Excellence.ca Magazine - July 2017 (Canada 150 Commemorative Issue)

AN EXCELLENCE CANADA PUBLICATION

i n n o v a t i o n - e x c e l l e n c e - w e l l n e s s

C O M M E M O R A T I V E

I S S U E

A CELEBRATION OF OUR HERITAGE OF EXCELLENCE

MESSAGE FROM THE GOVERNOR GENERAL

MESSAGE FROM THE PRIME MINISTER

O CANADA! A

s Canadians we are known for our humility. For our propensity to apologize. For our inclination to serve as peace-keepers, not aggressors. This modesty is not born of a lack of accomplishment but rather from an abundance of self-assurance! Canadians are assured of our place in the world and take great pride in the significant contributions we have made in the past, are making in the present, and will continue to make in the future.

At Excellence Canada, we too take great pride in Canadian excellence, as it is our mission to help organizations improve their performance and become excellent role models. Each year we celebrate and honour the achievements of these organizations through the Canada Awards for Excellence – a prestigious awards program under the Patronage of the Governor General of Canada. This year, motivated by Canada’s sesquicentennial, we are dedicating this issue of Excellence.ca to further celebrate and honour Canadian excellence across all areas of society.

Canada 150: A Celebration of Our Heritage of Excellence contains a collection of articles, ideas, and interviews that showcase a commitment to excellence in its many forms by inspirational and iconic Canadians and Canadian organizations that are committed to excellence, innovation and wellness.

Thank you to all our contributors for giving us their time and for sharing their images and stories. Their ongoing commitment to excellence helps uphold a Canada that we can all continue to be proud of as an innovative, inclusive and caring nation - one that makes a habit of doing our best and continually striving for excellence.

As Lester B. Pearson said back in 1965 during the inauguration of our national flag, “Under this flag may our youth find new inspiration for loyalty to Canada; for a patriotism based not on any mean or narrow nationalism, but on the deep and equal pride that all Canadians will feel for every part of this good land.”

Happy Birthday, Canada!

ALLAN N. EBED ES President & CEO Excellence Canada

C O N T E N T S

71 HALL OF EXCELLENCE: CELEBRATING THE BEST IN CLASS CANADA AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE RECIPIENTS, 1984 - 2016

10 CANADIAN INVENTIONS Excerpts from Ingenious: How Canadian Innovators Made the World Smarter, Smaller, Kinder, Safer, Healthier, Wealthier, and Happier.

David Johnston & Tom Jenkins

MESSAGES FROM THE GOVERNOR GENERAL, PRIME MINISTER AND PREMIERS OF CANADA

FOLD-OUT

6 A Legacy of Excellence in Canada

Canada’s sesquicentennial celebration provides an ideal opportunity to reflect on our collective past while celebrating our present accomplishments and projecting our vision and goals for the future.

Excellence Canada

18 Canada’s 150 th: Reflections and Musings by a Canadian News Legend

Lloyd Robertson talks about milestones, innovation and what Canada’s 150th means to him. Mirella-Marie Katarina Radman

24 The Man in Motion: Working for a Fully Inclusive Canada

Disability knows no boundary and can happen to anyone. If we all work together to break down barriers and ensure Canada is inclusive and accessible for people with disabilities, we can fulfill our vision to be a strong, smart and caring society. Rick Hansen

12 The Great Canadian

Bucket List

Renowned travel writer Robin Esrock has visited over 100 countries on seven continents searching for the world’s most unique experiences. Turning his attention to home, Robin searched every province and territory to find the activities and destinations you must do, and can only do, in Canada before you die.

Robin Esrock

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Canada 150 th Through the Lens of Dr. Roberta Bondar

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Doing the Right Thing for Canada—Jim Estill

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Mirella-Marie Katarina Radman

Canada 150: A Celebration of Our Heritage of Excellence Dr. David Suzuki

Game Changer Dr. Eleanor Fish

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22 The Marathon Continues

The Terry Fox Foundation continues to spread Terry’s message and raise money for cancer research through the Terry Fox Run and annual donations.

Amanda Tipper

Susan Hart

How Capitalize for Kids is Reinventing Philanthropy Eugene Michasiw

World Leaders in Multiple Sclerosis: Canada’s Big Little Secret Benjamin Davis

Habitual Excellence Shirlee Sharkey

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Canada By Design - an Interview with Dr. Sara Diamond Susan Hart

Hockey Hall of Fame - The Best of Our Game Kevin Shea

He

‘He’ emphasizes the hidden nature of mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression, and illustrates how both large and small cultural stressors can exacerbate them.

Chris Gilmore

Change and Excellence: Two Sides of a Distinctly Canadian Coin Glenn Laverty

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The Sleep Country Story: It Began with a Clear Vision but Then Something Took Over Christine Magee

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I S S U E | J U LY 2 0 1 7

EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / ALLAN N. EBEDES CREATIVE DIRECTOR & MANAGING EDITOR / NIKI MARUSIC EDITOR / SUSAN HART CONTRIBUTORS BRITISH COLUMBIA PENSION CORPORATION, INDIGENOUS WORKS,TRACEY TYNER CAVANAGH, BENJAMIN DAVIS, ROBIN ESROCK, DR. ELEANOR FISH, CHRIS GILMORE, RICK HANSEN, SUSAN HART, TOM JENKINS, DAVID JOHNSTON, GLENN LAVERTY, CHRISTINE MAGEE, DR. EUGENE MICHASIW, MIRELLAMARIE KATARINA RADMAN, SHIRLEE SHARKEY, KEVIN SHEA, DR. DAVID SUZUKI, AMANDA TIPPER ADVERTISING NIKI MARUSIC TEL: 416.251.7600 ext. 231 HOW TO REACH US Please address all correspondence to: EXCELLENCE CANADA 1 5 4 Un i ve r s i t y Ave n u e , Su i t e 4 0 2 To r o n t o , O N M 5 H 3 Y 9 T E L : 4 1 6 . 2 5 1 . 7 6 0 0 • FA X : 4 1 6 . 2 5 1 . 9 1 3 1 EMAIL: info@excellence.ca WWW.EXCELLENCE.CA ADVERTISING INQUIRIES TEL: 416.251.7600 ads@excellence.ca COPYRIGHT 2017 EXCELLENCE CANADA IDEAS AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THE ARTICLES DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF EXCELLENCE CANADA OR THE PUBLISHER. NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE USED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM EXCELLENCE CANADA. P R I N T I N G PA RT N E R THE LOWE-MARTIN GROUP

C O N T E N T S

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Our Home and Indigenous Land: New Research Identifies Gaps in Corporate Canada Engagement

Indigenous Works

British Columbia Pension Corporation: Focused on Culture, Strategy and Excellence British Columbia Pension Corporation

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Our Journey Toward Excellence

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The Next Step in WSIB’s Health, Safety and Wellness Journey

Tracey Tyner Cavanagh

WSIB

PHOTO Fireworks over the Rideau Canal (photo credit: iStock)

A Legacy of Excellence in Canada

C

anada’s sesquicentennial celebration provides an ideal opportunity to

reflect on our collective past while celebrating our present accomplishments and projecting our vision and goals for the future.

The relatively brief history of Canada is steeped with inspirational examples of individuals, institutions, and organizations who have struggled for and achieved excellence across a range of fields. Canada is truly a country that understands the meaning of excellence.

Our nation’s commitment to excellence was recently highlighted when Canada was named #2 Overall and #1 in Quality of Life in the 2017 ‘Best Countries’ report and ranking. The achievement of these rankings was due in part to Canada’s high scores in economic stability, equality and human rights, public institutions, and environmental responsibility. These attributes, acknowledged as markers of cultural excellence, did not materialize overnight, but rather are the result of cumulative decisions made by successive generations within a forward-thinking society. As we continue to grow as a nation, diligence will be required to maintain and expand on the progress we have made, while at the same time we take strides in new directions. Canada’s Legacy of Excellence will always be a work in progress.

As Canada’s not-for-profit authority on organizational excellence, Excellence Canada understands better than most that the journey to excellence has no finish line. Whether applied to a country, an organization, or an individual, excellence is best regarded as an ongoing state-of-mind that requires support, practice and perseverance.

Originally founded in 1992 as the National Quality Institute with start-up funding provided by the Government of Canada; Excellence Canada was established to enable the advancement of Canadian society by improving organizational performance and recognizing excellence within Canadian companies. What began as a national Quality Standard framework has since evolved to include Standards for Excellence, Innovation and Wellness®; Healthy Workplace®; and Mental Health at Work®.

Rebranding may have changed our name and expanded our focus, but our mission and vision have remained the same. Our commitment to creating a better future for

Canadians has never faltered, and our stated values of People, Relationships, Integrity, Dedication, and Excellence remain ingrained in everything we do.

Over the past 25 years, Excellence Canada has helped thousands of Canadian organizations implement continual quality improvement systems and employee wellness strategies. Our Standards for Excellence provide both a blueprint for building a culture of continual improvement, and a framework of best practices to support Canadian organizations on their way to achieving world-class performance.

Through the provision of comprehensive training, coaching and certification programs, networking opportunities, and assessment tools; Excellence Canada works with the best to help them get even better!

Excellence Canada is also the custodian and adjudicator for the Canada Awards for Excellence Program. Originally established in 1984 by Industry Canada as the Canadian Business Excellence Awards; the Canada Awards for Excellence serve as Canada’s pre-eminent recognition of organizational excellence. Under the Patronage the Governor General of Canada since 2006, the Awards honour Canadian organizations committed to continuous improvement, and allow these organizations to celebrate milestones on their journey to excellence. Canada Awards for Excellence recipients proudly serve as role models for other business leaders in the areas of leadership, governance, strategy, planning, customer experience, employee engagement, innovation, and wellness.

A commitment to excellence results not only in increased performance, but also in improved services, which translates to success not only for individual organizations and their employees, but also for Canadian communities.

And just as stories of Canada’s past, present, and future are being brought together during this milestone year to paint a picture of our nation’s accomplishments; it is only through recognizing the achievements in excellence of the companies we partner with and serve, that Excellence Canada’s impact can be fully realized. By enabling excellence in thousands of Canadian organizations and countless individuals, Excellence Canada has been able to positively impact the lives of millions of Canadians.

The stability gained from our long-standing partner relationships has allowed Excellence Canada create our own Legacy of Excellence. One that not only positively impacts the bottom lines of the organizations we serve, but also the lives of generations of Canadians to come, as we move into the next 50 years and beyond.

By helping the few that help the many, Excellence Canada is proud to contribute to the foundation of a great Canada, and to play a continuing role in enabling the ongoing improvement of Canadian culture and society - a sustainable Legacy of Excellence that we can all be proud of!

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M A K I N G T O D AY ’ S V I S I O N TOMORROW’S REALITY Excellence Canada, together with our Founding Partners, is proud to promote Excellence in Canada.

We help organizations and their people achieve their highest potential.

w w w. ex c e l l e n c e. c a

®

DURHAM REGION

For a complete listing of Partners, please visit our website

www.excellence.ca/partnership

National Defence

Défense nationale

Canadian Forces Housing Agency

Agence de logement des Forces canadiennes

B O A R D

O F

D I R E C T O R S

Neil Crawford Corporate Director

Mohsen Mortada President Cole Engineering Group

Dr. Hugh Drouin

Commissioner, Social Services Regional Municipality of Durham

Laura Nashman Chief Executive Officer

British Columbia Pension Corporation

Allan N. Ebedes President & Chief Executive Officer

Jacqueline Gauthier Chief Financial Officer Calian Group Ltd.

Excellence Canada

Shirlee Sharkey (Chair, Excellence Canada) President & Chief Executive Officer Saint Elizabeth

Marilyn Thompson Associate Provost, Human Resources University of Waterloo

John Wilson Founder & CEO CEO Global Network Inc.

Together, we are making a difference!

Excellence Canada continues to inspire organizational excellence in Canada. Allan Ebedes, President & CEO would like to thank our Board of Directors, Board of Governors and Partners for their commitment and continued support.

Allan N. Ebedes President & Chief Executive Officer Excellence Canada

B O A R D

O F

G O V E R N O R S

Colin Brown VP Operations and Projects Engineers Canada

Brad Buchan Managing Director Archmill House Inc.

Meredith Buchanan Vice President, Strategy & Stakeholder Services Property Valuation Services Corporation

Tonie Chaltas Chief Operating Officer Hill+Knowlton Strategies

Rodney C. Cook Vice President, Human Resources Workplace Safety & Insurance Board

Neil Crawford Corporate Director

Yvonne de Lint Deputy Chief, Currency Department Bank of Canada

Andrew Dickson Co-founder and Executive Vice-President My Broadcasting Corporation

Dr. Hugh Drouin Commissioner, Social Services Regional Municipality of Durham

Allan Ebedes President & Chief Executive Officer Excellence Canada

Kevin Ford President & Chief Executive Officer Calian Group Ltd.

John Gallinger Chief Executive Officer Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS)

Ward Griffin President & Chief Executive Officer Lowe-Martin Group

Una Hassenstein Executive Director Strategy and Corporate Services Service Nova Scotia

Dr. Walter Heidary Chief Executive Officer Heidary Health

David Henry Managing Director, Group Benefits Great-West Life

John R. Jones President and Group Publisher Canadian Government Executive Magazine

Ed Kane Assistant Vice President University Services Carleton University

Joanne Kuntz Director, Management Reporting, Canadian Division Operations Manulife Financial

Dr. Peter Legge Chairman & Chief Executive Officer / Publisher Canada Wide Media Limited

John Livey Deputy City Manager City of Toronto

Marilee Mark VP, Product and Integrated Health Solutions Sun Life Financial Canada

Mohsen Mortada

Michael Moser Senior Director of Strategy, Finance & Operations CBC Communications, Marketing and Brand

Bob Nakagawa

Laura Nashman Chief Executive Officer British Columbia Pension Corporation

Don O’Leary

Registrar College of Pharmacists of British Columbia

Daniel O’Rourke VP Business Excellence Ceridian HCM Canada

Gary Seveny Past Chair, Excellence Canada Director & Founder Odawa Group Inc.

Shirlee Sharkey Chair, Excellence Canada President & Chief Executive Officer Saint Elizabeth

VP Finance, Administration & Risk University of Guelph

Andy Taylor Chief Administrative Officer City of Markham

Marilyn Thompson

Associate Provost, Human Resources University of Waterloo

President Cole Engineering Group

Antoine Pappalardo

President Trans Capital Air Ltd.

Saul Plener National Leader, Private Company Services PwC

John Wilson Founder & CEO CEO Global Network Inc.

View all Board of Director profiles online at www.excellence.ca/ board-of-directors and Board of Governors at www.excellence.ca/ board-of-governors

DID YOU

KNOW?

CANADIAN INVENTIONS Excerpted from Ingenious: How Canadian Innovators Made the World Smarter, Smaller, Kinder, Safer, Healthier, Wealthier, and Happier. Copyright © 2017 by David Johnston & Tom Jenkins. Published by Signal, an imprint of McClelland & Stewart, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher.

All rights reserved.

CANOLA The superior cooking oil.

Rapeseed was the cash crop for generations of Canadian farmers. The oil produced from the bright yellow–flowering member of the mustard family was used to lubricate the world’s steam engines. But when diesel replaced steam, the demand for rapeseed plummeted, taking many Canadian farm incomes with it. Baldur Stefansson and Keith Downey found an alternative use for rapeseed oil. In 1974, the two agricultural scientists at the University of Manitoba carried out a series of cross-breeding experiments on rapeseed plants until they were able to create a version that had little erucic and eicosenoic acids—two acids that made rapeseed oil perfect for lubrication but awful for cooking. They called their new plant canola. The oil from this hybrid had a higher nutritional value and lower trans fats than almost every edible alternative, including butter and lard. Today, this distinctive Canadian oil is one of the most popular edible oils and the canola plant is one of the largest oilseed crops, not only for new generations of Canadian farmers but also for farmers throughout the world.

PHOTO CREDITS Canola National Research Council of Canada: p.10; Retail Cosmetics gresei Shutterstock.com: p. 11; Blue Box Recycling, Andrew Park, Shutterstock.com: p. 11; Pulp and Paper, Pulp and Paper Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation: p. 11; Insulin, courtesy of Canada Science & Technology Museums Corporation: p. 35; Quick Release Buckle Shutterstock: p. 35; Light Bulb courtesy of Canada Science & Technology Museums Corporation: p. 40; Java, Shutterstock: p. 45; Peanut Butter Science Photo Library Shutterstock.com; p. 45; Kayak courtesy of Library & Archives Canada: p. 65; Electric Radio courtesy of Canada Science & Technology Museums Corporation: p. 67; Odometer, Shutterstock: p. 69; Internet Search Engine, Shutterstock: p. 69

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RETAIL COSMETICS The new way to be ladylike.

Born in 1878, Florence Nightingale Graham learned about business at her father’s side whenever they rode in their horse-drawn vegetable cart from Woodbridge, Ontario, to Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market. Life was tough; the market trade earned little and, after her mother died young, Florence routinely went to bed hungry, shivering in the cold. She vowed to reverse her fortunes later in life. At the turn of the century, she made her way to New York and worked as one of the first treatment girls in one of the first beauty salons. Till then, makeup had long been considered a habit of the poor, especially of prostitutes. Attitudes were changing, however, and Florence was determined to lead the revolution.

Foreseeing a time when women would have to wear makeup to be thought of as ladylike, Florence changed her name to the more dignified “Elizabeth Arden,” opened her famous Red Door salon in Manhattan, and in time convinced a generation that the application of scientifically formulated colouring to eyes, lips, and skin was a reliable path to social acceptance. Elizabeth Arden led the creation of the global cosmetics industry and in the bargain became one of the richest women in the world. A long way from Woodbridge, Ontario.

BLUE BOX RECYCLING The better way.

Earth-changing ideas are not the property of Ph.Ds. Anyone can innovate if they just look around and ask, “Can’t we do this a better way?” Nyle Ludolph asked that question. The Kitchener, Ontario, garbage man was troubled by the vast amounts of waste he saw during his daily pickups, for he knew the landfills in his town were bursting at their seams. His answer came in the form of a simple blue box. In 1983, Nyle championed the world’s first municipal curb-side recycling program.

His proposed boxes had a distinctive colour to make them visible against either grass or snow, and because blue is most resistant to the sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays. His simple and profound idea soon spread across Canada, throughout North America, and around the world, turning what would have been countless tonnes of waste into new products and changing the behaviours and attitudes of millions of people. Turns out there was a better way.

PULP AND PAPER The better newsprint.

A better way is often found by paying attention to the goings-on of the natural world. Charles Fenerty could attest to the wisdom of this approach. One day in 1844, the Sackville, Nova Scotia, inventor watched several wasps chew wood fibres, transforming the pulpy chunks into papery strips, which they then used to make their nest. The wasps’ work inspired Charles to develop the process of making paper from ground wood pulp—a much better process than the timeworn one of using rags. Yes, rags. He shared his new process with the owners of his local newspaper, the Acadian Recorder, and soon paper mills throughout North America adopted his method. Over the decades to come, these mills, fuelled by trees from Canada, churned out seemingly endless supplies of newsprint, giving rise to newspaper empires on this continent and in Europe. Built on an idea borrowed from a wasp, the information age really did get its start by going from rags to riches.

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Overlooking the Firth River in Ivvavik National Park, YK

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THE GREAT

CANADIAN BUCKET LIST

Renowned travel writer Robin Esrock has visited over 100 countries on seven continents searching for the world’s most unique experiences. Turning his attention to home, Robin searched every province and territory to find the activities and destinations you must do, and can only do, in Canada before you die.

Blending history, trivia, humour, memoir and adventure, his journey was captured for The Great Canadian Bucket List, one of Canada’s top selling travel books. We asked Robin for highlights from the new edition, expanded and updated for 2017.

THE UNUSUAL Canada is far stranger than I expected, which makes sense in a nation that boasts wolves, bears, cougars, wolverines, orcas and eagles – and chooses the beaver for its national animal. It’s also the only country in the world where you can order the Sour Toe Cocktail, a drink served with a severed human toe. Over sixty thousand people have had the “gnarly-looking” toe in their tumbler at the Downtown Hotel bar in Dawson City. It’s refreshing to finally put someone else’s foot in my mouth. Then there’s the cold sauna in a glitzy BC resort called Sparkling Hill. Guests pay good money to freeze their bodies half to death, wearing nothing but a bathing suit for three minutes in a wooden box chilled to -110°C. You can’t do Canada if you can’t do cold! In Ottawa, budget travellers bunk down in the former (and famously haunted) prison cells of the notorious Nicholas St Gaol, now a youth hostel. In the Bay of Fundy, there’s a spirited race against the world’s highest tides in Nova Scotia’s annual Not Since Moses fun run. Consider the firing range inside the West Edmonton Mall, the reallife Da Vinci Code mystery woven into the architecture of Manitoba’s Legislature, the Dead Sea-like Little Manitou Lake in Saskatchewan, and a road where your car seems to roll uphill in New Brunswick. The true north can be strong, free, and delightfully weird.

THE WILDLIFE They call Gwaii Haanas Marine Park Reserve the Galapagos of the North, and having been to the Galapagos, the allknowing “they” are right. Expect an abundance of whales, sea lions, eagles and bears in this stunning archipelago off the coast of British Columbia. In the pristine Great Bear Rainforest, I tracked the mythical Spirit Bear, found on just two islands in the world. Another exceptional bear encounter can be found in the tundra that surrounds Churchill, Manitoba. From the safety of a tundra buggy, I looked into the hungry eyes of a large male polar bear while his breath fogged up my camera lens. Still in Manitoba, you can visit the world’s largest congregation of snakes at the Narcisse Snake Dens. These red garters are harmless to pick up, and a lot easier to handle than the monster catfish you can catch and release on the Red River nearby.

Track wolves and free-roaming bison in Saskatchewan’s Prince Albert National Park. Watch the water boil at your feet with thousands of beluga whales at the mouth of the Cunningham River in Nunavut. Observe puffins off the coast of Newfoundland, wild horses on Sable Island, whales on both coasts, and masses of migrating salmon as you snorkel among them in Vancouver Island’s Campbell River.

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THE GREAT CANADIAN BUCKET LIST

“ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS I’VE LEARNED IN MY TRAVELS IS THAT THE PEOPLE WE MEET CREATE THE PARADISE WE FIND.”

THE FOOD Admittedly, cubes of raw baby beluga skin are not coming to a food court near you. But if you’re lucky to be offered muktuk in a northern community - a delicacy rich in Vitamin C - chew on the accompanying traditions too. More palatable are the bagels and melt-in-the-mouth smoked meat sandwiches of Montreal, of which there are no equal (nice try New York). The Canadian dish with the best chance of world domination is undoubtedly poutine, but only if the cheese squeaks like it does in Quebec. We should reclaim French fries while we’re at it, since the McCain factory in New Brunswick produces one-third of the world’s frozen fries (and potato smoothies in the nearby Potato Museum).

In the Maritimes, I investigated the world’s finest oysters, lobster, scallops, mussels and clams. In Yellowknife, I devoured fresh Arctic char sashimi in Bullocks Bistro, a rundown old shack that happens to serve the most expensive fish and chips plate in the country. Canada didn’t invent ice wine, but we perfected it. Embrace the farm-to-table revolution in the gourmet wine regions of Niagara, BC’s Okanagan and Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley. On my journey, I also discovered that Canada is the world’s largest producer of mustard seed. The reason French Dijon tastes so good? Pure, prairie sunshine.

THE PEOPLE One of the fundamental truths I’ve learned in my travels is that the people we meet create the paradise we find.

Breathing life into every experience, Canadians of all backgrounds inspired me with their generous spirit, humour, and appreciation for where they live. In Saskatoon, I finally grasped the complexities facing the First Nations at the thought-provoking Wanuskewin Heritage Park, where human history dates back 6000 years. In Alberta’s Porcupine Hills, a cowboy legend opened his cattle ranch so that city slickers like us can get our hands dirty on a ranch vacation.

In Pond Inlet, I participated in traditional Inuit throat singing and dancing, while outside of Whitehorse, a Yukon Quest legend taught me that dogsledding is all about respect and teamwork – much like life itself. I joined lobster fishermen off Prince Edward Island, marine archaeologists in Nunavut, river surfers in Quebec, heli-skiing bucket listers in BC, fiddle players in Cape Breton, and lunatic football fans in Regina.

Take it from me: the best way to ensure any successful adventure is to surround yourself with the right people.

THE HISTORY It was a bracing -30°C when I joined a solemn candlelit procession through Winnipeg’s French Quarter, paying homage to the gravesite of Louis Riel before we kicked off the Festival du Voyageur, a boisterous winter carnival. Canada may be a young country, but it is not an uneventful one. Aboriginal history extends back thousands of years, and while the world’s oldest outdoor standing totem poles might only date to the 1840s, standing beneath them on the island of SGang Gwaay imparted the same sense of wonder I felt at Machu Picchu or Stonehenge. From ancient Thule stone circles in the high Arctic to mysterious medicine wheels in the prairies, from hardy voyageurs and immigrants to warring armies and modern refugees, Canada has been forged with the tenacious grit of survival. Learn how close we’ve come to destruction in a formerly top-secret underground nuclear bunker outside of Ottawa – now a bone-chilling Cold War Museum. Horse rustlers like Butch Cassidy took shelter in their own bunkers, evading the law in Saskatchewan’s Big Muddy Badlands. Later, rum-running Chicago gangsters hid in mysterious tunnels beneath the streets of Moose Jaw. Newfoundland’s L’anse aux Meadows is proof that Vikings discovered the continent centuries before Columbus, worth pondering over high tea in one of Canada’s old-world railway hotels. The past helps us determine where we’re going, which makes for lively conversations in Ottawa’s world-class national museums. A vital conversation of national identity that is also explored in Winnipeg’s $350-million Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

1. Canada didn’t invent icewine, but we perfected it.

2. Lobster fishing in PEI, both a food and adventure highlight 3. The totem polls on SGang Gwaay, as moving as Machu Picchu 4. Deepelling, or front facing rappelling, in Grand Falls, NB 5. Local musicians, artists, and storytellers breathe life into any adventure 6. Ziplining between the peaks in Whistler, BC

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THE GREAT CANADIAN BUCKET LIST

Kayaking among icebergs in Newfoundland

THE ADVENTURE Let me tell you about the time I went cave bashing in Quebec’s Magdalen Islands, allowing rough Atlantic waves to flush me into eroded sea caves. Or when I faced down a grizzly in Ivvavik National Park in northern Yukon, ziplined between the mountains in Whistler, survived a night in Quebec City’s not-so-romantic ice hotel, walked headfirst off a cliff in Grand Falls New Brunswick, rafted a genuine tidal wave in Nova Scotia, hiked the infamous West Coast Trail, kayaked between icebergs in Newfoundland, conquered the Trans-Labrador Highway in a street car, and crossed the mythical Northwest Passage in a Russian-flagged expedition ship. Bucket lists are personal, and one person’s adventure is another’s picnic. But I believe a nation’s bucket list should be grounded in reality, so that everyone has the opportunity to actually tick things off. We may not all have the physical ability to cycle across Prince Edward Island, raft the Nahanni River in the Northwest Territories, portage in Algonquin Provincial Park or scuba dive with WWII wrecks off Vancouver Island, but it’s reassuring to know these bucket list Canadian adventures are waiting for us when we do.

THE LANDSCAPE Nunavut is bigger than the three largest US mainland states – California, Texas and Montana – combined. We have national parks that could swallow European nations.

Between our three coasts is a diversity of landscapes you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere (I know, I looked). It’s one of the reasons why I love taking VIA’s four-day Canadian itinerary from Vancouver to Toronto. You watch the coastal rainforest of BC buttress into the majestic Rockies, flatten beneath the big sky of the prairies, and merge into the boreal forests of Ontario. Up north, hiking tundra covered in tufts of Arctic cotton, the remote beauty left me speechless. There are the iron-rich, red sandy beaches in

the East, and tidal pools glowing with anemones on the West. The badlands of Alberta, home to the world’s richest dinosaur fossil beds, contain strange hoodoos and coulees.

When I walked along the chalky white sands of Manitoba’s Grand Beach, I felt like I was somewhere in the Caribbean.

New Brunswick’s Hopewell Rocks and Quebec’s Mingan Archipelago have arches and flowerpots that will chew up your camera’s memory card. We boast bucket list waterfalls, inland fjords, the world’s smallest desert, towering shark-fin mountains, mammoth glaciers, deep canyons, some of the Earth’s largest and oldest trees, and more freshwater lakes than anywhere else. All of which can be found beneath one of the most alluring bucket list experiences of all: the northern lights.

I conclude each chapter of my book with START HERE and a website link to follow in my footsteps. More importantly, I should add: START NOW. For as Canada celebrates a milestone and enjoys a well-deserved moment in the spotlight, we are reminded of the limited time we have to explore the unique wonders of our home and native land. Start local, think big, and get going … one tick at a time.

ROBIN ESROCK is one of Canada’s most popular travel personalities.

Author of the bestselling Bucket List books, Robin created and co-hosted a 40-part TV series on National Geographic International, wrote columns for The Globe and Mail, Vancouver Sun and MSN, and has been profiled as a travel expert by 60 Minutes, MSNBC, CBC and Forbes.

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SUN LIFE FINANCIAL IS PROUD TO JOIN EXCELLENCE CANADA IN CELEBRATING CANADA 150.

We also applaud Excellence Canada in their ongoing dedication to advancing organizational performance across Canada.

Life’s brighter under the sun Group Benefits are offered by Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, a member of the Sun Life Financial group of companies.

Canada’s 150th: Reflections and Musings by a Canadian News Legend LLOYD ROBERTSON INTERVIEW / MIRELLA-MARIE KATARINA RADMAN

F

ew names in Canada are as synonymous with excellence in journalism as Lloyd Robertson. As hockey is to Canadian sport; as the maple leaf is to Canadian heritage and pride; so too is Lloyd Robertson to Canadian broadcasting.

Mr. Robertson—a national icon who served as Chief Anchor and Senior Editor of CTV’s national evening newscast for 35 years—is one of the most recognizable and decorated news reporters in Canadian media history.

With his soothing voice and nightly closing line, “And that’s the kind of day it’s been,” Mr. Robertson became the embodiment of trust and conviction in a news ecosystem undergoing unprecedented change. His illustrious career has spanned over six decades with some of Canada’s best known news organizations, and his rich, baritone delivery and familiar face continue to inspire us through the insight and in-depth analysis he delivers as a Special Correspondent for CTV News.

On the occasion of Canada’s 150th birthday, Excellence Canada had the honor of interviewing this Canadian news giant to talk about milestones, innovation, and what Canada’s 150th means to him.

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I N T E R V I E W

EXCELLENCE CANADA: This year we mark the milestone of Canada’s 150th birthday as a country.

When you look back on some of the momentous national and global events that you have covered over your long career, which ones really stand out for you and why?

Lloyd Robertson: I quite naturally reflect on one of the most fascinating and challenging years of my career, our Centennial anniversary in 1967. I was on the move from one end of the country to the other, covering events in communities, large and small, and had the single honour of being on Parliament Hill, conducting the countdown on television, as the Peace Tower clock struck midnight, marking our first hundred years as a country and ushering in our second century. The moment filled me with awe and wonder as I contemplated what a lucky young broadcaster I was. Throughout the year, I was on the grounds of Expo ‘67 in Montreal several times and marveled at how well our country had brought the best of the world to an island in the St. Lawrence with inventive and eye-popping displays from dozens of nations, and how Canadians were, perhaps for the first time, openly displaying their pride and patriotism in a great accomplishment. It was a time when, as others have said, Canadians fell in love with their country and we were ready to meet the future, more confidently and fearlessly than ever before.

While it’s easy for me to wax on about this Centennial year, I must not forget a couple of other events that stand out as important career markers. One is the first landing of men on the moon with Apollo 11 in July of 1969, that inspired so many to look at the world differently and that signaled the start of the space age and a new era of exploration beyond our planet. There was also the Marathon of Hope with Terry Fox in 1980. It’s a story that sticks with me because of what Terry accomplished in his determined, no-nonsense fashion in making Canadians realize how one person on a sincere mission can wake up the world. Terry’s “Runs” are now staged around the globe and he is credited with pushing forward the idea that cancer can be beaten, even though it would ultimately take his own life. Now we know it can be controlled and very often conquered. I feel that this reality brings relief and new hope to families every day.

EC: Who are the Canadians you most admire and look up to?

LR: There have been quite a few throughout the years so I will trim my list. First and foremost, Sir John A MacDonald, our first Prime Minister, who saw the vast potential in this wide and challenging landscape in northern North America and worked to build a dream that has proved its worth many times over. Second, Sir Frederick Banting and Charles Best, discoverers of insulin that changed the lives of millions for all time. Finally, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson whose government brought us the maple leaf flag that resonates the world over as a symbol of a young and vibrant country.

EC: As one of the longest-standing and most respected broadcast journalists in Canadian news media history, tell us about some of the trends and shifts you have witnessed in the news industry both within Canada and globally during your career?

LR: My time in journalism dates to the early post-Second World War years where news was gathered through a much narrower spectrum of sources and facilities. Few politicians or government officials gave interviews back then. They made statements through press releases and, as a result, were seen but seldom heard. It was the medium of television that brought about the great democratization of news. Television brought the world straight into people’s living rooms and the public began to demand that their voices be heard in the power councils of the world.

Progressive leaders in western democracies realized the power of this new medium to reach people directly, and there was a sudden explosion of talking heads everywhere.

At the same time, the medium itself was changing as new technology brought colour to the screen and satellites meant instant connections worldwide that would take audiences into the centre of major breaking stories.

Nowadays technology is taking us in new directions with a wide variety of sources and services through the internet, some worthy, some not, but all leading to an openness that could never have been imagined when I started my broadcasting career in the early 1950s.

EC: You have worked for some of the leading Canadian news organizations during your long career. If someone were to ask you what the newsroom of the future might look like, what would you say? What do you believe will happen to the mainstream news media in an ever-changing world that is openly embracing innovation and disruption?

LR: This is a difficult time for the mainstream news media.

They are forced to defend themselves against unfair charges of bias and “fake news” while they continue to try to get at the obtainable truth from governments, as well as public and private organizations. The fundamental role of the news media has not changed: get to the story as quickly as possible, get the facts straight and, where it’s relevant, be sure to hear from the other side of an issue to try to bring balance and understanding. Certain corners of the media though can be blamed for sowing confusion in the public’s mind. In the U.S., in particular, all-news cable channels have sprinkled so much political opinion into their systems through colourful personalities that their hourly newscasts go unnoticed as being fair and balanced. It’s come to the point where people are now able to watch only the personalities or stations they believe hold their views and their minds become closed to other ideas. This to me is dangerous for democracy and in no way performing the true function of responsible journalism which should be designed to inform, enlighten, and encourage, healthy debate.

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CANADA’S 150 th: REFLECTIONS AND MUSINGS BY A CANADIAN NEWS LEGEND

EC: To Canadian news audiences you are a legend and an icon, and someone they trust when they turn on the television at night. In a day and age where the social conversation has now turned to the theme of “fake news” what sort of advice would you give a young person tinkering with the idea of a journalism career?

LR: I am never one to discourage young people from pursuing their dreams. Yes, this is a difficult time for finding jobs in media but, to me, it is one of the most satisfying of careers because it challenges your creative juices as well as your ability to work hard and grow with the times. It’s an excellent place to be if you’re curious about how the world works.

The great institutions of journalism, those newspapers and general media outlets with reputations for integrity, will never allow themselves to be sullied by shady players on the sidelines. Remember, there have always been those seamier outlets, like supermarket tabloids, printing half-truths and gossip and passing it off as news. They have long been a part of the daily drumbeat of information that floods in and out of our lives. To young people with the inclination and who feel they may have the talent and drive to jump in for a job in media, I would still say: “go for it”.

EC: Canada’s 150th birthday also falls on a year in which two big themes seem to dominate every trending social conversation: innovation and disruption. Looking back on your life and career, what do you feel was Canada’s primary contribution towards innovation and where do you believe we can best make our mark in the future?

LR: Functioning on the world stage as a so-called “middle power” Canada has made itself a key player over the years: standing with the allies when tyranny truly threatened freedom, and presenting a moderate, tolerant, and allinclusive tone at other times.

It’s my opinion that Canada has also been very innovative in technology and engineering. From Alexander Graham Bell to the Avro Arrow aircraft through to the development of various satellite technologies, our vastness inspired us to become pioneers in the means of communications so we might better relate to one another as Canadians. The future holds no boundaries for young Canadians as they stand astride global platforms and know they can compete with the best in all fields of endeavor.

LLOYD ROBERTSON is a recipient of the Excellence Canada Board of Governors’ Recognition of Achievement Award in recognition of his work in broadcasting and journalism. This honourary award recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to Canadian society and/or the global human condition.

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EXCELLENCE DEFINED We asked the question, “What does Excellence mean to you?” and here’s what some had to say!

“EXCELLENCE MEANS DOING THE

“Excellence means sharing

RIGHT THINGS RIGHT THE FIRST TIME,

ideas and creating a plan,

EVEN IF NO ONE IS WATCHING AND YOU

idea, or item which others

KNOW YOU WOULDN’T GET CAUGHT.” R OY G R E E N

“To me, excellence means striving to better yourself at all times.

To always be accepting to change and keep setting the bar higher each time you achieve it.”

T R AC Y S E E B AC H

“ E X CELLENCE IS TH E M O TIVATION TO EXCEED ALL EXPECTATIONS”

EXCELLENCE IS WHEN AN O R G A N I Z AT I O N C O M M I T S T O CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT AT E V E R Y L E V E L . I T I S A S T R AT E G I C M I N D S E T T H AT DOESN’T SETTLE FOR THE S TAT U S Q U O ; T H AT F O S T E R S AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE T O D AY H A S A C H A N C E T O B E B E T T E R T H A N Y E S T E R D AY A N D TOMORROW CAN BE BETTER A D A M S TO E H R

or copy. Excellence means we achieved the standard that broke the barriers that

“ O R G A N I Z AT I O N A L

T H A N T O D AY. ”

appreciate, enjoy, follow

previously held us back.

Excellence means not stopping until we perfected perfection.”

LO R E T TA CO L B E C K

“Excellence in corporate leadership means striving to achieve success in all dimensions of your life – personal, family and business.”

JOHN WILSON

“ E X C E L L E N C E M E A N S U N D E R S TA N D I N G , A C C E P T I N G A N D M E E T I N G T H E E X P E C TAT I O N S O F A N Y O N E W H O I S P R O V I D E D W I T H I N F O R M AT I O N , A PRODUCT OR A SERVICE.”

A N I TA K E Y E S

W. D AV I D H A L L

EXCELLENCE.CA MAGAZINE | 33

THE MARATHON CONTINUES

BY AMA NDA T IPPE R THE TERRY FOX FOUNDAT ION

W

hat’s so remarkable about Terry Fox isn’t necessarily what set him apart but rather what made him so much like everyone else.

A Canadian who didn’t believe he was anything special. Who simply believed in trying.

Terry was just 18 when he was diagnosed with a cancerous tumour in his right leg. He was in his first year at Simon Fraser University studying kinesiology when he felt a pain in his right knee. Waiting until the basketball season finished, he made a visit to the university medical services and was told he was having a chemical reaction. It wasn’t until after he saw his family doctor that he was taken for tests and given the diagnosis of cancer. His leg was amputated six inches above the knee and he endured aggressive chemotherapy to eliminate remaining cancer cells. During his chemotherapy treatments in Vancouver, he witnessed daily reminders that two-thirds of cancer victims died of the disease. Instead of crushing his spirits, the sight of other patients suffering made him stronger and more compassionate. It was from this strength and compassion that the Marathon of Hope was born. On April 12, 1980 Terry dipped his leg into the Atlantic Ocean and set out to run a marathon a day until he reached the Pacific Ocean. He ran 5,373 kilometres, over half way, before a reoccurrence of his cancer forced him to stop running on September 1, 1980.

After Terry was rediagnosed with cancer, he and those around him were determined to continue his Marathon of Hope. Isadore Sharp, founder of Four Season Hotels and Resorts, had reached out to Terry in the early days of his Marathon of Hope, offering both personal and corporate support for his run. When Terry was forced to finish, Isadore

EXCELLENCE.CA MAGAZINE | 34

PHOTO CREDIT Ed Linkewich

“I JUST WISH PEOPLE WOULD REALIZE THAT ANYTHING’S POSSIBLE IF YOU TRY; DREAMS ARE MADE POSSIBLE IF YOU TRY.” – TERRY FOX

promised him, via telegram, that there would be an annual run in his name until a cure for all cancers was found. The first Terry Fox Run was held in September 1981 – more than 300,000 people walked, ran, or cycled in his memory and raised $3.5 million. Terry’s mother Betty said there would be no Terry Fox Run if not for Isadore Sharp. Mr. Sharp, who has known the loss of a son to cancer, believes one day a brilliant young researcher, perhaps one funded by a Terry Fox grant, will find a cure for the disease.

There are now 9000 annual Terry Fox Runs across Canada and internationally. All runs are organized by volunteers with support from our Provincial offices. Everyone is welcome to participate in a Terry Fox Run, regardless of age, athletic ability or socio-economic standing. All funds raised at Canadian Terry Fox Runs remain in Canada and are invested into the country’s best research projects. Nearly all money raised at Terry Fox Runs outside Canada are retained in the host country, funding cancer research projects at recognized research institutions approved by The Terry Fox Foundation on the advice of The Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI).

The Terry Fox Research Institute was created by The Terry Fox Foundation ten years ago with a mission to significantly improve the outcomes of cancer research for patients through a highly collaborative, milestone-based approach to research that will enable discoveries to translate quickly into practical solutions for cancer patients worldwide. TFRI collaborates with over 70 cancer hospitals and research organizations across Canada.

The Terry Fox Research Institute primarily supports three major program areas in cancer research: New Investigator Award, New Frontiers Program Project Grants and Translational Cancer Research Projects. The immunoTherapy NeTwork (iTNT) is one example of a national Translational project that is showing great promise. Dr. Pamela Ohashi is working with clinicians across Canada to research how to stimulate the immune system to directly kill cancer cells.

With a focus on ovarian cancer, the project aims to expand treatment options for ovarian cancer patients. Dr. Peter Stirling in Vancouver is another recent recipient of a New Investigator Award. He and his team are working to better understand a type of gene mutation that affects around 40,000 Canadians with both rare and common cancers each year. He hopes to better understand how this mutation grows and sustains cancer, and explore new treatment options to target cells containing this mutation. During our last round of New Frontiers Program Project Grants, Drs. Joseph Connors and Christian Steidl were awarded funding for their project studying lymphoid cancer. Around 7,680 Canadians are diagnosed with lymphoma each year, making it one of the top five most common cancers in the country. While 60 to 70 per cent of patients are cured with standard therapy, the remainder are not – and it is unclear why. The project will focus on innovation and technology, as well as expanding the research on large B-cell lymphoma.

The Terry Fox Foundation

The Terry Fox Foundation continues to spread Terry’s message and raise money for cancer research through the The Terry Fox Run and annual donations. Each year, The Terry Fox Foundation is responsible for supporting over $20 million of research in Canada. We strive daily to uphold Terry’s ideals and values in everything we do.

EXCELLENCE.CA MAGAZINE | 35

RICK HANSEN

The Man In Motion: Working for a fully inclusive Canada

BY RIC K HANSE N

I

remember so clearly the pride I felt as a 10-year-old during Canada’s Centennial celebration. At the time I knew little of the core values and aspirations that went into creating and building this great, but young, country.

EXCELLENCE.CA MAGAZINE | 36

At age 15, when I had my accident, I realized I had been harboring negative stereotypes toward people with disabilities - biases that were a result of a lack of awareness and education. My beliefs became my greatest handicap. I had to change my attitude in order to see my full potential rather than only seeing limitations.

During my time as a student at the University of British Columbia (UBC), I was fortunate to be surrounded by role models and champions – individuals who demonstrated great enthusiasm and ability, and who knew no boundaries.

This period of time also coincided with the 1982 patriation of our Constitution and enactment of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms - which explicitly stated that people with disabilities would be treated as equals. This promise of equality inspired both my academic accomplishments at UBC and my athletic pursuits. Inspiration that was greatly needed, as during this same period, scientists, doctors and clinicians were largely skeptical regarding the prognosis of a person with a spinal cord injury. The view at the time being that if you had a spinal cord injury, there was no hope for improvement or cure.

A little over a decade after my accident; and I was a world champion and Paralympic gold medalist. I felt empowered and grateful for the life I had shaped and for the people and the nation that had helped pave the way. I was inspired to pay it forward and make a difference.

Consequently, I launched my Man In Motion World Tour as a means to combine my athletic talents as a wheelchair marathoner with my desire to help others overcome and remove the attitudinal and physical barriers I had experienced personally in my travels as an athlete. Assisted by an incredible team, my parallel goal was to help ignite hope and advance progress toward finding a cure for spinal cord injury.

My dream of creating awareness, inspiring action and raising funds far exceeded my wildest expectations. But I still remember the banner at the culmination of the tour: “The End is Just the Beginning.” How true that was, and still is.

Much progress has taken place over the past 30 years.

On the journey to find a cure for spinal cord injury, researchers have proven that the central nervous system can actually regrow, and there have been many other exciting advancements and discoveries for us to celebrate. But the world desperately needs convergence and collaboration in order to accelerate the progress of spinal cord research.

And people with disabilities still live with massive social and physical barriers that continue to handicap them and our society. Much more work needs to take place in order to build the Canada that we all desire, a Canada that prioritizes the health of all its people and that is accessible and inclusive.

Our Constitution continues to come to life with each passing decade, but we still have a long way yet to go to fully realize its promised equality. I am buoyed with optimism that over the next 30 years we can become completely inclusive and accessible as a nation, and that global collaboration will strengthen to ensure that the more than one billion people with disabilities on the planet today are not only supported through charitable activities and protected through human rights, laws and social justice, but also welcomed to participate and contribute fully to a vibrant economy and culture.

“IT IS MY GREATEST ASPIRATION THAT THOSE WITH DISABILITIES - AS THEY FACE THEIR DAILY CHALLENGES WITH COURAGE AND DETERMINATION WILL BE ABLE TO LIVE FULL, MEANINGFUL LIVES WITH A SENSE OF PURPOSE.” I believe that with the acceleration of medical science and knowledge, we can create a global network of collaboration. Through this collaboration, and the hard work of doctors, clinicians, researchers and scientists, we can push the pace to find cures and help people with spinal cord injuries return to full physical function. I see a future where a person with a spinal cord injury will not just have hope, but a real expectation of full recovery.

It is my greatest aspiration that those with disabilities - as they face their daily challenges with courage and determination - will be able to live full, meaningful lives with a sense of purpose. My vision is that all people with disabilities will be able to live life with a sense of belonging, surrounded by love, and not feel that they need to be ‘cured’ in order to be whole as a human being.

Canada’s strength is rooted in diversity, and that strength can only be fully realized by continuing to build bridges of inclusivity. My hope for Canada is that people with disabilities be fully included, not just to serve this population - the largest minority group in the country - but also to strengthen our nation as a whole.

Disability knows no boundary and can happen to anyone. If we all work together to break down barriers and ensure Canada is inclusive and accessible for people with disabilities, we can fulfil our vision to be a strong, smart and caring society. One that has the best healthcare system in the world. A country that is fully inclusive and playing its expected role in building a healthy and inclusive world where no one is left behind.

RICK HANSEN is a Canadian icon who has dedicated his life to creating a world that is accessible and inclusive for all. Best known as the “Man In Motion” for undertaking an epic two-year 40,000 km journey around the world in his wheelchair, Rick is also a three-time world champion, nine-time Pan Am gold medalist, and three-time Paralympic gold medalist. Now the Founder & CEO of the Rick Hansen Foundation, an organization committed to creating a world without barriers for people with disabilities, Rick and his team work hard to change attitudes, create accessible spaces and liberate the amazing potential of people with disabilities. Rick and his wife Amanda live in Steveston, B.C. and have three daughters, Rebecca, Alana and Emma.

EXCELLENCE.CA MAGAZINE | 37

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CANADA 150 THROUGH THE LENS OF DR. ROBERTA BONDAR th

BY M IREL L A- MAR IE KATARINA RA D MA N

I

f you were to ask Canadians what first comes to mind when hearing the name ‘Dr. Roberta Bondar’, the response you would most likely hear would sound something like this: “She was Canada’s first female astronaut and the world’s first neurologist in space.”

EXCELLENCE.CA MAGAZINE | 40

ABOVE Brilliant red maple leaves of fall explode in celebration of Canada’s 150 th birthday. RIGHT Dr. Bondar photographing with a medium format camera in Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta.

Best known for her decade-long run as the head of an international space medicine research team collaborating with NASA, Dr. Bondar has become an iconic household name across the country and has received numerous awards and accolades, including the Order of Canada, the Order of Ontario, and the NASA Space Medal. She has also received over 27 honorary degrees and has been inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame.

Although Dr. Bondar is renowned for her time with the space program, she is also a celebrated and trained landscape photographer who has bridged her passion behind the lens with some of the most important issues affecting biodiversity and environmentalism in Canada today. She has pursued her interest in photography with great vigour and has documented the natural environment on several occasions, especially as it relates to our home and native land.

As Canada continues to push forward with celebrations marking the nation’s 150th birthday, Excellence Canada had a chance to speak with Dr. Bondar about two timely projects that she is spearheading through The Roberta Bondar Foundation, a non-profit founded in 2009 with an aim towards addressing the growing nature deficit in society while cultivating a sense of awe, respect and appreciation for other life forms that share our planet.

One of these projects is a Travelling Exhibition and Learning Experience on the theme of Biodiversity and Extinction entitled, Within the Landscape–Art Respecting Life.

The exhibition provides an opportunity for human reflection, and aims to help Canadians understand the diversity of species that provide ecosystem services, their importance in sustaining human life, and the natural beauty present on our planet.

EXCELLENCE.CA MAGAZINE | 41

ABOVE Mount Logan and Half Moon - Aerial image of Canada’s highest mountain, Mount Logan in Kluane National Park, Yukon - taken on the eve of the 30 th anniversary of the first Apollo landing on the Moon.

Another project, aptly known as the Ontario150 Bondar Challenge, invites people to leave their own legacy by taking a photograph of an aspect of nature within their community that they admire and hope will still exist 150 years from now and asks why their photograph is meaningful to them. The challenge that was launched in Dr. Bondar’s hometown of Sault Ste. Marie takes place in seven communities across northern Ontario. The photographs will be incorporated into narratives of each community’s hopes for their ‘natural future’ and publicly displayed as collections on the Foundation’s website and social media channels.

Dr. Bondar spoke passionately about her work on these two projects and how they were born out of the experience she first had when viewing planet Earth from outer space.

“Viewing Canada from outer space was a really humbling experience and provided an entirely new way of truly seeing the country, that for me was just spectacular. The orbits of the International Space Station only go as far as about 60 degrees north and south of the equator, which means that they do not cross the geographic centre of Canada, which is north of Baker

Lake in Nunavut. As a neurologist, I can tell you that we are taking our first baby steps when it comes to understanding the human body, and in many ways it’s the same in space when trying to view and comprehend the intricacies of Earth.”

Dr. Bondar’s passion to capture some of the most diverse ecosystems in Canada propelled her to publish a book of photography called ‘Passionate Vision’ (2000) that is entirely devoted to Canada’s National Parks. This was an intense personal odyssey, which she financed almost singlehandedly.

Dr. Bondar reflected that in undertaking this endeavour, she wanted to document something unique in each National Park for Canadians to see and identify with. “This is how I explored this country, first from space and then wanting to see it as protected by our National Parks. I felt I had a responsibility to represent Canada and promote our country through iconic portraits of our lands and waters, which otherwise might never have been photographed before the end of the last millennium.

This was a deeply moving and personal artistic pursuit for me.

It took me two and a half years to photograph all of them (the Parks) but I really feel that if you love something, then you will

EXCELLENCE.CA MAGAZINE | 42

RIGHT Deep in the wetlands of northern Wood Buffalo National Park in the NWT, an endangered Whooping Crane pair (insert) sets up its nest after a 3800 km migration from the Gulf of Mexico in Texas.

want to protect it. These images celebrate the beauty of life on this planet and especially in Canada.”

Canadians will have a chance to see some of these iconic images as part of the Travelling Exhibition, Light in the Land ~ the Nature of Canada, which kicked off in mid-May in Sudbury. Notable pieces include some of her larger works (64” x 20”), panoramic images of the lands and seas of Canada.

In addition to photography, birds are another passion of Dr. Bondar. One of her favorite birds is the majestic Whooping Crane, North America’s tallest bird. So enamoured is she with this particular breed that she is currently conducting principal investigative work with NASA in documenting the Whooping Crane’s habitat and way of life. She revealed that she is also a great admirer of perching birds, but has a special affinity for all cranes, having photographed them internationally in their many different habitats.

“I will never forget the time when I sat on the banks of the Thomsen River listening to the sound of the Sandhill Cranes’ wingbeat. This extraordinary bird flies about 40 to 50 feet high and the sound its wings make in the quiet of the northern Canadian Arctic is something that can only be described as unbelievable,” said Dr. Bondar.

“The Whooping Crane is a favorite of mine and I suppose you could say it was something of the Canadian news story of the day in the forties, when they discovered that Canada’s Northwest Territories are the nesting grounds. In the 1920’s the Whooping Crane was already experiencing a decline in numbers to less than 20, and although back to a few hundred today, its survival continues to be threatened, especially with degradation of their wetland habitat along their migration corridor. It’s a really beautiful bird which is rare in that it doesn’t fly in flocks, rather in families. It migrates every year from Wood Buffalo National Park in the NWT/Alberta to the Gulf of Mexico and I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to Wood Buffalo National Park every two years to photograph it in its natural habitat which is a spectacular wetland.”

In discussing the Arctic Tern, a long distance migrant that flies from the Arctic to the Antarctic each year, Dr. Bondar reminds us that, “Humans are impacting the health of natural habitats and accelerating the pace of change. Human beings cannot apologize for being on planet Earth, but ethically we need to have respect and dignity for other life forms, especially when we consider that the Earth is not a static object, regardless of the fact that we tend to treat it as if it were. The same is true of our National Parks—they aren’t there to preserve the status quo, instead, they are trying to minimize the impact of human activity and sequelae, by protecting the natural evolution of ecosystems in the face of continuous change.”

In celebrating Canada’s 150th birthday year, the Travelling Exhibition and the Ontario150 Bondar Challenge have hit a timely note. The Foundation is bringing the project directly to schools across the country, and in doing so, uniting Canadians to come together and view our natural environment in all its glory. “It is also encouraging Canadians to get involved in the project by photographing our unique natural wonders as they see them, in part on the occasion of Canada’s 150th birthday but also so that our descendants and future generations of Canadians can see these images 150 years from now,” said Dr. Bondar. Her love of the camera has allowed her to be a passionate and present observer of our natural environment, and in experiencing the Travelling Exhibition across Canada, and/or embracing the Ontario150 Challenge, Canadians can connect with our abundant natural diversity while at the same time honouring Canada during its sesquicentennial year, and in the years to come.

To learn more about The Travelling Exhibition and Learning Experiences and Canada150 Bondar Challenge projects, please visit the Foundation’s website at: www.therobertabondarfoundation.org

EXCELLENCE.CA MAGAZINE | 43

DAVID SUZUKI DR. DAVID SUZUKI is a scientist, broadcaster, author, and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. He is Companion to the Order of Canada and recipient of the 2009 Right Livelihood Award. He is familiar to television audiences as host of CBC’s science and natural history series The Nature of Things.

CANADA 150: A CELEBRATION OF OUR HERITAGE OF EXCELLENCE

BY DAV ID SUZUKI

PHOTO CREDIT David Suzuki Foundation (http://davidsuzuki.org)

EXCELLENCE.CA MAGAZINE | 44

I

began my last year of college in 1957. On October 4 th of that year, the Soviet Union electrified the world by successfully launching a satellite— Sputnik 1 . Little did we dream that out of the ensuing space race between the Soviet Union and the United States would come 24-hour television news channels, mobile phones, and GPS navigation.

In 1958, the only transatlantic phone lines were cables laid on the ocean floor. Phone calls to England had to be booked hours or sometimes days in advance.

Scientists were still debating whether genetic material was DNA or protein. We didn’t know how many chromosomes humans have or that the Y chromosome determines sex. And the Green Revolution had yet to come. Polio was still a problem in North America, smallpox killed hundreds of thousands annually, and oral contraceptives, photocopiers, personal computers, colour TV, DVDs, and Wi-Fi were mere figments of our collective imagination.

Parts of the Amazon, Congo, and New Guinea hadn’t been explored. We had not yet learned of species extinction, depletion of fish in the oceans, the effects of CFCs on the ozone layer, acid rain, global warming, PCBs, and dioxins.

In just half a century, our lives have been transformed by scientific, medical, and technological advances. And with these advances have come a host of environmental problems.

No one deliberately set out to undermine the planet’s life-support systems or tear communities apart, but those have been the consequences of our enormous economic and technological “success” over the past five decades. Beset by vast problems of wealth discrepancy, environmental issues, poverty, terror, genocide, and prejudice, we are weaving our way into an uncertain future.

I wish I could say that we have evolved when it comes to science. In some ways we have. But reading the news and listening to the pronouncements of politicians—especially those south of the border—I’m bewildered by the rampant ignorance and antipathy toward science.

To witness this problem at its gravest, look no further than the ever-evolving international dialogue around human-caused climate change.

Some politicians and policy-makers continue to attack the overwhelming scientific evidence that human activity is causing catastrophic climate change, while others try to appease private corporations and industrial powers through lax environmental regulations.

Despite countless studies by scientists from around the world over many decades, and agreement among 98 per cent of the world’s climate scientists and pretty much all the world’s legitimate scientific academies and societies that greenhouse gas emissions are causing the Earth’s average temperature to rise, not to mention the facts staring us in the face—such as increased frequency of extreme weather conditions, rising sea levels, and melting ice caps and glaciers—many people in government and industry reject the science and argue that we must proceed with business as usual.

I initially began speaking out on television in 1962 because I was shocked by the lack of understanding of science at a time when science—as applied by industry, medicine, and the military—was having such a profound impact on our lives. I felt we needed more scientific understanding if we were to make informed decisions about the forces shaping our lives.

Today, thanks to computers and the Internet—as well as television, radio, and print media—we have access to more information than humanity has ever had. Yet, to my surprise, this access has not equipped us to make better decisions on such matters as climate change, peak oil, marine depletion, species extinction, and global pollution. This is largely because we now have access to so much information that we can find support for just about any prejudice or opinion.

Science isn’t perfect. Indeed, it can be used for destructive as well as beneficial purposes. But it’s the best tool we have for analyzing and understanding our world and the impact of our actions on the environment of which we are a part. If those elected to represent us reject science, we really are in trouble.

We must insist that our government and public figures support science through their words and actions.

In the early 1970s, Sen. Maurice Lamontagne released A Science Policy for Canada—a report proposing Canadian science be directed to “mission-oriented” rather than “curiosity driven” research. Since then, many politicians have encouraged support for science that serves market interests. But I believe we must support science because curiosity and the ability to ask and answer questions are part of what makes our species unique and help us find our way in the world.

We must support our best scientists so they are competitive with any around the world. We must also recognize that innovation and discoveries don’t always come from marketdriven research. This takes commitment from governments, more generous grants, and long-term support.

This issue of Excellence.ca celebrates our shared heritage of excellence in Canada. In that spirit, there certainly is much to celebrate. But at this stage in my life—after 60 years as a scientist, broadcaster, and now an elder—I am more focused on the next 150 years, and how my children and grandchildren will define excellence.

In my view, it must involve striving for a deeper appreciation and understanding of science and the monumental impact it has on our lives. It must mean exploring all sources of knowledge—both traditional ecological knowledge and modern science—when developing our ways of life. It must result in human beings making wiser environmental decisions, as a species that is completely interdependent with our natural world.

To me, that is excellence.

EXCELLENCE.CA MAGAZINE | 45

GAME CHANGER DR. ELEANOR FISH

T

he discovery of the T-cell receptor, the world’s first electric wheelchair,

innovative transplant procedures, stem cell research, childproof bottles, cobalt-60 radiation therapy, the use of insulin in diabetes treatment – a small sampling of the hundreds of important medical breakthroughs made by Canadian scientists, researchers and innovators.

And the list continues to be populated on a regular basis as Canadians, and Canadian-led teams, continue to break new ground in medical techniques, tools, diagnostics and treatments.

Eleanor Fish, a Senior Scientist at Toronto General Hospital Research Institute and a Professor of Immunology at the University of Toronto is one such Canadian.

For many years Dr. Fish has been a proponent of treating emerging virus infections with broad spectrum antivirals along the same lines as the approach for treating bacterial infections with broad spectrum antibiotics. The strategy is not to directly target the virus, but rather to trigger a more robust defensive response to the infection.

Says Dr. Fish, “For every drug that is targeted against a specific virus, the virus will mutate in time to become drug resistant. A costly strategy when to bring a drug to market may cost as much as $2 billion.”

Regardless of the virus type or route of infection, our bodies have an early surveillance system that rapidly produces and releases an antiviral – interferon – to eliminate the invader. Not surprisingly, viruses have co-evolved with humans to very specifically target this interferon response and many viruses carry factors in their genome that turn it off. For Dr. Fish, this reinforced the importance of interferon and prompted her to examine its effectiveness in clearing many different virus infections.

Dr. Fish has shown her approach to be effective against the SARS virus and, more recently, against the Ebola virus.

In 2003, when SARS hit Toronto, Dr. Fish was prepared.

She and her colleagues already had preliminary pre-clinical data showing that interferon treatment could override the virus-triggered interferon inhibition and clear a virus infection very closely related to the SARS virus. She undertook a clinical study at North York General Hospital, and treated SARS-infected patients with interferon. The results were very encouraging – significant improvements, rapid clearance of the infection from the lungs, and no side effects from the treatment.

The success of the study resulted in the WHO making her protocol available to jurisdictions around the globe should there be another SARS outbreak, and the study itself was reported in the high profile medical journal: JAMA. Several years later in 2014, when the Ebola virus disease outbreak struck West Africa, Dr. Fish was one of a team of experts called on by the WHO to review potential interventions. As with SARS, the Ebola virus makes factors that block our interferon response. Dr. Fish had data to suggest that interferon treatment would be effective against Ebola and argued that ‘repurposing’ an approved drug – interferon should be considered.

Early on in the outbreak, Dr. Fish – along with colleagues in Toronto – developed a screening test that allowed scientists to compare different potential drugs against a modified, non-lethal, Ebola virus. Their results showed that interferon was the most effective antiviral of those being considered. Since there were – and still are – no approved drugs or specific treatment for Ebola, Dr. Fish maintained that there was “a moral obligation to collect and share all data generated, to understand the safety and efficacy of any intervention, and to evaluate promising interventions to inform future research.” Dr. Fish approached Guinean government officials and shared her results. Subsequently, within a short time frame, a clinical trial protocol was written, approvals obtained and interferon supplied at no cost by Biogen, USA. The results of the study showed Dr. Fish’s approach to be effective against the Ebola virus (see side bar for results) and the onsite team is now working with Dr. Fish to monitor Ebola survivors and the impact of treatment with interferon.

Dr. Fish is currently examining the antiviral effects of interferon against a battery of different viruses that pose a threat to global health, including the Zika virus, the West Nile virus and several others that are, in her words “simmering below the radar” in various African and Southeast Asian countries.

EXCELLENCE.CA MAGAZINE | 46

DID YOU

Excerpted from Ingenious: How Canadian Innovators Made the World Smarter, Smaller, Kinder, Safer, Healthier, Wealthier, and Happier. See page 10 for full credits.

KNOW?

INSULIN The end of terror.

ABOVE Dr. Eleanor Fish, centre, with local health-care team in Guinea.

THE EBOLA PILOT STUDY This was a single-arm trail – not the ‘gold standard’ randomized trial, where individuals are randomized to treatment or a placebo – as Dr. Fish successfully argued that to randomize patients to placebo given the high mortality would be unethical.

The onsite team for this pilot study was composed of 11 Guinean healthcare workers. The Guinean team received, for the first time, relevant training in all aspects of conducting a clinical trial according to international standards – training that has provided them with the capacity to run future clinical trials on their own.

T H E R E S U LT S Nine individuals with Ebola virus were treated with Interferon ß-1a. When compared to patients who had received supportive treatment only, 67% of the interferontreated patients were still alive at 21 days in contrast to 19% of the former patients. Additionally, the virus was cleared from the blood faster in those patients treated with Interferon ß-1a. Many clinical symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea and diarrhea were also relieved earlier in the interferon-treated patients. The study results, reported in PLoS One, suggest that infected patients who did not receive interferon more than doubled their risk of dying: ‘Interferon ß-1a for the treatment of Ebola virus disease: A historically controlled, single-arm proof of concept trial.’

“Despite the limitations of a single arm, non-randomized study, we infer from these data that Interferon ß-1a treatment is worth further consideration for the treatment of Ebola virus disease.” - Dr. Fish.

The pilot study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and supported by the European Mobile Laboratory, a partner of the (WHO) Emerging and Dangerous Pathogens Laboratory Network and the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network.

Diabetes. There was a time when the word struck terror in the hearts of parents. A child diagnosed with the disease could expect to live a life of perpetual illness and suffering that would likely end in death before the child emerged from adolescence. That the word no longer strikes terror is largely because of three Canadians: medical scientist Dr. Frederick Banting, his assistant Charles Best, and their University of Toronto patron and adviser J.J.R. Macleod. In their historic summer of 1921, Banting and Best isolated what we now know as insulin while performing experiments in a laboratory loaned to them by the vacationing Macleod. Over the next several months, the small team, which now included biochemist James Collip, refined their discovery until it proved a reliable remedy for the dread disease.

The drug firm Eli Lilly and Company came on board in late 1922, using its corporate resources to produce large quantities of highly refined insulin, thereby making the treatment available widely and ending the terror.

QUICK-RELEASE BUCKLE The fast way into the saddle.

Most of the technologies of the horse and buggy were swept aside with the arrival and embrace of the automobile. The quick-release buckle remains.

In fact, it grows more popular with time. Arthur Davy of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia,created the device in 1911 as a way to attach the ends of two reins quickly and securely—and to detach them equally quickly and smoothly. Instead of the conventional buckle, Davy’s version featured one part equipped with a pair of spring-actuated dogs (a dog is a mechanical device for gripping) adapted to extend into and engage slots in the second part. Click! That sound is heard now more than ever, as people fasten tight clothes, car seats, briefcases, back-packs—anything that requires a quick, secure click shut.

EXCELLENCE.CA MAGAZINE | 47

DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR CANADA

BY SU SA N HART

D

anby CEO Jim Estill has achieved great success as both an entrepreneur and a business leader. A founding board member of Research in Motion/Blackberry, Jim started his first company from the trunk of his car while attending the University of Waterloo and grew that company to over $2 billion in sales. Jim is also the author of two business books, Time Leadership and Zero to $2 Billion; the latter also being the name of his popular Ted Talk.

“Do the right thing” is both Jim’s personal and business motto, but it is much more than a catchphrase to him - it is a way of life.

“I believe you need systems and processes to run a business.

The more systems and processes, the better your business can run. The problem of course, is that you can’t put everything into systems and processes. So ‘do the right thing’ is a great way to know how to respond in these situations. ‘How do you treat your co-workers? Do the right thing. How do you treat customers? Do the right thing. Do you ship product that’s not good?

No, you do the right thing.’ If that permeates your culture, your business will run smoother. It is not just moral and ethical it is also smart business. ‘Do you sell products below cost? No, you do the right thing. Do you cause the company to spend more money than it should? No you do the right thing.’ It’s a very simple way to answer how to do your job.”

Taking it to a higher level, Jim believes that ‘do the right thing’ translates to sharing some of your profits with your employees, sharing some of your profits with the community, and sharing some of your profits with the world at large.

“I AM A BELIEVER IN THE POSITIVE AND THAT GOOD WILL HAPPEN IF YOU DO GOOD.” So when Jim heard about the humanitarian crisis in Syria he knew he had to do the right thing.

Jim made a decision back in 2015 to privately sponsor over 50 Syrian refugee families at a personal cost of $1.5M. Jim’s goal was not just to bring these families to the safety of

Simaz (left), Jim, Abdo, Ahmed & Fedaa. Syrian refugees take part in the Ease into Canada program at Danby, to help get started finding work in Canada.

Guelph, Ontario, but to actively help them resettle, get them jobs, teach them English, and give them hope.

And what, according to Jim, is the best way to give people hope? “By providing them with a chance, an opportunity to work hard to support themselves and their families. That’s doing the right thing, and that will come back to help Canada over time. Success is not bringing people here and putting them on welfare. The best way to serve someone is to allow them to become a contributing member of society.”

To help reach his goal, Jim galvanized an army of 800 local volunteers and applied a business model to organize their combined efforts. His volunteer organization employs scorecards, checklists, and KPIs - just like any well-run, forprofit business would. And just like any new business, Jim is ready and able to pivot as necessary based on what works and what doesn’t.

An unintended by-product of Jim’s efforts has been a remarkable increase in employee engagement at Danby.

Why? Because inspiration engages people. As Jim explains, “My staff see that I’m not just trying to buy a Porsche for my driveway. They see I’m spending some of the money we earn for good! It’s not very inspirational to say ‘Okay, we’re going to sell 1,000 freezers this month! Let’s get behind this goal!’ But when you’re saving people’s lives and having an impact on real families, and then you say ‘That’s why we’re selling 1,000 freezers guys!’; employees will really stand behind that versus ‘let’s just make another dollar’.”

EXCELLENCE.CA MAGAZINE | 48

And engaged and inspired employees equal more productive employees. “You can hire an employee and pay them to show up to work but you can’t pay for their hearts. There is a big difference between someone who is engaged and inspired and looking out for the company’s best interests, and someone who isn’t. From a selfish point of view, if your business does the right thing, your staff will be more engaged and therefore more productive. I have had dozens of people who have said they want to work for me at Danby. I’ve had people say ‘you don’t need to pay me and I will work here’. They are inspired enough that they are offering to come and be paid less than market and work more hours than market.”

“HELPING OTHER PEOPLE IS A GREAT WAY TO BUILD YOUR OWN GRATEFULNESS QUOTIENT.” Jim’s belief in doing the right thing has also been adopted by the Syrian refugees he has brought to Canada. Jim shares the story of Ahmed: “Ahmed ran a successful business with 30 employees in Syria. He said to me, ‘I’m not sure if I was in your situation that I would have done what you do. But now

I’m going to do everything I can to make Canada a great place.’

What changed his mind? “He was doing very well in Syria, but then he essentially lost everything and had to be dependent on a safety net that he really didn’t understand. He was brought to safety in Canada and then given an opportunity to rebuild his life. He sees that and says Canada is a great place to live and now he wants to give back.”

Ahmed’s reaction to his reception in Canada is common among the Syrian families. Says Jim, “Their love of Canada and their gratefulness to Canada so far exceeds the rest of the population. We don’t understand it because we take it for granted. The more I associate with this group, the more I realize that Canada truly is a great country.”

What’s next for Jim? The Canadian government currently has a moratorium on new refugee sponsorships, but the window will open again soon, and when it does Jim’s next push will be on reunification, as many of the refugee families had to leave loved ones behind. Jim will also continue to spend time speaking on immigration and refugee issues and trying to influence the government in this area.

Diversity is a key component of what it means to be Canadian. The more diverse a community, a company or a country; the more creative, Innovative, and (hopefully) tolerant it is going to be. In the words of Jim Estill, “As Canadians we need to continue to embrace diversity in all its forms as that will lead to a better and stronger Canada for everyone.”

EXCELLENCE.CA MAGAZINE | 49

WISHING YOU WELL, CANADA.

As a Champion of Excellence for Healthy Workplace, we believe strongly that the health of a nation depends on the health of its workforce. So from all of us at Heidary Health, here’s to another 150 years of health and well-being in the country we’re so very proud to call our home.

To learn how you can create a healthier company, visit heidaryhealth.com or call 905-637-6947.

Champion of Excellence for Healthy Workplace®

How Capitalize for Kids is Reinventing Philanthropy

BY EU GENE MICHASIW

A

few years ago, two Toronto-based young professionals decided to

raise a million dollars for charity.

Somewhat unaware of the herculean task they had set out for themselves, they simply got to work. In their first year, they managed to raise that million dollars. And then they did it again, and again.

In 2014, Jeff Gallant was an Associate Portfolio Manager at an alternative asset management firm and Kyle MacDonald was an Analyst at an independent equity research firm. As friends and former university classmates, one thing they shared was an interest in giving back. They were both members of a council of young professionals who supported SickKids Hospital, but they knew they could do more.

They had seen a number of philanthropic initiatives take off in the American finance sector. One model that stood out to them was the “for-charity investment conference.” These events brought in big-name finance speakers who were eager to support the cause. The speakers, in turn, attracted an affluent audience which was willing to pay a premium for tickets.

At the time, nothing like this existed in Canada. With no experience in fundraising or events, Jeff and Kyle announced that they were launching an investors conference in support of Children’s Brain and Mental Health.

ABOVE Alex Roepers, Founder and CIO of Atlantic Investment Management, presenting at the 2016 Capitalize for Kids Investors Conference.

After putting a large deposit on their credit cards for the venue, they started talking to just about everyone. They cold-called, knocked on doors, and flooded inboxes. In a short while, there were very few people within Toronto’s finance community who they hadn’t reached out to.

And eventually, the dominoes started to fall. One by one, they got individuals from Canadian banks, asset managers, and pension funds to support the event. This gave Jeff and Kyle the clout to approach major American investors about presenting. When the legendary hedge fund manager Larry Robbins agreed to speak at the conference, they knew they had something real.

The conference surpassed the million dollar goal they had set for themselves. It was so successful, they stepped away from the private sector to focus their energy on turning the event into a sustainable organization.

Jeff and Kyle called their organization Capitalize for Kids.

They hired a small team to ensure the organization would be sustainable, and started building out other fundraising initiatives. For it to grow, they needed their organization to tap into the finance industry at every level. What was once an event, would grow into a community.

From business students through to CIOs and CEOs, Capitalize for Kids would engage everyone in the finance sector.

EXCELLENCE.CA MAGAZINE | 51

HOW CAPITALIZE FOR KIDS IS REINVENTING PHILANTHROPY

Because the organization was built by investors, it knew how to best engage this audience. The initiatives would offer professionals an opportunity to give back while supporting their own business or personal career ambitions.

Capitalize for Kids also took an investor-like approach to funding, with a much more hands-on approach than just cutting a cheque to its beneficiaries.

Since its inception, the organization has had a focus on children’s brain and mental health, and targeted high impact areas. Looking to achieve the highest social return on their investment, Capitalize for Kids funded research projects at SickKids and offered seed capital to help researchers get their projects off the ground and attract support from larger foundations.

As Capitalize for Kids looked to expand its beneficiaries beyond one institution, the team started talking to smaller community service providers. They noticed a common theme – all the organizations were at capacity and couldn’t keep up with demand.

While capacity was a huge problem, more funding wasn’t necessarily the answer. Many of these service providers acknowledged that they had many inefficiencies in their own operations. The problem was that they also lacked the internal expertise to address them.

This happened to be an area that was abundant within Capitalize for Kids’ own network.

Through their connections with major management consulting firms, Capitalize for Kids was able to line up pro-bono services for these beneficiaries. The management consulting firms now conduct capacity-building projects to help these institutions make the most of their resource, and once the consulting projects are complete, Capitalize for Kids provides funding to the service providers.

The magic of this model is that Capitalize for Kids can be assured that its funding will have a significant ROI because it is supporting the recommendations of top management consulting firms. In addition, the impact of consulting projects will extend far beyond the funding and maximize the use of existing donor and government dollars.

When you combine this approach to funding with the unique fundraising initiatives, you have a complete model for high impact, investor-like philanthropy. Since it began, Capitalize for Kids has raised over $4 million to invest in children’s brain and mental health at SickKids, community service providers, and beyond.

EUGENE MICHASIW joined Capitalize for Kids in 2016 to help scale their fundraising initiatives and impact strategy.

He is a non-profit marketing professional with a passion for mental health. Previously, he spent three years as the head of marketing at Jack.org, a national youth mental health awareness organization.

DID YOU

KNOW?

Excerpted from Ingenious: How Canadian Innovators Made the World Smarter, Smaller, Kinder, Safer, Healthier, Wealthier, and Happier. See page 10 for full credits.

LIGHT BULB The bright future.

Thomas Edison didn’t invent the electric light bulb. Credit for that illuminating discovery must go to an unlikely duo from Toronto. Dreaming of a bright future in 1874, medical student Henry Woodward and hotelkeeper Mathew Evans fashioned a bulb out of a glass tube that contained a large piece of carbon connected to two wires. When they hit the switch, the current flowed and the carbon glowed. But not for long.

They then filled their bulb with inert nitrogen to prolong the burn. After testing the bulb with repeated success, the Torontonians patented their invention in both Canada and the United States and then confidently set out to secure

the financing needed to take their bright idea from lab to marketplace. As has so often happened in Canada, they failed. Time and time again they were told their idea was just too risky. Unfunded, they looked for a buyer of both the U.S. patent rights for their bulb and the exclusive licence to their Canadian patent as well.

The entrepreneurial Edison was quick to close the deal.

The Wizard of Menlo Park then refined their design and unveiled his own miraculous invention in a dramatic display on New Year’s Eve 1879. The subsequent electrification of the world made this Canadian innovation one of the most important contributions to modern life. In all the jubilation, only two men were left alone in the dark.

EXCELLENCE.CA MAGAZINE | 52

Where does psychological health and safety fit into your priorities?

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WORLD LEADERS IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: CANADA’S BIG LITTLE SECRET

BY B EN JAMIN DAVIS MS SOC IET Y OF CANADA

C

anada has has the highest rate of multiple sclerosis in the world – that’s how it got its nickname: Canada’s disease .

The challenges faced by Canadians living with MS are unique to each person affected, but a common thread that can run through the narrative of life with MS is fear. Fear of the unknown; fear of the future; fear of what comes next.

At the MS Society of Canada, our goal is to find a cure for MS and empower those affected by the disease to maintain the best possible quality of life.

Removing fear from the day-to-day life of people with this disease is part of what we do.

For many people living with MS, employment, job security, and life in the workplace can all be a source of anxiety and fear. Changes in employment can occur quickly after diagnosis and escalate with increasing disability.

“I was diagnosed with MS in 1997,” says MS Ambassador and MS Society volunteer Andrea Butcher-Milne. “One of the

biggest challenges I’ve faced is navigating the system. It can be hard to step up and ask for the benefits and help you’re entitled to when your options aren’t made clear, and accessing those options involves jumping through hoops. How can we have a voice and be heard when we don’t even know what our voice is supposed to be used for? So often, we’re afraid to ask for help because we don’t want to rock the boat too much. We shouldn’t be afraid to rock the boat, because that’s how change happens – that’s why helping people navigate the system is such an important issue for me.”

“I recently attended a roundtable discussion about tackling MS in the workplace,” she adds. “I was glad to see people around the table whose professional roles could potentially improve the lives of people affected by MS. A representative from Employment Canada was keen to understand the various programs that needed to be adjusted for people with MS. Staff attended from the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), which is responsible for ensuring you are financially supported if you have a disability. I was also surprised to find representation from insurance companies; it’s so important that they hear first-hand the real experiences of people living with disabilities, and what it means when a person is denied coverage.”

“It was great to hear insurance companies talking about investing in more wellness benefits; things like ensuring employees have access to rehabilitation services like physiotherapy,

EXCELLENCE.CA MAGAZINE | 55

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WORLD LEADERS IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: CANADA’S BIG LITTLE SECRET which could have a huge impact on symptom management and quality of life. Making those types of tools more accessible to people would widen the range of options they could choose from when it comes to managing their symptoms.”

“We also talked about the importance of supporting people through career transitions; putting programs in place that would allow a person to go back to school if they can no longer perform the tasks required in their current job; and providing people with the tools needed to maintain their own livelihood before forcing them to rely on disability benefits. For me, what this boils down to is providing people with the tools they need to remain in control of their own lives, maintain their independence, and feel confident and fulfilled despite all of the things that are changing in their lives.”

The MS Society advocates on behalf of Canadians living with MS and their caregivers for access to affordable treatment options and medications through company benefits packages, to accommodations and inclusion in the workplace, and to more flexible income and employment supports from our government.

In May of 2016, the Conference Board of Canada released a report titled, Multiple Sclerosis in the Workplace: Supporting Successful Employment Experiences. In their press release, the group stated, “While Canada has the highest rate of multiple sclerosis in the world, we may not be doing enough in terms of providing appropriate workplace accommodations and income supports for this population and their caregivers.”

Key findings from the report are very much in line with the Institute for Research on Public Policy’s (IRPP) report titled, Leaving Some Behind: What Happens When Workers Get Sick; and ACTION on MS from the MS Society’s Listening to People Affected by MS initiative. This report outlines some key actions that can be taken by employers, governments, and other stakeholder groups, including: • • •

Positive employer attitudes and accommodations for employees with MS; Early use of interventions and disease management strategies; and Better and more coordinated employer and government supports.

What do these reports mean for the future of MS in Canada? These reports mean we have more tools to advocate for crucial changes that will have a real impact on the working lives and financial future of Canadians living with MS and their caregivers.

“I still can’t believe how much the landscape has changed in the last two decades,” concludes Andrea. “We have so many more options now than my mother did when she was diagnosed.

The landscape is still changing, and the MS Society recognizes that we need to keep pace with that. That’s why I choose to work with them to advocate for our rights – because we have the right to live in a society that is fully inclusive of people living with all disabilities. This is how I’m fighting to end MS.” Join us in the fight to #endMS. Visit mssociety.ca or call 1-800-268-7582 to make a donation or to learn more. Join the conversation and connect with the MS community online. Find the MS Society on Twitter and Instagram @mssocietycanada or visit us on Facebook.

DID YOU

Excerpted from Ingenious: How Canadian Innovators Made the World Smarter, Smaller, Kinder, Safer, Healthier, Wealthier, and Happier. See page 10 for full credits.

KNOW?

JAVA The programming language.

“Write an application that will run everywhere.”

That mission doesn’t sound impossible today, but twenty-five years ago it was an incitement to revolution, and the very challenge Calgary’s James Gosling and his team of Sun Microsystems engineers set out to conquer. In 1995, Gosling presented their answer: Java. Before Java, programming languages were complex, tedious, and limited largely to desktops and mainframe computers; handheld and imbedded devices were still impractical dreams. Java was designed so its compiled code could run on all platforms without having to be recompiled.

Equipped with Java, programmers were at last free to imagine all manner of new devices—especially smaller and specialized ones. Notably, Java made it possible for computer programmers to take advantage of the emerging web era, making the user experience platform-independent while speeding its development.

Today, Java remains the primary language in which to develop and deliver content to the web. It is the nimble intelligence that brings ten billion digital devices to life.

A quarter century after its innovation, Gosling’s Java is the programming language.

PEANUT BUTTER The protein substitute.

Step aside, George Washington Carver. Contrary to almost universal belief, the celebrated American botanist didn’t create peanut butter. The stick-to-theroof-of-your-mouth glory goes to Marcellus Gilmore Edson. In 1884, the Quebec chemist was awarded the first patent for peanut butter—or peanut-candy, as it was called then. Marcellus discovered it when he found that heating the surfaces to grind peanuts to 100 degrees Fahrenheit caused crushed peanuts to emerge as a thick, chunky fluid. When the liquidy grounds cooled, they set as a paste similar to butter. Now enter John Kellogg of the cereal empire, who marketed the creamy spread as a protein substitute for people who couldn’t eat solid food. Sorry, Mr. Carver.

EXCELLENCE.CA MAGAZINE | 57

Canada, it’s your birthday, eh?

Ice Hockey • Loonie • Maple Syrup • Lacrosse • Health Care • Canuck • Timbit • Beaver • Poutine • Tuque

Canada’s historical road is paved with excellence, and at Saint Elizabeth we are proud to take part in over 100 years of that history. As Canada’s largest social enterprise, we have a history of living in the future and we are dedicated to innovation and impacting generations to come.

Together, we’re celebrating 150 years of true excellence in the true north

HABITUAL EXCELLENCE

BY SHIRL E E SHARKE Y, PR E SI D ENT A ND CEO, SA I NT EL I Z A BET H A N D B OAR D CHAIR , E XCE L L ENCE CA NA DA

Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence but we rather have those because we acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do.

Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.

- Aristotle, Greek philosopher, died 322BC

I

think we could all be more successful if we were able to apply Aristotle’s philosophy of habitual excellence to our daily activities. But wouldn’t it be easier if there was an excellence fairy godmother who could bestow excellence with a wave of the wand? Certainly it would be easier; but it wouldn’t be excellence.

As we approach Canada’s milestone 150th birthday, there is no better gift than the acknowledgement of our country’s excellence journey. Canadians are notoriously humble and apologetic, so we certainly don’t broadcast our successes; we simply nod and agree.

But celebrate we should.

Canada’s historical road is paved with excellence; from our open immigration policy, to our position as a global peacekeeper, to our reputation for kindness and thoughtfulness. For Canada, it’s a continual journey of steadfast improvement. And that is a model we would be wise to mimic.

At Saint Elizabeth, we have embraced the coaching and support provided by Excellence Canada in helping us achieve our goals. We reached out to Excellence Canada years ago and today I am privileged to serve as board chair – an opportunity that has allowed me exposure to various organizations to learn about their respective journeys to excellence.

I want to spend some time celebrating these excellence journeys and share what we have learned at Saint Elizabeth – I think of these as stepping stones we can all use to help design and construct our individual paths to excellence.

STEPPING STONE #1 EXCELLENCE IS A GROUP PROJECT At Saint Elizabeth we’ve achieved success in this area because of our team’s dedication and commitment to excellence in everything we do. The external verification team from Excellence Canada found that the team spirit of Saint Elizabeth was “evident in our DNA.” They reported seeing examples in every corner of the organization. We know this would not be the case if the responsibility for excellence rested primarily with a single person or the senior team.

From a CEO standpoint, I find the process of cocooning and collaborating very effective. I learned early on the importance of taking an active role and staying very close to some key projects. I’ve found that being personally connected to the work has helped us achieve goals and circumvent obstacles.

STEPPING STONE #2 IT’S A LABOUR OF LOVE The pursuit of excellence, particularly as you integrate the frameworks and rigour demanded by an external body, is tough work! As soon as you think you’ve arrived – guess what – you haven’t. To take you through the dark times; you have to love it, believe it, and be courageous in your work.

In our business, our mission is based on health care and social impact. We support innovations that empower people’s own health journeys. We are able to keep our eyes on the prize during tough times because of the meaning inherent in what we do.

But we run a very successful business as well. What ties it together for me is the idea that social impact and social purpose can work together to achieve business success. Kevin Jones, founder of SOCAP (Social Capital Markets), put it best when he said the two ideas “can be successfully married for business success – and it can be a loving relationship.”

In 2012, an article by Michael Porter and Mark Kramer titled “Creating Shared Value” appeared in the Harvard Business Review. The article espoused an economy based on all sectors of the economic engine coming together for mutual benefit. This article created a transformative shift in my thinking.

Our work is a labour of love. What makes it worthwhile and keeps us going is that we are doing it for a higher purpose – to create a positive social impact. It hasn’t always been a smooth, nor a straight, line to success, but it has been meaningful. And fun.

STEPPING STONE #3 S H A R E T H E W E A LT H True excellence is achieved when we share our learnings with others. There is a great quote about money from the movie musical Hello Dolly, and I think it applies equally well to the concept of excellence: “Money, pardon the expression, is like manure. It’s not worth a thing unless it’s spread around, encouraging young things to grow.” – Dolly Levi, Hello Dolly Excellence is not achieved by keeping the results to yourself, but by having the courage and the social mindset to share it for the benefit of others so that we can grow and learn together. I hope all of you are able to embrace and enjoy your own excellence journey.

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Canada By Design an Interview with DR. SARA DIAMOND INTERVIEW / SUSAN HART

“Design creativity is the ability to identify and understand a set of human needs, and then create an elegant solution that responds to those needs, ideally within a sustainable context that also includes beauty and form.”

D

r. Sara Diamond is the President and Vice-Chancellor of OCAD University, the largest and most comprehensive art, design and media university in Canada. OCAD is a leader in digital media, design research and curriculum, and new research in inclusive design, health and design, and sustainable technologies and design.

Dr. Diamond holds a PhD in Computing, Information Technology and Engineering from the University of East London, a Master’s in Digital Media Theory from the University of the Arts London and an Honour’s Bachelor of Arts in History and Communications from Simon Fraser University. She is an appointee of the Order of Ontario and the Royal Canadian Academy of Artists, and a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Digital Pioneer Award from the GRAND Networks of Centres of Excellence.

Dr. Diamond founded and led the Banff New Media Institute between 1995-2005; was founding Chair of the Mobile Experience Innovation Centre (2007-2014) and co-principal investigator of the Centre for Information Visualization and Data Driven design; and currently contributes to the iCity research project on SmartCities and BRAIN—a data analytics research network. Her artwork is held by prestigious collections such as the Museum of Modern Art, NYC and the National Gallery of Canada.

Excellence Canada spoke with Dr. Diamond about design creativity and the importance of design to the future of Canada.

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ABOVE Andrew Watch, External Goods

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CANADA BY DESIGN - AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. SARA DIAMOND

ABOVE Sharzhad Nasiri, Sieve

ABOVE Jana Ghalayini, Behind the Veil (2016) Digital C-print Printmaking

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I N T E R V I E W

ABOVE Tia Cavanagh, Oh Canada

EXCELLENCE CANADA: How would you define design creativity?

Dr. Sara Diamond: Design creativity merges sensory skills, knowledge of materials and processes, and the ability to work from cultural, social, and technological contexts.

There is a complexity to design creativity that’s important to acknowledge. Everything around us is designed. It’s something that we don’t think about a lot because it’s ubiquitous. It becomes something that’s almost invisible.

EC: Is there a difference between creativity in art and design?

SD: I think part of the core of design is that there is a usefulness. Design tends to want to address an imagined or actual group of users—people who will take advantage of that which is being designed. Whereas with art there isn’t necessary that notion of utility. Also, for many visual artists the idea is to produce unique objects. Design doesn’t necessarily aspire to that. In fact, it often aspires to the massification of objects, systems, and services.

But both fields are changing a lot and there is more and more overlap these days. Artists and designers will appropriate and borrow from each other and both are increasingly collaborative. Certainly at OCAD University I see a lot of crossover, especially with younger artists and designers. They like to work between both spaces depending on which audiences they want to address.

EC: Why is design important to Canada?

SD: What designers do so effectively is understand human needs and desires, and then discover the means to really deliver richly-imagined ways of addressing or meeting those needs. Canada has tremendous technological innovation capacity in a number of areas. In fact, the federal government just announced a super-cluster strategy in areas like biotech, digital technologies, and artificial intelligence.

But the applications of these technologies need to be intentionally designed for and with people in order to be truly meaningful and adopted in a global context. So, on a purely competitive global positioning level, we need to bring design thinking and actual design into the process of next generation technologies.

Design is also important in terms of social and economic innovation. We need to understand future trends and possibilities and then design solutions that empower different kinds of communities, address diversity, and are really enabling.

We are in a period of tremendous change and disintermediation and disruptions from the ubiquitous digital revolution (including Artificial Intelligence and robotics) and other technologies (such as nano and bio materials). Design is a means to not be overwhelmed, but rather empowered to manage and address these disruptions. Design is really, really important as a means

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CANADA BY DESIGN - AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. SARA DIAMOND

ABOVE Martin Luu, KODEN

of rethinking both traditional and emerging sectors of the Canadian economy in order to make them more competitive and able to address cultural diversity and new kinds of markets. Numerous studies have shown that companies that embrace and integrate design at every stage of their process —from ideation right to product design, manufacturing, and marketing - have a much faster time to market.

EC: What are some examples of Canadian design excellence?

SD: Umbra is a Canadian company that’s been able to bring great aesthetics to large groups of consumers at affordable prices. And not only in Canada—they’ve got a huge global reach.

Canadians have also been phenomenally successful in the advertising industry. Taxi, for example, is one of Canada’s most successful and award-winning advertising agencies.

I think Canadian architecture continues to hit it out of the ball park. Phyllis Lambert, who founded the Canadian Centre for Architecture, was an architect herself, and was incredibly significant in recognizing Canadian architectural design aesthetics.

Our Canadian illustrators and graphic designers are global players. Barry Blitt, Gracia Lam, Gary Taxali, Anita Kunz, Bruce Mau—these are all people who have had really significant impacts.

We have also been very strong in the digital space. Two Canadian companies, Softimage, founded out of Montreal, and Alias, which came out of University of Toronto, created some of the most responsive 3D software systems in the

world and have been at the forefront of animation software, and the first wave of virtual reality.

There are numerous great Canadian fashion designers including Greta Constantine, David Dixon, Pink Tartan, Adrian Wu, Erdem Moralioglu; and the list goes on and on.

I also think of Canadian industrial designer Karim Rashid, who has over 3000 designs in production. He is just a brilliant designer. He’s worked for everyone from Samsung to Citibank to Hugo Boss. He’s designed hotels and restaurants.

And he’s a public intellectual, which is a quality of many Canadian designers; we are thinkers as well as makers.

And then there’s an area that I am very involved with personally, which is infographics and data visualization. Canada has unprecedented national capacity in this area. It’s what is needed to make findings from data analytics meaningful and available to people, whether members of the public, analysts, doctors, politicians—in any domain.

Canada is also a world leader in what’s called inclusive design, which is the ability to use technology to include people with disabilities and aging populations and support them effectively.

Canada is now moving assertively into applying design to healthcare and wellness. Eve Medical is run by a former student of ours. Jessica Ching graduated from industrial design and worked at companies like Umbra and Herman Miller. She’s developed this phenomenal technology which encourages women to undertake screening for diseases in a way that’s elegant and very personalized. I’m really excited about this trend in Canada because it speaks to how design plays a role in all elements of the innovation economy.

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Make work better.

You don’t have to accept the status quo of disengagement at work.

Positive work culture leads to engaged employees who contribute more creative ideas, performance and results. Be part of the solution. Gain the resources you need to create a thriving workplace

.magazine .events .resources

at yourworkplace.ca. You have the power. Make work better.

T H E H O C K E Y H A L L O F FA M E IS HOME TO ALL MAJOR NHL T R O P H I E S , T H E G R E AT E S T C O L L E C T I O N O F S I LV E R W A R E IN THE WORLD OF SPORTS, I N C LU D I N G T H E M OST FA M O U S AND COVETED OF THEM ALL, T H E S TA N L E Y C U P.

HOCKEY HALL OF FAME THE BEST OF OUR GAME

BY KEV IN SHE A

H

ockey was unquestionably born and raised in Canada, but our country has generously and wholeheartedly shared its cherished sport around the globe.

Adapted from various stick and ball games brought to Canada by our earliest settlers, hockey quickly evolved and discovered a passionate following that initially found its foundation in the east, and then steadily moved westward.

The first acknowledged hockey game - with formal rules and media coverage - took place in Montreal in 1875.

In 1883 Montreal also hosted the first Canadian hockey tournament, when they added the sport to their annual Montreal Winter Carnival. In 1889, the Governor General of Canada, Lord Stanley of Preston, attended the Carnival and viewed his first hockey game; a game totally unfamiliar to the British-born vice-regal. But Lord Stanley enjoyed this strange, new game, as did his children, who took the game back to Rideau Hall in Ottawa. There, daughter Isobel formed the first women’s hockey team while her brother Arthur created the Rideau Rebels, a team that helped spread and popularize the game in markets like Toronto, Kingston and Lindsay by visiting and challenging other Ontario cities.

Lord Stanley’s son Arthur was also pivotal in the formation of the Ontario Hockey Association, which was launched in 1890 and eventually evolved into the Ontario Hockey League we know today. And, of course, the Stanley family had one other important contribution to the game. In 1892 the Stanley children convinced their father to donate a trophy for the Canadian hockey championship. He did, and the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup - always known as the Stanley Cup - was born; a trophy celebrating its 125th anniversary this year.

Two Montreal boys, Frank and Lester Patrick, further accelerated the game’s growth across the Dominion when they took the game to British Columbia. They financed the building of artificial ice arenas in Vancouver and Victoria, and soon created the Pacific Coast Hockey Association - a league that rivalled and competed with the National Hockey Association and later with the National Hockey League - both based in eastern Canada at the time - for the Stanley Cup. Since those heady, early years, hockey has grown exponentially, fuelling the dreams of boys and girls around the world who share the hopeful vision of one day competing for and winning the Stanley Cup, just like their hockey heroes before them.

The game of hockey, invented in Canada and now played in every corner of the globe, is celebrated through the passionate efforts and extraordinary collection of the Hockey Hall of Fame, which will be commemorating ‘75/25’ in 2018.

Next year it will be 75 years since the Hockey Hall of Fame was first established, and 25 years since the doors opened at its current location at the corner of Yonge and Front Streets in Toronto.

The Hockey Hall of Fame preserves and presents the artifacts and photographs that capture the passion and the history of this great game, including the very same, iconic Stanley Cup that Lord Stanley gifted to the world. The original Stanley Cup is very fragile, and is permanently displayed in Lord Stanley’s Vault within the Great Hall. The Presentation Cup, the very same one presented to the championship NHL team each spring, is also on display in the Great Hall.

To date, 271 players have earned Honoured Member status in the Hockey Hall of Fame and of these, 234 were born in Canada. Legends such as Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux all call Canada their home and native land. Howe grew up in Floral, Saskatchewan and would go on to lead the NHL in scoring six times. Orr learned the game on the frozen lakes of Parry Sound, Ontario and is to this day the only defenceman to lead the NHL in scoring – which he did twice. From Brantford, Ontario, Wayne Gretzky was a star from an early age. He scored 378 goals in his final year in Pee Wee and would rewrite the NHL record book with 894 goals, 1,963 assists and 2,857 points. A native of Montreal, Quebec, Lemieux burst onto the NHL scene.

He scored his first goal with his first shot on his first shift of his first game and would spend his entire career with the Pittsburgh Penguins, leading the club to back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 1991 and 1992.

The Hockey Hall of Fame has grown to 65,000 square feet, and continues to be an extraordinary showcase for both Canadian and international hockey, including treasured artifacts, multi-media exhibits, interactive games, an extraordinary showcase of hockey’s Honoured Members and yes, of course, the Stanley Cup. In September 2009, the Hockey Hall of Fame opened the D.K. (Doc) Seaman Hockey Resource Centre. This 18,000-square-foot facility located in Toronto’s west end is home to the Hall of Fame’s vast artifact and photography collections, and is the most comprehensive archive and research facility in the world dedicated to collecting and preserving materials related to the history of hockey.

So while the Hockey Hall of Fame is proudly located in Canada - the birthplace of hockey - it is honoured to be able to share its treasures and passion for the game with fans around the world.

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BY CHRIS GIL MORE

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT 1 IN 5 CANADIANS DEVELOP A MENTAL ILLNESS AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIVES. MENTAL ILLNESS AFFECTS PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, EDUCATIONAL AND INCOME LEVELS, AND CULTURES.

‘He’ emphasizes the hidden nature of mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression, and illustrates how both large and small cultural stressors can exacerbate them. It is an eloquent reminder that although Canada has made significant strides in the area of mental health and mental illness, there is still a substantial amount of work to be done.

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He could really use some help. is still living at home even though he’s twenty-seven—twenty-eight if you count time in the womb. made $483 last year. is two inches taller than he’d like to be. has no strong feelings, one way or the other, about the word moist. is two inches smaller than he’d like to be. does not enjoy camping. has a very asymmetrical face. knows someone out West who’s “doing great.” can’t decide if The Godfather: Part II is better than Part I. hates Facebook. gets his shoulders waxed every five or six weeks. refuses to eat kale. reads Sartre on the subway and Tolstoy on the toilet. spends roughly 9.8 hours a week on Facebook. is proud of his triceps. needs a new shrink. wants to learn Italian. wants to be Italian. is sick and tired of Match.com. regrets every one of his tattoos—especially the dolphin. wants to try LSD. doesn’t know when to use whom instead of who. has not (yet) been able to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. spends roughly 2.3 hours a week on Tinder. misses his ex (from college). wants to believe in God. wants God to believe in him. thinks everyone born between 1985 and 1987 is overrated. didn’t take his meds today. prefers Brahms to Bach. prefers Bach to Beethoven. wants to be remembered for something great and forgotten for something greater.

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HE

eats a lot of Kraft Dinner. can’t think of a good alternative to capitalism. worries about the shape (and location) of his hairline. doesn’t know how to properly use a semi-colon. spends roughly 4.2 hours a week on OKCupid. refuses to buy Apple products. still hasn’t read The Brothers Karamazov—or, for that matter, Crime and Punishment. started keeping a journal three weeks ago. stopped keeping a journal two weeks ago. wants to be everywhere he isn’t. spends roughly 0.4 hours a week on exercise. has two close friends. has 247 Facebook friends. likes Rubber Soul more than Revolver but will never admit it. says he doesn’t care about money. says he doesn’t care what people think. is planning to move out as soon as possible. has an unusual amount of nipple hair. misses his ex (from high school). has been meaning to watch The Sopranos. spends roughly 0.2 hours a week thinking about death. wants to adopt a dog. wants to adopt a person. wants to build a cabin in the woods. wonders why his left armpit always smells worse than his right armpit. hasn’t felt rested in years. misses his ex (from grad school). worries that democracy is dead. worries about how much he worries. is almost 30. could really use some help.

Chris Gilmore is the author of Nobodies. His writing has appeared in McSweeney’s, The New Quarterly, Matrix, Hobart, and The Puritan. He has a Master’s in English Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Toronto.

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CANADA’S

WORKPLACE MONTH 150 ACTIVITIES

Canada’s Healthy Workplace Month® managed by Excellence Canada is a year-round resource that encourages employers to promote healthy workplace practices throughout the year, and celebrate success every October.

Join the movement

Tra c k Yo u r Pro gre ss

Manage Messages

Be a Social B u t te r f l y

HE ALT HYWORK P L A CEMONT H .CA

Presented by

Ma n a g e d by

CHANGE AND EXCELLENCE: TWO SIDES OF A DISTINCTLY CANADIAN COIN

BY GLEN N L AVE RT Y

I

t’s no secret that change is indeed a constant – and one that has always been magnified in the business world. But what is the relationship, if any, between change and excellence? And is the way we react to change an instinctive quality?

I’d like to propose that perhaps it is, and that change itself is an essential ingredient in excellence.

Today, we’re seeing significant disruption across virtually every industry in Canada – driven largely by rapid advances in digital technologies. And as the forces of change pressure traditional business models, some will collapse, while others will reshape themselves and discover new paths to success. In some cases, change will represent a force that simply cannot be met, and it will mean the end of a practice or business type.

But in the vast majority of circumstances change represents a decision point. You can throw up your hands in defeat, or look objectively at the new order and find the opportunities within it.

Assuming your reaction is the latter, then perhaps your future success, and the excellence that comes with it, has something to do with, well, backbone. Let me explain.

I’m speaking about personality traits, about drivers that determine our reaction to the forces of change. And in this particular context, I’m speaking at a national scale: the personality traits of a nation. It’s my simple position that as a country, Canada has a tradition of meeting challenges head on, and reacting in ways that are driven by a long-standing history of ingenuity, perseverance, and an innate understanding of the power of collaboration.

Canada’s early introduction to the world of business was entirely resourced based. It meant extracting value directly from the land, which belies a series of hardships, unknowns, and dangers that required a level of excellence from a very specific kind of individual. Failure in those days likely had harsh repercussions. Today you might lose an investment, or give up market-share. Back then failure could very well mean ruin and, quite possibly, death. “Making it” in early Canada (in essence, demonstrating excellence), would

have required some very unique characteristics, such as a single-minded resilience, a keen awareness of your environment, and a willingness to work with others to achieve a common goal.

It’s those qualities – qualities that helped carve out our nation – that I believe have been handed down from generation to generation. We’ve seen ingenuity, courage and collaboration time and again held up as Canadian traits.

Think of the courage required of those confronted with Vimy Ridge, or the technical challenges facing the team developing the Canadarm; our history is littered with examples.

Canadians have been at the forefront of excellence of one kind or another for as long as there’s been a Canada. And in every challenge faced, in every change-agent placed in their way, Canadians have dug deep and reacted with a blend of resilience and courage, and the willingness to build teams to solve seemingly insurmountable problems. It would appear to me that the way people react to change is, at least in part, drawn from some element of their heritage.

This year, we’re celebrating the 150th anniversary of Confederation, and we’ll be doing it in a business environment that is being heavily disrupted by technology. The world we face today is filled with uncertainty. Business models are being challenged. Infrastructures are being up-ended. Change is rampant. Some will see this as a terrifying threat, and others will relish what they perceive as opportunity.

For Canadians, and Canadian business as a whole, our history – and our character – ensures we will meet change as a force for building excellence – an opportunity to do what Canadians have been doing for hundreds of years: we’ll stand tall, dig in for the fight if need be, and build communities and teams that will ensure our collective success.

On behalf of my own organization, Ricoh Canada Inc., I’d like to congratulate everyone who chooses to see change as a world of opportunity – and one that we can thrive in, thanks to our time-honoured, and distinctly Canadian approach to change.

Glenn Laverty is the President and CEO of Ricoh Canada Inc., and the Senior Vice President of Ricoh America Marketing

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THE SLEEP COUNTRY STORY: IT BEGAN WITH A CLEAR VISION BUT THEN SOMETHING ELSE TOOK OVER Christine Magee & Stephen Gunn of Sleep Country Canada are the 2017 Co-Recipients of the Special Recognition of Achievement Award.

BY CHRIST INE MAGE E

W

hen Steve and I started Sleep Country Canada in 1994, we had a very clear vision for the company: To build a profitable and sustainable company that offered every customer an exceptional mattress buying experience and earn their trust so they would recommend us to their family and friends. Our approach was simple and focused on three key strategies: 1. Provide an exceptional in-store experience driven by friendly and knowledgeable sales associates and a product and service offering designed to address every comfort, every need and every budget 2. Provide an exceptional home delivery experience complete with set up that would respect the customer’s time (by providing a 3-hour delivery window) and also their home (the now-famous “booties”) 3. Create dominant top of mind awareness through high frequency radio advertising

Our continued focus on these three key strategies has enabled Sleep Country to expand from our initial 4 stores in Vancouver to 240 locations across the country, with stores in nearly every province. We have proudly become the #1 Mattress Retailer in Canada.

While the business is a true success story in terms of growth, market share, customer satisfaction scores and profitability, it’s the culture of the company and our professional, capable, passionate team of associates that I am most proud of, and who are truly responsible for Sleep Country’s success.

You might be asking yourself, “Really, passionate employees are the reason behind Sleep Country’s success? Is it that easy?” Yes, it is the reason, but no, it is not easy. Passion is an intense emotion; it is a strong feeling you have about something. It’s not an idea or strategy, but rather an enabler - it fuels and sustains a vision. A vision helps galvanize your team to a common purpose by articulating key points of

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differentiation in order to succeed in a highly competitive environment and ever-changing landscape, but passion is what helps attract the right people to make it happen.

We are very focused on providing an exceptional customer experience, and our ability to deliver on that promise is what makes us successful. From the onset we knew we needed to hire, train and retain passionate associates while developing a culture which would allow our team to thrive and drive that vision of unparalleled customer service.

Here’s a few examples of just how we do that: •

We hire for fit and train for ability. Attitude is everything! Our approach to our sales force is unique in that we have created a “Best Hire” system and predictive model that assesses potential employees on their cultural fit within the organization. We built the model by profiling the personality traits of our best Sales Associates. And our best Sales Associates are those with continual positive customer comments! We also only hire full time Sales Associates because at Sleep Country this is a career.

Committed to continued and ongoing training, our Sales Associates spend at least three weeks in training prior to selling on the floor, plus participate in ongoing workshops, which is atypical in the furniture and mattress industry. In Operations, each new delivery team member is paired with an experienced driver who embodies the brand to ensure that we continue to exceed our customers’ expectations.

This training approach and devotion to customer service ensures the customer experience at Sleep Country is consistent from coast to coast and thus the foundation of our status as a most-trusted brand.

•

When your employees are satisfied, they provide amazing customer service. We have fun together, we thank our employees often and show them in meaningful ways that they are the foundation of our success! Our management team attends every holiday party across the country. We celebrate successes with our teams and encourage them when times are tough.

•

Sleep Country truly believes in giving back to the communities we serve, and our employees participate in this on many levels. They feel good about working for a company that cares about those less fortunate and is doing our part to protect the environment.

Our employees all receive a paid day off for charity work and they also help run many of our charitable programs - such as our Bed Donation program where those in need can come to one of our Distribution Centres across the country and can pick up a previously owned bed.

•

Our culture is “tight-loose.” Every employee understands and is aligned to our business objectives and knows how they contribute in their role. That’s the “tight” part. But the “loose” part is that they have the autonomy to do their job. They don’t need to check.

We trust our employees and support them to do what’s right for the customer every time. And yes, we make mistakes, but we’re quick to make it right, learn from it and move on!

ABOVE Sleep Country is the largest mattress retailer in Canada with over 240 locations across Canada. Store pictured above is in Moncton, New Brunswick.

•

We have a strong belief that a good idea can come from anywhere! We are always listening and encouraging our employees to share their ideas for the company. It’s our company and we all have to work on it together for it to be successful. We have provided many tools for employees to share and provide ideas, but the most impactful for encouraging discussion is our open-door culture. Our employees feel safe in sharing their ideas without any judgement. Managers’ doors are open and conversation is encouraged. It’s almost comical how many meetings are pleasantly interrupted by employees popping in to mention an idea, provide an update on an initiative, etc. Our management team visits our stores regularly so we can support, train and provide feedback to our team and hear first-hand about what’s happening in each part of the country. Our culture of openness, sharing, listening and understanding has led to many gamechanging ideas that have propelled the company forward.

Passion is a powerful emotion that can help you achieve your objectives. And our passionate employees are the magic behind our continued success. As such, Steve and I are truly honoured to accept this prestigious award from Excellence Canada on behalf of our 1,349+ employees!

CHRISTINE MAGEE is Co-Chair of Sleep Country. She cofounded Sleep Country in 1994 and served as its President until November 2014. Ms. Magee was employed as the Commercial Accounts Manager of Continental Bank from 1982 to 1985 and as a Senior Manager of Corporate and Commercial Lending with National Bank from 1985 to 1994.

She serves on the Board of Directors of Trillium Health Partners, Metro Inc. and Woodbine Entertainment Group.

She is a member of the Advisory Board of Adrenalys, the Talent Fund Advisory Committee, the Mentoring Council of the Province of Ontario Innovation Fund and the Advisory Board of the Ivey School of Business. Ms. Magee was appointed as a member of the Order of Canada in 2015 in recognition of her significant contributions to the Canadian business community. She holds an Honours Business Administration degree from the University of Western Ontario.

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Our Home and Indigenous Land: New Research Identifies Gaps in Corporate Canada Engagement

BY IN DIGE NOUS WOR KS

O

ver the past 19 years, Indigenous Works has built human resource strategies and inclusive workplaces, including the Inclusion Continuum — a 7-stage roadmap to becoming an employer and partner of choice for Indigenous people.

As a non-profit organization and the first national Indigenous organization to be ISO certified; Indigenous Works helps leading Canadian companies, Indigenous economic development corporations, and Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy (ASETS) with their Indigenous partnership development.

Since 1998, Indigenous Works has propelled thousands of tradespeople, job seekers, and career candidates through our Guiding Circles career development program and recruitment fairs into careers with inclusive companies across the country. Our social enterprise model is committed to return on inclusion, integrity, and investment — which has allowed our Indigenous Inclusion strategies to grow into international markets.

Indigenous Works recently began working with companies and organizations across the country to conduct the largest ever national research study on Indigenous partnerships. The research defines the current levels of engagement and partnership building in Canada. “Building Successful Indigenous Partnerships will identify the opportunities in new Indigenous and non-Indigenous economic collaborations for employment, business and community investments,” says Indigenous Works CEO Kelly Lendsay. Indigenous Works is acting on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 92 with the creation of this new baseline data.

The early findings of the research project to date show very little engagement and partnership between corporate Canada and Indigenous communities. Indigenous Works believes that better data and strategy will lead to more partnerships.

The Building Successful Indigenous Partnerships research project will review industries and sectors that traditionally have been less engaged with Indigenous partnership — such as transportation, retail and manufacturing. The study will also look at current competencies, effective engagements, and collaborations within industries to establish organizational indicators for success. This new study, made possible with funding from Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, will identify the opportunities in new Indigenous and non-Indigenous economic collaborations for employment, business and community investments.

“We need to know who the catalysts are and where the opportunity is, so the connections can be made to broker new opportunities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous companies and organizations, especially in sectors of the economy where there has been little developed to date. We need to break down these barriers,” says Indigenous Works Co-chair Pat Baxter.

Indigenous Works hired R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd., a national research and evaluation firm to conduct the study.

A national advisory committee was also formed to allow Indigenous, industry, and government representatives to add their expertise to the project. The advisory committee is co-chaired by Brent Bergeron, Executive Vice President Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Goldcorp Inc. They have been reviewing the data and making strategic recommendations around how to respond to the findings from corporate Canada, from Indigenous Economic Development Corporations, from government, and from Indigenous Works itself.

“Our output will be learning models and tools that can be used to form partnerships through the tremendous insight from Indigenous Economic Development Corporations, Aboriginal Employment & Training Centres, corporate Canada, and government,” says Indigenous Works Co-Chair Stephen Lindley.

The scheduled public release date for the Building Successful Indigenous Partnerships Report is June 21, 2017.

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DID YOU

Excerpted from Ingenious: How Canadian Innovators Made the World Smarter, Smaller, Kinder, Safer, Healthier, Wealthier, and Happier. See page 10 for full credits.

KNOW?

FIGURE Shows how the businesses scored using the partnership matrix.

This research will serve many purposes, ultimately guiding and informing on public policy, business and Indigenous strategies, and opportunities in new sectors. Indigenous Works co-chair Pat Baxter says, “In sectors of the economy where there has been little developed to date, we need to work harder to break down these barriers.”

D E V E L O P M E N TA L S T E P S I N P A R T N E R S H I P F O R M AT I O N As part of the Building Successful Indigenous Partnerships research study, Indigenous Works has developed a partnership framework for corporate Canada, ASETS, government, and the Indigenous community, that will support heightened partnerships. This partnership framework has been developed into several stages. The new partnership model is immersed in cultural understandings that can inform the strategies and practices needed to successfully develop partnerships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous companies and organizations. The new partnership framework considers both Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspectives, Indigenous history, outlook, culture, and corporate culture and can help to reduce risks commonly associated with failed partnerships.

Stage 1–Partnerless Stage 2–Strategy Assessment and Visioning Stage 3–Partnership Readiness Stage 4–Partnership Search and Prospect Identification Stage 5–Engagement Stage 6–Relationship Building Stage 7–High-functioning, Authentic and Long-term Partnerships

If you want to put the model into practice with your company or economic development corporation, call us or look for information on our upcoming events, workshops, and our new educational video on Building Successful Partnerships at indigenousworks.ca. An overview of advisory services and products is also available on our website.

Canada’s 150th anniversary is a reason to unite around the values and principles that make Canada what it is.

Inclusion is one of the values which Canadians embrace.

Yet we see in our research there is still work to be done to build partnership between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canada. We encourage corporate Canada to reach out to Indigenous people, businesses, and communities, what better way to build prosperity for future generations!

KAYAK The high-speed hunter.

The kayak is the hunter’s boat in name; it means exactly that in Inuktitut, the language of its creators.

The kayak is also the hunter’s boat in design; it is fast and manoeuvrable, used by Inuit hunters with equal effectiveness on rivers, inland lakes, and coastal waters. The kayak is old. Inuit hunters have relied on them for at least four thousand years. The classic vessel is constructed entirely out of natural materials, made of stitched sealskin or the skins of other animals stretched over a frame made of wood or whalebone.

The cockpit is covered with a jacket of skin that creates a waterproof seal and secures the paddler if the kayak capsizes in rough waters. Each kayak is unique to its owner. While the concept of the kayak may be uniform—a small, narrow boat with a cockpit in which a hunter sits and that is propelled by means of that man equipped with a double-bladed paddle—each kayak is fitted to the dimensions of the person who propels it. Traditionally made by males, each kayak was three times as long as its builder’s arms stretched out, as wide at the cockpit as his hips plus two fists, and as deep as his fist plus an outstretched thumb. Today, the kayak is used far and wide by women and men for many purposes. Kayaks are made to race in whitewater, surf big waves, navigate sea swells,and just glide along.

The high-speed hunter has also been used by British commandos and U.S. Navy Seals in covert operations, often dropped by parachute into operation with its paddlers.

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British Columbia Pension Corporation: Focused on culture, strategy and excellence

BY B RITIS H COLUMBIA PE NSI ON CORP ORAT I ON

G

etting to know the British Columbia Pension Corporation, based in Victoria, British Columbia, you may be in for a surprise.

The corporation provides professional pension services to five public sector pension plans: College, Municipal, Public Service, Teachers, and WorkSafeBC. In doing so, the BC Pension Corporation serves more than 550,000 members and over 1100 employers and pays out more than $300 million each month in pensions to 175,000 retired plan members. Important work to be sure – and made all the more impressive by the deep commitment to customer service that BC Pension Corporation staff provide to pension plan boards, plan members, and employers.

“I’m very proud of our team,” says BC Pension Corporation CEO Laura Nashman. “I am honoured to serve as the CEO for this community of people in the BC Pension Corporation. The staff here inspire me every day – this is a very special place.”

“WE PROVIDE CONSISTENT INFORMATION TO OUR CLIENTS TO RESPOND TO THEIR NEEDS. WE ARE CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR WAYS TO IMPROVE THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE TO EXCEED EXPECTATIONS. I HAVE NUMEROUS CLIENTS EVERY DAY THAT I ASSIST AND EACH INTERACTION IS SIGNIFICANT TO ME AS I TEND TO LOOK THROUGH THEIR EYES. THE DIRECT CONNECTION TO MEMBERS GIVES ME SO MUCH ENERGY. I LOVE THE SATISFACTION I GET FROM HELPING CLIENTS UNDERSTAND THEIR PENSION PLAN.” - COLLEEN MACKNAK CLIENT SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

BC Pension Corporation – as you might expect – performs in the present with precision, predictability, and stability to ensure pension plan members’ benefits are calculated and paid accurately and on time. But here’s the part you may not expect: through the first five years of a nine-year enterprise transformation strategy, BC Pension Corporation has earned a well-deserved reputation among its peers, as well as other professional-service organizations, as an exceptionally forward-thinking, innovative company.

“We have invested in the enabling processes, tools, and capabilities to truly drive enterprise transformation, so we are able to continue to meet stakeholder expectations of service and professionalism now and into the future,” says Nashman.

“At the same time, we recognize the value and significance of sustaining and supporting our extremely positive culture, our shared sense of community, and purpose that sets BC Pension Corporation apart.”

While this professionalism and strong organizational community are vital for professional service organizations to succeed, they are frequently not sufficient on their own, given clients’ and other stakeholders’ desire for more flexible, self-service channels, as well as evolving workplace expectations among staff.

That’s why, beginning in 2012, BC Pension Corporation embarked on its enterprise transformation to change not what they do, but everything about how they do it. The goal? To create an organization where its people can continue to thrive – enabled with the right tools and processes – and plan boards, members, and employers enjoy a modern and flexible service experience.

For this work, the BC Pension Corporation was recognized by Excellence Canada with Gold in the Excellence, Innovation and Wellness® standard in 2016.

A noteworthy accomplishment to be sure. But becoming – and remaining – a high-performing organization is not something BC Pension Corporation has left to chance.

Instead, the corporation has been highly deliberate in its approach to transformation to ensure it retains the tremendously positive aspects of the organization – its people and its culture – while at the same time ensuring it accurately identifies and effectively responds to environmental challenges.

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T H E C A S E F O R T R A N S F O R M AT I O N It’s true that many organizations today feel pushed to transform by environmental forces, many of which may not be well understood. This means the diagnosis and, more crucially, the prescription, identifies and then solves the wrong set of challenges. Further, organizations may embark on transformation without the necessary capabilities, and without a compelling case for change to rally stakeholders around a positive vision for the future.

In 2009, aware of these pervasive challenges, and encouraged and energized by a new CEO, BC Pension Corporation started asking provocative questions about how they worked and the tools and technology they used.

Supporting the organization were positive people and a positive culture. Staff were and continue to be clientfocused, supremely committed to serving pension plan members, and supportive of each other.

The corporation also asked important questions about what and who they wanted to become as the organization evolved and began to face new environmental forces including changing demographics, increasing service volumes, and greater complexity. In doing so, BC Pension Corporation was able to confidently chart its path and squarely lean into the dual challenge of performing in the present while transforming for the future. This work also helped shape a clear and compelling vision for the future that includes an even greater emphasis on employee enablement and development, a strong commitment to modern service delivery, and increased organizational agility.

“THE CORPORATION IS INNOVATIVE. NOT ONLY BY BRINGING IN TECHNOLOGY, BUT IN REALIZING THAT OUR CLIENTS’ NEEDS ARE CHANGING, AND TRANSFORMING TO MEET THEIR EXPECTATIONS. WE ARE WORKING TO REPOSITION THE ORGANIZATION TO MEET THE CHALLENGES WE’VE ANTICIPATED, NOT WAITING FOR THEM TO HIT US. THAT’S INNOVATION. HONESTLY, IT EXCITES ME EVERY TIME I THINK ABOUT IT.”

DID YOU

Excerpted from Ingenious: How Canadian Innovators Made the World Smarter, Smaller, Kinder, Safer, Healthier, Wealthier, and Happier. See page 10 for full credits.

KNOW?

ELECTRIC RADIO The freedom from batteries.

Today the name Rogers is synonymous with communication in Canada. While most associate the surname with the TV and mobile empire, the first man behind the name was a radio guy. And not just any radio guy. In 1925, Edward Rogers Sr. developed the first commercially viable all-electric radio in Toronto, Ontario. The tireless inventor also created an adaptor set that made it possible for owners of old sets to throw away their batteries and plug their radios into the nearest light socket. Radio batteries weren’t like today’s small, powerful varieties. Before young Ted’s all-electric set came along, radios were powered by bulky rechargeable batteries that stained rugs and floors with leaking acid. Their annoying background hum also marred reception and sound quality. The Rogers Experimental Tube 15S—a vacuum tube for radio—enhanced the sound quality of radio, made the fledgling medium a dependable one, and shaped the future of communications not just in Canada but around the world. And within only ten years, the leaky radio battery was nothing but an unpleasant memory.

- HAKEEM ISMAILA INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES Buoyed by its positive culture and vision for the future, BC Pension Corporation nonetheless knew that effective transformation also required fully mature internal business functions and capabilities, including leadership and governance; planning, process, and project management; a strong focus on the customer experience; people engagement; and excellence in how we work with our partners and suppliers. As such, the corporation matured other enabling capabilities such as program and project management, enterprise architecture, business process management, change management, user-experience testing, and information management.

More than five years into its nine-year plan, BC Pension Corporation has rightfully earned its reputation as a forward-thinking organization. It continues to deliver quality service, while building toward a future that supports continued high service levels and value within an environment where staff can continue to thrive.

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Our Journey toward Excellence

BY TRAC EY T YNE R CAVANAG H SO C IAL SE RVICE S DE PART ME NT OF D URHA M REG I ON

A

sense of belonging, connection and purpose among employees creates a powerful energy. A workplace that maintains this level of energy builds a community where people ‘just showing up’ to work doesn’t happen.

In the Social Services Department of Durham Region, we have created exactly such a workplace - a world-class organizational community where employees contribute and feel inspired by the belief that they are part of something bigger – because they are.

This didn’t happen overnight.

Our organization has almost 2,000 employees and consists of six divisions. We provide top quality programs and skilled services – including business and financial management, child care, family counselling, housing, income and employment support and long-term care and services for seniors – to some of the most vulnerable citizens in Durham Region. Our success in delivering these programs and services can be directly attributed to the level of dedication, skill and compassion of our employees.

WHERE OUR E XCE L L E NCE JOU RN EY BE GAN:

We began our partnership with Excellence Canada in 2004 and soon established our four departmental principles.

These principles – or pillars – were developed through consultations with our staff on what they deemed important in their workplace, and they have become the foundation of the work we do every day. Our programs and services – as well as the way we work together – are all based on these four principles: care, excellence, learning and leadership.

CARE: Our most important principle is care. We relate this principle to the work we do every day for our clients and their families throughout our six divisions. Staff members are passionate about their roles, and they prioritize care in the support and service they provide. Helping an individual receive income support after losing a job, connecting a young family with needed child care services, overseeing housing services to ensure adequate shelter to those in need, and responding to the individual needs of a senior in one of our long-term care homes – these are just some of the ways our team members demonstrate caring.

We also recognize that the principle of care goes beyond our service and program delivery and is also fundamental to the way in which we work together. By placing value on open communication, collaboration and well-being; we continue to strengthen our focus on community in the workplace. Excellence Canada’s new Excellence, Innovation & Wellness Standard will be instrumental in helping us expand our work on well-being and care in the workplace even further.

EXCELLENCE: With a focus on continual improvements that began over a decade ago, we are confident that excellence is at the forefront of everything we do. Ensuring best quality programs and services is a value we hold strongly in our department.

The training we have received from Excellence Canada has helped us implement process improvements with an inclusionary approach to staff input. We understand that it is our staff that best know where and how we can do things better. Finding ways for employees to share their ideas is all part of our excellence principle.

Our commitment to Excellence has also been recognized and reflected through: • • • • •

Family Services accreditation and ISO Registration Exemplary standings accreditation for four of our Long-term Care Homes Ongoing legislative compliance with high standards Bronze, Silver & Gold Canada Awards for Excellence Quality 2015 Order of Excellence

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DID YOU

Excerpted from Ingenious: How Canadian Innovators Made the World Smarter, Smaller, Kinder, Safer, Healthier, Wealthier, and Happier. See page 10 for full credits.

LEARNING: The principle of learning is a source of inspiration within our department. When people are inspired they are engaged and connected to their work. Whether it takes place at a workshop, through formal training, or by staff acting on opportunities to learn from one another, learning is a vital component of our culture of excellence.

Learning new approaches and new ways of doing business is a key part of our excellence framework. Staying well informed on government policy changes and municipal responsibilities, and building on these resources, is an important part of our ongoing business practice.

Learning for our staff also includes establishing partnerships with academia for needed research, and providing students with learning opportunities within our organization.

LEADERSHIP: Our Executive Team consists of six senior leaders and our management group includes 140 supervisors and managers across the department. These formal leadership positions are vital for overseeing operations, meeting strategic goals and maintaining legislative compliance. However, it is our belief that all employees are leaders. Servant Leadership is an understanding that formal leaders should be of service to their employees and that all employees are valuable to an organization. Wherever possible, our employees are encouraged to contribute to process planning to help improve our programs and services.

One way that our department has successfully put Servant Leadership into practice is through our Leadership Circle Program. This involves all levels of staff forming into groups that we call ‘circles’. A person’s job title is irrelevant within a ‘circle’ – we are all equal. These circles meet to discuss leadership theories and enhance communication skills; opening our hearts and minds to listening and learning from one another. The Leadership Circle Program has grown over the years and has become a great resource for our organization. It has enhanced our employees’ sense of belonging and purpose within our workplace and also improved their individual skill sets.

M OV I N G F O RWA R D The Social Services Department is excited to build on our level of excellence through meeting the new Excellence, Innovation & Wellness® Standard with Excellence Canada.

The EIW implementation will enrich our strong culture of excellence and innovation and ensure our continued delivery of quality programs and services within a workplace that is world class.

Thank you to all our staff and thank you Excellence Canada!

Celebrating 25 years in public service with The Regional Municipality of Durham, Tracey has been happy to work closely with Excellence Canada over the past few years. Tracey is currently Policy Advisor supporting the Commissioner of Social Services.

KNOW?

ODOMETER The details of distance.

Canadians, perhaps by necessity, have a fascination with distance, an understandable obsession in a land so vast with terrain so varied. No surprise, then, that a Canadian first developed the modern odometer. That Canadian is Samuel McKeen of Mabou, Nova Scotia. His device was made of a series of gear plates mounted on the frame of a horse-drawn carriage. The smallest plate in the series was engaged with a pinion on the hub of the carriage’s wheel. As the wheel rotated, this plate became engaged and, as the carriage travelled, gradually engaged the increasingly larger gear plates in turn. Each plate rotated in sequence, ticking off a carefully calibrated amount of distance as it moved.

An indicator hand encircled by a dial expressed the movements of the gear plates and therefore the distance travelled by the carriage. The innovation made it possible for the first time to assess how much farther a car could go with the fuel it had onboard. After that, there was no excuse for running out of gas. While today’s odometers may sport glowing digital displays, they are not much different than Samuel’s original built in Cape Breton in 1854. The carriages that transport us may have changed; how we gauge the details of distance has not.

INTERNET SEARCH ENGINE The archive without a v.

Before Yahoo! and Google there was Archie. The world’s first search engine, Archie was a project of students at Montreal’s McGill University School of Computer Science, built to connect them to the Internet. Alan Emtage wrote the earliest version of the search engine in 1990. His program compiled a list of File Transfer Protocol archives that were stored in local files. Bill Heelan and Peter Deutsch then wrote a script that enabled users to log in and search those files. Within two years, Archie contained some 2.6 million files that amounted to 150 gigabytes of data. While an impressive feat at the time, Archie—shortened by one letter from the word archive to fit within character limits—is now a museum piece. It rests in Poland, a legacy of the earliest years of the Internet.

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The Next step in WSIB’s health, safety and wellness Journey For more than 100 years, we have served the injured workers and employers of Ontario. Our mission is to promote a culture of health, safety, and wellness in all workplaces – including our own.

We first partnered with Excellence Canada in 2005, recognizing that having a healthy workplace culture is fundamental to our being the leading compensation board in managing physical and psychological health, safety, and wellness. In 2013, we achieved Level 4 Gold Certification in the Progressive Excellence Program – Excellence Canada’s highest level of certification for healthy workplaces.

Since then, we have continued to improve our health, safety, and wellness programs. Most recently, we turned our attention to becoming leaders in psychological health and safety. “Although we have many programs and initiatives to help cultivate a culture of wellness, there is still work to do to incorporate mental health more strongly into our overall plan,” says Rod Cook, Vice President, Human Resources. “We face the same issues that are common all across North America with respect to mental wellness in the workplace. We are now making specific choices to address these issues and be leaders in mental health.”

We reached a key milestone in our mental health journey in December 2016, with the launch of the WSIB’s first Mental Health in the Workplace Policy. We are now implementing a four-year mental health strategy, which involves: • • • •

Promoting mental wellness among our employees Cultivating a culture of mental wellness Mandating our entire management team to complete a leading mental health certification program Rolling out mental health training for all employees

The next step in our health, safety, and wellness journey is to obtain certification through Excellence Canada’s Mental Health at Work® Program, with Platinum Certification by 2020. This includes meeting the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace.

Our long-standing partnership with Excellence Canada demonstrates our commitment to fostering a healthy and safe workplace in which our staff can thrive.

A culture of wellness A commitment to excellence For more than 100 years, health, safety and wellness have been at the heart of everything we do. Thanks to our dedicated employees, we have built a workplace where everyone can thrive as we serve the people of Ontario.

To learn more, visit www.wsib.on.ca

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HALL OF EXCELLENCE A celebration of Canadian excellence would not be complete without acknowledging and honouring the world-class Canadian organizations whose dedication to the pursuit of excellence has earned them a permanent place in our Hall of Excellence.

Congratulations to all past recipients of the Canada Awards for Excellence! You are truly role models of Excellence!

T

he Canada Awards for Excellence is the nation’s preeminent recognition of organizational excellence.

The program, under the patronage of the Governor General of Canada, involves meeting and exceeding rigourous standards and requirements, demonstration of continuous improvement, measurement of progress, and verification by an external team of volunteers from Excellence Canada.

T H E A W A R D I S T H E S TA N D A R D O F E X C E L L E N C E . T H E S E AWA R DS A R E P R E S E N T E D A N N U A L LY. To receive the Award, an organization must demonstrate outstanding performance in the appropriate award category including Excellence, Innovation and Wellness®, Quality, Healthy Workplace® and Mental Health at Work®.

The recipients are role models of excellence in the areas of leadership, governance, strategy, planning, customer experience, employee engagement, innovation and wellness. The organizations come from the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, from coast to coast. Each has a unique story to tell of their excellence journey, but one thing that they all have in common is a focus on continuous improvement and the pursuit of excellence.

Years of planning, hard work and dedication go into achieving and sustaining the high levels of performance that merit these Awards. Please join with us as we celebrate these achievements.

Here’s to Canadian excellence and all Award recipients….Congratulations!

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excellence, innovation, and wellness ÂŽ It's our standard.

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At Excellence Canada we are using our evidence-based resources, tools and best practices to transform

workplace cultures across Canada. Our Excellence, Innovation and Wellness ÂŽ Standard helps organizations

become the best in class.

To learn more about how we can help you create a better work environment and make your organization stronger visit us at excellence.ca or call 1-800-263-9648 ext 211 for a complimentary consultation.

154 University Ave., Suite 402, Toronto, ON M5H 3Y9 | tf. 800.263.9648 | t. 416.251.7600 | f. 416.251.9131 | www.excellence.ca

1984 – 2016 CANADA AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE RECIPIENTS

Architecture, Information Management & Project Management Office, Central Agencies I&IT Cluster, Ministry of Government Services Gold, 2013; Platinum, 2015 ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc. Platinum, 2015 Baxter Corporation Silver, 2011 BC Wildfire Management Branch, Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Government of British Columbia Silver, 2014 British Columbia Pension Corporation Gold, 2016 Business and Service Management Branch, Central Agencies I&IT Cluster, Treasury Board Secretariat, Province of Ontario Gold, 2014

Property Valuation Services Corporation Gold, 2016 Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver Gold, 2016 Saint Elizabeth Order of Excellence, 2012, 2015 Sun Life Financial Gold, 2013; Platinum, 2015 The Canadian Real Estate Association Gold, 2016 The Office of the President, University of Waterloo Silver, 2016 Town of Okotoks Silver, 2014 Trillium Health Centre Order of Excellence, 2011 MENTAL HEALTH AT WORK ®

Canadian Forces Housing Agency, Department of National Defence Silver, 2014; Gold, 2016

ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc. Silver, 2015

Calian Gold, 2016

Bell Silver, 2013; Gold, 2014

Carleton University, Finance and Administration Division Silver, 2015

Central Health Bronze, 2013

Ceridian HCM Canada Silver, 2011; Platinum, 2013; Order of Excellence, 2016 Certified Management Accountants of Ontario (CMA Ontario) Silver, 2012 Children’s Aid Society of the Region of Peel Silver, 2011 College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia Order of Excellence, 2012 EthoSolar Inc. Gold, 2015

Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board Bronze, 2012 Manulife Silver, 2016 Mental Health Commission of Canada Silver, 2013; Gold, 2014 North York General Hospital Bronze, 2014 Saint Elizabeth Bronze, 2012 Toronto East General Hospital Silver, 2013; Platinum, 2015

Information Services Corporation Silver, 2011; Platinum, 2013

HEALTHY WORKPLACE ®

Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan Silver, 2011

American Express, Markham Ontario Gold, 2001

PowerStream Inc. Silver, 2012; Gold, 2014

ArcelorMittal Dofasco (formerly Dofasco Inc.) Gold, 2002, 2014

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SU N l i f e F I N A N C I A L i s exc e l l e n c e c a n a da ’ s ch a m p i o n o f exc e l l e n c e fo r E xc e l l e n c e , i n n ovat i o n a n d w e l l n e ss ®

EXCELLENCE, INNOVATION AND WELLNESS®

Ontario Ministry of Labour Silver, 2010; Gold, 2014

Workplace Safety North Silver 2016

Carleton University Gold, 2015

Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines & Forestry, Government of Ontario Silver, 2011

HEALTHY WORKPLACE ® FOR SMALL ORGANIZATIONS

Celestica International Inc. Certificate of Merit, 1999

Pfizer Canada Inc. Gold, 2009

College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia Gold, 2006

Pfizer Consumer Healthcare Gold, 2006

Calian Technologies Ltd., Business and Technology Services Division Silver, 2006; Gold, 2009

College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia Gold, 2009 DaimlerChrysler Canada and the Canadian Auto Workers Gold, 2004 Delta Hotels Gold, 2004 Groupe AFFI Logistique Silver 2016 Groupe Esprit de Corps Inc. Gold, 2010 Homewood Health Centre Gold, 2005 Horizon Utilities Corporation Silver, 2015 IAPA (Industrial Accident Prevention Association) Gold, 2008 Lassonde Industries Inc. and A. Lassonde Inc. Gold, 2012, 2016 Manulife Silver, 2016 MDS Nordion Gold, 1999

Region of Peel Gold, 2009 Research in Motion Silver, 2009 Rogers Communications Inc. Silver 2015 Saskatoon Health Region Bronze, 2012 Seaview Manor Corporation Gold, 2009; Order of Excellence, 2012 Services Financiers Gauvreau Ouimet et Associés inc.

Silver, 2012 Solareh Inc. Gold, 2012 Soprema Gold 2016 SSQ, Life Insurance Company Inc. Gold, 2012 Statistics Canada Gold, 2003; Order of Excellence, 2007 Telus – Corporate Health Services, British Columbia Gold, 1999 Toronto Police Service Silver, 2010

Ministry of Northern Development and Mines Gold, 2012

Upper Canada District School Board Silver, 2012; Platinum, 2015

New Brunswick Power (NB Power) Silver, 2008

Valacta Silver 2016

NCR Gold, 2002

Windsor Regional Hospital Silver, 2009; Gold, 2012

North York General Hospital Gold, 2013

Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Bronze, 2011; Gold, 2013

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Buffett & Company Worksite Wellness Ltd. Gold, 2005; Order of Excellence, 2008 Centre for Health & Safety Innovation Silver, 2009 M&M Meat Shops Ltd. (Head Office) Bronze, 2004 Public Health Agency of Canada, Ontario and Nunavut Agency Regional Office Bronze, 2011 The Centre for Organizational Excellence, HROntario, Ministry of Government Services, Government of Ontario Gold, 2012 QUALITY 3M Canada Company Gold, 2005 Acadian Seaplants Limited Silver 2014; Gold, 2016 Aeronautical and Technical Services – A Division of Natural Resources Canada Gold, 2000 Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development Agricultural Education & Training Branch Bronze, 2008 Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission - Edmonton Youth Residential & Detoxification Treatment Programs Bronze, 2008 Alberta Education - Learning Technologies Branch Bronze, 2006 Alberta Employment, Immigration & Industry and Alberta Seniors & Community Supports “Health Benefits Review Committee” Bronze, 2007 Alberta Gaming & Liquor Commission Technical Services Branch Silver, 2008 Alberta Health and Wellness – Client Services Branch Silver, 2006

1984 – 2016 CANADA AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE RECIPIENTS Alberta Municipal Affairs - Municipal Dispute Resolution Initiative Silver, 2008 Alberta Personnel Administration Office Building A Strong Public Service Silver, 2006 Alberta Seniors & Community Supports - Alberta Aids to Daily Living - Achieving Excellence Bronze, 2007 Alberta Seniors & Community Supports - Excellence in the Lives of Persons with Developmental Disabilities Silver, 2008 Alberta Seniors & Community Supports Graduated Supports Occupational Health & Safety Program Bronze, 2008 Alberta Seniors & Community Supports Office of the Public Guardian Silver, 2007

BC Tel Education Gold, 1997

CMA Canada Silver, 2009; Gold, 2011

Boa-Franc G. P. Gold, 2013

College of Physicians & Surgeons of NS Gold, 2003; Order of Excellence, 2007

Bridgestone Canada Inc. – Joliette Plant Silver, 2011

College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia Gold, 2007

British Columbia Transplant Society Gold, 2000

Conceptromec Inc. Bronze, 2016

Brock Telecom Gold, 1997

Dana Canada Inc., Structural Solutions Division – Automotive Systems Group, Virgil, Ontario Gold, 2001

CAE, St. Laurent, Quebec Certificate of Merit, 2002 Calian Technologies Ltd., Business and Technology Services Division Silver, 2004; Gold, 2006 Canada-Ontario Business Service Centre Silver, 2007 Canada Post, Saskatoon Operations Gold, 2002

Alberta Seniors & Community Supports Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) - Central Region Community Board Silver, 2007

Canadian Council of Health Services Accreditation Certificate of Merit, 1995

Alberta Solicitor General & Public Security’s The Bridges Treatment Program Bronze, 2007

Capital Projects Division (CPD), Alberta Infrastructure, Government of Alberta Silver, 2011

Alberta Sustainable Resource Development Hinton Training Centre Bronze, 2006

Cardiac Care Network of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario Gold, 2001

Alcan Cable, Usine Lapointe Gold, 1995

Cargill Value Added Meats - Canada Gold, 2011; Order of Excellence, 2014

Algorithme Pharma – An Altasciences Company Bronze, 2015

CCR Refinery, A Glencore Company Silver, 2013

Amex Canada Inc. Gold, 1998

Centre spécialisé de technologie physique du Québec inc. (CSTPQ) Silver, 2011

ASRC Energy Services - Tri Ocean Engineering Ltd. Bronze, 2007; Gold, 2009

Chrysler Canada Ltd., Windsor Minivan Assembly Plant Gold, 1991

Atlantic Lottery Silver, 2012

City of Dawson Creek Silver, 2009

Baxter Corporation, Alliston Plant Gold, 1996

City of Kamloops Silver, 2006; Gold, 2008

Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care Certificate of Merit, 1995

City of Prince George Silver, 2007; Gold, 2009

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Dana Corporation, Spicer Driveshaft Division Gold, 2001 & 2002 Delta Hotels, Head Office, Toronto Gold, 2000; Order of Excellence, 2007 Distech Controls Inc. Gold, 2016 Diversicare Canada Management Services Co., Inc. Gold, 2001; Order of Excellence, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015 Dominion Directory Information Systems Gold, 1997 Envision Financial Certificate of Merit, 2003 Exeter High School Certificate of Merit, 1996 Facilities and Transportation Services Department of the North York Board of Education Certificate of Merit, 1995 Flemington Public School Gold, 1998 Ford Electronics Manufacturing Corporation, Markham Plant Gold, 1993 Fordia Gold, 2013 Forest and Range Evaluation Program (FREP), Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Ministry of Environment Silver, 2008; Gold, 2011

I t's you r f u t u re

Be Happy and healthy At Excellence Canada we are using our evidence-based resources, tools and best practices to help make a positive impact in workplaces across Canada. Our Healthy Workplace ÂŽ Standard provides a roadmap to a happier and healthier workplace.

To learn more about how we can help you create or enhance a healthy workplace strategy visit us at

excellence.ca/healthyworkplaces or call 1-800-263-9648 ext 211 for a complimentary consultation.

154 University Ave., Suite 402, Toronto, ON M5H 3Y9 | tf. 800.263.9648 | t. 416.251.7600 | f. 416.251.9131 | www.excellence.ca

1984 – 2016 CANADA AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE RECIPIENTS INO (National Optics Institute) Gold 2015

Formation Construction Engineering Maritime Forces Atlantic Silver, 2004; Gold, 2006

John Deere Limited Gold, 1998

GE Aviation – Bromont Gold, 2011

Joyce Public School Gold, 1995

General Motors of Canada Limited, Windsor Trim Plant Gold, 1992

Joyce Public School, North York Board of Education Certificate of Merit, 1995

Glen Park Public School Certificate of Merit, 1997

KI Pembroke Gold, 1996

Gleneagles Elementary School, West Vancouver Certificate of Merit, 2001

Laboratoire de sciences judiciaires et de médecine légale Bronze, 2013

Grenoble Public School Certificate of Merit, 1996

Lafontaine Inc. Bronze, 2016

Group AFFI Logistique Bronze, 2015

Lawrence Heights Middle School Toronto District School Board Certificate of Merit, 2000

Harris Farinon Canada Gold, 1996 Hill & Knowlton Canada Silver, 2006; Gold, 2008; Order of Excellence, 2011, 2014

Les Conseillers Trigone Inc. Silver, 2012 Linamar Machine Limited Gold, 1991

Honeywell (FRAM) Consumer Products Group Certificate of Merit, 2001

Manulife Financial – Individual Wealth Management Operations (InvestmentsOperations) Silver, 2008; Gold, 2009; Order of Excellence, 2012

Honeywell Ltd., Hydronics Business Unit Certificate of Merit, 1998

Marathon Realty company Ltd. Certificate of Merit, 1996

Honeywell Water Controls Business Unit, Toronto Gold, 2000

Markham Stouffville Hospital Gold, 1995

Homewood Health Centre Gold, 2002; Order of Excellence, 2006

Humber Summit Middle School Certificate of Merit, 1996

Modernization Division, HROntario, Ministry of Government Services, Government of Ontario Silver, 2010

IAPA (Industrial Accident Prevention Association) Bronze, 2006; Gold, 2008

Mullen Trucking LP Gold, 2002; Order of Excellence, 2010

IBM Canada, Customer Service Gold, 1996

Neill & Gunter Limited (A division of Stantec) Certificate of Merit, 1999

IBM Canada Ltd, Toronto Manufacturing Plant Gold, 1993

Northern Telecom Canada Limited, Digital Switching & Customer Service Divisions Gold, 1990

IBM Solution Delivery Services, Markham, Ontario Gold, 2001

Novik Inc. Bronze 2015

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H E I DARY H E A LT H i s exc e l l e n c e c a n a da ’ s ch a m p i o n o f exc e l l e n c e fo r H E A LT H Y WO RK P L AC E ®

QUALITY(Con’t...)

1984 – 2016 CANADA AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE RECIPIENTS NuComm International Gold, 2005

Saskatchewan Trade & Exports Partnership Silver, 2006

Office of the Ombudsman at Canada Post Gold, 2010

SBI Stove Builder International Inc. Bronze, 2013

Office of the Public Guardian Alberta Seniors and Community Supports, Government of Alberta Silver, 2011

SKF Canada Certificate of Merit, 2000

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry – Ontario Parks Silver, 2006; Gold, 2009; Order of Excellence, 2012, 2015

Social Services Department, Regional Municipality of Durham Silver, 2009; Gold, 2002; Order of Excellence, 2015 Société de transport de Laval Silver, 2016

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources – Southern Region Silver, 2008; Gold, 2011

Strategic Human Resources Services Branch, Ministry of Finance, Province of Ontario Silver, 2012

Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry Silver, 2007; Gold 2009; Order of Excellence, 2012

Telus Gold, 2005

Ontario Service Safety Alliance Silver, 2007 Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital Gold, 1997 OTIP RAEO Silver, 2009 Polywheels Manufacturing Certificate of Merit, 1996 ; Gold, 2004 Pulp and Paper Health and Safety Association Silver, 2007; Gold, 2009

Telus Mobility Inc. Gold, 1998 Telus – Operator Services, B.C. Gold, 1999 Texas Instruments Canada Limited, Materials and Controls Group Gold, 1992 The Law Society of Upper Canada – Client Service Centre Silver, 2012; Gold, 2015 The Trillium Foundation Certificate of Merit, 1996

QUALITY & HEALTHY WORKPLACE ® American Express Order of Excellence, 2008 Bank of Canada – Currency function Silver, 2010 Capital Projects Division, Alberta Infrastructure Silver, 2013 Ceridian Canada - LifeWorks Bronze, 2009 College of Physicians & Surgeons of Nova Scotia Order of Excellence, 2010 Corporation of the City of Markham Silver, 2010; Gold, 2015 Homewood Health Centre Order of Excellence, 2010 Peel Regional Police Silver, 2013; Gold, 2014 Saint Elizabeth Health Care Bronze, 2008; Gold, 2010 Toronto East General Hospital Silver, 2006; Gold, 2008; Order of Excellence, 2010, 2014 Trillium Health Centre Silver, 2007; Gold, 2008 CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR SMALL BUSINESS

Toronto Transit Commission, Information Technology Services Department Silver, 2006; Gold, 2007; Order of Excellence, 2016

Histovet Surgical Pathology Gold, 2007; Gold, 2010; Order of Excellence, 2013

Trade Electric Supply Ltd. (now Gerrie Electric) Certificate of Merit, 1998

Print Audit Bronze, 2004; Gold, 2005 & 2008

Region of Peel Silver, 2004; Gold, 2006; Order of Excellence, 2009

Valacta, Dairy Production Centre of Expertise Bronze, 2013

Strus & Associates Inc. Silver, 2004

Résidence Wales Home Bronze, 2016

Windsor Regional Hospital Bronze, 2010; Gold, 2012

Venngo Inc. Gold, 2005

Revenue Operations & Client Services Branch, Corporate & Quality Service Division, Ontario Ministry of Finance Bronze, 2009

Xerox Canada Ltd. Gold, 1989

Vubiz Ltd. Gold, 2005

Xerox North American TeleWeb Gold, 2005

EDUCATION

Purolator Courier Ltd. Bronze, 2005 Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver Silver, 2005; Gold, 2007; Order of Excellence, 2010 & 2013

Henry Hudson Sr. Public School Silver, 2004

Ricoh Canada Inc. Silver, 2006; Gold, 2007; Order of Excellence, 2013

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Orono Public School, Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board Silver, 2012; Gold, 2014 R.H. King Academy Silver, 2004; Gold, 2005; Order of Excellence, 2008 St. Luke Catholic Elementary School Silver, 2005 Vincent Massey Public School Silver, 2005; Gold, 2006; Order of Excellence, 2008 PROJECT Architecture, Information Management & Project Management Office, Central Agencies I&IT Cluster, Ministry of Government Services Certificate of Merit, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 Certified Management Accountants of Ontario (CMA Ontario) Certificate of Merit, 2012

Saint Elizabeth Certificate of Merit, 2012 COMMUNITY BUILDING Community Quality Improvement (CQI) Silver, 2007 ENGINEERING DESIGN CAE Machinery Ltd. Gold, 1985 ENTREPRENEURSHIP Capsule Technology International Ltd. Gold, 1986 Cullen Country Barns Gold, 1987 Glegg Water Conditioning, Inc. Certificate of Merit, 1995 Groupe Pro plus Inc. Gold, 1994

Government of Alberta: A Risk Management Approach to Groundwater Protection at Confined Feeding Operations in Alberta Natural Resources Conservation Board Certificate of Merit, 2011 Carseland-Bow River Main Canal and McGregor Dam Rehabilitation Project, Alberta Transportation Certificate of Merit, 2010 e-FMT Redesign of Freehold Mineral Tax, Alberta Energy Certificate of Merit, 2010 GoA Enterprise ICT Service Coordination Initiative: Desktop and Worksite Support Project – Bundle 3 Service Alberta Certificate of Merit, 2011 Housing Starts Here: Year One of Implementing the Provincial 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness Alberta Housing and Urban Affairs Certificate of Merit, 2011 Programs and Services Website Redesign Project, Service Alberta Certificate of Merit, 2010 Rhodiola Rosea Commercialization, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development Certificate of Merit, 2010

International Aqua Foods Ltd. Gold, 1996 International Paper Industries Ltd. Certificate of Merit, 1996 Le Groupe Jean Coutu (PJC) Inc. Gold, 1993 Les Produits Verriers Novatech Inc. Gold, 1991 L.H. Frost Limited Gold, 1984 Linda Lundstrôm Ltd. Gold, 1991 MPB Technologies Inc. Gold, 1990 PAR-PAK Ltd. Gold, 1993 Philip Environmental Inc. Certificate of Merit, 1996 Pintendre Auto Inc. Gold, 1992 Process Technologies Limited Gold, 1985 Repap Enterprises Inc. Gold, 1989

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Skyjack Inc. Gold, 1995

Karo Design Resource Gold, 1989

Connaught Laboratories Limited Gold, 1989

Quebecor Inc. Gold, 1988

KNA Industrial Designers Gold, 1991

Enermodal Engineering Limited Gold, 1991

The Career Academy Certificate of Merit, 1995; Gold, 1997

La compagnie Résentel Ltée. Et Michel Dallaire Designers Inc. Gold, 1986

E.Q.U.I.P. International Inc. Certificate of Merit, 1997

Vêtements Louis Garneau Inc. Gold, 1994 Yves Veggie Cuisine Gold, 1992 ENVIRONMENT Chemfree Environment Inc. Gold, 1992 Eco-Tec Inc. Gold, 1991 Edmonds Landscape & Construction Services Gold, 1991 Engine Control Systems Ltd. Gold, 1990 Goodfellow Consultants Gold, 1992 Le Groupe Serrener Inc. Gold, 1993 INDUSTRIAL DESIGN Actar Airforce Inc. Gold, 1991 Altero Technologies Gold, 1989 Black & Decker Canada Gold, 1991 Bombardier Inc., Division des produits Marins Gold, 1990 CML Technologies Inc. Gold, 1993 Digital Equipment of Canada, Enterprise Integration Centre Gold, 1992 Gibson Product Design Inc. Gold, 1992 & 1993 Irwin Toy Ltd. Gold, 1988

Lee Valley Tools Ltd. Gold, 1993 NovAtel Communications Ltd. Gold, 1987 Novation Design Ltd. Gold, 1988 Ontario Bus and Gidman Design Gold, 1985 Precision Manufacturing Inc. Gold, 1994 Studio Innova Inc. Gold, 1991 Veritas Tools Ltd. Gold, 1993 Verstile Farm Equipment Co. Gold,1984

George Kelk Limited Gold, 1992 Hoplab Inc. Gold, 1993 NBS Technology Certificate of Merit, 1996 ISG Technologies Inc. Gold, 1992 Le Groupe Vidéotron Ltée Gold, 1991 Optech Incorporated Gold, 1994 Pratt & Whitney Canada Gold, 1986 Quartz Imaging Corporation Gold, 1997

INNOVATION

Research In Motion Limited Gold, 1997

Alias Research Inc. Gold, 1990

Sapling Corporation Gold, 1996

Augat Photon Systems Inc. Gold, 1995

SCIEX, a division of MDS Health Group Gold, 1993

Biothermica International Inc. Gold, 1994

Sierra Wireless Inc. Certificate of Merit, 1997

Bombardier Inc., Industrial Division Certificate of Merit, 1995

Sutherland-Schultz Limited Gold, 1991

CAE Electronics Ltd. Certificate of Merit, 1995

Virtual Prototypes Inc. Gold, 1988

CAE Machinery Ltd. Gold, 1996

Visual Edge Software Ltd. Gold, 1993

Clay Mill Technical Systems Inc. Gold, 1987

INVENTION

Com Dev Limited Gold, 1984 Cominco Ltd., Electronics Material Division Gold, 1985

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Alcan International Ltd. Gold, 1988 Alcan International Ltd., Kingston R&D Centre Gold, 1993

1984 – 2016 CANADA AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE RECIPIENTS Alcan International Ltée., Centre de recherche et de développement Gold, 1991 Beta Research Laboratories Gold, 1992 Canada Wire and Cable Ltd. Gold, 1991 Canadian Fine Color Company Limited Gold, 1992 Cangene Corporation Gold, 1990 C-I-L Inc., Forest Product Division Gold, 1985 IAF BioChem International Inc. Gold, 1989 Instrumar Limited Gold, 1994 MacMillan Bloedel Ltd. Gold, 1984

3258 Gold, 1989

W.C. Wood Company Ltd. Gold, 1991

Triple E Canada Ltd. and The Employees Association Gold, 1988

Westar Timber Ltd. Gold, 1984

MARKETING Beam of Canada Inc. Gold, 1987 Canadian Fracmaster Ltd. Gold, 1993 Classy Formal Wear Inc. Gold, 1991 Connaught Laboratories Limited Gold, 1992 Fishery Products International Ltd. Gold, 1988 Fountain Tire Ltd. Gold, 1992

Moll Energy Ltd. Gold, 1986

Franke Kindred Industries, Division of Emco Ltd. Gold, 1994

Norvik Technologies Inc. Gold, 1991

Grenico Inc. Gold, 1992

Polysar Limited Gold, 1987

Island Paper Mills Ltd. Gold, 1986

LABOUR/MANAGEMENT

JPL International Inc. Gold, 1990

Edwards General Signal Ltd. and USA Local 7466 Gold, 1986 Firestone Textiles Co. and United Textile Workers Gold, 1985 Lakeland Mills and IWA Local 1-424 Gold, 1984 Lamford Forest Products Ltd. And IWA Locals 1-118 and 357 Gold, 1987 Prévost Car Inc. et le Syndicat des travailleurs(euse) de l’automobile de l’aérospatiale et de l’outillage agricole du Canada, locale 1044 Gold, 1990 STELFIL, une unite commerciale de Stelco Et les Métallurgises unis d’Amérique Locale

Lee Valley Tools Ltd. Gold, 1994 Le Groupe Jean Coutu (PJC) Inc. Gold, 1993 M3i Systems Inc. Gold, 1993 Mobile Data International Inc. Gold, 1985 Oak Bay Marine Group Gold, 1989 Pursult Fisheries Ltd., a division of Clearwater Fine Foods Inc. Gold, 1991 Vêtements Louis Garneau Inc. Gold, 1994

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PRODUCTIVITY Du Pont Canada Inc. Gold, 1988 Fishery Products International Ltd. Gold, 1987 Garrett Canada Gold, 1985 Henderson Barwick Inc. Gold, 1989 IBM Canada Ltd. Gold, 1984 IBM Canada Ltd. (Technology Manufacturing Plant) Gold, 1990 London Life Insurance Company Gold, 1986 SMALL BUSINESS A.G. Professional Haircare Products Ltd. Gold, 1994 Atlantic Fish Specialties Ltd. Gold, 1991 Diagnostic Chemicals Limited Gold, 1992 Freda’s Originals Inc. Gold, 1991 Innovator Manufacturing Inc. Gold, 1993 Intercorp Foods Ltd. Gold, 1988 ITA Inverse Theory & Applications Inc. Gold, 1990 Lotek Engineering Inc. Gold, 1994 Medionics International Inc. Gold, 1987 Merak Projects Ltd. Gold, 1994

O ne i n five peo ple i n Canada exp eri ences a men tal h ealth p rob lem or i llness. M an y o f t he most at- risk i ndi vi dual s are i n t hei r early wo rki ng years. 1 1

Ment a l H ea lt h Co mmis s io n o f Ca n a d a

Your employees’ mental health is critically important—it has a direct impact on your organization's productivity and bottom line. That’s why Excellence Canada offers the Mental Health at Work ® Framework—an integrated step-bystep approach to continual improvement towards achieving a psychologically healthy and safe workplace.

By implementing our program, you can expect to: lower costs associated with disability, absenteeism, and presenteeism; increase productivity; and create a culture focused on the well-being and resilience of your employees.

Invest in your employees' mental health today, it's the right thing to do! Download the requirements at excellence.ca/MentalHealthatWork

154 University Ave., Suite 402, Toronto, ON M5H 3Y9 | tf. 800.263.9648 | t. 416.251.7600 | f. 416.251.9131 | www.excellence.ca

1984 – 2016 CANADA AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE RECIPIENTS

Nidak Associates Inc. Gold, 1992 Orchid Automation Group Inc. Gold, 1993 Yves Veggie Cuisine Gold, 1992 Zeph Technologies Gold, 1989 TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER Export Packers Co. and Gelda Scientific & Industrial Development Corporation Gold, 1986 Lumonics Inc. and NRC Gold, 1985 SCIEX Inc. and NRC, Physics Division Gold, 1984

A B O U T T H E CA N A DA AWA R DS F O R E X C E L L E N C E To be recognized by your peers for your commitment to organizational excellence is a worthy celebration. By awarding those organizations most committed to economic progress, both for themselves and for the Canadian market as a whole, we all take a more prominent position and gain greater influence on the world stage.

Since 1984, the Canada Awards for Excellence have been presented to private and public sector organizations of all sizes that have proven they are world class. This award is based on the Canada Awards for Excellence Standards and Requirements, which are used by numerous organizations as a management model for continual improvement and to achieve better operational results. This prestigious award is tangible evidence of an organization’s level of excellence.

The Patron of the Canada Awards for Excellence program is His Excellency, the Right Honourable David Johnston, C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D., Governor General of Canada.

EXCELLENCE, INNOVATION AND WELLNESS® AWARD The Champion of Excellence for the Excellence, Innovation and Wellness® category is Sun Life Financial. This award is based on Excellence Canada’s Excellence, Innovation and Wellness® Standard and was developed by Excellence Canada in association with partners and professionals from across Canada.

MENTAL HEALTH AT WORK® AWARD The Champion of Excellence for the Mental Health at Work® category is Manulife. This award is based on Excellence Canada’s - Mental Health at Work® framework. The Mental Health at Work® framework was developed by Excellence Canada in association with mental health and work safety professionals from across Canada, and the requirements incorporate principles and practices as outlined in the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace.

HEALTHY WORKPLACE® AWARD The Champion of Excellence for the Healthy Workplace® category is Heidary Health. This award is based on Excellence Canada’s Canadian Healthy Workplace® Standard developed in partnership with Health Canada and in association with professionals from the health and wellness sectors.

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M a n u l i f e i s E xc e l l e n c e C a n a da ’ s ch a m p i o n o f e x c e l l e n c e f o r m e n ta l H e a l t h at w o r k ®

Minerva Technologies Inc. Gold, 1991