Capital Magazine Fall 2017

Capital ADVOCACY. DIALOGUE. CONNECTIONS.

SOIF BAR À VIN’S VÉRONIQUE RIVEST ON INNOVATIVE DESIGN p. 45

THE CREATIVE ECONOMY ISSUE

LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE

The NCC: Committed to Making a Dream Come True

Plus

LEBRETON FLATS The transformation begins

LIGHTS. ACTION. CAPITAL. The NCR plays a leading role

VISIT OUR WEBSITE! CAPITALMAG.CA

PM 43136012

Dr. Mark Kristmanson (left) CEO, National Capital Commission Marc Seaman (right) Chairman of the Board, National Capital Commission

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE OF FALL/WINTER 2017/2018

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CONTENTS

FALL/WINTER 2017/2018

Capital 30

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34

COVE R : KEV IN BEL ANGER

FEATURES

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30

34

38

The NCC: Committed to making a dream come true

The Revitalization of LeBreton Flats A powerful expression of city building and national identity

Canada’s National Arts Centre. View the past, see the future It is a renovation in three acts, one in which the National Arts Centre plays the leading role

Ottawa’s ready for its close-up Not just an animation centre any more, the capital is open for film business

BY AL J E K AMMI NG A

C A PITA L EDITOR I A L

BY A L L I S ON W H ALE N

BY A L J E K A M M I N G A

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CONTENTS

Capital

FALL/WINTER 2017/2018

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DEPARTMENTS

13 Capital Context Workspace design that works: Creating sustainable spaces employees love

BY J OS EPH MAT HI EU

17 CEO Talk Creating better places to live, work and play: Three Ottawa executives talk innovation

IN EVERY ISSUE

45

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Starting Up in Ottawa Startups with Style: Soif, Riviera and Tavern on the Hill: three very different hot-spots

The OCC Perspective

22 Building the Capital

Édifier la capitale Crowdsourcing Canadian aspirations for a capital plan / Externalisation ouverte des aspirations canadiennes pour un Plan de la capitale BY/ PA R MA RK KRISTMA NSO N, P H .D.

10 From the Publisher

BY J E FF BUCKSTE I N

54 On the Cover

The Last Word How to Get Things Done, the Sandberg Way

Capital ADVOCACY. DIALOGUE. CONNECTIONS.

BY CORY G A L BR A I TH

SOIF BAR À VIN’S VERONIQUE RIVEST ON INNOVATIVE DESIGN p. 45

p.45

THE CREATIVE ECONOMY ISSUE

BY J EF F B UCKST EI N

p.26

LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE

The NCC: Committed to Making a Dream Come True

Plus

LEBRETON FLATS The transformation begins

LIGHTS. ACTION. CAPITAL. The NCR plays a leading role

VISIT OUR WEBSITE! CAPITALMAG.CA

p.30 p.38

P M 43136012

Dr. Mark Kristmanson (left) CEO, National Capital Commission Marc Seaman (right) Chairman of the Board, National Capital Commission

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE OF FALL/WINTER 2017/2018

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THE OCC PERSPECTIVE

City Building Must Take Centre Stage As a community we must ensure we get it right and on time

2017 has been a banner year for Ottawa. Our capital city turned 150.

The Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, founded as the Ottawa Board of Trade in 1857, turned 160, and we were thrilled to be honoured by Mayor Jim Watson and the City of Ottawa— declaring June 10, 2017 as Ottawa Chamber of Commerce Day. Ottawa has been in the minds of Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

Ian Faris, President and CEO Ottawa Chamber of Commerce MAR K HO LLERON

In a matter of weeks, when we close the curtains on Ottawa 2017 celebrations, we’ll be able to take stock of our city and the communities and institutions that make it so great. We have transformed from a

strategically located lumber town to a modern capital city led by a vibrant public sector, busy transforming itself into a digital government; a technology sector that is leading growth indicators and creating a demand for skilled talent; and a tourism sector that continues to outpace its competitors with new attractions and infrastructure builds—all in a sustainable, smart way.

It’s not only careful infrastructure planning that matters, but equally important is to implement it right and on time. To this extent the Ottawa Chamber is working to ensure that our local business community can speak with one voice when advocating to City Hall, Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill.

We have engaged with the Orleans Chamber of Commerce, the West Ottawa Board of Trade, as well as the Ontario and Canadian chambers to ensure we’re presenting a modern, coordinated message that our businesses are vibrant, forward thinking and ready to create jobs and wealth in Ottawa.

Businesses are looking to our elected officials to work with us in creating the types of city building projects that will make us not only the envy of cities in Ontario or Canada, but around the world.

This edition of Capital illustrates that commitment and direction, and the steps that we and others in our community are taking to support it.

As Ottawa’s independent voice for business, we pledge to continue to work with our members and economic development stakeholders to build a community that continues to thrive and prosper.

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

Capital Creativity is a Better Idea Imagine what we can accomplish THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION’S CREATIVE ECONOMY

operates today across a wide cross section of business.

We’re proud to celebrate fresh perspectives, insights and outstanding achievement from those who are making a difference and leading the way in their unique creative enterprises within the pages of Capital magazine.

According to John Howkins, author of The Creative Economy: How People Make Money from Ideas, the creative economy brings together ideas about creative industries, the cultural industries, creative cities, clusters and the creative class.

Ideas, after all, remain the central driver for creative outcomes. Working closely with the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, we’ve set out in this edition to go behind the brands of some well known organizations and discover what leadership is doing to drive their business forward. And how creativity is a component foundational to their success.

We are witness today to a new and exciting narrative that is driving innovation, design and creativity within the National Capital Region. gordongroup is pleased to be contributing to the creative economy as we celebrate 30 years of operations. Much has evolved over three decades yet delivering on creative objectives daily has been a privilege for me. That includes working with our internal teams and the great clients who trust us to properly deliver on their communication and brand building.

We take pride working collectively with the many fantastic advertisers and contributors on this, the creative economy, edition. I hope you will share feedback on any aspect of what you discover here in the pages of Capital.

The magazine about doing business in Ottawa, created by the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce in partnership with gordongroup.

OTTAWA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 328 Somerset St W, Ottawa, ON K2P 0J9 Phone: 613-236-3631 www.ottawachamber.ca President & CEO Ian Faris Director of Communications Kenny Leon PUBLISHER gordongroup 334 Churchill Ave. N, Ottawa, ON K1Z 5B9 Phone: 613-234-8468 info@gordongroup.com Executive Editor Terry McMillan Contributors Jeff Buckstein Matthew Curtis Cory Galbraith Alje Kamminga

Joseph Mathieu Ruth Seeley Allison Whalen

Copy Editor Ruth Seeley Translator Sylvie Trudeau Creative Director Leslie Miles Art Director Kelly Read-Lyon SALES For advertising rates and information, please contact: Director of Advertising Sales Stephan Pigeon Phone: 613-234-8468 / 250 spigeon@gordongroup.com

DISTRIBUTION AND MEMBERSHIP Director of Membership Services, Ottawa Chamber of Commerce Alexandra Walsh Phone: 613-236-3631 / 127 alexandra.walsh@ottawachamber.ca www.capitalmag.ca

Robert Chitty, President gordongroup ISSN 2371-333X. All rights reserved. Any reproduction of the contents without prior written authorization from the publisher is strictly prohibited. PM 43136012.

Capital is published three times a year: winter, spring/summer, and fall.

MAR K HO LLERON

Printed in Canada.

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CAPITAL CONTEXT

ALLAN WILLE (left) President & CEO, Co-Founder, Klipfolio PETER MATTHEWS (right) CXO, Co-Founder, Klipfolio

Workspace Design that Works Creating sustainable spaces employees love

BY J OS E P H M ATH I E U

KE VIN BEL ANGER

OTTAWA’S DATA ANALYTICS

trailblazer Klipfolio, a firm that’s grown almost 300 percent in the last three years, is about to move into its bold new offices at the World Exchange Plaza.

Keeping the creative needs of its workforce top of mind, the interior was designed specifically for its teams to solve problems and innovate new ways to work every day. For almost a decade, Klipfolio has been at 176 Gloucester Street, where they currently lease the entire second floor, two separate offices on the third, and another on the fourth.

“I’m proud of the growth we’ve experienced at our current office,” says Klipfolio’s President and

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CEO Allan Wille, “but we’re ready for something new.”

Their new space, designed by Linebox Studio, was made to foster creativity. It will include many collaborative meeting rooms, several private phone rooms, a larger kitchen (where impromptu conversation can still lead to innovative ideas), and more screen walls displaying Klipfolio’s own dashboard product tracking their business. With 30-foot ceilings, mezzanine catwalks, and showers for cyclists and joggers, the new headquarters will cater to Klipfolio’s employees and recruits.

“There’s a business case for it,” says Andrew Reeves, owner and senior architect of Linebox.

“Sometimes it’s misinterpreted as money just being thrown around.

But finding talent and bringing them is part of the strategy. We spend more time in the office than we do at home, so why not make it comfortable and enjoyable?”

Reeves and his team of interior designers, architects, and code consultants get to know the building in question—every light fixture, table, and acoustic panel— while they also get to know the client’s history and values. They make sure the custom design becomes “their space, and not anyone else’s,” says Reeves. The former Landmark 7 Cinemas at the World Exchange Plaza will soon be Klipfolio 2.0, with its open concept

reflecting a horizontal hierarchy and a pledge to be good corporate citizens. Getting all of the employees on the same floor will be the cherry on top of a new space that reflects Klipfolio’s humble culture, love of collaboration, and loveyour-workspace ethic.

Ottawa renovators and builders agree that good design is inherently green, and the concepts are intertwined as far as OakWood Designers & Builders is concerned. For more than 60 years, OakWood has brought to life sustainable and smart designs for residential and commercial clients across the region.

In 2016, the company launched its innovative, LEED

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of their work from right inside their state-ofthe-art HQ, where they can share how green design motivates them every day.

Joseph Mathieu is​a​ freelance writer, editor and translator who covers arts, dining, commerce and science. He tweets @JRMwords.

RENDERING BY JELLE DE ROECK

“Making an investment in these types of technologies and systems enables an owner to differentiate their building and offer a more attractive, healthier workspace that will be very appealing to top talent,” says President and CEO John Liptak.

OakWood’s imaginative display of a smart building is a prime example of how the walls around a company can nurture a company’s culture. Its employees can convey the worth

LUM OS CLEAN E NERGY ADVISOR S

Platinum-certified Design Centre in Orleans which features electricity from solar panels, top-of-the-line insulation technology, and a dozen geothermal wells for heating and cooling. Commercial clients see a playground of products in action and can examine innovative technologies in a real-life environment to design their own green buildings. They can also see how an office’s design helps a company differentiate itself from others.

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CAPITAL CONTEXT

Canada-Ontario

City Building and the Creative Economy

BY RU T H S EEL EY

Ottawa has experienced many transformations from lumber town to capital. Over the next three decades, a series of projects will lead to yet another metamorphosis in the way we navigate, work, and play in our city.

Major redevelopment projects yet to come include LeBreton Flats, the former CFB Rockcliffe, and the Oblate lands on Main Street. These follow recently and nearly completed projects, including the transformation of Lansdowne Park, the newly renovated National Arts Centre, the close to $20-million redesign of the Ottawa Art Gallery (to be completed in fall of 2017), and the renovation of the Canada Science and Technology Museum (reopening mid-November 2017) to focus on the present and future with fewer artifact cases and more interactive exhibits such as a car-building station where kids can experiment with automotive design. The Ottawa Hospital redevelopment and the redesign of Nepean Point are two others.

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Four times larger than its existing space, the Ottawa Art Gallery will now be able to partner with other galleries to bring more— and better—programming. One of the first will be a solo exhibit of New York designer Karim Rashid, who studied industrial design at Carleton and whose work ranges from clothing design to chairs to manhole covers and, more recently, resort redesign.

The almost completed redesign of the National Arts Centre “opens” the building with walls of glass, 78,000 additional square feet of space including more washrooms, public areas for relaxing and rental spaces for performances and meetings correct the forbidding, bunker-like presentation of the original architecture.

When the Confederation Line opens in 2018, 70 percent of Ottawa residents will live within five kilometres of LRT stations, which serve as magnets for intensification. With hundreds of city buses no longer clogging Slater and Albert streets, the downtown core will become more pedestrian-oriented, and building landmark owners are already talking to the city about major reinvestments to capitalize on foot traffic emerging from LRT stations.

How does this drive the economy? In myriad ways. There are the short-term economic benefits of new and renovation design and construction. But the long-term benefits of good architecture and good design are less well known. Better views from hospital rooms reduce post-surgical complications. Better designed schools increase academic performance: one study indicates a correlation between more natural light and significant increases in academic performance.

As we transition from a resource- and manufacturing-based economy to a creative one, we can expect the transformations to continue.

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CEO TALK

MICHAEL WATERS Chief Executive Officer The Minto Group

ALAN WEHBE President UTG Digital Media

JEFF WESTEINDE Managing partner, Zibi, and partner in Windmill Developments

Creating Better Places to Live, Work and Play Three Ottawa executives talk innovation

BY J E FF BUCKSTE I N

KE VIN BEL ANGER

A VIBRANT AND THRIVING ECONOMY in the National

Capital Region depends on corporate innovation and creativity in design.

“There’s a huge vein of creativity that runs through our team, whether it’s folks who work on the planning side in terms of laying out new communities, or designing new properties, and even interior design and finishes,” says Michael Waters, chief executive officer of The Minto Group, one of Canada’s best known real estate companies, with headquarters in Ottawa since 1955.

“All of those things are essential elements of creativity. It’s a huge part of our corporate

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DNA,” adds Waters, whose firm employs about 1,200 in Canada and in the U.S. states of Florida and South Carolina. About 300 employees are in Ottawa.

Innovation is one of Minto’s four cultural values, along with accomplishment, partnership, and courage.

“Our corporate mission is to create better places to live, work and play,” says Waters. That necessitates constantly looking at processes and product with a fresh set of eyes, including looking for better ways to do things that have been done in the past, he explains.

For example, in 2015 Minto introduced Net Zero Energy

Ready homes, which are designed to produce as much electricity to put into the grid as they will pull out of the grid.

“We’re trying to push the envelope on sustainable design, in concert with government authorities,” says Waters. “We believe that our role in building smarter cities is to get them to a place where the average consumer can afford it,” he notes.

UTG Digital Media produces innovative indoor and outdoor digital displays, touch screens and LED signage. The company’s digital display line of products operates with no wires, hookups, or media players— just a power plug to operate, and

screen content can be remotely controlled online from anywhere in the world using the firm’s software.

“Our digital displays are an all-in-one plug-and-play system and you’re all set,” says Alan Wehbe, the president and founder of UTG, a 13-year-old business that employs 10 people in Ottawa, along with over 200 in a Hong Kong assembly plant.

“We just installed screens for the Canadian Museum of Nature which will definitely improve the customer’s experience,” says Wehbe, referencing the museum’s installation of UTG Digital Stand-up Displays to replace standard printed posters, as well

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CEO TALK

DEPARTMENT SLUG TK

IT’S AWARDS TIME! Be Recognized as an Employer of Excellence

Do you…

Employ skilled immigrants?

Encourage diversity in the workplace?

Promote an inclusive work culture?

KE VIN BEL ANGER

TOON DREESSEN President and Architect Dreessen Cardinal Architects Inc.

as the MPoweredbyUTG Mobile Charging Station, which provides visitors a secure location to charge their cell phones.

The company won the 2017 International Digital Signage Award in the Technical Innovation: Viewing Innovation category for its work on the LED staircase in the Jewel Nightclub at Las Vegas’ Aria Resort & Casino. Its screens are designed to operate in climates ranging from minus 50 degrees Celsius to plus 70 degrees Celsius for clients ranging from the Nunavut Court of Justice in Iqaluit all the way to the Middle East.

UTG is also in the vanguard of developing future generations of digital signage. For example, notes Wehbe, UTG is currently working with a large U.S. manufacturer to create advanced smart homes.

“We’re proud we’re bringing Ottawa’s name to the world,” says Wehbe. “But it’s also very important for us to show people in Ottawa there is a company in their city that is innovative, advanced and owns its own international digital award winning technology,” he stresses.

Toon Dreessen, president of Dreessen Cardinal Architects Inc., understands the need for local businesses to be creative

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Nominate your organization for the 2018 Employer of Excellence Awards

and innovative. His job is to design the buildings and office space they need to do that.

“I don’t have to understand exactly what my client or tenant’s business is. But I have to understand enough about how they work and what’s important to them. My goal is to create a space where someone can do their job effortlessly [and] creatively,” explains Dreessen, who has been in practice since 2005.

Dreessen, whose partnership with Evelyne Cardinal employs 14 people, is a keen observer of whether space is being utilized efficiently. If three percent to five percent of the space can be saved in each room, then a business might be able to reduce their overall use in a building by 15 percent to 20 percent, resulting in less energy usage and a smaller carbon footprint, he says.

And that is important, because “when a business wants us to frame or position their sense of core values, one of those is around energy consumption.

The choices we make in a building today have lasting impacts,” Dreessen stresses.

Jeff Buckstein is a Kanata-based freelance business writer.

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BUILDING THE CAPITAL ÉDIFIER LA CAPITALE

Crowdsourcing Canadian Aspirations for a Capital Plan Recueillir les aspirations canadiennes pour dresser un plan de la capitale BY/ PA R M A R K K R I STM A N S ON, P H .D.

Le sesquicentenaire du Canada a fourni à la Commission de la capitale nationale (CCN) une rare occasion d’attirer l’attention des Canadiens sur la capitale de leur pays et son avenir.

NCC / CCN

Canada’s sesquicentennial has presented the National Capital Commission (NCC) with a rare opportunity to focus Canadians’ attention on their nation’s capital and its future.

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FIFTY YEARS AGO, the NCC’s

NCC / CCN

Director of the Information and Historical Division, Peter H. Aykroyd (yes, the father of Dan), left to join the 1967 Centennial Commission with a series of ideas and axioms that have withstood the test of time. “Provide continuity and restatement, reminding people of the past that shapes the present,” he wrote. “Reassure the people of the value and worth of shared history by recognizing achievement and growth.”

With more than 537 kms of territory and 1,700 properties in Ottawa and Gatineau, which include much-loved national symbols and heritage landscapes, the NCC is well positioned to remind people about how the past shapes the present, and moreover—and againthis is Peter’s advice—“to seek out and accentuate unifying elements.”

One way to do this has been demonstrated by the Plan for Canada’s Capital, 2017–2067, for which the NCC collected the aspirations of Canadians to offer a vision for Canada’s capital that will be a beacon for decision makers and citizens in the coming decades.

Unlike the singular vision of a master urban planner, à la Jacques Gréber, this “people’s plan” reflects the views of tens of thousands of Canadians from coast to coast to coast. They helped elaborate its three clear themes, and they suggested 17 milestone projects for the capital in the coming decades.

In its role as the long-term planner of the capital, the NCC champions a “design thinking” approach in order to learn from the best urban, environmental and inclusive design from

around the world.

Through the federal land use, design and transaction approval process, and more informally in the NCC’s Urbanism Lab, we seek to imbue design excellence in urban design and planning. These high standards are a key part of the value proposition for many organizations and individuals when they decide where in the world they will live, invest, work and play.

The results are evident in the high level of design in projects such as the renewal of the National Arts Centre and the Canada Science and Technology Museum, and the redevelopment of LeBreton Flats.

The sesquicentennial has also provided an opportunity to reanimate the NCC’s most underused, but architecturally significant, properties. Through a series of inspiring community partnerships, 10 properties— including 7 Clarence, 50 Sussex, the Moore Farm and Victoria Island—have been reborn as Confederation Pavilions for Canada 150 and beyond.

IL Y A 50 ANS, le directeur de

la division de l’information et du patrimoine de la CCN, Peter H. Aykroyd (oui, oui, le père de Dan), a quitté la société d’État pour rejoindre les rangs de la Commission du Centenaire de 1967, avec en tête une série d’idées et d’axiomes qui ont résisté à l’épreuve du temps. Il écrit : « Assurer la continuité et reformuler, rappeler aux gens le passé qui a façonné le présent : les rassurer sur la valeur et la pertinence de notre histoire commune en reconnaissant nos réalisations et notre développement [traduction] ». Étant propriétaire de 537 kilomètres carrés de territoire et de 1 700 propriétés situées à Ottawa et à Gatineau, qui comprennent des symboles nationaux et des paysages patrimoniaux très appréciés, la CCN est en position favorable pour rappeler aux gens comment le passé façonne le présent et, en outre, suivant le conseil de Peter, « pour rechercher et accentuer les éléments unificateurs » [traduction].

L’un des moyens qui nous a permis d’atteindre cet objectif est Le Plan de la capitale du Canada de 2017 à 2067, pour lequel la CCN a recueilli les aspirations des Canadiens en vue de présenter une vision de la capitale du Canada qui servira de guide aux décideurs et aux citoyens au cours des prochaines décennies.

Contrairement aux plans qui présentent la vision unique d’un grand planificateur, comme celui de Jacques Gréber, ce « plan des gens » reflète les points de vue de dizaines de milliers de Canadiens de partout au pays.

Ces gens ont participé à l’élaboration des trois thèmes clairs du plan et ont proposé 17 projets marquants à mettre en œuvre dans la capitale au cours des décennies à venir. À titre de planificatrice à long terme de la capitale, la CCN favorise une approche axée sur la « réflexion conceptuelle » afin d’apprendre des meilleures pratiques en design urbain, écologique et universel de partout dans le monde.

Plan for Canada’s Capital, 2017–2067, the collected aspirations of Canadians.

Le Plan de la capitale du Canada de 2017 à 2067, recueil des aspirations des Canadiens

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BUILDING THE CAPITAL ÉDIFIER LA CAPITALE

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The plan for Canada’s capital has three themes: 1 Inclusive and meaningful 2 Picturesque and natural 3 Thriving and connected

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Find out more at capital2067.ca.

Les trois thèmes du Plan de la capitale du Canada 1 Accueillante et riche de sens 2 Pittoresque et naturelle 3 Dynamique et branchée

3

NCC / CCN

Pour en savoir plus, consulter le capitale2067.ca.

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BUILDING THE CAPITAL ÉDIFIER LA CAPITALE

Ensuring that our capital realizes this vision requires close collaboration between all levels of government, the private sector and civil society. At the outset, the relationship with the host Algonquin Anishinabeg must form the basis of a truly inclusive and meaningful capital for all Canadians.

We should not forget what Peter Aykroyd said of the centennial half a century ago: “Make sure it’s fun, but also allow for dignity and emotion.”

In the coming years, I look forward to building on our relationships, working closely with our municipal partners, being a

good ally and collaborating with all stakeholders to ensure that our capital reflects the aspirations of all Canadians, through exemplary planning and stewardship of our rich natural and built heritage.

Dr. Mark Kristmanson Chief Executive Officer National Capital Commission

Par le processus d’approbation fédérale de l’utilisation du sol, du design et des transactions immobilières, et de manière plus informelle par le Labo d’urbanisme de la CCN, nous cherchons à imprégner l’excellence en design dans l’esthétique et l’aménagement urbains. Ces normes élevées constituent un aspect essentiel de la proposition de valeur de nombreuses organisations et personnes lorsqu’elles décident du lieu où elles vivront, investiront, travailleront et se divertiront.

Les résultats de cette approche sont évidents lorsqu’on observe la grande qualité

Labo d’urbanisme : réunir des créateurs de lieux

The NCC’s Urbanism Lab started as a pop-up ideation space for leaders and citizens interested in urbanism, design, heritage conservation, sustainability and placemaking.

Le Labo d’urbanisme de la CCN a vu le jour en tant que lieu éphémère d’échange d’idées pour les chefs de file et les citoyens qui s’intéressent à l’urbanisme, au design, à la conservation du patrimoine, à la durabilité et à la création de lieux.

The Urbanism Lab is now in its fourth season with monthly lab events. Find out more at ncc-ccn.gc.ca/about-us/the-urbanism-lab.

On y présentera pour une quatrième saison des activités mensuelles. Pour obtenir plus de renseignements, consulter le ncc-ccn.gc.ca/ about-us/the-urbanism-lab.

NCC / CCN

Urbanism Lab: Bringing placemakers together

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des concepts de projets comme ceux de la modernisation du Centre national des Arts et du Musée des sciences et de la technologie du Canada et du réaménagement des plaines LeBreton.

Le sesquicentenaire a aussi été l’occasion pour la CCN de redonner vie à des propriétés sous utilisée, mais offrant des qualités architecturales importantes. Dans le cadre de partenariats avec le milieu, 10 propriétés, dont le 7, rue Clarence, le 50, promenade Sussex, la ferme Moore et l’île Victoria, ont repris vie sous la forme de Pavillons de la Confédération pour le Canada 150 et après.

Veiller à la réalisation de cette vision pour la capitale nécessite une étroite collaboration avec les différents ordres de gouvernement, le secteur privé et la société civile. D’entrée de jeu, la relation avec nos hôtes, les Algonquins anishinabés, doit constituer le fondement d’une capitale véritablement accueillante et riche de sens pour tous les Canadiens.

Nous devons nous rappeler ce qu’affirmait Peter Aykroyd, il y a cinquante ans, au sujet du centenaire : « Veiller à ce que ce soit amusant, mais en tenant compte de la dignité et de l’émotion » [traduction].

Au cours des prochaines années, je compte consolider nos relations, travailler étroitement avec nos partenaires municipaux, être un bon allié et collaborer avec toutes les parties prenantes pour que la capitale soit le reflet des aspirations de l’ensemble des Canadiens, par une planification et une intendance exemplaires de notre riche patrimoine naturel et culturel.

Mark Kristmanson, Ph. D. Premier dirigeant Commission de la capitale nationale

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THE NCC:

COMMITTED TO MAKING A DREAM COME TRUE

Not all dreams come true overnight. Many—particularly the big ones— are realized over time. Slowly, a piece here, a bit there.

BY AL J E K AMMI NG A

Marc Seaman (left) Chairman of the Board, National Capital Commission Dr. Mark Kristmanson (right) CEO, National Capital Commission

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Capital 2017-2067, the National Capital Commission’s long-term vision for the future of Canada’s Capital Region. As ambitious as it is sweeping, the plan strives to accomplish two key goals: pay homage to Canada’s 150th birthday celebrations; and paint a picture of what Canada’s capital will look like in 50 years.

With 17 milestone initiatives*—all to be completed on or before Canada’s 200th birthday in 2067—it’s clear that the Plan for Canada’s Capital will be a major part of the NCC agenda for decades to come. But for the next five years at least overseeing that challenging agenda—and helping to move those complex initiatives forward—will be Marc Seaman, the NCC’s newly appointed Chairman of the Board, and Dr. Mark Kristmanson, the NCC’s Chief Executive Officer.

On the surface, the two appear to have little in common. While friends and business associates describe Marc Seaman as positive, energetic and enthusiastic, Dr. Kristmanson is generally regarded as a quiet academic and cultural sector leader. A straight talker, yes, but someone who possesses—and appreciates—a dry sense of humour. And while Seaman is new to the NCC—he was appointed for a five-year term in June of this year—Kristmanson has been a member of the team for more than 13 years.

Seaman and Kristmanson acknowledge their differences but see them in a positive light. They believe varied backgrounds will prove invaluable in their shared commitment to help build a capital that is relevant and attractive to all Canadians.

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S

O IT IS with the Plan for Canada’s

“As CEO, Mark provides the leadership,” says Seaman. “And even in the short time I’ve been here, I’ve seen him consistently provide the strategic direction and synergy this plan requires. A project of this magnitude needs strong vision and execution, which Mark delivers. The board is here to provide him and his management team with proper governance and oversight to realize that vision.”

Seaman points to the fact that when Kristmanson took over as CEO in 2014, the relationship between the NCC and the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau was thorny at best. Wanting the NCC to evolve into a more open and transparent organization, Kristmanson worked hard to strengthen the relationship. “We are the largest landowner in the region,” he says, “but compared to Gatineau and Ottawa, we are a much smaller organization. It only made sense that we try to work more closely with them.”

Kristmanson succeeded.

Although non-voting members, the mayors of Gatineau and Ottawa, Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin and Jim Watson are now both on the NCC Board of Directors.

And while all acknowledge that they will continue to have differences, the relationship among the three is vastly improved.

“One of the NCC’s goals is to be a collaborative organization. Bringing about that level of co-operation and collaboration with the municipalities shows real leadership and is an example of the partnerships we need to forge,” says Seaman. “I know it will pay real dividends moving forward as we continue to grow these relationships.”

Kristmanson, meanwhile, is confident that Seaman’s business background (he is currently a senior executive with Microsoft, a position he will continue to fill) will pay huge dividends during his term as chairman. “Marc brings significant private sector experience

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to the NCC. And we need, want and expect the private sector— along with all levels of government—to play a major role in creating a diverse and vibrant capital region.” In fact, the NCC’s 13-member board, of which Marc is now the head, is responsible for fostering relationships between the NCC and other levels of government and the public.

While the 17 milestone initiatives are priorities for both Seaman and Kristmanson, they agree that the foundation upon which those initiatives were built is equally, if not more, important. Comprising that foundation are three themes: an inclusive and meaningful capital that preserves and cherishes national symbols, while respecting Indigenous heritage; a picturesque and natural capital that values public green space and promotes environmental sustainability; and a thriving and connected capital whose networks extend around the globe.

“Of course, all of the 17 initiatives are desirable,” says Kristmanson. “But many are also aspirational. We have to recognize that the capital will evolve over the next five decades; priorities will change and we have to be prepared to change with them.”

One priority unlikely to change, however, is the LeBreton Flats redevelopment.

Of the 17 initiatives, none is likely to change the national capital more dramatically than the transformation of LeBreton Flats, described by many as the most important project in the National Capital Region in the past 50 years. Under the plan, LeBreton Flats will evolve into an entirely new downtown neighbourhood, including a sports and entertainment centre, an LRT station, and abundant green space where thousands can gather, and much more.

An ambitious but formidable challenge. And one that Seaman is particularly eager for the

NCC’s 17 Initiatives 1

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Parliamentary /Judicial Precincts: Restore Centre,

East, and West blocks; create visitor welcome centre; rehabilitate escarpment.

Official Residences: Renew 24 Sussex Dr., preserving heritage character while enhancing environmental sustainability, security, accessibility.

National Institutions: Support creation of a national

portrait gallery, national botanical garden, transformation of NRC headquarters into a science and innovation hub.

National Commemorations: Create new sites, including

celebration of Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms; renew Confederation Square for National War Memorial’s centennial.

Victoria Island: Develop in a way that recognizes and

celebrates significance to Indigenous peoples, culture, and tradition.

Confederation Boulevard: Create unified series of public spaces connecting boulevard to shoreline by Supreme Court; enhance connections to adjacent municipal areas.

Ecological Corridors: Secure links between the capital’s

urban green spaces and larger natural areas, protecting regional biodiversity.

Urban Forest: Regenerate growth on federal lands.

Gatineau Park: Create new visitor centre; improve trails system to ease environmental pressures.

Shorelines: Enhance access; create Sir John A. Macdonald Riverfront Park; support creation of new public park of special significance for the Algonquin Anishinabe Nation overlooking Chaudière Falls.

Greenbelt Pathways: Complete network from Shirleys Bay to Green’s Creek. eBreton Flats and the Islands: Support development of L thriving new communities.

Ruisseau de la Brasserie: Restore historic Gatineau sector, including Wright-Scott House.

Federal campuses: Transform federal employment locations such as Tunney’s Pasture and Place du Portage into lively workplaces integrated into surrounding neighbourhoods.

Capital Illumination Plan: Develop and implement strategy to enhance nighttime beauty of capital while fostering environmentally responsible lighting.

Nepean Point: Renew site and complete pedestrian promenade between Rideau Canal and Rideau Falls.

Interprovincial Transportation: Work with municipal partners to expand interprovincial connections and improve public transit integration.

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Ottawa’s Cool Factor A few things you can’t do anywhere else VIEW Casino du Lac-Leamy’s Sound of Light pyromusical shows from the Canadian Museum of History’s backyard.

PARTICIPATE in Yoga on the Hill every Wednesday in the summer on the lawn of the Parliament Buildings.

EXPERIENCE a bird’s eye view of our beautiful city with Ottawa Biplane Adventures.

EXPLORE the region’s many craft breweries on a craft brewery tour or on your own with the handy Backroom Deals and Muddy Wheels Trail map available at http://www. ontariocraftbrewers.com/.

SKATE in front of the Parliament Buildings on the Canada 150 Rink.

organization to take on. Even before joining the NCC, he was a vocal supporter of developing LeBreton Flats. In a letter to the Ottawa Citizen in 2016, he said “the ultimate winners in this process are the citizens of the region and more broadly, all Canadians, as this landmark urban property will finally be redeveloped into an area that will drive tourism, economic development and entertainment 365 days per year.

“It will,” he went on, “become one of Canada’s most desirable locations to live, work and play.”

Kristmanson says the LeBreton Flats project, while clearly vital, is still just part of a much bigger picture, one that involves the cities, the federal government, the Indigenous peoples on whose lands the capital was built and Canadians from coast to coast.

“Working together, we can create an economically competitive and sustainable region. We can and will build a capital that is relevant and attractive to all Canadians.”

It’s a dream. A large dream, driven by the NCC, shared by Canadians. * To view the NCC’s Plan for Canada’s Capital, 2017– 2067, including the 17 key initiatives, visit http://nccccn.gc.ca/our-plans/the-plan-for-canadas-capital.

Alje Kamminga is a former journalist and speechwriter who enjoys bridge, baseball and backgammon.

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Placemaking: Tedibà Màmadosewin/ The Gather-Ring

BY RUTH S E E L E Y

“The Gather-Ring is an offering to the community, providing a place to come together for cultural exchange, celebrations, debates, discussions, storytelling, and reflections on the history of the land,” said Manuel Baez. Tedibà Màmadosewin is the Anishabe name for The Gather-Ring, a “symbolic circle for cultural exchange, storytelling, discussion and reflection.”

Public art commissioned by Heritage Canada under the Art in the City Program, the installation on the plaza of the Portage Bridge on Wellington Street will be in place until July 2018. The concept grew from community work Baez was doing with Canada’s Indigenous Task Force, a non-profit housing coalition, and the Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition. As part of his collaborative approach, he consulted with Kitigan Zibi Anishnabe First Nation Elders Claudette Commanda and Verna McGregor. The bridge’s location has centuries of Indigenous and settler significance: it links Gatineau and Ottawa, crosses Victoria Island and marks the end of the Portage Trail skirting the Chaudière Falls, where both Indigenous peoples and settlers travelled and traded.

“I was immediately inspired by the panoramic view ... the history from both an Indigenous and European perspective, and by the fact that it was along the Confederation Loop.

2017 is both the anniversary of Confederation and a critical time to reflect on Truth and Reconciliation,” said Baez.

Baez, Associate Professor at Carleton University’s Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism, has been working with the Ottawa community since he created a ceiling installation called Resonant Currents for the original Hub Ottawa Bank Street location. Malleable birch plywood complexly bent recalled aboriginal art, Arabic calligraphy and Celtic knotting while adding beauty to the industrial high ceilings of the co-working space. “We did a crowdfunding campaign for that installation, a metaphor for interconnections,” said Luc Lalande, Manager, Community Innovation at Algonquin College, who helped brainstorm the Heritage Canada proposal for The Gather-Ring.

Working with local glass artist Charlynne Lafontaine, Tim Priddle from The WoodSource in Manotick and a group of Carleton architecture students, Makerspace North was the installation’s final staging platform, although initial staging began at Lafontaine’s Loretta Studios & Gallery. Lafontaine created the 600 or so pieces of handblown borosilicate glass for the dreamcatcher portion using a technique called flamework, then embedded glass rings into each to capture light and echo the dreamcatcher shape. “I love that it’s an engaging piece where people can meditate on the past and think about the future,” said Lafontaine.

Incorporating two iconic symbols of settler and Indigenous Canada, the tree and the dream catcher, The Gather-Ring’s four Douglas fir pillars represent Canada’s founding provinces.

The pillars support Lafontaine’s web of light and glass pendants. A platform and benches crafted from recovered Ottawa River white pine are positioned in the centre of the installation and surround a black granite Turtle Island. The Canadian granite, said Baez, “had to capture the depth of time and reflect the sky.”

Baez and Lalande are working with Synapcity to engage the community in grassroots GatherRing projects while seeking a permanent home for the installation – perhaps on Victoria Island.

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A Powerful Expression of City Building and National Identity

The REVITALIZATION of LEBRETON FLATS

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EBRETON FLATS IS AT THE HEART OF CANADA’S CAPITAL.

Until 60 years ago these lands played a significant role in the history of our nations—a place where goods were traded, industries created, and communities thrived.

In the 1960s, LeBreton Flats was expropriated, the buildings demolished and used along with toxic waste to fill in the Ottawa River. The Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway was implemented but the planned federal headquarters complex never materialized.

Two years ago, the National Capital Commission (NCC) launched a bold initiative for the revitalization of LeBreton Flats.

The NCC carried out a rigorous international competition to select the best proponent with the best proposal for a dynamic mixed-use community and national attraction. The successful proponent would then negotiate with the NCC to complete an agreement for implementing the redevelopment program for LeBreton Flats.

The Request for Proposal documents articulate the NCC vision. “We are calling on the world’s best to come forth and make 30

it a reality,” urged Dr. Mark Kristmanson, CEO of the NCC. “We envisage a bold, new anchor institution that will welcome the public, serve as an economic driver, feature innovative use of the land, and bring design excellence, animation and a unique public experience to the nation’s capital.”

Stating boldly that “the NCC will settle for nothing short of excellence,” the NCC Board gave highest marks to the RendezVous LeBreton Group (RLG), with a talent bank of more than 35 local and international companies and over 135 experts in project management, engineering, construction, planning, accessibility, legal, finance and market analysis.

Companies comprising the RLG have a demonstrated track record of success in Ottawa, and a love for the city. Look only to the Canadian Tire Centre, The Ottawa Hospital, the Canadian Museum of Nature, the Shaw Centre, Lansdowne Park, the Ottawa Airport, the Arts Court, the EY Centre, the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, the World Exchange Plaza, the Ottawa Chambers, Rogers House, the three Sensplexes, the Rideau Centre, the Jewish Community Centre, Bayshore and

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the Orleans Town Centre, to name a few.

Beyond that, the results of their talents are found across Canada and around the world.

RLG is a proposed joint venture between Capital Sports Management Inc., led by Eugene Melnyk, owner of the Ottawa Senators NHL franchise, who has a vision for a new world class sports and entertainment centre on the LeBreton Flats site, and the Trinity Development Group, led by Ottawa native John Ruddy, one of Canada’s leading mixed-use development companies, and a major shareholder and catalyst in revitalizing the 48-acre Lansdowne Park.

“The landmark quality of development opportunities at this location are without parallel, as this is the largest and most significant urban development site in Canada’s capital,” Dr. Kristmanson reminded us.

RLG hopes to be the next capital builder as it works to finalize negotiations and sign contractual arrangements with the NCC for three proposed phases of the LeBreton redevelopment program spanning 2018 to beyond 2036.

Members of the RLG consortium are committed to NCC principles of:

NCC

C A P I TA L EDI TORI AL

• sustainable, green environments based on the One Planet Living Framework and the expertise of Urban Equation; • respect for heritage and the traditional lands and culture of the Algonquin Anishinabeg; • affordable housing and accessible buildings through the leadership of BDEL accessibility experts Marni Peters and Betty Dion; • connectivity through transit-oriented solutions, pedestrian walkways and seamless links to historic neighbourhoods; • a year-round public anchor and major event centre with NHL hockey and world class entertainment; and • the iconic Abilities Centre Ottawa, a unique, accessible, multi-use community centre promoting healthy active living, rehabilitation and recreation.

Guiding the RLG redevelopment program and its many components is GBA Development and Project Management, led by well-known Ottawa engineer Graham Bird. Graham and his team led the successful redevelopments of the Shaw Centre, Lansdowne Park, and many other complex projects in the National Capital Region.

RLG brings together the best international, local talent to detail the vision of the new LeBreton Flats including architect Barry J. Hobin, an Ottawa native renowned for superb architecture in the capital; Detroit’s Rossetti Architects, designers of sports facilities around the globe; Perkins+Will who specialize in sustainable and transit-oriented mixed-use design; Daoust Lestage, one of Canada’s leading urban public realm designers; and Moment Factory, a creator of C AP I TA L MAG.CA

international multimedia shows including Ottawa events at the Parliament Buildings on Canada Day, Christmas Lights Across Canada, and the Tulip Festival, to name a few.

Foremost engineering and technical expertise come from Parsons, Fotenn Planning & Urban Design, and Golder Associates.

Prominent Ottawa construction firms Tomlinson and PCL will mark the first visible step in the redevelopment process with the remediation of 1.2 million cubic metres of contaminated soil and waste—a first priority as LeBreton Flats sits directly beside the Parliament Buildings.

RLG engaged component developers who are among the most reputable in the region including Gatineau’s thriving Brigil, Windmill Developments—the firm behind the Zibi project on the Ottawa River—and the Morley Hoppner Group, the developer behind the Bell Sensplex in Kanata, the Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation, a leader in affordable housing, and Mattamy Homes.

The RLG plans to re-create five distinct neighbourhoods—Bayview, Quartier LeBreton, Asticou, Aqueduct and Pimisi— designed around a public open space and animated with residential, retail, amenities, and gathering places that promote a pedestrian-focused lifestyle. The community will be supported by the LRT with Bayview Station at the west end and Pimisi at the east.

The redevelopment will happen in three phases—beginning with Phase 1, 2018 to 2026, which includes the construction of the major event centre, the Abilities Centre Ottawa, Quartier LeBreton, Pimisi and Aqueduct neighbourhoods.

Phase 2, from 2026 to 2036, includes the development of the Asticou neighbourhood; Phase 3, from 2036 on, includes the Bayview neighbourhood.

“This project will benefit the economies of both Gatineau and Ottawa,” said Mike Reid, president of the Building and Trades Council representing Western Quebec and Eastern Ontario. “There will be over 22,000 construction jobs for Quebec and Ontario workers such as planners, designers, engineers and trades specialists. An additional 12,000 jobs will be created through the suppliers of materials such as steel, concrete, wood, glass and more. LeBreton will contribute to a healthy construction industry which

ensures the health of our economy, the training of the next generation of tradespeople, and widespread prosperity.”

The RLG plan will contribute to a vibrant construction industry and the training of the next generation of tradespeople, including First Nations workers from the Algonquin communities and both sides of the Ottawa River.

Winning features of the RLG bid include: • The Major Event Centre, home to the Ottawa Senators, with its 18,000-seat capacity along with its LeBreton Square capable of holding up to 28,000 people, the focal point of the site; • The public realm will serve to move people. With two major axes overlaying traditional street grids, residents, workers and visitors will be able to flow easily and access the covered LRT system; • The linear historical Aqueduct will be reborn as the border for cafes, markets, shops and seating areas; • A pedestrian concourse called the Public Art Axis will work in partnership with the Canada Science and Technology Museum to stage the Innovation Promenade, an experiential digital pathway; • The Abilities Centre Ottawa will provide an unprecedented, multi-use sports facility providing unique programming that promotes healthy active living, rehabilitation and recreation to meet the diverse needs of the young and the old, the able-bodied and disabled; • The Sensplex community-use ice rink facility housing two NHL-sized hockey rinks, designed to be the most accessible skating facility in the region, will host national and international sports tournaments, and function as the Ottawa Senators’ practice facility; • A transit-oriented plan allows for 65 percent of visitors to arrive at LeBreton Flats

by Light Rail Transit at Pimisi and Bayview stations, or by cycling or on foot.

“I want to congratulate the NCC on all their work to bring a revitalized redevelopment program to LeBreton Flats,” said Ian Sherman, chair of the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce. “We encourage you to implement the new program as soon as possible.

The business communities on both sides of the Ottawa River are fully supportive and ready to help.”

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IT’S BEEN A YEAR TO REMEMBER

AND IT’S NOT OVER YET! RED BULL CRASHED ICE

200,000 participants

31% were visitors to Ottawa

LA MACHINE

750,000

+

participants over 4 days

visitors 33% were to Ottawa satisfaction rate 96%

OTTAWA WELCOMES THE WORLD

340,000

+

participants in 3 months

INSPIRATION VILLAGE

87

%

satisfaction rate

226,000+

participants

SKY LOUNGE

3,000 participants

98%

satisfaction rate

325,000+ participants in 3 months

98%

CANADA’S TABLE

2 MINS

satisfaction rate

sold out dinner for 1,000 people

KONTINUUM

PICNIC ON THE BRIDGE

2,500 picnic-goers

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%

satisfaction rate

12,000 participants

satisfaction rate

were visitors to Ottawa

satisfaction rate

99%

82%

93%

visitors 31% were to Ottawa

RED BULL GLOBAL RALLYCROSS

Full list of events/Liste complète des événements

QUELLE ANNÉE INOUBLIABLE

ET CE N’EST PAS TERMINÉ !

RED BULL CRASHED ICE

200 000 participants

31% étaient des touristes

LA MACHINE

750 000

+ 33

étaient des touristes

%

taux de satisfaction de

participants en 4 jours

96

%

340 000+ visiteurs en 3 mois

taux de satisfaction de

VILLAGE DE L’INSPIRATION

87

OTTAWA ACCUEILLE LE MONDE

226 000+ participants DÎNER ENTRE CIEL ET TERRE

3 000

%

participants

taux de satisfaction de

98

%

325 000+ visiteurs en 3 mois

taux de satisfaction de

98

TABLÉE DU CANADA

%

un dîner pour 1 000 personnes taux de satisfaction de vendu à guichet fermé

PIQUE-NIQUE SUR LE PONT

2 500 34

12 000 taux de satisfaction de

93

%

EN 2 MIN

KONTINUUM

% étaient des touristes

personnes ont assisté au pique-nique taux de satisfaction de

82

%

participants

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OTTAWA2017.CA

%

étaient des touristes

RED BULL GLOBAL RALLYCROSS

99

%

CANADA’S NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE.

VIEW THE PAST, SEE THE FUTURE It is a renovation in three acts, one in which the National Arts Centre plays the leading role.

BY AL J E K AMMI NG A

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KE VIN BEL ANGER

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HEN THE FINAL CURTAIN comes

down—in February of 2018—visitors to the National Arts Centre (NAC) will discover a glittering entrance on Elgin Street, a magnificent glass atrium, enhanced performance spaces, public areas for education and events, and unparalleled views of the national capital’s iconic buildings and landmarks. In addition, they will find an expanded selection of services and amenities, as well as improved accessibility for people with mobility challenges.

For Nelson Borges, the NAC’s food and beverage general manager, the new and vastly improved National Arts Centre C AP I TA L MAG.CA

provides a dazzling location for social and business events. But while these most recent renovations are certainly welcome, he wants to point out that the NAC has long had a sterling reputation for its ability to stage successful events of all shapes and sizes.

“We’ve been fortunate,” says Borges.

“Over the years, we’ve become known as a desirable location for special events, especially weddings and proms. And we’re proud of the fact that we accomplished that, not so much by advertising, but by positive reviews and word-of-mouth.” In fact, every year the NAC’s food and beverage division welcomes more than 100,000 guests and hosts about 80 weddings.

And that was before the renovation.

Now, with increased space and additional resources, Borges says he expects to see a dramatic jump in all kinds of events. “Even with the renovations still under way, we’ve been getting inquiries like crazy.” The good news is that the newly renovated NAC will have plenty of space to accommodate all of them.

“When the Canada Room opens in February, we’ll be able to host three— possibly even four—weddings daily in that venue alone.” The Canada Room—made up

of three smaller spaces called the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic rooms—will be created by demolishing the Panorama Room. With seating for 650, it definitely provides the space that NAC clients need and are looking for.

But, says Borges, it’s not so much what those people are looking for that will seal the deal, it’s what they’re looking at. “As excited as we are about our extra space and our superior services, what we’re really selling here is the view. Climb the grand staircase to the Canada Room, and you’ll find breathtaking views of the Rideau Canal and the capital’s premier landmarks, the Chateau Laurier and the Gatineau Hills.”

Thanks to the renovation, the magnificent views will extend well beyond the Canada Room. Essentially, the architects took a building that is largely made of concrete, which has been described in the past—on more than one occasion—as a bunker, and turned it into a vivid collaboration of windows and light.

Mind you, visitors won’t have to look outside to appreciate what they’re looking at.

The expanded and enhanced interior is already earning rave reviews. And it’s only going to get better.

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Count Borges among those delighted by the NAC’s rejuvenated interior. “The renovation has literally doubled our pre-function space,” he says. “That, in turn, doubles our catering capacity. And that allows us to grow our business and helps the local economy by creating additional jobs.” Also, he says, it enables “us to expand our horizons.”

For Borges, expanding the NAC’s horizons means attracting more cultural and diplomatic events. “Years ago, we used to host the Viennese Ball. Now we’d love to get those kinds of events back into the building.” Actually, the NAC already hosts two of the most popular cultural events on the national capital calendar—the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala in the spring and the NAC Foundation Gala in the fall.

Thanks to the attendance of stars like Martin Short, Michael Bublé and k.d. lang, says Borges, events like this bring glamour and a bit of Hollywood to the capital.

As for introducing more diplomatic events, the NAC has catering contracts with Global Affairs Canada and the Parliamentary Precinct to host various state visits and other events. Add its outreach to local government and the area’s community and the future looks bright indeed for what has emerged as one of the most desirable locations in the region.

As he discusses the progress made so far and contemplates the NAC’s promising future, Borges muses over what might have been: “I would have loved the additional space for this holiday season.” He smiles. “Of course, we will have it for next year.”

But the future will have its share of challenges.

“As welcome and as spectacular as this innovation is,” says Borges, “we’ve paid a price.

Because of construction, business suffered as le café reduced its business hours and closed last summer. As a result, we lost some experienced people who went elsewhere for work. We also had to drastically reduce

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The New National Arts Centre – By the Numbers

1969 > Year the National

Arts Centre (NAC) opened its doors. The Centre was planned as part of Canada’s Centennial.

110.5 > Cost of NAC

renovations in millions of dollars. A second project worth $114.9 million for the renewal of performance venues is also underway and will be completed in late 2018.

2,630 > Square metres of glazed curtain wall on the new facade of the NAC.

20 > Height in metres of

the new Kipnes Lantern (the signature architectural feature of the new NAC, located above the new Elgin Street entrance).

our catering operation. Again, we lost talented employees as well as long-time clients.”

While obviously a setback, Borges says the NAC looks at those events as an opportunity to rebuild, to attract new talent. “We’ve always been viewed as an incubator for culinary talent in this region. We’ll just have to begin that process anew.”

This will be a top priority for the NAC’s newly hired executive chef Kenton Leier.

The National Arts Centre’s transformation also gives it the chance to return to a practice introduced by the former executive chef at the NAC, Kurt Waldele. “During his 31 years at the NAC, he emphasized Canadian foods and local produce,” says Borges. “As the NAC evolved, we drifted away from that a bit. Now we have an opportunity to right the ship. After all, we are a Canadian institution; it’s only right that we offer our guests Canadian food and wine.”

Canada’s National Arts Centre. The curtain has risen.

Alje Kamminga is a former journalist and speechwriter who enjoys bridge, baseball and backgammon.

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ART YOU AND YOUR EMPLOYEES CAN BANK ON

BY M AT TH EW C URTIS

A

RT AND CORPORATE WORKSPACE are two dots you wouldn’t

expect to be connected, even with very broad strokes.

However, Rebecca Huxtable, manager of business development for the Canada Council Art Bank, is adamant the benefits of installing pieces across all mediums formidably impacts building community both with and for your staff, and brands your business as valuing creativity and originality.

“We’ve seen a lot of research over the past 10 years about well-being in the workplace and attracting and retaining millennials and superior talent. From working with my clients, I see employers use art to show staff they care about their well-being; many business managers even get staff involved in art selection to empower them and have them contribute to the corporate image and setting.”

These clients include Ottawa companies such as McMillan, a B2B creative agency, who used a successful business year to put original art in the workplace to thank staff, and Universities Canada who let employees vote on a list of pieces available from the Art Bank’s collection.

Huxtable recognizes selecting and purchasing original art can be intimidating, but stresses the Art Bank’s full-service rental program removes that from the equation.

Ranging from a very accessible $60 to a $3,600 annual fee, the program utilizes a 45-year-long public collection of over 17,000 museum-quality pieces by more than 3,000 Canadian artists. It includes advising on how to communicate your brand through art, location, lighting, and working with a defined budget, as well as framing, transport and installation by its own team of professional art handlers.

Installed at the new Global Centre for Pluralism: Gershon Iskowitz, Deep Green # 8 (1977), Oil on Canvas

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Claude Tousignant, Accélérateur Chromatique 9/68 (1968), Acrylic on canvas

OTTAWA’S

Bruce Harvey Ottawa Film Commissioner

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KE VIN BEL ANGER

BY A L L I S ON W H A L E N

Canadian cultural industries have major value in Canada, with a direct economic impact of $61.7 billion annually. That’s 10 times greater than the impact of sports and it spells opportunity for the National Capital Region.

READY FOR ITS CLOSE-UP

IM AGES CO URTESY OF OT TAWA INTERNATIO NAL ANIM ATION F ESTIVAL

N

ATIONALLY THE GDP OF CULTURE INDUSTRIES is much larger than

the value added of agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting ($29 billion); accommodation and food services ($38 billion); and utilities ($43 billion), according to a 2016 Hill Strategies study based on Statistics Canada research. A city that reflects a multifaceted perspective through the arts leads to cultural development. Just returned from an economic mission to Los Angeles and Seattle, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson confirmed that the film and TV production industry represents a great area of growth for our local economy.

Why, then, do residents do more than a double-take when they see a film crew operating in their neighbourhood? In the digital age we’re used to being on the receiving end of popular culture; it’s easy to forget that everyday people take great care in creating the stories that satisfy our daily “Netfix.”

Ottawa’s diverse environment allows hometown and international filmmakers a wide variety of live-action shooting locations. Landmark streets like Elgin, Somerset, Metcalfe and Gladstone, as well as the Byward Market, have all played roles as other cities over the years.

The Diefenbunker in Carp has attracted international attention in the 21st century for its unique, creative space 75 feet underground. The former Emergency Government Headquarters (now host to zombie adventures and Canadian whisky tastings) was featured in the 2001 thriller The Sum of All Fear, Two Lovers and a Bear (2016) and more recently, local special effects company Glitch Inc. worked on the Neill Blomkamp short, Zygote (2017), starring Dakota Fanning.

Location scouts are drawn to the convenience of being able to shoot everything from a February blizzard at the Experimental Farm to the beach at Petrie Island during the dog days of summer; Hallmark movies are shot here.

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Ottawa International Animation Festival 2017: Weird, Wonderful and World Famous

BY AL L I S ON WHAL EN

Some of the biggest names in film and TV had their eyes on this year’s Ottawa International Animation Festival. The 2017 OIAF received a total of 1992 entries, selected 105 short films and five feature films from 85 different countries. The animation world is a multicultural and inclusive community with a massive variety of stories to tell. “I’m focused on the unsung voices … the stuff that challenges people’s perception of animation, pushes the boundaries and takes more personal risks,” says Artistic Director Chris Robinson. He’s refined his selection process over the last 26 years to create thoughtful and effective film playlists for each short competition, the ultimate mix tape of the best of quirky, cuttingedge animated filmmaking that attracts tens of thousands of visitors from all over the world.

The festival hosts many interactive activities, from a synesthetic pubcrawl to a perception-expanding virtual reality exhibit. The latter allowed attendees to experience innovative animation through Oculus Rift technology. Emmy-winning Dear Angelica (Saschka Unseld, 2017) allows the individual user to dissolve into a spectacular alternate reality, while Academy Award nominee Theodor Ushev’s Blind Vaysha creates a thought-provoking visual dilemma.

The Nelvana Grand Prize for Independent Short went to Nikita Diakur’s Ugly, a simulated short film about two beings trying to find peace in a dystopian neighbourhood. The Grand Prize for Features went to the surrealist romantic comedy The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl, directed by Masaaki Yuasa, who made OIAF history by becoming the first filmmaker to have two nominations in the features category.

This is a world class festival not to be missed. Stay tuned for OIAF 2018!

OTTAWA FILM OFFICE Murray Street in the Byward Market

Research shows filmmaking is important for tourism, too. “By seeing a physical space you connect to a storyline, to the city where you feel it’s a reality,” explains Ottawa Film Commissioner Bruce Harvey.

Choose any profession and Harvey will tell you how it translates to work in film and television. Just watch the credits roll at the end of your favourite show to see a list of positions. He uses the example of an electrician who can gain a unique learning experience by working alongside other talented individuals, like a cinematographer or sound

technician. Having an inside understanding of the way things work on set can lead to new opportunities in the business (not to mention good dinner-table conversation).

The capital has attracted Hollywood due to the low cost of production. Zed Filmworks produced several features in the Ottawa area with big names attached. The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2017), which premiered at TIFF and starred Emma Roberts, was shot in Kemptville. Netflix thriller I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House (2016) was filmed entirely in Eastern Ontario including

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KE VIN BEL ANGER

Youth are encouraged to get involved and think critically about cartoons.

Robinson emphasizes the importance of nurturing and inspiring future artists with activities like Family Day at the festival, showing kids how to make their own GIFs, and the Young Audience Competition.

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Poster designs by Dave O’Malley, Aerographics

Jam Session: Music City Ottawa

BY J OS EPH MAT HI EU

There’s a new band in town, playing a different kind of tune. And although the Ottawa Music Industries Coalition doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, its acronym OMIC is on many lips lately.

“As Ottawa competes nationally and internationally for tourists, events, and talent—not to mention things like Amazon HQ2—the status of its creative industries needs to take centre stage,” says Andrew Vincent, OMIC’s executive director.

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one of the task force members. The goal, she says, is to develop the infrastructure to help artists and entrepreneurs build their careers here. “The task force would like to attract music publishers, record companies, recording studios and promoters.”

Ottawa has long been a hotbed of musical talent but with more support and less red tape, the creative industries will thrive and even help other industries, from festivals to film to food.

To help Ottawa bolster these industries, the coalition has assembled a task force of industry professionals who say music will be essential to Ottawa’s emerging identity as a world-class city. It includes local musicians, promoters, and industry leaders and it will submit a list of recommendations to the City of Ottawa in early 2018.

“The more you nurture and encourage anything, the more it grows,” says Dave O’Malley, creative director and president of Aerographics Creative Services. He says new musicians have developed their skills thanks to programs like Be in the Band and the Bluesfest School of Music and Art. O’Malley designs thematic posters for Ottawa music festivals and logos for studios and bands. He’s always happy, he says, to help “people who think creatively.”

“Ottawa really is on the map as a music city, certainly with agents, promoters and generally those in the back-end music business,” says Robin Moir of Musicians’ Association Local 180,

“People want to live in and visit cities that offer a diversity of interesting, exciting and enriching experiences,” says Vincent.

OMIC is hatching the plan to make more of those happen.

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a warehouse on Innes and St. Laurent, while Algonquin College stood in for Jennifer Lawrence’s high school in House at the End of the Street (2012).

The Ottawa Film Office brings film and television production to the region and supports the growth and development of the local industry. They provide location support, film permitting, production attraction and development, as well as maintaining crucial links with industry and government. With the recent appointment of 12 new members to the board of directors, Harvey created his dream team of area experts and sees a bright future in spite of some challenges.

Ottawa is sandwiched by the booming cultural industries of Toronto and Montreal and it can be difficult to make a living in the arts here without leaving town. An incredible amount of labour goes into content creation and local professionals need the crucial resources that their counterparts in other cities have. Sudbury has become a film hotspot over the last five years with more than 90 projects filmed on location. Support from multiple levels of government and industry has given them a foothold to launch

themselves from. Harvey envisions having a soundstage in Ottawa with studio tours and more. “It’s important to dream big if you want to grow as a civilization and develop as a community.”

Support and co-operation from the different governing bodies that make up the National Capital Region will be essential to move forward. Producers can lose tax credits if they hire a professional from another province, and this blocks the deeply interconnected regions from benefiting from collaboration. Channels need to be opened between Ontario and Quebec. “The river isn’t a wall. We have to find ways of changing government policy that makes this work better,” explains Harvey. “We need to ask, what do we need to do to get there, and do it in a way that’s responsible and effective.”

In 2017, the Ottawa Film Office is in a good place but it’s moving onward, upward.

“We’re trying to build a better community. If your neighbours work in the arts, it’s a better feeling. Our thinkers spread throughout the whole city. Art creates culture.”

designers/ place makers/ city builders

World Class Animation Animation in the capital is a slightly different story. Every September, the Ottawa International Animation Festival is attended by thousands. The city becomes a hub for major studios, agencies and artists, as well as throngs of animation students from all over the world, seeking the latest offerings by a diverse array of filmmakers. It’s a short and sweet burst of cultural energy.

A very familiar name associated with the local workforce is Disney’s Mickey Mouse.

The short-format series is made at Mercury Filmworks, where grads of Algonquin’s animation program have produced awardwinning content and spin-offs of Disney’s Tangled and The Lion King. The famous Kratt Brothers opened a world-class animation studio in Kanata for WildKratts, while Jam Filled started out in a Manotick attic and grew into a multi-production company in Ottawa and Toronto. A teaser trailer for the latter’s latest project was released at New York Comic Con 2017, a space saga by Olan Rogers produced by Conan O’Brien’s Conaco for TBS.

Credits by the numbers

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Times the National Capital Region has been used as a filming location (source: imdb.com)

Percentage of Ottawa’s $100-million annual production business from our animation industry

An estimated 1000 animators currently work in and around the city. “If you look at major animated work, there’s always an Ottawa connection,” says Harvey. This connection links back to the formation of the National Film Board in 1939, and animation pioneers like Norman McLaren and Ottawa’s own Evelyn Lambart, Canada’s first female animator. But as with the film and TV industries, local resources are essential for current and future generations of culture-content creators to survive professionally. Then they can thrive.

Allison Whalen is a published novelist and animation writer.

She was born and raised in Ottawa but eventually defected to the Gatineau Hills in Chelsea in order to be closer to nature and croissants.

350+

1000+

Estimated number of crew working on live action productions

Estimated number of animators employed in the city

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STARTING UP IN OTTAWA

Soif Bar à Vin

Startups With Style Soif, Riviera and Tavern on the Hill: three very different hot-spots

BY J E FF BUCKSTE I N

KE VIN BEL ANGER

A NEW GENERATION OF BUSINESSES in the National Capital

Region continue a tradition of innovative design that has been a hallmark of success in the past.

Three new restaurants exemplify that spirit.

Soif Bar à vin de Véronique Rivest in Gatineau was carefully researched for several years so owner Rivest, an award-winning sommelier, could offer what she felt was a unique experience to her customers. “I visited wine bars all over the world,” says Rivest. This gave her ideas about the ambience she wanted to convey in her restaurant when it opened in 2014. “I worked with a designer from Montreal. He

C AP I TA L MAG.CA

came up with really original ideas. Glass racks hang from the ceiling. And the underside of the glass rack is printed with wine region maps.”

Most of the restaurant’s walls are covered in wallpaper made of real cork. Some walls, as well as ceilings, are covered in thicker cork floor tiles to help mute sound. The bars are also made of cork tiles, varnished to be liquid proof.

Rivest sees her restaurant as bringing people together to enjoy good food, good wine and good conversation.

“We have regular height tables with chairs. There are also high top bars with either

banquets or stools. The stools look like champagne corks. One is U-shaped where you can seat 12-15 people. The other is one long bar with seating on both sides so people are facing each other,” she explains.

“There’s a lot of variation in the look. It gives a really warm feeling to the space,” she says.

“I think if you’re in a bright environment with natural light [that] has a positive impact on openness and creative thinking.”

As part of that creative thinking, Soif offers workshops ranging from wine tasting 101 to cocktail making.

André Schad is the principal owner and a partner with Tavern

on the Hill, located in the north end of Major’s Hill Park. The outdoor restaurant opened in June 2017 and employed 54 people during the peak summer period.

“There’s really no space like this in the entire city where your backyard is the National Gallery of Canada and your front yard is the river [and] Parliament Hill. If you had to take one snapshot of Ottawa and its beauty, this would probably be the panoramic site,” he explains.

Tavern on the Hill’s business approach is to aim for simplicity.

“We don’t try to pretend we’re anything we’re not. We’re a hot dog joint that has really

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Véronique Rivest, sommelier-owner

nice wine and beer lists. There’s something here for everybody.

Everybody’s welcome,” he says.

Schad believes that creativity and design have a positive impact on team building because, he says, employees see that and recognize management is in it for the long run.

That makes them want to participate and be part of that success. It is also important to foster innovation and creative

thinking among employees, because they’re the front-line people who can tell management what’s gone right or wrong and make suggestions about how to improve the process.

For example, the Canada 150 celebrations contributed to an overwhelmingly busy year in 2017 with long lineups to get in.

“We needed input from our staff on how to improve the process,” Schad says.

Riviera, recently named one of Canada’s top 10 new restaurants of 2017 by enRoute magazine, occupies a historic building on the Sparks Street mall. Built in 1936-1937 as the Imperial Bank of Canada, it features Art Deco ornamentation and lots of marble. Just over a year old now, Riviera employs about 50 people.

Some of Riviera’s design, such as the deuce booth and four-top booth configuration, is based on the iconic Mellos Diner in the Byward Market, which closed in 2015. The 3,000 square feet of open space at Riviera was designed to make a wide range of people feel at home, whether they come in jeans and a T-shirt, or suits and heels.

Riviera worked with Andrew Reeves of Linebox Studio on its redesign. The old bank vaults have been repurposed as washrooms, wine cellars, and private dining areas, creating a space that appeals to the whole spectrum of people, from artists to lawyers and politicians to the after-theatre crowd.

Jeff Buckstein is a Kanata-based freelance business writer.

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THE OTTAWA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE:

The voice of business through the ages The Ottawa Board of Trade, now known as the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, is a leading character in the story of the economic, civic and social growth of the City of Ottawa.

F

OR THE PAST 160 YEARS, the Chamber has

been one of the most active and vocal groups participating in the commercial evolution and transformation of our region—a resilient pioneer whose origins predate Queen Victoria’s proclamation that Bytown (as Ottawa was then called) had been chosen as the Capital City of the “Province of Canada.”

The Byward Market in the late 1800s with farmers of the district packing the open stalls with their horses and rigs.

Photo courtesy of The Ottawa Citizen, Board of Trade 100th Anniversary Supplement, May 9, 1957, Page 19

Launched to support our rapidly expanding lumber town In the years between 1832 and 1857, our region was a burgeoning lumber town whose population grew from 4,000 to well over 10,000. During this time, shipments of dry goods, tea, sugar, alcohol, salted fish, wheat, flour, beef, pork, oak, iron, and more were arriving via the Rideau Canal.

In 1847, Bytown became a legally designated town and within seven years, in 1854, it was incorporated as a city.

On June 10, 1857, an Act of Parliament launched the Ottawa Board of Trade. The Board’s mandate was to protect and advance economic prosperity, industrial opportunity and quality of life throughout our region. The association began with 50 members and was led by John Bower Lewis—the second Mayor of Bytown, the first Mayor of Ottawa, and a Member of Parliament from 1872 to 1873.

Forward-thinking business development Decade by decade, the Ottawa Board of Trade actively supported the construction of new buildings, homes, schools, hospitals, bridges, and roads. It contributed to improvements such as the first public abattoir and a proper system of garbage collection. By arousing public opinion, the Board also facilitated the introduction of tap water to residents via the Thomas C. Keefer plant in 1875.

The Byward Market in recent years Photo courtesy of Ottawa Tourism.

Into the 20th century, maintaining and expanding railways and highways was a priority, as was the widening, levelling and straightening of existing local roads. In the name of public safety, it conducted surveys related to housing, traffic and parking conditions. During the 1930s when jobs and money were scarce, the Board began mentoring 20-35 year-olds by launching the Ottawa Junior Board of Trade.

Investing in existing and future industries and businesses At the municipal level, the Ottawa Board of Trade’s influence grew. In 1954, it helped organize and fund the Eastern Ontario Board of Trade, later renamed the Eastern Ontario Development Association (EODA), whose mandate was to encourage industrial location in Ottawa.

The Board then proposed, successfully, that the City of Ottawa should not only give the association a grant, but also adopt it as its industrial agent. In the years that followed, the Board worked closely with the EODA, the municipal government and other groups to invest in and drive industry and business growth.

Adaptable to the most pressing issues of the day In an era before Internet searches, the Ottawa Board of Trade was a magnet for local and foreign enquiries from businesses and tourists alike—whether it was making introductions,

providing directions or advice, or answering questions about housing, schools or the business community.

The sheer number of committees in earlier years is a testament to how much work was being taken on. Areas of focus included community development, industrial exploration, agriculture, reforestation, fire prevention, civic affairs, publicity, traffic, motor vehicle fleet training, department stores, specialty shops, the Public Appeals Review Board, tourism, special events, provincial affairs, and national affairs.

The proof is all around us For the past 160 years, what is now known as the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce has been the voice of business—a conduit of advocacy, dialogue and connections. It has been instrumental in conceiving, sponsoring and/or advocating for the establishment of what have become historic and defining mainstays in Ottawa: the Sparks Street Mall, the Canadian Tulip Festival, the Changing of the Guard on Parliament Hill, and the Eastern Ontario Institute of Technology (now Algonquin College), to name a few.

The Chamber has been at the forefront of advocacy for leadership, learning and technological advancement. It has developed courses for businesses, guided decisions about taxation and pension reform, and participated in diplomatic relations. The Chamber has also administered group insurance plans, monitored budgets at every government level, and

obtained funding for business, social and charitable causes.

What this means for our future A membership with the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce isn’t just about attending functions, accessing information and services, and networking for our own professional advancement.

Being an active member demonstrates a respect for everything it took to build what we have—and it confirms our distinct awareness that we need to keep pursuing economic, civic, social and cultural transformation in an ever-changing world. As history has shown, our identity is shaped not only by what we inherit, but also by what we pioneer.

To join the largest, most influential and rewarding business organization in Ottawa visit us at ottawachamber.ca

Daniel Alfredsson, Former Ottawa Senators Captain

Hon. Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport and Ian Faris, President & CEO, Ottawa Chamber of Commerce

Michael Crockatt, President & CEO, Ottawa Tourism

David McGunity, Member of Parliament for Ottawa South and Hon. Bardish Chagger, Minister of Small Business and Tourism

Bernie Ashe, CEO, Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group

Hon. Marie-France Lalonde, MPP, Minister of Francophone Affairs and Community Safety and Correctional Services

CAPITAL AROUND TOWN

Mayor Jim Watson

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THE LAST WORD

How to Get Things Done, the Sandberg Way

BY CO RY G AL B RAI T H

digital device, to keep track of everything—and grudgingly admits to checking email late at night. But 48-year old Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook, is a productivity dynamo.

Sandberg’s command over time allows her to not only keep Facebook running smoothly but also have a family life and oversee a non-profit website (leanin. org) that helps women in business support each other.

How does she do it? A few secrets from the Facebook executive…

Ruthless prioritization:

“I spend my time on what matters most.”

Immediate, short email responses: Sandberg responds

to emails as soon as they come in, reading them only once: “I would rather give a short, quick, incomplete answer than wait and do it better later.”

Off-time: Her phone goes off late at night.

Don’t add to barriers:

Sandberg says we’re our own worst enemy when we lack confidence. Make sure barriers to progress are “external, not internal.”

Always capture ideas: If a better idea enters her head, it gets written down immediately and flagged as an actionable item.

Effective delegation: Those who work for Sandberg say she tends not to give specific instructions, letting her people

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find their own way to accomplish goals. The result is a more motivated team that gets tasks done faster.

Sandberg must be doing something right. She is reported to be worth over a billion dollars as a result of stocks in Facebook and other firms.

Formerly with Google, she had met Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg at a Christmas party.

Today, she manages sales, marketing, business development,

Sandberg’s command over time allows her to not only keep Facebook running smoothly, but also have a family life and oversee a non-profit website

communications, human resources and policy.

But still has time to kiss her kids good night.

Cory Galbraith is a former journalist turned entrepreneur. He is CEO of Ottawa-based Webcast Canada, a leading online streaming company.

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