ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT/CORPORATE LEADERS
Ottawa on film: Eight movies shot in the capital Written by Steven Fouchard
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ttawa may still lag behind Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver as a Canadian movie production hub, but the city placed a renewed emphasis on attracting productions with the founding of the Ottawa Film Office by Invest Ottawa in 2012. There are signs that the effort is paying off, judging by this (by no means exhaustive) list of recent made-inOttawa movies and some of the stars the productions brought to town. Summer’s Blood (2009) Ottawa’s own Lee Demarbre (the man also responsible for the film Jesus Christ: Vampire Hunter) directed Ashley Greene in this scare-fest. Ms. Greene, who also played Alice Cullen in the Twilight series, is a young woman who’s stalked by not just one killer, but a whole family of them as she searches for the father she’s never met. Sacrifice (2011) Academy Awardwinner Cuba Gooding Jr. and Christian Slater costarred in this action thriller that includes a background cameo by the City Centre complex off Scott Street. Despite actually being quite a vibrant commercial space, the warehouses and office building can still show off its industrial past. Metal Tornado (2011) This made-for-TV disaster epic features Lou Diamond Phillips (who played rocker Richie Valens in La Bamba) battling a man-made “magnetic vortex.” Mr. Phillips also spent time in both Ottawa and Montreal shooting a monster flick named Carny in 2008. It was then that he told the Ottawa Citizen, over lunch at Metcalfe’s Main Street Bar & Grill (which he said made a mean liver and onions), that he finds Canadian film crews to be particularly polite. The Day (2011) The mood is a little heavier in this story of post-apocalyptic survival. Dominic
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Top executives: Five celebrated CEOs Written by Steven Fouchard
Monaghan of Lost and the Lord of the Rings trilogy plays a relatively small part despite being featured prominently on the poster. A Google search suggests local media didn’t pay the movie much attention, despite Mr. Monaghan’s obvious star power. An interesting fact about The Day, via the movie website IMDB: it was shot completely in sequence, a rarity in the industry. House at the End of the Street (2012) Ottawa’s Zed Filmworks scored a coup by casting Jennifer Lawrence in this homegrown thriller just before she attained mega-star status with the Hunger Games series. Her Canadian co-star, Max Thieriot, later told MTV that Ms. Lawrence was “really cool. (A) down-to-earth girl from Kentucky.” House at the End of the Street also featured Elisabeth Shue, who appeared in The Karate Kid and Adventures in Babysitting, among other films. Penthouse North (2013) Michael Keaton, star of Tim Burton’s Batman films, headlined this suspense thriller. Scenes were filmed all over downtown, including on Metcalfe Street and at the Chateau Laurier. A report from CTV noted that there’d been few sightings of Ms. Keaton and co-star Michelle Monaghan, who also appeared in Mission: Impossible III and True Detective. Clown (2013) Peter Stormare (the quiet, pancake-loving killer in the Coen Brothers’ Fargo) was topbilled in this evil clown story. Co-star Eli Roth is better known as the director of the ultra-gruesome Hostel films. Two Countries (in production) A product of the south Indian state of Kerala, this romantic comedy was shot in July and August of this year in nearby Almonte. CBC reported that its stars, including Matma Mohandas, are some of the biggest in India.
Shopify CEO Tobias Lütke is a tough act to follow. In 2014, his gamechanging e-commerce platform closed a $100-million venture capital deal, grew its customer base to 100,000 and moved into its current (and spectacular) space in the Performance Court office building at 150 Elgin St. He was the obvious choice for The Globe and Mail’s CEO of the year nod. He was given the same recognition at the Best Ottawa Business Awards gala. This year, Mr. Lütke and Shopify took things further with the firm’s debut on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges. He’s unquestionably one to watch and joins a long line of impressive Ottawa-based CEOs who have been recognized by OBJ and the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce. Here’s a recap of some of the other high achievers who have been given the nod:
Paul Loucks, Halogen Software (2013) Mr. Loucks, who recently resigned his post at Halogen, led the company to a $55-million IPO on the TSX. Born in Ottawa but raised in Prince Edward Island, Mr. Loucks led Halogen for 15 years and advised firms to work towards long-term goals rather than betting on overnight success.
Louise Wendling, Costco Canada (2012) While working in marketing for Price Club, Ms. Wendling received several promotions that ultimately led to the top job when Price Club and Costco merged. While the initial plan was to open just 10 stores in Canada, there were more than 80 and several additional locations in the pipeline when Ms. Wendling was named CEO of the Year.
Karen Kinsley, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (2009) Pembroke-born Ms. Kinsley became a certified chartered accountant but found her true professional passion was for real estate. She worked alongside Ottawa real estate legend Bill Teron for several years before joining CMHC in 1987 and rising to the CEO position in 2003.
Roy Mlakar, Ottawa Senators (2008) Mr. Mlakar turned around a team that had filed for bankruptcy protection and was having trouble paying its players. By the time he was named CEO of the Year, average game attendance was 19,000 and ticket revenues were up by more than 25 per cent. The business leaders judging the BOBs in 2008 called him “an outstanding CEO” and said the team’s success “is in large measure attributable to the capabilities of the entire Senators organization, but especially its leadership under Roy.”
Roger Greenberg, Minto (2004) Minto, an institution in Ottawa real estate, was celebrating its 50th anniversary when its chief executive was named CEO of the Year. Part of the second generation of Greenbergs to run the company, he was keen not to take all the credit, telling OBJ, “This is not a CEO-driven company.” Minto was, and remains, a highly successful and diversified operation with holdings in Toronto and south Florida as well as Ottawa. Among its multi-unit properties is the 32-storey Metropole tower near Island Park Drive.
BOOK OF LISTS 2015
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