors in the years ahead. Realtime supply chain analytics, smartphone purchasing and

advanced electronic record keeping will transform industry, health care, retail, security and other sectors.

The digitization of the oil and gas sector will be vital to ensuring responsibly-produced Canadian natural resources – from hydrocarbons to renewables – continue to play a leading role in the transformation to a lower carbon fuel supply worldwide.

The structural change in the Canadian energy sector will ensure it remains an innovation leader globally. However, oil and gas is likely to become more of the backbone of a more diverse Calgary economy going forward. Much of the employment growth will occur in other sectors.

Certainly, our highly-talented workforce will continue to be our most valuable resource.

Technology advances will be critical to prosperity in all sectors of Calgary’s economy. We need to be – and we need to be seen as – the most innovative city in Canada.

For Calgary Economic Development, this is a pivotal time as we spearhead an update of the 10-year economic strategy for Calgary that guides our work as well as the efforts of other stakeholders in economic develop.

The original strategy was created in 2008 and was in place through both boom times and an historic recession. It’s a testament to the city that through those ups and down, Calgary maintained its Top 5 ranking in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s index of the most livable cities in the world.

Nonetheless, the world continues to change and cities must continually adapt.

Putting in place the updated strategy for a diverse and resilient economy will help to ensure we can take advantage of the unfolding opportunities.

Stephen Ewart is a manager in research and strategy at Calgary Economic Development.

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JANUARY 2018 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

Tourism Calgary’s strategy to become the ultimate host city

BY CASSANDRA MCAULEY

T

ourism Calgary has fully adopted its vision of making Calgary the ultimate host city with its 2018-2020 strategic plan.

Tourism Calgary championed the development of a long-term, stakeholder-led Destination Strategy, which provides the vision and direction for the organization’s three-year plan.

After listening to nearly 10 million online conversations from 500,000 digital sources over a two-year period, it’s clear that community spirit sets Calgary apart from others, and reinforces the position of ultimate hosts. Now, the opportunity exists to leverage that perception as Tourism Calgary aspires to make Calgary the ultimate host city.

To achieve that, Tourism Calgary will market Calgary in new and exciting ways. The organization will advocate for what’s best for the quality of life of Calgarians and the tourism industry. It will exemplify hosting by bringing more events and people to Calgary and showcase the city’s community spirit and, activate experiences in ways that attract, connect and inspire.

As marketers, focus will be on increasing the likelihood that travellers will visit Calgary within two years. Tourism Calgary will work with visitors and Calgarians to create strong ambassadors whose stories generate consumer demand.

Growing consumer demand is not merely about creating a campaign. It’s about amplifying positive stories about Calgary’s compelling experiences that are aligned with the

stories told about our city – in other words, our destination brand. It’s about ensuring Calgarians and visitors want to share experiences with others – in person, and through digital channels.

As advocates, Tourism Calgary will increase collaboration, advocacy efforts to develop our destination, and alignment within our industry and stakeholders. As enablers across the tourism industry, the focus in this area will be on identifying and solving problems, identifying opportunities and working tirelessly to make them happen. As the primary advocate for the industry, Tourism Calgary brings tireless passion to communicating what’s important to our stakeholders and representing them to the community, travellers and government partners.

As ultimate hosts, Tourism Calgary will attract more visitors and events to Calgary throughout the year. A key function of Tourism Calgary is to support the attraction, development and delivery of sport, cultural and major events. Not only do they enrich the community by adding to the vibrancy of the city, the options available to Calgarians, and the economy, they also attract events.

As activators, Tourism Calgary will enable visitors to unlock the best version of Calgary by tailoring their experiences through itineraries that meet their needs, and by providing better information on- and off-line.

To learn more about Tourism Calgary, and to read the 20182020 strategy, see visitcalgary.com.

BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // JANUARY 2018

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What Can You Build Here?

JOIN CALGARY’S LARGEST INNOVATION COMMUNITY

BY ANDREA MENDIZABAL

G

reat minds and ideas come together at the Alastair Ross Technology Centre (ARTC), a 120,000-squarefoot facility that brings Calgary’s largest concentration of innovation-driven enterprises and startups into one place.

Located in the University Research Park, the ARTC is a mixed office space that houses more than 100 tenants, virtual tenants and ecosystem partners from all areas of the innovation community.

“The ARTC is more than just a building,” says Crystal Raymond, facilities director for the centre. “It gives you access to office space to suit your technology company’s needs, all while connecting you to other entrepreneurs, resources and ecosystem partners that make up our innovation community.”

The facility nurtures the physical presence and growth of its clients through central access to programs, workshops, mentors and community events. As an innovation hub, more than 300 industry, networking and education events are held at the ARTC each year making it the place for startups and entrepreneurs to collide, create opportunity and expand their network.

Small technology companies and consultants who need a business address and support services such as printing and meeting rooms can opt for virtual tenancy without leasing physical office space.

Early-stage startups that are ready to go from inspiration to market can lease coworking space at The Inc. to not only work in, but to also grow their idea into a viable business through mentorship, support and guidance.

“We are a great place to be for any tech startup wanting to establish themselves, broaden their network or receive mentorship,” says Raymond.

What can you build here? To learn more about lease opportunities and how the Alastair Ross Technology

Centre supports innovation-driven companies, visit innovatecalgary.com/space-and-tenancy or contact artcfacilities@innovatecalgary.com.

PHOTO SOURCE: PHOTOS SUPPLIED BY INNOVATE CALGARY

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WE’RE WORKING HARD TO CREATE A POSITIVE CHANGE.

Change is happening at the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre… and it’s not what you’d expect. We’re hard at work building the next generation of convention services and experiences to meet the demands of every size of group. Together, we’ll deliver a more personal approach to meeting spaces and the services you value.

calgary-convention.com

MARKETING MATTERS // DAVID PARKER

Marketing Matters

BY DAVID PARKER

W

hen you are launching a shopping mall that will have twice as many stores as any other conventional mall in the Calgary area, you need to rely on an experienced agency to ensure things are done well.

Karo has been named agency of record to supply the creative for the opening of New Horizon Mall and has begun planning along with PR partner, dHz Media, and its digital partner, Vovia.

Construction of the 320,000-square-foot New Horizon Mall – encompassing at least 500 unique stores and a main stage where multicultural events will be held – will be completed

by Ledcor in late spring and be open to welcome shoppers by next fall.

Chris Bedford, Karo CEO and chairman, says, “The mall is unlike anything we’ve seen in Alberta. Marketing companies no longer work in isolation so we quickly drew in our partners to combine creative, public relations and digital marketing to ensure we provide an exciting, successful campaign.”

The new mall is located off Highway 2 just to the north of Stoney Trail close to CrossIron Mills.

Organizational changes at AdFarm include the appointment of Ben Graham to president of the Calgary-born-and-bred full-service communications agency that has focused on supplying clients in the diverse and expanding agri-food sector with leading-edge tools and best-in-field insights for that past 30 years.

Hailing from a third-generation Alberta farm family, Graham moves into his new position after a 20-year tenure with AdFarm in various strategic roles.

Tracy Clark, newly appointed as director of client services

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(Canada), was also raised on a family-owned mix farm north of the city that she currently operates.

AdFarm has built up relationships with leading companies in crop protection, equipment and technology, animal health and commodities. It operates other offices in Guelph, Fargo, Kansas City and Sacramento.

Evans Hunt reports a great 2017 working with the likes of CUPS, the City of Calgary, Bow Valley College, Sport Calgary and the University of Calgary. And it was an amazing opportunity to create the big splash for Calgary Economic Development in the bid for Amazon HQ2.

Beyond Canada’s borders, its reputation continues to grow with large, recognizable brands like Tommy Bahama, Lily Pulitzer and travel company and hotel giant Pursuit.

It all meant the need to take yet another floor in the Cooper Block for more space to play and create.

Brookline PR is off to a good start to 2108 working with several new accounts including Mark’s (influencer, media and activation campaigns), Toronto-based Iron Mountain, the Canadian Global Affairs Institute and Jayman Master Built.

And what a great job Shauna MacDonald and her team did for the Calgary Bid Exploration Committee.

Parker’s Pick Jump Studios – working again on the world tennis circuit for ESPN; Australian Open package has just been delivered.

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