Bic sept2017 web

SEPTEMBER 2017 | $3.50 BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

Fifty Years Strong PM41126516

THE HASKAYNE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS CELEBRATES ITS SEMI-CENTENNIAL

B OMA CALGARY NEWS - FALL 2017

PAGE

77 |

CALGARY CHAMBER SECTION

PAGE

84

Power your business with the #1 Internet technology for speed and reliability.*

5-5555

(403) 55

The TELUS PureFibre™ network offers uploads as fast as downloads with speeds of up to 150 Mbps, so you can take your business further, faster.

Call 1-855-703-4273 or visit telus.com/calgarybiz

*Traditional copper wire or copper wire hybrid networks are subject to capacity constraints and environmental stresses that do not affect TELUS fibre optic technology which is based on light signals. Not available in all areas.

Internet access speed depends on location, usage within the home network, Internet traffic, applicable network management and server configurations. See telus.com/calgarybiz for details. Š 2017 TELUS Corporation.

MARKETING WEST SPRINGS | $1,795,000

73

W E S T P A R K C O U R T, S W

Contemporary home with 4 car garage, huge yard, home theatre, prostyle gym, wet bar, kid’s craft room & multiple ensuite bathrooms! This very special home sits on an 80’ wide lot, backing tennis court & offers a total of 4722 SF of luxurious living space with 3 ensuite bedrooms up & 2 more bedrooms down. The kitchen is a chef’s dream with Viking appliances (including 48” gas stove with 2 ovens, pot filler & pro-hoodfan) it opens to a vaulted living room with full-height stone fireplace & dining room with butler’s pantry complete with Fisher & Paykel dishwasher drawers. A den, guest bath, craft room & mudroom complete the main.

There is a bonus room, laundry & 3 ensuite bedrooms upstairs. The master has a fashion lover’s walk-in & spa ensuite with stone accent wall & steam shower with body sprays. Basement has 2 bedrooms, media room, wet bar (Sub-Zero wine fridge) & big gym. 4 car garage with drive-thru to backyard, in-floor heat & built-ins. Other features include a Control-4 Home Automation system, speakers, A/C, blinds on remote control and deck with heater.

MY EXPERIENcE IS YOUR ADVANtAGE

JUST ASK ME!

WORTH ®

YOUR HOME

FOR ALL IT’S

HILLHURST | $1,695,000

NEST

4 2 6 o r 4 2 8 o r 4 3 0 - E L E V E N T H S T R E E T, N W

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.

PATTERSON | $1,250,000

47

PAT T E R S O N D R I V E , S W

Contemporary, newer home built in 2003 with extensive upgrades/extras on a big lot (77’ frontage) in an estate area!

Offers 4 bedrooms (3 ensuite), gated auto-court, oversized, heated garage (built-ins, work-bench, epoxy floor & dog wash), developed basement featuring a media room, wet bar, wine room, 4th bedroom, 4-pc bath and an open concept main with maple hardwood, 9’ ceilings, big windows, custom blinds and a gourmet kitchen featuring a Sub-Zero fridge, gas cooktop, full-height tile & stainless steel backsplash, granite counters & glass eating bar. The living room boasts a modern fireplace & wall of windows overlooking the professionally landscaped, private south backyard with multiple entertaining areas, fountain, raised beds, irrigation system & shed with power and water. There are 3 ensuite bedrooms upstairs. The master spans the width of the house & boasts an oversized walk-in & 5-piece ensuite. Includes central A/C, built-in speakers on 3 levels, built-in organizers in closets, quartz counters in laundry & bathrooms.

DISCOVERY RIDGE | $1,150,000

55

D I S CO V E R Y R I D G E L A N E , S W

Top-drawer location right on Griffith Woods Park! This property backs + sides onto this 93 hectare natural forested area with walking/running pathways and is steps away from the river. Designed to take full advantage of the tranquil Griffith Woods park views from most principal rooms this 2-storey home with developed walkout basement offers 3+1 bedrooms, main floor den, formal dining/flex room, great room with soaring ceiling & fireplace & chef’s kitchen with granite counters, builtin Miele espresso maker, gas stove, wine fridge, 2 ovens & big pantry. Upstairs there are 3 ensuite bedrooms, including the master suite featuring a sitting room (read a good book & enjoy the park views) with fireplace that is shared with the ensuite w/ steam shower. 2 big bedrooms share a Jack & Jill ensuite bathroom. Walkout is developed with family room, games room, gym area, bedroom (with walk-in closet) & 4pc bathroom with in-floor heat. There are built-in speakers throughout & home has updated hardwood with a grey wash, fresh paint + updated deck & stairs to grade.

c

403 870 8811 |

t

403 686 7800 |

www.SAMCOREA.COM

|

SAM@SAMCOREA.COM

MARKETING

KILLARNEY | $995,000

2018A

2 6 A S T R E E T, S W

Detached home, like new, fully developed & set on a quiet, lovely, tree-lined street! This very special 4 bedroom home is perfect for family living & entertaining alike. It boasts high-end natural stone quartzite counters, full stainless steel appliance package including glass front wine fridge & Wolf gas stove, extensive built-ins (in mudroom, living room, closets, ensuite), built-in speakers, Hunter Douglas blinds (blackout blinds in bedrooms), vacuflow, dual zone furnace & A/C (+ roughed-in in-floor heating), Kinetico water conditioner & more! Open & airy main level with huge island kitchen, large dining room & living room with fireplace feature wall. A chic powder room & mudroom with built-ins completes the main. There are 3 bedrooms, vaulted bonus room (with speakers & city views) and laundry up. The master suite has an oversized walk-in & spa-like 5-pc ensuite with make-up counter, 2 sinks & built-in seat/storage. Basement has a generously scaled 4th bdrm, full bathroom & family/media room and space for a gym or playroom.

GARRISON WOODS | $895,000

19

SOMME L ANE SW

3+2 bedroom family home with extensive recent renovations! This stylish 2 storey fronts directly onto Ypres Green Park and is located right in the heart of Garrison Woods. This is a very pedestrian friendly neighbourhood within walking distance to schools, Safeway, Starbucks, Village Ice Cream, Cobbs Bread etc. in trendy Marda Loop! It features rich, hand-scraped walnut flooring flowing thru main level, a full-height stone fireplace in the living room, a family sized dining room, renovated powder room and mudroom with built-in seating & storage, island kitchen with granite counters, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances & adjoining family room. Upstairs there are 3 spacious bedrooms including the vaulted master suite with chic light fixture, walk-in closet & spa-light, light & bright ensuite, fully developed basement with expanded laundry, full bathroom & spacious family room flanked by 2 bedrooms. The backyard has a deck and low maintenance landscaping while the front yard is a sunny, fence oasis overlooking the park.

DISCOVERY RIDGE | $859,000

242

D I S CO V E R Y R I D G E B AY, S W

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.

MY EXPERIENcE IS YOUR ADVANtAGE

JUST ASK ME!

WORTH ÂŽ

YOUR HOME

FOR ALL IT’S

COUGAR RIDGE | $795,000

110

CO U G A R S TO N E T E R R AC E , S W

Move in ready, light & bright with lots of updates! Superb location on pie lot with beautiful backyard, half block from Waldorf school! This stylish 3+2 bedroom home features new hardwood flooring flowing thru the main level, chic updated lighting, designer paint colours & gorgeous renovated kitchen with classic white cabinetry, extended island/eating bar, quartz counters & stainless steel appliance package. A grand foyer featuring a turret ceiling & statement chandelier welcomes you. Hosting big family gatherings is sure to be a pleasure in the spacious dining room with tray ceiling & builtin speakers. The living room (fireplace & built-ins), nook (window on 3 sides) & kitchen all overlook the yard with patios & pergola. A den, 2-pc bath & mud/laundry room complete the main. The master suite has a sitting area, walk-in & renovated ensuite with contemporary styling & quartz counters. The basement is finished with 2 more bedrooms, full bathroom and a combination family/games room with gas fireplace & built-ins.

SIGNAL HILL | $699,000

261

S I R O CCO P L AC E , S W

Pie lot (8000+ SF, SW exposure), backing onto a greenbelt, in a quiet cul-de-sac walking distance to c-train station for a quick & relaxing commute! This great 3 bedroom home has hardwood flooring flowing through most of both main & upper levels (perfect for those with allergies) & has been freshly painted. It offers 2765 SF of total living space. Main features formal living & dining rooms with cathedral ceilings, family room with built-in wall unit & wood-burning fireplace, open kitchen with island, granite counters, tile backsplash, pantry & sun-filled breakfast nook which opens to 2-tiered deck & beautiful backyard. There are 3 big bedrooms & laundry room upstairs. Spacious master suite overlooks backyard & includes walk-in closet & 5-pc ensuite. The basement is fully developed with a 4th bedroom, den with double French doors & built-in desks, a 4-pc bath and family/play room. The lot is fully fenced & private with underground sprinklers & access to walking path. Great curb appeal with clay tile roof and stucco exterior. Easy walk to shopping & services.

ALTADORE | $649,900

1646

AC TO N AV E N U E , S W

Stylish inner city townhome in like new condition, built in 2016 & featuring developed basement, central air conditioning, fenced yard (great for pet lovers), a total of 3 bedrooms & 4 bathrooms (2 ensuites) & extensive upgrades including chic lighting fixtures, built-in speakers on all levels, designer paint & flooring, custom window coverings, quartz counters (in kitchen & bathrooms), classic white cabinetry with soft close drawers & doors, built-ins & full-height, stone-faced fireplace.

Convenient inner city living steps from public transit, Glenmore Athletic Park & Pool, River Park off-leash & trendy Marda Loop shops and restaurants. Open planned floorplan with a spacious living room with fireplace & well equipped kitchen with stainless steel appliance package including a gas stove, pantry & quartz counters. There are 2 big bedrooms upstairs, each with a full ensuite bathroom. The master boasts a huge walk-in & sliding barn door to ensuite. A 3rd bedroom, 4 piece bathroom & recreation room are developed downstairs

c

403 870 8811 |

t

403 686 7800 |

www.SAMCOREA.COM

|

SAM@SAMCOREA.COM

STORY TITLE // SECTION

Supporting the visions of entrepreneurs one story at a time.

Volume 26 | Number 9

REGULAR COLUMNS

14

The New United Conservative Party

By Frank Atkins

16

Taxpayers Need Plans, Not Platitudes

By Paige MacPherson

18

United Conservative Party Pledges to Improve Energy Investment Competitiveness

By David Yager

CONTENTS COVER FEATURE

50

20

Greenpeace Wants Us to Hand Over Our Market Share to Less Regulated Countries? No Thanks!

By Cody Battershill

Fifty Years Strong The Haskayne School of Business celebrates its semi-centennial

By Melanie Darbyshire

84 97

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

ON OUR COVER: ABOVE: JIM DEWALD, DEAN, HASKAYNE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND DICK HASKAYNE. PHOTO SOURCE: BOOKSTRUCKER PHOTOGRAPHY

102

Marketing Matters

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

8

@BUSINCALGARY

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

By David Parker

Correction Notice In last month’s Head Office Feature we incorrectly displayed Garth E. Atkinson as CEO of The Calgary Airport Authority. The Calgary Airport Authority’s current CEO is Bob Sartor (pictured right).

The Statesman Group of Companies is celebrating over 40 Years of leading innovative and award winning developments throughout North America.

In the 80s we introduced Calgary to Villas.

In the 90s we introduced The Manor Village Life Centers – elegant senior living.

Today, we’re mastering steel and concrete towers on the multi-family residential and resorts...

Move in 2019

Now Selling Lots

Witness what the Future will bring...

What a Beautiful Way to Live At Pine Ridge Mountain & Lakeview Community you have a unique opportunity to build the type of home that fits your lifestyle. Located 3 hours outside of Calgary, in Invermere BC, you really can enjoy a daily lifestyle that is better than most people’s vacations. Our community is carefully designed to provide you and your family with the very best amenities. Now offering home & lot starting in the mid $400’s and up. Escape the stress of the city. It’s time to unwind.

www.discoverpineridge.com | 877.578.4493

Aptly named The Views, this future community lies at the intersection of West Springs & Cougar Ridge, on Old Banff Coach Road. Nestled into the Paskapoo Slopes hillside, this gated community provides the best & last great views over the Bow River valley. Scheduled for completion in 2019, you will have plenty of time to sell your current home once the market recovers. Buy low, sell high. Reserve your suite today with a small deposit.

www.theviewscalgary.com | 403.262.5070

(403) 256-4151 • statesman.ca

STORY TITLE // SECTION

Supporting the visions of entrepreneurs one story at a time.

Volume 26 | Number 9

91

THIS MONTH’S FEATURES

34

B efore the Shovel Goes into the Ground Planning and paperwork

By John Hardy

37

CONTENTS COMPANY PROFILES

91

44 58

Webber Academy

Celebrates 20 Years

65 70

93 76 77 96

10

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

T he New Normal of 2018 Buzz and optimism

By John Hardy

R eformation or Tax Warfare?

Proposed changes to corporate tax law are not looking good for Canadian businesses

By Nerissa McNaughton

H ow Tech Savvy Are You? The impact of technology on the real estate sector

By Erlynn Gococo

L uxury Real Estate in YYC Million-dollar (and more!) price tags

By Erlynn Gococo

I nnovative Wellness Tools to Empower Your Team Employers get a competitive edge by using these out-of-thebox wellness solutions

By Nerissa McNaughton

R OI: Small Business Motivation, understanding and respect

By John Hardy

BOMA Calgary News - Fall 2017 Consumer Choice

No aspect of your life is too abstract for a Private Banking 1859 advisor.

Portfolio Management | Banking and Financial Services | And more National Bank Private Banking 1859 is a trademark of National Bank of Canada, used under license by National Bank Financial and other of its afďŹ liates.

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. 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.

Call us today for a confidential no-obligation quote or talk to your plan advisor.

403-294-4004 www.ab.bluecross.ca Prescription Drugs • Dental • Extended Health • Travel Coverage Life and Disability • Vision• Spending Accounts Critical Illness • Employee and Family Assistance Program

Nancy Bielecki nancy@businessincalgary.com Denise Templeton denise@businessincalgary.com

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Paige MacPherson Frank Atkins David Parker David Yager Cody Battershill

THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Melanie Darbyshire Rennay Craats Erlynn Gococo John Hardy Nerissa McNaughton

PHOTOGRAPHY

Cover photo courtesy of BOOKSTRUCKER PHOTOGRAPHY

ADVERTISING SALES

Chris Miller chris@businessincalgary.com Bobbi Joan O’Neil bobbi@businessincalgary.com

DIRECTOR OF CUSTOM PUBLISHING Shannon Wilson shannon@businessincalgary.com

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

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

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

®* The Blue Cross symbol and name are registered marks of the Canadian Association of Blue Cross Plans, an association of independent Blue Cross plans. Licensed to ABC Benefits Corporation for use in operating the Alberta Blue Cross Plan. ® † Blue Shield is a registered trade-mark of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. ABC 83595 2017/01

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to circulation dept.

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

WWW.BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

12

Alberta Blue Cross 2017 Business in Calgary/ full colour - Trim Size: 4.5” x 9.75”

SEPTEMBER 2017 // 2017 BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM RUN February

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

Your employees are on the go, so why pay for office phone lines?

Introducing Rogers Unison

TM

Now, with Canada’s only truly mobile communications system*, there’s a more cost effective way to give your mobile users the tools they need to stay productive when they’re on the go. Plus, with features like One Number, Dual Persona and 4-Digit Extension Dialing, your employees will enjoy the exibility to work how and where they want, with all the benets of an office phone system available on every device while only paying for one line.

To nd out how Rogers Unison gives you true mobility, visit rogers.com/unison or call 1-866-607-4278.

Your success is our business

TM

*Service subject to certain important 9-1-1 emergency callback limitations. Standard wireless usage (including but not limited to airtime, long distance, roaming and pay-per-use services), charges apply accordingly.

Visit Rogers.com/terms for full Terms and Conditions. Refers to integration of mobile phone numbers as extensions directly in the system, without forwarding calls from landlines or using additional apps to receive calls on mobile devices. © 2017 Rogers Communications

THE NEW UNITED CONSERVATIVE PARTY // FRANK ATKINS

The New United Conservative Party

BY FRANK ATKINS

C

reation of the new United Conservative Party is now a fait accompli; all that remains is the election of a leader. There are two announced candidates, Jason Kenney and Brian Jean.

Before evaluating these candidates, and deciding which one to vote for, we all should remember Alberta’s economic history. Peter Lougheed ushered in what many call the great conservative revolution in Alberta. However, Mr. Lougheed was not so much conservative as he was progressive. There is no doubt Mr. Lougheed was a political success, but his economic record is somewhat questionable, having turned on the spending taps when oil revenues were high, and then leaving a bit of a budgetary mess for his successor Don Getty. With all due respect to Mr. Getty, he was an economic disaster, continuing the spending increases started under the Lougheed regime, at a time when government revenue was dwindling. When Ralph Klein became the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, he inherited a large deficit and debt. In the first several years in office, Mr. Klein proved to be our first real conservative premier, cutting spending to balance the budget, and he also retired debt. However, towards the end of his tenure, Mr. Klein lost what he called “the fire in my belly” and he began turning on the spending taps, behaving like a progressive, rather than a conservative. Mr. Klein was succeeded by Ed Stelmach, who continued the spending spree, in spite of the plummeting world price of oil, and the mounting deficits. Mr. Stelmach was followed by Alison Redford, who gave a whole new meaning to progressive, actually behaving more like a New Democrat.

So, the economic history of the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta has been one of mostly progressive,

BEFORE EVALUATING THESE CANDIDATES, AND DECIDING WHICH ONE TO VOTE FOR, WE ALL SHOULD REMEMBER ALBERTA’S ECONOMIC HISTORY. and very little conservative. This fact gave rise to the Wildrose Party, who preached spending discipline and balanced budgets. Here we are in 2017, trying to unite the Progressive Conservative and Wildrose parties. From the above economic history point of view, this is very interesting, as both of the declared candidates for the leadership of the new United Conservative Party, Mr. Kenney and Mr. Jean, are economic conservatives. If no one else enters the race, there will be no voice for the progressive wing. From an economic history point of view, I consider this to be an excellent development. The progressive wing of the Progressive Conservative Party has always been an economic disaster.

The question remains of what will happen to the progressives. In 2016, I gave a presentation on the above economic history to a room full of Progressive Conservatives and Wildrose people, in one of the innumerable unite-theright meetings. One of the progressives in the room stormed out in a very vocal manner when he saw the economic history, and my view that the progressives were ruining the Alberta economy. He wanted nothing to do with the unitethe-right movement, if it was going to involve conservative economics. Perhaps he went back to the NDP, where the progressives belong.

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

14

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

TAXPAYERS NEED PLANS, NOT PLATITUDES // PAIGE MACPHERSON

Taxpayers Need Plans, Not Platitudes

BY PAIGE MACPHERSON

W

hen asked how he’s going to balance the budget, Alberta Finance Minister Joe Ceci speaks in platitudes. His government is “bending the cost curve,” he insists. Over time, the government says they’re slowing the growth of their spending, which will – like magic! – mean the deficit will disappear soon enough.

Currently, the minister says they’ll balance the budget six years from now (conveniently not during the government’s current mandate). But time and again, these promised dates have shifted like prairie winds.

Despite a chorus of journalists pushing Ceci for specifics during the government’s press conference explaining the details of their annual report – an important fiscal update – alas, no details yet. When the minister was asked when a balanced budget plan might materialize, he said his government is “on track with their deficit” and is “doing a great job.”

As our finance minister knows, the budget isn’t a yoga exercise. We can’t simply “bend” it to achieve balance. At its core, the budget is very basic, as everyone with a household or business balance sheet knows. When you’re bringing in less, you must spend less. That doesn’t mean “slowing the growth” of your spending. You can’t begin a fancy new backyard renovation but simply nix the koi pond. You must spend less than you’re spending today.

The problem is that even as Minister Ceci shifted the blame of the deficit away from his government and onto oil prices, in his next breath he rolled out a laundry list of new spending items. In fact, last year the government found $1 billion in new revenue, and yet the deficit remained unchanged. The government found an extra $1 billion – and spent it. While the minister says his government isn’t “overly

reliant” on oil prices to balance the budget, the reality is that his government is almost entirely reliant on oil prices rebounding. In the meantime, the only plan is to cross their fingers and spend, spend, spend.

Of course, the government is also raising taxes. But it’s not quite panning out as they’d hoped. Despite higher general business taxes and income taxes, revenues from both are hundreds of millions of dollars below the government’s budget projections.

The fiscal mess means more bad news from credit rating agencies: in July, DBRS downgraded the province’s long-term outlook to negative. In May, when S&P Global downgraded Alberta’s credit by two notches, they predicted a $94-billion debt by 2020.

It’s a mess. But here’s the good news. When the going gets tough, the tough get going … and they get creative.

In Edmonton, the birth of a new provincial political party brings the opportunity for hitting the refresh button on the policy debate, inviting ideas for how government opponents would achieve budget balance, but also pushing government to do the same.

Sometimes all it takes is a little added pressure to put fiscal issues on the agenda. Influences within the political realm don’t hurt. When Bill Smith entered Calgary’s mayoral race, he immediately brought up high taxes and the need for spending cuts, which could at least shift the municipal debate. With continued pressure, taxpayers can keep the heat on politicians vying for their votes provincially and at the city level.

If Calgarians can duck the inevitable political bombast, they can push for some serious answers from their government.

Enough with the platitudes. Minister Ceci, show us a plan.

Paige MacPherson is Alberta director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

16

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

EARLY BIRD DEADLINE: OCTOBER 11, 2017

Learn how to successfully sell or transition any business at

CANADA’S EXIT STRATEGY CONFERENCE

REGISTER NOW!

Business in Calgary Readers Save 20%!

Use Code

BICBTFC20

PRESENTING SPONSOR

ENDEAVOUR SPONSOR

VENTURE SPONSORS

ENTERPRISE SPONSOR

UNITED CONSERVATIVE PARTY PLEDGES // DAVID YAGER

United Conservative Party Pledges to Improve Energy Investment Competitiveness

BY DAVID YAGER

N

ow that Alberta’s United Conservative Party (UCP) exists and a leadership race is underway, all candidates are promising to change or reverse provincial policy to ensure investment in the province’s economic anchor – oil and gas – will once again be competitive with other jurisdictions.

Depending who wins, NDP policies like the oilsands emission cap, carbon taxes and corporate tax increases will be reversed or modified. Twenty years of new regulations governing every aspect of oil and gas will be reviewed; the unnecessary eliminated and rest streamlined.

What’s the problem? On July 28, the Calgary Herald reported Alberta could match the rest of Canada in economic growth this year and lead in 2018. Factory sales, employment, retail sales and wages are all up from 2016. The rig count has doubled.

While obviously good news, one must remember how low the bar was set. At an average of 136 rigs drilling daily, 2016 was the slowest year since 1992, a quarter-century ago.

In June, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) abandoned traditional trade association back-room lobbying and publicly criticized the government about energy investment competitiveness. CAPP stated, “The provincial government and the energy industry could create more than 24,000 jobs for Albertans and grow the province’s economy by nearly $5 billion over the next three years by working together to enhance the competitiveness…. Industry continues to face mounting costs and barriers to growth due to changes in provincial and federal government policies and regulations such as methane emissions, carbon pricing, municipal and corporate tax increases, wetland policy, well liability and closure, and caribou management. Low commodity prices, rapidly-changing market dynamics and new policy directions in the United States have led to negative impacts on oil and gas investment and competitiveness in Canada.”

18

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

CAPP figures collectively the new rules will cost between $450 million and $750 million per year in the near term and will be a permanent reduction in free cash for reinvestment forever. This is based upon a 12 to 21 per cent increase in the estimated annual regulatory compliance expenses of $3.6 billion. This will rise further after 2023 when carbon taxes reach higher levels.

CAPP cites several expensive policies. In Alberta, it includes the Aboriginal Consultation Office and its impact on the regulatory system; the Climate Leadership Plan; the Caribou Recovery Strategy; the Alberta Wetland Policy; and the Land-Use Framework. Federally, it’s the new Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency approval prior to a National Energy Board technical review.

CAPP highlights the 2016 Fraser Institute analysis of investment attractiveness for 96 global oil-producing jurisdictions. Alberta ranked 17th in 2014 but fell to 43rd in 2017. The top 10 in descending order are Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Saskatchewan, Wyoming, North Dakota, Norway, Mississippi, Utah and Montana. Alberta competes directly with all but Norway.

But if the NDP accepts CAPP’s case as real and discusses competitiveness as a single issue resulting from the cumulative unintended consequence of a series of policies, things could be much better. Whether the NDP will undo what it has done is a long shot.

But the UCP certainly will, or so the candidates claim.

Alberta’s next election is nearly two years away, possibly three if the NDP clings to its full constitutional mandate.

Obviously the UCP must win to affect change. Until then, the industry is publicly highlighting a competitiveness issue the government won’t acknowledge exists.

YOU’RE A SAVVY BUSINESS PERSON. YOU KNOW HOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ANY SITUATION.

NOW IS THE TIME.

I won’t sugarcoat it. What’s happening in the commercial office leasing market right now is downright ugly. The current downtown vacancy rate is approximately 25%.

The good news is that it’s a tenant’s market. We can find savings for you in your rental expense, significantly lowering your total expenses.

How? First, we will find you the best deal available, for all your needs. And right now, there are LOTS of choices. Second, we create leverage so the landlords compete for your tenancy.

Lastly, we will put our 14 years of commercial office leasing experience behind you to represent you, free of conflicts. So, you have someone on your side that you can trust.

Start saving money today by negotiating an early lease renewal. We can help you find new space or just answer some questions.

Visit us at www.bedrockrealty.ca or contact John Savard at john.savard@bedrockrealty.ca / 403-619-5646.

GREENPEACE WANTS US TO HAND OVER OUR MARKET SHARE // CODY BATTERSHILL

Greenpeace Wants Us to Hand Over Our Market Share to Less Regulated Countries? No thanks!

BY CODY BATTERSHILL

G

reenpeace might call it a “fun fact” – if they ever mentioned it at all. For me, it’s the central problem with the organization.

The fact is this: Canada is the only country on the planet where Greenpeace opposes all energy exports. That this is a serious problem should be obvious. The group, with its outsized $400-million budget, claims to be global in its reach. So why does a global activist group focus on the exports of virtually one country?

Is it because Greenpeace has no interest in acknowledging Canadian employment, economics, and strong environmental and social protections? That seems to be part of it – otherwise this fickle green giant would aim its insatiable campaign machinery at Saudi Arabia or Russia.

No matter how sterling our sustainability reputation, Greenpeace isn’t in the business of recognizing industrial progress. But for the rest of us, we can’t afford to be blocked by the activist forces of “no.” We need continued energy development and pipeline construction – now.

After all, global energy demand is growing. Oil demand, for example, is forecast to reach 100 million barrels per day by 2020.

Across the world, we’ve added an estimated 4.5 million barrels of new oil demand just in 2015-17. And globally, 30 million barrels per day of new production will be needed by 2030 just to offset declines in existing production, not including new demand.

Today 85 per cent of the energy the world uses is fossil fuel. That’s likely to change in the future, but only

AFTER ALL, GLOBAL ENERGY DEMAND IS GROWING. OIL DEMAND, FOR EXAMPLE, IS FORECAST TO REACH 100 MILLION BARRELS PER DAY BY 2020. gradually: by 2040, 75 per cent of world energy is forecast to be fossil fuel.

Because they’re intermittent, unreliable and expensive, wind and solar energy technologies are tiny in comparison. That too may change in the future as long as they continue to receive R&D and other support, but change will come only in small increments.

Non-hydropower renewables accounted for five per cent of total world electricity generation in 2012; their share in 2040 is expected to be 14 per cent – depending on the availability of large subsidies, which in some cases are in question.

My main point is this: in spite of Greenpeace, Canada must continue its efforts in oil and gas development and transportation via pipeline until renewable energy technologies have caught up with the world – an evolution that seems a long way off.

As to the Greenpeace approach, let’s reject the false notion that Canada should sacrifice its high-standard fair-trade oil and gas production, only to hand over our market share to other less-regulated countries.

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.

20

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

The Perfect Getaway …

Is Closer Than You Think …

Village of Radium Hot Springs

DESIGNED FOR NATURE LOVERS & OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS • 200 Acres of breathtaking mountain valley views • Community Lake and Park • Trails & Pathways • Architectural Guidelines • Less than 3 hours to Calgary CHOOSE FROM A VARIETY OF • Single family lots • Homestead lots from 3 - 5 acres • Homesites ranging between $90K - $300K

ONE OF CANADA’S PREMIER MASTER PLANNED MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES!

BUILDER DEVELOPER SINCE 1951 WWW.ELKPARKRANCH.COM CALL SCOTT SAUERMANN – 250-342-5889

The Ultimate Business Credentials It’s all about trust and reputation Let’s Ask an EOer

By John Hardy

“R

eputation exists, whether it was intended or not,” says Amy Giang, an EO Calgary member and CEO of Lube Town, the express oil change and automotive maintenance centre. “It’s our job to make sure it’s a good one!

“Reputation comes from trust. And trust must be earned through honesty and dependability. A company can spend a lot of money building a good image via marketing and have great curb appeal, but if they aren’t trusted by clients, they do not have a good reputation.”

Like so many aspects of private life, public life and business, some important traits overlap – like values, attitudes, approaches, reputation and trust.

In business, reputation and trust are critical. Some get it and, unfortunately, some don’t.

“A business reputation is built around the ability to deliver or exceed expectations that were established from the onset of the business relationship,” says Kevin Wilhelm, an EO Calgary member and president and co-founder of POD Marketing, the Calgary-based full-service marketing agency. “Even through the marketing messages being served before any interaction has been made, expectations are being developed for the client. It’s up to that business to meet or exceed them.

“Think about what you want your brand to be about. What do you want your company to stand for? Believe in? A positive reputation is usually built when you deliver on promises, go the extra mile and care for others. A poor reputation is formed when one (or more) of those aspects aren’t being met.”

For Jeff Neufeld, an EO Calgary member and president of Trimet Building Products, suppliers of light-gauge metal products

for the residential and commercial construction markets, “The key aspect of maintaining a reputation is the way you handle adversity with customers. Every business shines when they get it right. But when you get it wrong, make mistakes or miss deadlines, those are the moments that are an opportunity to differentiate yourself.”

While many consultants are quick to add on the vital topic that reputation must be earned and never taken for granted, they warn reputation can be positive and good or negative and not so good.

And, when all is said and done, it is earned by – trust!

“Trust in business is the perception of consistency and reliability of your customer service, product quality and business practices,” Wilhelm says.

Giang agrees. “Trust is honesty and dependability. Being honest means doing what is best for the client, even if it means losing out on a sale. However, in the long run, it adds to the bottom line because a trusting relationship leads to client loyalty.

“Dependability means consistency in producing quality work.

We call it ‘permission to play.’ We must be exceptional to be competitive in business. Dependable means we are consistently exceptional every day.”

There’s some caution that building trust and a reputation is easier said than done. “The key is embracing and constantly communicating forthrightly and precisely, no matter how mundane the task,” Neufeld emphasizes. “It starts with ownership and management. If they consistently live this talk, the team reflects the commitment to integrity.”

Contributing Members:

Upcoming Events: Sept. 7 • Fredrik Haren, One World, One Company Sept. 21 • Annual Dine Around

Kevin Wilhelm

Amy Giang

Jeff Neufeld

president and co-founder of POD Marketing.

CEO of Lube Town.

president Trimet Building Products

Sept. 26 • Accelerator Program Cash Day

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

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

www.eocalgary.com

|

For membership inquiries: membership@eocalgary.com

OFF

THE

Special Support for Child Abuse Victims Axel and Webster are the newest members of the team!

They are not trained therapists or conventional health-care providers but they are now members of the terrific team at Calgary’s Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre (SKCAC).

The social plague of child abuse is a cruel North American tragedy that leaves professionals with the enormous challenge (and dilemma) of not only what to do about it but, most importantly, how to heal the scars and enable a safe and happy life for the survivors.

The SKCAC, named after Sheldon Kennedy – the former NHL player who briefly played for the Calgary Flames in the 1990s and made the gutsy decision to go public about heinous abuse by his coach during his junior hockey career and who still tirelessly works hard to end the negative stigma surrounding abuse victims – is a vital, respected and dynamic not-for-profit organization located on the University of Calgary campus.

It brings together police, social workers, doctors, nurses, psychologists, prosecutors and – now – two dogs to help victims of child abuse.

The SKCAC developed the unusual but interesting idea of reaching out to Dogs with Wings, an Edmonton program which trains Labrador retrievers particularly for the skills of being comfortable with children.

According to Dr. Sarah MacDonald, a SKCAC forensic interviewer, “Research shows that children experience decreases in heart rate and blood pressure when petting a dog. The company of a service dog also facilitates social communication and makes it easier for children to make connections with people.

“These positive benefits help in the interview room specifically, allowing the children and youth we assess to feel comfortable, less anxious and safe while sharing what happened.”

At SKCAC, children go through forensic assessments when, as part of the therapy, they tell and relive their story. Particularly when they’re telling their story for the first time, having the companionship of trained and gentle service dogs like Axel and Webster provides the invaluable comfort they need.

The dogs also help the centre’s staff who work with the kids, one-on-one.

“I can tell the children are really relying on the dog for support while they tell me about awful things that have happened to them,” MacDonald says. “The bond formed between the children and the dogs can make it easier for the kids to form connections with other people down the line.”

Sheldon Kennedy, committed to helping and working to end the negative stigma surrounding abuse victims, emphasizes the importance, value and necessity of what the trained dogs provide when it comes to child abuse survival. “Kids who come in here have been traumatized. They come in with a lot of fear and a lot of anxiety. Most of the time they have been hurt by someone they trust.

“In 95 per cent of the cases that come through the centre, the child knows their abuser.”

Axel and Webster bring new meaning to the popular healing power of dogs.

ABOVE: EMILY SYNNOTT, CHILD LIFE SPECIALIST AND WEBSTER, SKCAC SERVICE DOG. PHOTO SOURCE: DAVE HOLLAND PHOTOGRAPHY

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

25

OFF

THE

Rory Wood Brings a Lifetime of Experience to Okotoks Ford The car business has always been a part of Rory Wood’s life. Wood, the new general manager at Okotoks Ford Lincoln, is a third-generation car dealer.

His grandfather, James, owned a Ford dealership in Scotland and his father, Gerry, has been selling cars and running dealerships for more than 40 years.

“You might say it’s in my blood,” says Wood. “I’m really excited about taking what I’ve learned from them and from my own industry experience and putting them to practice in my own store,” he adds.

Okotoks Ford Lincoln is one of the largest dealerships south of Calgary. The store, with a staff of 50, includes two major showrooms, a large parts department and 39 fully-equipped service bays on a five-plus-acre site in the heart of Okotoks.

“We made a multimillion-dollar commitment to the community when we built the new dealership several years ago and we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished so far,” says Wood. “Now our goal is to build on that success and provide the ultimate customer experience for quality and service.”

While Wood has grown up in the industry, he also brings a wealth of experience to the new position having worked for the Wood Automotive Group selling and leasing new and used vehicles for more than 13 years. He earned a bachelor of automotive marketing and management degree from Northwood University followed by postgraduate studies at the National Automobile Dealers Association.

that innovation to be front and centre at the dealership level. “Today’s vehicle shopper expects this same level of technology and Okotoks Ford Lincoln delivers. Our justlaunched newly-designed website (www.okotoksford.com) is one of the most advanced dealership websites in North America. We have built the site to expand and incorporate the latest digital technology as it becomes available. It’s important for our dealership to stay on top and to be pioneers in the vehicle shopping experience.”

Wood says he relishes the challenge of taking on a changing industry. “Our industry is a global innovator and Ford leads the pack. New apps allow you to access your vehicle from just about anywhere, the shift to alternate fuels is already underway and we’ll be driving autonomous vehicles in just a few years,” says Wood. He adds it’s essential for

Okotoks Ford Lincoln is also a high-profile community supporter, sponsoring dozens of charity and community events every year including everything from the Okotoks Dawgs to the Sheep River Health Trust. “An important lesson I learned from my family is to give back, and that’s something we’re proud to do,” Wood adds.

ABOVE: RORY WOOD THE NEW GENERAL MANAGER AT OKOTOKS FORD AND HIS STAFF ARE COMMITTED TO EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE.

26

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

distinguished business leader A W A R D

Thank you

to our sponsors for helping us celebrate the best in ethical business!

Gala sponsor:

Silver sponsors:

The Distinguished Business Leader Award honours individuals with exceptional vision and leadership, sound business sense and commitment to the community.

Submit an online nomination for the next Distinguished Business Leader. DBLAnomination.ca Presented by:

OFF

THE

Seeds of Hope Gala Calgary boosting and giving back

When it comes to causes and caring in the Calgary community, the Mustard Seed is a dynamic example of walking-the-walk.

For more than 30 years, the respected Calgary organization has helped thousands of area men and women with a range of innovative programs and services, including education and employment, health and wellness, and other basic needs.

Of course it’s all about people, caring and the legendary Calgary spirit. But, let’s face it! It takes support and money.

The October 14, 2017 Seeds of Hope Gala at the Fairmont Palliser hotel is just the latest exciting example of both.

“I have known about the Mustard Seed for years and have supported their work in the past,” says Cole Harris, president and COO of Centron (the renowned and respected builder and developer of prime real estate properties across Western Canada) and co-chair and major co-sponsor of this year’s Seeds of Hope Gala “The opportunity to co-host the gala (with RBC regional president, Jeff Boyd) came with a full-day tour of the operations. We were very impressed with the leadership, the focus on servicing their clients and the commitment and passion of the staff who make such a difference in the lives of people.”

It’s well known that, for various reasons, these are challenging times for the much-needed services of the Mustard Seed.

According to Stephen Wile, CEO of the Mustard Seed, “The economic downturn has affected our organization. The number of people we serve in the shelter is down, mainly because fewer people are coming to Alberta looking for jobs. There is a significant increase in food requests and the length of stay has also increased, mostly because people can’t find a job.

“There has also been a steep reduction in corporate donations. But the silver lining is many generous individuals have stepped up to help fill the financial gap.”

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. And Harris shares the Calgary spirit and positivity. “Calgarians rally!

There are vast improvements in helping the homeless and the potential homeless through great organizations like the Mustard Seed and the RESOLVE Campaign, Inn from the Cold and others.”

The October gala promises to be special – with a direct impact.

“It’s a huge help for providing funds and resources for the programs that make a difference in the lives of Calgary’s less fortunate. And it also affords us an opportunity to tell the story of homelessness and poverty.”

Is Cole Harris beating the drums for the October 14, 2017 Seeds of Hope Gala? Absolutely! And the hard work and gung-ho enthusiasm promises an enjoyable and successful boost (and a great night) for the Mustard Seed. For all Seeds of Hope Gala info contact ashlee.hunter@rbc.com

ABOVE: COLE HARRIS, PRESIDENT AND COO OF CENTRON.

28

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

Congratulations!

Niche Photography

409 – 3rd ST SW | 403.266.1669 jvairanderson.com

YMCA FUNDRAISING EFFORTS PAY OFF Above: Shane Homes YMCA at Rocky Ridge, opening early 2018

By Rennay Craats YMCA Calgary’s Power of Potential Campaign was launched in April 2014 and aimed to raise $30 million; $23 million to operate three new facilities, $4 million to make structural upgrades at Camp Chief Hector YMCA, and $3 million to fund community programs. In a tough economic environment, this was a daunting task. It took some time, but the volunteer fundraising cabinet’s dogged determination paid off. With donations ranging from $5 to $3.5 million from individuals, families, foundations and corporations, YMCA Calgary reached its goal in early 2017.

This campaign has made some pretty amazing things possible, namely three new recreation facilities will be equipped and operated by the YMCA in a unique partnership with The City of Calgary.

community together in a health and wellness facility,” says Jennifer Walker, General Manager, Fund Development for YMCA Calgary.

The first of these facilities, Remington YMCA in Quarry Park, opened last year while the Shane Homes YMCA at Rocky Ridge and the Seton YMCA are expected to open in the first quarter of 2018 and in 2019 respectively. These three facilities will up the city’s YMCA count to eight, doubling the YMCA’s impact footprint, and allowing it to serve as the largest recreation provider in Calgary.

“THE YMCA FOCUSES ON HELPING PEOPLE BECOME HEALTHIER IN SPIRIT, MIND AND BODY.”

“The city identified communities in Calgary that were underserved in terms of a recreation and community hub, so they put aside dollars to build facilities that will have the ability to bring the

And ‘more impact’ seems to be the order of the day for these facilities. Shane Homes YMCA will be approximately 300,000 square feet and the Seton YMCA will be approximately 330,000 square feet, making them the two largest YMCA facilities in North America. With incredible aquatics centres that not only offer competition pools perfect for competitive swim events but also leisure pools with waves and

water slides, these YMCAs are sure to become favourite family destinations. And ice rinks, stateof-the-art fitness equipment, large gymnasiums and top-notch programs mean there will be something that appeals to everyone at the YMCA. These new facilities are not simply health, fitness and aquatics centres though. They also feature unique and exceptional amenities one wouldn’t expect at a YMCA. The Shane Homes YMCA and the Seton YMCA both have 300-seat theatres and art studios to support community interests and needs. And all three facilities include the Calgary Public Library, with full-service branches at Remington YMCA and Seton YMCA and a self-service branch at Shane Homes YMCA. “The YMCA focuses on helping people become healthier in spirit, mind and body. Our three new facilities will increase opportunities for more Calgarians to participate in quality programming to strengthen their personal health and well-being,” she says.

It’s a transformational time at YMCA Calgary and, now that it has successfully raised the money needed to fund its initiatives, it is looking forward to the

next phase of its evolution. This includes everything from staffing and delivering quality programs at its newest locations to increasing impact through its Community YMCA programs, including youth education and leadership, after-school programs, and Indigenous and newcomer programs.

While the Power of Potential Campaign has wrapped up, the YMCA continues its annual Strong Kids Campaign to raise funds to provide subsidies for memberships and program registrations for families needing financial assistance. At the YMCA, no one is turned away from participating due to financial barriers.

“In our pursuit to build healthy communities, we are focused on creating places, spaces, programs and services that support all Calgarians to belong, grow, thrive and lead,” Walker says.

YMCAPOWEROFPOTENTIAL.CA

Transforming Office Spaces

with Lignum Interiors

by Rennay Craats

I

t’s not enough for a company to say it has been around for more than 30 years. It is what the company has done during that time that counts. Lignum Interiors can boast 33 years in business but, better still, it can boast progressive ideas, changing with the times to stay current and successful, and a high level of service on every job. This philosophy of quality and relevance has been ingrained in the corporate culture since Peter Gatzsch started Lignum Interiors in 1984, and he has passed that on to management and staff.

“My dad came over from Europe and like a lot of people, he said it would be for two years but he ended up staying,” says Bruce Gatzsch, vice president of Lignum Interiors. “I’ve been on job sites since I was a kid, working my way up, and I was lucky to apprentice under the old Europeans before they retired. I’m pretty passionate about construction.”

The Gatzsch passion has led to Lignum’s solid reputation in the industry as a dedicated, knowledgeable construction management firm specializing in office spaces. Whether working on downtown spaces for such diverse companies as Brion Energy, techcompany Solium Capital or Scotiabank, it’s clear that Lignum does things a little differently. It has abandoned project hierarchies in favour of a team approach. This is key considering the streamlined operation at Lignum. A small firm is able to quickly change direction and implement new processes – and that is exactly what Lignum has done.

The team has adapted to the new realities of the marketplace by becoming incredibly efficient in all areas.

202-1608 17 AVE SW • 403-229-3144 • www.lignuminteriors.com

Lignum maintains a competitive edge utilizing a low-overhead approach without sacrificing value and quality. Across the industry, firms are aiming to do more volume with fewer resources, but while others are offering inferior products to achieve that goal, Lignum has found a better route.

“What we’re trying to do is find technology and adapt our processes and work with key people who really understand efficiencies in construction and then help them with design in a more collaborative environment,” Bruce Gatzsch says.

Using programs to streamline communications protocols ensures quick and meaningful communication between the office and the site, which helps them adhere to already aggressive schedules. Editing and document control programs allow all team members access to the most up-to-date information and take the guesswork out of the process.

Lignum also has specialists who incorporate technology into the design of such complex areas as server rooms.

The industry is moving toward more tool advancement, AI and 3D printing technology, which could drastically change how construction is done. Printing custom demountable partitions and other design elements is just around the corner, opening the door for growth at Lignum.

“Between 3D printing, design and modularization, it’s going to be exciting to see how things are going to fit together and how quickly we can do it with efficiencies,” he says.

But even with technology, the industry needs experienced people with specialized knowledge to wield it. An industry-wide knowledge gap in the trades is a challenge, but Lignum’s collaborative team helps fill those gaps, sharing their expertise on every project. Together, the team is creating a better, more organic space that reflects its client’s corporate personality, all the while staying on time and on budget.

“Moving forward I see making more efficient spaces versus just having a square box,” Gatzsch says.

With technology, drive and experience, Lignum Interiors is leading the charge into Calgary’s new business world one perfect office space at a time.

202-1608 17 AVE SW • 403-229-3144 • www.lignuminteriors.com

BEFORE THE SHOVEL GOES INTO THE GROUND // URBANOMICS

BEFORE THE SHOVEL GOES INTO THE GROUND PLANNING AND PAPERWORK

BY JOHN HARDY

B

ehind-the-scenes activity has been happening for months before a consumer walks through a Calgaryarea show home.

There’s a lot of work that has to happen before the shovel goes into the ground.

“We analyze the viability of a particular parcel based on its current or potential land use, plus its dimensions and location against the market product demand, expected sales absorption and required price point to succeed,” explains Charron Ungar, president of Avi Urban and a BILD Calgary Region member.

“There are instances where we are coming into a land acquisition opportunity quite ahead of when the parcel is actually ‘shovel ready.’ That allows for considerable planning to take place to ensure the product is designed at a very high level.”

There are many strategies, calculations and much paperwork in the various pre-construction stages.

“The lot widths, product types and home styles are one of the first things to be finalized by the developer, because of the need to have the areas zoned and approved by the city,” says Adam Lo, senior architectural designer with Stepper Homes.

“And this is usually decided upon by the developer during the approvals stage.

34

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

“The lot widths in turn determine our footprints and home widths, whether or not the garage is in the front or back, semi-detached and other details. As the builder, we do have some flexibility in how large our product is, the sizes and number of rooms, etc.

“Long before the shovel goes into the ground, we do a lot of research on comparable communities and see what is being built and what types of homes seem to be working. We can then design and offer a range of products to appeal to all types of buyers.”

The actual exterior and interior design stages of a new home are complex, detailed and tricky. And it takes time – sometimes six months and even a year or more.

It involves engineering, the rough but critical aspects (plumbing, duct work, electrical) that will be in the walls, floor and throughout the house, the planning and strategizing about purchaser and consumer trends, and ensuring the design, the layout and “the look” of the home will be viable for the dynamic marketing of the community and the specific property.

“It also ties in to our core philosophy that we provide Better Value by Design, meaning that each of our developments is individual, distinct and unique. Our planning process involves market research to find out what’s currently

BEFORE THE SHOVEL GOES INTO THE GROUND // URBANOMICS

“THERE ARE INSTANCES WHERE WE ARE COMING INTO A LAND ACQUISITION OPPORTUNITY QUITE AHEAD OF WHEN THE PARCEL IS ACTUALLY ‘SHOVEL READY.’ THAT ALLOWS FOR CONSIDERABLE PLANNING TO TAKE PLACE TO ENSURE THE PRODUCT IS DESIGNED AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL.” ~ CHARRON UNGAR reasons, it’s a necessity. For many years, Calgary-area builders and developers urged changes because the permit application process was clumsy and clunky, wasting both time and money.

The city’s eServices initiative implemented the VISTA program so builders could e-submit the necessary documents and get permits online. available [and] customer feedback to know what our past purchasers liked or disliked about our past projects.

“It’s a thorough product development process and operation to bring our vision to life.”

Lo underscores the details of the planning and design stage.

“It’s the important stage when we take all the information gathered and determine a rough lineup, what the squarefootage range is, and the specific items and features that we feel would work well.

“Sometimes we create brand-new plans. Other times we draw from our library of existing floor plans that have been successful and maybe tweak or alter aspects and options.

“Once the floor plans are selected, the exteriors must be designed, taking into account the theme and architectural controls set out by the developer. The plans are then sent for pricing and finally to marketing for brochures.”

New homebuilders would rather not get bogged down in reams of paperwork but accept that, for various important

“When we put all the specs and details together,” explains Jolleen Clark, Stepper’s drafting manager, “it takes about a half-hour just to upload everything to VISTA. And the submission must include final plans, plot plan, grade slip, Alberta New Home Warranty, engineer floor joist layout, engineered roof truss layout, beam runs, truss details, foundation wall designs, the fire safety plan and more.

“Partial permit is usually available a few hours after submission. A full permit is usually released one to two weeks after submission.”

There are many pieces to the permit puzzle. As builders are quick to point out, the tidier and more efficient the various required components of a permit application, the smoother the review and approval process.

“The tie that binds our internal and consultant team is that many of us have worked together for many years and many projects,” Ungar says from experience. “We understand that any successful permit process requires patience and a collaborative frame of mind.”

ABOVE: CHARRON UNGAR, PRESIDENT, AVI URBAN.

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

35

THE VOICE OF THE BUILDING INDUSTRY JOIN US

Learn more at bildcr.com

THE NEW NORMAL OF 2018 // OIL & GAS

THE NEW NORMAL OF 2018

BUZZ AND OPTIMISM

BY JOHN HARDY

F

or more than two years, Calgary has rumbled with expert and wishful-thinking speculation about the oil industry’s new normal.

Some experts are now daring to (quietly) suggest that it’s happening. Maybe more subtle and slower than hoped for, but happening.

“No doubt about it, it’s been disappointing,” admits Martin King, director of institutional research at GMP FirstEnergy, the influential global energy investment bank. “The muchawaited reset of the market has been a lot slower than anticipated. Part of the problem is that the market is more impatient. It wants to see big changes but seems to be dwelling on the negatives and ignoring the positives.”

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

37

THE NEW NORMAL OF 2018 // OIL & GAS

expert guesswork and speculation but no formal forecasts or projections.

“Each company plans their activities at different commodity price benchmarks,” explains Chelsie Klassen, spokesperson for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), the voice of Canada’s upstream oil, oilsands and natural gas industry. “Depending on individual operations and technology employed, each company will define their competitiveness compared to the commodity price differently.

“One factor is for sure. The industry continues to face mounting costs and barriers to growth due to changes in provincial and federal government policies and regulations such as methane emissions, carbon pricing, municipal and corporate tax increases, wetland policy, well liability and closure and caribou management.

“In addition to those barriers, commodity prices have been low.”

“ALSO, THE NUMBER OF PROJECTS THAT DO MAKE MONEY ARE A SMALL SUBSET OF THE OVERALL PICTURE. IF GAS PRICES STAY CLOSE TO WHERE THEY ARE TODAY, THEN LIQUIDSRICH GAS PLAYS MAY STILL WORK TO SOME EXTENT.” ~ JOHN DIELWART Reacting and managing the nearly three-year-old slump has been a challenge. There have been changes. Along with jarring staff cuts, the industry has done what is necessary to trim costs, improve technology and streamline processes.

What will be the industry’s new normal and what will the landscape look like when the strategies and operations of ‘the new Alberta oil companies’ is better defined? There is

In a mid-year outlook, CAPP cited industry concerns about the already slumped share prices and opposition to major pipeline proposals, including Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain expansion and Enbridge’s Line 3 replacement project, that will bring more oil to the U.S. Midwest.

The CAPP outlook points out that, since the start of the year, U.S. oil prices have fallen roughly 11 per cent, slipping back to less than US$50 a barrel. The TSE’s energy group has slumped more than 17 per cent.

While the new costs of doing business vary, there is quiet but constant speculation and concern as to whether the new and refocused Alberta oil companies can survive, or at least achieve a profit in the $40-$50 range.

“For oil production companies, the answer is no!” says John Dielwart, founder, director and former CEO of ARC Resources and now vice-chairman of ARC Financial, Canada’s leading energy-focused private equity manager. “It applies not only to Canadian companies but also U.S. companies. Everyone will tell you they have projects that ‘make money’ at these price levels but they are talking at a project level not a corporate level.

“Also, the number of projects that do make money are a small subset of the overall picture. If gas prices stay close to ABOVE: JOHN DIELWART, FOUNDER, DIRECTOR AND FORMER CEO OF ARC.

38

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

Meet the Tanya Eklund Group. #1 Team in 2016 in the #1 RE/MAX Brokerage in the World!

Tanya’s been one of Calgary’s top selling Real Estate Agents for years. She has valuable experience working within Calgary’s Inner City Real Estate market, and she understands every client is as unique as their home.

Tanya takes the time to listen; to understand your wants and needs. She doesn’t expect your trust, Tanya earns it by consistently remaining honest, accessible and tenacious. That’s what sets Tanya apart.

The Tanya Eklund Group was founded on Tanya’s principles.

The professionals within her group don’t work for Tanya – they work for you, the client. They provide unparalleled expertise, skill and service to Calgary’s inner city.

And their clients know it.

“Connect with me today – about your real estate needs for tomorrow”

CALGARY REAL ESTATE “MLS DIAMOND CLUB” REMAX HALL OF FAME

WWW.TANYAEKLUNDGROUP.CA Tanya@tanyaeklundgroup.ca Direct 403-863-7434

A division of 4th Street Holdings Ltd.

A GREAT MEAL IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS

403-269-1600 www.centini.com LUNCH | DINNER Breakfast & Office Catering by Appointment | Special Events | Offsite Retreats | Private Dining | Private Rooms & Discreet Meetings For professional attention to the details of your event please email events@centini.com or telephone 403-269-1605

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

39

THE NEW NORMAL OF 2018 // OIL & GAS

THERE IS MUCH SPECULATION ABOUT THE REVISED COSTS AND OPERATIONS, THE NEW NORMAL WHEN IT COMES TO THE COSTS OF DOING BUSINESS, AND THE REJIGGED “NEW” ALBERTA OIL COMPANIES.

where they are today, then liquids-rich gas plays may still work to some extent.

“The biggest issue is the corporate cost structure of all (Canadian and U.S.) E&P companies is based upon a $90-$100 price level. Service companies have slashed compensation. E&Ps have not. Dramatic corporate compensation reductions would have to occur for companies to survive in a sub-$50 oil price environment.”

Different logic applies to service companies. Dielwart adds, “Service companies are barely clinging to survival. If margins don’t return to a point where they can make money, the space will continue to shrink resulting in fewer bigger players which is not helpful for cost competition going forward.

“With the very brief run-up in oil prices into the mid-$50 range, many service costs went up, particularly pressurepumping services, which raised costs to the point that the E&P companies didn’t get much out of the commodity price rise.”

40

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

The industry and analysts agree about the various factors that are impacting the transitions and adjustments in the oil business. “The industry has taken many measures to reduce costs, improve technology and streamline processes,” Klassen notes.

“Some of the major challenges need to be addressed through collaboration with governments to work through government policies and regulations and improve competitiveness.”

There is much speculation about the revised costs and operations, the new normal when it comes to the costs of doing business, and the rejigged “new” Alberta oil companies.

Although the slump and the consequent downsizing, cutbacks, restructuring and revised strategies may, in some ways, be paying off, not all the guesswork (especially about the smaller new oil companies) is optimistic.

“There’s absolutely no question that tomorrow’s companies will be leaner and more efficient than before.

1 2

a foundation for oral health

oral and maxillofacial surgery dental implants • wisdom teeth • jaw surgery • bone grafting

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

41

THE NEW NORMAL OF 2018 // OIL & GAS

“If you are getting five to 10 times the productivity out of new wells, and they are being drilled from super pads with far less surface footprint, the number of people required to deliver the same amount of production is greatly reduced.

He predicts rig automation on the drilling side is about to accelerate rapidly and he warns the technology will eliminate many service jobs.

“The smaller companies may not be able to compete effectively,” he says with candid expertise, “because the cost structure will be set by highly-efficient manufacturing-style mega-pad drilling by the large companies. Small companies will not be able to duplicate that cost structure. They will generally get second-tier equipment and crews and experience more frequent mobilization and demobilization costs due to not keeping a rig going year round.

“Small and nimble used to be an advantage but I don’t see that being the case anymore,” he predicts.

“CRUDE PRICES AREN’T EVEN CLOSE TO THE RANGE NEEDED TO JUSTIFY THE MASSIVE INVESTMENTS. THE INDUSTRY NEEDS SOMETHING IN THE $60-$70 RANGE AND THAT COULD TAKE A COUPLE OF YEARS.” ~ MARTIN KING

Sadly, tens of thousands of jobs that used to exist prior to the tight oil and gas revolution are now gone for good,” Dielwart notes with a wealth of oil and gas sector experience. “The industry used to celebrate drilling ‘big’ wells which were 100 barrels of oil per day or five mmcf/d for gas. Today, wells like that would be considered disappointments.

GMP FirstEnergy’s Martin King underscores, despite all the scrambling and the flux in the oil industry, at the end of the day, the situation – and the long-term future – is a political issue and driven by commodity prices.

“There is little reason to believe the bearish mood will lift so long as U.S. oil inventories remain bloated. Among proposed pipelines, the industry has the most to gain from Trans Mountain, which would enable producers to tap overseas markets in a bigger way,” he says. “But the $7.4-billion project faces stiff resistance from a Green-NDP alliance in British Columbia. It has become a political fight now more than anything else.

“Crude prices aren’t even close to the range needed to justify the massive investments. The industry needs something in the $60-$70 range and that could take a couple of years.”

King agrees with some analysts that the 2017 ranges will spike a bit more from the $40 - $55 range, but likely level off and stabilize in 2018. Next year will be about stabilization and improvement.

“The good news is that, despite the hype about electric power, demand for oil is still growing.”

ABOVE: MARTIN KING, DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH AT GMP FIRSTENERGY.

42

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

OUR PRODUCT. OUR PEOPLE. OUR SERVICE. It’s what sets us apart.

YOUR ONE STOP FOR...

• Septic Tanks (up to 4m burial depth)

• Oil & Grit Separators

• Holding Tanks (up to 3m burial depth)

• Advanced Wastewater Treatment Systems

• Water Cisterns (up to 3m burial depth)

• INFILTRATOR® Field Systems

• Lift Stations

• Pumps, Pipe & Fittings

• Sumps

• Fleet of Picker Trucks for Delivery

• H20 and Anti-floatation Designs Available

• Commercial / Municipal Products

20 YEAR WARRANT Y ON ALL CONCRETE TANKS

•

CSA APPROVED

Call 403-230-1666 Edmonton-Penhold-Calgary www.wilbert.ca

TECHSTOCK 2017

SEPT

14TH

1:00-6:30 PM Innovate Calgary, 3553 31 Street NW

TECHSTOCK 2017 explores how technology and social innovations are making a profound impact on our society and driving change in areas such sustainability, health and education.

· · · ·

Speaker Panel 40+ Company Exhibits Interactive Displays YYCFoodTrucks and MORE!

innovatecalgary.com/events/techstock

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

43

REFORMATION OR TAX WARFARE? // RRSP, TFSA & TAX PLANNING

REFORMATION OR TAX WARFARE? PROPOSED CHANGES TO CORPORATE TAX LAW ARE NOT LOOKING GOOD FOR CANADIAN BUSINESSES

44

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

REFORMATION OR TAX WARFARE? // RRSP, TFSA & TAX PLANNING

BY NERISSA MCNAUGHTON

T

he Honourable Minister of Finance, William F. Morneau, starts off the Tax Planning Using Private Corporations1 document on a positive note.

“We have a highly competitive business environment,” he quotes in the report.

“Canada has a general corporate tax rate that is 12 percentage points lower than our largest trading partner, the United States, and a small business rate that is the lowest in the G7. These tax advantages are in place to help Canadian businesses reinvest and grow, find new customers, buy new equipment and hire more people. Businesses big and small are the lifeblood of our economy. Our tax system is designed to help them thrive, and when the rules are applied as intended, everyone wins. When the rules are used for personal benefit, they are not contributing to growing our economy. Rather, such practices can undermine confidence in our economy by giving tax advantages to a select few. We don’t think that’s fair. Our Government is proposing solutions to close loopholes and deal with tax planning strategies that involve the use of private corporations. These are complex rules, and we recognize it will mean a big change for some. Our intention, it bears repeating, is to help businesses grow, create jobs and support their communities. That’s the spirit in which we are making these proposals, and the spirit with which we hope to receive comments and suggestions.”

1 HTTP://WWW.FIN.GC.CA/ACTIVTY/CONSULT/TPPCPFSP-ENG.PDF

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

45

// RRSP, TFSA & TAX PLANNING

The Department of Finance has proposed a three-part tax planning strategy to address these alleged “loopholes”.

1. Income sprinkling: Expand the rules for income splitting among family members.

HASKAYNE

Executive

MBA

‘‘

I decided on the Alberta Haskayne Executive MBA for my education because of the local learning community created within the Haskayne School of Business. The ongoing face-to-face interaction with faculty and classmates was instrumental in the development my skills and knowledge. The Alberta Haskayne Executive MBA network has been a great resource for me to draw upon, both in and outside of the classroom.”

Rachel Moore, EMBA’15 Vice President, Human Resources Encana

Where Calgary connects.

2. Passive investments held inside a private corporation: Prevention of corporate tax deferral to hold such investments inside the corporation.

3. Convert income into capital gains: Eliminate tax plans that convert dividend income into lower-taxed capital gains.

MNP was quick to publish a three-part Proposed Tax Update and a Summary Analysis of the Proposed Changes for Private Corporations to help their clients, and the general public, better understand what could become the new reality.

“As a leading national accounting, tax and business consulting firm in Canada, MNP will be preparing a written submission to the federal Department of Finance on the technical aspects of the proposed legislation. The proposed changes will have a negative impact on small and medium sized businesses in Canada,” said a spokesperson from the firm.

Currently, with income sprinkling, also known as income splitting, the entire family is involved in the company’s ownership, either directly or via a trust.

This is advantageous for tax planning and succession. MNP’s documentation notes: “The tax on split income has now been expanded. There are now specific exemptions for minors and adult children who have income due to the death of a parent, or for any person who is disabled or attending school fulltime.”

MNP points out how the changes will impact the capital gain deduction for qualifying farm and fishing properties, and for qualifying small business corporate shares: • Capital gains deductions will no longer be available to minors.

• Capital gains deductions will no longer be available for capital gains allocated to an individual by a trust governed by an employee profit sharing plan.

• Capital gains on shares held by an individual while they were a minor are not eligible for the capital gains deduction.

• Capital gains that are split income will not be sheltered.

• Any gains accrued from shares held in a personal trust will not be eligible for deduction.

On the issue of passive investments held inside a private corporation, MNP’s summary document notes, “In their paper, the Department of Finance indicates that the corporate tax deferral should not be used to accrue passive investments inside a corporation…[there is] a discussion [on] several options to eliminate

haskayne-emba.ca

46

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

this perceived benefit.” And when it comes to converting income into capital gains, “Finance is now broadening the scope to target taxpayers who pay tax at capital gains rates when extracting funds from the company.”

Make no mistake, this brief summary is just a snippet and a broad overview of a very complex tax issues that will have a significant impact on businesses, especially small businesses, in Canada for years to come; and understandably, not everyone is on board with the proposed changes.

In fact, a better word for some might be: outraged.

“The proposals are a clear attack on small business owners and their families and will ultimately have a very negative impact on Canada’s economy,” says Kim Moody of Moodys Gartner Tax Law. Moody spoke with Business in Calgary magazine while traveling back from a meeting in Calgary with a Liberal Member of Parliament, where a respectful discussion on this very topic had ensued.

“There so-called reasons for these changes are very misguided,” Moody continues, and he thinks he knows why these sweeping changes have been proposed.

“When Trudeau and the Liberals were electioneering in 2015, they latched onto a paper that was written by an economist on why he thought private corporations were a vehicle for the wealthy to avoid taxes,” Moody says.

Verjee & Associates Welcomes New Partners Verjee & Associates Law delivers integrated legal solutions to complex business issues. Our lawyers are widely respected for the depth of their industry knowledge and for being responsive, efficient and easy to work with. We have the flexibilty and skills of a boutique firm that delivers the results of a large firm.

verjee-law.com

With over 20 years of significant legal expertise and a reputation for delivering exceptional client service, Verjee & Associates welcomes Megan Klein and Peter Cline to the partnership.

Mission

Make a difference for you every day as your Group Benefit Consultants by: • Listening with Excitement • Learning with Passion • Excelling beyond Measure Suite 210, 1324 – 36 Avenue NE Calgary, AB T2E 8S1 Ph: 403.538.5649 excelbenefitconsulting.com BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // SEPTEMBER 2017

47

REFORMATION OR TAX WARFARE? // RRSP, TFSA & TAX PLANNING

That paper was written by Michael Wolfson, an advisor with EvidenceNetwork.ca. Wolfson holds a Canada Research Chair in population health modeling/populomics at the University of Ottawa, and is a former assistant chief statistician at Statistics Canada. He earned a PhD in economics from Cambridge.

Moody was ready to set the record straight and inform Wolfson with a business-experience perspective.

“I engaged him and offered an intelligent debate,” says Moody. “To his credit, he called me and we had a respectful one-hour discussion.”

Following their talk, Moody concluded that, “[Wolfson] has zero business experience. A lot of his ideas are simply misinformed, but he has the ear of the bureaucrats and the politicians. And that’s dangerous.

They see these proposed changes as ‘corrections’ to Canada’s system, but these are the most significant tax policy changes in this area in the last 50 years. This is not about ‘closing loopholes,’ and that is what makes me angry. If they wanted to make significant tax policy changes, they should have been more transparent about such and genuinely engaged the business community.

They should not have dropped the proposal in the summer, with 75 days’ notice, when most people are on holidays.”

“When I read the paper, and I’ve read it several times,” Moody continues, “I could not believe how misinformed [Wolfson] was. He has, and he admits this, no business experience. However, the Liberals attached themselves to him and started to implement his ideas – a lot of the proposed changes are his ideas right out of that paper.

“As the community woke up to how damaging the proposals are, Wolfson wrote a rebuttal called ‘The Sky is Falling on Small Businesses – or is it?’ It was published in the Globe and Mail on August 8, 2017.”

• THE FINEST ON SITE TAILORING • CALL AHEAD VIP PARKING • NON COMMISSION FASHION PRESENTERS

THE WESTIN

403-266-4417 • SMWL.COM

48

401 - 4TH AVE S.W CALGARY, ALBERTA

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

Whether individuals or businesses are on board with the proposed changes or not, it is important to be informed and to understand how these changes could affect you. Both MNP and Moodys Gartner Tax Law have published excellent, factual information on these proposals, and are available to help existing and prospective clients navigate what could be a very different tax landscape in the near future.

To learn more, view the Tax Planning Using Private Corporations PDF document at www.fin.gc.ca, contact a representative in your area from MNP (www.mnp.ca) and read the Income splitting: Is it time to revisit a 1966 Canadian tax reform idea? post on the moodysgartner. com blog.

FIFTY YEARS STRONG // COVER

Fifty Years Strong

THE HASKAYNE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS CELEBRATES ITS SEMI-CENTENNIAL

BY MELANIE DARBYSHIRE

ABOVE: JIM DEWALD, DEAN, HASKAYNE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND DICK HASKAYNE. PHOTO SOURCE: BOOKSTRUCKER PHOTOGRAPHY

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

49

FIFTY YEARS STRONG // COVER

I

n 1967, the city of Calgary was 73 years old. Its growing population had reached 335,806, making it the secondlargest city in Alberta. Canada celebrated its centennial which, in Calgary, was honoured in a variety of ways including construction of the Calgary Tower (originally the Husky Tower) and development of Confederation Park. The University of Calgary was just a year old and on July 1, by a margin of one vote, its faculty of business was born.

Robinson, who had worked with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) prior to becoming dean, positioned the faculty for eventual accreditation with AACSB International, which occurred in 1985. “You don’t get accredited out of the box, you have to build it up,” Jones explains. “So I credit him with setting that in motion – recognizing that we should develop in a way that would meet those standards.”

Fifty years later, the Haskayne School of Business (Haskayne) is one of Canada’s premier business schools.

With six programs (including bachelor of commerce, master of business administration and executive MBA programs), 3,652 undergraduate and graduate students in 2016, 230 faculty and staff, two campuses and over 24,000 alumni in 80 countries, Haskayne is a fundamental part of Calgary.

And its future looks brighter than ever.

Dr. Stephen Peitchinis served as dean from 1973 to 1975 and during this time the push for a graduate program began.

In 1975, a part-time master of management studies was launched. In 1977, a quota on admission was established at 330 students and in 1978 the school was renamed the faculty of management.

“[The 50th anniversary] is an opportunity to reflect on how far we have come,” says Jim Dewald, dean since April 2013. “The Haskayne School of Business has been blessed to receive strong community support, strong leadership and exceptional scholarship from a world-class faculty.” To celebrate the semi-centennial, the school is holding an open house on September 22 and a gala celebration on September 23. Tickets are available online.

Like all true successes, Haskayne’s story is unique and not without its ups and downs. The founding dean, Dr. James M.A. Robinson, found himself with many operational challenges in the first year: 360 students but no staff or space, and little budget.

He also had to choose between two prevalent business school models at that time: a professional one which limited specialization and a scientific-research approach emphasizing business disciplines. “He had a very strong orientation towards the professional model,” explains Vernon Jones, senior associate dean. Jones joined the school in 1979 as a faculty member and has held many administrative roles since. “But as time goes on, we try to do both, and there’s more emphasis on the scientific-research approach, which you see in our faculty today.”

The founding curriculum provided for business courses to be taught in later years following an arts and science base.

50

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

Dean Peitchinis also established the Management Advisory Council (MAC), which, to this day, is an invaluable resource.

“By the late 1970s, we had a very substantial advisory council of leading lights in the city,” says Jones. Today’s MAC includes many Calgary and international business leaders, a number of which are alumni.

In 1979, Professor Bob Schulz, PhD, began advising student teams for the Inter-Collegiate Business Competition at Queen’s University. For 38 years, “Dr. Bob” has coached Haskayne teams who have consistently placed at or near the top.

Dawn Farrell, president and CEO of TransAlta, was an undergraduate student during this time, graduating in 1983. “Like all students I enjoyed some aspects of business school more than others,” she reflects. “I liked my finance, economics and strategy courses the best and I learned concepts in organizational design that I’ve used until today.”

She recalls taking several arts courses in her first couple years, questioning their usefulness. “What I didn’t think was necessary was in fact good for me. I am a strong advocate of a broad liberal arts background as part of a strong business degree. Ethics are absolutely necessary to be a good businessperson – focusing only on the technical aspects of business is insufficient for what is required to do the job.”

Dean George Lane had stressed the need for a physical building for several years and this was met in 1981 when Ralph

FIFTY YEARS STRONG // COVER

Scurfield, president of the Nu-West Group, decided to donate $4 million on behalf of himself and his family and $4 million on behalf of Nu-West for the construction of a home for the school.

The funds were to be matched by the Alberta government.

Dr. P. Michael Maher became dean in 1981, a position he held for 18 years. Among many accomplishments, he was instrumental in fundraising efforts. One of his initiatives was the Associates Fund, an annual drive where individuals could become associates of the faculty with a donation of $1,000 per annum.

The Future Fund Endowment Campaign was linked to the new building and launched in 1984 with a target of $4.8 million, to be matched by the provincial government. The campaign was a success and exceeded $12 million by 1988. A key element to the campaign was the naming of rooms in the new building after donors – rooms such as the Esso Theatre, the Alberta Energy Company case room and the Dingle conference room were created.

Scurfield Hall officially opened in 1986. More than 130 individuals and corporations who had contributed to the Future Fund were recognized in the building. Tragically, Ralph Scurfield had passed away in a skiing accident in February of 1985. His wife Mrs. Sonia Scurfield and family represented him at the opening.

The mid-1980s brought other developments: the launch of the executive development program, the New Venture Group (the foundation for the enterprise MBA program) and a fulltime MBA program in 1986.

By the early 1990s, the pressure to expand the B.Comm. program came to a head; the quota of 330 students and the size of Scurfield Hall were far exceeded by the number of applicants. “The sense was ‘we’ve got all the facilities we need, so now we have to enhance the faculty, and make it stronger at the graduate level and in research,’” Jones explains. “It wasn’t an entirely happy situation – we certainly acquired a lot of faculty and grew, but budget cuts in the 1990s truncated that quite a bit. Nevertheless, I think the quality of the school improved a lot.”

Significant expansions to the B.Comm. program occurred: an additional $3.9 million in operating funds, capital grants ABOVE: UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY PRESIDENT NORMAN WAGNER HELPS BREAK GROUND ON SCURFIELD HALL. MIDDLE: FACULTY AND STAFF CELEBRATE THE OPENING OF SCURFIELD HALL. BOTTOM: THE TRADITION OF WINNING CASE COMPETITIONS BEGAN EARLY ON. FEATURED HERE IS THE 1991 CASE COMPETITION INCLUDING MAYOR NENSHI AND THE FAMOUS DR. BOB SCHULZ. BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // SEPTEMBER 2017

51

FIFTY YEARS STRONG // COVER

The 1990s also saw the establishment of a $2.4-million endowment for a chair of insurance and risk management, a MBA program in Poland, a bachelor of hotel and resort management program, and a M.Sc. in sustainable energy development degree program.

Renowned San Francisco Bay area technologist Gary Kovacs, who was most recently the CEO of AVG Technologies and has worked for Mozilla Corporation as CEO, Adobe, SAP, IBM and Zi Corporation, graduated with a B.Comm. from the business school in 1990.

“My experience was great,” he recalls. “It was a combination of local community and an education that I thought, and which proved to be true, would broaden my horizons. It gave me a very strong business foundation.”

and a fourth floor to Scurfield Hall. A concentration in tourism and the faculty’s first co-op program were added.

The admission quota was raised to 510 students and a PhD program was introduced.

Kovacs returned in the late 1990s to complete an executive MBA – a program launched in 1995. The program has grown to be one of the largest in Canada – this year, approximately 100 students took part – and, in 2005, was ranked as the top executive MBA program in Canada for career progress of graduates by the Financial Times.

INSET: SCURFIELD HALL’S GLASS CEILING IS NOT ONLY A UNIQUE ARCHITECTURAL FEATURE BUT IT PROVIDES LOTS OF NATURAL LIGHT FOR THE BUILDING.

52

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

BEST

IN CLASS

Real estate and construction is fast paced and dynamic — there’s an energy and at the centre is the desire to build something better. At MNP we continuously strive to create innovative programs and scalable solutions that help you capture that momentum. Big or small, we know it’s not about size – it’s about quality, value and above all else, the opportunity to build something you can truly be proud of.

For more information contact Lee Thiessen at 1.877.500.0792 or email lee.thiessen@mnp.ca

What’s Impacting Your Industry The Most Cyber Security Cyber threats can be highly disruptive on your business and your tenants’ security. A strong cyber stance is key to protecting what matters most.

Property Tax Services With amendments to the Alberta Municipal Government Act, as well as market uncertainty and increased taxes, you need to ensure your tax strategy maximizes your returns. Tailored solutions that take your investments even further.

FIFTY YEARS STRONG // COVER

For Kovacs, the relationships he made while at the school made the difference. “I really maximized the deep relationships with people that I could associate with that were all part of the Haskayne and university community. It is a community.

People come into that community, they protect each other, they like each other, they help each other. I had a lot of really deep relationships, all of which I still have today.”

He recalls meeting with Richard F. (Dick) Haskayne, the namesake of the school today, who willingly spent time with a young Kovacs. “He said ‘let’s sit down’ and he spent time with me. And I didn’t matter in his world. Of course he said everybody matters, and that’s actually how he treated it.”

A name synonymous with Calgary business, Dick Haskayne has been one of the best things to happen to the management program. In 2002, Mr. Haskayne donated $16 million ($8 million in cash and $8.7 million in land) to the faculty, which was renamed in his honour. The donation was the largest charitable contribution in the history of the university at the time, and one of the largest charitable contributions to any business school in Canada.

In 2006, the 219-acre parcel of land was sold by the university to the City of Calgary for $20 million, and the Haskayne Endowment for Achieving Excellence has grown to $34 million today – among the largest at the university – generating income for the school in perpetuity. It allows the school to fund professorships, scholarships and bursaries to attract and retain students and professors.

“We’re happy about that,” says Mr. Haskayne. “I never thought I’d have that much – I started as a poor butcher’s son from Gleichen, Alberta. But I’ve been lucky financially and that’s what the [University of Alberta] business school did for me.”

“Mr. Haskayne’s name has transformed the school in terms of recognition and focus on the ethical principles that Mr. Haskayne embodies,” Dewald says.

Mr. Haskayne obtained his business degree in 1956 from the University of Alberta. After articling in Calgary he became a chartered accountant in 1959. Soon after, he joined Hudson’s Bay Oil and Gas, where he became president in 1980. He was president and CEO of Home Oil from 1981 to 1991, and president and CEO of Interhome Energy Inc.

54

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

He is past chairman of the board of TransCanada Corporation, Enbridge, Fording Inc., NOVA Corporation, TransAlta Corporation and MacMillan Bloedel. He has served as director on 20 public company boards, including Manulife, Encana Corporation, AEC and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. He was chair of the board of governors of the university from 1990 to 1996 and now holds the title board chair emeritus.

He is an officer of the Order of Canada for his high ethical business standards and for having helped lead fundraising campaigns for several organizations including the university.

He’s proud of the fact the school bears his name, and highlights the myriad of notable graduates including Enbridge CEO Al Monaco (MBA’97), previous TransCanada president and CEO Hal Kvisle (MBA’82) and current TransCanada president and CEO Russell Girling (B.Comm.’85, MBA’91).

“That’s the best publicity this school can get – people who have done well in business,” he says. “I can’t think of many other places where they can talk about current chief executives over the last 10 years that have come from the same business school.”

He notes that Dewald, too, is a graduate of the school (PhD’06): “He’s a businessman – he’s been in the practical world of business as CEO and on some boards and that, in my view, from an administrative point of view, is by far the best we’ve had.”

In addition to the name change, the 2000s involved efforts to hire strong research faculty. Dean David Saunders established three donor-supported positions: the RBC Financial Group Chair held by Professor Robert Elliott; the McCaig Research Chair in Management held by Professor Alain Verbeke; and the Robson Professorship in Management held by Professor Barrie Nault. “We hired three strong, distinguished faculty,” says Jones, “who provided leadership for research.”

The hirings had the intended effect: the late 2000s saw Haskayne gain increasing international repute. In 2008, the executive MBA program ranked No. 38 in the Financial Times (U.K.) international ranking of executive MBA programs, and

FIFTY YEARS STRONG // COVER

“We have established a collection of speaker series and community events that have resulted in over 4,000 people attending Haskayne events this past academic year.”

in 2009, the MBA and undergraduate programs ranked second among 35 MBA and 47 undergraduate programs across Canada in the Knight School ranking.

In 2010, the global energy executive MBA program was launched, and the Economist magazine ranked the Haskayne MBA program in its Top 100 list for the first time, putting it at No. 82 worldwide (No. 42 in North America and No. 3 in Canada).

Since becoming dean (he was an associate professor before), Dewald has accomplished much. “The past five years have been very active in terms of academic recruitment,” he explains. “Today, almost 50 per cent of our faculty have been recruited in the last five years.” Many of these are global researchers and active student-oriented instructors.

Dewald took the job to move the 3E strategy – established in 2011 to focus on ethical leadership, entrepreneurial thinking, and energy – forward.

Through philanthropic funding, several major centres have been established, including: the Canadian Centre for Advanced Leadership in Business (2012) funded by ARC Resources and Mac and Susan Van Wielingen; the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (2013); the Centre for Corporate Sustainability (2014); and the Westman Centre for Real Estate Studies (2013).

Dewald is also proud of the school’s community engagement.

Kovacs, who is a member of Dewald’s MAC and a past recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from the university’s alumni association, says now is a critical time for universities. “The number of degree-granting institutions in the Calgary market has grown substantially,” he says.

“We’re right in the middle of a pivot point, and I don’t believe that any university can sit still and ride this out. It’s going to demand very clear identification of who we are, and I know the university and Haskayne are well aware and have been leading this.”

He says continual adaptations to virtual learning are required. “Time is the commodity we don’t have. How can a university of the stature of the U of C adapt to be flexible enough to allow people to live in the real world but also benefit from the incredible gifts it has to give?”

Mr. Haskayne is pragmatic about the future. “I don’t have any great ambition, other than the stability of the school. Every time there’s a new dean, you always wonder if it’s going to work, and I hope Jim is going to stay for another term.”

“Yes, I will be applying for another term,” confirms Dewald, who’s current term ends in June 2018, “and would hope to be able to lead our school to establish ourselves as a toptier school in Canada, with quality research, education and community connections, focusing primarily on the areas that make Calgary a great business centre – ethical leadership, entrepreneurial thinking and energy.”

As it celebrates 50 years of existence, the Haskayne community – its students, teachers, administrators and supporters – has much to be proud of. Not only has it made an indelible mark on the city in which it exists, it has sent out into the world tens of thousands of individuals who are achieving great things every day. There is as much to celebrate as there is to look forward to.

ABOVE: JIM DEWALD, DEAN, HASKAYNE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND DICK HASKAYNE. PHOTO SOURCE: BOOKSTRUCKER PHOTOGRAPHY

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

55

HOW TECH SAVVY ARE YOU? // REAL ESTATE

How Tech Savvy Are You? THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON THE REAL ESTATE SECTOR

BY ERLYNN GOCOCO

T

echnology continues to evolve and change the way we do everything – from buying clothes and groceries, to selling used items, to even buying and selling homes.

Smartphones and tablets are ubiquitous and, like it or not, most of us rely on them to conduct our daily personal and professional business.

When it comes to real estate, mobile technology is so advanced that buyers and sellers can basically do it all from their smartphones or tablets. From browsing homes online to virtual tours and signing documents, one can basically purchase or sell a home, from beginning to end, simply with the use of technology. So how exactly have technological advances impacted the real estate sector?

56

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

CALGARY’S ONLY LUXURY PARKFRONT CHOICE THE VALUE OF PARKFRONT: Downtown Calgary park-front homes are priced 50% LESS than comparable homes in Vancouver

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY NO FOREIGN BUYER TAX 2 BLOCKS to Calgary’s BUSINESS DISTRICT 9,000sf of AMENITIES on the park Purchase today to receive

PRE-COMPLETION PRICING

THE BELTLINE’S FASTEST SELLING COMMUNITY

AWARD-WINNING

ONE BEDS FROM THE $270s · TWO BEDS FROM THE $480s

BELTLINE COLLECTION

COMPLETING 2018

DISCOVERY CENTRE OPEN DAILY 12 – 5PM, EXCEPT FRIDAYS · 301 11TH AVE SW

QUALEX.CA/PARKPOINT · 403 244 2428

This is not an offering for sale. Any such offer can only be made by way of condominium documents and/or disclosure statement (where applicable). Prices subject to change without notice. E.&O.E. ™ denotes one or more trade-marks of Qualex-Landmark Management Inc. used under license by Qualex-Landmark Union Inc.

2ND ST SW

NAHB - 2016 & 2017 SILVER AWARD

12TH AVE SW CENTRAL PARK

N

HOW TECH SAVVY ARE YOU? // REAL ESTATE

“MORE THAN EVER BEFORE, TECHNOLOGY HAS AND IS TRANSFORMING THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY. AFTER NEARLY 17 YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY, I FEEL THE LAST FIVE HAVE CATAPULTED THE REAL ESTATE SECTOR.” ~ TANYA EKLUND

According to Calgary Realtor Tanya Eklund, “More than ever before, technology has and is transforming the real estate industry. After nearly 17 years in the industry, I feel the last five have catapulted the real estate sector. With search engines and geo-farming, we can search virtually anything and target market our listings to the specific markets we choose. The opportunities are endless in terms of what can be accomplished through digital marketing and having an online presence.”

Richard Dolan, president of REIN (Real Estate Investment Network), says, “The largest and most significant undercurrent to the world of real estate and its direction has been the reshaping of its landscape, driven by the importance and role of technology consumers demand for a digital experience. The digital commercialization of real estate sales and transactions is inevitable given the ease of access, the flow of data, and convenience of experience.

People can simply shop for real estate from their phone.”

Technology also creates options for the consumer. People can hire real estate agents advertising lower commission fees but also have the option of buying or selling their home sans agent using a “no commission” brokerage and doing the work themselves. This, according to many real estate professionals, sounds appealing but certainly has some drawbacks.

Eklund explains that per the Competition Act, the public has the option to hire lower-rate commission companies to put their home on the MLS for a flat fee. “When this ruling first came into effect, it had Realtors buzzing in on how this would affect their businesses. I am and always will be a believer in ‘you get what you pay for.’”

Considered a full-service Realtor, Eklund not only provides a wide range of marketing options but the expertise homeowners just do not see when selling on their own. She explains that not having the knowledge in handling a realty transaction when selling a home can cost a seller thousands of dollars. “Over the years, I have developed a marketing plan that one could not offer by utilizing a fee-saving brokerage. Often we deal with sellers who are frustrated with the process and lack of exposure their home is receiving so they call and ask for something more.”

Dolan acknowledges that anyone can buy and sell real estate online but ultimately those making the financial investment wish to have a live voice – before signing on the dotted line – to confirm their belief they are making a smart decision.

He believes there will always be the need for a Realtor in a real estate transaction. “And contrary to popular belief, this is driven and fuelled by the digital phenomenon, for a good reason, not bad.”

ABOVE: TANYA EKLUND, REALTOR, TANYA EKLUND GROUP. PHOTO SOURCE: PHIL CROZIER, PHOTOPHILCRO

58

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

HOW TECH SAVVY ARE YOU? // REAL ESTATE

“JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE ACCESS MORE INFORMATION MORE READILY DOESN’T MEAN THEY CAN ACT JUST AS FAST. THE MORE INFORMATION ONE HAS, THE MORE THOUGHT LEADERSHIP THEY REQUIRE.” ~ RICHARD DOLAN

The digital phenomenon Dolan speaks of is forcing real estate agents to up their marketing game. In order to stay current and competitive, real estate professionals must learn how to be creative and tech-savvy using a variety of marketing tools such as online videos, aerial footage, email blasts, clever social media marketing, virtual tours and much more.

“Because 95 per cent of a buyer’s experience begins online, this fact fuels the very essence of what it means to be a real estate sales professional,” Dolan explains. “Just because people access more information more readily doesn’t mean they can act just as fast. The more information one has, the more thought leadership they require.”

The quality of photo imagery in video has grown to an all-time high, confirms Dolan. “Consumers expect a broadcast quality experience when it comes to shopping and viewing real estate opportunities. This has forced the real estate sales professional to transcend traditional sales techniques and marketing tactics to becoming an expert in taking photographs and hosting their own video tours. This requires the development of a skill in new technology such as hardware, editing and the ability to post online.”

“If you feel this is not something you want to partake in,” says Eklund, “you will be left behind as marketing evolution is happening and will continue to happen.”

CREB (Calgary Real Estate Board) president David P. Brown explains that part of their strategic plan – launched three years ago – is to provide excellence in technology. “So it’s not only the focus of Realtors, but it’s the focus of the board as well.”

Brown says the board has come up with some incredible tools to make the lives of Realtors easier, which in turn is much better for the consumer. One such tool is mapping which gives real estate professionals the ability to go in and see the permits for a particular house. “We could have never done this in the past and not this quickly. Again, one step forward.”

CREB is constantly looking at all available technology tools.

And although they dive deep into technology, they don’t necessarily accept everything in terms of technological advances. “It has to make sense,” says Brown.

The impact of technology in the real estate sector permeates all across the industry and includes advances in the area of home inspection as well.

ABOVE: RICHARD DOLAN, PRESIDENT, REIN GROUP OF COMPANIES INC. PHOTO SOURCE: REIN

60

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

D AN L Y AL DA IS F TO H E T RV IN SE VE RE MO

THIS FALL, GET INSPIRED PRESENTATION CENTRE | 1750 120 AVE NE See our website for Centre hours

LUXURY

SECURED

Canada’s Premier Secured Storage Condominiums CALL TODAY 403.201.9999 thevaults.ca

Looking for straightforward IT Solutions?

IT can be easy when you have the right team guiding your way.

We provide completely customizable IT solutions that are clear and effective.

Our Managed IT Services, Cloud Services and CommunityCloud for Non-Profit make your job stress free, so you can just focus on being successful.

Your next step is contacting us today.

Toll Free: 1.888.224.5770 Email: info@nextdigital.ca • Calgary • Edmonton • Red Deer

nextdigital.ca Managed IT Services | Cloud Services | CommunityCloud for Non-Profit

Dream Office REIT owns and operates high-quality business premises in key markets across Canada. We provide our investors with a solid platform for stable and growing returns and we provide our tenants with better communities to work in. dream.ca

HOW TECH SAVVY ARE YOU? // REAL ESTATE

WE CAN’T DENY THAT TECHNOLOGY CONTINUES TO MOVE FAST AND FORWARD, BUT ONE THING ALL REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS CAN AGREE ON IS THAT NOTHING CAN TRULY REPLACE THE VALUE OF HUMAN INTERACTION. Lucas Kirsch, owner of 20/20 Master Home Inspections Inc., says, “There are all kinds of gadgets and gizmos in my industry.” One of the best technological tools today, in his opinion, is the FLIR® (forward-looking infrared) thermal camera. “This is by far the best thing to discover new problems that wouldn’t have been caught 10 years ago.” In second place is the HD sewer cameras that Kirsch claims have saved his clients thousands of dollars on problems below the surface. And last but not least,

moisture meters are an amazing tool when dealing with suspect moisture issues.

Kirsch says he’s on the fence, however, when it comes to drone technology. He acknowledges they are useful on a roof, for example, but his preference is to get up close and personal by walking it.

“At the end of the day, the best technology isn’t worth a thing if the inspector using it doesn’t have the experience, education or communication skills to use them all.” But of all the technology available, Kirsch admits that the greatest thing as a home inspector is his iPhone. “It functions as my camera and my daily organizer.”

Does your real estate firm have a built-in bias?

Conflicts of interest have no place in a real estate transaction. But if you’re dealing with a firm that represents landlords as well as tenants, those conflicts are hard to avoid. At Cresa, we only represent tenants, so we don’t have the conflicts and biases so prevalent at other firms. Which means our interests are fully aligned with yours. Exclusively.

The Tenant’s Advantage cresa.com Cresa Alberta Suite 1400, 606 - 4 Street SW | Calgary, Alberta T2P 1T1 | 403.571.8080

64

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

We can’t deny that technology continues to move fast and forward, but one thing all real estate professionals can agree on is that nothing can truly replace the value of human interaction.

When it comes to investing in real estate, whether it be buying or selling, there are a lot of emotions attached. These emotions need to be nurtured by human connection.

“Video and photos alone do not excite buyers; it is the human confirmation that does, and that requires physical interaction in the presence of the magic and power of a real estate sales professional,” says Dolan.

LUXURY REAL ESTATE IN YYC // LUXURY REAL ESTATE

Luxury

REAL ESTATE IN YYC

MILLION-DOLLAR (AND MORE!) PRICE TAGS

BY ERLYNN GOCOCO

R

eal estate, in any market, is a business that can go up just as quickly as it can come down. The Calgary market is trying to make its way back up, but our current economy continues to support the “it’s a buyer’s market” mentality. So what can buyers expect when searching for a home in the million dollars and up range and how has the recession affected the luxury real estate market?

Sam Corea, a well-known Calgary realtor, says “there are a lot of moving pieces to the Calgary real estate market. Since the spike in the market that occurred in 2014, not only has oil hit bottom, but we’ve also had changes to the lending rules which have affected how people qualify for a mortgage as well as how much down payment is required.”

And because many people have lost their jobs due to the economic downturn, this has resulted in much uncertainty in the real estate market. “Prices have had to be adjusted to reflect this uncertainty,” confirms Corea. “People have lost their jobs or are worried about losing their jobs, and a lot of ABOVE: 209 PINNACLE RIDGE PLACE; PROPERTY LISTED BY SAM COREA. BELOW: SAM COREA, REALTOR, RE/MAX. PHOTO SOURCE: RE/MAX

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

65

LUXURY REAL ESTATE IN YYC // LUXURY REAL ESTATE

people have had to leave Calgary to find work, and as a result, the luxury market has taken a hit.” But there are still buyers out there who are taking advantage of the price drop and now have an opportunity to get into the luxury market.

CREB’s chief economist, Ann-Marie Lurie, says that homes that sold for over a million dollars currently represent around 3 per cent of our overall sales activity in the resale market.

Prior to the recession, Lurie says, “sales activity in the higher price ranges were improving and reached new sales highs of 847 in 2014. However, as the recession impacted many of the higher paid professions, this sector of the market was one of the first to feel the impact.” She goes on to say that the demand eased while supply levels remained

elevated, likely causing steeper price declines for these upper end homes. “This was somewhat evidenced by the double digit price adjustments that occurred in some of our most expensive neighbourhoods compared to the modest declines in the more lower priced communities.”

With prices starting to adjust, Lurie says this encouraged some improvement in 2016 sales activity when compared to 2015. “And while sales activity has improved and supply levels have eased pushing the market towards more balanced territory, evidence of excess supply continue to impact this segment of the market.”

Mark Kwasnicki, owner and founder of luxury home builder McKinley Masters, says that there have definitely been challenges in the last year but he is confident that things

ABOVE: LUXURY BATHROOM IN A MCKINLEY MASTERS HOME. PHOTO SOURCE: MCKINLEY MASTERS

RIGHT: ANN-MARIE LURIE, CHIEF ECONOMIST, CREB. PHOTO SOURCE: CREB

66

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

LUXURY REAL ESTATE IN YYC // LUXURY REAL ESTATE

$

$

$

CREB’S CHIEF ECONOMIST ANN-MARIE LURIE SAYS HOMES SOLD FOR OVER A MILLION DOLLARS CURRENTLY REPRESENT AROUND THREE PER CENT OF THE OVERALL SALES ACTIVITY IN THE RESALE MARKET.

Move in ready in as little as 6 months, Karoleena delivers a simple and stress free home building experience, without compromising quality. We are focused on providing modern prefabricated homes that fit your timeline and budget.

Starting at $275 per sq. ft.

karoleena.com sales@karoleena.com

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

67

LUXURY REAL ESTATE IN YYC // LUXURY REAL ESTATE

MURRAY EXPLAINS THAT THE OTHER PRODUCT THAT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL WAS THEIR ESTATE PENTHOUSES THAT RAN FROM $3.5 MILLION TO $7 MILLION, WITH THE TOP PENTHOUSE BEING WORTH $13 MILLION. are finally looking up. In terms of changes with regards to new builds, particularly in the luxury market in today’s economy, Kwasnicki says, “the luxury market caters to a higher standard of quality so there haven’t been any changes in what customers are wanting in their luxury home, despite the economy.”

And the same goes for luxury condominium projects, such as The Concord in Eau Claire. The project is being developed by Vancouver-based Concord Pacific Development. Their VicePresident, Sales, Grant Murray, says, “what affects single family does not affect condominiums the same way. What affects resale doesn’t affect presale - it’s a different ballgame altogether. The indications of that would be closing over $2 billion in sales in Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary combined, mostly in Vancouver and Toronto. And all of those sales are presale as we don’t engage the market in the resale market, and we don’t engage the market in single family homes.”

Murray explains that the other product that has been successful was their estate penthouses that ran from $3.5 million to $7 million, with the top penthouse being worth $13 million. “We have sold 5 out of 6 of the estate penthouses. Who did we sell these to? We sold them to people with businesses that have been successful and who have big homes. But now they want neither the big house nor the upkeep that comes with it.”

In the last 2 years, The Concord has been averaging a sale a month each and every month, “so we keep marketing and

TOP: GRANT MURRAY, VP OF SALES, CONCORD PACIFIC DEVELOPMENTS PHOTO SOURCE: CONCORD PACIFIC DEVELOPMENTS

BOTTOM: MARK KWASNICKI, OWNER AND FOUNDER OF LUXURY HOME BUILDER MCKINLEY MASTERS. PHOTO SOURCE: MCKINLEY MASTERS

68

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

KwdAdOpt2Rev.qxp_Layout 1 8/16/17 1:48 PM Page 1

$

Largest offering of CSA Intrinsically Safe and Non-Incendive Two-Way Portable Radios

$ selling to people in the demographic that aren’t affected by the downturn but still want to make that lifestyle change,” says Murray.

403-301-2700 Bay A 8240 - 31st SE Calgary Alberta T2C 1J1

And although his company deals in the Vancouver, Toronto, and Calgary markets, Murray says you just cannot compare them.

For example, there was a huge price upswing in the last year in Vancouver and Toronto pre-sale prices. “Our luxury sale price on a cost per square foot basis in downtown Vancouver has gone from $1,000/square foot to $2,000/square foot.”

Cybercrime costs Canadians millions of dollars every year.

What’s your information worth to you?

Kwasnicki agrees and says, “The Calgary market for luxury homes can provide a much higher quality product for the price point than these other markets can provide.

Calgary has tremendous value in the luxury market.”

What you can buy in Calgary for a million dollars won’t buy you the same product in the Vancouver or Toronto markets. “There is just no comparison,” says Corea.

COMMERCIAL

BUSINESS

PERSONAL

LIFE & BENEFITS

PRIVATE CLIENT

rogersinsurance.ca

Contact us to learn more about how we can help you protect your business with custom cyber liability insurance solutions. p 1.800.565.8132 e info@rogersinsurance.ca

A human approach to insurance BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // SEPTEMBER 2017

69

INNOVATIVE WELLNESS TOOLS // CORPORATE HEALTH, WELLNESS & REJUVENATION

INNOVATIVE WELLNESS TOOLS TO EMPOWER YOUR TEAM EMPLOYERS GET A COMPETITIVE EDGE BY USING THESE OUT-OF-THE-BOX WELLNESS SOLUTIONS

BY NERISSA MCNAUGHTON

W

hen a company sponsors health and wellness benefits for their employees, they benefit from a healthier, happier and more productive team.

However, as an employer, are you overlooking these unique wellness tools that are taking corporate healthcare to a new level? Take a look at what an HSA, private clinic and personal gym can do for you and your team.

70

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

HSA: The Health Spending Account “A health spending account (HSA) is a group benefit that provides reimbursement for a broad range of health-related expenses and complements a conventional benefits plan by offering more value and flexibility for employees,” says Jesse Monck, director of the group division with Alberta

ACTIVE OFFICE Revive Your 9 to 5

®

®

VARIChair

CoreChair

†

3Dee Chair

Work Sitting or Standing Standing Platforms

VARIDESK® is an affordable way to convert your current desk into a height-adjustable desk so you can switch easily between sitting and standing. It ships fully assembled and ready-to-use, so you’re up and working in minutes. All models include free shipping.

† Mfg & photo: aeris GmbH.

Corporate Pricing Available. Call Today!

1-800-fitter1 • www.fitter1.com

INNOVATIVE WELLNESS TOOLS // CORPORATE HEALTH, WELLNESS & REJUVENATION

Blue Cross, Alberta’s largest benefits provider. “The list of eligible expenses tends to be much more comprehensive than those benefits provided under the base plan, and benefit maximums often associated with traditional benefit offerings are replaced with an overall maximum, as determined by the employer contribution into the employee’s HSA.” “HSAs are administered in accordance with Canada Revenue Agency guidelines, and as such, contributions made by the employer to the employee are not deemed as taxable income,” adds Monck. “For the employer, contributions offer a measure of cost containment and predictability in the fact that contributions can be set and budgeted for each year. As well, the flexibility of an HSA is appealing to most employees and helps to attract and retain top talent.”

Monck continues, “HSA plans are very popular in Canada today, and many employer-sponsored benefit programs include an HSA as part of their package. The flexibility and tax advantage provided by an HSA makes them appealing to both employer and employee.”

One thing Monck notes, however, is that HSAs are best as a complement to conventional employee benefit plans—not a replacement. “While offering great flexibility, they do not offer the protection or amount of coverage available through benefit plans. HSAs operate like a bank account.

A pre-determined allotment is assigned to an employee, and he/she cannot exceed that allotment. Any employer contributions revert back to the employer if not used by the employee after two years. HSAs on their own offer no assistance for unexpected or catastrophic incidents, such as a family member suddenly needing a high-cost drug or requiring disability coverage. Also, if an employee’s health care costs are quite high, he/she may not have enough money in the HSA to cover the expenses. A good benefit plan can be designed to fit an employer’s budget through coverage maximums, co-insurance, deductibles and per-visit maximums—with a health spending account as a valueadded option.”

The value of HSAs for employers is cost control, says Monck.

“With a greater focus on business costs in Canada today, the ability to help control plan costs and provide greater predictability in future costs is more needed than ever. HSAs

72

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

help to achieve this by offering a very flexible addition to a company’s employee benefit plan.”

Private Health Care Clinics Les Jickling is the senior director, marketing & communications, at Copeman Healthcare Centre, where primary care is delivered through a team of specialized healthcare professionals. The Centre’s collaborative and whole-body approach to wellness includes nutrition counselling, exercise medicine and personal training, physiotherapy, mental and cognitive wellness and more.

Copeman has clinics in Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver.

“Healthy, happy employees drive superior results. That’s been proven time and time again!” says Jickling with his signature enthusiasm. “Providing health benefits is also about risk mitigation,” he adds. “For example, imagine you are in a law firm and there are 40 partners. Every partner shares in the bonus fund. Suddenly, one guy is off for a year and a half because of a cardiac event. He’s not going to be very popular!”

He notes that providing health benefits is also valuable to the company itself.

“You hear companies talk about how employees are their greatest asset. Any asset is appreciating or depreciating. If your employees are healthy, they are appreciating. If they are getting unhealthier, they are a depreciating asset – and you will carry those assets either way. In an ideal scenario, all your assets are appreciating.”

Jickling is pleased to see many executives and their teams take advantage of Copeman’s private facilities, and points out how this is serving companies well.

“The number one commodity executives don’t have is time. When it comes to things like going to the doctor, physiotherapist, or booking travel vaccinations, you’ve got two choices: book time during the work day, or schedule it before or after work. Those appointments cut into your life when you only have one or two free hours a day and have to spend that time going to a doctor. That’s why Copeman strictly adheres to a firm booking schedule. When you arrive at our clinic, you are seen within 7-15 minutes. Ninety-five

Y

Here’s Why you Need a Will

ou’re a hardworking person that loves your family and you’ve done everything right – you have an emergency fund, you have life and health insurance, and you drive a car with all the safety features. If you are like most Albertans, however, you are overlooking one of the best things you can do for your family – creating and maintaining a will.

“I always tell people that you are making the will for the loved ones you leave behind,” says Shannon Galon, a barrister and solicitor at Kahane Law Office. “It makes that person’s job so much easier.”

Likely, your executor is going to be someone close to you. They will be grieving your loss, and having to clash with friends and family members that are guessing about your final wishes while also grieving is not what you want for your executor.

Your will lays out your wishes and ensures the final process goes smoothly.

“Appoint someone you trust and know to administer your estate and work with the beneficiaries,” counsels Galon. “In Alberta, once you provide for your dependents, you can do whatever you want with your estate. You may not want an estranged child to inherit. If you have minor children, you need to appoint someone under the will that has your values and would raise them how you want them to be raised. Set up trust provisions so you can dictate when your children get their share. Without a will, you can’t control who is the guardian of your children, and they will inherit at 18, which can be a

little young to handle the sudden responsibility of property and cash.”

Before you rush off to buy a will kit online, consider the following.

“Will kits are not often based on Alberta law,” Galon cautions. “By going to a trained lawyer, you make sure your will is going to be valid and properly go through probate. Will kits are set up as partly typed, but some parts have to be hand written. Due to this, will kits are not holographic wills, (a will completely in the testator’s handwriting) and therefore, wills kits need to follow proper formalities. People have a tendency to not get will kits properly witnessed or dated. You can’t just sign a will from a kit and expect it to be valid.”

Galon, who enjoys working with the well-established and highly rated law firm, Kahane Law Office, knows that a will is a very detailed and personal document.

“When I meet with my clients, I consult with them for an hour and then they come back later for signing,” she says. “I don’t just send out a questionnaire and ask the clients to come in and sign. Communication is key. I cannot emphasis this enough. I cover all the important aspects, such as the location of assets, the amount of debt, and even who will have access to the testator’s social media and online passwords.”

A will is an important part of your estate and household management. Contact Shannon Galon at Kahane Law Office today to get started on your will.

KAHANE LAW OFFICE

2 016

T 403.225.8810 F 403.225.8289 kahanelaw.com 7309 Flint Road SE Calgary, AB T2H 1G3

INNOVATIVE WELLNESS TOOLS // CORPORATE HEALTH, WELLNESS & REJUVENATION

per cent of our clients are seen within 10 minutes or less, according to our monitored metrics.

“A dedicated team of clinicians are assigned to each client, and by limiting the amount of patients they see, each patients has ample time to speak with their medical care team at every visit.

“We also use technology to coordinate everything. There is nothing more annoying than going to the doctor, having him or her write a notation, having that notation go into the file, and getting the distinct impression that nobody looked at the notes by your next visit. To avoid that, the founder of this company said, ‘We need collaboration among all our caregivers.’ Our on-site caregivers work together so they can provide a different perspective on each case. Also, patients can log in at any time to see their lab results and other health markers.”

Speaking of lab results, patients of this private clinic don’t have to wait very long for their results because the lab is in the Copeman facility; yet another detail taken by the clinic ensure the best in private health care.

74

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

A whole-body approach to wellness that is delivered in a state-of-the-art facility where your entire medical team is on site is a key driver in the success of any busy executive, and those that take advantage of this high level of care for themselves and their team learn to build resilience physically, cognitively and psychologically.

Private Gyms Tim Borys is the CEO of FRESH! Wellness Group, where coaching, support and accountability are used in tandem to transform their client’s beliefs, habits and daily behaviours.

Borys explains, “Executives should look beyond fancy equipment and beautiful spaces. While these are nice, in the absence of effective programs to meet your health, fitness and wellness needs, even the most exclusive facility may not be a good fit. I often remind clients that health and fitness are free. Your financial investment should be in the knowledge, coaching, accountability, programs and community that help you reach your unique goals in the most effective, expedient,

INNOVATIVE WELLNESS TOOLS // CORPORATE HEALTH, WELLNESS & REJUVENATION

engaging and safe way possible. Typically, private studios offer more detailed expertise and targeted coaching, but that’s not always the case. Find the right fit for you and remember that health is wealth, then invest in your personal growth. This is the key strategy that successful executives use to achieve optimal health and wellness.”

When it comes to helping their team with the cost of gym memberships, Borys recommends for employers, “private facilities, since those smaller boutique gyms typically have greater usage and retention rates. This will ultimately benefit both the employee and the company.”

However, he also cautions with great honesty, “As a health and wellness advocate, I believe that wellness spending accounts and gym subsidies are a great marketing and recruiting tool, but they make little impact on employee health and end up costing companies billions of dollars every year. The usage stats for gym

memberships paint a dismal picture. While many employees have memberships covered under the company plan, they don’t use them enough (or properly) to improve their health. The employees that use them regularly would likely be exercising whether their membership was subsidized or not.

This is not to say that flexible memberships and subsidies have no place, but merely to say that there are often better options for organizations of all sizes. At FRESH! we work with clients to make smarter, more effective and fiscally responsible choices that have a greater impact on employee health and workplace wellness.

Taking advantage of the innovations in what, where and how corporate wellness solutions are offered to executives and their teams makes for a healthier and more engaged work force across Alberta. Take the time to empower yourself and your employees with the gift of health. It’s the gift that never stops giving.

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

75

ROI: SMALL BUSINESS // SMALL BUSINESS WEEK PREVIEW

ROI: SMALL BUSINESS M OT I VAT I O N , U N D E R S TA N D I N G A N D R E S P E C T

BY JOHN HARDY

C

algary’s dynamic Small Business Week (SBW) is a triple boon for the community, generating motivation, respect and understanding about the vital components encompassing small business.

According to recent statistics, more than 98 per cent of Canadian businesses have fewer than 100 employees.

“The whole purpose behind why we host SBW is to recognize the many contributions that Calgary small business makes to the local economy,” says Adam Legge, president and CEO of the Calgary Chamber, the key organizer of Calgary’s weeklong business event. “In challenging business times, like the past couple of years, the event is even more important because small businesses get hit the hardest during a downturn.

“We have grown Calgary’s SBW into the largest celebration in the country. Last year, the conference had over 1,000 attendees and was an opportunity for many small businesses to showcase their products and services to hundreds of possible clients.

“The awards brought recognition and increased brand exposure for 40 of Calgary’s dynamic small businesses through a variety of media and promotional opportunities,” he points out.

Exposure is important because many people still stereotype and misunderstand small business.

Meticulon, one of last year’s SBW award winners, is a Calgary business proving that autistic adults can be valuable employees in the IT sector. According to CEO Garth Johnson, “Small business is sometimes thought of as unsophisticated, unprofessional and unprofitable. Nothing could be further from the truth. Successful small business owners are on the cutting edge of their market. And there

76

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

are many with less than 50 people generating millions in annual revenues.

“Calgary is a business community where your word is your bond and your word is your brand. Calgarians like innovation and they love to support new ideas and ventures.

“The award was unbelievably helpful for us in moving from startup to sustainability. It helped us earn support from our existing customer base and we grew by over 30 per cent in the coming months. What could be more motivational than being recognized by your peers who you respect and wish to emulate?”

“Small businesses must have the right people, the right culture, be open-minded to different ideas, be consistent, disciplined and creative, and have a good plan,” explains Greg Garcia, president and CEO of Calgary Elite Roofing, also a winner of a 2016 SBW Award.

“The awards give a small business instant credibility and leverage in your industry, open the door for small businesses to meet people they couldn’t meet before and learn from their expertise in marketing, legal, business development and more.

“Winning the award is like having a permanent shot of adrenalin. Our business has grown about 20 per cent since we won last year.”

“One of the biggest parts of Small Business Week is about inspiring entrepreneurs,” Legge emphasizes. “Whether it is exceptional keynote speakers who share their stories of success and failure or learning new cutting-edge strategies that will help small business owners think differently, bigger, bolder and keep them one step ahead.”

The details about Calgary’s (October 16-20, 2017) Small Business Week are at www.smallbusinessweekcalgary.com.

TOC

Page 1 - BOMA Calgary Public Safety Committee (PSC) and the Calgary Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Page 3 - BOMA Insider Page 5 - Advocating for All Page 6 - Living and Working in the Core

NEWS FALL 2017

By Glen Kitteringham

B

BOMA Calgary Public Safety Committee (PSC) and the Calgary Emergency Operations Centre (EOC)

OMA Calgary’s Public Safety Committee (PSC) has been in existence since September 2002. It came about due to work completed by a number of commercial property security managers planning for the G8 Summit held in Calgary in the summer of 2002.

Since this time PSC members have worked on a number of initiatives including standardizing security and life safety documents, rooftop safety, flood preparation, emergency response planning, active assailant plan development and working with the Calgary Fire Department and Calgary Police Service. The PSC mission statement is to address security and life safety-related matters associated with the commercial real estate industry by communicating with owners and managers; disseminate pertinent information to BOMA members and the wider community; facilitate emergency communications; recommend to the board areas or opportunities to effect advocacy; facilitate training in areas of public safety and security; and work closely with public authorities.

In 2012, Calgary built a new Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to serve as a command centre in the event of a significant emergency. Part of the rebuild was the initiative to create partnerships between the Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) and a number of stakeholders, including City of Calgary business units and external organizations like BOMA Calgary. This was

done in recognition that emergency response and crisis management requires multi-stakeholder actions.

After signing a memorandum of understanding between CEMA and BOMA Calgary and training members of the EOC team, BOMA was invited into the EOC during emergencies. A mandate was created which is for BOMA’s EOC team to act as a two-way information conduit between the Emergency Operations Centre, its internal and external partners, and BOMA Calgary members. Specifically, BOMA Calgary’s role in the EOC is to provide timely information, provide subject matter expertise from the property management area to assist in emergency management, and assist in the protection of people, property and information of BOMA members.

In 2012, Calgary built a new Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to serve as a command centre in the event of a significant emergency.

1

AD: JH Job Number: SERV1005 Job Name: CALGARY SOUTH EDMONTON SOUTHSIDE PRINT Date Produced: 08/03/2017 Publication: N/A Live Area: 6.875” X 9.75” Trim: 7.875” X 10.75” Bleed: 8.375” x 11.25” Color: 4C

PSC members attend periodic training in the EOC, as well as numerous other seminars and workshops on a variety of topics including floods and terrorist events.

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

Business in Calgary

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

BOMA Calgary

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

Communications Committee Jon Holmes, Chair, Camfil Canada Inc. Kelsey Johannson, TransCanada Corporation Danielle Smith-Deveau, Strategic Group Christine White, Oxford Properties Group Samantha Kalanchey, Artis REIT Rita Borrow, Brookfield Aydan Aslan, BOMA Calgary

Board of Directors

PSC members attend periodic training in the EOC, as well as numerous other seminars and workshops on a variety of topics including floods and terrorist events. As a result of the experiences gained in the 2013 southern Alberta flood, a flood response guide was developed as well as an after-action report of the lessons learned from the EOC activation.

Since 2012, BOMA’s EOC team has been activated four times. The first event was the 2013 flood where the team put in over 200 hours during late June and early July. The team was also activated in October 2014 for the Thanksgiving fire that impacted the downtown core and caused major power outages. In addition, the team was called in for 2017 Canada Day and the 2017 Calgary Stampede Parade. The team works closely with approximately 65 private and public sector agencies providing information between those organizations and the property management industry.

CEMA should be congratulated for reaching out to BOMA Calgary and establishing this vital partnership. The relationships that have been developed over the past five years have been instrumental in providing timely information as well as protecting the assets of the property management industry in Calgary.

CHAIR Chris Nasim, GWL Realty Advisors CHAIR-ELECT Lee Thiessen, MNP LLP SECRETARY TREASURER Richard Morden PAST CHAIR Ken Dixon, Strategic Group EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Lloyd Suchet, BOMA Calgary

Directors

Dustin Engel, Alberta Infrastructure Jay de Nance, RioCan Management Inc. Steve Walton, Oxford Properties Group Todd Throndson, Avison Young Guy Priddle, Cadillac Fairview Marina Nagribianko, Allied REIT Rob Blackwell, Aspen Properties Art Skow, Bentall Kennedy Canada LP Laura Newcombe, GWL Realty Advisors

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

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

Printed in Canada.

AIR QUALITY EXPERTS LET US ANALYZE AND REPORT ON YOUR HOME, OFFICE OR BUILDING WITH A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT! Our primary focus is indoor air quality; mould, asbestos, lead and hazardous materials. We are trying to make a difference in peoples lives by making their homes and work places healthier and a safer environment.

104, 6330 12 Street SE Calgary, AB | Toll Free: 855-668-3131 | dftechnical.ca

2

Client: SERV

BOMA Calgary News

FOR EVERYTHING THAT CAN GO WRONG UNDER YOUR ROOF, THERE’S THE NUMBER THAT LIVES UNDER OURS. Fifty percent of businesses may never re-open after a disaster. That’s why knowing the easiest way to contact SERVPRO® is so important. Because the sooner you get in touch with us, the quicker we can start to minimize the damage, as well as the cost. Just contact SERVPRO of Calgary South or SERVPRO of Edmonton Southside to activate the cleanup team that’s faster to any-sized disaster. We’re a leader in giving control back to homeowners, property managers and even entire communities after the ravaging effects of water and fire. So whether you’re responsible for 1,000 square feet or 100,000 – it’s your decision to call on the very best. Your trusted, local SERVPRO professional.

Services in Canada provided by independently owned & operated franchises of SERVPRO International, LLC.

3

BOMA Insider Welcome New BOMA Member Companies!

EFS Clean - Kelly Kangles Seletech Electrical Enterprises - Ed Morgan Pure Industrial Real Estate Trust - Brenda MacDonald True North Janitorial Services - Elizabeth Kuchler Carmichael Engineering - Alisia Nhoeuk SES Consulting Inc. - Jeff Germaine Hub International Insurance Services - Jasmine Jivraj Lynnwood Roofing (1991) Inc. - Ryan Cornforth Congratulations Hines Canada team at the Eighth Avenue Place – West Tower for their BOMA BEST® Platinum Certification.

CertainTeed Ceilings - Darlene Helfrich PLANiT Measuring - Mike Laurie Modern Niagara Alberta Inc. - Luke Magdy AMBIUS Plants - Estelle Farley

Congratulations Allied REIT team at 119 – 6th Avenue SW for their BOMA BEST® Silver Certification At the 7th Annual BOMA Calgary Stampede Breakfast - Thank you to our amazing volunteers!

The BOMA Calgary Mentorship Program is celebrating its 5th year. Applications are now open for the 2017/18 program. Contact BOMA Office for more details!

ATB Economist, Todd Hirsch was as our guest speaker – the 9th year in a row!

4

East Calgary Health Centre, managed by Bentall Kennedy (Canada) LP won the Intl TOBY Award in the medical office category at the BOMA Intl Awards Gala in Nashville!

BOMA team is volunteering at the Western Canadian Place’s Stampede Breakfast (L-R Richard Morden, QuadReal; Aydan Aslan, BOMA Calgary; Lloyd Suchet, BOMA Calgary

At the BOMA Next Gen Buckaroo Bash. Special thanks to the BOMA Next Gen Committee!

Advocating For All

By Lloyd Suchet, Executive Director, BOMA Calgary

A

t BOMA Calgary, advocating for the commercial real estate industry is one of our key pillars. Building management and operations are impacted by government bylaws, regulations and legislation, and this makes having a clear and credible voice at city hall and the provincial legislature of the utmost importance.

The most important aspect of advocating is ensuring policy-makers have taken into consideration all the available information and perspectives. We spend a lot of time articulating what a given change means to building owners, managers and operations staff, tenants and suppliers of critical services. Like most things, policy-making involves trade-offs, and we need to understand these trade-offs to make better decisions and avoid unintended consequences. We won’t always agree, but having all the information makes for better decision-making.

The big advocacy files we’re working on now include the Municipal Government Act Review (MGA) and city charters. Both have a direct impact on commercial real estate as they address the rules and procedures by which a municipality like Calgary is able to tax and regulate development. For four years, BOMA has been a reliable stakeholder for the province, providing credible feedback on proposed changes to the MGA. Through thoughtful feedback and respectful dialogue, we have had a positive influence on the legislation by helping to ensure that Alberta’s municipalities and businesses can continue to work together in fostering economic growth and well-being. We are serving this same role with the upcoming city charters. The City of Calgary will be receiving additional authorities from the province, and BOMA Calgary is at the table ensuring that with those authorities come transparent processes for stakeholder input.

Closer to home at city hall, 2017 has been a busy and successful year for BOMA Calgary. Earlier this year, a collaborative effort between BOMA Calgary, the city and our partner associations led to positive changes in Calgary’s downtown parking policy. This change will ensure future developments have more flexibility in offering on-site parking. We also supported the Downtown Enterprise District pilot project, making it less expensive for downtown buildings to take on new tenants. The city is also proposing changes to development rules along

freight rail lines, and BOMA Calgary and our partner associations have taken active roles in ensuring a balanced approach. And finally, BOMA Calgary is providing input as the city develops its Climate Change Program.

The industry has led efforts to reduce the impact of commercial buildings on the environment, and we are excited to be able to share that story and some of the lessons we’ve learned along the way.

Relevant to all of this is the upcoming municipal elections. While BOMA Calgary takes no position and endorses no candidates, we are always excited and often inspired by the important conversations elections stimulate. It provides a great opportunity to take stock of where we are as a city, and more importantly focus on ways we can do better.

2014 BOMA Canada National Pinnacle Award - Customer Service

403.263.8170

www.SerVantage.ca 5

By David Parker

Living and Working in the Core

C

algary’s downtown core still showed it was a thriving part of the city the past few months, helped along by the great, long stretch of sunny weather that was enjoyed by people living and working downtown as well as many visitors who filled the outdoor patios.

Vacancy rates in office towers are a real concern, yet 70 per cent are full, and the retail/ restaurant business, although hard hit by taxes and minimum wage increases, continues to be responsible for good news.

Vacancy rates in office towers are a real concern, yet 70 per cent are full, and the retail/restaurant business, although hard hit by taxes and minimum wage increases, continues to be responsible for good news.

In chatting with Kevin McCann, owner/broker of Retail Leasing Services, who has specialized in the downtown and beltline districts for many years, following is a list of exciting transactions that have taken place over the past few months.

Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters made a bold move onto Stephen Avenue last winter and their newest location in the Triovest-owned Royal Bank building at the corner of Centre Street has proved to be a good one.

Further west London Drugs opened its first LDExpress location in the Venator Building at 230 8th Avenue SW. The 4,400-square-foot store is a condensed version of what consumers would typically expect of a London Drugs but still features a full-service pharmacy, small housewares and office supplies section, and food-to-go from Spolumbo’s Fine Foods & Deli.

McCann made mention of the opening of the Simons department store in the Lancaster Building and the strong performance of the Cactus Club and the Guild in

6

the Hudson’s Bay store that surely has the longest patio along the mall.

Street-level versus inside-mall locations is always an interesting topic but Henry Singer has made the decision to relocate from the third level of Bankers Hall to a 6,000-square-foot prime street-front space in Eighth Avenue Place.

Designed by local architect McKinley Burkart, it will feature luxury VIP change rooms, an open-concept tailor shop, and an on-site barber shop and men’s apothecary offering skincare products and fragrances.

Opening this fall across the street from Holt Renfrew, it helps make the west end of the mall a high-end destination retail area. And hopefully will help to lease the remaining street-level space in the two-towered majestic complex.

Just one block off the mall on the LRT corridor at 7th Avenue and 4th Street SW, SAIT is about to open its second downtown culinary campus in Barclay Centre.

Expected to be operating in time for the fall semester, the street-level space will allow hospitality students to not only showcase their kitchen skills but will also teach them how to work in a restaurant and provide them with a space to test their business skills.

There has been too much negative talk about the state of our downtown core but talking to people like McCann (who keep a watchful eye on all happenings) about the deals made recently – that might have needed some creative intervention between landlords and tenants – gives one a sense that it is still pretty healthy.

McCann made mention of the opening of the Simons department store in the Lancaster Building and the strong performance of the Cactus Club and the Guild in the Hudson’s Bay store that surely has the longest patio along the mall.

Leading Business SEPTEMBER 2017

Conference keynote: Matthew Corrin, Founder and CEO, Freshii

IN THIS ISSUE...

• Small Business Week 2017 • Policy Bites - Making the Business Case in Calgary’s 2017 Municipal Election • Member Feature - The Future is Looking Brighter for the Real Estate Market in Calgary • Member Spotlight

Small Business Calgary Conference The largest celebration of small business in Canada October 19, 2017 - BMO Centre

CalgaryChamber.com

84

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

2017 Board of

Directors Executive Chair: David Allen, Founder & President, Situated Co. Vice Chair: Phil Roberts, President, Vintri Technologies Inc Past Chair: Denis Painchaud, International Government Relations Treasurer: Wellington Holbrook, Chief Transformation Officer, ATB Financial

CEO: Adam Legge, President and CEO, Calgary Chamber

Small Business Week Calgary 2017 2017 Small Business Week Award Finalists Announced

T

his month, finalists for the 2017 Small Business Week Calgary Awards will be announced, so make sure to head to SBWYYC.com to check out some of Calgary’s biggest names in small biz. Join us on October 19, and help us celebrate these great businesses. At this year’s Small Business Week Calgary Awards dinner, companies from nine award categories will walk away with hardware.

The Small Business Week Calgary Awards would not be made possible without the generous support of many volunteers. The Chamber would like to thank this year’s expert-led judging panels for their commitment and expertise to this important awards program.

Directors Linda Shea, Senior Vice-President, AltaLink Bill Brunton, Vice President, Habitat for Humanity, Southern Alberta Mike Williams, Executive Vice-President, Encana James Boettcher, Chief Idea Officer, Fiasco Gelato Brent Cooper, Partner, McLeod Law LLP Desirée Bombenon, President & CEO, SureCall Contact Centres Ltd Mandeep Singh, Audit Partner, Deloitte Jason Hatcher, Managing Principal, Navigator Greg Garcia, President and CEO, Calgary Elite Roofing Brian Bietz, President, Beitz Resources Management Adam Legge – President and CEO Michael Andriescu – Director of Finance and Administration Kim Koss – Vice President, Business Development and Sponsorship Scott Crockatt – Director of Marketing and Communications Rebecca Wood – Director of Member Services 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

ATB Small Business of the Year Chair: Faizel Poonja, ATB Financial Joon Chan, PwC Justin Hunter, ATB Financial Robert LaPierre, Calgary Elite Roofing Adam Legge, Calgary Chamber BDC Emerging Growth Award Chair: Manjit Minhas, Minhas Micro Brewery & Distillery Lisa Christensen, BDC Chris Day, KPMG Mandeep Singh, Deloitte Breakout Business Award Chair: Devin Wagner, Grant Thornton Meike Wielebski, Alberta Tubular Products Alf Sailer, ATB Financial Innovation Award Chair: John Vardalos, JFIVE David Bocking, Alberta Innovates Tina Mathas, IBM James Gamage, ATB Financial Indigenous Entrepreneurship Award Chair: Monique Fry, Calgary Learns Graham Eastham, BDC Ryan Robb, Suncor Energy Christopher Fry, Shell Canada Janice Larocque, Spirit Staffing Customer Service Award Chair: Jackie McAtee Chase Myhill, Air Canada Chris Kneeland, Cult Collective Melanie McKenzie, Left Field Foods Molly Howlett Sexsmith, Calgary Stampede Tema Frank, Consultant Community Impact Award Chair: Yared Belayneh, United Way Jeff Loomis, Momentum BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // SEPTEMBER 2017

85

Dale Huntingford David Denhardt, ITopia Duncan Melville, Boston Consulting Group

Lauren Minuk, City of Calgary Nikki Heck, AltaLink Meghan Perry, Hop Compost

Environmental Stewardship Award Chair: Andy Edeburn, Maskwa Environmental Consulting Perri Sinal Skelton, CPA Alberta

To read the full bios of the 2017 Small Business Week Award judges, visit SBWYYC.com.

Join the Calgary Chamber for the largest celebration of small business in Canada 2017 Small Business Calgary Conference October 19, 2017 8:30 am – 9:30 pm BMO Centre – Hall C 20 Roundup Way SE

T

his full-day conference includes a dazzling expo, phenomenal keynote speakers, interactive breakout sessions and the famous awards dinner.

development sessions for entrepreneurs. Every topic covered has been hand selected to help you make your business the very best it can be.

We are excited to announce this year’s main keynote speaker, Freshii Founder and CEO Matthew Corrin. With over 240 locations worldwide, Freshii’s brand is now growing faster than the pace of Starbucks, and is well on its way to being a billion-dollar business. Corrin will share his insight into what it takes to grow a successful global brand, as well as talk about how business owners can rethink their approach to business, risk and opportunity to tap into the new consumer mindset.

Small Business Calgary Awards Show and Dinner As the sun sets, we’re rolling out the red carpet for the 2017 Small Business Calgary Awards. Hosted by Andrew Phung, this is like the Oscars of small business. Get dressed up and get ready to celebrate the entrepreneurs of Calgary and all the amazing work they do.

Small Business Calgary Expo The Small Business Calgary Expo is the biggest exhibition of Calgary small business under one roof you’ve ever seen!

As you wander the expo floor, you will build connections with our city’s finest entrepreneurs, uncover new resources to grow your business, explore the small businesses that make YYC great, and hear tangible takeaways from a global leading keynote speaker.

Schedule:

The Academy From digital marketing, to small business banking strategies that work, the Academy is chalk full of professional

86

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

For more information and to purchase tickets, head to SBWYYC.com.

Expo and the Academy 8:30 am: Session registration opens for the Academy 9:00 am – 4:45 pm: Academy sessions 11:00 am – 6:00 pm: Expo floor opens 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: Keynote with Matthew Corrin Awards show and dinner 5:30 pm – 6:15 pm: Reception 6:15 pm – 9:30 pm: Small Business Calgary Awards show and dinner

STORY TITLE // SECTION

Policy Bites Making the Business Case in Calgary’s 2017 Municipal Election

T

his fall, Calgarians will head to the polls to elect a mayor, councillors and school board trustees.

In previous municipal elections, voter turnout has been low and business issues under-represented. Given the economic realities our city has faced over the past few years, it is vital that business issues are top of mind.

Advocating for business issues The Chamber will be an active voice promoting key business issues to city council candidates and voters. But, the truth is, business issues impact all Calgarians. Calgary businesses are run by Calgarians, employ Calgarians, and of course, serve Calgarians.

Businesses create the jobs that support our families, help attract top talent from around the world and contribute to the programs, services and organizations that make our city vibrant. Put simply, businesses help create a better place to live for all Calgarians.

We have heard from members of the business community that there is a lack of understanding of the implications decisions are having on the business sector. The driving force behind our advocacy will be our unwavering goal – to make business in Calgary more successful. This includes working with governments to help create the environment where businesses can thrive. The Chamber sees this election as an opportunity to bring awareness to how decisions at city hall impact business and citizens. The Chamber also wants to engage with voters to make sure they know the importance of electing representatives who know the value of business in our city.

Throughout the summer, we met with local business leaders to develop the priorities that we would like to see adopted by the next municipal government. You can find our policy positions on our website – yyc.vote.

The Chamber has also been engaging with declared candidates for mayor and city council to ensure each candidate endorses business priorities and will be a strong ally for Calgary businesses. We will continue to engage with new candidates as they declare, right up until election day.

We have heard from members of the business community that there is a lack of understanding of the implications decisions are having on the business sector.

The driving force behind our advocacy will be our unwavering goal – to make business in Calgary more successful.

How can you get involved?

The more people are talking about business issues during the election, the more likely candidates will take businessfriendly positions. Here are some ways to get involved: 1. Go to yyc.vote to find out who is running and what they stand for.

2. Access the materials available on yyc.vote – we will even have questions for you to ask candidates when they knock on your door, or if you attend local ward forums. The more people who talk to candidates about business issues, the more they will see how important these issues are to them getting elected.

3. Talk about business issues through social media; be sure to use our hashtag to help spread the message even further.

4. Attend our mayoral town hall and ask the candidates about the issues most impacting your business.

5. Donate to our municipal election efforts.

By working together, we can make sure city council understands how to help Calgary businesses be successful.

Advance polls are open October 4-11, and election day is Monday, October 16.

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

87

AMVIC Licensed

Member Feature The Future is Looking Brighter for the Real Estate Market in Calgary Engle & Volkers, owned by the dynamic real estate team of Sheila Morrison and her husband Jeffrey Bone, is becoming a household name in the Calgary market. With over 20 years of experience and a wealth of industry knowledge, Morrison leads a team of 34 staff who specialize in urban single-family homes, country residential properties, and investment and commercial real estate.

T

he past few years have been tough for the Calgary real estate market.

Closely linked to the economic downturn, the Calgary housing market has become very volatile. Buyers and sellers are extremely cautious, proving to be a challenge for real estate agents across the city.

Having been open for the past two-anda-half years, Morrison and her team have managed to weather the economic downturn. Morrison chalks up her company’s ability to stay competitive to in-depth local market knowledge, global connections and experience in marketing luxury houses and premium properties.

Engle & Volkers owners, Jeffrey Bone and Sheila Morrison.

“We not only focus on local clients, but a lot of our work is with our Engle & Volkers global client base to promote Calgary as a city of choice, and to bring qualified buyers to invest in the Calgary market,” says Morrison.

Standing out while providing a personalized experience is important to Morrison, who aspires to offer a boutique approach to grow brand recognition in all aspects of the industry.

As the prices of oil have started to level out and become more stable, consumers have adjusted and the real estate market has now slowly begun to show some incremental signs of growth.

“Calgary is a young, vibrant and resilient city, attracting families and a substantially large group of young educated professionals who are optimistic about the future, despite the economic downturn in the energy industry,” says Morrison. “This outlook is contributing to the slow, but steady increase in the housing market.”

In June, the Calgary real estate market saw modest improvements in year-over-year sales, with a 12 per cent increase in residential detached single-family home sales.

Morrison predicts continued growth in the real estate market in the later part of 2017, compared to last year; however hesitation will continue to be present in the marketplace.

“Most of Calgary’s recent gains have been in single-family detached homes,” Morrison says. “Young families and empty nesters are moving in across the market, taking advantage of the low interest rates and benefits of home ownership.”

Morrison adds that while single-family home sales are increasing, sales of apartments and condos are struggling, down four per cent from last year. While apartment sales are staying relatively flat on a year-over-year basis, the increase in apartment inventory is contributing to the decrease in price.

Morrison says the combination of families moving to areas with larger living spaces and amenities paired with the city’s current expansive rental inventory is leaving apartments on the market longer at a lower price. She also notes that younger professionals are often choosing to rent for longer periods instead of committing to purchasing a home. As the real estate market enters a phase of moderate growth, Morrison and her team at Engle & Volkers plan to keep ahead of the expected real estate increase by opening a second office in Aspen Landing.

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

89

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.

Fluor Canada Ltd.

Fluor is a global engineering, procurement, fabrication, construction and maintenance company that designs, builds and maintains capital-efficient facilities for its clients on six continents.

For more than a century, Fluor has served clients in the energy, chemicals, government, industrial, infrastructure, mining and power market sectors by delivering innovative and integrated solutions across the globe.

For more information, visit fluor.com.

Mortgage 360

Homegrown in Calgary, Mortgage 360 focuses on pre-approvals, mortgages for self-employment, refinancing and renewals.

Mortgage 360 does business differently, where every decision that is made is with the client in mind. The team at Mortgage 360 guides their clients through the process to help arm them with the knowledge to make decisions that best suit their needs.

For more information, visit mortgage360.ca.

Hatsize Learning Corporation

Since 2000, Hatsize Learning Corporation has been a leader in providing cloud-based training labs for software and IT hardware products. Hatsize enables its clients to provide virtual desktop training to students anywhere in the world, using any modern Internet browser, and is available 24-7, 365 days a year. Hatsize offers both instructor-led and unscheduled self-paced training

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

Member name McDaniel & Associates Consultants Ltd. Nexus Exhibits Ltd. ENMAX Corporation TEC Canada Enflow Industries Inc. Moodys Gartner Tax Law LLP North Sea Fish Inc. Vision33 Canada Inc. Alliance Pipeline Bietz Resources Ltd. Magnum Consultants Navigator

90

Years as a member 60 30 20 20 15 10 10 10 5 5 5 5

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

options that are customizable and ready to fit any requirements.

With Hatsize, training is more practical, better equipped, uninhibited by physical limitations and available at a fraction of the cost compared to traditional in-classroom learning.

For more information, visit hatsize.com.

ADT Security

For more than a century, ADT has been one of today’s most trusted, well-known brands in the industry. Today, they serve more than six million customers, making them one of the largest companies of their kind in North America.

Their broad and innovative set of products and services – from interactive home and business solutions, to home health services – exist to meet a range of customer needs for today’s active and increasingly mobile lifestyles.

For more information, visit adt.com.

Qualico

Qualico is one of the largest fully-integrated, privately-owned real estate companies in Western Canada. Qualico was founded more than 65 years ago by David and Katherine Friesen, who began by building seven houses in Winnipeg’s River Heights neighbourhood in 1950. The Friesens understood the family dream of owning a home and wanted to create residences and communities where people could put down roots and raise their families.

Today, Qualico’s principles and ethics remain true to those of its founders. Qualico is committed to offering a full range of options, and to delivering homes of superior quality and design. Qualico is involved in and supports numerous programs and initiatives throughout the communities it builds in, and the greater Calgary community.

For more information, visit Qualico.com.

Nexus Exhibits Ltd.

This month, Nexus Exhibits celebrates 30 years as a Calgary Chamber member. Since 1979, Nexus Exhibits has been a leading provider of captivating displays to enhance the images and brands of companies for exhibits, events and their environments. Nexus provides clients with portable, modular and custom exhibits, as well as rental displays from a large inventory. Their full-service, turnkey solutions include award-winning design to custom fabrication, in-house printing, worry-free installation and booth shipping services to and from anywhere in the world.

They have now expanded their full services from design and building exhibits, to ‘Nexus Décor’ for fixtures, signage and displays that market corporate brands in not just trade-show settings, but in retail and corporate environments. Nexus Exhibits wants to help clients visually communicate their brands by creating, crafting and taking charge of their messaging.

For more information, visit nexusexhibits.com.

Webber Academy Develops

Tomorrow’s Leaders

by Rennay Craats

S

ome dreams are worth the wait. Webber Academy is a perfect example of such a dream. In 1959, Dr. Neil Webber was teaching physics at Queen Elizabeth High School, where his senior class of 35 students exhibited a vast range of abilities on the subject. He had to teach to the middle range to maximize the number of students who could comprehend the concepts and provide help to those struggling with the material. He regretted not being able to do more for those top students who had a handle on the material and were looking for greater challenges and enrichment.

“I thought, wouldn’t it be nice someday to have a school where you have generally the top 25 per cent of the population for aptitude and the desire to learn, and teach to the middle of that group and work with parents to develop future leaders in society,” says Dr. Webber, founder, president and head of school of Webber Academy.

That someday arrived in 1996 when, after leaving politics, Webber reignited his dream and incorporated his indepen-

dent school. With the help of 15 investors, he established Webber Academy and opened the doors to students the following year. At first the academy leased out St. Paul’s School to accommodate the 84 kindergarten to Grade 5 students.

The population grew and the school added one grade per Webber Academy | 20 years 91

year for four years. Demand for admission was high and the school filled quickly. When portables and a second nearby campus couldn’t keep up with the demand, in 1999 Webber bought 47 acres of land in Aspen in southwest Calgary to build his school. The new Webber Academy campus opened in 2001.

As the diverse student body has continued to grow over the years, so has the campus. There is now a separate kindercentre for the around 130 junior kindergarten and kindergarten students at Webber. In 2003 they added a second gymnasium and a kindercentre and in 2005 a high school wing to the core building. Then in 2012 they developed a high school science centre, a music and drama centre and a 500-seat theatre.

Since its inception, Webber Academy has become a premier private school in the province. Its first high school graduation class was in 2005, and since then 570 students have walked across the stage to receive their diplomas. Ninety-nine per cent of those graduates have gone on to attend university.

Today, there are almost 1,000 Webber Academy students enrolled from junior kindergarten to Grade 12 with more on the wait list for admission.

Congratulations Webber Academy on your 20 year milestone.

We are proud to be working with you and we wish you many more years of success!

“One of the reasons we are appealing to a lot of people is we want to continue with more of a traditional approach to teaching, where memorization is important particularly when learning the basic operations of mathematics. Over the years, philosophy in education has tended to lean more towards what is called discovery learning as opposed to more traditional learning,� Dr. Webber says.

Webber Academy is a highly academic school that challenges students and ultimately prepares them not only for admission into university but for success once they are there.

This all starts at the junior kindergarten level. Webber will be introducing Singapore Mathematics into the curriculum this year, which delves deeper into math concepts to ensure students truly master the material. This gives them a sound foundation on which to build future concepts.

And build they do. Students with an average of at least 85 per cent can take an Advanced Placement (AP) math course in Grade 9. This allows them to take Grade 9 and 10 math in Grade 9, Grade 11 math in Grade 10, Grade 12 math and the diploma exam in Grade 11, and then math 31 (calculus) or statistics in Grade 12. This gives students a high level of preparedness for

Creag - Dhu Masonry Ltd. Craeg Parder Red Seal Journeyman

Cell: 403-680-0477 Home: 403-242-2689 creag-dhu.masonry@shaw.ca

C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s t o We b b e r A c a d e m y i n c e l e b r a t i n g 2 0 exceptional years educating our young people. We are proud to be your Construction partner on past and future projects.

403.244.9030 createprojects.ca

congratulations webber academy on 20 years of educational leadership and inspiration

Congratulations to Webber Academy on your 20th Anniversary, from our family to yours!

www.cibl.com | 403.255.3515 | 5310 5 th Street SE

Webber Academy | 20 years | 2

serving calgary and surrounding area for over 35 years

both the demands of and material in university classes. About half of Webber students choose to register in AP classes in at least one subject, and last year 99 per cent of these students received a score of three, four or five out of five on their AP exams.

Webber’s standard classes are fulfilling and challenging enough on their own and boast amazing resources from which students can draw. These resources range from energetic and dedicated teachers available to students for help and enrichment to top-of-the-line technology and computers including banks of laptops and Chromebooks. While the school employs a traditional approach, it certainly embraces all that the 21st century has to offer.

“We’ve adapted and incorporated technology into all our course offerings,” he says.

Webber also offers courses in computer coding, and robotics is available both as a course and a club for junior and senior high students. Students are encouraged to use Webber’s technology and devices or bring their own from home to further enhance their learning in all core classes.

One core subject that has skyrocketed in the past few years is science. The 2012 expansion created top-of-the-line physics, chemistry and biology laboratory facilities and spiked interest in science. For four years, Webber has partnered with the University of Calgary to offer a mentorship program to assist students with their science projects. In the first year of this program, one student proposed a science fair project to determine the impact of nanotechnology and heat on cancer cells and tested his theories on live cancer cells in a university lab. This earned him first place in the Canada-Wide Science Fair as well as a direction in university, where he is continuing with this line of study in medicine. Last year, 15 students took advantage of their mentor’s expertise and advice, helping to make Webber Academy one of the top-performing schools at the Calgary Youth Science Fair.

The school is no stranger to the top. It is habitually among the top schools in the province for diploma exam results, the Fraser Institute school rankings, and provincial achievement tests.

“Our objective is to prepare students for university and beyond, and that’s been our motto from the start,” he says.

To accomplish this objective, Webber Academy focuses not only on the core academic courses but also on options and fine arts in order to help develop well-rounded individuals. It has award-winning choir and band programs and an impressive languages department starting from junior kindergarten. Spanish classes are compulsory from junior kindergar-

CONGRATULATIONS TO WEBBER ACADEMY ON THEIR 20 TH ANNIVERSARY FROM ALL OF US AT THE CALGARY FLAMES Webber Academy | 20 years | 3

ten until Grade 6 and Mandarin is required for Grades 4 to 6 students. A French option is introduced in Grade 7 and students carry at least one language through to graduation. And if students need additional incentives to master languages, Webber offers immersion trips starting in Grade 9.

Webber students are engaged and involved in their school and the world. The debate club is one of the most popular clubs and teachers encourage public speaking from early grades, whether that’s in the form of debate, reciting poems or just talking about an interest or experience in front of the class.

“Every second year there’s a trip, and they go to a school for several weeks where they board, learning more about the culture and language,” says Dr. Webber. “By the time they hit Grade 12, students – especially in French and Spanish – are very fluent.”

“We think one of the greatest skills a youngster can have when they finish high school is the ability to stand before a group of people and be able to express themselves confidently and be able to think at the same time as they are talking,” says Dr. Webber.

Past students have honed their language skills and experienced the culture of such countries as China, France, Spain, Costa Rica and Argentina through these immersion trips.

It’s not all work and no play at Webber Academy, and students have their choice of great clubs, options and activities. Whether it’s Reach for the Top trivia challenge, competing in Model UN or the Legacy Club supporting charitable organizations,

Athletics is also important at Webber. Students can join intramural sports or represent Webber on a variety of school teams including basketball, volleyball, golf, cross-country running, soccer, track and badminton. The academy’s teams are competitive in their division as evidenced by the number of championship banners hanging in the gym.

Dr. Webber and the staff celebrate these accomplishments but they are prouder of the character that is built within the academy walls. Students tackle challenging courses, volunteer in the community and excel in the classroom and the court, readying them to become leaders and citizens of the world. After all, that’s the ultimate goal of Webber Academy.

Congratulations on your 20th Anniversary.

We are proud to have been a part of your journey.

403-569-6969 | www.applesupply.ca

Webber Academy | 20 years | 4

“At Webber Academy, we actively encourage the growth and development of traditional values in our students. Participation in and enjoyment of school life will prepare our students for responsible involvement in their communities and our society as a whole,” says Dr. Webber.

With bright, generous, high-achieving students like those at Webber Academy, society will be in good hands.

Congratulations on 20 years of dedicated service and excellence to the Calgary Community.

HB Consultants is proud and honoured to have a working partnership with Webber Academy for over 15 of those years.

Webber Academy’s exclusive TRANSPORTATION provider for over a decade SOUTHLAND Transportation extends heartfelt congratulations to Webber Academy for 20 years of educational excellence!

Recognized as one of top Canadian employee benefit experts, HB Consultants exclusive preferred provider relationships with Canada’s top employee benefit providers has allowed unmatched savings and expertise for all companies seeking the best benefit plan for their employees.

ph: 403-208-6492 • fax: 403-208-0413 www.hbconsultants.ca Proudly supporting Webber Academy through their past, present and future achievements.

From our team to yours, congratulations on providing 20 years of academic excellence.

WWW.SOUTHLAND.CA Helping you reach your summit Print and design is our business.

Let us do what we do best, so you can do what you do best.

Reduce the risk of slip and fall in your business with Waterhog Plus matting service

mountain view printing & graphics ltd.

TODAY! …

Our Integrity is Your Peace of Mind.

mvprinters.com

Proud partner of Webber Academy for a safer and healthier indoor environment!

Reference promo code Webber20 and save.

D E L I V E R I N G S M A R T, C O N S T R U C T I V E C O U N S E L

Congratulations Webber Academy on 20 successful years. We wish your students and dedicated staff all the success for many more years to come.

403-265-7777 • info@dbblaw.com www.dbblaw.com Webber Academy | 20 years | 5

Prestige Railings and Stairs Ltd. Prestige Railings and Stairs continues its “rise and run” to the top of the stair and railing industry in Alberta as we once again have received the Consumer Choice Award for Business Excellence in both Calgary and Edmonton. For well over a decade, Prestige has been privileged to receive these awards – a constant reflection of our dedication to quality and a sincere effort to exceed customer expectations – every step of the way.

achieve the goals and visions of each individual customer.

Whether it be a starter home with a feature railing or a commercial property with 10 stories of interior railing that needs retrofitting, Prestige is the only call you need to make.

For well over 25 years, Prestige has been pleased to set the highest standards in the industry and will continue to raise the bar and focus on improving the product and the process. While the customer doesn’t realize it in most cases, Prestige is the only stair and railing company to be a member of the Architectural Woodwork Manufacturers Association of Canada.

Prestige continues to build the highest quality stairs in the industry and we pride ourselves on helping our customers realize their dreams in creating a focal point in their homes with unique designs and extraordinary craftsmanship.

This speaks to the Prestige commitment to constant evaluation and improvement in an industry where we already set the bar for quality. The Company’s vision of being the most respected, reliable and sought after provider of all things stairs and railings to the residential and commercial construction industry, is the focus of everything we do.

While the awards are a nice pat on the back and a huge morale booster, we know the work to improve never stops.

Prestige offers an extensive variety of quality products, all the way from glass stair treads and stainless steel components to spindles featuring Swarovski crystals; from LED accent lighting to interior and exterior spiral stairs.

Prestige continuously works with architects and designers, builders, contractors, and building and home owners to

Consistency, Quality, Craftsmanship Photo by Jean Perron Photography

Come in and talk to us about your project!

96

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

www.sunik.com

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

403.280.2803

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

CTCC STANDS OUT TO MAKE A LASTING IMPRESSION

It’s true. You only have one chance to make a good first impression.

The Calgary TELUS Convention Centre made the most of its opportunity to dazzle almost two dozen of North America’s top professional meeting planners who toured the city this past summer. Collectively, the meeting planners oversee upwards of 100 high-profile events every year.

Their clients rely on them to deliver cities, sites and services with unforgettable experiences, uncompromising service—and unfailing value for their events. On the flip side, cities, sites and businesses, are constantly pitching meeting planners to host their events.

Each meeting planner visits several destinations a year.

It’s a tough task to stand out with this crowd, but the CTCC did just that.

“We showed them a city that’s more than the annual Calgary Stampede, a city that has incredible offerings the other 355 days of the year. Planners discovered Calgary is western and cosmopolitan and we’re more than a convention centre—we’re partners in production,” says Melissa Kon, a manager with the CTCC sales team.

The CTCC achieved this feat in the same way it goes about its everyday business: with a commitment to maximize every user experience within its walls and to consistently deliver the unexpected. It produced a customized audio-visual experience showcasing Calgary’s sights and sounds, and Alberta’s people, attractions and excursions—displayed on an 80-ft. screen.

“It was so, so different,” says Ricky Hopkins, a tour member and the vice president of global accounts for Conference Direct in Michigan. “It kind of blew me away . . . the presentation resonated with me that Calgary is so much more than I thought it was. It was the best site presentation I’d ever seen.”

He has since been recommending Calgary and the CTCC to his clients.

“This is the level to which we go to wow every visitor and every customer,” Kon says. “We customize every event, from the bid process to the delivery of the program and help people experience all that’s great about Calgary.”

The approach leaves a lasting impression. Following the tour more than 85 per cent of the planners said they are considering Calgary for their next event.

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

97

Financial Sector Lubricates the Wheels of Calgary’s Economy

BY STEPHEN EWART

I

t’s said money makes the world go round but it’s actually the financial services sector that keeps the wheels of business well lubricated and the economy moving.

That is particularly true in Calgary where the oil and gas industry provided the foundation for a financial services sector that has fundamentally transformed in the last 15 years. As the funding for mega-energy projects became larger and increasingly complex, the city emerged as a global financial centre.

The large number of head offices in Calgary has also facilitated the demand for corporate banking and professional services.

Calgary is widely recognized as a global energy capital with Canada a top-five producer of crude oil and natural gas worldwide. It’s less well known the city actually plays a larger role in global energy finance than energy production.

The strengths of the cluster of financial services firms in Calgary are in investment banking, managing foreign direct investment, private equity management, wealth management, and retail and corporate banking.

A study by the Conference Board of Canada released in June found investment bankers in Calgary “end up consulting on some of the largest (merger and acquisition) deals in Canada” each year. It confirmed how capital-intensive industries, like energy, create demand for financial services.

Calgary firms were involved in 11.7 per cent of all merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in Canada – largely driven by the energy sector.

“Over the last five years (2012-2016), the city’s firms handled 9.5 per cent of energy-related deals across the world, and about 17 per cent of their total value,” said the

report titled An Assessment of Calgary as a Financial Centre.

“This is about four times higher than Alberta’s share of global energy production.”

Virtually every major investment bank and a high share of the leading commercial banks in the world have a presence in Calgary.

The Conference Board report noted Calgary accounts for an “outsized share” of global activity in the sector and the expertise from “a critical mass of talent and firms in the city” is exported all over the world.

The main reason is our people.

Canada has one of the most respected financial systems in the world and the labour force productivity in the financial services sector in Calgary – an industry where labour is the dominant cost – is 25 per cent higher than the country’s other three global banking centres.

“Firms in Calgary are accustomed to dealing with the hardships that a downsizing in the economy can bring and it has made them more resilient,” the report noted.

“This resilience, and high levels of output per worker, are indicative of a highly-skilled and motivated workforce that drive substantial value for the firms that employ them.”

Add in a low-tax environment, strong global transportation links and prime commercial real estate that is affordable and available and the Conference Board acknowledged “Calgary is an attractive place for financial services firms to locate their operations.”

It shouldn’t come as a surprise. As the innovation ecosystem in Calgary works to develop clean-tech solutions to global energy challenges, there needs to be an equally skilled and ambitious financial services sector to ensure those bright ideas become reality.

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

98

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

Leisure Travel on the Rise

BY ERIN MURRAY

T

ourism Calgary’s heightened focus on attracting the leisure traveller has begun to show results.

We have seen an increase in the leisure travel market, as shown by a year-over-year increase in hotel rooms sold in the first two quarters of 2017. This is a promising development, given the dip in business travel following the economic downturn. Calgary has traditionally been more reliant on business travel than other urban centres – business travel accounts for nearly 25 per cent of overnight occupancy compared to a national average closer to 11 per cent.

The number of passengers through Calgary International Airport has also risen. More than 7.7 million passengers flew through YYC in the first two quarters of 2017, up more than three per cent from 2016.

Targeting Tour Operators In May, Calgary hosted Rendez-vous Canada. During the conference, buyers of tourism product from around the world met Canadian tourism operators in a series of speeddating type appointments. Delegates were also hosted on familiarization tours to give them a sense of what our destination has to offer, experiencing Calgary’s diverse food scene and local brewery culture and visiting surrounding areas like Banff and Drumheller. The opportunity to mix urban experiences with day trips to the mountains or badlands was a big draw for delegates. Rendez-vous Canada 2017 was the most successful conference to date, indicating that delegates were pleased with what they experienced.

Of the attendees, 105 delegates from China attended Rendez-vous. This show of interest, together with the greater accessibility allowed by direct Beijing-to-Calgary flights launched last year, suggests that Calgary is in a strong position to tap the Chinese market.

Travel Alberta, with support from Tourism Calgary, was influential in obtaining a direct flight from Mexico City to Calgary. This flight, launched on June 1, 2017, allows Mexican tourists to take advantage of the 2016 federal government decision to lift visa restrictions for Mexican visitors to Canada. The direct flight also creates opportunities for Alberta businesses.

Marketing Calgary Tourism Calgary’s marketing campaigns are based on research and executed in collaboration with key partners including Travel Alberta, Destination Canada and local attractions.

During the first two quarters of 2017, Tourism Calgary pursued marketing programs aimed at regional, national and U.S. markets.

Calgary’s regional market makes up 75 per cent of visitors to Calgary and encompasses visitors within an eight-hour driving distance. The regional market comes to Calgary for an urban weekend getaway to shop, dine and attend festivals, attractions and events. A regional marketing campaign completed in the first quarter showed a 431 per cent year-over-year increase in web conversion rates. Web conversion rates are calculated by the number of clicks to Tourism Calgary partner websites per unique page views.

This increase in web conversion rates indicates that the content on visitcalgary.com was highly relevant for the targeted audience.

Calgary – the Ultimate Host City In the first quarter of 2017, Tourism Calgary launched a Destination Strategy with the goal of making Calgary the Ultimate Host City.

With this collective destination strategy, we have the opportunity to challenge our competition and enhance Calgary for the future. Tourism Calgary will champion the development of strategic initiatives and tactics necessary to achieve success as defined by our stakeholder community. It will take focused, aligned collaborative action, and support of a broad-reaching group of contributors to deliver the strategic initiatives.

The initiatives offer another level of vision for Calgary, thereby serving an overarching direction from which other strategies will flow. More than 10 organizations have already partnered with Tourism Calgary on initiatives to further the Destination Strategy.

To learn more about Tourism Calgary and our stakeholderled Destination Strategy, see visitcalgary.com.

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

99

TECHSTOCK 2017 DRIVING CHANGE: SOCIAL IMPACT THROUGH INNOVATION

BY ANDREA MENDIZABAL

F

rom industry innovation and sustainable cities to good health and quality education, on September 14, 2017, see how local entrepreneurs and social enterprises are making a profound impact on our society and driving change through innovation. Walk through TECHSTOCK’s exhibition halls at the Alastair Ross Technology Centre and visit 40-plus companies and organizations for an afternoon of engaging hands-on activities, technology displays, food trucks and more.

for a YYCFoodTruck ticket. All proceeds will benefit the Calgary Food Bank.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

Mobile Escape

1 – 2 PM | Speaker Panel - Social Enterprise: Creating Impact Through Innovation

Gamifying the classroom helps students learn, succeed and discover their full potential. Mobile Escape’s social enterprise is working to awaken wonder in K-12 students by bringing educational escape rooms to schools across southern Alberta. Enter the Mobile Escape room and see for yourself the unique way in which students are being immersed in the Alberta curriculum.

We set the stage for TECHSTOCK 2017 with a discussion that explores the importance of the sustainable development goals that are helping to positively transform our world for future generations. Speakers will also share insight on navigating business, funding, brand and storytelling as a social enterprise.

2 – 6:30 PM | Tech Exhibition Walk through our exhibition halls and visit 40-plus local companies as they demonstrate how their technology or social innovation is making an impact on our society and driving change in areas such as sustainability, health, education and more.

Agri-Tent As the demand for locally-grown and sustainable foods increases, the ways in which we grow our food are evolving.

See what environmentally-friendly innovations are being developed and used to grow organic, while reducing our agricultural impact on the environment.

YYC Tech Gives Back to the Calgary Food Bank Give back in an easy, yet impactful way. YYC Tech Gives is a volunteer group of tech companies working to give back to the community. Bring a cash or food donation in exchange

100

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

YYCFoodTrucks Energize your afternoon of exploration with some of the best street food in town. Calgary has become a mecca for innovative food culture, and that continues to grow in Calgary’s food truck scene through a desire to offer locallymade, high-quality and sustainable options.

Live Graphic Recording Art Need some reflective time? Visit the live painting booth with local artist Laura Wells and watch as the dynamic work-in-progress unfolds, all based on the theme of sustainability, economy and community. Help us put thoughts to canvas and tell us what social innovation and sustainability means to you. Your thoughts will help inspire the painting in this community effort!

STEM Learning Lab Calgary’s young scientists, engineers and makers have been hard at work this summer. Discover the fun and extraordinary creations STEM Learning Lab’s summer campers have built in this highly-engaging, hands-on lab.

Sneak a peek at what the kids are learning in a combined coding and robotics workshop.

Innovate Calgary’s annual TECHSTOCK is a Beakerhead partner event, a weeklong smash up of art, science and engineering. Learn more and RSVP at innovatecalgary.com/ events/techstock.

Spark success at your centre of energy.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT:

calgary-convention.com

MARKETING MATTERS // DAVID PARKER

Marketing Matters

BY DAVID PARKER

N

o response to my telephone call to Sarah Geddes to ask about the Social School event her Press + Post agency is behind. Tried texting and within a couple of minutes the reply came back, “At lunch in New York – call you back in a few???”

And she did, to report that she and partner/president Kelly Doody had just secured a contract to promote the opening of the new Saks Fifth Avenue store – early in the new year – in Chinook Centre.

Exciting news, but so too was their update on the Social School, a two-day event taking place at the Palace Theatre, November 16-17, 2017.

Powered by Press + Post, it features a one-day conference of world-class founders, authors, entrepreneurs, CEOs, CMOs and the like, followed by a full day of game-changing, hands-on workshops on how to implement what attendees had learned.

Her update recorded more than 38 speakers, 39 sessions and over 800 registrants.

C&B Advertising has a lot of experience in promoting the travel and hospitality industry with its repeated good work for clients like the Calgary Stampede and Travel Alberta.

The agency is also growing in talent with the return of Leah Zukowski (who spent a while at ZGM Collaborative Marketing) as C&B’s associate creative director, and account director Amy Russell, who has also been welcomed back from mat leave. New hires include account manager Rachel Lende (recently with Karo) and Shayne McBride, who has joined as creative strategist.

Another returnee is Kelly Sembinelli who is back at Mosaic Communications, after a spell at ClearMotive, taking on the role of vice president projects and operations. And Steve Dougherty is now back as general manager of the agency that has relocated into Inglewood and is part of the Commun-o human resource platform for the marketing services industry.

Mosaic president and executive creative director Melodie Creegan reports a busy studio excited to be working with new client Brighton Cares, a medical marijuana company that has a large plant under construction in Camrose.

Chantele Padavattan, a Mount Royal University intern with Lana Rogers PR and Media Consulting, has been taken on as a permanent staffer.

A newer addition to its stable is Tourism Richmond, recognized by most as being next to Vancouver’s airport but is an island community with lots to offer visitors including the wonderful Steveston Maritime Festival.

C&B also added Big Rock as an account helping the brewery to promote its Rock Creek Cider that was a big hit as a summer drink.

102

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

Parker’s Pick The fine job the five Tourism Calgary info counsellors did in the downtown core. Great ambassadors.

WEBSTER GALLERIES BUILDING FOR SALE 812 11 TH AVENUE SW

\

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL: DUNCAN MACLEAN duncan.maclean@cbre.com Ph 403-750-0800 WWW.CBRE.CA

JOHN FISHER john.fisher@cbre.com Ph 403-750-0505 WWW.CBRE.CA

NOW LEASING SUBURBAN OFFICE

FOUNTAIN COURT INTERSECTION OF BLACKFOOT TRAIL AND GLENMORE TRAIL

Leading edge design in a campus style business park

FEATURES:

FOUNTAINCOURT

• • 256 Surface Parking Stalls • 3 Buildings – 1 and 2 Stories • Ready for Tenant Fixturing

SUBURBAN OFFICE

BLACKFOOT POINT

NOW LEASING

8280 BLACKFOOT TRAIL SE

FEATURES:

• 135,000 SqFt of First Clas Office Space • 194 Underground and 215 Surface Parking Stalls • 4 Buildings – 1 and 2 Stories • Ready for Tenant Fixturing

Centron specializes in real estate development, leasing,

sales and construction of office, retail and industrial projects.

Phone: 403-252-1120 Email: leasing@centrongroup.com Centrongroup.com