Business in Edmonton - December 2020

DECEMBER 2020 | $3.50 BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM

PM42455512

GOALS:

B OMA EDMONTON NEWS - WINTER 2020

PAGE

26 |

HOCKEY LEGEND KEVIN LOWE SHARES LESSONS HE’S LEARNED ON AND OFF THE ICE

EDMONTON CHAMBER SECTION

PAGE

35

STORY TITLE // SECTION

Supporting the visions of entrepreneurs one story at a time.

Volume 8 | Number 12

REGULAR COLUMNS

9

Less Whining, More Collaboration Needed on All Fronts

By Terry O’Flynn

10

Governments Should Promote Local Buying During Pandemic Recovery

By David MacLean

CONTENTS COVER FEATURE

16

Goals Hockey legend Kevin Lowe shares lessons he’s learned on and off the ice

By Nerissa McNaughton

ON OUR COVER: ABOVE: HOCKEY LEGEND KEVIN LOWE. PHOTO SOURCE: EPIC PHOTOGRAPHY INC.

FIND US ONLINE! B US I N E SS I N E DMONTON.COM BUSINESS IN EDMONTON

@BUSINEDMONTON

BUSINESSINEDMONTON

4

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM

35

Edmonton Chamber of Commerce

20

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

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

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

STORY TITLE // SECTION

Supporting the visions of entrepreneurs one story at a time.

Volume 8 | Number 12

42

THIS MONTH’S FEATURES

23

he Value of Remote Learning T and Continuing Education

By Will Porter

CONTENTS COMPANY PROFILES

42 45

26 39

B OMA Edmonton News Winter 2020

tuck in the Middle?

S Banking Solutions for Mid-Sized Businesses

By Bethany Neufeld

K arjohn Drywall Celebrates 40 Years

H ughes Petroleum Ltd. Celebrates 65 Years

23 45 6

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM

HILLBERG & BERK KINGSWAY MALL Edmonton, AB

PCL’S SPECIAL PROJECTS SPARKLE At PCL Construction, we are more than builders. We are your construction partners who apply our experience and expertise to ultimately exceed your expectations. Our Special Projects division meets the specialized needs of our clients and their unique, smaller projects.

PCL.COM

Your local custom app shop.

PUBLISHER

Business in Edmonton Inc.

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Brent Trimming brent@businessinedmonton.com

EDITOR

Nerissa McNaughton

COPY EDITOR Nikki Mullett

ART DIRECTOR

Jessi Evetts jessi@businessinedmonton.com

ADMINISTRATION

Jessica Patenaude jessica@businessinedmonton.com

ACCOUNTING

Nancy Bielecki nancy@businessinedmonton.com

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS David MacLean Terry O’Flynn

THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS

Custom Software and Mobile App Developers www.aivia.ca

Nerissa McNaughton Will Porter Bethany Neufeld

PHOTOGRAPHY

Cover photo by Epic Photography Inc.

ADVERTISING SALES

Kendra Taylor 780-809-1935 kendra@businessinedmonton.com Lana Frank 780-809-1924 lana@businessinedmonton.com

DIRECTOR OF CUSTOM PUBLISHING Mark McDonald 780-809-1914 mark@businessinedmonton.com

EDITORIAL, ADVERTISING & ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES

FLYING. YOUR WAY.

#1780, 10020 - 101 A Ave. NW Edmonton, AB T5J 3G2 Phone: 780.638.1777 Fax: 587.520.5701 Toll Free: 1.800.465.0322 Email: info@businessinedmonton.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Online at www.businessinedmonton.com Annual rates: $31.50 | $45 USA | $85 International Single Copy $3.50

Edmonton based Phenom 100 partnership now available.

Business in Edmonton is delivered to 27,000 business addresses every month including all registered business owners in Edmonton and surrounding areas including St Albert, Sherwood Park, Leduc/Nisku, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain and Fort Saskatchewan.

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

Safe Secure Efficient Private Jet Travel Executive Charter | Aircraft Management | Aircraft Brokerage 888.797.JETS(5387) sales@aurorajet.ca aurorajet.ca VANCOUVER | KELOWNA | EDMONTON | TORONTO

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to circulation dept. #1780, 10020 - 101 A Ave. NW Edmonton, AB T5J 3G2 info@businessinedmonton.com

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

WWW.BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM

8

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM

LESS WHINING, MORE COLLABORATION NEEDED ON ALL FRONTS // TERRY O’FLYNN

Less Whining, More Collaboration Needed on All Fronts

BY TERRY O’FLYNN, CHAIRMAN, ALBERTA ENTERPRISE GROUP

T

his past year has marked immense challenges for many job creators. Much of the year was defined by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent shutdown and reopening of the economy. This added to the already challenging situation resulting from the impact of a global oil price war, blockades and disruptions at the start of the year. Nonetheless, there are many lessons to be learned from 2020 that need to be applied to the year to come. We can’t assume to know what this next year will bring, but resilience is key to recovery.

When other jurisdictions were locking down their economies, Alberta remained relatively open. While challenges persist, the continuity of “open” signs and responsible workplace reopenings mean that many businesses and the employees that depend on them are not facing the immense uncertainty seen in many other jurisdictions.

There is more than a glimmer of hope in recent Statistics Canada figures that more businesses are opening than closing in our province, putting Alberta among the highest in Canada with a net gain of over 400.

That’s promising, but there’s more work to do.

Its imperative that all stakeholders get productive. This includes all governments and opposition parties, as well as businesses and employees. For employees, this includes those who are unionized and those who are not, those who work in the public sector and those who are in the private.

If we are to bring more prosperity to Alberta, we need to constructively challenge each other with a goal of advancing our province and our place in the world. Competition is no longer local, and we need Alberta to be globally competitive.

This will take more than just government. We are competing globally and need all parties on the same page.

All stakeholders, and more importantly all Albertans, need to stop whining and fighting with each other and get productive. Like a family or a business, we have to do this so we can be stronger together.

It is up to all of us as individuals and business leaders to remain level-headed, focused on making things better and set an example. We should expect the same from all levels of government – remember, government is just one player in all of this.

We don’t expect this trend to end, and we’re nowhere near out of the woods yet. We need to continue to support Alberta businesses in the years to come, to ensure that they continue being part of our communities and can continue being local employers. It’s about more than procuring goods and services, it’s a vote of confidence in our local economy, and much-needed support for those who work there and the families that depend on them.

Businesses have been leaders in the past and coming out of 2020 we’re going to need to be leaders into the future.

Alberta’s can-do spirit, the entrepreneurial attitude that made this the envy of other provinces was a key driver of our success and resilience in the past. As we continue economic recovery and the adjustment to a world where coronavirus needs to be responsibly managed, that same can-do spirit is key to our future. That spirit begins by getting along and working together.

BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // DECEMBER 2020

9

GOVERNMENTS SHOULD PROMOTE LOCAL BUYING DURING PANDEMIC RECOVERY // DAVID MACLEAN

Governments Should Promote Local Buying During Pandemic Recovery

BY DAVID MACLEAN

T

he global pandemic sent shockwaves through Canada’s manufacturing supply chains. Border restrictions, outbreaks and resulting shortages forced Canadian industry to pause, take a breath and re-evaluate the risks associated with increasingly international supply chains.

They are also taking a hard look at how nurturing a local (read: Canadian) supply chain brings benefits that are perhaps undervalued.

That’s why government and industry should work together to celebrate Canadian manufacturing and promote local buying. Not only would this kind of government and consumer action help struggling Canadian manufacturers survive the pandemic downturn in the short term, it would also make the Canadian economy more resilient to inevitable future supply chain shocks resulting from natural disasters, war, famine and of course, pandemics.

Interesting, though, that such a “mom and apple pie” kind of proposal is often met with skepticism from policymakers. In a recent meeting with manufacturers, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau likened a “Canadian made” campaign to a form of protectionism in contravention of free trade agreements with foreign governments.

So, let’s address this head-on: trade agreements like the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) are critical to the growth of Canadian manufacturing and overall global competitiveness. Manufacturers embrace both the advantages of fair trade to their market access and supply chains, and the competition it brings. Manufacturers don’t want to see a new era of Trump-style protectionism in Canada. Moreover, Canada should never emulate the truly protectionist “buy American” policies currently in place in the US.

Rather, manufacturers want to see a concerted, collective effort by industry, government, and consumers to address a significant blind spot – that, all things considered, local supply options will, over time, pay dividends that do more to enhance competitiveness than short-term decision making focused on chasing the cheapest deal.

Educating Canadians and Canadian businesses about the array of products produced in this country is a good start, but most important is government procurement policy reform, which can reflect this new awareness without contravening any trade agreements.

This approach also comes with great environmental benefits.

A Trudeau government determined to take action on climate change would be wise to consider the well-documented reduction in GHG emissions associated with using Canadian suppliers. For example, the Canadian Steel Producers Association estimates the life cycle emissions of Chinese steel triples that of locally sourced products.

Provincial “buy local” campaigns have already been launched and applauded by Canadian manufacturers and consumers in Canada’s two largest provinces. Ontario Premier Doug Ford is front and center in a successful “Ontario made” campaign that has signed up more than 1,500 local manufacturers promoting their products under the Ontario made banner. Alberta should follow suit and the federal government should take the lead with a comprehensive country-wide strategy.

Now is the time to celebrate Alberta’s innovators and manufacturers, to reassess our supply chains and to re-evaluate the benefits of local procurement, and for governments to revisit public procurement – particularly when it comes to pandemic recovery stimulus spending.

CANADIAN MANUFACTURERS & EXPORTERS (CME) IS THE VOICE OF CANADIAN MANUFACTURING. CME REPRESENTS MORE THAN 2,500 COMPANIES WHO ACCOUNT FOR AN ESTIMATED 82 PER CENT OF MANUFACTURING OUTPUT AND 90 PER CENT OF CANADA’S EXPORTS.

10

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM

OF ENERGY

DECEMBER 2020

NEW YEAR

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

OF ENERGY VOL 2, ISSUE 4 | DECEMBER 2020

PUBLISHERS

Clean and Green Geothermal Energy Opportunity

by David Yager

Cover: New Year, Brighter Outlook

by Melanie Darbyshire

03 06 10

Profile: Millenia Engineering FEBRUARY 2019

by Renaay Craats

Pat Ottmann & Tim Ottmann

EDITOR

Melanie Darbyshire

COPY EDITOR Nikki Mullett

ART DIRECTOR

Jessi Evetts jessi@businessincalgary.com

COVER PHOTO

Lynn Streeter Photography

ADMINISTRATION

Jessica Patenaude jessica@businessincalgary.com

ACCOUNTING

Nancy Bielecki nancy@businessincalgary.com

THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Melanie Darbyshire David Yager Renaay Craats

ADVERTISING SALES

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

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

COVER 2 • Business of Energy • December 2020

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

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

Clean and Green Geothermal Energy Opportunity | David Yager

CLEAN AND GREEN GEOTHERMAL ENERGY OPPORTUNITY

by David Yager

G

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3 • Business of Energy • December 2020

David Yager | Clean and Green Geothermal Energy Opportunity

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4 • Business of Energy • December 2020

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

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

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

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

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

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

Petroleum and now LNG is shipped all over the world.

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

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

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

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

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

B O E

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

5 • Business of Energy • December 2020

Clean and Green Geothermal Energy Opportunity

“

Clean and Green Geothermal Energy Opportunity | David Yager

Cover | New Year, Brighter Outlook

Rafi G. Tahmazian.

Photo by Lynn Streeter Photography.

6 • Business of Energy • December 2020

New Year, Brighter Outlook | Cover

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

by Melanie Darbyshire

A

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New Year Brighter Outlook

NEW YEAR

Cover | New Year, Brighter Outlook

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“

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

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

8 • Business of Energy • December 2020

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9 • Business of Energy • December 2020

New Year Brighter Outlook

“

New Year, Brighter Outlook | Cover

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

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

MILLENIA ENGINEERING

25 YEARS STRONG

BY RENNAY CRAATS

W

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

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

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

10

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

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

Happy 25TH Anniversary Millenia Engineering!!

We wish you many more years of success.

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

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

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

COMMITTED TO BEING THE BEST

www.valard.com

MILLENIA ENGINEERING • 25 YEARS • 2

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

Congratulations on 25 Years.

Happy anniversary!

ELECTRICAL & INSTRUMENTATION / CHEMICAL INJECTION SYSTEMS / COMMUNICATIONS

WWW.EPSCAN.COM / 250.787.9659

Happy 25th Anniversary Millenia Engineering!

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

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

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

01 JANUARY SUN MON TUE

02 FEBRUARY SAT

SUN MON TUE

1

2

1

2

8

9

8

9 10 11 12 13

10 11 12 13 14 15 01 JANUARY

16

4

5

6

7

SUN MON TUE

4

5

6

7

11 12 13 14 04 APRIL

SAT

1

2

3

8

9 10

15 16 17

25 26 27 28 29 1 30 2 3 5

6

SAT

5

6

7

8

9 10

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

6

7

FRI

SAT

1

2

8

9

SAT

6

6

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

SUN MON TUE

31 2

28 29 30

WED THU

FRI

SAT

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

3

4

5

6

7

8

13 14 15

4

5

06 JUNE 28 SUN MON TUE

1

9 10 11 12 05 MAY

3

6

7

3

FRI

SAT

4

5

1

2

8

9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 06 JUNE

14 15 16 17 18 03 MARCH

19 20

28 29 1 30 2 31 3 4

5

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

8

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

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

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

07 JULY 25 26 23 24 5

TUE

6

27 28 29

WED THU

7

17 18 19

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

7

8

4

5

9 10 11 12

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

08 AUGUST 27 28 29 30

FRI

SAT

1

2

3

1

2

8

9 10

8

9 10 11 12 13 14

SUN MON TUE

3

WED THU

4

5

FRI

SAT

6

7

15 16 17 18 19 08 AUGUST

20 21

25 26 27 28 29 2 31 3 1 30

29 1 30 3 4 2 31

6

4

8

15 16 17

5

6

7

8

9 10

6

9 10 11 12 13

28 29 30 31

WED THU

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

7

9 10 11 12 13 14

09 SEPTEMBER SUN MON TUE

5

6

7

WED THU

FRI

SAT

3

4

1

2

8

9 10 11

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

6

7

8

4

9 10 11

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

29 30 31

26 27 28 29 30

SUN MON TUE

7

WED THU

3

4

FRI

SAT

5

6

1

2

8

9 10 11 12 13

SUN MON TUE

5

6

7

WED THU

FRI

SAT

3

4

1

2

8

9 10 11

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

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

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

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

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

28 29 1 30 2 3

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

7

8

4

5

6

9 10 11 12 13

5

6

7

8

9 10 11

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

24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

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

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

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

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 09 SEPTEMBER

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

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

WED THU

4

5

9 10 11 12 13

9 10 11 12 13

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

5

3

FRI

2

8

2

11 12 13 14 07 JULY

4

WED THU

1

7

4

3

7

28 1

SUN MON 30 31

SUN MON TUE

SUN MON TUE

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

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

FRI

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

FRI

4

20

05 MAY 24 25 26 27

WED THU

3

16 17 18 19 14 15 02 FEBRUARY

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

04 APRIL

7

WED THU

03 MARCH

FRI

3

WED THU

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

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

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

Building a Quality Product Safely and Efficiently

CONGRATULATIONS Millenia Engineering on 25 Years of Business Excellence!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MILLENIA ENGINEERING • 25 YEARS • 4

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

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

Specifically, use of 3D scanning technology allows our

QUALITY VALVE BRANDS YOU TRUST, SERVICE YOU CAN DEPEND ON

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

Congratulations Millenia on 25 Years!

1.866.723.4279 | WWW.CNCFLOWCONTROL.CA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Congratulations Millenia Engineering on 25 years in the making.

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

MILLENIA ENGINEERING • 25 YEARS • 6

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

TANK TYPES:

AVAILABLE OPTIONS:

EQUIPMENT IN STOCK:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

INCLUSIVENERGY.COM

SERVPROÂŽ Edmonton Southside

780-784-7777 servproedmontonsouthside.com Independently Owned and Operated

Fire

Water

Bio

Asbestos

Mold

Your Commercial Loss Experts

24 Hour Emergency Services

Like it never even happened.ÂŽ

Storm

OFF

THE

Laura Jo Gunter Appointed NAIT’s Seventh President & CEO Laura Jo Gunter is nationally respected as a leader in the post-secondary and private sectors, and as an entrepreneur. Originally from Ontario, she comes to NAIT after serving three years as president and CEO of Bow Valley College in Calgary and holding senior executive roles at George Brown College and Seneca College in Toronto, and leadership positions at the Vancouver Film School and Simon Fraser University.

Ray Pisani, NAIT’s board chair, said he’s pleased to welcome Gunter as the institute’s next leader.

“Laura Jo Gunter is an exceptional leader who places emphasis on strong industry and community connections, enriching educational experience and being agile and responsive. She knows the importance post-secondary education plays in our province and country, especially now as we begin to recover from COVID-19. I am confident she will continue to lead NAIT toward its vision to be one of the world’s leading polytechnics.”

Gunter’s appointment follows an international selection process after the retirement of former president and CEO, Dr. Glenn Feltham, in December 2019, and the interim leadership of Dr. Ray Block.

Gunter said she’s excited to be joining such a highly respected leader in polytechnic education.

“NAIT has an incredible reputation,” she said. “NAIT – and polytechnics – are an exciting place to be. We’re always preparing our students and graduates with skills they need to succeed in rewarding careers, but also in innovation and fulfilling the needs of community and industry.”

Post-secondary leadership Gunter led Bow Valley College through its most recent strategic plan and through innovations in teaching and learning. In her role as senior vice-president academic at George Brown College, another polytechnic, she led the entire academic portfolio, which included student services, domestic and international enrolment, and applied research. She also served as vice-president of programming, special projects and industry partnerships at the Vancouver Film School.

Gunter also brings senior leadership experience at the faculty and program levels, serving back-to-back terms as dean of Seneca College’s faculties of Information Arts & Technology and Communication Art & Design, and as director of SFU’s Applied Sciences Continuing Education program.

She’s also been an active leader across the wider postsecondary sector, including as a member of the PostSecondary Presidents of Alberta and Campus Calgary Council of Presidents, and as co-chair of the Vice-Presidents Academic Committee for Colleges Ontario.

Entrepreneur experience Gunter has a master’s degree in business administration from Queen’s University and a bachelor’s in journalism from Carleton University. Her experience in business, and as an entrepreneur in the startup space in particular – where she worked with a post-secondary to develop a product prototype – gives her perspective in understanding the skills and training needs of industry.

“It gave me a view from the other side of how industry interacts with post-secondaries,” she said, “and to recognize how we can help remove potential barriers to make it easier for industry.”

Alberta Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides welcomed Gunter as a “proven leader who has spent much of her career creating and fostering collaborative and transformative learning experiences for students and faculty.”

“I look forward to continuing to work with Ms. Gunter as we take on innovative ways to transform Alberta’s postsecondary system to drive success. As a champion for strong community connections, she will undoubtedly usher in new and exciting opportunities for NAIT students to contribute to Alberta’s collective success.”

Gunter’s leadership in the community includes serving on Advanced Education’s Skills for Jobs Task Force and as a board member at Telus Spark in Calgary. She also served on boards for North York General Hospital, Interactive Ontario, and New Media B.C.

SOURCE: NAIT.CA

12

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM

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

Ï€ SHIPPING SUPPLY SPECIALISTS

HUGE SELECTION OVER 37,500 ITEMS ALWAYS IN STOCK

ORDER BY 6 PM FOR SAME DAY SHIPPING

COMPLETE CATALOG

1-800-295-5510

uline.ca

Apex Business Park is a master-planned, 1.1 million square foot, Class A industrial development located in Edmonton, AB. Encompassing over 61 acres of land and four buildings, Apex Business Park is ideally situated along 170th Street in northwest Edmonton, minutes from major transportation routes & the CN Intermodal Yard and is fully serviced by public transit.

BUILDING 1 178,000 SF Available Immediately

BUILDING 2 Fully Leased 320,000 SF Build-To-Suit

Two Additional Buildings Planned Up to 500,000 SF

28 Acres Available For Build-To-Suit Opportunities

For information on current and upcoming opportunities, please contact: 780-409-8047 PANATTONICANADA.COM

BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // DECEMBER 2020

13

OFF

THE

Furnibo chooses PCL’s Job Site Insights™ Smart Construction Platform to Enable the Next Generation Job Site In fall of this year, PCL Construction was pleased to announce that Furnibo Construction has selected PCL’s Job Site Insights™ (JSI™) smart construction platform to enable the future of construction on its job sites, making it a leading innovator in the European construction market.

Furnibo is a Belgian-based familial construction company with offices in Veurne and Ghent. Sustainable and efficient building processes are key goals for Furnibo. In order to achieve these goals, Furnibo has digitized its building processes as much as possible. Deploying the JSI™ platform will enable Furnibo to build more efficiently, enhancing quality and workmanship in a cost effective manner enabling Furnibo to become better builders.

“Today, environmental stewardship, worker safety and the management of the construction environment are crucial to construction sites and workforces. Proactively managing risks, and enhancing the jobsite environment is critical,” noted Chris Gower, COO, buildings at PCL. Job Site Insights™ is a custom built IoT platform that enables real-time data-driven insights at the workface of construction, leveraging IoT sensors that are continuously monitoring construction site conditions in the field.

PCL is continually looking for ways to enhance the safety, quality and schedule of its construction projects while reducing costs and reducing waste. “By monitoring things like temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, water leak detection, concrete strength, sound, vibration, gases and energy consumption, we can dramatically alter and enhance how construction is currently done,” said PCL’s CIO, Mark Bryant.

“Bringing value to our construction clients and helping them achieve success is critically important to CLEW Systems and Software,” noted Jonas Vermeulen, CEO CLEW systems and software. “We couldn’t be more delighted to have the privilege to partner with a visionary company like PCL in digitizing construction.”

“JSI™ tackles challenges currently faced by the construction industry. By reducing costly rework, improving build quality and making improvements to productivity, safety and energy efficiency, we can rewrite the history book of construction,” said Bryant. “Additionally, use of JSI™ can reduce manual labor costs, and drive down insurance claims and premiums making it a must-have for all budget conscious construction organizations.”

“This is a tremendous opportunity for us to lead the digital construction evolution required in Belgium,” said Furnibo CEO Steven Maeyaert. “We are pleased to work with Canada’s construction leader, PCL, in both fast-tracking and enabling this opportunity.”

For building owners, smart buildings are a way to remain competitive and differentiate themselves from others in the market. Smart buildings start with smart construction.

PCL is committed to increasing the functionality of the JSI™ platform to deliver this value to our clients and the global construction industry, and to deliver smart buildings that are equipped for the future.

ABOVE: MARK BRYANT, CIO, PCL. SOURCE: PCL.COM

14

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM

Need to speak with someone about your philanthropic goals?

Abundance Canada can help.

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

Learn more at abundance.ca or call 1.877.717.0708

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

BRIGHTEN 2020 FOR SOMEONE IN NEED Donate a festive meal at christmasbureau.ca BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // DECEMBER 2020

15

GOALS // COVER

GOALS:

BY NERISSA MCNAUGHTON

A

lot of us fondly remember the City of Champions sign that greeted drivers to the city’s limits. While the sign was originally installed to celebrate all of Edmonton’s sports team, who were scoring championships in hockey, football and college basketball, it was mostly associated with the Edmonton Oilers, the dream team, and their five Stanley Cup wins between 1984 and 1990. Kevin Lowe, who was recently inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame was there before, during, and after the heyday, and he continues to be one of Edmonton’s champions on and off the ice.

HOCKEY LEGEND KEVIN LOWE SHARES LESSONS HE’S LEARNED ON AND OFF THE ICE

There was hockey for the boys. The girls skied. My dad was always involved in sports and was very family and community minded. The first public skating rink was on my dad and family’s business land. As early as two years old, I was on skates and on the ice.”

Lowe’s love of sports started early.

Lowe’s journey started in 1976 when he played amateur hockey with the Quebec Ramparts. He joined the Oilers in 1979 and remained with the team until 1992. After a brief stint with the New York Rangers (1992-1996), he finished up the first iteration of his career by returning to the Oilers, playing until 1998.

“I grew up in a hockey family,” he says. My dad had eight siblings, and we all lived in and around Lashute, Québec.

During that time he experienced what every hockey professional dreams of – hoisting the Stanley Cup.

RIGHT: HOCKEY LEGEND KEVIN LOWE. PHOTO SOURCE: EPIC PHOTOGRAPHY INC.

16

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM

GOALS // COVER

BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // DECEMBER 2020

17

GOALS // COVER

“It’s surreal!” he admits. “We won the cup in my fifth year, which coincided with the Oiler’s fifth year in the league. It is something you can only dream about, that you never think is possible. Then you get to the hockey league and think ‘wow, I’m in the league.’ When it got too close to the end of that game with minutes left, I allowed myself to think about being a kid watching hockey on television. I never missed watching it as a kid.

For me it represented so much. When the realization came that I was going to be able to lift the Cup, it was just one of the moments that you couldn’t believe was happening. It felt like winning the lottery.”

After hanging up his jersey, Lowe stepped into a new role of mentoring, coaching and becoming the vice chair of the Oilers Entertainment Group.

He reminisces, “After being in the league for a number of years, you realize it’s not going to last forever. My goal was to stay in the game by coaching, managing, scouting, or going to the media side of things; as long as I could stay involved with the team. When I came back from New York I signed a contract to play with the Oilers, then transition into coaching.”

Lowe played for two years, became an assistant coach, and then moved on to head coach before being faced with a crossroad.

“Glen Sather, who gave me the opportunity to coach, decided to go to New York and wanted me to go with him to coach the Rangers. However, Cal Nichols, one of the owners of the Oilers at the time, asked if I wanted to be the general manager. I was only two years into coaching! I wasn’t looking to be the GM, but really felt that rather than bringing someone in from outside the organization, no one knew it better or had a feel for it like me. Being the manager was about knowing the people, players, and the city.”

Lowe smiles, “In all of my decisions I knew I had good people to work with and support me, and that made the transition so much easier.”

Another milestone for Lowe came in 2002 when Wayne Gretzky called, asking for assistance in managing the men’s national Canadian hockey team.

“We hadn’t worked together for 14 years and during that time there were lots of changes for both of us. Canada hadn’t won internationally [for hockey] in 50 years – and the first time the NHL played on that level it didn’t go well. There was a lot of pressure, but it wound up being a magical experience.

We selected the team, but the players did the job. Bringing back the gold and doing it with Wayne? That was incredible.”

Despite being known as a legendary “dream team” player, Lowe found a lot of similarities between his old teammates and the young men he coached.

“There is no change between them and us. The players have the same passion and love playing for Canada. There is pride in having the maple leaf on your chest. It’s one thing to play in the NHL; to be involved with Team Canada when the

ABOVE: LOWE SITTING IN HIS SON KEEGAN’S STALL IN THE OILER’S DRESSING ROOM THE DAY OF HIS FIRST GAME FOR THE OILERS.

18

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM

We’re investing in our communities — and you can, too.

Support local businesses, strengthen our economy, and let’s bring our communities closer together.

MNP.ca

GOALS // COVER

whole world is watching is a very cool thing, if not a little daunting. We always had a saying: regardless of your star status, park your ego at the door and play for Canada. Those guys had the right attitude to do that.”

Looking back, he comes to this humble conclusion, “I’ve been so fortunate to be able to remain involved in the game for 40+ years. That is very much a rarity and I don’t take it for granted. But I also think I paid my dues and did enough to merit the promotions, at least in the eyes of the people making the decisions.”

During his time on ice, behind the bench, working with Team Canada, and giving back to the community, Lowe has learned a lot, and he is happy to share his wisdom.

“Hard work and integrity, but mainly hard work, will get you to where you want to go. The ability to work harder than others, or at least harder than your opponent, is vital to success. I truly believe this and have a lot of confidence in knowing this formula works. You put in the time and good things will happen. As Beverly Sills says, ‘there are no shortcuts to any place worth going.’”

Lowe’s hard work and dedication go far beyond hockey.

As a noted philanthropist, he not only gives back to the community in time, financially, and through advocacy, he actively encourages others to do so as well.

“I’ve supported the Christmas Bureau for more than 30 years,” he says. This stems from my family’s upbringing. My parents, who were middle class but not wealthy, provided a couple of gifts under the tree and a nice dinner every Christmas to make it special. Year after year we would sit down to dinner, and they asked us to recognize how fortunate we were because others didn’t have dinner or a gift. That resonated with me as a person. My father and his family, from an early age, would go out into the community and distribute toys and gifts. I have a built-in sensitivity to the misfortunes of others. Being a good neighbour and trying to help others if you have the means is just the right thing to do.

“When the Christmas Bureau asked me to be involved, I said ‘absolutely! What a fantastic opportunity!’ Sometimes you play the night before and then have an event. You are a little tired, but as an athlete you can find yourself living in a

bubble. Not that you choose to, that is how the profession works. You have to go out of your way to get involved. It was nice to talk about other things. It was always a nice way to get out and give back.”

Lowe has been involved with many charitable and nonprofit organizations over the years, including Zebra Child Protection Centre and recently, Swim Drink Fish.

ABOVE: LOWE AND HIS WIFE KAREN WITH HUNTER, THE OILERS’ MASCOT. BOTTOM: LOWE PRESENTING THE CUP AT A SCHOOL IN REGINA.

20

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM

GOALS // COVER

LOWE IS A VERY HUMBLE MAN, BUT THAT HAS NOT STOPPED OTHERS FROM RECOGNIZING HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDMONTON, TO ALBERTA, AND TO CANADA. EARLIER THIS YEAR HE GOT A CALL THAT SUMMED UP THE PINNACLE OF HIS CAREER. HE IS BEING INDUCTED INTO THE CANADIAN HOCKEY HALL OF FAME. “Swim Drink Fish is a water protection awareness organization,” says Lowe. “In working with the organization, I got to meet (the late) Gordon Downie, who was also involved.”

Alongside another Edmonton philanthropist, Sam Abouhassan, Lowe co-launched Tee Up for Tots, a golf invitational that supports the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation. The two gentlemen ran the event for 12 years before passing it to the next generation of what he calls, “energetic community-minded businessmen and women in Edmonton.”

“Professional athletes, to me, they have a responsibly to do something,” says Lowe. “Especially in today’s age, they should be thankful and help out with the social challenges that are out there by donating money, lending their name, or drawing attention. You see a fair amount of it nowadays, corporations and organizations, doing the right thing.”

One surprising thing many people don’t know about Lowe, is that when he is not involved in hockey or out in the community giving back, he is enjoying music.

“I love music! I never played an instrument, but I wish I had.

I used to play music in the dressing room. My kids grew up around music. Just the other day my wife said ‘if I’m not around, the music is not on. Nobody else puts its on.’ I think it’s such a big part of life. It’s art. I enjoy the visual arts but music, as long as I can remember, has been at the forefront.

I love all music, but especially soft rock or pop. I like a little bit of country, not too much rap. I love all the new artists. I’ll play 60s or 70s then get on Apple music and play all the stuff that is charting. My tastes are eclectic, I guess!”

to me, the Hall of Fame was for another level of players. The day it happened I was doing yard work. I answered my phone and when I heard chair of the induction committee’s voice, my heart stopped for a minute. We made small talk and then they broke the news. My blood pressure hasn’t been elevated that way in many years! There wasn’t much left to excite me on the sports side, so getting that call was truly special. I appreciate it. The nice thing is, my kids are older now, so I can celebrate this with them and with my family.”

In 2019, Lowe was inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame, something he also treasures because, “I was born in Ontario and grew up in Québec. Being accepted as an Albertan was very special.”

As he reflects on a life of being connected to the sport and community he loves, Lowe thanks the people that have supported and helped him on his journey.

“There are too many to count,” he notes. “I’m incredibly grateful to my family and my siblings. My mother passed last summer at 90 and we miss her a lot. My wife’s support has been crucial over the 30 years that we have been married.

She raised our four kids, sometimes on her own while I was playing. During the 1994 playoffs for the Rangers one of our kids got chicken pox. I had to stay away from the family for weeks because the team could not sacrifice me getting sick.

We moved around a lot, which put stress on the family when I was player, coach, and a manager. But with her support and tireless work Karen and I have raised wonderful children. She has embraced all aspects of my life and deserves 95 per cent of the credit for the way the kids turned out.”

Lowe is a very humble man, but that has not stopped others from recognizing his contributions to Edmonton, to Alberta, and to Canada. Earlier this year he got a call that summed up the pinnacle of his career. He is being inducted into the Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame.

Lowe is excited about the next phase of the game. He’s getting into real estate and loves being a grandfather. There’s another wedding coming up for one of his children and his oldest daughter is being called to the bar.

“That was another one of those surreal moments,” Lowe smiles.

“I had been up for it for 19 years, but never got the call. I never envisioned myself as a Hall of Famer. That was for Gretzky, Messier, Howe – names like that. I was proud of my career but

The whistle blows, the puck drops, and the game of life carries on. For Lowe, having a chance to make an impact in the sport that defines Canada, that helped put Edmonton on the map, and has given him a chance to give back to the city he loves, every moment has – and continues to be – memorable.

BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // DECEMBER 2020

21

WE WORK

WHERE YOU WORK EPIC Photography Is aN ALBERTA BASED full service photo agency, SPECIALIZING IN advertising, editorial, portrait, sports, food or arts PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOGRAPHY. epicphotography.ca // @alwaysepicphotos

THE VALUE OF REMOTE LEARNING AND CONTINUING EDUCATION // CONTINUING EDUCATION

THE VALUE OF REMOTE LEARNING AND CONTINUING EDUCATION

BY WILL PORTER

T

he COVID-19 pandemic outbreak’s impact on education this year was heavy, and sudden.

Institutions found themselves needing to accommodate for remote learning, whether or not they had already implemented such systems. Unsurprisingly, they stepped up to the challenge, making sure that education could continue, and even making improvements that could benefit the future.

There were colleges and universities in Alberta that were already offering remote learning platforms for their students.

Norma Schneider, vice president, teaching & learning and chief academic at NorQuest College, speaks of the advantage of remote learning. “NorQuest College has always been about accommodating learners where they’re most comfortable and in the ways they learn best, whether that is in person, remotely, or online. Having all of our offerings available online during the pandemic means we can balance the priority of keeping students, staff, and our community safe with the opportunity for learners to continue their education where they might not have been able to otherwise. The pandemic could have forced the hand of learners, but online education gives them choices.”

Portage College in Lac La Biche smoothly transitioned to remote learning at the beginning of the pandemic, even winning the Brandon Hall Group Award for their success.

Making a note about remote learning, Guy Gervais, vice president academic, says, “An online modality of delivery opens up the opportunity for some students to take programs that were previously available only in a face-to-face modality of delivery. There are examples of programs that we have at Portage College that have increased enrolments due to being offered online during the pandemic.”

Gervais continues. “Moving online due to COVID-19 has challenged and stretched both program areas and service areas to think about new ways to deliver programs and support students. New ways of delivering curriculum and supporting students on the service side are being utilized.

Additionally, new methods for delivering, assessing and interacting with students may continue when we go back to ‘normal.’ Minimally, some ideas used during online delivery will be blended with face-to-face delivery of programs.”

Meanwhile, at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), Sue Fitzsimmons, vice president academic and provost, notes additional benefits of remote education, saying, “Virtual learning allows students to access education from their home community, which can be a real advantage to students who don’t live within the Edmonton region.”

ABOVE: GUY GERVAIS, MBA, B.MGT., VICE PRESIDENT ACADEMIC, PORTAGE COLLEGE. BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // DECEMBER 2020

23

THE VALUE OF REMOTE LEARNING AND CONTINUING EDUCATION // CONTINUING EDUCATION

Fitzsimmons explains further, “When some people imagine virtual education, they assume there is no hands-on learning.

At NAIT, this simply isn’t the case. We have many courses where students work with materials at home, or access virtual equipment so they can participate in hands-on learning under the guidance of their instructors online and in real time. Where learning outcomes can be achieved virtually, we’re providing education online. Where students need to come to campus to achieve learning outcomes, we are safely providing education within our shops and labs. Having lower numbers of students and staff on campus means we can more easily attend to cleaning, physical distancing and gathering protocols. In short, it makes things safer for everyone.”

Athabasca University (AU) has been a leader in online education in Canada for over 25 years, Dr. Neil Fassina, president, hopes that after the growing pains seen in other institutions of implementing remote learning across the country, it opens up more opportunities for everyone.

He explains, “As Canada’s online university, AU’s mission has long been to make high-quality post-secondary education available to learners regardless of their age, work arrangements, location, educational background or family circumstances. What we are seeing now is that although many other institutions are opening digital options, they have not yet dismantled some of the barriers that stand between individuals and their learning. It is my hope that some of the early strides made by institutions will truly start to create greater access to higher learning for a broader demographic of learners. “ Fitzsimmons shared some interesting statistics from surveys with students. “NAIT surveyed students after classes ended last April. We wanted to understand the impact COVID-19 had on student learning in the early days of the pandemic.

Nearly 4,500 students responded. What we learned was that 84 per cent of degree, diploma and certificate students and 75 per cent of apprenticeship students preferred a blend of self-directed and instructor-directed learning. This told us students are interested in exploring virtual options.”

However, they also found only 90 per cent of students had access to the necessary technology for virtual learning; but, through on-campus labs and loanable technology they are working to bridge that 10 per cent gap.

Gervais believes that flexibility will be key for opening up education options to more people. “The ultimate option for students would be to offer both online and face-to-face for more programs with the students choosing which option works best for them. Imagine a student who can choose their program and how they access the curriculum (online, in-classroom, blended, etc.), but also have the ability to move between online or face-to-face modalities during a semester depending on their personal circumstance on a given day or week.

“Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic circumstances and the switch to remote learning, continuing education continues to offer great value for the cost for any person looking to further their education, regardless of background or age.”

Schneider adds, “Learners come to NorQuest because they know the value of a NorQuest education, and that expectation doesn’t change whether they’re learning online or in person. We continue to provide value to graduates by focusing on building competencies and outcomes regardless of the delivery method, that way an accounting technician (for example) who graduates in 2020 or 2021 has the same value as one who graduated in 2019.”

Fassina highlights the benefits of flexible continuing education for those in the workforce, saying, “Many of our learners work and have family commitments, so they are already in the workforce. They turn to AU to get the skills and knowledge

ABOVE: NORMA SCHNEIDER, VICE PRESIDENT ACADEMIC, NORQUEST COLLEGE.

24

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM

// CONTINUING EDUCATION

SCHNEIDER ADDS, “LEARNERS COME TO

PRIME TIME MENU

NORQUEST BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE VALUE OF A NORQUEST EDUCATION, AND THAT EXPECTATION DOESN’T CHANGE WHETHER THEY’RE LEARNING ONLINE OR IN PERSON.” they need to achieve their academic and career goals in a way that fits into their lives. AU offers flexible, open, lifelong educational options to learners. From micro-credentials to doctoral programs, there is an option no matter where a learner is on their educational journey. Learners don’t have to leave their families, jobs and communities behind to learn.

Instead, AU brings learning to them. “ Fitzsimmons on a NAIT education, adds, “Ninetyeight per cent of employers report satisfaction with the performance of NAIT grads on the job. No matter how it’s offered—whether virtually or on campus—NAIT’s highly engaging education is developed in partnership with industry and taught by instructors who have real world experience.”

Portage College has found through their monitored data metrics that every $1 spent on continuing education creates $4.60 in lifetime earnings for students.

Gervais concludes, “Our programs are connected with the business community and/or industry. This connection occurs through work integrated learning opportunities for students connecting the classroom to industry. Industry partners contribute to discussions at advisory committee meetings for all programs. This is an opportunity to ensure the program is relevant and current to what the employers are looking for.”

Continuing education remains valuable for students, whether coming out of high school, or already part of the workforce. Remote learning initially introduced some bumps, but the future looks bright beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring more people than ever will have access to continuing education to boost their full potential.

Come in tonight and experience Ruth’s Prime Time Menu.

An indulgent prix fixe menu featuring some of Ruth’s favourites.

WE’RE NOW OPEN WEDNESDAY - SUNDAY AT 5PM

Edmonton 780.990.0123 Calgary 403.246.3636 RuthsChrisSteakHouse.ca BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // DECEMBER 2020

25

EDMONTON TOWER — CELEBRATING INNOVATION, CULTURE AND THE CITY OF EDMONTON I CE District has quickly gained recognition as an award-winning, boundary-pushing leader in design and innovation, attracting visitors from around the world. Located on 104th Avenue in the heart of downtown, Edmonton Tower is one of few premium buildings in the city and provides a quality experience through modern construction and professional service. Owned by Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo) and managed by ONE Properties, the AAA Class office tower complements their superior selection of versatile office floor plans with convenient retailers, restaurants, cafés and an on-site childcare centre. Tenants and visitors also appreciate the building’s aesthetic appeal and sustainability features to reduce environmental impact.

Edmonton Tower has been recognized for its excellence in operation, management and sustainable performance by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Platinum certification. LEED’s requirements increase occupant comfort and satisfaction by delivering healthier buildings with more daylight, better air quality and improved temperature control — all features that have been added to Edmonton Tower. The Tower also has Energy Star-certification in Canada and a current score of 92 out of 100.

The ownership and management team at Edmonton Tower implemented high-thermal insulation and passive design strategies such as daylighting and optimal building orientation. In order to reduce the processed energy required, the tower is designed to take advantage of daylight harvesting, occupancy sensors, lighting controls and refrigeration heat recovery systems with an energy intensity target that is one-third that of a typical Edmonton building.

Edmonton Tower won Edmonton’s Building Owner and Manager (BOMA) 2020 BEST (Building Environmental Standards) award for achieving the highest assessment score of 92 per cent in 2019. The score

26

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

also earned the tower the BOMA BEST Platinum certification in January 2019, an award only six other buildings in Edmonton have achieved. To achieve BOMA BEST, buildings are evaluated on 10 environmental performance and management criteria: energy, water, air, comfort, health and wellness, custodial, purchasing, waste, site and stakeholder engagement.

Through a recent partnership with Tesla, 10 new electric vehicle chargers have been added to the building’s parkade; eight Tesla charging stations and two J1772 (universal) charging stations.

“Environmental stewardship is very important to us,” says Stacey Claffey, general manager with ONE Properties. “We are committed to sustainability and that commitment influences every decision we make. We continuously research and implement new innovation practices that will enhance the tenants’ experience. The charging stations go live in September and Edmonton Tower will be listed as a charging partner on Tesla’s Destination Charging Network.

Recently the management team worked with Habit, a local marketing agency to create a brand identity for Edmonton Tower that was welcoming and timeless, and aligned well with the City of Edmonton and other branding within ICE District.

“Edmonton Tower is both a place of business and a destination,” Claffey says. Ensuring the building had its own online presence with dedicated social media channels is an important step toward becoming known as a focal point of the downtown core that is a highly functional and efficient space, seamlessly transitioning between daytime office and evening event uses. “The new brand is inspired by two things: the iconic building itself and the energy of downtown Edmonton,” continues Claffey. The new brand will officially launch later this year.

Along with a new logo, the team created a brand promise, mission statement and vision statement with a positive message – Uplift Edmonton. The message depicts the drive to inspire new development in the city and to dream big.

“We have a beautifully designed grand main floor lobby with exceptional acoustics that provide an ideal event space,” Claffey says.

Edmonton Tower typically holds over 50 events annually to promote and support local festivals, cultural events and musical performances. Past events include fashion shows, parties, receptions, and activations to promote mental health awareness, inclusivity and antibullying. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the ONE Properties management team is exploring opportunities and partnerships to continue to celebrate the city and all it has to offer with Edmonton Tower’s valued tenants and visitors.

Starting September 2020, Edmonton Tower will be hosting Month of the Artist, an event in partnership with the Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA) celebrating local artists.

“We’re very excited to work with Janette Hubka and the AGA to present the works of talented Alberta Artists,” Claffey says. While the partnership extends beyond September with new pieces displayed regularly at Edmonton Tower, tenants will enjoy exclusive online giveaways, including AGA admission tickets, AGA memberships, and AGA giftshop items. Watch #AGAlive for online events throughout the month.

28

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM

We Have Space Where You Do Business Kick-start your business in one of our high-quality properties located throughout the Edmonton region.

9

2

Office Properties

Retail Properties

3

Office/Retail Properties

2

5

Mixed-Use Properties

Industrial Properties

Fort Saskatchewan

Anthony Henday Drive

Yellowhead Trail

Spruce Grove

Acheson

e Whitemud Driv

Visit our website to view our interactive map and find your next space!

qualicocommercial.com

S

BOMA BEST RE-CERTIFICATION FOR BELL TOWER

ince 2005, BOMA Canada has been awarding qualifying members with the BOMA BEST certifications in Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum.

A BOMA BEST Platinum certification is the highest industry assessment for excellence in energy, environmental management and performance in commercial real estate. Only approximately 3 per cent of buildings in Canada have achieved the rating and only a handful of those are in Edmonton. A BOMA BEST Platinum building must achieve a score of between 90-100 per cent, and this year the team at ASPEN Properties has successfully recertified Bell Tower as a BOMA BEST Platinum building.

At over 493,000 square feet, the office tower located at 10104 103rd Avenue NW in downtown Edmonton, next to ICE District, is classified Platinum a

While it is a significant achievement at any time, the recertification is made even more noteworthy in a time when most things are being overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

second time, subject to an annual sample verification to ensure standards are being maintained. While it is a significant achievement at any time, the recertification is made even more noteworthy in a time when most things are being overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As explained by Morley Barr, vice president, property management and operations for Aspen Properties, “Achieving BOMA BEST Platinum certification shows commitment to sustainability and best practices. Unlike current architectural projects with sustainability and environmental impact-significant factors considered in the design and construction of new buildings, Bell Tower was built in 1982, nearly 40 years ago. The sustainability and environmental controls required for the certification were not included in the original building design and had to be integrated into the existing structure and As a building owner or operator, it is your building management processes. responsibility to ensure that your fire doors To maintain the certification, Asare up-to-code. In the event of a fire event, pen Properties has focused on “operating safely and keeping up NFPA 80 compliance can help protect both with changes as they come up as your personnel and facility. set forth by associations such as BOMA or ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and To schedule your annual inspection please call Air-Conditioning Engineers) – a 780-451-0060 or visit www.overheaddoor.ca/commercial feat made more challenging as the business and office market has gotten tougher in Edmonton. CurOverhead Door technicians are IDEA certified. rently, office vacancies are much higher than normal because of the major hit to the energy sector in

FIRE DOOR INSPECTION & TESTING

30

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM

“Enterprise-

”

isn’t just a catch phrase, it’s been our reason for existing since 2003.

2014-2015, and then the recent impact of the pandemic restrictions and closures. Barr says that to recertify platinum in these circumstances, Aspen’s focus has been mostly about maintaining the already BEST practices and evolving with the ever-changing health standards and governmental controls.

The achievement is a shining example of how the team at Aspen Properties has worked hard to maintain their focus on sustainability practices and continued to uphold the high standards their tenants have come to expect from the property management team.

Other awards won by the Aspen team for Bell Tower include BOMA 360 Certification-2018, BOMA BEST Platinum Certification-2017-2020, BOMA Earth Award-2018, Property Management Team of the Year-2018, and Building Operations Team of the Year-2019.

As found on www.bomacanada.ca, the framework for BOMA BEST (BEST being an acronym for building environmental standards) certification is outlined for owners, managers, and building operators to critically assess 10 key areas of environmental performance and management:

1. Energy 2. Water 3. Air 4. Comfort 5. Health & Wellness 6. Custodial 7. Purchasing 8. Waste 9. Site 10. Stakeholder Engagement

a stable and reliable

Ranchlands offers your business

environment a managed,

out-sourced IT PARTNER provides value to your company with

to provide an affordable, more

reliable, and

approach

ensuring your systems are available to you when you need them managing access and backups of your data

Phone: 780.809.2999 structured cabling

equipment sales & installs

Managed Services

ICOM Mechanical Solutions and Protocol Mechanical have merged effective Sept 1.

This exciting step is to enhance our turn-key mechanical solutions and preventative maintenance programs providing exceptional value to the building owners and managers in Alberta.

ICOM – The complete Choice 12209 Fort Road NW Edmonton, AB T5B 4H2 CALL ANYTIME: 780-473-4076 www.icommechanical.com

BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // DECEMBER 2020

31

National reports on efficiencies show BOMA BEST buildings achieve a reduction of energy use ranging from the low teens to as high as over 30 per cent. These efficiencies translate to a corresponding reduction in green house gasses (GHG) and a corresponding reduction in operating costs, which are passed on to the tenants of the building.

The process to become certified begins with a voluntary online survey filled out by interested parties, followed up by an onsite peer review of all claims and confirmation that all criteria has been met. The building offers tenants more than piece of mind and the reassurance that comes from a BOMA BEST Platinum certification, with amenities such as a club quality fitness facility, shared conference/catered events areas, secure indoor bike storage (complete with repair station) and a state-of-the-art golf simulator. Add to that a pedway connection to the network of downtown offices and amenities and the proximity to ICE District, and Bell Tower surpasses expectations for any corporation looking for downtown office space.

WESTERN CANADA’S PREMIER JANITORIAL AND MAINTENANCE SERVICE PROVIDER

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

1.888.985.7141 | www.servantage.ca 32

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM

24 HOUR ONSITE SECURITY QUOTE HIGH DEFINITION SEE EVERYTHING

EASY TO USE SOFTWARE

Cameras

Access

Alarm

Intercom

EXPERIENCED & SAFETY CERTIFIED

(403) 288-6468

sales@survshop.com

www.survshop.com

2021 … a Hopeful Perspective

2020 Board of Directors Board Executive

Chair: Bryan DeNeve Senior Vice President, Business Development and Commercial Services, Capital Power Vice Chair: Elan MacDonald Senior Vice President, National Client Development, Global Public Affairs Secretary-Treasurer: Craig Thorkelsson Head of Tax, PCL Constructors Inc. Past Chair: Dawn Harsch President and CEO, ExquisiCare Senior Living and Care at Home Janet M. Riopel President & CEO, Edmonton Chamber of Commerce

Board Directors

Haydar Al Dahhan President and CEO, Design Works Engineering Nathan Carter Vice President, Operations Audit, ATCO Sandy Jacobson Vice President, Richardson Executive Search Annemarie Petrov President and CEO, Francis Winspear Centre for Music Dennis R. Schmidt Principal, ALTURA Legal Advisory Jeffrey Sundquist Chief Executive Officer, EDC Environmental Group of Companies Inc. Dr. Jenelle Trenchuk-Saik President and CEO, Parker Ford and Mackay Specialty Opticians

Edmonton Chamber Executive

Scott Channon Director, Marketing and Communications Brent Francis Director, Advocacy and Outreach Christen Rumbles Director, Finance Amin Samji Director, Member Services Kevin Thomas Director, Operations

Contact

Edmonton Chamber of Commerce #600 – 9990 Jasper Avenue Edmonton, AB T5J 1P7 T: 780.426.4620 | F: 780.424.7946 edmontonchamber.com

By Janet M. Riopel, President & CEO, Edmonton Chamber of Commerce

T

o say that 2020 has been a challenging year would be to vastly understate the obvious. After five years of economic decline, we entered a new year full of optimism that this would be the year we started to see light on our horizon. But such was not our fate. First, a price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia led to a collapse in the value of our oil. Then the pandemic found its way to our doorstep, devastating everything in its wake. Eighty per cent of businesses saw their revenues plummet, nearly half of employers laid off staff, and some businesses have had no choice but to close their doors permanently. People went home, schools were closed, and we all had to quickly figure out new ways of doing … well … absolutely everything.

There’s no doubt that we desperately needed and much appreciated the speed and flexibility governments have shown throughout the pandemic. All orders of government stepped up to provide relief for struggling businesses, ensuring that as many business owners as possible could keep enough cash flow to retain their staff and weather the storm of sweeping changes in consumer spending and habits.

And while this storm is far from over, we are all focused on looking ahead to the possibilities that a fresh new year will bring for Edmonton’s job creators and families.

The Edmonton Chamber is optimistic and ready to take on 2021. As we seek to recover what we have lost, and rebuild on our considerable strengths, I want to highlight some recommendations that were developed through an extensive consultation process we conducted over the Summer and Fall that will help us forge a brighter future together. Here’s what we heard …

1. Progress on COVID-19 When workers were sent home and businesses temporarily closed their doors back in March, we could not have predicted that this pandemic would stretch into 2021. What we hope most for next year is to see an end to COVID-19 following the development, testing and distribution of an effective vaccine. Once that day arrives, we hope governments will wind down support programs gradually and provide flexibility for debt repayments, ensuring businesses and individuals can get back on their feet. We urge governments to do a deep dive into their pandemic response through an independent review, and publish the results so we can learn what worked, what didn’t, and how we can do better the next time we face a major public health crisis. We also urge that any red tape removed temporarily during the pandemic must be done away with permanently, in order to ensure that businesses can stay nimble and innovative as they navigate their recovery.

2. Inclusive recovery The pandemic has put the vulnerabilities of our society front and center. As we navigate the long road of economic recovery, we realize that the only way we will create a more vibrant community is through strong, inclusive social and economic policies. At every roundtable engagement session we hosted, two key themes emerged time and time again—access to childcare, and addressing homelessness.

BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // DECEMBER 2020

35

Every parent should have the choice of whether or not to stay home to raise their child. But with our high cost of childcare, many don’t have that choice. If a parent is forced to stay home, they often have to remove themselves from the workforce. If we are to emerge from this pandemic as whole and healthy as possible, we simply can’t afford to leave anyone behind. We were pleased to see the Province introduce legislation in October to make childcare options more flexible, including options for 24-hour care. In 2021, we hope to see an increase to the per-child subsidy rate as well.

We urge the federal and provincial governments to work with the City to develop new permanent supportive housing units throughout our community. Provide housing to get people off the streets, and provide the supports they need to get them back on their feet. This isn’t just the right thing to do—addressing homelessness will boost our downtown vibrancy, speed our economic recovery, and save us money by reducing demand on emergency services.

These aren’t just social issues, they’re economic issues. Improving access to childcare and addressing homelessness ensure more Albertans can actively participate in our economic recovery. When businesses succeed, communities succeed, and vice versa. As we enter this next phase of recovery, let’s ensure that we lift everyone up.

3. A plan to deal with deficits The COVID-19 pandemic and the necessary support programs have meant the hollowing out of revenues and a rapid increase in spending for governments across the globe. Alberta is facing the largest deficit in our province’s history. The federal deficit will also hit historic highs. In the face of these realities, we must chart a new path forward for fiscal sustainability. We’re urging governments to review their revenue sources, and reimagine them to reflect the new normal we face. This should include a fulsome independent review of Canada’s tax system, which has not been conducted since the 1960s, and an independent review of provincial revenues. This, along with very necessary spending restraint in the years to come, will help us find the long road back to balanced budgets and ensure that we don’t leave an unmanageable legacy of debt for future generations.

4. Pipelines to tidewater Alberta oil continues to be sold at deep discounts due to the lack of pipelines. In 2021, we hope to see pipeline developments continue, giving us access to markets who want the safe, reliable, and ethically-produced energy that Alberta can provide.

5. Property taxes For over six years, we have been calling on City Council to halt the endless increases to our property taxes.

Earlier this year, City Council approved a zero percent

36

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM

tax increase for businesses in response to the pandemic.

This was the right move, and the Province assisted by freezing the education portion of property taxes. We will urge City Council to continue zero percent tax increases and even take this a step further to decrease our property taxes for 2021.

6. Dismantling internal trade barriers In July, the Canadian Global Cities Council—a coalition of Canada’s nine largest chambers of commerce, representing more than half the country’s population and businesses—highlighted interprovincial trade barriers in a series of social media videos using the hashtag #weCANtrade. These videos demonstrated how harmonizing regulations could speed Canada’s economic recovery. As provincial and federal leaders continue to discuss measures to boost Canada’s economy, internal trade is a low-cost alternative to many more costly economic stimulus measures. We continue to urge provincial governments to explore every avenue for dismantling internal trade barriers, including entering into bilateral or multilateral trade deals with other provinces.

7. Diversification Another key theme that emerged in our consultations this summer is the urgent need for economic diversification. We’re pleased to see the Province release sector-specific diversification plans this year, and we hope to measure the progress on those plans in 2021. We think a great measurement for this is the variety of products and services Alberta companies offer. Diversification can be achieved by supporting Edmonton’s growing technology and innovation sector, by making government procurement easier for local companies to access, by diversifying the types of products sourced from our oil and gas resources, and by increasing access to high-speed internet across the province.

These recommendations, and so many more, have been captured in the Forging Our Future report—we encourage you to visit EdmontonChamber.com to learn more and join us in advocating for meaningful change.

Throughout this pandemic we’ve realized the power we harness when we work together. We look forward to working with each of you to chart a path towards a more resilient, inclusive and stable economic future for all.

Most importantly, and on behalf of our Board and the mighty Chamber Team, we wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas, great health and increasing prosperity in this coming new year! Our sincere thanks to all for your support and encouragement.

What’s on your wish list? What policies and initiatives would help your business succeed? Let us know at policy@edmontonchamber.com.

This year, we celebrate 50 years of providing safe and affordable housing to Edmontonians. We’re proud to be part of this vibrant city, contributing to the local economy, creating jobs, regenerating social and near-market housing and transforming communities. Here’s to the next 50 years.

www.crhc.ca

AMJ Campbell Movers Mission Statement: Dedicated to Exceptional Personalized Service. AMJ Campbell Moving Professionals are second to one in experience and skill, willing to do whatever it takes for your satisfaction!

AMJ Campbell Van Lines Edmonton Member Profile Aysha McRorie-Moreau, Commercial Accounts Manager, AMJ Campbell Van Lines Edmonton www.amjcampbell.com What’s your story?

AMJ Campbell was established in Canada in 1934. Our Edmonton office became a franchisee in 1979 and continues to be proudly locally owned and managed. We have an entrepreneurial spirit, leveraging employee diversity and inclusiveness for a competitive advantage and a strong corporate governance to ensure quality, integrity and the highest ethics. We pride ourselves on being a one-stopshop moving solution to all of our customers by providing many services to help take away all of the stresses of moving your home or office.

What do you enjoy most about being a member of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce?

There are many reasons why we enjoy being a member of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce. We are engaged in our business community and are able to network with other members. Not only do we have better visibility to our customers, but we also are proud to be part of a collective voice for local businesses and industries.

What is one thing people are surprised to learn about your business?

That we are a one-stop-shop company. We can service any moving and transportation need, we do it all! We provide full packing services, supplying all moving materials, and installation services. Plus, we can move you locally or across long distances and even overseas. From

38

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM

office to household, warehousing to crating to vault shipments—big or small, we do it all!

Who is your ideal client?

Everyone is our ideal client! Anyone who is moving or transporting their belongings to their home, office, or warehouse—we can support them in their transition. By being dedicated to providing our clients with services built on trust and integrity, we are able to ease the stress associated with moving or relocating.

What has been your biggest challenge in business, and how did you overcome it?

With unforeseen circumstances like COVID-19 and the downturn of the Edmonton economy, we had to quickly adjust and find new ways to do business. We are committed to operating safely and complying with all safety regulations in our everyday operations. Through our exceptional customer service and a strong commitment from our team, we are able to continue to go above and beyond to exceed our clients’ moving needs.

What is your favourite thing to do in Edmonton?

I love meeting new people, golfing, enjoying our river valleys, and attending our city’s festivals.

If you could make one substantial improvement to Edmonton’s business environment, what would it be?

To promote Edmonton as a corporate hub!

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE? BANKING SOLUTIONS FOR MID-SIZED BUSINESSES // BANKING

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE?

BANKING SOLUTIONS FOR MID-SIZED BUSINESSES

BY BETHANY NEUFELD

T

he COVID-19 environment has seen a number of financial assistance programs launched or adjusted to account for the economic impacts of the global health pandemic. From payment deferrals to grants, several economic reliefs have been introduced to stimulate a struggling local economy. Small and large business have traditionally been the targets of fiscal programs, but what about businesses caught in between?

As explained by Jon Horsman, senior executive vice president of business at ATB Financial and CEO of ATB Capital Markets, there are options out there for mid-sized businesses in Alberta.

“There are programs, like the Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP) for example, available through partnering with ATB or another financial institution. These programs provide incremental debt, often with longer tenure, and are a good way to bridge companies into a more normal economic environment,” Horsman shares. “However, the key is to assess the unique needs and position of each business.

For some businesses, taking on more debt is not the best decision. In other cases, equity would be a better fit and would preserve the long-term health of the company.”

For businesses looking for banking assistance, Horsman notes the importance of finding a bank with industry knowledge and a demonstrated commitment to helping businesses thrive, no matter the financial climate.

“Ensure that your financial institution understands your unique business. We know the pandemic has not affected every industry in the same way. Be open with your financial institution. The better we understand your company’s situation, the more we can help,” he notes. “Communication

ABOVE: JON HORSMAN, SENIOR EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS, ATB AND CEO, ATB CAPITAL MARKETS. PHOTO SOURCE: ATB

BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // DECEMBER 2020

39

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE? BANKING SOLUTIONS FOR MID-SIZED BUSINESSES // BANKING

and trust are key. I have seen time and time again the benefits that a solid relationship with your financial institution can bring. I know that almost any economic climate can be navigated when trust exists because we can provide solutions that are tailored specifically for your business.”

Getting down to financial strategy specifics, Horsman identifies “cash flow forecasting” – a common business practice involving the estimation of a company’s future finances – as key for any business.

“Following the spring lockdown, we knew that businesses needed to assess staffing levels, customer demand, inventory and other factors. ATB was able to help our customers build a deep understanding of cash flow, which has helped them make better, more informed, decisions.”

In addition to helping businesses access funding, Horsman explains the advisory role of banks in helping business owners navigate financial downturn and tough economic climates.

“We know what a tough time it has been for a lot of people— and their businesses—and we have been doing what we can to help. Throughout the pandemic, our team has been reaching out to businesses to check on their financial health, offering the resources, advice and support they need to move forward, and helping them pivot where necessary,” he says. “We have had business owners who thought they were going to have to close down but after sitting down and working through cash flow projections and other details with their relationship manager, they were able to turn things around enough to find opportunities in the current economic environment.”

With financial assistance programs introduced by the federal government such as the Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP), mid-sized businesses have access to supports aimed at making the COVID-19 economic waters less turbulent.

As explained by Michael Selci, senior vice president for the prairies division of Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), there are extensive programs in place for businesses needing an additional financial crutch.

“A number of measures, in addition to access to credit, have been put in place through the Government of Canada’s Economic Response Plan to help businesses through these trying times,” Selci notes. “The Mid-Market Financing

Program, which is an extension on the Government of Canada’s BCAP, was specifically created for mid-sized businesses from all industries, including oil and gas. This program aims to bring liquidity to medium-sized companies particularly impacted by COVID-19, whose credit needs exceed what is already available through the Government of Canada’s BCAP program and other relief measures.

He continues, “Interested medium-sized business owners are encouraged to speak with their primary lender who can assess if the program is appropriate for them. The primary lender will then communicate with BDC regarding next steps.”

Medium-sized companies further have the option to apply for the Export Development Canada (EDC) MidMarket Guarantee, an expanded program offering up to an additional $80 million for eligible businesses.

With consideration to a sluggish economy and the need for businesses to adapt to an uncertain financial environment, a number of businesses have chosen to remedy their financial ailments by accessing loan programs. For those preparing loan applications, Selci shares some common mistakes businesses make when evaluating their options.

ABOVE: MICHAEL SELSI, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, PRAIRIES, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BANK OF CANADA. PHOTO SOURCE: BDC

40

DECEMBER 2020 // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE? BANKING SOLUTIONS FOR MID-SIZED BUSINESSES // BANKING

“When looking for a business loan, a common mistake is to strictly focus on the interest rate at the expense of other factors. While the interest rate is important, it’s not the only criteria that matters when choosing a business loan,” he notes.

“I recommend looking at the loan term, the loan size, the flexibility on repayments, the financial reporting the bank is requiring and the guarantees that are being requested of you in case of default. With all the information on hand, you will be able to make a better decision for your business.”

For many businesses in the province, the road ahead has no shortage of potholes; however, careful planning and consultation with financial experts can lay the foundation for a robust financial strategy.

“In difficult times like this one, the way ahead isn’t always clear. Many people know BDC for the financing we provide, but not everybody is aware of our advisory services practice.

Our advisors understand the realities of running a business and have helped entrepreneurs for over 75 years pull through challenging periods,” Selci says. “Entrepreneurs in Alberta have been hit hard by the dual shock of the COVID-19 pandemic and a sharp drop in oil prices. Our reports tell us that diversification, including opening new markets and launching new products, should be a key objective in a business’ strategic plan. By securing a variety of sources of revenue and profit, you will have a company that not only grows faster when times are good, but is also more resilient when they turn bad. Further, by combining your diversification strategy with tech investment, you can help maximize profit.”

As shared by the banking experts, navigating finances during a pandemic is no easy feat, but the process becomes a lot easier (and effective) when companies reach out for guidance from those who understand a fluctuating economy best.

BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // DECEMBER 2020

41

KARJOHN DRYWALL CELEBRATES 40 YEARS

K

aren and John Bodnar Sr. launched Karjohn Drywall in 1980. They combined their names Karen and John to form “Karjohn” and worked hard together to make it a success. Forty years later, the company they started is operated by their son John Jr., and provides Edmonton and the surrounding areas with the outstanding insulation, drywall, tape and texture services.

“My father moved from British Columbia to Alberta. He had a drywall company there and thought Alberta needed a great one too,” explains John Jr. of the company’s origins. “I joined the family business in 1990 after spending some time in Australia. We had two drywall divisions: residential and commercial. I took over the residential side of the operations while my father continued with commercial growth. My father, who was my best friend and mentor, passed away in 2002 and I took over the operations of the company.”

Since inception, Karjohn Drywall has prided itself on top quality workmanship done in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Recent innovations include Karjohn’s forward-thinking drywall management system (Job Manager) which launched in 2015. Karjohn uses this technology to increase production, accountability, and cost control. The Job Manager program provides real-time project tracking, allowing site supervisors to ensure each project is on time, on budget, and completed with the industry leading quality for which Karjohn is known.

With a complete range of services offered, Karjohn Drywall is a one-stop-shop. The company provides spray foam, fiberglass, mineral wool, blown-in and soundproofing insulation, complete with drywall and taping for projects of any size. Karjohn also provides ceiling texture including snow, splatter, knockdown, and custom works such as sea shell, icicle, and the Giovanni. In addition to the services Karjohn Drywall || Celebrating 40 Years

42

listed, Karjohn also provides steel-stud framing, T-bar and acoustic ceilings, while offering industry-leading warranty and world class service.

Just how good is Karjohn? Their work speaks so well for itself that in this age of digital renaissance, Karjohn just now, in 2020, put up a website. Word of mouth and testimonials has kept this company extremely successful for 40 years.

“We stand out because of our passion, drive, determination, expertise, and relationships,” confirms John Jr. “I feel blessed to have such an incredible team and the amazing clients that we do.”

Another reason for Karjohn’s success is the ability to adapt and overcome. After John Sr. passed, John Jr. had to learn how to execute the commercial side of the business and forge a strong residential presence. John Jr. also realized the importance of diversifying the company, something he believed was necessary.

Despite Karjohn’s continued success through the many cycles of Alberta’s economy, today poses a very different type of challenge – COVID-19.

“There is an economic impact from COVID-19.” John Jr. admits, “We had to adjust how we conduct our business to make sure everyone goes home safe and healthy.

Regardless of Alberta’s economic conditions, John Jr. and his team are firm in their commitment to continually give back to the community.

“We are very passionate about giving back,” he says. “We contribute both time and funds.” One important charity for John

John Bodnar Jr. Photos by Rebecca Lippiatt.

EXPERIENCE, EXPERTISE AND EXCELLENCE

Reliable, dedicated and upstanding

40 years of building a solid reputation serving Edmonton It is by working with valued customers, such as Karjohn Drywall for nearly 30 years, that we understand exactly what our customers need from their drywall distributor. We listen to our customers, improve to meet their present and future needs and make them Number One at all times. Learning from customers, such as Karjohn Drywall, has resulted in major updates being developed for Kenroc Edmonton.

Kenroc has moved to 14940 131 Ave NW This move brought all of Kenroc’s products and materials in Edmonton together at one location, which features numerous enhancements, including: • Expanded and improved warehouse space • Covered drive-through service • Spacious showroom • Paved yard Plus, Kenroc’s most experienced General Manager has built a team with the knowledge, dedication and integrity Kenroc is known for in the industry.

To Karjohn Drywall, here’s to the years of progress we’ve achieved together as well as the years ahead -- as we serve your business from our new location.

Congratulations on 40 years Proud to supply the best in the industry

IDEAL Insulation would like to thank John, Dave, Dianne, Lea, Kyle and the entire Karjohn Team for 2 years of business together.

It has been a true partnership, one that we value very much.

We wish Karjohn a hearty congratulations on their 40th Anniversary.

Here’s to many more!

Jr. is CASA. “The foundation supports children, adolescents and family’s mental health. It makes me proud to be a part of this charity as mental health is prevalent in our daily lives.”

John Jr. is especially proud to have raised more than $34,000 for CASA in 2019 while riding his road bike 985 kilometres from Jasper, Alberta to Masset, Queen Charlottes.

That journey took seven days. One of the other ways he raises money while helping to benefit the community is to DJ on the weekends. He spins for charity through weddings and corporate events. All money raised through these events goes directly to his CASA fundraising efforts. CASA 2021 fundraising efforts have reached over $15,000 so far.

Other charitable interests Karjohn Drywall supports include, among others, Changing Futures Foundation, Heart & Stroke™ Foundation, Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, Chron’s and Colitis Canada, Muscular Dystrophy Canada, Alberta Cancer Foundation and Paws and Claws.

“I’m a pretty energetic guy,” laughs John Jr. about his ability to run Karjohn full time, DJ on the side, and still fit in time for family, friends and sports like cycling, golf and hiking.

As Karjohn continues to provide some of the best drywalling services in the Edmonton area, and continues to raise thousands of dollars for deserving charities, John Jr. remains humble and grateful to his builders, trades, and staff. He also thanks his TEC Canada Executive 241 group for mentoring him over the past eight and a half years.

After 40 years, what comes next?

“We are branching into different markets, growing our brand and helping out more charities.” We are excited to be in a place of strength to continue providing outstanding drywall services for Edmonton’s homes and businesses for another 40 years.”

Ideal Insulation (1979) ltd.

4726 76 Ave NW Edmonton, AB T6B 0A5 1-833-300-1580 www.idealinsulation.com Karjohn Drywall || Celebrating 40 Years

12530 125 St NW, Edmonton, AB T5L 0T3 (780) 451-0848 | www.karjohndrywall.com

Darren Hughes, Brian Hughes and Bob Christensen.

Photo by Rebecca Lippiatt

Fuelling the Community for 65 Years Hughes Petroleum Ltd. Celebrates a Milestone Anniversary

By Nerissa McNaughton 45

Photo by Rebecca Lippiatt

H

ughes Petroleum Ltd. provides a variety of services including wand and touchless car wash, convenience stores, bulk and wholesale fuel, and fleet management. This coming year marks the 65th anniversary from when William (Bill) Hughes brought his family business to Edmonton. Today Hughes remains in the family with the second, third, and fourth generations working in the Edmonton owned and operated company. Hughes is operated by Brian Hughes president, with his son Darren Hughes as vice president of operations, and Bob Christensen as vice president of sales & business development.

Bill (1901-1985) would be rightly proud to see his son Brian, his grandchildren, and his great grandchildren upholding the family business.

Bill had immigrated to Canada in 1916 when he was just 15 years old. He left his family in Ireland and took a steam ship across the Atlantic, and then traveled by rail to Manitoba. Although Bill secured work at various jobs, he knew he wanted a better future. Ever Hughes Petroleum Ltd. || 65 years || 2

Company nam

the entrepreneur, Bill relocated to Ontario to train as a mechanic. Once training was complete, he returned to Manitoba and opened Hughes Motors.

But it was 1938. The economy was tough, and money was short. Customers were paying for Bill’s services with food, spare tires, and other goods. This didn’t get the plucky young man down though. He simply honed his mechanical skills to design, engineer, and build a snow plane.

Yes, Bill built his own snow plane!

With a means to reach the rural parts of the province in place, doctors hired Bill to escort them to the north, an area that was previously inaccessible to them during the winter.

In 1956 Bill sold his business ventures and was in a position to move his family to Alberta where major oilfields were being discovered. Bill, along with his son

me appears here

SHELL IS PROUD TO CONGRATULATE HUGHES ON THEIR 65TH ANNIVERSARY!

WWW.SHELL.CA

Brian, started selling bulk and wholesale oil products on what is now the Brewery District in Edmonton.

However, it wasn’t until 1960, when Bill’s son Brian took over and developed the “hughes” brand, that Hughes Petroleum became known for its distinctive orange and blue gas stations and car washes. The original location to sport the iconic colours was the first retail spot on 112 Avenue and 161 Street.

Brian set up an air pump and a hose on a barrel that would contain water or soap – it was his own car wash system, and it didn’t go unnoticed. Soon people were asking if they could use his “car wash” and before long, cars had to line up and wait for their turn.

Brian added a coin counter to the pump to keep the car wash operating smoothly. First it was payment by quarters, then later loonies, leading to the Hughes car wash slogan, “just loonies a wash.”

At that time, when operating a gas station in Edmonton, you had to also have a service bay present.

Much like his father, Bill, Brian is very entrepreneurial.

Seeing the success of this first car wash, he designed

TO EVERYONE AT HUGHES PETROLEUM LTD. ; CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR CONTINUED SUCCESS AND SURPASSING THIS MAJOR MILESTONE

HAPPY 65TH ANNIVERSARY !

GENERAL CONTRACTOR retail and commercial petroleum construction car wash facilities interior improvements commercial construction light industrial construction pre-engineered buildings design build services construction management services

... “ to deliver everything we would expect ourselves “ ...

17505 - 109A AVENUE EDMONTON, ALBERTA, T5S 2W4 PH: (780) 481-5181 / FX: (780) 481-5180

Hughes Petroleum Ltd. || 65 years || 4

HUGHES PETROLEUM LTD. C-STORE / TOUCHLESS CARWASH / GAS BAR 9115 35 AVENUE NW., EDMONTON, AB.

email : OFFICE@PETROCOMCONSTRUCTION.COM

www.petrocomconstruction.com

a series of gas stations and car washes that were unique in style and operation in the city. In 1967 a man named John approached Brian about setting up an account to purchase gas. For Brian, this was a first, but his entrepreneur side kicked into high gear. Based on this request he set up a corporate fleet account system; another success for the Hughes brand, this system is still in operation today. That young man, John, that made the request? His truck read Poole Construction on the door.

Poole Construction was the forerunner to PCL, another Edmonton success story and a nationally known brand.

The Hughes family and team believe that Edmonton is a wonderful city in which to live, work, and raise a family. They love Edmonton and its diverse business community and are pleased to be a key player in the city and its surrounding communities, operating with its core purpose in mind at all times: to fuel the needs in the community. Hughes Petroleum always finds a way to provide the reliable service it is known for, while constantly working towards responsible growth and innovation.

Gas Station POS System Supplier to Hughes • Back office and Head office management • Integrated Fuel Dispenser control • Pay at the Pump • Management of Hughes Program offerings: Loyalty, Gift Card and Commercial Account CONGRATULATIONS HUGHES PETROLEUM LTD. ON 65 YEARS OF BUSINESS EXCELLENCE!

Infonet Technology Corporation 1 888 925 8125 | info@infonet-tech.com www.infonet-tech.com Hughes Petroleum Ltd. || 65 years || 5

CONGRATULATIONS ON 65 YEARS FROM PEPSICO FOODS CANADA!

Guided by the vision of Brian Hughes, the company has grown to 22 retail locations with 260 self-serve wand wash bays throughout Edmonton, St. Albert, Spruce Grove, Leduc, and Sherwood Park. The Parsons Road location in Edmonton has been outfitted with bays to wash holiday trailers and large motor homes. Hughes’ east end lot at 6708 Meridian Street also has a card lock system for gasoline and diesel fuel sales for commercial fleet trucks. A new and innovative “tap & wash” system allows drivers to simply tap their credit or debit card to purchase time at the car wash locations.

Not only is this a more convenient system, it expedites the time spent in the wash so cars can get in and out quickly. These innovations, along with Hughes’s signature customer service, back up the latest slogan, “it feels good to come clean!”

Many people think of Hughes as a car wash and gas station and are surprised to learn about the diversity and depth of the company. Fuelling the community means not just fuelling cars, but the drivers too. This is why Hughes’ convenience stores are stocked with food, snacks, beverages, cigarettes, lottery tickets, and auto supplies. Most locations have gas, diesel and propane, and in some select stores, natural gas. Hughes supports businesses, not just in the Edmonton area, but also with supplies of fuel products throughout Western Canada and into the North West Territories and the Yukon.

Hughes Petroleum Ltd. || 65 years || 6

“Wheel-to-Wheel” onsite refuelling is supplied at night, so the clients’ machines are ready to go in the morning. Hughes uses Accu-Flo technology that keeps track in real time every litre of fuel delivered either per delivery, per vehicle or the amount of fuel per piece of equipment. Reports are generated immediately and available to the clients online.

Hughes Petroleum also has a fleet of trucks that are adaptable and flexible to meet the ever-changing needs of their customers. A large truck lot near the east leg of Anthony Henday Drive houses the fleet, which includes mini tankers, body jobs and super Bs, all with a variety of capacities to complete the hauling jobs required. The offering of fuel delivery comes in various forms to fill the needs of each customer.

Also available is fuel delivery for onsite storage tanks for gas, diesel, or multi-compartment units.

This option allows customers to fill their own trucks and machines as needed. Satellite sensors monitor the tank levels, enabling Hughes to be proactive in refilling the tanks without the client having to call in each order.

Hughes also ships fuel product by rail up into the north where it is productive on both ends to get the product to market in a responsible way.

Congratulations to Hughes Petroleum Ltd. on 65 years of service, fueling the needs of our community.

We were with Hughes in the beginning and remain their trusted business advisor today!

A lot has changed since then, but service and relationships remain central to this Alberta success story.

CORPORATE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE LITIGATION & DISPUTE RESOLUTION INSOLVENCY & RESTRUCTURING WILLS, ESTATES & TRUSTS ADMINISTRATIVE | OGILVIELAW.COM

Hughes Petroleum Ltd. || 65 years || 7

WWW.BLINE.CA

FULL RANGE OF SERVICES

Here at B-Line, we specialize in Tire supplies, Shop Equipment and Automotive/Carwash supplies.

CONGRATS TO HUGHES ON 65 YEARS!

Congratulations Hughes Petroleum Ltd. on 65 years!

We wish you many more years of continued success.

27C Rowland Cres. St. Albert, AB T8N 4B2 Phone: 780.458.2112 | Fax: 780.458.2005 | Toll Free: 1.888.458.2112 info@demelco.com | www.demelco.com

Congratulations Hughes Petroleum Ltd. on 65 Years!

ELECTRIC LTD. “Fueling, DEF, lighting & so much more…” coreelectric.ca | 780-962-5177

Congratulations Hughes on celebrating your 65th year in business.

We at DK Heavy Truck and Trailer Repair are looking forward to continuing business growth together in the future.

DK HEAVY TRUCK & TRAILER REPAIRS 323 – 116 Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB (780) 340-1677 • www.dktruckrepair.com

Hughes Petroleum Ltd. || 65 years || 8

Photo by Rebecca Lippiatt

CHEERS! Congratulations to Hughes on your 65th Anniversary!

www.cokecanada.ca

CONGRATULATIONS Brian & Darren on 65 years in business!

We are your local partners with a global perspective, & proud supporters of Hughes Inc. ajgcanada.com Š 2020 Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Arthur J. Gallagher Canada Limited

Hughes Petroleum Ltd. || 65 years || 9

CHARTERED PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTANTS

CONGRATULATIONS Hughes Petroleum Ltd. on 65 Years!

We are proud to be a part of your success.

804, 10235-101 Street, Edmonton, AB | Phone: (780) 428-8530 www.petersonwalker.com

Between the stations and the fueling services, Hughes has built many quality partnerships with a wide variety of industries including, agriculture, energy, construction, food distribution, and more.

With 65 years of service, growth, and innovation to celebrate, this year Hughes is rebuilding its original station. Hughes is also debuting a new service called the Orange Card, which provides a four cents per litre discount on fuel with no membership fee or other purchase required. Anyone can just go into a station and request this card.

Brian reflects on how Hughes has grown and changed over the years and is thankful to see how his vision has come to life. He appreciates the never-ending support of the staff, some of which have been with the company for over 30 years, plus the commitment of the diverse group of full and part time employees who work directly with their patrons at the stations.

The management and staff of Hughes would like to give sincere thanks to all of their patrons, suppliers, and distributors that have been part of their journey through the years. Hughes will continue its commitment to its core values of building quality relationships with everyone, big and small, to the great patrons of Edmonton and the surrounding areas.

Hughes further commits to remain a reliable and sustainable entity in the marketplace.

Congratulations Hughes on your 65th Anniversary!

We are proud to be a part of your success.

Learn more about the Blue Water Group at: www.bluewatergroup.ca

The Hughes family knows Alberta’s four seasons (which can seemingly take place over a single day sometimes!) can really make your car dirty. They also know that as industry progresses, the need for convenient, reliable, bulk fuel and fueling station grows.

Rely on Hughes’ self-serve car wash stations to keep your vehicle clean and reduce the chance of rust, and depend on Hughes’ bulk and wholesale fuel services to get the fuel you need, where and when you need it.

Hughes Petroleum is fuelled by entrepreneurship, innovation, dedication, and a desire to be a strong community partner. With 65 years of achieving this goal, the family business looks forward to continuing to be a leader in car wash and fuel services.

www.transporttire.com

CONGRATS to HUGHES on 65 Years!

For a list of Hughes locations and to learn more, visit the website at www.hughescarwash.ca.

Hughes Petroleum Ltd. || 65 years || 10

Winter Isn’t a Season, It’s a Celebration Save more with Go Auto Selection • Monthly Specials • Go Card Rewards

21 Brands | 45 Dealerships | Over 8,000 Vehicles GoAuto.ca

NEW LOWER EVERYDAY PRICES! The

BEST

PRICE is our

PROMISE

At Wine and Beyond, we’re so committed to bringing you the Lowest Price on our most popular products that we keep our eye on the competition every day to make sure you’re getting the best price and selection.

That’s our promise.

PRICE MATCH GUARANTEE: If a competitor within a store’s geographic trade area offers a lower price on any item, that we carry in that store, simply show an advertisement or receipt for that price and we will sell you that item at the same price at that store.

We will match the competitor’s price only during the effective date of the competitor’s advertisement or within 7 days of the receipt date; and in any event only while the competitor’s stock for that item at that price remains. The Price Match Guarantee only applies to identical items; meaning the same brand, item type, size and all other attributes, as determined by us. The terms “competitor” and “geographical trade area” are further determined solely by us, in our sole discretion and such determination shall be based on a number of factors which can change from time to time at our discretion. Notwithstanding the generality of the foregoing, the Price Match Guarantee does not apply to licensee sales, “multi-buys” (eg, 2 for $4 or “spend or buy x and get x Free or for a reduced price”); and discounts obtained through loyalty or other programs. We reserve the right to limit quantities. Price Match Guarantee is valid only while supplies last. No rain checks, no substitutions. Price Match Guarantee will not be applied to prices and quantities resulting from errors and omissions of us or others. Price Match Guarantee inapplicable and will not be applicable if prohibited by law.