The Advocate Magazine - May | June 2013

advocate M AY | J U N E 2013

Creating Real Sustainability in Southwest Ontario The Accidental Environmentalist Paving the Way to a Greener, More Sustainable Future

Content Contributor to the KW Chamber Blog.

A Snapshot of Cowan’s Support to the KW Chamber in Take a closer look at the upcoming events, information and programs available to you through your Chamber Membership that are sponsored by Cowan Insurance Group.

Cowan’s One Source Advantage Program - a FRPSOHWH EHQH¿WV DQG insurance package built for both Chamber members and their employees.

2013 Sponsor of the Chamber Golf Scramble on August 12th, 2013

Title Sponsor of the 2013 Business Excellence Awards Gala.

Cowan Insurance Group 1-888-333-6337 | chamber@cowangroup.ca www.cowangroup.ca/kwcma13

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:

FEATURE

Art Sinclair

The Accidental Environmentalist Justin Young

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EDITOR:

Heather Hutchings

COVER STORY

Creating Real Sustainability in Southwest Ontario

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION:

Brad Muter

Cober Evolving Solutions

FEATURE

PHOTOGRAPHY:

Paving the Way to a Greener, More Sustainable Future Amir Abd El Halim

Adamski Photography ADVERTISING AND SALES:

David MacLellan – dmaclellan@greaterkwchamber.com Don Critelli – dcritelli@greaterkwchamber.com Michelle Kienitz – mkientz@greaterkwchamber.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:

Amir Abd El Halim, Murray Costello, Mary Sue Fitzpatrick, Ian McLean, Brad Muter, Art Sinclair, Tim Sothern, Justin Young

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MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

Energy – What can Ontario Expect?

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Murray Costello

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Energy Critical to Waterloo Region Economy Ian McLean

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ADVOCACY

Transportation Infrastructure Demands Continue to Escalate

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Art Sinclair

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PERSPECTIVE ON HEALTH CARE

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Chamber Partners Committed to Attracting Physicians

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Business Excellence Awards Winners

Business Excellence Awards Guests

CONTRIBUTORS:

Teri Hetherington and Julie Tedesco ADVERTISING AND COPY DEADLINES:

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ADVOCATE - PUBLICATIONS OFFICE 80 QUEEN STREET NORTH, PO BOX 2367 KITCHENER, ONTARIO N2H 6L4 The Advocate is a bi-monthly membership benefit publication of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.

Advertising content and the views expressed herein are those of the contributors and do not constitute endorsement by the Chamber.

The Advocate follows the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards (1990), copies are available through the Publisher. The Chamber cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions that may occur and has the right to edit material submitted. The Chamber will not accept advertising with competitor comparison claims and has the right to refuse advertising that is deemed to be false, misleading, or inappropriate.

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message from the chair

Energy – What can Ontario Expect?

BY MURRAY COSTELLO There’s no doubt that energy – in its many forms – is instrumental to the great quality of life Ontarians enjoy in our communities, including Waterloo Region. Energy heats our homes, lights up our dark winter nights, fuels our vehicles and keeps our industries and manufacturers humming.

North America, are expected to remain affordable through to at least 2025. This offers business and industry reliable, stable input cost projections. This has particular resonance here in the Waterloo Region, where one in five jobs today are generated by the manufacturing sector.

Today, there’s also an increased focus on how our energy choices balance with broader environmental goals. In Ontario, as in many other places around the world, we’re seeing a corresponding demand for cleaner and greener energy sources, as well as greater use of conservation and energy efficiency measures to balance future demand.

Natural gas has a lot to offer on the environmental front. It’s the cleanest burning conventional fuel that exists today, with only about half of the emissions of coal and oil. It produces significantly lower emissions of CO2, nitrogen oxides – which are a pre-cursor to smog – virtually no particulate matter and significantly lower emissions of the acid rain-causing pollutants sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.

On the electricity generation front, for example, the province continues to move away from coal-fired electricity, which last year accounted for only about 3 per cent of the power generated in Ontario. A combination of nuclear, hydro, natural gas and renewables such as solar and wind met the province’s electricity needs. Since the off-coal plan was implemented, 5,000 megawatts of natural gas-fired electricity and 1,500 megawatts of renewable electricity have been added to Ontario’s system.

In fact, natural gas is expected to continue playing an important role on many fronts: Total natural gas demand is projected to double in Canada between 2012 and 2035, and in Ontario specifically, demand for natural gas is expected to increase 60 per cent over the next 20 years.

That is because natural gas offers a clean, affordable option to homeowners, businesses and industry looking to manage costs and contribute to Ontario’s environmental goals.

Let’s look first at cost. There’s no denying that managing costs is on the minds of all Ontarians, especially when it comes to energy bills. Small businesses in this province continue to identify energy costs as one of their key concerns. The good news is that Ontarians are reaping the benefits of natural gas prices that are lower than they have been in a decade. Actual billing data shows that compared to five years ago, a typical residential customer paid about $400 less for natural gas last year. Commercial customers have saved as much as $15,000 a year, and industrial customers have saved between $8 million and $20 million a year.

Province-wide, that translates into an annual savings of about $4 billion, a significant contribution as our economy returns from the recent slowdown.

These affordable natural gas prices, which are being driven by the economic recovery of massive natural-gas supplies throughout

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Another exciting avenue is the renewed interest in natural gas as a vehicle fuel in the transport sector for both return-to-base fleets and long-haul applications, in either its compressed (CNG) or liquefied (LNG) form. The use of CNG and LNG has the potential to not only deliver lower fuel costs but also to significantly lower CO2 and other GHG emissions. The Highway 401 corridor – Detroit to Montreal – for example is an ideal opportunity to use LNG in the heavy-duty truck market.

Balancing our future energy needs with our environmental goals will continue to be top of mind as we work to maintain our unparalleled quality of life here in Waterloo Region, throughout the province and across the country. Ensuring we have access to diverse, affordable and abundant sources of energy will help us meet that challenge.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Murray Costello CHAIR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS Murray Costello is the Union Gas District Manager for Waterloo/Brantford. He is accountable for the safe and efficient construction, operation and maintenance of the natural gas distribution system within the district.

Murray received his Engineering Degree from the University of Waterloo and is an active community volunteer.

message from the president

Energy Critical to Waterloo Region Economy

BY IAN MCLEAN A survey of Waterloo Region businesses on priority public policy issues will probably identify taxes (municipal, provincial and federal) at the top of the list. Maintaining a tax regime that is competitive with neighbouring jurisdictions domestically and internationally is a persistent challenge. Over the past decade, securing and retaining skilled employees has also become prominent. The recent federal budget confirmed the workforce development portfolio is a priority for employers across Canada, regardless of geographic region or sector.

But an issue that is climbing the list is energy supplies and pricing.

The Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) has noted that energy is the challenge of the 21st century. As demand increases and costs for major energy sources continue to skyrocket, companies must find new ways to gain efficiencies and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A reliable, sustainable, and costcompetitive supply of energy is essential to the development of Canada’s economy.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC) paper Electricity in Canada: Smart Investment to Power Future Competitiveness released in January of 2013 noted that the availability of reliable, abundant and comparatively inexpensive electricity that has minimal environmental impacts both as an input to economic activity and as an export commodity will have a direct impact on Canada’s future growth and competitiveness.

We are an energy nation and the CCC indicates we will continue to be one in the long term. In fact, the demand for energy in Canada will double between now and 2050. From a historical perspective, there is not a lot of time in which to change energy production practices. Oil, natural gas, coal and hydro will continue to drive our energy systems for the short term. The use of renewable energy sources such as biomass, solar and wind will grow but will remain a small portion of the total energy system unless advancements in storage technologies are achieved.

Clearly, from the perspective of two of Canada’s largest business advocacy groups, energy is a significant priority now and into the future.

addressed the growing global demand for energy. She referenced a report by ExxonMobil that projected the global population will reach nine billion by 2040, compared to seven billion today. Of significant importance is a growing population base in Africa, India and China who are experiencing a higher standard of living that is infalting global energy demand.

Energy use in the industrial sector will increase by 30 percent and commercial transportation energy resulting from a globally connected economy will also rise. The bottom line for us all is that increased energy demand will require advancements in energy efficiency technology. Energy is a major international business issue as well as a local, provincial and national priority.

One of the premier events in our Chamber calendar is the annual Energy and Environment Forum. We started this event in 1987, which is another indication of the strong sense of innovation and entrepreneurship across our community. The environmental portfolio was not at the top of the national business agenda a quarter century ago, however through the vision and foresight of our membership we are strongly positioned for changing global energy markets.

The 2013 Chamber Energy and Environment Forum will feature an impressive roster of speakers across the portfolios, including keynote speaker Jim Prentice, Vice Chair of CIBC and a former federal Environment Minister. The challenges for local business in terms of cutting energy costs are significant, however through dialogue such as our forum we can emerge as national leaders in remaining competitive in the global marketplace. To register please visit the Chamber website.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ian McLean Ian McLean is President and CEO of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.

Last June, our Chamber hosted Cindy Christopher, Manager of Environmental Policy and Planning for Imperial Oil who

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awards nominations

It’s time to get down to business.

Dela Karimi, P.Eng, MBA Extruded Business Leader Pepsico Canada

Billy Chung, BCom, MBA, CMA Financial Tools Specialist Accenture Canada

Julie Cutter, MBA, CMA Director of Finance Danier Leather Inc.

Choose Laurier’s MBA WATERLOO CAMPUS Next intake August 2013

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Visit us online, attend an upcoming information session or book a personal pre-assessment appointment.

TORONTO PROGRAMS Maureen at mferraro@wlu.ca WATERLOO PROGRAMS Holly at hpatton@wlu.ca

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WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY

WATERLOO | TORONTO | Brantford | Kitchener

advocacy

Transportation Infrastructure Demands Continue to Escalate

BY ART SINCLAIR In Waterloo Region, the major infrastructure project that has dominated the local transportation agenda is the proposed Light Rail Transit (LRT) system. The political decisions have been made and the project is proceeding on schedule and hopefully on budget.

We all hope that pattern is maintained until the first train travels down King Street.

standing supporters of a Mid Peninsula Trade Corridor, a proposed highway to serve as an alternative route to the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) and other existing roads that are challenged to meet increasing commercial traffic volumes. It is estimated that one million trucks use the Niagara border crossings to haul freight into the United States from Canada annually.

The LRT is a regional initiative however equally important for the local business sector is inter-regional transportation. The highest item on that agenda is a new Highway 7 between Kitchener and Guelph which appears significantly closer to construction than one year ago. As our Chamber and other stakeholders have emphasized to Queen’s Park, the new route is important not only for connections between the aforementioned centres but also providing an important eastbound link to the GTA. As the population of the Greater Golden Horseshoe escalates over the next two decades, the necessity of this route will increase as well.

Not unlike Highway 7, the Mid-Peninsula Corridor has been the subject of intense debate across the western side of the Golden Horseshoe since serious consideration commenced over a decade ago. Former Premier Mike Harris announced in 2001 at a Grimsby hotel that the project would proceed. The Liberal government elected under Dalton McGuinty stalled and essentially stopped the highway prior to the 2011 provincial election, a cancellation that has not generated the public attention of gasfired power plants just east of the Niagara Region. Tim Hudak, as the MPP for Fort Erie, has announced that should he assume the Premier’s Office the highway will be expeditiously built.

A persistent and growing issue for Waterloo Region, Ontario and Canadian business is border infrastructure. In 2010, $645 billion worth of goods and services travelled between Canada and the United States, with more than one-quarter moving through the Windsor-Detroit corridor, the highest volume crossing in North America.

Last June, Prime Minister Harper and Michigan Governor Rick Snyder announced that a new Canadian-financed structure will be constructed to relieve the volume of commercial traffic on the Ambassador Bridge, where 29,000 trucks travel daily. The new bridge will be completed by 2018.

Equally important for southern Ontario and Waterloo Region is infrastructure into the State of New York and ultimately the Eastern Seaboard. The Economic Development Corporation for the City of Fort Erie estimates that 55 percent of the entire population of the United States and 62 percent of the Canadian population is located within a 500 mile radius of the Peace Bridge – North America’s second highest volume border crossing.

For Waterloo Region, the priority is a transportation system to reach Niagara border crossings. Business groups in the Niagara Region and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce have been long-

Kalvin Reid of the St. Catharines Standards wrote in 2010 that when the Ontario government indicates that existing transportation routes can be expanded as an alternative to the MidPeninsula, they are hopefully not considering the QEW. The main thoroughfare of the Niagara Region already places excessive pressure on valuable farmland and there simply is no room to stretch the already massive highway running beside Lake Ontario.

A new Highway 7 is immensely important for Waterloo Region but the provincial demands for transportation infrastructure are far from resolved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Art Sinclair Art Sinclair is the Vice President Policy and Advocacy for the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.

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perspective on health care

Chamber Partners Committed to Attracting Physicians

BY MARY SUE FITZPATRICK Health care is a significant issue for all of us and having access to health care professionals is critical to the well being of families in our region. However, many families, locally and across the province, do not have the benefit of being under the care of a family practitioner.

This is why the Chamber’s physician recruitment program is an important community health care initiative.

The Chamber Health Care Resources Council oversees a number of programs throughout the year to attract new family physicians to serve the health care needs of our residents. Since the program was launched in 1998, the Chamber, working with community interests, has successfully attracted over 150 family practitioners.

The successes we have achieved would not be possible without the support and involvement of our community partners.

Funded through generous corporate, municipal and personal support, these partners are helping to better primary health care for all of us. It is important that they be recognized for their commitment. Their names and logos are listed here and we ask Chamber members to note who they are and to recognize them for their contributions.

The most central program that they support is the annual physician recruitment weekend over which we host first and second year family medicine residents and their partners interested in practice and employment opportunities in Kitchener-WaterlooWoolwich. This coming November we will be celebrating our 15th year of showcasing the community to these young health care professionals.

The Family Medicine Resident Weekend, as well call it, has proven to be one of our most successful recruitment tools and has drawn many family physicians to local community practices over the past fourteen years. We have historically recruited three to four new family practitioners each year through this initiative alone. Given the success of this past year’s weekend and the interest expressed in local practice opportunities, from residents across Ontario and those training in the local family medicine program, we expect that number will be even greater.

Our physician recruitment sponsorship partners’ generous investment and support also helps the Chamber to recruit physicians throughout the year.

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Over the past six months, the Chamber Health Council has been working with a number of family medicine residents nearing graduation, some of whom are training in K-W, as well as established family practitioners from across the province.

A number of personal community visits have been arranged for these young practitioners who have met with local family physicians and toured a number of K-W practice opportunities.

These doctors and their partners were very impressed with the area and they have made commitments to practice here.

To date, four have joined local family practices and four are in the process of finalizing their decisions to join existing practice groups in 2013. In 2012, a total of eight family physicians established K-W practices.

From 40,000 residents in 1998 without a family physician to 20,000 today, the Chamber’s recruitment efforts have been very successful. While the situation is dramatically better than it was when the Chamber first became involved, the family physician shortage is not yet solved.

The progress we have realized to date is the direct result of ongoing financial support from the local business community and the municipalities, and that continued support is critical to the achievement of our goal.

The Chamber Health Care Resources Council sincerely thanks all of our partners for their generous investment in this important community health care initiative. With their continued support, five years from now we want to be able to say that every one of our residents has access to a family physician and the best primary care possible.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mary Sue Fitzpatrick Mary Sue is Vice President Family Physician Resources and Health Advocacy.

perspective on health care

Tha h nk Yo ou!

RECRUITER

BY THE HOUR INC.

Individua al and Small a Business Contributors

BME Consulti t ng

Kar aren Mason

Ian McLean n

for helping the Chamber r continue its goal of eliminating the doctor te loo Reg shortage ag a in Water t R gion Since 1998 the Chamber and a te t am of dedicat ted d volunteers have v cut the number r of residents without a family doctor in half. However the battle is not over.

Our Recruiitment efforts ca an only happen through the financial dedication of our Corporat te Community through o which it is fu f nded advocate MAY | JUNE 2013

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awards

Business Excellence Awards Winners

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1) VICTOR SAVTCHOUK, PRESIDENT OF ALARMSHIELD RECEIVES THE INTEGRATION AWARD FROM JILL BRUSH, LIBRO FINANCIAL GROUP 2) KEVIN MADILL (R), CO-FOUNDER OF MIOVISION TECHNOLOGIES RECEIVES THE YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARD ON BEHALF OF KURTIS MCBRIDE FROM DOUG SPARKES, CONRAD BUSINESS, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND TECHNOLOGY CENTRE 3) JIM HALLMAN (R), CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FROM THE LYLE S. HALLMAN FOUNDATION RECEIVES THE NON-PROFIT/CHARITABLE AWARD FROM JIM HINTON, BORDEN LADNER GERVAIS LLP 4) STEPHANIE DELL (R), HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER AT MTE CONSULTANTS RECEIVES THE HEALTH & WELLNESS IN THE WORKPLACE AWARD FROM MALCOLM MAXWELL, GRAND RIVER HOSPITAL 5) WANDA RICHARDSON (R), DIRECTOR OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR HATCH MOTT MACDONALD RECEIVES THE ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY AWARD FROM MURRAY COSTELLO, UNION GAS LIMITED 6) PETER VISSCHER (R), SPACE/ROBOTICS MANAGER FROM ONTARIO DRIVE & GEAR RECEIVES THE INNOVATION AWARD FROM TENILLE KENNEDY, BLACKBERRY (MIDDLE) 7) DAVID MARSKELL, CEO OF THEMUSEUM RECEIVES THE HOSPITALITY/TOURISM AWARD FROM MARY D’ALTON, WATERLOO INN CONFERENCE HOTEL 8) KATHERINE MCKINNON (R) AND MIKE TOLAN (MIDDLE) FROM CRAWFORD & COMPANY RECEIVE THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & WORKPLACE TRAINING AWARD FROM DR. JOHN TIBBITS, CONESTOGA COLLEGE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND ADVANCED LEARNING 9) BILL PEGG (R) RECEIVES THE VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD FROM DR. MICHEÁL KELLY, LAURIER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS & ECONOMICS 10) TRACEY JOHNSTON-ALDWORTH (R), CEO OF TRACES SCREEN PRINTING LTD. RECEIVES THE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR (20 EMPLOYEES AND UNDER) AWARD FROM JOHN DEANS, S.G. CUNNINGHAM LTD. 11) DOUG GROSFIELD (R), CEO OF XYLOTEK RECEIVES THE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR (OVER 20 EMPLOYEES) AWARD FROM PEGGY JARVIE, UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO 12) JIM ERB (R) RECEIVES THE MICHAEL R. FOLLETT COMMUNITY LEADER OF THE YEAR AWARD FROM KAREN MASON, EQUITABLE LIFE OF CANADA

Photography by Adamski Photography

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awards

Business Excellence Awards Guests

Photography by Adamski Photography advocate MAY | JUNE 2013

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networking

Spring Networking 1

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SHANNON DALLYN, WAYNE THOMAS AND LESLEY WARREN FARAH MOHAMED AT THE PODIUM THE CROWD LEARNING HOW THE BOTTLING PROCESS WORKS PATRICK GASKIN SHARING THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE AT CAMBRIDGE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL KAREN REDMAN WITH LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

6) SOME OF THE CROWD AT THE POINT OF VIEW LUNCHEON WITH LOCAL HOSPITAL CEOS 7) REGIONAL CHAIR KEN SEILING AND MAYOR BRENDA HALLORAN 8) CHAMBER CHAIR MURRAY COSTELLO WITH LOCAL HOSPITAL CEOS PATRICK GASKIN, DON SHILTON, MALCOLM MAXWELL 9) PAT FRETWELL, GREG SCHOTT, ZENIA HORTON AND DON WALES AT THE BA5

Photography by Adamski Photography

Call us tod today! day! (519) 743-4461 1510 V Victoria icto oria St. N, Kitchener www www.pioneercraftsmen.com .pion neercraftsmen.com

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BBB 速

networking

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10) PAUL MAXWELL OF MAXWELL’S MUSIC HOUSE SPEAKING TO THE CROWD AT THE BUSINESS AFTER 5 EVENT 11) KAREN REDMAN WITH THIS YEAR’S KEYNOTE SPEAKER FARAH MOHAMED 12) JEFF MACINTYRE WELCOMING THE CHAMBER YOUNG PROFESSIONALS CROWD AT WINEXPERT KITCHENER SOUTH

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RYAN VANDYK, JEFF HORST, MAC GRAHAM NEAR THE WINE BARRELS AT THE CYP EVENT KATIA ZEMLYANUKINA & JEFF SHEPPARD (BOTH OF COLDWELL BANKER) THE CROWD AT GOLF’S STEAK HOUSE FOR FEBRUARY’S BA5 MALCOLM MAXWELL SPEAKING TO SHORTENED EMERGENCY WAIT TIMES! MPP JOHN MILLOY AND FARAH MOHAMED

Photography by Adamski Photography

Coming soon from BRIDAL SHOW

WATERLOO REGION formerly former rm Wedding Wedd We d ng Dr Dreams rea am a ms

October 19 & 20, 2013, Bingemans Conference Centre

Present

WATERLOO REGION

EXPO

Kitchener Market

www.grandrivershows.com

September 19-21

For more information contact: 519-895-5239

www.fooddrinkexpo.com

@GrandRiverShows advocate MAY | JUNE 2013

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feature

The Accidental Environmentalist

BY JUSTIN YOUNG Launching a new business is no less daunting than the first time a baby bird jumps out of the nest. Just like your business it doesn’t know if it can fly until it makes the leap. On my bucket list of life was an idea to build and launch a business from scratch with a brand people understood, hire our own staff, and invest in our own inventory and assets. Our mistakes would be ours alone and so would be our wins. In 2007 Waterloo presented such an opportunity. After doing a deep research dive into the region, the west side, and predicting all the great things that lie ahead for this area we sold our previous store and made the leap to build the first business of size on the west side of KW.

units. This past fall we installed CO2 monitoring sensors that manage the amount of fresh air into the building so we don’t waste heated air. Since we became conscious of electricity we fund one full time employee per year with our annual savings. In 2013 we will have surpassed over 1 million kwh’s saved. Our future plans will be to convert our exterior wall lamps to LED, and convert our emergency light system to T8 LED lamps which alone will reduce power another 5%. Most projects after rebates have a payback of around 2 years. This year our store will have 250 solar panels installed on our rooftop which will signify just how serious we are about making a difference to our customers and our community.

Well the baby bird didn’t fly so well, the road we now know as Ira Needles unknowingly to us completely closed down for 5 months cutting off traffic to the south, our opening marketing plan didn’t penetrate awareness of our location and lastly we underestimated how difficult it is to change customers’ shopping habits. The lack of complementary retail and west side services left us with dramatically lower sales than we expected which could have resulted in financial ruin.

Since becoming conscious of general consumption we have expanded our thinking into many other areas. We collect rainwater to use in our garden centre. We figured out a better way to handle solid waste and have reduced our waste to landfill from 5 metric tons per month to 2.42 tons per month for the last 20 months.

Being a cancer survivor you learn that losing is not an option in life and the same applies to business. We re-focused our efforts by looking at every controllable action within our operation. The results have been staggering. We started to do common sense things like training our staff to turn off lights when not in use.

This resulted in reducing consumption 11% in our first year. Then we got excited about the savings. Since then we have invested in motion sensors for non customer facing areas and timers for electrical devices to shut off automatically when not in use. We replaced high consumption metal halide parking lot lights with induction that use 75% less power and have a longer life. We changed our display light fixtures to pull chains instead of being on all the time. We changed our lit displays to turn on at peak times only. We replaced warehouse lamps from 32W to 28W long life lamps. And more recently we invested in swarm technology that manages peak HVAC demand by synchronizing our 6 rooftop

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There is no better return on invested capital than conservation. It is the ultimate hedge for the future. As costs go up and they will continue to do, so do the savings go up and payback periods shorten. There are no management expense ratios, no volatility, no trading fees, and no valuation bubbles in saving energy and waste.

The dividends continue to pay as sure as you will turn the lights on tomorrow.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Justin Young Justin Young is the owner and operator of the Canadian Tire Store located at Ira Needles and Erb Street. He has owned stores in Thompson, MB, and Espanola. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Western Ontario.

feature

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cover story

Creating Real Sustainability in Southwest Ontario

BY BRAD MUTER

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The waste management sector has undergone a remarkable renaissance in the past few years. At Waste Management, we like to think of waste management as a manufacturing process. We bring in raw materials and then we process that material in to other things that have higher values. Whatever is left over we then dispose of in an environmentally responsible way.

partnered with the New Harvest Power facility in London, Ontario to process organics with anaerobic digestion that not only produces high quality fertilizer, but also produces energy that is converted and sold to the power grid. Waste Management is the only national hauler providing Organic services directly to customers.

It used to be that most waste material was simply trucked straight to disposal sites. That’s no longer the case. In the GTA and Western Ontario areas, Waste Management has implemented Single Stream Recycling (SSR). This material is processed at our SSR Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Cambridge, Ontario.

WM has invested over $30 million locally in this state of the art technology to sort and recycle various materials. By having this facility available, our customers have the unique experience of utilizing one front load container for all their recycling materials, such as paper, containers, plastic, glass and cardboard.

Additionally, WM can now route our trucks more efficiently which reduces their impact on the environment by cutting down the hours they are on the road. Along the same lines, WM has also opened a first of its kind, Single Stream Construction and Demolition processing facility in Etobicoke, Ontario. This sorting facility allows projects to increase diversion results, helping builders attain LEED certification recognition and awards for the projects they are working on.

Waste Management’s commitment to effective management of the waste we collect has been acknowledged by The Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC). WHC is a nonprofit, non-lobbying group of corporations, conservation organizations and individuals dedicated to restoring and enhancing wildlife habitat. The WHC’s Corporate Wildlife Habitat Certification/International Accreditation recognizes commendable wildlife habitat management and environmental education programs at individual sites through the organization’s Wildlife at Work program. In 2011, Waste Management had 110 Wildlife at Work and 18 Corporate Lands for Learning certifications. We are pleased that Waste Management’s Twin Creeks Landfill and Environmental Centre located in Watford Ontario has been continuously WHC Certified since 1996. As well, the following additional facilities are Certified: Glanbrook Landfill, ON; Ottawa WM facility, ON; Petrolia Landfill, ON; Richmond Landfill, Napanee, ON; Magog Landfill, QC; Ste. Sophie, QC; St. Nicephore, QC.

Given the importance of finding an environmentally sound way to treat organic wastes, WM has invested significantly in providing organics collection throughout Southern Ontario. We have

While Waste Management has made remarkable strides to assure that there are state of the art methods for processing and disposing of waste, we have also updated the way we collect it. For example, in the Ottawa Region, Waste Management has commissioned a

A WASTE MANAGEMENT WILDLIFE HABITAT CERTIFIED LANDFILL SITE

CAMBRIDGE MATERIAL RECOVERY FACILITY FOR SINGLE STREAM RECYCLING

WWW.GREATERKWCHAMBER.COM

cover story

ARIEL PHOTOGRAPHY OF WASTE MANAGEMENT’S TWIN CREEKS LANDFILL SITE LOCATED IN WATFORD, ONTARIO

CNG filling station at our Ottawa facility. This facility is also home to the more than 25 trucks that are routed daily to provide service to the residents of the Ottawa Region, with an additional 9 commercial/industrial vehicles fueled by CNG planned for 2013.

Lastly, none of these achievements would be very successful if we were not able to couple them with how we service our customers.

Not only have we centralized our dispatch across Eastern Canada to ensure that every customer touch is handled with professionalism and the latest in logistic technology, but we have also introduced some specific service offerings for sectors of the market that require them. For example, we have added a Builders Direct Construction Service program to provide specialized support for Large Contractors in Ontario which allows us to provide escalated same day services. Additionally, WM Sustainability provides a special suite of services to our larger customers, including Waste Audits and monthly diversion reports which allow customers to meet their diversion and sustainability goals. Waste Management is proud to be an Environmental Service provider to many of Canada’s Top Corporations.

At Waste Management we take a very different approach to our customers. Our Service and Safety records are the best in the

industry, we take pride in helping customers divert more waste from landfills and help them manage their diversion rates year over year. Waste Management is exceptionally proud to continue to provide these great service offerings to our customers in the Waterloo Region and throughout Canada. Through our focus on investing in new technologies and services designed to ensure that we make the best use of the waste we collect, we are confident that we can help the Waterloo Region become one of the world’s leaders in sustainable environmental management.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brad Muter Brad Muter, Area Vice President of Waste Management, has over 30 years of experience within the waste industry. Brad continually focuses on achieving market base profitability and is the recipient of several Best Market Area Summit Awards as well as Wildlife Habitat Council Certification for several landfill sites.

advocate MAY | JUNE 2013

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events

Mark Your Calendar

BY CHAMBER STAFF

May 7, 2013

May 10, 2013

May 13, 2013

Second Foundation Chamber Young Professionals Networking Event

Leadercast 2013 powered by SaveONenergy

100 Mile and Beyond Feast: The Canadian Experience

5:30-7:30pm Location: Workplace One Member: $5 General Admission: $10

8:00am-4:30pm Location: Bingemans Ticket: $75

6:00-10:00pm Location: Waterloo Inn Conference Hotel Ticket: $150 Table of 8: $1200

Jack Welch, Coach K, Condoleeza Rice, John C. Maxwell – just to name a few of the world-class speakers that will be a part of this leadership development event broadcast live from Atlanta to hundreds of venues around the world. It’s a day of exceptional motivation, inspiration, education, not to mention great networking.

For three decades Anita Stewart has been on a quest to discover...to really pin down...the essence of Canadian cuisine.

For years it seemed to be a moving target.

Now, finally, she has eaten and traveled widely enough to share personal insights, tastes and experiences, and has come to the realization that there's no mystery to cooking. Great cooks listen to their hearts.

Anita will be collaborating with Chef Lori Maidlow to prepare a menu of a regionally diverse Canadian cuisine. Join host Andrew Coppolino to hear her opinions, stories about some very special places and taste the pure sensual pleasure of our country.

You are invited to join us to develop key relationships, build your business network and connect with other young professionals and business leaders at this casual networking event.

Title Sponsor:

Leadership Sponsor:

saveonenergy.ca

Platinum Sponsor:

Gold Sponsor: Gowlings LLP Silver Sponsors: BDO Canada LLP, Conestoga Mall Bronze Sponsors: Cowan Insurance Group, Union Gas Media Sponsors: 570 News, Waterloo Region Record

What you want to protect the most ...

We Protect the Best!

Insurance is the last thing business owner’s think of when times are good. But, when there’s a claim it’s their first call.

With Erb and Erb, you know you have best coverage possible.

Get an Expert Opinion on your Commercial Insurance Needs insure@erb-erb.com · 519-579-4273 · www.erb-erb.com · Commercial Property · Commercial Auto · · Professional & Business Liability · Surety ·

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events

May 22, 2013

May 29, 2013

May 31, 2013

Manulife Chamber Academy: Utilizing Social Networks Effectively for Business Development

Manulife Chamber Academy: Practical Cyber Security for Every Businesses

Networking Breakfast

8:00-10:00am Location: Chartwell Westmount Retirement Residence Member: $20 General Admission: $25

8:00-10:00am Location: Chartwell Westmount Retirement Residence Member: $20 General Admission: $25

Join host, Jeff Horst from echosims to discover which social networks are best for promoting your business so you can start attracting clients and stop wasting your time trying to do too much. There’s more than Facebook and Twitter out there and understanding what is best for your business is the first and most important step in deciding to leverage the power of social media.

With the exponential growth of the Internet as the preferred means for global business communication and electronic commerce, there has also been a similar growth in hacking and attacks on business.

Doug Blakey from WatSec® will avoid "techno-speak” and focus on a simple, effective understanding of the cyber security problem that every organization now faces. He will also offer practical solutions to this problem by explaining how to ensure that the organization becomes and remains significantly more secure.

Title Sponsor:

Title Sponsor:

May 23, 2013 Point of View: Southbridge Health 11:30am-1:30pm Location: Holiday Inn Kitchener-Waterloo Member: $40 General Admission: $50 Table of 6: $225

7:15-9:00am Location: Waterloo Inn Conference Hotel Member: $28 General Admission: $35 Watch the website for more details.

Media Sponsor:

June 5, 2013 Manulife Chamber Academy: Knowing When to Upgrade 8:00-10:00am Location: Chartwell Westmount Retirement Residence Member: $20 General Admission: $25 Technology changes faster than most of us can keep track of and one of the hardest decisions for any business, not matter its size, is knowing when to upgrade. Adam Smith from My IT Guy will detail new trends and how to identify issues in order to figure out when it’s time for an upgrade.

Title Sponsor:

Watch the website for more details.

Title Sponsor: Yorkville Asset Management

(continued on page 27)

THIS IS THE

Mother’s Day Brunch May 12th

BRUNCH THEY LOVE THE BEST WATERLOO INN 475 King N., Waterloo ON www.waterlooinn.com 519 884 0220

Father’s Day Brunch June 16th advocate MAY | JUNE 2013

19

new members

February 1, 2013 to March 31, 2013 A Body in Motion Rehab

CAA Travel - Waterloo

Graf-Martin Communications Inc.

Maxsys Staffing and Consulting

Physiotherapists Keri Martin Vrbanac, Owner 70 Victoria Street North, Suite E Kitchener, ON N2H5C2 Email: kerimartinvrbanac@rogers.com Web: http://www.abodyinmotion.ca Phone: (519) 579-3746 Fax: (519) 883-0450

Travel Agencies Susan Clift, Manager 572 King Street North, Waterloo, ON N2L 6L3 Email: smc@caasco.ca Web: http://www.caasco.com Phone: (519) 746-8875 Fax: (519) 746-7866

Marketing Consultants Ellen Graf-Martin, Founder/Managing Director 40 Church Street West Elmira, ON N3B 1M7 Email: ellen@grafmartin.com Web: http://www.grafmartin.com Phone: (519) 342-3703

Employment Agencies Merrilee VanSpronsen, Branch Manager 871 Victoria Street North, Suite 220 Kitchener, ON N2B 3S4 Email: kitchener@maxsys.ca Web: http://www.maxsys.ca Phone: (519) 569-4033 Fax: (519) 569-4035

Bluelemonlime.com

Capital One Road to the Roar 2013

Hillside Professional Inc.

Advertising - Internet Andreas Arvanitis, President 55 Bridgeport Road East Waterloo, ON N2J2J7 Email: arvanitis@sympatico.ca Web: http://www.bluelemonlime.com Phone: (519) 572-0241 Fax: (519) 747-4302

Recreation & Leisure Leslie Gallacher, Event Manager 83 Vista Crescent Kitchener, ON N2M 4C8 Email: leslie.gallacher@shaw.ca Web: http://www.roadtotheroar.com Phone: (519) 573-8075

Accounting & Bookkeeping Services Brent Hutzal, Founder & Sr. Account Manager 34 Paige Street Kitchener, ON N2K 4P5 Email: brent@hillsidepro.com Web: http://www.hillsidepro.com Phone: (519) 279-6488

Care Solutions Brian Bennett Honorary Member 372 Deer Ridge Drive Kitchener, ON N2P 2S5 Email: brian-bennett@sympatico.ca Phone: (519) 591-7302

Marketing Consultants Carolyn West, Owner 230 Dolph Street North, Cambridge, ON N3H 2A7 Email: caresolutions@rogers.com Phone: (519) 212-2626

Budget Blinds of Kitchener

Cohen Highley LLP

Blinds Mark Riffer, Owner 106 Woodbend Crescent Waterloo, ON N2T 1G9 Email: mriffer@budgetblinds.com http://www.budgetblinds.com Phone: (226) 647-0226

Lawyers Lori Sprott, Lawyer 55 King Street West, Suite 1002 Kitchener, ON N2G 4W1 Email: sprott@cohenhighley.com Web: http://www.cohenhighley.com Phone: (226) 476-4444 Fax: (519) 576-2830

Business Improvement Coaching and Consulting Coaching Peter Csaszar, Coach/Consultant 116 Kenneth Avenue Kitchener, ON N2A1W2 Email: peterjcsaszar@gmail.com Web: http://www.peterjcsaszar.com Phone: (519) 404-4441

CAA Travel - Kitchener Travel Agencies Michelle Dolezel, Manager 655 Fairway Road South Kitchener, ON N2C 1X4 Email: mjd@caasco.ca Web: http://www.caasco.ca Phone: (519) 893-9604 Fax: (519) 741-1841

Dominion Lending Centre Platinum Group Tracy Valko Mortgage Brokers Tracy Valko, Broker/Owner 1187 Fischer Hallman Road, Suite 627 Kitchener, ON N2E 4H9 Email: tracyvalko@rogers.com Web: http://www.tracyvalko.ca Phone: (519) 722-4175 Fax: (519) 745-9437

Dusty Roads Ink Corporation Advertising Agencies & Consultants Laurie Watson, President 504 Banffshire Crescent Kitchener, ON N2R 1X1 Email: laurie_watson@rogers.com Phone: (519) 954-6676 Fax: (519) 954-8433

Dytrem Corporation Business Consultants Stephan Tremblay, President & CEO 7 Cathay Street, Suite 100 Cambridge, ON N1R 4V1 Email: stephan@dytrem.ca Web: http://www.dytrem.com Phone: (519) 620-9828 Fax: (519) 629-3524

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Jeff Sheppard - Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty, Brokerage

Nougat Bakery & Delicatessen Bakers John(Jay) Konduros, President 600 Queen Street South Kitchener, ON N2G 1X1 Email: information@nougat.ca Web: http://www.nougat.ca Phone: (519) 570-1303 Fax: (519) 570-1289

Optikon Corporation Ltd, The

Real Estate Brokers & Sales Representatives Jeff Sheppard, Sales Representative 508 Riverbend Drive, Kitchener, ON N2K3S2 Email: jeff@wrliving.com http://www.waterlooregionliving.com Phone: (519) 742-5800 Fax: (519) 742-5808

Scientific Instruments Farid Dhanani, Controller 1099 Guelph Street Kitchener, ON N2B 2E4 Email: info@optikon.ca Web: http://www.optikon.ca Phone: (519) 745-4115 Fax: (519) 745-6922

JS1 Solutions Inc.

Papa Joes Hot Kettle

Management Consultants Jaiveer Singh, President 55 Stewart Street, Unit 529 Toronto, ON M5V 2V1 Email: mail@js1solutions.com Phone: (416) 528-4897

Restaurants Charoula Patsalis, Owner 2492 Cedar Creek Road Ayr, ON N0B 1E0 Email: papajoeshotkettle@gmail.com Phone: (519) 621-6300

Julianne Costigan - Wild About Style

Platinum Stone Design Inc

Student Julianne Costigan, Owner 33 Charles Street East, Suite 1603 Toronto, ON M4Y 0A2 Email: e.julianne.costigan@gmail.com Phone: (519) 591-9915

Landscape Contractors & Designers Mike Silva, Owner 8 The Crestway Kitchener, ON N2P 2J2 Email: info@platinumstonedesign.ca http://www.platinumstonedesign.ca Phone: (519) 591-8622

Keith Marshall Realtor - Royal LePage Grand Valley Realty

Playford Professional Corporation

Real Estate Keith Marshall, Owner 370 Highland Road West, Unit 15C Kitchener, ON N2M 5J9 Email: keith@kwhomesandhouses.com Web: http://www.keithmarshall.ca Phone: (519) 729-4116 Fax: (519) 745-8460

Accountants - Chartered Jim Playford, Owner 295 Weber Street North Waterloo, ON N2J3H8 Email: jim@playford.ca Phone: (519) 725-0956 Fax: (519) 725-4926

Macfarlane Communications Communication & Public Relations Consultants Catriona Macfarlane-Davies, President 444 Victoria Road North, Unit 406 Guelph, ON N1E 5J8 info@macfarlanecommunications.com www.macfarlanecommunications.com Phone: (519) 546-3448

(continued on page 22)

feature

Couple of sandwiches short of a picnic?

We can help.

That’s why so many businesses in the Waterloo Region choose Bingemans.

We have been professional caterers for 75 years, and we would be honoured to cater your next corporate event. Why not make your next company gathering a picnic. Our experienced event planners can fulfill all of your needs including: location, menu planning, staffing and beverage management.

BINGEMANSCATERING Phone (519) 744-1555

Toll Free: 1-800-667-0833

Web: bingemans.com

advocate MAY | JUNE 2013

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new members

February 1, 2013 to March 31, 2013 (continued from page 20) POLLR Promotions & Sportswear

Sutherland Mark

Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours

Workplace One

Promotional Products Ross Poll, Owner/President 22 Cedarhill Crescent Kitchener, ON N2E 2H4 Email: pollr@sympatico.ca Web: http://www.pollrpromotions.com Phone: (519) 577-6557 Fax: (519) 742-0196

Lawyers Liam Legate, Lawyer 675 Queen Street South - Suite 100 Kitchener, ON N2M 1A1 Email: liam@sutherlandmark.com Web: http://www.sutherlandmark.com Phone: (519) 725-2500 Fax: (519) 725-2525

Tourist Attractions Andrea Connelly-Miele, Sales & Marketing Manager 61 Melville Street, Box 1215 Niagara On The Lake, ON L0S 1J0 Email: andrea@whirlpooljet.com Web: http://www.whirlpooljet.com Phone: (905) 468-4800 Fax: (905) 468-7004

Office & Desk Space Rental Service Maggi Jones, Centre Manager 51 Breithaupt Street, Kitchener, ON N2H 5G5 Email: m.jones@workplaceone.ca Web: http://www.workplaceone.ca Phone: (519) 497-5096

Polycom

TC Industrial Supply

Telecommunications Paul Lorimer, Account Manager 145 King Street West, Suite 2701 Toronto, ON M5H 1J8 Email: paul.lorimer@polycom.com Web: http://www.polycom.com Phone: (647) 248-6335

Industrial Equipment & Supplies Tim Solie, President 154 Otonabee Drive Kitchener, ON N2C 1L6 Email: tim@tcindustrialsupply.com Web: http://www.tcindustrialsupply.com Phone: (519) 489-2574 Fax: (519) 894-3732

PWL Capital Inc. Financial Planning Consultants Susan Daley, Portfolio Manager Assitant 20 Erb Street West, Suite 506 Waterloo, ON N2L 1T2 Email: waterloo@pwlcapital.com Web: http://www.pwlcapital.com/waterloo Phone: (519) 880-0888 Fax: (519) 880-9997

The Bottom Line

Real Investments

The Company of Neighbours/ Hespeler Heritage Centre

Investments Austin Smith, Owner 19 Homestead Place, Kitchener, ON N2N1Z1 Email: austin@real-investments.ca Web: http://www.real-investments.ca Phone: (519) 498-9592

Accounting & Bookkeeping Services Michele Caldwell, President 72 St. Leger Street, Suite 207 Kitchener, ON N2H 6R4 Email: services@thebottomline.ca Web: http://www.thebottomline.ca Phone: (519) 749-9333 Fax: (519) 749-9330

Artists - Fine Arts Lary Turner, Chair 11 Tannery Street East Cambridge, ON N3C 2C1 Email: neighbo@golden.net http://www.companyofneighbours.com Phone: (519) 651-0032

Recruiter By The Hour Inc. Human Resource Consultants Tony Meeker, Recruitment Mgr 120 Rennie Drive Kitchener, ON N2A1J6 Email: tony@recruiterbythehour.com Web: http://www.recruiterbythehour.com Phone: (226) 750-4109

Tram-Blair Denture Clinic Dental - Denturists Keith Blair, Denturist 526 Frederick Street Kitchener, ON N2B 3R1 Email: mail@tramblairdental.ca Web: http://www.tramblairdental.ca Phone: (519) 884-9298

Wilfrid Laurier University Students' Union Schools - Academic - Colleges & Universities Megan Lacoursiere, Sponsorship Coordinator 75 University Avenue Fred Nichols Campus Centre Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5 Email: mlacoursiere@wlu.ca Web: http://www.yourstudentsunion.ca Phone: (519) 884-0710 Fax: (519) 884-7723

Zomaron Merchant Services Financial Services Products Jeff MacIntyre, Regional Account Manager 1400 Ottawa Street South, Unit C-10 Kitchener, ON N2E 4E2 Email: jmacintyre@zomaron.com Web: http://www.zomaron.com Phone: (519) 616-3553

Exhale Entertainment Event Planning Wayne Thomas, Assistant Director 425 Hespeler Road, Unit 6 Cambridge, ON N1R 8J6 Email: wayne@exhaleentertainment.ca Web: http://www.exhaleentertainment.ca Phone: (226) 929-3744

Is Your Organization Payroll Compliant?

Payroll is one of the largest financial obligations for most organizations and requires compliance with over 190 federal and provincial regulatory requirements. Compliance is crucial given the potential for significant penalties that could be in the thousands of dollars depending on the organization’s size. Keep current on payroll compliance best practices through the Canadian Payroll Association’s (CPA’s) professional development seminars. With over 30 years of experience, the CPA is the authoritative source of Canadian payroll knowledge and education.

Upcoming Seminars in the Kitchener-Waterloo Area: X HR Fundamentals for the Payroll Professional X

May 8 - Guelph

Velanoff Group Inc.

X Employment Standards

Business Consultants David Velanoff, President 539 Belmont Avenue West, Unit 903 Kitchener, ON N2M 0A2 Email: dave@velanoffgroupinc.com Web: http://www.velanoffgroupinc.com Phone: (519) 954-8324

X

May 22 - Kitchener

X International Assignments X

June 14 - Kitchener

X Special Payments and completing the Record of Employment X

September 4 - Kitchener

For additional information, including quick and secure online registration, visit www.payroll.ca. p y

T he C The Canadian anadian P Payroll ayroll A Association ssociation Toll-free: T oll-free: 1-800-387-4693 1-800-387--4693 x118 x118 • FFax: ax: 416-487-3384 416-487-3384 • rregister@payroll.ca egisteer@payroll.ca

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Serious about your business?

Get serious about HR

Join HR Information Service—a new Human Resources information resource for small business and front-line managers that gives you: 1. HR Hotline: Fast HR answers over the phone 2. Resource Centre: * Searchable HR knowledgebase * HR Tools, policies, legal opinions * Reference Library including up-to-date salary surveys 3. HR Professional: Canada’s largest HR magazine

Only $149 Per Year!

4. Discounts on small business HR education Plus big savings on business products and services, including job postings, insurance and HR reference resources

Join HR Information Service today: www.hrpa.ca/HRsubscriberKW HR Information Service is a service of the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA)—Canada’s HR thought leader with more than 20,000 members in 28 chapters across Ontario. HRPA connects its membership to an unmatched range of HR information resources, events, professional development and networking opportunities and annually hosts Canada’s largest HR conference. In Ontario, HRPA issues the Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation, the national standard for excellence in human resources management and the Senior Human Resources Professional (SHRP) designation, reserved for high-impact HR leaders. www.hrpa.ca

advocate MAY | JUNE 2013

23

sponsor profile

Engaged to make a difference

BY TIM SOTHERN “One Firm engaged to make a difference through valued relationships with our people, clients and communities.” This vision, adopted by BDO in 2011, has been embraced by our professionals and drives our office culture. BDO Canada LLP is a firm with a strong focus on business and community relationships. From the implementation of employee engagement focus groups, a new client feedback process and an aggressive growth plan, BDO has become a dynamic audit, tax and advisory firm in Waterloo Region.

Over 90 years ago, Colonel James M. Dunwoody opened his first office in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Now, with over 1200 offices worldwide, including 106 offices across Canada, BDO is the fifth largest audit, tax and advisory firm internationally and the fifth largest single partnership in Canada. Regionally, BDO has offices in Waterloo and Cambridge as well as a financial recovery services practice that moved into the recently renovated Breithaupt Block in Kitchener.

BDO has over 100 professionals in the Waterloo Region offering services ranging from audit and accounting to tax to BDO Solutions – a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. The tax practice is extensive and offers compliance, planning, corporate and international services.

We focus on serving entrepreneurial and owner-managed businesses, healthcare professionals, as well as not-for-profit organizations, offering strong technical and industry knowledge.

Our emphasis is on developing relationships with our clients so they have the confidence to work with us at all stages of their growth cycle – from start-up to business growth to business transition. We invest the time to get to know their organization and management so that we understand the priorities and long term ambitions. Our professionals are accessible, act as an independent sounding board and provide honest and constructive opinions. Whether we are dealing with business transition, growth, risk management or tax optimization, the end goal is always kept in sight.

When our clients are expanding into new markets, updating to new reporting requirements, managing their risks, trying to improve their bottom line or evaluating new technology, our professionals are there to help and to bring the right resources to the team.

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A Member of the Chamber Chair’s Circle The Chamber has established itself as a valuable resource for our community and have advocated for local businesses at both a provincial and national level. A member since the mid-1970’s, our partners and professionals actively participate on the Board and a number of committees.

Two partners - Jim Harper and Greg Weiler – were Chairs of the Chamber's Board. Tim Sothern, a local audit and assurance partner, has been active in the Chamber for 10 years and encourages our young professionals to join. He says “the Chamber offers an opportunity to give back to the community as well as giving our staff a broader perspective by interacting with other local business members”. Karen Temple, a tax manager who has been involved in several Chamber committees, notes that chamber events are a great way to expand your business network. Kate Phillips, who recently joined BDO as a Business Development manager, values the opportunities for networking and is a great supporter of the Chamber and its activities.

As a member of the Chamber Chair’s Circle, BDO supports other Chamber initiatives such as the Business Excellence Awards, the Advocate and the 100 Mile Feast as well as attending the many activities the Chamber organizes.

BDO in the Community The challenge we set for ourselves in making a difference is reflected in our range of social responsibility activities.

BDO’s most recent initiative has been the Farm Credit Canada (FCC) Drive Away Hunger Campaign. As a national sponsor of the campaign, BDO committed to collecting 350,000 pounds of food in 2012, up from the previous year’s goal of 180,000 pounds. Our offices across Canada responded with overwhelming enthusiasm and collected 454,602 pounds of food!

Many of our staff are active participants in the annual United Way campaign, making interoffice competitions an engaging way to raise funds, including cook-offs, dress-down Fridays and BDO’s own version of the Amazing Race! We have signed up for the Canadian Blood Services Partners for Life Program, participate in the

sponsor profile

BDO WATERLOO PARTNERS AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER (LEFT TO RIGHT), TIM RICKERT, ALEXANDRA HARDY, TIM SOTHERN, GREG WEILER, KATE PHILLIPS (BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT), WAYNE DUNKEL, LLOYD WRIGHT

Random Act of Kindness Day, deliver Christmas hampers for the House of Friendship, bowl in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Accountants Challenge and donate their “Community Service Day” to activities like the Parkinson SuperWalk. Add to that our staff members’ commitments to their personal volunteer activities, and you have a great group of employees heavily invested in the success and health of our community.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tim Sothern Tim Sothern, FCA, is a partner with over 20 years of public accounting experience. An active volunteer in the not-for-profit community, he is also a member of the Chamber’s Board.

If you would like to hear more about BDO's services, please contact Kate Phillips at (519) 576-5220 or kphillips@bdo.ca.

advocate MAY | JUNE 2013

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feature

Paving the Way to a Greener, More Sustainable Future

BY AMIR ABD EL HALIM Many people in the Kitchener-Waterloo area depend heavily on the Region’s road and highway networks for all facets of life. This includes commuting to and from work, driving our children to sporting and art activities, and visiting our friends and relatives.

Roads are also an integral part of the Region’s economy. Every day, millions of dollars of goods and services are moved on our road and highway networks.

As a whole, roads and pavements make up a considerable portion of a municipality’s infrastructure investment. In cities like Kitchener or Waterloo, the total value of the roadway network is in the order of $300M to $600M. Since roads play such a prominent role in our communities, proactively maintaining and managing a city’s pavement network should be an essential part of its asset management strategy to ensure that a road meets its intended design and service life and provides a high level of service to its users. As part of this strategy, there is now a push within the Province towards designing sustainable pavements and building roads that are considered “green.”

Building Green Roads through Smoother Pavements The smoothness of a road, or how “bumpy” it feels, can be measured using advanced sensors such as lasers and accelerometers. The International Roughness Index (IRI) is a standardized measurement used by transportation agencies around the world to measure road roughness. The Cities of Kitchener and Waterloo collect IRI data on a regular basis as a part of their pavement management strategy.

A number of studies have shown a relationship between IRI and fuel consumption. The rougher a road, the higher the fuel consumption, vehicle operating costs and emissions. In the Province of Ontario, the Ministry has recently adopted IRI smoothness acceptance standards for newly paved roads. This ensures that contractors are building roads smoother at construction that offer the traveling public the smoothest ride possible. Smoother roads mean greener roads.

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Sustainable Pavements For a long time, the term “perpetual pavement” was considered by many to be an oxy-moron. A perpetual pavement design refers to a pavement structure that should theoretically last for a very long time – something that most contractors or pavement engineers would never want to guarantee. Conventional asphalt pavements are designed to last approximately 20 years before needing major rehabilitation or reconstruction.

But with advances in pavement design and materials, we are now able to design pavement structures that can last for over 50 years, with only routine or minor rehabilitation. These multi-layered perpetual pavements need only routine upkeep (e.g., asphalt overlays, mill and overlays, etc.) to greatly extend the pavement’s design life. With this longer life comes less disruption to the traveling public during major rehabilitation, less drain on our natural aggregate resources and reduced emissions.

The Savings A proactive approach towards managing our pavement assets and adopting more sustainable designs for our infrastructure can lead to significant savings for a municipality. Studies have shown that a sound Pavement Management System can save a municipality over 10 times what roadway maintenance costs in a city without such a system. These savings can be directed towards our city’s parks, recreational facilities, and urban revitalization – creating more community resources we can all enjoy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amir Abd El Halim Amir Abd El Halim, Ph.D., P.Eng. is a Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario. He completed his PhD in Civil Engineering at the University of Waterloo.

Amir is a Principal and Practice Leader with the Infrastructure Management and Pavement Engineering Group at Stantec.

events

Mark Your Calendar (continued from page 19)

June 6, 2013

June 12, 2013

June 2013

Cowan Insurance Group presents a New Member Welcome

Manulife Chamber Academy: Apps vs Mobile Websites

Energy & Environment Forum with Jim Prentice

5:00-7:00pm Host: Chicopee Ski & Summer Resort Member: Complimentary

8:00-10:00am Location: Chartwell Westmount Retirement Residence Member: $20 General Admission: $25

Location: Watch the Chamber website for confirmed date and location

Learn how working together can work for you! Find out how our services and events can help your business grow, learn about volunteer opportunities, and promote your business to other members.

Title Sponsor:

Host Sponsor:

Mobile phones, smartphones, whatever you call it, they are now the backbone of web browsing. The problem for businesses is deciding whether they should invest in a mobile app or create a mobile friendly website. Greg Lehman from SpikeMobile will explain the pros and cons of each so you can determine the best option to invest in.

Title Sponsor:

As a current bank executive and former federal Environment Minister and Industry Minister, the Honourable Jim Prentice, has reached a unique and public level of success, and will share his opinions and expertise regarding the environment and sustainable development on a national and local level.

Title Sponsor:

Platinum Sponsors:

June 11, 2013 Rogers Business After 5 5:00-7:00pm Hosted by Lowe’s Member: Complimentary General Admission: $10 Does networking intimidate you or do you thrive on meeting new people? Come out to this casual bi-monthly event with friendly faces and easy conversation that provides an opportunity for B2B networking.

Title Sponsor:

Media Sponsor:

June 19, 2013 Heffner Women’s Leadership: Connect the Dots 11:30am-1:30pm Location: Verses Restaurant Member: $40 General Admission: $50

Prestige Sponsor:

Bronze Sponsor:

Come and connect at a progressive networking luncheon where you will roll the dice to determine which table will be your first networking stop. During the luncheon enjoy a tapas style menu and move tables with each course. There is no program, just solid networking.

Title Sponsor:

Host:

advocate MAY | JUNE 2013

27

in memoriam

In Memoriam – Mark Kreller Waterloo Region suffered a huge loss with the sudden passing of Mark Kreller on April 2, 2013.

Mark was most recently Executive Director of KW Oktoberfest and his exemplary record of volunteer service included Junior Achievement Waterloo Region, Leadership Waterloo Region and our Chamber.

In October of 1999, Mark became President (now Board Chair) of the former Chamber of Commerce of Kitchener & Waterloo.

When he started in this role, he wrote in this same Advocate magazine that “achieving success is primarily about setting goals, having a vision and taking action to make it happen.” Mark, as we all know, could make things happen across the community.

A year later, in Mark’s Farewell Message entitled “Taking Action and Making it Happen,” he was pleased that the Chamber was able to make an impact on many issues where they were involved.

More importantly, Mark stated he had as much or more enthusiasm for the Chamber and community issues than one year ago, developed new skills which would serve him well on future endeavours, and had become more educated on issues he was previously unfamiliar with.

He also wrote there is much more to be done. Those of us who remember Mark and benefited from his immense and endless energy know that his work was never done. As his remarks indicate, he was committed to making himself better by expanding his knowledge and skills set to make our community stronger.

It is a legacy that serves as an inspiration to us all.

Our condolences are extended to Mark’s spouse Christine, their son Stuart, and his family.

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