April 2013 - Business In Edmonton

April 2013 $3.50 businessinedmonton.com

WAVEFRONT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS INC. IS HARD AT WORK CHANGING THE WORLD Three men. One idea. Global results. Wavefront’s technology is shaking up oil production.

Edmonton Motor Show

Start your engines! The Edmonton Motor Show is rolling into town.

Environmental Stewardship Corporate Responsibility and Environmental Stewardship: A Natural Collaboration

Recreational Investments

Telecommuting: A Balancing Act

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THIS IS NOT AN AD FOR ROCKY MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT. But it is an ad for everything we stand for. Things like honesty, integrity, and helping you put food on your family’s table. But above all, it’s an ad to let you know that none of those things are going away because we’re calling ourselves Rocky Mountain Equipment. Because even if the name on the sign is changing, our values won’t.

Introducing the new Rocky Mountain Equipment DEPENDABLE IS WHAT WE DO.

For nearly a century Canmore was an important coal mining centre in southern Alberta.

Over time, the town evolved into an international recreation centre and tourist destination. While the town of Canmore changed, the Canmore Hotel did not. Located in the heart of downtown Canmore, the Canmore Hotel remains a precious landmark from those early mining days. As the second oldest, continuously operated hotel in Alberta, the pub has been catering to both locals and visitors alike for over 120 years. The Canmore Hotel was originally one of the town’s four grand hotels. As the sole survivor, it has spent a lifetime keeping watch over Canmore.

It is now time to restore, expand and sensitively rehabilitate this historic establishment so that its legend -- and its rich history -- will live on.

We are pleased to offer eligible investors an opportunity to participate in this exciting and rewarding development.

• RRSP and TFSA eligible • 9% annual preferred dividend paid quarterly • Additional profit from your ownership in both a well established pub and an enlivened boutique hotel • Select VIP hotel privileges Selling agents protected

For more information about this investment opportunity visit canmorehotel.com This investment is only for investors by way of subscription agreement. This is not a solicitation for sale or purchase of securities, without the appropriate exemption documents being provided to prospective purchasers. The information enclosed is for informational purposes only and is not a solicitation as to any investment product. The information above is inherently limited in scope and does not contain all of the applicable terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions of the investment described herein.

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SECTION CONTENTS TITLE

APRIL 2013 | VOL. 02 #04

View our elect ronic issue of this mon th’s mag azin e onlin e at www .busi nessi nedm onto n.com

Features

Regulars

From forming partnerships to inventing new technologies, taking care of our seniors to finding new ways to work effectively - businesses in Edmonton adapt, lead, and inspire positive changes.

Each and every month

10

ECONOMIC FACTORS

BY JASON BRISBOIS

The Essence of Edmonton

Cover

OFF THE TOP Fresh News across all sectors.

61 EDMONTON ECONOMIC

WAVEFRONT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS INC. IS HARD AT WORK CHANGING THE WORLD BY MARK KANDBORG Three men. One idea. Global results. Wavefront’s technology is shaking up oil production.

Pictured on cover: President & CEO of Wavefront Technology Solutions Inc., Brett Davidson.

DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

28 PHOTO: EPIC PHOTOGRAPHY

12

Company Profiles 36 D EVLIN

CONSTRUCTION INC.

BY MARK KANDBORG

Celebrating their 10th Anniversary

38

ENERGY SAVING PRODUCTS LTD.

BY NERISSA MCNAUGHTON

Celebrating their 30th Anniversary.

Features

40 A LLEN GRAY CONTINUING CARE CENTRE

Celebrating their 50th Anniversary.

BY GORDON CHRISTIAN

36

6

16 EDMONTON MOTOR SHOW

BY MARK KANDBORG

April 2013 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

Start your engines! The Edmonton Motor Show is rolling into town.

Entrepreneurs.

They turn us on.

To new ideas, new ways of thinking and new possibilities. We’ve shone the spotlight on entrepreneurs for 20 years — and we’ve only just begun.

Nominate starting March 1.

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20 years of inspiration

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National sponsors

Platinum sponsors

Gold sponsor

Ernst & Young is a proud supporter of entrepreneurship

OFF THE TOP

NEWS FROM THE MONTH

Features

PUBLISHER BUSINESS IN EDMONTON INC.

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Brent Trimming

brent@businessinedmonton.com

EDITOR Mark Kandborg

continued

From forming partnerships to inventing new technologies, taking care of our seniors to finding new ways to work effectively - businesses in Edmonton adapt, lead, and inspire positive changes.

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Nerissa McNaughton

COPY EDITORS Nerissa McNaughton Nikki Mullett

MINING THE NORTH

ART DIRECTOR Jessi Evetts

BY CAMIE LEARD jessi@businessinedmonton.com

CONTRIBUTING DESIGNERS Cher Compton

ADMINISTRATION

A Conference Board of Canada report released in January 2013 predicts mining employment and output in Canada’s North could nearly double by 2020, but social and environmental issues, declining commodities prices and a high-cost of development could prove insurmountable challenges.

Nancy Bielecki Sarah Schenx info@businessinedmonton.com

27

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Jason Brisbois

THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Mark Kandborg Camie Leard

Nerissa McNaughton

PHOTOGRAPHY Cover by Scott Lennon Photography

ADVERTISING SALES Evelyn Dehner Bobbi Joan O’Neil Carla Wright Renee Neil

evelyn@businessinedmonton.com bobbi@ businessinedmonton.com carla@businessinedmonton.com renee@businessinedmonton.com

DIRECTORS OF CUSTOM PUBLISHING Kim Hogan Bob Kenyon

kim@businessinedmonton.com bob@businessinedmonton.com

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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. 42455512

31 TELECOMMUTING: A BALANCING ACT

| BY NERISSA MCNAUGHTON

Telecommuting is the latest buzzword for working from home.

Two employees and an employer discuss the pros and cons.

43 RECREATIONAL INVESTMENTS

| BY MARK KANDBORG

Edmonton has an investment paradise with a backyard, in its backyard.

48 REAL ESTATE

| BY BUSINESS IN EDMONTON STAFF

The hidden gems in a rough neighborhood will be revealed as it is undergoes a makeover.

54 GOLF

| BY NERISSA MCNAUGHTON

Royal Mayfair Golf Club

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to circulation dept. #1660, 10020 - 101 A Ave. NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 3G2

59 EDMONTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 8

April 2013 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

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©2011-2012 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. All Rights Reserved. SPG, Preferred Guest, Aloft, Element, Four Points, Le Méridien, Sheraton, St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W, Westin and their logos are the trademarks of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., or its affiliates.

ECONOMIC FACTORS JASON BRISBOIS

ALBERTA EXPORTS TO CHINA NOT ALL ABOUT OIL

BY JASON BRISBOIS

I

t would probably be hard to find an Albertan who has not heard how important it is to diversify our oil exports beyond the United States with China being a leading contender for growth, but what is China’s potential for Alberta exports beyond oil? The Western Centre for Economic Research (WCER) explored this question in a recent research project. The findings are based on many sources of information on both Canada and Alberta’s trade with China such as the China Institute of the University of Alberta and the federal department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT).

It is important to remember that ‘Greater China’ consists of three jurisdictions: The People’s Republic of China (PRC), the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong, and Chinese Taipei (Taiwan). This article only presents information for the PRC which, with its population of 1.4 billion, is a much larger export destination than the other two areas. To put it in perspective, a DFAIT study states that the PRC will soon displace the United Kingdom as Canada’s second largest merchandise trading partner after the United States.

The second point to remember is that the WCER study examines only merchandise exports to the PRC because data on service exports or repatriation of funds from foreign direct investment is not available, although studies suggest the latter two have grown faster than merchandise exports.

A look at Alberta’s merchandise exports to the PRC from 2001 to 2011 shows mixed results. The good news is that the value of the exports has rough-

10

When it comes to doing business in China, the PRC seems to prefer sourcing components and materials from its home country rather than importing from the cheapest foreign supplier, which runs contrary to conventional trade theory.

ly doubled to just over $3 billion in 2011. The bad news is that the $3 billion is made up of just 25 commodities and the PRC accounts for only three per cent of Alberta’s exports to the world.

Surprisingly, oil was not the number one export in 2011. That title went to ethylene glycol, with crude oil coming in second. The remaining exports included commodities such as canola oil and seeds, nickel, sulfur, wood pulp, raw hides, skins and leather.

When it comes to doing business in China, the PRC seems to prefer sourcing components and materials from its home country rather than importing from the cheapest foreign supplier, which runs contrary to conventional trade theory. Empirical studies suggest that firms, especially small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), are most successful in penetrating Chinese markets when they are part of a global supply chain, or when they invest directly through joint ventures or wholly owned subsidiaries. Evidence

April 2013 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

also suggests that Canadian SMEs rely heavily on Mandarin speakers who, for the most part, are newly naturalized Chinese Canadians who can manage local employees, are proficient in English, and have familiarity with both cultures.

In conclusion, it is obvious that exports from Alberta are just a blip on the PRC’s trade radar screen. However, as more firms become aware of market opportunities in China and trade relations between the two countries continue to improve, the ensuing business could prove highly lucrative to a province in desperate need of export diversification.

The WCER research study can be found at www.business.ualberta.ca/ Centres/ WCER/Publications/InformationBulletins/~/media/ business/ Centres/WCER/Documents/Publicati ons/160AlbertasandCanadasChinaTrad eAReviewElectronic.pdf BIE Jason Brisbois is the director of the Western Centre for Economic Research at the University of Alberta School of Business.

OFF THE TOP

NEWS FROM THE MONTH

TRAVEL

LOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY PROVES DEMISE RUMORS WRONG

The rumor is that travel agencies are on the decline. Online resources such as Hotels.com and Expedia. com are making them obsolete. “The “do-it-yourself” or independent traveler is becoming more prevalent in the Internet age,” said a 2006 analytical paper from Statistics Canada. “Internet... information influences the travel decisions of many Canadians. According to an Ipsos-Reid survey, 35 per cent of online Canadians have used the Internet as the primary source of information for planning upcoming travel. As well, a majority said they will use the Internet to research a trip or vacation in the future (87 per cent).”

More than six years have passed since that paper was released, and Internet usage has grown. So what happened

LESLEY PAULL, OWNER AND FOUNDER OF PAULL TRAVEL LTD.

to those traditional travel agencies? Is there any truth to the rumors of their potential demise?

“A lot of people think that should be the case, but in fact, that is not the

THE STAFF OF PAULL TRAVEL LTD.

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April 2013 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

case,” explains Lesley Paull, owner and founder of Paull Travel Ltd. Paull points out that most people still prefer the tried and true method of using a travel agency for most travel, particularly for travel overseas. The standards and ratings of hotels, services, and amenities vary greatly in different parts of the world. Being confident that you have booked a clean hotel in a safe location is not easily achieved through an automated, online process. Additionally, if you run into trouble, have a medical emergency, there is a storm, a flight cancellation or you have to quickly return home, your options can be severely limited – unless you have a travel agency that will handle your situation and ensure you get the changes you need.

Paull cites accountability as the major reason travel agents continue to do brisk business in this industry. Many of her clients return from their foray into online bookings because when it comes right down to it,

OFF THE TOP

NEWS FROM THE MONTH

The personalized touch that keeps travel agencies like Paull’s alive and well can be seen in the enthusiasm these agents have for their jobs and dealing with their clients.

the fact that she provides 24/7 access for her travelers along with outstanding personalized customer service is a combination that just can’t be beat.

Paull Travel has operated out of the same location in Edmonton for 27 years. Paull started her career at 17 as a receptionist for a travel agency while she bided her time before university. She loved her job so

much, she stayed in the industry and ultimately opened her own agency.

The personalized touch that keeps travel agencies like Paull’s alive and well can be seen in the enthusiasm these agents have for their jobs and dealing with their clients. “I love working with the team I have,” beams Paull. “We’ve always been a close ‘family’ which continues to

grow.” Paull admits to loving the chance to please her clients. Paull does some management of the company, of course, but she has hired appropriate people to assist her.

This leaves her to stay where she is happiest – in sales.

Are face to face travel agencies on the decline? Looks like that’s just an unfounded rumor. BIE

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2/7/2013 2:27:44 PM www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | April 2013

OFF THE TOP

NEWS FROM THE MONTH

LOCAL BUSINESS

SEVERAL EDMONTON COMPANIES MAKE ALBERTA’S TOP EMPLOYERS LIST

What does it take to make the list like these Edmonton companies?

Alberta’s Top Employers is an annual competition designed to recognize employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work. The 2013 list has been released and several Edmonton companies made the cut including Agriculture Financial Services Corporation, PCL Contractors Inc., BioWare ULC, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), and Upside Software Inc. Being a Top Employer has many benefits including public recognition and the ability to attract quality talent. “When people are looking for jobs, they want to know if the company has been recognized by others as a good place to be associated with and a good place to work,” remarked Mary-Alice Vuicic, Shoppers Drug Mart chief administrative officer and executive vice-president for human Resources and public affairs in a Globe and Mail article.

Employers of any size in the public and private sectors can enter the competition. Each contestant is judged on the following criteria: • Physical Workplace • Work Atmosphere and Social • Health, Financial and Family Benefits • Vacation and Time Off • Employee Communications • Performance Management • Training and Skills Development • Community Involvement Some of the ways Edmonton’s employers have earned their rightful place as a Top Employer are to: • Provide top-up payments (to 100% of salary) and extended benefits during maternity leave

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• Provide top-up payments (to 100% of salary) for a specified duration of compassionate leave • Contribute to retirement and savings programs • Offer signing, referral and year-end bonuses • Offer academic scholarship programs for employees’ children • Offer profit sharing and share purchasing plans • Create social events such as barbeques, breakfasts, and theme days • Provide paid time off so employees can volunteer for charity work • Invest in continual training and skills development programs and or subsidize tuition • Reduce summer work hours • Support telecommunication • Allow flexible work hours • Help older employees prepare for retirement Although vastly different and in different industries, the winning companies have an underlying similarity in that they strive to put their employees first. They consider their employees to be valuable resources worth investing in, training and retaining. Each winning company this

April 2013 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

year embraced not one or two, but several of the items on the above list. During slower economic times, Top Employers cut back on costs before they cut back on staff.

To make the Top Employer list, the employer must have a dedicated focus on employees, be progressive and use innovative ways to inspire and motivate employees. Top Employers empower staff members to achieve work/life balance and financial success while having the time and resources to give back to their communities.

Does your company have this winning formula? You can request an application for next year’s competition at canadastop100.com/apply.html.

To see the full list of employers, go to www.canadastop100.com/alberta. BIE LOCAL BUSINESS

EDMONTON’S RESOURCES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

You want to open a small business in Edmonton. Congratulations!

That’s a wonderful idea. Edmonton is a thriving city with plenty of opportunities for entrepreneurs. There is a lot to think about, isn’t there? How do you attract good employees? What are the labour laws you need to know?

Can you do the accounting by yourself using software or do you need an accounting firm? What type of mar-

OFF THE TOP

NEWS FROM THE MONTH

keting is best: print, online or televised media? Where will you get the equipment you need? Should you lease or buy a space? Sometimes the myriad of questions and choices can leave you overwhelmed and unable to move forward in your business plan efficiently.

Fortunately, Edmonton has many wonderful resources to help small businesses. Whether your business is new, growing or firmly established, help is always close at hand.

Start with edmonton.ca. Under the Business and Economy section, you will find a list of services provided by the City for Edmonton businesses. Under the “Starting a Business” section, you will also find detailed instructions on how to obtain your business licence.

Be sure to check out Startup Edmonton (startupedmonton.com).

Their website explains their services as “a campus, co-workspace and accelerator that kick starts and activates local start-ups.” With work-

shops and programs that help you bring your ideas into reality and a strong web of networking partners, Startup Edmonton may be what you need to keep your momentum rolling.

You can find groups of entrepreneurs, business owners and networking opportunities at meetup.com. This website lists groups in geographical areas that hold regular meetings. Edmonton has several business groups such as the Real Estate Buying and Investing group, the Edmonton Entrepreneur Meetup group and the Edmonton Local Marketing Expert’s Mastermind group.

TEC Edmonton (tecedmonton. com) helps science-based start-ups find business opportunities and provides a base for operations. If your new business is on the technical side, get in touch TEC Edmonton to see what they have to offer.

Vue Weekly is Edmonton’s alternative newspaper and a great place to advertise if your business is in

Your business has taken flight... you need to hire someone, but not just anyone.

the arts, entertainment, film or restaurant sector. The artist-to-artist listings can help you find studio space, like-minded employees, or niche networking opportunities. Vue Weekly can be picked up at newsstands all over Edmonton and read online at vueweekly.com.

Companies in any industry can call The Alberta Business Link. The Edmonton number is 780-422-7722.

With advice from business professionals and guest advisors, you can glean a wealth of information on everything from starting ups to import/ export to financing and more.

Edmonton is a great city that warmly embraces entrepreneurs and business owners. While there are many parts involved in running a successful business, you never have to worry about going it alone. These are just a few of the many organizations and people that are ready, willing and waiting to help your business in Edmonton succeed. BIE

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www.kpmstaffing.com www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | April 2013

15

EDMONTON MOTOR SHOW START YOUR ENGINES!

A VIEW FROM THE RAFTERS SHOWS EVERY ONE OF THE 58,000 SQ. FT. OF THE TRUCK-CENTRIC AUTO EMPORIUM

EDMONTON MOTOR SHOW Start your engines! The Edmonton Motor Show is rolling into town.

BY GORDON CHRISTIAN PHOTOS COURTESY OF EDMONTON MOTOR DEALER ASSOCIATION

O

ne of my favourite childhood memories is of the yearly pilgrimages my dad and I undertook to the local car show. It was a day of wonder, a day of dreaming and above all, a furtive glimpse into the glimmering world of tomorrow.

Not much has changed since then – except maybe everything. While fathers and sons still flock to these meccas of rolling art in droves, unlike the Mad Men era of my childhood they no longer have the fish-and-tackle, exclusionary air of a boy’s club. They are family events now. The cars are a bit different, too.

Hoods are still up, the easier to way display the intricate, gleaming inner workings of our obsessions, but precious few of us have the slightest idea what we’re looking at. In recent years, motor engineering has taken on the flavour of magic. Apparently, your average minivan power plant is now designed by the good folks at NASA and built in some secret basement at the jet propulsion laboratory, which is just fine with me. Maybe better, because as a result, that sense of boyhood wonder hasn’t dissipated one bit.

The Edmonton Motor Show produced by the Edmonton Motor Dealer Association and held at the Edmonton Expo Centre April 17th through the 21st will be the next chance for Edmontonians to experience the beauty and the power.

That’s more than a month later than previous years, and the timing is significant. “It means that from 2013 on we’ll be

16

April 2013 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

able to offer a deeper inventory of products of interest,” says Bob Vilas, the show’s executive director. “Each year at the Toronto show a decision has to be made: where do we send the premier vehicles to be seen? Previously, Toronto was moving out just as Edmonton was moving in, so one-offs and a lot of prototypes didn’t make it here. Now they will.”

That means for the first time, a number of concept cars, those enticing visions of the future that only shows like this can offer, will be on hand this year for your viewing pleasure. So too will examples of upcoming production vehicles, well in advance of their scheduled release dates.

“General Motors has a handful of 2014 models they’ve produced, but they’re very selective of which markets get to see them at this point. Thanks to this new schedule, we’ll be one of them,” Vilas says.

What else can we expect to see? All the usual suspects, of course. If you’re shopping, or thinking of shopping, for a vehicle in the near future, the Edmonton Motor Show can be incredibly helpful in that you can survey all the automotive world has to offer under one roof. Feel like it’s time for a sports car but can’t decide between a Porsche, a BMW or an Alpha Romeo? Here’s you’re chance to take a leisurely look at your choices. Can’t afford any of them? Well, then this is your opportunity to take a leisurely look anyway without a sales associate doing one of those pesky preemptive credit checks.

EDMONTON MOTOR SHOW

START YOUR ENGINES!

As for the future, there may not be any flying cars at the show (this year), but alternative energy choices will be very well represented.

Take the Mitsubishi I-NiEV (pronounced eye-neev), for example, one of only three all-electric vehicles available in Canada to date.

Or maybe something a little beefier is more your cup of Tim Hortons. “The 2013 show is really going to be a truck environment,” Vilas says. “This town is the capital of pickups, bar none. When you think of Edmonton, you think of trucks. I can’t talk about everything we’re hoping to have here just yet, but there are two products from GM we’re pretty excited about. Chrysler’s 1500 Ram was just unveiled as Truck of the Year by Motor Trend Magazine at the Detroit show. That’ll be here, as well as the 2013 – 2014 Ford F-150.” Because of the heavy-duty industrial demands of this city’s work force, there will also be an expansive contingent of “tradesman vehicles” designed for electri-

cians, plumbers and welders. “Mercedes makes a regular size van tall enough to walk through. There’s a huge market for inventory like that here.”

As for the future, there may not be any flying cars at the show (this year), but alternative energy choices will be very well represented. Take the Mitsubishi I-NiEV (pronounced eye-neev), for example, one of only three allelectric vehicles available in Canada to date. “The I-NiEV fills a very specific niche in the marketplace,” says John Arnone, Mitsubishi’s manager of public relations. “Over 150 kilometers on a single charge, and it will never see a gas station or an oil change.”

www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | April 2013

17

EDMONTON MOTOR SHOW START YOUR ENGINES!

CANADA’S FIRST TRUE SUPER-CAR, A QUÉBEC-MADE HTT PLÉTHORE, WAS A BIG HIT IN LUX LANE AT LAST YEAR’S PRECIOUS METAL GALA.

SEEKING TALENTED TALENT SEEKERS. Are you an HR professional who can spot potential?

The Government of Alberta is always looking for HR professionals to help grow and develop a talent pool of over 25,000 employees.

We need the right people to ensure the success of our province and it starts with you. If you see HR as an integral partner to help employees succeed, visit jobs.alberta.ca for more information and to stay informed on job opportunities.

18

If you want to take your involvement with the Edmonton Motor Show to the next level, Vilas explains how you can do that. “Every auto show has an exclusive, VIP style event, and every city has its own name for it. Ours is the ‘Precious Metal Gala’. It’s a great way to experience the show a little differently.” Buying a ticket to the Gala not only provides food, beverages and access to a more relaxed version of the event, it provides access of another kind, too.

Most of the exotics are cordoned off for the run of the show, but not during the Gala. With the exception of a few one-off concept vehicles, all of the cars are open. You want to slip behind the wheel of the new Ferrari?

You can slip behind the wheel of the new Ferrari.

At $150 a ticket, the Gala isn’t cheap, but the proceeds go to a good cause.

Like so many other organizations in the city, the Edmonton Motor Dealer Association, which produces the show each year, gives back. “It’s all about fostering the industry locally,” Vilas says, “The gala is our only

April 2013 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

GOVCHRC26563 BusCalg&Edm_Seeking.indd 1

2013-03-07 10:55 AM

EDMONTON MOTOR SHOW

START YOUR ENGINES!

Rite-Way Fencing Inc.

8625-63rd Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T6E 0E8 edmonton@ritewayfencing.com

780.440.4300

Toll Free:1.800.425.5120 A STATE-OF-THE-ART CALLIPER PEEKS OUT FROM THE DISTINCTIVE WHEEL OF A LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO.

Buying a ticket to the Gala not only provides food, beverages and access to a more relaxed version of the event, it provides access of another kind, too. fundraiser.” The proceeds allow the Association to support the trades and other career pathways, especially at the high school and college level. “We go into schools with shop programs and evaluate their needs. Maybe they could use a new air compressor. We do what we can to help.” According to Vilas, the association awarded $150K in scholarships to automotive trade students in the city last year.

“The most expensive point in these kids’ careers can be when they have to purchase the tools required to start working, which can run them $25K or more. They only have the one opportunity to write them off. Our scholarship is set up so that they can use it for that, for tuition or any other costs they have, as long as the applicants meet the criteria.” The timing of the scholarships is nice, too. “We give them out just before Christmas,” Vilas says. “It can be a tough time of year for them.”

Vilas is especially proud of the work they’ve done over the years with one particular high school that specializes in educating stu-

dents with disabilities. “We were assisting with the shop program, but when these kids graduated they were having trouble finding work. As executive director of the Edmonton Motor Dealer Association, Vilas thought that something could be done to bring these welltrained, talented and motivated graduates into the workforce. He was right. “The dealerships love these kids. They’re on time, they love going to work and they work hard. They’re doing something where they’re valued. It’s very rewarding for both parties.”

So make plans to rekindle the magic this year. Maybe bring your dad and return the favour. If you feel you’d like to get a little VIP access and help out the mechanics and engineers of tomorrow at the same time, pick up a ticket and be a part of the Precious Metal Gala. But keep in mind when you’re sitting behind the wheel and surveying the F-15 style dash of that Lamborghini Aventador… the keys are going to run you just a little bit more. BIE

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www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | April 2013

19

COVER

WAVEFRONT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS INC.

WAVEFRONT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS INC. IS HARD AT WORK CHANGING THE WORLD Three men. One Idea. Global results. Wavefront’s technology is shaking up oil production.

BY MARK KANDBORG PHOTOS BY SCOTT LENNON PHOTOGRAPHY

F

or many, the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Edmonton industry is oil. It’s no coincidence we give our sports teams names like “Oilers,” “Oil Kings” and “Drillers.” Those in the know, however, think of something else as well: innovation. Cold FX and BioWare are just two examples of the countless local companies that have developed game-changing technologies, the impacts of which are felt across the globe. As the University of Alberta (U of A) has emerged as a North American leader in the development of innovative medical research and procedures, it is becoming increasingly clear that the wealth of precious resources we are blessed with reside not just underground, but in our heads as well.

As powerful as the elements of oil and innovation are separately, amazing things can happen when the two are combined. It was this synergy that resulted in the perfect economic storm of the oilsands, and it’s the same tongue

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April 2013 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

and groove combination of oil and innovation that is the lifeblood of Wavefront Technology Solutions Inc. Simply put, Wavefront’s groundbreaking technology, Powerwave, is a fluid pulse technology that when employed, will extend oil field life and maximize oil recovery, potentially bringing billions of barrels to the world’s oil supply. “That’s the wow of Wavefront,” says the president, CEO, co-founder and self-professed biggest cheerleader of the company, Brett Davidson.

The process now turning heads in the petroleum industry got its start in 1997 because of another powerful combination of elements that came together: Physicist Dr. Tim Spanos, petroleum engineering specialist Dr. Maurice Dusseault and Davidson himself. Doctors Spanos and Dusseault were both former Alberta Oil Sands Technical Research Authority professors at the U of A, while Davidson, a geotechnical technologist (a specialty so nice

COVER

WAVEFRONT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS INC.

PRESIDENT, CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, BRETT DAVIDSON.

THE DOWNHOLE TOOL WORKS WITH CONVENTIONAL SURFACE EQUIPMENT, AND IS INSTALLED IN INJECTION WELLS TO TRANSFORM THE NORMALLY STEADY RATE OF INJECTION TO A PULSATING INJECTION STREAM WITH APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 40 PULSES PER MINUTE.

they had to name it twice) earned his stripes at Atomic Energy of Canada doing research on nuclear waste disposal. “When I started out, my job was to prevent fluid flow. Today, I’m encouraging it,” he jokes.

In 1996, the three men attended a geomechanics conference where one of the hot topics was something called ‘seismic stimulation.’ “There was a lot of anecdotal information around earthquakes causing improved oil recovery, which seemed to last for several weeks following the seismic event,” Davidson says. “Old Faithful in Yellowstone Park erupted more often after an earthquake, too.

Something was going on and there was a quest to find out what it was.”

Spanos told Dusseault and Davidson that he had been working on a theory to explain it, which was quite different from the way everyone was thinking about it at the time. Spanos asked Davidson if he would work with him to prove or disprove his theory. Davidson agreed.

“We spent a month basically taking his physics off of pieces of paper and running laboratory experiments to prove that his theory had merit, at least in the lab,” says Davidson. It did.

But the real question was: would it work in the field?

At the time, Spanos and Dusseault were both full-time professors at the U of A, and Davidson had his own consultation company. “We weren’t looking to start an oilfield service company to take this theory to the field and test it,” Davidson says. “So, we approached service and oil companies to see if they wanted to license the technology from us and run with it. The response was ‘great theory, interesting lab results, where are your field results?’ Obviously, we didn’t have any. They told us to come back when we did.”

What do you do when the last of a long line of doors is closed firmly in your face? You do what every successful entrepreneur does. You look for a window. And if there aren’t any?

You build one.

www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | April 2013

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COVER

WAVEFRONT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS INC.

LIKE KINKING A GARDEN HOSE, PRECISE AMOUNTS OF ENERGY ARE REPEATEDLY BUILT UP AND RELEASED BY THE TOOL. THE PULSES ADD ACCELERATION AND MOMENTUM TO THE INJECTED FLUID, FORCING IT INTO THE RESERVOIRS’ NOOKS AND CRANNIES AND INTO MORE IMPERMEABLE ROCK AT SPEEDS OF UP TO 100 METRES PER SECOND.

It took them about a year, designing their own equipment and arranging their own funding, but finally they were able to do a single oil well stimulation in the field. It worked there, too. That success allowed them to expand the experiment. “Wascana Energy gave us one well to be the fluid injector and four wells around the outside which were going to be the producers, what they would call in the industry a ‘five spot injection pattern,’ commonly used for water flooding,” Davidson explains.

Finally, our heroes had a full scale injection site to work with. The results were astounding. “We were able to create an increase in production in those wells of 34 per cent.”

This breakthrough moment couldn’t have come at a worse time, however, so the champagne bottles had to stay on ice a while longer. Ironically, they couldn’t party like it was 1999 precisely because it was 1999. The price of oil at that time had dipped to $9 a barrel. “No one was interested in enhanced oil recovery,” Davidson says. “They were interested in having their company survive.”

Let’s take advantage of this unfortunate pause in our story and have Davidson explain this revolutionary technology and how it works. “When your heart beats it sends out this fluid pressure wave, which dilates your vascular system and helps your red blood cells course through your body. I also say that if you have a garden hose and you’re washing your car at home, you have a steady stream of water coming out the end of the hose. The City of Edmonton gives us 55 psi at our house, so that’s what you’re getting. If I put a kink in it, obviously I shut off the flow, but behind that kink I’m storing potential energy.”

A lot of people have the misconception that he’s building pressure, but he says that’s not what’s happening. “Let’s remember one thing. The city’s only giving me 55 psi to my house. They don’t know that I have a kink in my hose.

When I undo that kink, what do we see? We see a burst of

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April 2013 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

fluid. The potential energy, once released, is now adding momentum to the fluid phase.”

Now consider a river on the surface of the earth. Cutting through rock year after year, it takes the path of least resistance. It meanders. “If I’m injecting water into the ground [a secondary oil recovery technique used across the globe], that water I’m injecting is not going uniformly through the reservoir. It’s going through like those meanders.” It’s taking the path of least resistance, and it’s not contacting all of the oil.

“When you add a pulse to the fluid, it’s much like my cardiovascular system dilating when my heart beats, the fluid will dilate the geologic material which is elastic,” Davidson says. “That way I get more fluid to more pores and I end up contacting a greater portion of the reservoir. When I contact a greater portion of the reservoir, I end up producing more oil. We like to trivialize it and say it’s a contact sport.” Whether injecting water or CO2, the goal should be for the water or CO2 to contact as much of the reservoir as possible to maximize what’s referred to in the industry as “ultimate recovery.”

As Davidson points out, most oilfields produce on average 30 per cent - 40 per cent of the oil in any given reservoir, which means that the majority of the theoretically possible yield is left behind in what he refers to as the ‘nooks and crannies.’ “What Dr. Spanos came up with was a theory that said if you cause a fluid pulse, you will distribute the fluid more evenly which will lead to greater overall oil recovery. That’s what we patented.”

Meanwhile, back in 1999, when a barrel of oil was cheaper than a pack of cigarettes…

“At that time our tools were so huge they came on two transport trucks. So from 2000 to 2007 we spent a lot of time and money on research and development to create down-hole tools that you could send by FedEx.”

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don’t look down, the first thing we do

...is look down.

We’re rebels that way, and it means we get excellent shots.

But we’re not foolish. In fact, we’re extremely careful.

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COVER

WAVEFRONT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS INC.

“It wasn’t until 2009 that we saw more of an uptake of our technology,” Davidson recalls. “But already we have tools deployed in Alberta, in the United States, in Argentina, in Oman and soon in Columbia and Brazil, all from an Edmonton-centric company. Because of the talent here, the client base, the proximity to tool shops and the heart of Canada’s oil sector, we knew it was going to be a great place to launch what we saw as a future international company. If you look at it, our technology is applicable to every oil reservoir in the world.”

The implications of that are enormous. Time for some math. “If you add 1 per cent to BP’s original hydrocarbons, it equates to two billion barrels of oil,” Davidson says. “If you add 5 per cent to world oil production, it would be 300 - 600 billion barrels. If you own an oilfield, by all estimations you’re going to get 30 per cent recovery. That’s your ‘estimated ultimate recovery.’ Let’s say Wavefront comes along and brings a technology to enhance that. We might bring another 2 per cent, or 5 per cent or even 10 per cent.”

Let’s do the calculations. Wavefront had five projects that ran for between two and four years, and for which the increase in ultimate recovery was on average 2.57 per cent (2.5 per cent more oil than could be accessed from that reservoir by conventional methods). If 1 per cent of BP’s hydrocarbons is 2 billion barrels, then 2 ½ per cent is going to mean an increase in recovery of roughly 4.25 billion barrels; oil that would otherwise be left in the ground.

“That is the wow factor for Wavefront,” says Davidson. “We have the technology to completely change the way things are being done. Remember, water flooding or CO2 flooding is going to be done anyway, but what we do is get you better distribution, which leads to better ultimate recovery. As we roll out this technology on a global basis, we are going to be bringing possibly billions of barrels of oil to the industry.”

Having said all that, industry doesn’t change over night.

It takes time for a technology to be adopted. According to Davidson, in the oil industry it can take from 15 to 20 years, which is why Wavefront also concentrates on the other sectors of well stimulation and performance drilling.

Performance drilling speaks to optimization and is used in two areas: drilling horizontal wells and drilling out composites during the fracturing process. “As you go out farther and farther into the reservoir horizontally and the drill string starts dragging on the geological formation, you have more and more friction,” Davidson says. “When you have that friction, you end up having less weight on the drill bit. On the surface the drill is pushing down on the bit, but because of the friction, that weight isn’t getting to the bit. It slows down the rate of penetration which gets slower and slower as you move along the horizontal section.”

To address the friction problem, a number of companies have come up with devices called drilling agitators. As you’re moving further along the horizontal, these agitators vibrate the drill string which reduces the friction, keeping more weight ‘on bit’ and thereby increasing weight of penetration. It works. But Wavefront has developed a drilling agitator of its own, utilizing fluid pulsing. “Our agitator is

It usually doesn’t make a lot of sense to use the words “oil” and “ecology” together, but in Wavefront’s case, it does. at the drill bit, whereas our competitors’ might go 1,000 meters behind the guidance system,” Davidson says. “So ours keeps the bit a lot cleaner. We can increase the rate of penetration by 30% or more. If you can drill a well 30% faster, you can imagine the cost savings.”

In well stimulation, acids and chemicals are used to improve the performance of a single well. The downside to the injection process is that if you inject the fluid through tubing, that fluid’s going to go where it wants to go. “If I inject with a fluid pulse, I’m going to be able to get the fluid to more of the completed interval,” Davidson explains.

Hence, whatever money I’m spending on chemicals or acid, I’m going to get better performance from it.” Davidson offers as an example of a company in Mexico that used Wavefront’s fluid pulsing technology for well stimulation and got up to a 1,200 per cent increase in production as a result.

It usually doesn’t make a lot of sense to use the words “oil” and “ecology” together, but in Wavefront’s case, it does. With their technology it may be possible to drill less wells and get more oil production and that means less of an environmental footprint. More importantly, in Davidson’s mind, is the fact that Wavefront technology is being used by the groundwater remediation sector to help clean up contaminated sites in Hungary, Australia, Belgium, Canada and the United States.

“There are real benefits to using our technology to clean up sites. That’s one of the reasons we’re classified as a green technology. Maybe it’s a former factory, a dry cleaning facility or a gas station. Our most famous client was NASA at Cape Canaveral,” Davidson says, with obvious pride. “The University of Central Florida developed a chemistry to clean up trichloroethylene, which was used at Launch Complex 34 where the Apollo missions blasted off. The University’s chemistry would render the trichloroethylene neutral, but the trick was delivering it to the contaminant. Somewhere in the neighbourhood of 90 per cent of all remediation is cleaned up in the ground by injecting some kind of chemistry. What Wavefront brings is the delivery system.”

“At the end of the day, this is really Dr. Spano’s technology,” Davidson says. “I was very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to work on it. We’re just getting started, but we all really believe we have a game changing technology. We’re committed to building the business, and as we do that, everything else will follow.”

Who knows? Maybe one day we’ll have a sports franchise called the Edmonton Pulse. BIE www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | April 2013

25

MINING

MINING THE NORTH

Mining the North

BY CAMMIE LEARD

A

Conference Board of Canada report released in January 2013 predicts mining employment and output in Canada’s North could nearly double by 2020, but social and environmental issues, declining commodities prices and a high-cost of development could prove insurmountable challenges.

On August 16, 1896, American prospector George Carmack, his First Nations wife, Kate, and in-laws Skookum Jim and Dawson Charlie struck a deposit on the banks of the Yukon’s Rabbit Creek that would set a continent on fire with gold fever and bring nearly 100,000 hopeful prospectors to this beautiful and treacherous part of the world.

The Carmacks’ discovery was just the beginning of a century-long, hot-and-cold love affair between miners and Canada’s North. Thousands made and lost their fortunes during the Klondike gold rush while thousands more were left broke and broken by stiff competition and harsh conditions. While

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April 2013 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

MINING

MINING THE NORTH

Regulatory Processes

PHOTO COURTESY OF DIAVIK DIAMOND MINES INC.

pick axes and sluice boxes have been replaced by GPS surveys and state-of-the-art drilling technology, and the quest for gold replaced by a demand for rare earth metals, potash and diamonds, one thing has remained the same over the past 100 years – the potential of Canada’s North is matched only by its challenges.

In January 2013, the Conference Board of Canada’s Centre for the North released a report that predicted mining employment and output in Canada’s northern region could nearly double by decade’s end – providing that government, industry and First Nations are able to work together to overcome the many challenges presented by mining in difficult conditions.

“Mining is the future economic driver of Canada’s North. To fully reap the benefits of this potential, we must find the right balance between risk and opportunity,” says Anja Jeffrey, director of the Centre for the North. That balance means addressing a number of primary challenges.

After decades of having to navigate an obstacle course of inconsistent, unclear mining regulations, help appears to be on the way for the mining industry in Canada’s North. Tom Hoefer is the executive director of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut Chamber of Mines, an industry association that advocates for responsible and sustainable exploration and development in the NWT and Nunavut. He says the federal government has stepped up its focus on improving regulatory conditions.

“The feds launched a Northern Regulatory Improvement Initiative in 2009,” he explains. “Recently, they tabled Bill C-47, the Northern Jobs & Growth Act, which will create an NWT Surface Rights Board and the Nunavut Project and Planning Assessment Act…long overdue for industry, since unnecessary complexity has helped scare away investment.”

Territorial governments have also begun addressing the issue through initiatives like the NWT Mineral Development Strategy, which is now in the works.

Bridging the Infrastructure Gap

Canada’s Territories alone comprise nearly four million square kilometres of cold, remote expanse with a combined population of just over 107,000 in small, remote communities. The Territories’ infrastructure is the most underdeveloped in the country. Nunavut has no highway system and the longest road (102 km) was built by a mining company to bring freight in from the nearest community. With little tax support from a small and under-employed population, governments and industry in Canada’s North, for the most part, have been left to fend for themselves.

A number of provincial initiatives are already underway, including Ontario’s Ring of Fire ($3.3-billion chromite mine, rail link and processing facility) Quebec’s Plan Nord (highway expansions, airport upgrades, possible rail lines and deep-

water port development) and the Northern BC Powerline ($404-million project to provide northern communities with sustainable and affordable power).

Jeffery says its time for government and industry to come together to realize the full potential of northern mining ventures.

“We need to create a dialog and begin to look at it from a P3 (Public Private Partnership) perspective,” she says. “By bridging the infrastructure gap, governments can help make Canadian product more competitive on the world markets by bringing down the costs of production, and that benefits everyone.”

Shortage of Skilled Labour

While even the more densely populated regions of Canada struggle to fill labour demands, northern development faces an immense challenge. An estimated additional 16,930 Northerners will be needed to meet the demand. Hoefer says industry and government are already working to solve the problem.

www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | April 2013

27

MINING

MINING THE NORTH

THE NWT’S FIRST OF THREE DIAMOND MINES (EKATI) OPENED IN 1998. SINCE THEN THE DIAVIK MINE (PICTURED) OPENED IN 2003 AND SNAP LAKE MINE IN 2008 – ALL THREE HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTIONS TO THEIR COMMUNITIES. PHOTO COURTESY OF DIAVIK DIAMOND MINES INC.

“We are encouraged with government training funds and are lobbying for a pan-territorial training partnership fund for all three Territories,” he says. “We have been very successful with government matching industry training dollars to get even more bang for the buck.”

Honouring First Nations’ Role

According to the report, the percentage of Aboriginal employees in northern mining operations is about seven per cent – double that of the national average. Hoefer says employing First Nations people is just the beginning of how the mining industry has impacted northern communities.

“To 2010, more than 17,000 person years of northern employment was created (in NWT and NU), of which over

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April 2013 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

half is Aboriginal,” he says. “In addition, our diamond mines had spent over $8.5 billion in the North of which about $4 billion was with Aboriginal companies. This is a significant Canadian accomplishment. As a result of our industry’s success at creating northern benefits, the mining industry is the largest employer of Aboriginal people and contributes about one-third of the GDP.” Of course, economic impact is an important issue for Aboriginal communities, but working together goes far beyond dollars and cents. It’s now standard procedure for communities to require companies to negotiate impact benefit agreements (IBAs) including requirements for not only employment, but provision of services, scholarship funding, etc. before mine construction begins.

MINING

MINING THE NORTH

Environmental Stewardship

Institutes of Public Governments (IPGs) are resource management boards that oversee wildlife management, environmental reviews and approvals as well as permitting and licensing in the North. Comprising of 50 per cent Aboriginal appointments and 50 per cent government appointments, the IPGs have the final say and are a great example of Canadian innovation.

“Environmental legislation is very strong in the North now,” says Hoefer.

“IPGs are grounded in land claims agreements and are ‘supra-legislation’, that is, they trump legislation.

It’s a very powerful model.”

From the industry perspective, the Mining Association of Canada’s Towards Sustainable Mining initiative sets performance measures related primarily to the environment.

Member companies are required to subscribe and report their results annually with third-party auditing every three years.

What it Means for the Market

While the Centre for the North is optimistic about the potential for growth (a doubling of output from $4.4 billion to $8.5 billion in by 2020), stock market speculators are a bit more skeptical. David Pescod is an investment advisor with Canaccord Wealth Management in Edmonton and writes extensively on resource and mining stocks. He says the mining sector and commodities are struggling in the market and the chal-

lenges presented by developing in the North are cost-prohibitive for junior companies and investors looking for opportunities.

“The problem is simply the high costs of operating in the North and weaker commodity prices,” he says.

“All the resource markets are hurting and the worst of all have been the junior mining sector.”

He says he’s unconvinced of some of the report’s up-and-coming northern mining projects will come online in the reported timeframes including Fortune Minerals’ Nico gold/cobalt/ copper/bismuth mine (NWT), the Canadian Zinc Corporation’s, Prairie Creek mine (NWT), Baffinland’s Mary River iron ore mine (Nunavut) and others citing crushing development costs and environmental concerns.

“If one is investing in mining stocks, or should we better say speculating, we are once again learning it is a very cyclical business,” he says.

“When world economies were gearing up, commodities had their day in the sun. Now that things are not nearly as robust, the sector is dreadful. Should one be convinced that Europe was about to recover and maybe India do what China did the last decade, and South America keep growing, demand for commodities would recover and so should prices and stocks.” BIE

Learn More: View the Centre for the North’s Report: The Future of Mining in Canada’s North: www.centreforthenorth.ca

www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | April 2013

29

Pioneer Truck Lines • 25 Years

Pioneer Truck Lines Ltd. would like to send out a special thank you to all the Customers and Suppliers that sent such warm greetings to our company for our 25th anniversary.

Without their continued support and services we never would have grown as we have.

Edmonton Kenworth Ltd. DRM Recovery Ltd. FPB Insurance Brokers OK Tire City Spring Ltd. Cooling Systems Services Kendall Oilfield Contracting Ltd. Central Cam Canfab Products Ltd. R & D Trailer Rentals Ltd. The LEDCOR Group of Companies Fountain Tire Fleet and Truck Campbell- Mack Supply (1985) Ltd.

Thank you! We wish you the best in the future.

Let’s continue growing together.

8321 – 1st Street, Edmonton, Alberta T6P – 1X2 • Tel: 780.467.8880 Fax: 780.417.8956 www.pioneertrucklines.com

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

TELECOMMUTING: A BALANCING ACT

Telecommuting: A Balancing Act

BY NERISSA MCNAUGHTON

Telecommuting is the latest buzzword for working from home.

Two employees and an employer discuss the pros and cons.

C

haymie Hintz is an environmental project manager at Stantec in Edmonton. She coordinates the cleanup of oilfield spills, makes sure people have the tools and equipment necessary to do their jobs and has travelled extensively around Alberta to visit project sites and ensure proper procedures are being followed. Hintz creates reports, leads teams, liaises with other Stantec employees across Canada and works from home.

Say what?

www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | April 2013

31

TELECOMMUNICATIONS TELECOMMUTING: A BALANCING ACT

HINTZ PREAPRES HEALTHY MEALS STEPS AWAY FROM HER HOME OFFICE

When we hear of work-from-home jobs, transcription, medical billing, Tupperware or Avon are what spring to mind; but more and more corporations are embracing flexible work weeks, reduced summer hours, and the coveted telecommute for their employees.

On the surface, it looks like a good deal. Working from home affords you the chance to stay in your pajamas, skip the commute, spend more time with your family, and choose your own hours... right? As Hintz points out, telecommuting is far more involved than sipping a latte at Starbucks while you casually peck out reports on a sunny patio.

“The only way telecommuting works is if the people in the office know how to deal with the telecommuter,” Hintz pointed out as she multitasked her way through the interview. Despite it being 3 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon, her Blackberry – the precious link to the office – was on the counter as she prepped dinner for her family and answered questions. “When I started [telecommuting], it was not a widely accepted practice in the company. Some people thought we [telecommuters] were just goofing off at home.” But as Hintz points out between expertly cutting up an asparagus and dismissing several emails on her phone, “there is no way to hide if you are not doing your

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April 2013 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

work. It requires a level of trust among the team.”

As for those comfy pajamas, Hintz freely admits they make up a good part of her at-home wardrobe. However, elastic waistbands and flannel do not detract from her productivity or professionalism. “It’s actually easier to maintain professionalism and workflow,” she states after pausing to answer a call from Stantec regarding an 8 p.m. conference call scheduled for later in the evening. “There is far less water cooler talk when you’re at home. I’ve seen my productivity increase by 20 per cent.” But there is a downside. “It’s not easy to maintain the personal relationships you develop at the office,” she cautions. “It’s harder to get to know your co-workers. You can get isolated very quickly. Telecommuting is not something you want to do unless you already have a good support network of coworkers, friends and family.”

For Hintz, the importance of the work/life balance that telecommuting affords cannot be understated. “The kids like it and my husband likes it,” she confirms. “The kids are much more active and they see me more during the day. After school we go swimming and to the playground. The kids are definitely healthier and happier.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” her husband Chris agrees. “It’s nice to know if something happened with the

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS TELECOMMUTING: A BALANCING ACT

It is not just employees that support telecommuting. Many employers support it as well. One such company is Avalon Global. Avalon is located in Spruce Grove and provides creative IT solutions and social network marketing strategies for companies of all sizes.

kids, at least one of us is close to the school. Before, life just wasn’t working. She was doing 7.5 hours at work, plus two hours a day commuting. The time you spend in commuting can be spent with friends, family or doing something more productive. Besides, her lifespan as an office worker was over. This way has more flexibility for personal and medical reasons.”

Medical reasons: another reason why telecommuting works so well for Hintz. Hintz suffers from torticollis, a muscle condition that causes pain similar to arthritis. After years of trying various treatments, she finds relief in several hours of yoga – daily. Skipping yoga sessions results in unbearable stiffness where even turning her head results in agony. Her telecommuting schedule allows her to engage in yoga while still meeting Stantec’s productivity expectations. If time off during the day to do yoga sounds unproductive, contrast that with time off during the day spent unable to work or at endless doctor appointments.

Besides, “you’d look pretty funny doing your yoga at your desk, so chances are you won’t do it,” Chris points out. Being able to slip off to the yoga studio down the street or even go from her desk chair to a yoga mat in her home office has made a world of difference for Hintz’s career.

The Blackberry goes off again and Hintz smiles when she learns her 8 p.m. conference call has been cancelled.

“Technology has made it easier to telecommute but harder to achieve work/life balance,” she admits as she puts down the phone. “If you don’t set up boundaries, you will wind up working every hour of the day. It’s hard to make that distinction, especially if you have a Blackberry! Without boundaries, you don’t have a work and life separation.” She freely admits, “The work is part of your home life.”

Regardless, telecommuting works for Hintz, her medical condition, her family and Stantec. “If I wasn’t telecommuting, I’d be unemployed by now. I wouldn’t be able to manage work and my health issues.”

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April 2013 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

Hintz’s children, Nadia (8) and Liam (6) were happy to weigh in on the subject of their mom working from home.

“I don’t like it when I don’t have stuff to do, but I like it when she gets a break and she plays with me,” said Nadia.

Liam firmly stated, “Thing I don’t like is she has to work a lot. The thing I do like is when she works from home, she gets paid lots of money. That’s awesome!”

“We get food for the money and charity for the people,” Nadia solemnly agreed.

There is another aspect to telecommuting that nets “food for the money.” Our neighbours to the south, America, are struggling through a recession. Some have chosen to immigrate or change careers. Others, like Amandalyn Vanover, have chosen to stay put and telecommute across the border. Vanover is a freelance writer whose contracts include writing for a company in Edmonton. “Buying and selling American is encouraged day in and day out, but the choices are not always available,” says Vanover. “I believe more Americans are looking to telecommute because of the wide array of benefits. Many American companies are not flexible enough to offer this yet.”

Canadian companies engaged in cross-border telecommuting must follow mandates put forth by Human Resources Development Canada and other government agencies to ensure compliance with foreign worker regulations. Regardless of the paperwork, Vanover feels telecommuting is mostly a positive experience. “I think that telecommuting is the only way I can work effectively and efficiently for both my family and my business. Before telecommuting became my only way of working, I was always being pulled here and there, and falling up short in many areas. Now that I’m not wasting time and money in traffic, I am definitely more productive in life. The pros are unlimited for me personally, plus the foundation of telecommuting makes location a moot point. The cons are that I cannot jump in the car and go see the people that I work

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

TELECOMMUTING: A BALANCING ACT

with and for. While telecommuting is awesome, a face to face visit would be a plus from time to time.”

It is not just employees that support telecommuting. Many employers support it as well. One such company is Avalon Global. Avalon is located in Spruce Grove and provides creative IT solutions and social network marketing strategies for companies of all sizes. “Avalon actively promotes working remotely when it makes sense. There are times when it is far more efficient for both our company and the individual to work from home, but it depends on the person’s role in the company and their individual situation. The other side of this is that depending on their role in the company, there are times when physical proximity and face-to-face contact is important. This applies to staff and contractors,” says Jodie Stafford of the innovative company.

There is, however, a downside.

“In our company, we employ people that we need to have in-house and that need to be here for internal staff and client meetings, and we contract people that can effectively work remotely,” she continues. “One thing I know for sure is that it is much more difficult to build a cohesive team of people when they aren’t in physical proximity on a regular basis. In our

business, our core team is in the office on a regular basis, and there is always a slight disconnect with the people who work remotely. Video conferencing is great, but there’s no replacing the need for human contact and relationships. I would say that one negative effect on the workforce will be that their advancement (within the company they work for) will be much more difficult without the availability for face-to-face contact with owners and upper management.”

Working from home is evolving from something parents do to earn extra money to something anyone can expect progressive employers in Canada to offer. While there are clear benefits to telecommuting, there are also pitfalls to avoid. In the end it comes down to the one thing we all strive to achieve: balance. Thanks to advances in technology and forwardthinking attitudes in the workforce, telecommuting is making that balance easier to maintain. BIE

www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | April 2013

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10

ANNIV

TH

ON THE ROAD:

Devlin Celebrates 10 Years of Constructing Success

By Mark Kandborg

E

dmonton is a city of drivers. We rely on roads and parking lots to allow us to work, play and live our lives to the fullest. However, our road surfaces are under constant siege as temperatures swing wildly from one extreme to another resulting in cracks, settlements and potholes. Luckily for us, the good folks at Devlin Construction are on the job, helping to keep the many kilometres of pavement beneath our tires smooth, snow-free and, above all, safe.

Devlin Construction was formed when George Devlin’s excavating company was combined with Marcin Hrehoruk’s experience and expertise with asphalt, concrete and snow removal, proving that great things could be made greater yet. Since each company’s components were busiest in different seasons, the amalgamation created a hybrid business with virtually no down time.

“When our businesses were separate, we doubled our revenue and personnel every year, right from the beginning. When

Building Relationships (and more).

we teamed up, it continued from there. We call it our ‘Double Double’ philosophy,” Devlin says.

“We ended up calling it Devlin Construction,” Hrehoruk says, whose own name, while colorful, admittedly rolls off the tongue a little less effortlessly. “It’s easy to remember. Devlin’s a well-known name for writers, artists. Now it’s well-known for construction.”

“Marcin had built up a large client base with a lot of loyalty,” Devlin says. “He brought that over.” The company broadened its reach, while maintaining the solid client relationships they’d already built. That’s when things really started happening.

“We do so much now, when people ask us what we do it’s not so easy to say. We wear a lot of hats,” Hrehoruk says. “That’s

Devlin Construction celebrates 10 years.

From one Alberta business to another, congratulations on a decade of success.

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VERSARY been the trend over the past few years. You have to do it all. The client likes to talk to one contractor. One phone call takes care of everything.” Hrehoruk points out that Devlin Construction has a lot of experts with experience who can multi-task. “We’re very lucky to have people like that in our organization,” he says, and as a result Devlin Construction is able to offer a complete package from underground to asphalt, construction and line drawings to landscaping. “We’re a one-stop shop.”

Casting an ever-widening net (they now have major contracts in St. Albert and Strathcona County as well as Edmonton), Devlin Construction really does it all when it comes to surface solutions. Covering the residential and commercial realms with equal expertise, the company excels at light and heavy excavation, concrete service (curbs, gutters, sidewalks, pattern concrete), asphalt service (residential roadways, parking lots, driveways), spring clean up (including repairing winter damage, sweeping, line painting and debris removal), sidewalk grinding (to remove trip hazards from frost upheavals and tree roots), snow removal (sidewalks, parking lots, sanding and grading) and infrared patching. Devlin was the first company in the city to use this advanced technology for asphalt repair.

“The future is now,” Devlin says, “and there will continue to be smarter and better ways to do construction. We’re always looking for the newest equipment.”

Devlin and Hrehoruk attribute much of their success to core values of expertise and service. “Whether it’s a ten thousand dollar job or ten million, we treat everyone the same,” Hrehoruk says.

They know how to get the job done. Last year, over 90% of Devlin contracts were completed ahead of schedule and under budget.

As Devlin Construction celebrates its 10th Anniversary, they wish to thank their employees, past and present, for all of their hard work, their material suppliers and vendors for helping them to grow so quickly and, especially, their customers for a decade of belief and support.

10720 - 209 Street Edmonton, Alberta T5S 1Z8 Bus: (780) 473-0384 • Fax: (780) 473-0345 www.devlinconstruction.com

Proud to be partnered with Devlin Construction – Congratulations on 10 Years!

Edmonton – Calgary – Saskatoon – Winnipeg Toll-free 1-855-474-CLMT (2568) www.calmont.ca

DEVLIN CONSTRUCTION LTD. | 10 YEARS

A FAMILY BUSINESS FULL OF ENERGY

By Nerissa McNaughton

E

nergy Saving Products Ltd. manufactures Hi-Velocity, small diameter duct HVAC systems designed for optimal energy efficiency. Products are manufactured in Edmonton and components are sourced mainly from Canadian suppliers.

In the beginning, Leon and Elaine Prevost ran the business while their sons, Tim and Daniel, worked on their school’s summer holidays and then on breaks from their HVAC and refrigeration courses at NAIT. Both boys joined the business full-time upon graduating.

The company enjoyed a steadily growing reputation as a Canadian manufacturer of energy efficient products and established strong support across North America from clients and suppliers.

Then it all went up in smoke.

January 27, 2009. An arsonist broke a window, poured 10 gallons of accelerant into the building, and lit it on fire. The building burned to the ground and nearly a million dollars worth of product was destroyed.

“I was just utterly devastated,” says company president, Elaine Prevost. “I was about 12 blocks away when I saw the flames. They were 100 feet high. I thought to myself ‘please, not our building!’

But it was.”

Elaine’s eldest son, Tim agrees. “There was a definite anger that there would be someone out there that could devastate my family and our business the way they did. They didn’t just hurt us. They hurt all 25 of us that worked here.”

Leon, the CEO, was at a tradeshow in Chicago with his two sons when he heard the news. “After the initial shock wore off,” says Leon, “It was...I’m going to go back and work harder and build it better.”

It took ingenuity, planning and dedication, but they replaced their facility with a state of the art, energy efficient office and warehouse on a budget so tight, it did not exceed the insurance compensation. “It just proves you can build energy efficient on a budget,” Elaine points out. She goes on to say that while the upfront costs of installing energy efficient products are higher than their standard counterparts, the payoff is seen in the long run. The heating costs for the old facility were $3,400 per month, but in the new facility?

Just $880.

Through tragedy and triumph, one thing has remained constant: This has been a family business from the get go. “I remember putting stickers on vents plates and screws in bags,” laughs Daniel as his older brother, Tim, estimates their ages be around six years old at that time. Working as a family is not always easy, but this tight knit group wouldn’t have it any other way. “We are all family, some of us just happen be related,” Elaine says of the Energy Saving staff.

Like all families, there comes a time when the roles of the patriarch and matriarch start to change, and for Energy Saving, that Energy Saving Products Ltd. • 30 Year Anniversary

The Prevost Family: Daniel, Leon, Elaine & Tim.

time is now. “The enthusiasm of youth brings a fresh perspective to the process,” says Leon. “It’s time for me to step back.” Energy Saving is going through another metamorphosis. The parents, Leon and Elaine, are moving to roles of support while their children, Tim and Daniel, take the company in a new direction. Tim, whose current role is technical support and training, is looking into new markets outside of North America while Daniel investigates new technologies.

Unwavering enthusiasm, tenacity in the midst of adversary, and the strong bonds of family have made this company a leading industry role model and a shining example of what can be accomplished with dedication, ingenuity and optimism.

Manufactured by

12615 - 124 Street Edmonton, Alberta Ph: 780-453-2093 • Fax: 780-453-1932 Toll Free: 1-888-652-2219 www.hi-velocity.com • info@hi-velocity.com

30th Anniversary 10519 - 114 Street Edmonton, Alberta T5H 3J6 Phone: 780-423-4066 • Toll Free: 800-232-7280 Fax: 780-421-9200 www.soperssupply.com

Congratulations Energy Saving Products Ltd. on 30 years!

Congratulations Energy Saving Products Ltd.on 30 years of outstanding business and continued success in the future from your friends at George L Bogowicz Professional Corporation Chartered Accountant 17315 A-108 Ave N.W, Edmonton • Ph: 780-489-3333 • Fax: 780-489-1040

Congratulations Energy Saving Products Ltd. on 30 years!

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Energy Saving Products Ltd. • 30 Year Anniversary

50th Anniversary Allen Gray Creates Active Living Space for Senior Residents

by Mark Kandborg

O

n a chilly autumn evening in 1952, nine ambitious women dedicated to the cause of building a facility for the care of elderly women in our city, convened at the house of Mrs. Francis Winspear to make the pursuit of their common goal official. On that night, they formed the Gray House Guild, named after Edmonton’s first Anglican Bishop and well-loved humanitarian, Henry Allen Gray.

It took a full 10 years of bake sales, fundraising teas and even the creation of a cookbook with recipes from Mrs. Winspear herself for these enterprising ladies to raise enough money to begin construction of the Allen Gray Auxiliary Hospital on a parcel of city-donated land. The donated land is on the banks of the Mill Creek Ravine.

Fifty years later, as the waiting list for residency continued to grow, the decision was made to build a much larger version of the facility on its current location.

The newly named Allen Gray Continuing Care Centre illustrates that many things do indeed get better with age. It’s an

Golden Years Allen Gray Continuing Care Centre celebrates 50 years in business.

From one Alberta business to another—and a proud partner for over 25 years—congratulations on this milestone.

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Marlene McMahon, HR Mngr.; Clara Ambard, C.E.O.; Sylvia Zurch, Receptionist; Charlotte McFadden, Director of Care.

impressive place. Clean and spacious, the facility’s capacity has more than doubled, growing from a mere 50 beds to 136 with an additional 15 lodge suites.

As I tour the building, I have to keep reminding myself that I’m in a care facility. Every effort has been made to maintain the original Guild’s vision of a “friendly, home-like feeling.” In addition to the birds and fish that also call the centre home, each floor has its own resident cat, although Casper has been known to slip into an elevator and travel down a floor to steal some of Misty’s food on occasion.

“We try to make it a community here,” says Clara Ambard, Allen Gray’s CEO of nearly 25 years, “and we have. Our goal is to integrate, not segregate.”

Adding to the friendly air is the brilliant inclusion of a daycare right in the heart of Allen Gray. “It started as a place for children of the staff, but now the community uses it, too,” Ambard says.

“At first some of the little ones were afraid of the residents, but now they’ve got lots of grandmas and grandpas.”

At the end of my walkabout, a group of residents kindly took the time to visit with me.

“I’ve had the pleasure of living here for nine years,” says Hester Hubbell, who’s known affectionately as ‘the ticket lady’ for her ability to sell just about anything to anyone, a nickname she’s earned as head of the fundraising committee. “I love it here. It’s like a 5-star hotel, that’s how I describe it. We’re human beings, not numbers. We come first.”

Raymond Zenon Joly couldn’t agree more. “I love the people, staff and residents,” he says. “It’s very spacious. You can be quiet by yourself, or if you want to be busy with people, you can do that, too.”

Stan Garrett, a former transit and tour bus driver, likes that he can keep busy. “There are lots of places to go, lots of things to do,

Allen Gray Continuing Care Centre | 50 years

As my time visiting with this delightful group comes to a close, Hester reminds Josephine of a promise to make cabbage rolls for them some day soon, adding slyly, “I know where you live.”

The warm laughter shared by these happy residents would have made the women of the Allen Gray Guild proud.

Ray Joly, Josephine Ryley, Hester Hubbell and Stan Garrett.

games to play, everything you want. I get along with everybody here,” he says. “Even my wife.”

Josephine Ryley sums Allen Gray up beautifully. “I walked in, and that was it,” she says. “Comfortable, nice and clean. I love pretty well everything. Entertainment, there’s lots of that. People come in all the time to sing or play. I especially like the Police Band.”

5005 – 28 Avenue N.W. Edmonton, Alberta T6L 7G1 Ph: (780) 469-2371 • Fax: (780) 465-2073 allengray.ab.ca

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ABC 83098 2013/01

Congratulations

Thursday, June 27 | 6pm | The Sutton Place Hotel Contact us for tickets

780-638-1777 Join us in celebrating Business in Edmonton’s Leaders of Tomorrow.

We will be honouring 20 individuals for their business acumen, contribution to community and to their industry. These are the people that are making Edmonton a great city to live and work in.

Business in Edmonton will feature your Leaders of Tomorrow in our July 2013 issue.

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HUMAN RESOURCES INSTITUTE OF ALBERTA

RECREATIONAL INVESTMENTS

INVESTMENT PARADISE

INVESTMENT PARADISE

BY MARK KANDBORG

Edmonton has an investment paradise with a backyard, in its backyard.

T

he problem with most financial investments is that they’re not much fun. They are important and valuable; a great deal of enjoyment can be had when they’re liquidated and you (hopefully) have more money than you had to begin with, but while you possess them, they just kind of sit there quietly working in the background. Recreational investments, on the other hand, are an entirely different animal.

www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | April 2013

43

RECREATIONAL INVESTMENTS INVESTMENT PARADISE

PHOTO COURTESY OF TRAVEL ALBERT.A

Whether it’s a lakefront cabin, golf course condo or tropical vacation property, having this type of investment is fun – no doubt about it. It still has the power to give you that extra kick of enjoyment when you liquidate and end up with more money in your pocket or, as is often the case, when you choose instead to pass it on down the family line for the kids and grandkids to enjoy. If you do it right, recreational investments might just be the best of all possible models to put your money into. You can have your cake and eat it, too. And so

44

April 2013 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

can your lucky (and suddenly well-behaved) friends and relatives.

We live in a city that loves to play, but Edmontonians tend not to play where we live. We’re a wayward bunch. Part of it is weather related, of course. We like to head south for the winter, the further the better, it seems. But our recreation time isn’t confined to winter escapes. During the summer months, many of us can’t wait to get out of town for the weekend. City festivals are great, but nothing beats boating, fishing, hiking or just reading a good book with a view of the lake.

RECREATIONAL INVESTMENTS

INVESTMENT PARADISE

WAYNE HEINE, LAKE AND RECREATIONAL PROPERTY CONSULTANT WITH REALTY EXECUTIVES LEADING.

We may not realize it, but it’s these summer pursuits that make us very lucky, we Edmontonians. They’re also what make Wayne Heine, lake and recreational property consultant with Realty Executives Leading, very, very excited.

To be honest, as I speak with Heine from his winter getaway in California (he is an Edmontonian, after all), I get the impression that very excited is kind of his default setting. He loves his lifestyle and he loves what he does, but he takes it up a notch to very, very excited when he talks about the promised land of recreation-

al investment that lies within a couple of driving hours west of our city.

“Most people are shocked of the kind of lifestyle that exists just a 45 minute drive away,” he says. “It’s paradise.

Right now it’s very much like Riverdale was in the ’90s, where if you bought a little place for $100,000 it would easily be worth $400,000 today. So it’s an investment paradise, too. Recreation properties west of the city are tremendously undervalued.”

Just how undervalued? For example, take Seba Beach, a village with a population of 200 which balloons to 800 people in the summer. “You can buy a three-bedroom, 1,200 square foot house a half block from the beach, for $200,000,” he says. “That’s half of what that same house would cost in the city.” Heine considers Seba Beach to be the best kept secret in Edmonton. Not just because of how far your hard earned dollar can stretch. Not just because of the beautiful lake, two miles in length with a 50 foot wide sandy beach, either. Listen to the way Heine describes it: “I have a place there. I’m 20 minutes away from seven golf courses. I can get up in the morning and sit on the beach, play a little tennis, head off for a couple rounds of golf then come home and sit in front of my fireplace or look at the stars. And I’m not even talking about boating.” www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | April 2013

45

RECREATIONAL INVESTMENTS INVESTMENT PARADISE

The Trade Show is the only one of its kind in Alberta with experts and representatives not only from that golden area just west of us, but from B.C., Arizona, the Dominican Republic, Belize, Mexico and Costa Rica, among others.

Heine is quick to point out, with his characteristic brand of relaxed enthusiasm, that it would be a mistake to think of our “investment paradise” as summer-only. “Temperatures out there were still in the upper twenties until mid-October, and to be honest, my favourite time out there is Christmas, sitting by the fire. Sledding is huge. There are lots of skidoo tracks, utility vehicle tracks and there’s cross-country skiing,” he says, adding, “You’re half way to Jasper. I leave my ski equipment at the lake all year long.

The kids and I head to the mountains for the day and we’re back sleeping in our own beds that night.”

As perfect as Seba Beach sounds, it’s definitely not the only fish in the lake, so to speak. There are lots of destinations to choose from and it’s hard to go wrong with any of them. Lake Wabamun, just 45 minutes out of town, is another prime spot and one Heine refers to as the “premier lake” west of the city. “Money likes to attract money, and money has found its way out there,” he says. One of the attractive features of Lake Wabamun is that it’s entirely fed by spring water. There’s even a 30-kilometre government funded pipeline running from the North Saskatchewan River to keep it that way and to maintain consistent water levels, which have been getting progressively lower at most of the other lakes in the region. Another benefit of a spring fed lake, especially one with a coal bottom like Wabamun, is that it’s very hard for blue-green algae to infiltrate, making it one of the most ecologically pristine around.

There’s a fair amount of development going on at Seba, Wabamun and a host of other nearby and in-demand lakes, just as there are at recreation areas all across the continent.

There’s an important distinction to be made, however. The developments west of our city have a distinct rural character. They’re generally acreage style with a small footprint.

The average development at Wabamun is a mere 50 – 100 lots. No sprawling “bring the city to the country” style developments here. “Most don’t have signs,” Heine says. “You wouldn’t even know they’re there.”

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April 2013 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

So how does one learn what’s out there? You could find yourself a lake and recreational specialist like Wayne Heine (he has the only completely self-contained mobile real estate office to service the entire area) or, for an even wider view of your recreational investment options, you could attend the Second Homes Trade Show on April 4th at the Ramada Inn, right here in Edmonton.

The Trade Show is the only one of its kind in Alberta with experts and representatives not only from that golden area just west of us, but from B.C., Arizona, the Dominican Republic, Belize, Mexico and Costa Rica, among others. Once your recreation investment dollars leave the province, of course, things get more complicated. Different buying laws and practices come into play. Attendance at the Trade Show gives you an unparalleled opportunity to get the scoop from experts about many different geographical areas, people well-versed in the financial risks/ benefits and legal requirements involved.

“It’s a one day show, and the attendees tend to be extremely focused, qualified and well-prepared,” says Rhonda Vickers, sales development manager at the Edmonton Journal, which puts on the event twice a year. “It’s common for people to come to a show, do some research and come back.” If you want information on the state of current opportunities in recreational investment, and lots of it, the Ramada Inn is the place to be on April 4th. Once again, we’re lucky to be living in this city as the large proportion of show attendees traveling here from Calgary would attest.

Heine would agree. “Calgarians know the value of what we have to offer,” he says. “I’d say half of those investing [in that paradise west of the city] are from the Calgary area. There’s nothing like it where they are, especially not at these prices. They’re more than willing to drive the three extra hours just for a little part of what we have right next door.” BIE

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Qua REAL ESTATE THE QUARTERS

The

THE HIDDEN GEMS IN A ROUGH NEIGHBOURHOOD WILL BE REVEALED AS IT IS UNDERGOES A MAKEOVER.

BY MARK KANDBORG

F

or decades, the area east of 100 street on either side of Jasper Avenue enjoyed an almost romantic distinction as our city’s skid row. In recent years, as increased police presence and the slow encroachment of a more vital downtown core has encouraged the movement of a transient and decidedly unsavory element ever northward, this 100 hectare piece of neglected real estate has become a kind of urban no-man’s land, a non-neighbourhood. Some refer to it with thinly disguised disdain as Boyle Street. Others don’t refer to it at all.

But that’s about to change.

Soon, you and everybody else will be calling it “The Quarters,” a reference to the four districts that will make up its mass. Remember that name, because it’s destined to become as important to this city’s landscape as Old Strathcona and the Fourth Street Promenade. In fact, there’s a good chance that one day you’ll be telling your grandkids “I remember when…” as you silently kick yourself for not being a little more clairvoyant when it came to the real estate market. Ah, the poignant lucidity of hindsight. Well, here’s a little bit of foresight for you.

First, however, a brief history lesson. Boyle Street, named for provincial Cabinet Minister and Supreme Court Judge John R. Boyle, was the site of Edmonton’s original downtown (what we now call downtown was still Hudson’s Bay reserve land), over a century ago. It’s so old (how old was it?) that it even predates the city’s ingenious grid system. Like something out of a Carolian nightmare, in the land of Boyle Street, avenues ran north-south, streets

48

April 2013 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

ran east-west and presumably, dogs could be seen dancing with cats. Once Hudson’s Bay opened up their land for development, Boyle Street’s life blood seeped slowly westward, leaving this once great neighbourhood an anemic shadow of its former self, little more than a collection of rooming houses, dilapidated buildings and ghosts.

In the 1970s the bulldozers arrived. Buildings came down en masse in preparation for the city’s proposed redevelopment. That redevelopment never came. Today, a patchwork of vacant properties, half-filled parking lots, and the odd heritage building lucky enough to have escaped the blade are all that remain.

A new millennium has dawned and the next page of the Boyle Street story, just now beginning to be turned, will reveal a much brighter chapter and if everything goes as planned, lead to a happy ending.

“In 2002, the city began an initiative to take real steps to revitalize this area,” says Mary Anne Debrinski, Edmonton’s director of urban renewal. “It’s taken some time, but we’re well on our way now. We’ve bought businesses and closed down or demolished others. The York Hotel, the Mount Royal and the Camelot Sports Bar are all gone. Unsafe rooming houses and residences have been dealt with or torn down.”

After an extensive public consultation and planning process, the formulation of an urban design plan and sweeping rezoning measures, the table has been set to serve the neighbourhood’s needs for the next 40 years. Of course, with a project of this scope, there are some horses to be

rters

REAL ESTATE

THE QUARTERS

TOP: QUARTERS HOTEL - DAY RENDERING MIDDLE: LEFT; PROPOSED PROMENADE, CENTER; PROPOSED ARMATURE STREETSCAPE (96 STREET), RIGHT; PROPOSED PLAZA BOTTOM: PROPOSED JASPER AVENUE GATEWAY

www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | April 2013

49

REAL ESTATE THE QUARTERS

held. We’re not talking about just slapping on some paint here. Neither are we talking about an area that has had much infrastructural work done since the Titanic went down. Fun fact: Edmontonians were living and working in Boyle Street decades before the word “infrastructure” itself existed. The term seems to have been used for the first time in 1927 – just to keep things in perspective.

So, how hard can it be to build what is essentially an entire neighbourhood above and below ground? Well, assuming that you’ve got the requisite $56 million (which has recently been purposed for the task and will be repaid by tax revenues from the new developments), pretty hard. For one thing, a century ago it seemed like a swell idea to have a drainage system that used one line to handle sewage and drainage at the same time. So out with the old and in with the new. Times two. And now you’ve just spent $12.5 million.

It’s not cheap, but that’s the cost of doing business on a scale of this magnitude. For all intents and purposes, a long-standing invisible barrier separating east from west is being torn down with this project. To paraphrase a famous line from another civic watershed moment, this one from the ’80s, “Mister Mandel, bring down that wall!”

So we know what’s coming down. What’s going up? If you’ve driven through the area lately you’ve seen some of Phase I already completed. That huge gleaming facility on 103A Avenue and 96 Street is part of Boyle Street Plaza, comprised of the Shirley Stollery Child Care Centre, the YMCA Family Resource Centre and the Boyle Street Community Centre. That modern L-shaped structure on 95 Street? An affordable housing complex. “We’ve had 30 residents move in there in the first two months,” says Debrinski, adding that these buildings alone have provided a tremendous boost to the area.

As the ‘Boyle Renaissance’ continues, expect to see crews in the fall of 2013 putting the finishing touches on a 90-unit seniors’ facility just north of the recreation centre.

Owned and to be operated by the Edmonton Métis Capital Housing Corporation, the property will serve seniors and those with mobility issues in the area. On a side note: the Métis definition of a senior is anyone over 55, making the facility an even more inclusive option for those in need.

Excavations are already underway to build a 28-storey, 220-unit residential tower on the spot where the Camelot Sports Bar once stood. One block west, negotiations are in process for Phase III construction of a mixed use, commercial/residential complex to be built across from the beautifully iconic triangle of the flat iron building (aka Gibson Block) on 96 Street.

The south side of Jasper won’t be forgotten, of course, with its majestic view of the meandering river valley below. In 2014, work will begin on a new hotel, designed by Gene Dub, one of this city’s great intellectual treasures and the creative mind behind Edmonton City Hall and the Capital Health Centre.

A neighbourhood is much more than a collection of buildings, as Debrinski and the city are well aware. “What we’re looking at is a complete transformation of the area.

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April 2013 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

The south side of Jasper won’t be forgotten, of course, with its majestic view of the meandering river valley below.

In 2014, work will begin on a new hotel, designed by Gene Dub, one of this city’s great intellectual treasures and the creative mind behind Edmonton City Hall and the Capital Health Centre.

We’ll be making adjustments to the roadways to make way for wider sidewalks, both of which will be finished with new materials and planting trees. Our goal is to make the neighbourhood pedestrian-friendly again.” It will not just be pedestrian-friendly, but commercial- and residential investment-friendly as well. “We’ve seen a lot of interest in what’s happening. People are phoning us every day looking for opportunities,” Debrinski says. Never underestimate the effect that rezoning can have on a city. “There are 2,400 people living in the Quarters now. Once the full buildout is complete, there will be 20,000 residents.”

So, some afternoon when you are walking downtown and have a few minutes to kill, take a few steps beyond that invisible line on Jasper that has so clearly stood as a divider between east and west. As you pass the Convention Centre, take in that soon-to-be expensive view of the river valley on your right and the glorious window to the past that is the flat iron building on your left, and think of that day in the future when you’ll turn to your grandkids and say… BIE

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP: A NATURAL COLLABORATION

A MOOSE TROTS ALONGSIDE A PIPE AT COLD LAKE.

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP:

A NATURAL COLLABORATION Corporations put their money, time and resources into environmental sustainability.

BY NERISSA MCNAUGHTON

C

orporations are interested in making profit. That is their ultimate goal and the reason they prosper from year to year. Gone, however, are the old stereotypes of corporate greed; the company that reaches for the almighty dollar at all costs. These days the biggest names in business are just as focused on taking care of their employees, on giving back to their communities and especially on minimizing their impact on the environment. When it comes to environmental stewardship, companies are taking precautions like never before – and they are finding creative ways to ensure the land we leave

behind is a land that will sustain generations to come.

Pius Rolheiser, a spokesman for Imperial Oil, is excited about the ways the company’s Cold Lake and Kearl projects have gone green.

The Cold Lake project has been in operation since 1985. It is the largest thermal in-situ heavy oil operation in North America. The bitumen at this site is buried more than 400 metres below the surface. Unlike surface mining, in-situ mining relies on well bores and injected steam to reach, mobilize and move the product. The company uses a process called cyclic steam-stimulation, which was develwww.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | April 2013

51

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP: A NATURAL COLLABORATION

MAHKESES PAD

MAHIHKAN PLANT

MASKWA PLANT

ALL OF THE FACILITIES AT COLD LAKE ARE NAMED FOR LOCAL ANIMALS. MASKWA IS CREE FOR BEAR, MAHIHKAN IS CREE FOR WOLF, MAHKESES IS CREE FOR FOX, AND THE NEWEST EXPANSION, CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION, IS CALLED NABIYE, WHICH IS DENE FOR OTTER. oped by Imperial at Cold Lake, for Cold Lake. The process uses wellbores drilled from centralized surface locations to alternately inject steam and then produce the heated bitumen. New drilling technologies have enabled the same amount of resources to be developed using up to 40 percent fewer wells. The wells are connected to a central processing plant through insulated above-ground pipes.

Here’s where it gets interesting.

The pipes are eight to 10 feet above ground. Why? So animals can roam about freely. Cold Lake is known for its natural, picturesque beauty; the small-footprint processing plant, minimal number of well-bores, and above ground pipes have done little to detract from the area’s natural splendor. It is not uncommon to see moose and deer roaming under the pipes, feeding and frolicking in nature’s playground. As for the animals underground? Rabbits, gophers and even worms are not bathing in a steam sauna, since the wellbores reach 450 metres below the surface, including a 100-metre-thick impermeable shale barrier. At that depth, the only thing “disturbed” is the bitumen that has made so much of Alberta’s fortune.

Another feature of the Cold Lake site is progressive reclamation. Imperial Oil does not wait for the entire operation to finish producing before commencing reclamation efforts. As each phase is completed, the well pads, pipeline right-of-ways, roads and even the processing plants are dismantled and removed. The land is then returned to the same or equal to its original state.

Imperial Oil is even more proactive in its reclamation of the Kearl surface mining site. So excited that reclamation

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April 2013 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

efforts at Kearl are already underway although mining has yet to commence.

“In developing the mine, we recognized we would permanently impact some creeks and water ways,” says Rolheiser.

“To compensate for this, we are adding a greater quantity of fish habitat by increasing the size of the existing Kearl Lake by 25 per cent. We are also making it deeper so fish can survive over the winter. Right now, it’s too shallow for that.”

The Kearl site is expected to operate for 40 – 50 years but Imperial is already stockpiling seeds, seedling and native plants to replace what will be disturbed during the mining process.

Imperial is a massive oil corporation and open to the scrutiny and analysis of concerned environmentalists.

How do they handle the heat? “Certainly we recognize there are people and groups that would challenge our efforts, but we are proud of the efforts and technologies we put in place,” replies Rolheiser. “For example, we now use 40 per cent fewer surface pads (in our current Cold Lake expansion) due to advances in horizontal drilling technology. We have developed the same resource with a greatly reduced footprint. We recognize our ability to continue to expand operations relies on our ability to meet the expectations of our stakeholders. Our stakeholders are the communities, First Nations, and society at large; and part of that is meeting their environmental expectations.”

An organization does not need to be a massive oil or gas company to put their best naturally shod foot forward. Bupesh Sakalley is the senior project manager environmental lead industrial & commercial for PHH ARC

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP: A NATURAL COLLABORATION

FOLLOWING A ONE-YEAR PILOT PROJECT, MEG ENERGY HAS RECEIVED APPROVAL TO ROLL OUT A NEW METHOD OF ACCESSING BITUMEN. THIS PROCESS INCLUDES INJECTIONS OF NATURAL GAS TO PUSH BITUMEN, THEREFORE REDUCING RELIANCE ON STEAM. THIS METHOD IS “VERY ENERGY EFFICIENT, BURNS LESS NATURAL GAS, AND REDUCES EMISSIONS,” SAYS BRAD BELLOWS, A SPOKESPERSON FOR MEG ENERGY. THE COMPANY HAS ALSO FOUND A WAY TO ADDRESS THE PIPELINE WOES THAT HAVE PLAGUED THE PROVINCE. A TANK FARM, DUE FOR COMPLETION MID 2013, WILL PROVIDE ACCESS TO EXISTING PIPELINES, AS WELL AS RAILROAD. WITH THE POWER OF TRAINS, ANYWHERE RAILS RUN BECOME A POTENTIAL MARKET FOR OIL.

Environmental Ltd. PHH ARC is a consulting firm that provides a wide range of environmental, engineering, geosciences and health & safety solutions across in Edmonton and across Western Canada. Sakalley notes environmental stewardship is just as important to Edmonton’s commercial and industrial corporations.

Sakalley points out three phases used to assess the environmental impact of a project.

Phase I – History. What was it used for? What toxic materials could be in the soils? How was the environment affected?

Phase II – Investigation. What can be done? What resources are needed to make the site safe and within acceptable regulations?

Phase III – Plan. What needs to be in place now for future reclamation? What monitoring of the site is required post-reclamation?

PHH ARC can get involved in a project during any of these phases. “It’s best to get the experts in,” says Sakalley because experts are trained to ensure companies operate within environmental regulations. With PHH ARC’s services that include site assessment and remediation to handling end-of-life and legacy sites where mercury and radioactive materials may be present, there are services to assist every company in building, purchasing, expanding, dismantling and monitoring their site in ways that support environmental stewardship.

Another company that supports environmental stewardship is Morgan Construction & Environmental Ltd. Headquartered in Edmonton, this civil-based heavy equipment contracting company has over 50 years of experience working for resource corporations throughout western and northern Canada. Morgan’s services include civil earthworks and infrastructure, oilfield and oilsands construction alongside environmental site remediation and reclamation. Morgan is involved in both sides of the process (construction and reclamation) and understands which potential environmental issues can be identified and addressed prior to engaging a project.

Jason Pocza, director of business development and marketing, points out that Morgan goes into each project with a clear understanding of current best practices

for protecting the environment. “Our corporate policies and programs have been developed with a strong commitment to protecting the environment in all we do as well as for the people that work and potentially live in those environments; this is validated through industry standards,” he states. With proper pre-planning, putting these policies in place at the outset of the project has helped the company avoid unnecessary occurrences such as accidental fuel spills from heavy equipment or potential admixing of surface soils during construction of an oil or gas lease.

Morgan works closely with their clients on the front-end planning side of projects to ensure environmental standards can be achieved at the field level for the lifecycle of the site. “If an owner wants an oil or gas lease built,” explains Pocza, “we need to have a clear understanding at the planning stages as to what the end of life process is, so when that lease is decommissioned and needs to be reclaimed, you have all the aspects in play to reclaim that lease back to its surrounding land-use as cost effectively as possible. This includes a detailed construction plan and as-built construction report for the lease with an understanding of reclaiming it back to present-day regulatory standards.”

Gone are the days when sites could and would be built and abandoned. Be it an oil and gas operation, a textile factory, or a road to a logging site, industries of all types have banded together to minimize their environmental impact. Pocza sums it up best when he states, “[The attitude towards environmental stewardship] is a product of evolutionary change as a result of industry and government collaboration. Everyone seems to buy into the fact that environmental stewardship is a critical part of how businesses conduct their operations today. Careers and industry are [now] built around environmental issues. We are starting to see more companies understand the importance of what the true environmental issues are and investing into science and technologies to help solve those issues responsibly, safely and efficiently.”

This positive trend in environmental stewardship will only continue as corporations seek to protect the natural resources that sustain us. BIE www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | April 2013

53

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GOLF

ROYAL MAYFAIR GOLF CLUB TO HOST THE CN CANADIAN WOMEN’S OPEN

ROYAL MAYFAIR GOLF CLUB TO HOST THE CN CANADIAN WOMEN’S OPEN

BY NERISSA MCNAUGHTON

F

ore! When golf season goes into full swing, there is one course on the lips of every avid golfer: Royal Mayfair. Royal Mayfair Golf Club opened on May 22, 1922, and is heading into an impressive 91 years of operation, making it one of the oldest private clubs in Edmonton. As one of Edmonton’s premier private golf clubs, it promises an incredible experience for members and their guests from the concierge area where staff will assist you with your golf clubs and stage them ready for play to the 18 holes set amongst the beauty of Edmonton’s River Valley.

In addition to golf, Royal Mayfair Golf Club provides many well-appointed rooms of varying sizes for weddings, luncheons, dinners and other events. Outstanding service personnel and an expert culinary team round out the venue experience.

This year the Royal Mayfair will host the CN Canadian Women’s Open from August 19 – 25. This will be the

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROYAL MAYFAIR GOLF CLUB

www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | April 2013

55

SECTION TITLE

THE RANCH GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB T

he Ranch Golf & Country Club is a fantastic 18-hole championship public golf course located a few minutes outside of Edmonton on Highway 16. This unique layout features elevation changes throughout the course.

The front nine is more open with ample fescue grass and bunkers to keep the game fun and interesting. The back nine takes you into tree-lined fairways and plenty of water. The Ranch has been ranked in Score Golf Magazine’s top 100 courses in Canada and was recently recognized as the second best public golf course in the Edmonton area.

The Ranch is Edmonton’s most popular corporate tournament destination. The quality of the golf course, tremendous customer service and unmatched value is certain to make The Ranch a golf course you will want to visit often!

The Ranch is also open year round for business meetings, parties, and weddings. Be sure to check out www. theranchgolf.com to learn more about what The Ranch has to offer.

18 Hole championship course Great weekday and weekend rates Now accepting tournament bookings for groups of all sizes Open year round for meetings, weddings, and parties Ranked #2 best public course in Edmonton – Score Golf Magazine 2011 PGA of Alberta Merchandiser of the Year – 2012 PGA of Canada Retailer of the Year – 2012

Book your tournament or tee time today!

Call (780) 470-4700 or visit www.theranchgolf.com

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April 2013 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

HOLE #14 AT THE RANCH GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

As good as it gets... bring all your clubs!

Located at the Edmonton International Airport 780-890-7888 • www.RedTailLanding.com

OFF THE TOP

NEWS FROM THE MONTH

Holding your experience to as high a standard as the course you play or the menu you choose.

The finest courses Mother Nature offers, both fairway and plated.

Our best is nothing without exceptional service.

Join us for world-class golf and fine dining at Eagle Ranch and Silvertip.

Book your tee time or make reservations at eagleranchresort.com or silvertipresort.com, or by calling 1.877.877.5444.

eagleranchresort.com silvertipresort.com

www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | April 2013

57

GOLF

ROYAL MAYFAIR GOLF CLUB TO HOST THE CN CANADIAN WOMEN’S OPEN

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROYAL MAYFAIR GOLF CLUB

second time the club has hosted the event. “We were host in 2007 and look forward to the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) making a return visit to one of their favorite venues on tour,” smiles Wade Hudyma, general manager. The week will kick off with two Pro-Am’s on Monday and Wednesday with the tournament being contested over four days from Thursday through Sunday. The players compete for a $2 million (US) purse. The week will include over 1,300 volunteers from the club and surrounding community. To volunteer for the CN Canadian Women’s Open or for tickets and hospitality products, please visit cncanadianwomensopen.ca.

The CN Canadian Women’s Open is a professional tournament and an official event on the LPGA tour. The Open has enjoyed a long and rich history in Canada as the national championship tournament since 1973 when it was known as La Canadienne. After several name changes, including the Peter Jackson Classic and the BMO Canadian

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April 2013 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

Women’s Open, the Canadian National Railway became the official title sponsor in 2006. The current champion (2012) is Lydia Ko. Born in 1997, Ko was the youngest person to win a professional golf tournament (her record was broken later in 2012). The Open has been a very important part of Canada’s golf history for several decades; Royal Mayfair Golf Club is honoured to be hosting this event.

“Golf is a sport of a lifetime which attracts both young and old and of all types of abilities,” said Hudyma. “The unique nature of golf being an individual sport allows for all types to mix in a very social setting. Golf courses offer many different and beautiful settings. For those who choose to walk the four plus miles, it offers a great way to enjoy the company of friends and family by combining exercise and sport. At the Mayfair we pride ourselves as having one of the greatest golf families in the city.” For information on how to become a member or to book a banquet function please contact our office at 780-432-0066, ext. 290. BIE

WWW.EDMONTONCHAMBER.COM

REDUCING LABOUR SHORTAGES BY EXPANDING OPTIONS FOR CANADA’S PRIVATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

BY CHAMBER STAFF

T

he Edmonton Chamber of Commerce’s mission is to create the best environment for business. This mission is achieved through various means; however, solid policy-creation followed by intensive lobbying efforts is our specialty, and the reason we are the largest and most effective Chamber in the country.

The biggest barrier to economic growth in Edmonton today is the inability of labour to keep up with demand. It is estimated that over the next ten years, the Alberta will be short up to 77,000 workers. This is a frustrating number considering what can be, but is not being, done to rectify the problem.

Current federal government policy, as described in the federal government’s Post-Graduation Work Permit Program under Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), limits potential labour force growth and creates an uneven playing field (based on enrollment appeal) between publicly funded and private post-secondary educational institutions.

The imbalance is created because post-graduation work opportunities in Canada are not permitted for foreign students who choose to obtain their education through a Canadian private institution by way of a certificate or diploma as opposed to a degree program.

Presently in Canada, foreign graduates of public institutions are eligible to work in Canada for a varying period of time if they achieve a certificate, diploma or degree from a “participating (or recognized) Canadian post-secondary institution.” Foreign graduates of private educational institutions, with the exception of Quebec, are not eligible to obtain employment in Canada unless the private institution confers degrees.

If the private post-secondary institution does not confer degrees, but instead grants diplomas or certificates, foreign students graduating from these programs are not eligible to work in Canada at all, even if the program they graduated from, or the skills which they developed, fully meet Canada’s labour needs.

Certificate and diploma granting private post-secondary institutions operating in Quebec attract foreign students and graduate them into work in the Canadian labour market. Foreign graduates from certificate and diploma granting private institutions in all other provinces are prevented from providing foreign graduates to help resolve Canadian labour shortages.

By practicing a policy that prevents foreign graduates of private institutions from working in Canada, the fed-

eral government eliminates a potential inflow of workers with Canadian credentials who could easily transition into employment in Canada’s marketplace and help resolve our labour shortage.

It is a known fact that the skills shortage our country faces is not just limited to higher skilled (degree requiring) positions. By eliminating the current policy barrier, the federal government will not only level the playing field between public and private institutions, which already is reason enough to act, but will also ensure foreign graduates of all skill levels have an equal chance of gaining meaningful employment upon graduating from a Canadian post-secondary institution.

Further, by removing the work restrictions placed on foreign graduates of private institutions, the federal government will enable Canadian private institutions to attract more potential workers into Canada. This will have tremendous positive effects through increased tax revenue from private institutions and new students as well as a growing labour pool to help resolve shortages.

A 2008 federal government report measuring the economic value of the presence of international students in Canada estimated that total expenditures by international students while they study in Canada (tuition, accommodation, living costs, travel and discretionary products and services) resulted in a $6.5 billion infusion to the Canadian economy. According to the report, expenditures of international education students have now surpassed exports of coniferous lumber ($5.1 billion) and coal ($6.1 billion).

(Note that this amount does not include exports of education services, which were not part of the scope of the study.) The same report also found that in 2008, these international students generated about $291 million in government revenue and created economic activity that sustained employment for 83,000 Canadians.

By expanding all work permit availability to private institution certificate or diploma graduates, the federal government would put more control and responsibly for success in the hands of private small and medium sized businesses, which ultimately are what drive the growth of our country’s economy.

The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce recommends that the federal government expands the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program to allow foreign graduates from Canadian private post-secondary institutions to obtain a Canadian work permit upon completion of their degree, diploma or certificate program. www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | April 2013

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The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce invites you to the following 2013 Chamber Business & Networking Events:

Spring After Business Mixer & Tradeshow

Thursday, April 11 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Thursday, May 9

Jubilee Auditorium 11455 - 87 Avenue

2013

5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Waterloo Ford Lincoln 11420 - 107 Avenue

of the Chamber

Waterloo Ford Lincoln is excited to host another mixer for The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce.

Come and meet the people you want to connect with at Waterloo’s state-of-the-art showroom. Visit exhibitor’s tables, set up your own table, enjoy the catered menu and learn what’s it’s like to be part of Edmonton’s business pipeline.

Waterloo Ford Lincoln has been delivering quality for over six decades. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of that history by taking part in this effective and fun way to stay on top of today’s business trends.

Food & Beverage Mixer For the 14th year in a row, join us to savor, sip and socialize at an intimate evening of savory sampling from some of the best hotels, restaurants, liquor reps and caterers that Edmonton has to offer.

Thursday, April 18 Registration: 4:30 p.m.

Networking: 5:00 - 7:00

Sponsored by:

Sponsored by:

World Trade Centre Edmonton 6th Floor, 9990 Jasper Avenue

Tickets: $10.00 Members (+GST) $20.00 Non-Members (+GST)

Tickets: $15.00 Members $20.00 Non-Members Prices include GST. Food & Beverage tickets available at the door.

Speed Networking We’ve put a new twist on the way business people in Edmonton can now connect. Put yourself in front of numerous potential employers, clients or business partners within one 90 minute session.

A display table will be provided for your company flyers and/or promotional material.

Tickets: $20.00 Members (+GST) $30.00 Non-Members (+GST) Includes a light snack & refreshments

Exhibitor Display Table: $125 Members (+GST) $250 Non-Members (+GST) Table-top Exhibitor Includes: 10 event tickets, 6' table and linen Power: Additional $25

Network with business leaders and your corporate colleagues at Edmonton’s most prestigious corporate golf tournament event.

Registration Fees: $235 + GST per golfer include 18 holes of championship golf, power carts, full breakfast, a delicious BBQ banquet, plus special gifts and terrific prizes.

THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2013

Cougar Creek Golf Resort Gold Tee Sponsors:

Tee Box Sponsors:

Cart Sponsor:

Tent Sponsor:

To order your tickets today, please visit edmontonchamber.com

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April 2013 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

General Exhibitor Sponsor:

In Kind Sponsors:

EDMONTON.COM

CONFERENCE CENTRE’S IMPACT FELT HERE AND BEYOND

STEPS FROM DOWNTOWN EDMONTON’S CONVENIENCES, SHAW CONFERENCE CENTRE SITS IN THE CITY’S RIVER VALLEY, WHICH IS NORTH AMERICA’S LARGEST URBAN PARKLAND.

E

dmonton’s premier conference centre created $38.9 million in new economic impact for the region in 2012.

From a provincial perspective, $50.7 million in economic impact was generated in Alberta by the Shaw Conference Centre (SCC) in 2012. Economic impact, caused by direct, indirect and induced spending, is measured through a tool originally developed by the Conference Board of Canada — its tourism economic assessment model is an industry standard for estimating impacts of sport and tourism events. The centre’s visitor estimates are based on the number of conference and tradeshow attendee days.

“The Shaw Conference Centre generates benefits and spinoffs well beyond downtown Edmonton, which in turn contribute to the economy significantly,” says Cliff Higuchi, general manager and vice-president of Shaw Conference Centre.

Marking its 30th anniversary this June, the centre hosts events yearround, including tradeshows and conferences which bring new spending into the economy on such goods and services as accommodation, transportation and catering.

In addition to generating economic impact, the centre brings value to the community through such diverse activities as being a venue for public

art and high-profile community initiatives like Homeless Connect and High School Culinary Challenge. SCC also helps Edmonton’s business community through hosting events and showcasing opportunities in the region and northern Alberta.

As Edmonton’s downtown convention facility, the Shaw Conference Centre is within walking distance of more than 2,000 hotel rooms plus shopping, entertainment, dining, and transportation. Every year, the centre, which is managed by Edmonton Economic Development Corporation, attracts more than half-a-million guests, showcasing its award-winning facilities and kitchen.

www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | April 2013

61

EDMONTON.COM

EDMONTON CHEF WILL COMPETE TO REPRESENT AMERICAS

E

dmonton chef, Serge Belair, will represent Canada at the World Association of Chefs Societies’ prestigious global chef challenge semifinals for the Americas. This event will be held in Las Vegas at the American Culinary Federation Convention in July. Belair successfully outdid two other Canadian chefs in an Edmonton competition on January 26 for the right to represent Canada. If Belair wins in Las Vegas this summer, he will compete at the world finals in Stavanger, Norway, in March 2014.

This accolade is just one of Belair’s achievements as sous chef at Shaw Conference Centre. Last summer, he won the Canadian Culinary Federation’s chef-of-the-year challenge at its annual conference in Halifax. In addition, Belair was a member of Culinary Team Canada, which competed in the World Culinary Olympics last fall.

“Edmonton is the training ground for some of Canada’s finest chefs, and Chef Belair is one of our rising stars,” says Simon Smotkowicz, executive chef at Shaw Conference Centre. “All

of us in the Shaw kitchen are totally behind him.”

Originally from Gatineau, Quebec, Belair studied at Commission scolaire la Vallée de la Lievre and honed his skills at Hotel Clarion Gatineau’s Restaurant La Pergola from 1999 to 2005. Belair headed west to become the Shaw Conference Centre’s chef de partie in 2005, then sous chef in 2007 and senior sous chef in 2011. He has mentored numerous apprentices at the Shaw through competitions.

PLAYING HOST AS A HOST CITY, EDMONTON CONTINUES TO WELCOME THE WORLD THROUGH SPORTING AND CULTURAL EVENTS.

COMING UP THIS YEAR: • Canadian Under 17/18 National Volleyball Championships: May 10-12 • International Triathlon Union’s World Cup circuit: June 22-23 • CN Canadian Women’s Open in the Ladies Professional Golf Association tour: August 19-25 • Inaugural Tour of Alberta cycling race, September 3-8, sanctioned by the Union Internationale Cyclistes as the highest-level pro-cycling event hosted in Canada. The annual race will feature up to 16 professional teams of up to eight riders each. Up to half the teams could be the same as those which compete in the Tour de France.

EDMONTON LAST PLAYED HOST TO THE LPGA CANADIAN WOMEN’S OPEN IN 2007.

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April 2013 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

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