Ottawa Business Journal March 13, 2017 by Great River Media inc.

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March 13, 2017 Vol. 20, NO. 10

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Praise for delays?

Derided as a bad habit, procrastination can sometimes be — yes — a good thing, a new book by Ottawa consultant Nancy Morris says. > PAGE 3

Foko CEO Marc Gingras says his firm’s app makes retailers’ lives easier by helping head offices share visual content with their stores. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON

Photo-share app clicks with clients Ottawa startup Foko finds its niche as platform for retailers to communicate visually Fledgling firm’s sales soaring 20 per cent monthly, thanks to customer list that includes heavyweights Nike and Whole Foods > PAGE 4

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BUSINESS GROWTH Delayed greatness In her new book, Ottawa author and consultant Nancy Morris argues procrastination at work can actually be a good thing – if its underlying causes are addressed BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca

arch 5-11 was National Procrastination Week, but if you never quite got around to celebrating it, don’t worry – you’re probably not alone. After all, everybody procrastinates. Study after study proves that putting off important tasks is as much a part of Canadians’ daily lives as breathing, eating and sleeping. When it comes to business, however, that hesitation and indecision have a hefty price tag. Nancy Morris, an Ottawa-based management consultant with a master’s degree in psychology, says the average

employee spends anywhere from 10-20 per cent of his workday gossiping with colleagues, surfing the Internet or doing any number of other things to avoid tackling assignments they don’t really want to work on. But after 25 years of studying workplace behaviour, Ms. Morris has come to a conclusion that flies in the face of everything we’ve been told since childhood: Procrastination is actually a good thing. “People are feeling bad about themselves unnecessarily, and that bothers me a great deal,” she says. “If (procrastination) was just something that if we did a few tips we could get rid of, then we would’ve done so by now. It’s there, and you’re not going to be able to get rid of it.” The Alberta native has written a new

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book entitled Procrastinate Now: Rethinking Time Management. In it, she argues procrastination is a mark of intelligence and “a tool for creating success.” Most of us, she says, have been socialized to believe that procrastination is a sign of laziness – an idea she completely dismisses. “It’s not the case at all,” she says. “It is your sixth sense telling you that something’s not quite right for you. If we keep trying to stop procrastination, then

we’re really sort of running up the wrong hill. It’s a useless waste of time to avoid something you’re going to do innately.” Procrastination is our brain’s way of signalling that something about a task scares or confuses us, she says, just as a fever is our body’s response to an infection. Once people understand that, Ms. Morris says, they begin to embrace their inner procrastinator and examine why they are avoiding certain behaviours. Continued on page 17

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Gain insights on business, tax and economic measures and determine what it means for you.

Nancy Morris has written a new book on procrastination at work. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON

LAUNCH PAD Seeing the big picture Foko’s photo-sharing app gaining traction among major retailers as tool for head offices to share merchandising plans with store managers BY ADAM FEIBEL adam@obj.ca

MONDAY, MARCH 13, 2017

arnessing the combined powers of visual communication and social media, a fast-growing Ottawa startup is shaking things up in a retail industry that’s “ripe for disruption.” Foko began in 2013 as a photosharing social app for businesses, gaining initial traction with companies using it primarily to share their office culture and goings-on with their employees around the world. But about a year and a half ago, the firm decided to narrow its focus to the merchandising aspect of the retail industry, and since then has been growing fast enough that it can barely keep up. Foko counts numerous big-name brands among its client roster, including David’s Tea, Dior, Esprit, Fabletics, Helly Hansen, Indigo, Nike, Uniqlo and Whole Foods. Because retail stores put lots of thought and effort into store layouts, product displays, in-store advertising and the overall buying experience, Foko decided to focus its app on making it quicker, easier and more effective for company headquarters to communicate merchandising directions to their store locations and ensure those instructions are being followed properly. “It’s a very visual industry,” says chief executive Marc Gingras. “The amount of visual content that they share internally

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is phenomenal already, but the tools they’re using to share that visual content are basically archaic: e-mails, intranets, shared drives. It doesn’t give you the ease of use to view and consume it and it’s not very engaging, so we saw a huge opportunity.” With Foko, a store manager receives a merchandising task over an Instagramlike interface that shows how the result should look, then follows the instructions and uploads their own photos once they’ve completed the job. Corporate managers can give instant feedback, “like you would on social networks,” Mr. Gingras explains. “When they first get introduced to our software, they’re like, ‘I can’t believe we don’t have this already. I can’t believe this doesn’t exist already. Why didn’t I think of that?’ We get a lot of that.” Before using Foko it would often take five or six days before a manager would get confirmation that merchandising tasks such as product displays were done according to head office standards, Mr. Gingras says, but the app brings that time down to two or three hours. “It’s a significant amount of timesaving to complete the work and to actually validate that it’s done properly.” Foko was founded by entrepreneurs Colin McDonald and Eric Sauvé; Mr. Sauvé left the company in September. Mr. Gingras initially got involved as an angel investor and became CEO in 2014. After landing $2.2 million US in seed

“When (clients) first get introduced to our software, they’re like, ‘I can’t believe we don’t have this already. I can’t believe this doesn’t exist already. Why didn’t I think of that?’ We get a lot of that.” – FOKO CHIEF EXECUTIVE MARC GINGRAS

Foko’s Marc Gingras became the firm’s chief executive in 2014. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON

funding on top of a previous $400-million friends-and-family round in Canadian funds, Foko is now positioning for a Series-A round in the summer. The firm is backed by Real Ventures, BDC Capital and Ottawa’s Mistral Venture Partners, plus angel investors who include current and former executives at Apple, David’s Tea and LinkedIn. The company says its sales over the last year have been growing steadily by 20 per cent each month, and Mr. Gingras says Foko is “a stone’s throw away” from becoming profitable. And it will soon be hiring: Currently employing nearly 20 people, Foko plans to increase its headcount by 50 per cent,

if not more, in the next year or so, Mr. Gingras says. As it chases further growth, Foko plans to continue expanding its client base while also exploring market segments other than merchandising, such as operations, product sourcing and employee training – while still maintaining its focus on visual media that has sparked its early success. “There are a lot of different areas where visual plays a very key role that we’re slowly getting into as well,” Mr. Gingras says. “The opportunity is there and the opportunity is huge when it comes to the transformation that the retail space is undergoing … Focus is our main challenge.”

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clients include marketers, social media managers and CEOs of small businesses. Founded in 2011 and named one of the OBJ’s Startups to Watch in 2013, Gnowit is currently working out of Invest Ottawa at Bayview Yards.

CHANGE LOG EIGHT FIRMS WIN BOOTSTRAP AWARDS Returning after a three-year hiatus, the Bootstrap Awards honoured Ottawa’s top self-financed startups this month. The awards were as follows: CanadaWheels for fastest-growing startup, Bluink and Punchtime for best mobile app, Grype for best guerilla marketing campaign, iBionics for innovation in engineering and technology, NuGrocery for the community impact award, Ottawa Media Group (OMG) for the bootstrap capital award and Spectrafy for the green award. L-SPARK WELCOMES NEW ACCELERATOR COHORT Six SaaS and cloud startups joined the ranks of L-Spark as the accelerator program picked its latest cohort. Advolv, LeadFox, Portia International, ProcedureFlow, Quickily and VigilantCS will take part in the four-month program that positions companies to scale up to $100,000 in monthly recurring revenues. Portia International, a learning-management automation firm, and Quickily, a job-hunting app, each originate from the Ottawa area. GNOWIT LAUNCHES NEW SOFTWARE Software startup Gnowit launched the beta version of its new product this month and is looking for early adopters. The application uses artificial-intelligence recommendations to simplify content marketing for small businesses to help drive website traffic, increase brand credibility and promote user engagement. The firm’s target

CALENDAR Smart Cities: Imagining the Future National Capital Region Monday, March 13 at 9 a.m. Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington St. More information at eventbrite.ca

TiE Ottawa Networking Dinner Tuesday, March 14 at 6 p.m. East India Company, 1993 Robertson Rd. More information at ottawa.tie.org/cevents

FANSHARE SPORTS WINS AWARD IN NASHVILLE New startup FanShare Sports won the Fantasy Sports Trade Association’s elevator pitch award for innovation in the fantasy sports industry in late January at the FSTA’s winter conference. Founded in early 2016, the company offers digital tools that curate content to help users save time and unclutter their news feeds while participating in fantasy sports. The firm currently offers tools for NFL football and PGA golf, but plans to expand into more leagues in the near future.

Marketing for Results: Growing Your Business in 2017 Wednesday, March 22 at 6 p.m. Grenville Mutual Insurance, 380 Colonnade Dr. More information at northgrenvillebusiness.com Export Lab: Software as a Service Thursday, March 23 at 3 p.m. Arc Hotel, 140 Slater St. More information at eventbrite.ca Discover TechNATA Tuesday, March 28 at 11 a.m. Brookstreet Hotel, 525 Legget Dr. More information at kanatanorthbia.ca eSax Ottawa Networking Event Wednesday, April 5 at 5 p.m. Lansdowne Park Horticulture Building, 1015 Bank St. More information at esax.ca Building a Culture of Innovation Friday, April 7 at 9 a.m. TheCodeFactory, 100 Gloucester St. More information at eventbrite.ca

t’s one of the classic sounds of winter turning to spring: The sound of water dripping off a roof and splashing on the ground. But what happens if all that water isn’t draining properly? The moisture created by the spring melt affects a roof much more severely than a simple rain shower. That’s because the pressure from the remaining ice and snow forces water to back up under shingles and through pinhole-sized gaps. It can even cause a syphoning effect as holes draw in more water through a leak. A winter like the one that just passed, with large swings in the temperature that bring multiple freeze-thaw cycles, leads to a buildup of heavier ice and can make matters even worse. “Property owners need to be able to deal with the large volume of moisture on their roof,” says Ernie Cecchetto, president of Ottawa-based Roof Maintenance Solutions. “If your roof isn’t prepared to deal with that massive volume of water that’s about to end up in your drain, get up there and look at it.” While roof maintenance is ideally a year-round process, there are several steps property owners and managers can take to help prevent leaks and moisture damage as winter comes to a close and spring arrives. The biggest one is to ensure all drainage paths are clear so water can easily flow off the roof. A blocked drain, and resulting pools of water, will put extreme pressure on a roof and risks damaging the structure or membrane. Another measure to protect your roof is to clean up any leaves, twigs, bird droppings and other detritus left over from autumn that’s been hidden by snow and ice for the last few months. This accumulated material will break down and turn into a sludgelike silt that pools in low spots, clogging drains and leading to an

accumulation of algae. This can also enable vegetation to sprout. An innocent plant growing on the surface of your roof can conceal a large intrusive root system below that is perforating the protective roof membranes and causing leaks.

Clearing snow and and ice away from a drain creates a clear path for moisture, reducing the chances. of pooling water that can lead to leaks. “We remove all unwanted damaging vegetation from your roof to ensure the barriers remain viable and keep your roofing system free from damage,” Mr. Cecchetto says. The start of spring is also the time to assess how well your roof stood up to winter. A roof holds important components that work together to ensure the structure’s long-term viability. Missing components such as drain covers, nails and vents that have been swept away by the wind, rain and snow can compromise the integrity of the protection system and leads to leaks and damage. Hiring a professional who knows what to look for, and who can replace any critical items that are missing, is an easy way to prevent unnecessary damage to a roof and avoid premature repairs and replacement.

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Women’s Day: Business & Community Builders Breakfast Wednesday, March 22 at 8 a.m. Perkins Restaurant, 1130 St. Laurent Blvd. More information at eventbrite.ca

SAFETY FIRM’S PRODUCT GETS CROSS-CANADA PICKUP The Canada Safety Council announced last month that all participants and instructors in its motorcycle rider training programs across the country will get a product made by Ottawa firm Medical Data Carrier for their helmets. The ID pouch contains important medical and contact information for use by first responders in the event of an accident. The firm will sell 20,000 units per year to the Canada Safety Council, and founder and president Steve Reed says the potential for spin-off sales from the program is a “huge” bonus.

Seasonal steps to prevent leaks and moisture damage

MONDAY, MARCH 13, 2017

Validating Your Business Idea Monday, March 13 at 10 a.m. Invest Ottawa, 7 Bayview Rd. More information at investottawa.ca/events

GO-FOR CELEBRATES LAUNCH, SEED MONEY With an app that lets contractors and doit-yourselfers order on-demand delivery of construction materials, Go-For is laying the foundation for success in 2017. In the last month, the startup launched in Ottawa and Nashville, raised $55,000 toward its seed round goal and landed two local partners. The firm plans to launch in Toronto and Atlanta in early April, and is adding new partnerships weekly, says CEO and co-founder Brad Rollo.

Spring is almost here. Is your roof ready?

NOW IS THE TIME TO CONSIDER

Orléans for your business

OBJ.social OBJ gets social with new coverage

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he year 2017 will be long be remembered in Ottawa for its sesquicentennial celebrations, chock full of memorable events. To help readers stay on top of these and other high-profile happenings, OBJ is launching multimedia coverage of the social scene with a veteran columnist. Starting in this issue, OBJ newspaper will feature four full pages of social coverage in a new section called “OBJ.social.” That brand will also serve as a dedicated URL to connect readers to expanded digital coverage, including photo slideshows, short videos, an online calendar and e-mail newsletter. The new web destination, OBJ.social, will debut on April 3. The e-mail newsletter will begin on April 17. The coverage will be spearheaded by longtime social columnist Caroline Phillips, who worked at the Ottawa Citizen for more than a decade. “I am so grateful to have a job where I get to share with the broader community some of the truly great things happening

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Nous sommes là pour vous aider! ombudsman@opo-boa.gc.ca 1-866-734-5169 OPO-BOA.GC.CA

Columnist Caroline Phillips. PHOTO PROVIDED

in Ottawa,” she says. “Joining a locally based publication like OBJ struck me as a seamless move.” “It’s an absolute thrill for OBJ to launch this type of social scene coverage,” says publisher Michael Curran. “This is going to be a fantastic addition to our editorial offering.” Coverage is made possible thanks to a group of patrons assembled to finance the project, including EY, Andaz Hotel, Mark Motors of Ottawa, the National Arts Centre and Soloway Wright LLP. – OBJ Staff

TECHNOLOGY Star search, Invest Ottawa style Economic development agency teaming up with Kanata North BIA on new campaign to attract U.S.-based tech talent to capital BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca

ttawa’s main economic development agency is joining forces with the city’s largest BIA in an effort to lure tech workers from other North American hot spots such as Silicon Valley. Invest Ottawa and the Kanata North BIA both launched promotional campaigns this week aimed at encouraging U.S.-based web developers, software engineers and other technology workers to relocate to the National Capital Region. The two agencies will also work together on various ad campaigns designed to highlight the capital’s quality of life, affordability and abundance of high-paying tech jobs. Ryan Gibson, Invest Ottawa’s lead

marketing strategist, says many of Ottawa’s 1,700 technology firms “are facing a bit of a talent crunch” because they’re finding it difficult to find qualified workers in Canada. The problem is not unique to Ottawa, he adds, making the competition for top tech talent in North America more intense than ever. “The reality is, when you’re looking through the research … all the western, developed tech-focused cities, there’s just more jobs than people,” Mr. Gibson says. The agency, which recently moved to the new Innovation Centre at Bayview Yards, is running a series of digital advertisements touting Ottawa on websites including TechCrunch and the New York Times. The campaign also features YouTube videos and Facebook posts on Invest Ottawa’s channels targeted primarily at expatriate Canadians living and working

in tech-centric regions such as Silicon Valley, New York City and Boston. Perhaps surprisingly, Florida also proved very receptive to the ads in a recent trial campaign. “Expats are a nice, easy target right now,” Mr. Gibson says. “People seem very concerned about the (political) climate down south. When we did a test a few weeks ago, we were amazed at the level of interest just for some very basic Google ad words. The engagement was off the charts. We know there’s an opportunity there.” The campaign, dubbed “Work in Ottawa,” is designed to shed the National Capital Region’s stereotypical image as a sleepy government town, with videos that show young tech workers doing jobs such as programming during the day and breakdancing or guiding nature walks at night.

IO’s Work in Ottawa campaign. PHOTO PROVIDED

“What we’re trying to do is showcase Ottawa in this new light where, ‘This can be you in Ottawa,’” Mr. Gibson says. The campaign will run for about 10 weeks, directing potential recruits to a new section of Invest Ottawa’s website that includes information on how the city stacks up against other tech hubs in categories such as housing prices and recreation activities. The site also includes a job board where local firms can post openings for free. Mr. Gibson says Invest Ottawa is hoping to have 150 companies signed up by the official launch on March 14. Continued on page 15

Beginning their story Introducing our successful CFE writers. This group of talented professionals from our Ottawa office passed a major milestone to becoming Chartered Professional Accountants.

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MONDAY, MARCH 13, 2017

From left to right: Jeff Nader, Nigel Van Dalen, Tyler Boliver, France Charette, Ranya Tantawy (National Honour Roll), Lourin Youssef, Rebekah Balfour, Geoff Gross, Claire Liu, and Eric Jungmeisteris.

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COMMENTARY Fair trade, not free trade, is what this country needs Donald Trump’s vow to rewrite NAFTA could provide both pitfalls and opportunities for Canada, Michael Prentice says

MONDAY, MARCH 13, 2017

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merica’s new president, Donald Trump, was elected partly – if not primarily – because he is a protectionist. And what, I ask, is wrong with that? I’m a protectionist. I believe many others are too, in that they want to protect their homes, their families, their jobs, their country. And, yes, maybe even their culture and their way of life, although it is not politically correct to say so. Protectionism is a dirty word to many people, especially when applied to international trade. Free trade brings prosperity and lifts countless millions of people out of poverty all over the world, its supporters claim. I believe that fair trade, not free trade, is the way to go. And I just hope that Donald Trump thinks so too. If not, the outlook is bleak for Canada. Canada and the United States are the perfect trading partners. Each country makes or grows products or has natural resources that the other country needs. They exchange goods and services freely. And, when all the bills are paid, the cash flow across the border is about the same in each direction. Isn’t that wonderful? Hundreds of billions of dollars flow back and forth each year, and the economies of both countries are strengthened. Contrast that with Canada’s trade with China, one of the world’s two superpowers along with the U.S. A couple of years ago, Canada’s trade deficit with China was running at almost $1 billion a week. Lately, the trade gap has narrowed to about $1 billion a month in China’s favour. So much of what we buy is made in China, it’s surprising that the trade gap is not wider than it is. But remember this: China has some 40 times as many citizens as we do. Yet we buy more from them than they buy from us. On a per capita basis, we buy 40 times as much from them as they do from us. There’s something wrong there. Trade deals are not rocket science. Any such deal must meet one essential condition: It must be beneficial to both countries. Take, as an example, two small island nations, located not far apart. They agree to a free-trade deal. One island honours the deal, but the other island finds it can buy what it needs more cheaply

Great River Media 250 City Centre Ave., Suite 500 Ottawa, Ontario, K1R 6K7 obj.ca TELEPHONE Phone: 613-238-1818 Sales Fax: 613-248-4564 News Fax: No faxes, email editor@obj.ca PUBLISHER Michael Curran, 238-1818 ext. 228 publisher@obj.ca CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Terry Tyo, 238-1818 ext. 268 terry@greatriver.ca EDITOR, PRINT CONTENT David Sali, 238-1818 ext. 269 david@greatriver.ca EDITOR, ONLINE CONTENT Peter Kovessy, 238-1818 ext. 251 pkovessy@obj.ca REPORTER Craig Lord, 238-1818 ext. 285 craig@techopia.ca CAMPAIGN MANAGER Cristha Sinden, 238-1818 ext. 222 cristha@greatriver.ca ADVERTISING SALES General Inquiries, 238-1818 ext. 286 sales@obj.ca Wendy Baily, 238-1818 ext. 244 wbaily@obj.ca Carlo Lombard, 238-1818 ext. 230 carlo@obj.ca CREATIVE DIRECTOR Tanya Connolly-Holmes, 238-1818 ext. 253 creative@greatriver.ca ART DEPARTMENT Regan VanDusen, 238-1818 ext. 254 regan@greatriver.ca Celine Paquette, 238-1818 ext. 252 celine@greatriver.ca

China has some 40 times as many citizens as we do, yet we buy more from them than they buy from us. There’s something wrong there elsewhere. The result: One island gains and one island loses on the deal. And don’t think it’s not important if we buy more than we sell abroad. A trade deficit means Canada’s wealth is gradually being exported to China or to whomever we are trading with at a loss. It’s a safe bet that bilateral or multilateral trade deals are good for the traders and merchants in all countries concerned. It’s also a safe bet that these groups urge their governments to make such deals.

But, just as in life, there are winners and losers in most deals. What is needed in any trade agreement is a mechanism that ensures all sides benefit equally. That’s the difference between free trade and fair trade: If I buy $100 billion of goods from you, you must buy $100 billion of goods from me. Donald Trump has vowed to renegotiate, if not scrap, the North American Free Trade Agreement that lowers the price of goods the United States imports from Canada or Mexico. For his presidency to succeed, Mr. Trump surely needs international friends. And he has none better than Canada – and, probably, Britain, which no doubt will also be seeking a fair-trade deal with the United States and Canada, now that British voters have chosen to leave the European Union. Let’s hope the president recognizes this. We may see Donald Trump, Justin Trudeau and British Prime Minister Theresa May shaking hands on a threeway deal that is good for all of us.

Michael Prentice is OBJ’s columnist on retail and consumer issues. He can be contacted at news@obj.ca.

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Real Estate Today

OBJ on lookout for fastest-growing companies in Ottawa

ttawa Business Journal is once again preparing to honour the region’s fastest-growing business

stars. OBJ’s Fastest Growing Companies competition is a unique opportunity for the city’s up-and-coming firms to be recognized for substantial, sustainable and profitable growth. OBJ is seeking companies headquartered in the National Capital Region that have demonstrated revenue growth over the past three years. Applicants will be ranked by percentage of revenue growth between year one and year three of their most recent three-year fiscal period. To qualify, the company must have completed three fiscal years with financial statements that have been subject to a review engagement or formal audit.

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growing C O M PA N I E S 2017

In year one, companies must have had revenues of at least $100,000. In year three, revenues must have risen to at least $500,000. If the company is not profitable by the third year, applicants will be asked to briefly explain how the firm will be sustainable. The companies that make the list will be profiled in the April 24 issue of OBJ and honoured at a gala in May at the new Innovation Centre at Bayview Yards. The deadline for applications is April 10. If you have further questions, please e-mail OBJ print editor David Sali at david@obj.ca. – OBJ Staff

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SOLD IN 21 DAYS FOR TOP DOLLAR! Over the course of the last forty years, I have had many experiences with the world of real estate, both as a buyer and seller. I have to say that my most recent experience with the team at Bennett Property Shop, and especially Greg & Marnie, have been nothing short of amazing. From the very first contact to the conclusion of the sale, they have all been the most professional team I have ever seen. Greg Blok, in particular, as my representative, was very clear, priced the house correctly, and gave me a realistic assessment of the time it would take to sell. He was completely correct. My house had incredible marketing, multiple showings and sold in three weeks. All I can say is that my experience

From Award Winning Broker, to Best Selling Author, to International Speaker - you won’t find anyone who knows more about Real Estate than Marnie Bennett – founder of Bennett Property Shop Realty, a full premium service real estate brokerage specializing in marketing and selling new and resale homes, condominiums and investment real estate. Considered one of Canada’s most highly-regarded Real Estate professionals.

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09 OBJ.CA

ottawarealestatetoday.ca

MONDAY, MARCH 13, 2017

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PRESENTED BY

Stories and photos by Caroline Phillips

the reality: that good people can get sick,” said Ms. Johnston, who earned her master’s and doctorate degrees in rehabilitation sciences while raising five daughters. “The stigma relating to depression or anxiety is on the wane. “However, there is still an elephant in the room, which is the fear that continues to exist toward those with serious mental illness. This association, which views people with mental illness as potentially violent or dangerous, has at least two Sharon Johnston negative effects: One, it makes people afraid to get to know someone with FUNDRAISER mental illness, or admit that it exists in Above, Daniel Alfredsson, Barbara Crook and their family and, two, it makes those with Dan Greenberg; top right, Teresa Marques and mental illness less likely to come forward Mariette MacIsaac; right, Sherry Romanado and to get help because they don’t want to be Christopher Morgan labelled as potentially dangerous. “Yet, mental illness rarely leads to violence. Very few of those with serious mental illness pose any threat to others.” Her excellency made a plea for all Canadians to get to know someone with serious mental illness as part of the 150th anniversary of our country. They have “families, hobbies, talents, quirks and passions, just like you and me,” she said. “Let us all get to know each other, and that harmful and counterproductive Honorary award recipient Sharon fear will go away.” Johnston and her husband, Governor Mr. Alfredsson, a long-time community General David Johnston, put the Royal ambassador for The Royal, did a great job in Royal Ottawa Mental Health Care and presenting the Leader for Mental Health Research by attending its 14th Annual Award to his friends, Mr. Greenberg Inspiration Awards Gala, presented by TD and Ms. Crook. The couple have been at the Delta Ottawa City Centre on March 3. advocates of mental health causes and Above, Sean McGee, Stephanie Lewis and Rob The vice-regal couple was part of have donated their time, resources and Notman; above right, Henry Burris and Carolyn an illustrious group that included local money to help patients receive better Waldo; right, Nancy Stanton and Jason Bellaire. hockey hero Daniel Alfredsson and care. community pillars Dan Greenberg and Mr. Greenberg, president of Ferguslea Barbara Crook, all of whom are helping not just for me but for the many like from the hip-hop group Culture Shock. Properties, which owns Accora Village, to destigmatize mental illness. Legendary me who are suffering,” said Rachel The $310-a-ticket event raised $429,000 wore beneath his suit jacket a purple Do Grey Cup champion quarterback Henry Scott-Mignon, who lives with bipolar for mental health. It For Daron hockey jersey. The Burris was the evening’s energetic disorder, before presenting the award While accepting her award, Ms. Sens fan also donned a scarf featuring emcee along with double-gold Olympian to Ms. Johnston, one of her “biggest Johnston touched on both the progress Mr. Alfredsson’s retired number, 11. Carolyn Waldo. supporters,” in front of a sold-out crowd made on mental health education “Every team wishes to have franchise Ms. Johnston is a member of The of nearly 600 people. and one of the major areas in need of players, pillars to build their team around, Royal Ottawa Foundation Women for The glamorous evening, once again improvement. that they know are going to show up Mental Health campaign. She has twice chaired by designer Jason Bellaire of “When it comes to the big picture of every night,” said Mr. Alfredsson. hosted the group at Rideau Hall and has StyleHaus Interiors, saw the business mental health awareness and stigma, the FOR MORE ON THE GALA, CHECK donated partial proceeds from her novel community come together for cocktails overall good news is that our military OUT CAROLINE PHILLIPS’ VIDEO Matrons and Madams to its cause. and dinner, coupled with inspiring mental public, public service and non-public AT OBJ.CA She’s been “a light in a dark place, health stories and an exhilarating show workplaces are honestly addressing

MONDAY, MARCH 13, 2017

Annual Inspiration Awards Gala raises $429K for Royal Ottawa

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Chateau Laurier’s Deneen Perrin with Ottawa 2017 executive director Guy Laflamme (left); Ottawa 2017 board members Brittany Forsyth of Shopify and OSEG boss Bernie Ashe.

MONDAY, MARCH 13, 2017

You’ve got to love party swag that’s not only practical but essential, such as the grey tuques handed out to some 1,400 ticket holders for the Red Bull Crashed Ice VIP party held at the Château Laurier on March 4. It was definitely hat weather for watching the winter extreme sport from the best view in town: right next to the ice track, on the terrace of the historic hotel, which, thanks to some beautiful lighting, resembled Disney’s Magic Kingdom castle. The Château Laurier was the place to be, judging by its bustling hotel lobby, corridors and restaurants. “Normally this time of year we’re not full, so this is really exciting,” said Deneen Perrin, the hotel’s director of public relations. Inside, multiple food and drink stations were set up in the Laurier Room and Ballroom, with lounge areas, music and giant screens for the less winter-hardy to watch the competition from indoors. The VIP event was sold out, at $290 a ticket. It was a momentous weekend for Guy Laflamme, executive director of the Ottawa 2017 Bureau. It was his vision to bring Crashed Ice to the nation’s capital as part of Canada’s 150th anniversary celebrations. “Two and a half a years ago I was here, suggesting where the track should go,” said Mr. Laflamme. “I’m pinching myself that I’m not dreaming, that the track has been built and it’s now happening.”

OBJ.social Gay Cook and Grete Hale.

Sandra Assaly with Andrea Camacho.

Michael Maidment, Jamilah Taib Murray and Sean Murray.

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MONDAY, MARCH 13, 2017

Jennifer Irwin-Jackson with Cheryl Boughton and Denise Carruthers.

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Heels for Meals perfect fit for food bank While the impact of first-quarter losses might make for sleepless nights for those in the business world, it’s the thought of people going hungry that keeps the executive director of the Ottawa Food Bank up at night. “Will we have enough food? Will we have enough money?” are the troubling questions that run often through Michael Maidment’s mind. He was breathing easier on Feb. 28

at the $125-a-ticket Heels for Meals luncheon for the Ottawa Food Bank. “It’s almost a feeling of relief, like that feeling of someone having your back,” he said while surrounded by a sold-out crowd of 120 at the chic Social restaurant on Sussex Drive in the ByWard Market. It was a high-society kind of event with silent auction items that included a designer accessories and multiple pairs of Christian Louboutin stilettos.

Sakto Corporation chairperson Jamilah Taib Murray had successfully reached out to her friends to help support the food bank’s Baby Basics program. She’s a mother of five herself. “It’s one of the most important programs that the Ottawa Food Bank runs,” said Ms. Maidment, noting that 36 per cent of its clients – or about 15,000 people per month – are children. Attendees included well-known construction executive Shirley Westeinde, Morrison Lamothe chairman emeritus Grete Hale and secondgeneration architect Sarah Murray. Her brother is Sean Murray, chief executive of Sakto, an Ottawa-based real estate development firm. By the end of the afternoon, $21,635 had been raised and more donations were still coming in.

Got an inside scoop? Contact Caroline Phillips @CarolinePhil

Acart president Al Albania.

Linda Albania, Jim Watson and Al Albania.

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and another and “before you know it, 40 years went by,” he told the room. “Marketing, advertising and communications is a difficult area to be involved in, especially when it changes every day,” said Mr. Albania. “It doesn’t just change gradually; sometimes there are major changes. You can see those changes, with newspapers, the web, television. Everything is changing, and you have to be on top of that.” Mingling in the crowd was Ottawa RedBlacks player Alex Mateas (how could you miss him, he’s an offensive lineman). He was with Waterbridge Creative Media vice-president Nik Topolovec and his father, Inner Orbis chief executive Milan Topolovec, a former CFL player who coached Mr. Mateas when he played for the Cumberland Panthers. Among the Acart clients in attendance was Robyn Robertson, president and CEO of the Traffic Injury Research Foundation. She said Acart helped her non-profit get the message across when trying to share its research and findings on road safety with stakeholders and the public. “As a research institute, we didn’t really think before about the importance of branding and how important the marketing and communication aspects are,” said Ms. Robertson. “In a research environment, it’s not one of the things you think about.”

Thur., Mar. 16 at 7:30 PM

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For once, Ottawa-based advertising agency Acart Communications didn’t have to work very hard to get the word out. Not when it came to letting everyone know about its 40th anniversary celebration, which attracted hundreds of guests – including friends, former and current employees and clients – to a party Acart hosted in late February at the bustling CTV studios in the ByWard Market. On hand was company founder and president Al Albania, with his wife Linda, to greet guests and publicly thank them for their ongoing support and loyalty. The 30-employee company, which specializes in change marketing, has done campaign launches and re-brandings for clients such as the fast food chain Subway, Canada Post, VIA Rail, the Ottawa Senators, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Calypso Waterpark and Elections Canada. Acart made national headlines in 2012 for landing the most federal government contracts that year and for beating out large international ad firms. “Winning large pieces of business – especially when you’re competing against Toronto agencies – makes you feel really good,” Mr. Albania told the crowd, which responded with a knowing chuckle. Advertising was “the last thing” Mr. Albania saw himself doing professionally. His background was in design and art direction. But, one project led to another

Tues., Mar. 14 at 7:30 PM

Nick Foligno

ACART’S 40TH ANNIVERSARY DRAWS BIG CROWD

Nathan MacKinnon

CELEBRATION

GO GLOBAL Kings of the urban jungle Ottawa software startup that aims to make blue-collar labourers’ lives safer gets chance to showcase products at massive smart-city test lab in Brooklyn BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca

MONDAY, MARCH 13, 2017

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on’t count Gabe Batstone among those who believe automation is the enemy of the blue-collar worker. The co-founder of Contextere, a new startup based at Invest Ottawa, says the oft-repeated claim that technologies such as robotics and the myriad of devices connected to the Internet are going to make human labour obsolete is a misconception. Instead, he argues, such devices actually offer a great chance to improve human productivity and make workers’ lives safer – an opportunity that so far has gone unrealized. His company is out to change that. Founded eighteen months ago, Contextere makes artificial intelligence software that compiles data about employees themselves, the tools they are using and the machines they are working on and analyzes that information to help labourers be safer and more efficient. “Thirteen workers die every day on the job in the U.S.,” Mr. Batstone says. “That’s astounding when you think of the capability of technology we have.” High-level investors south of the border think the folks at Contextere might be on to something as well. The five-person firm is one of eight startups taking part in the second cohort of the New York-based Urban-X accelerator that launched earlier this month. Funded by BMW’s Mini brand and venture capital outfit SOSV, Urban-X provides $60,000 US in seed capital as well as mentorship, HR, legal, accounting and marketing support – including trips to Germany and China to meet with mentors – to fledgling enterprises that are developing technology to make cities run smarter. “They loved the way that we were looking to blend automation with the human element,” Mr. Batstone says in an interview from the 23,000-square-foot Urban-X facility in Brooklyn. “Instead of the use of AI and automation to replace the human element, we’re very much about the augmentation of the human (element). I always say, we’re about creating Iron Man, not Skynet.” Studies show that workers charged with maintaining, repairing and inspecting everything from planes and trains to bridges and pipelines spend

up to 70 per cent of their workdays on tasks that aren’t part of their core responsibilities, Mr. Batstone says. The duties they do perform are done incorrectly about a quarter of the time. “How are you going to get the people who put warm hands on cold steel to be able to do that in the most effective and efficient way?” he says. Mr. Batstone offers an example of an aircraft maintenance worker who has been dispatched to repair an engine in the field. Contextere’s software can call up any relevant background information on that worker, including what specific tasks he is and is not certified to perform, and crunch data from sensors in the engine itself to offer the employee step-by-step guidance – instructing him to make sure electrical outputs stay within a certain voltage range, for example – and warn him of any potential hazards involved in the operation. The information can be delivered through means as simple as a text message to a worker’s smartphone. It’s all about arming people with as much data as possible to help them do their jobs well, Mr. Batstone says. “How someone maintains something effectively depends on that person, not on the equipment,” he explains. URBAN PROVING GROUND For the next three months, he and his colleagues will have a chance to test their products in one of the greatest proving grounds on the planet: New York City. The most populous urban area in the United States is home to the largest municipal sanitation department on earth as well as a massive transportation network that includes nearly 10,000 kilometres of roads – the equivalent of one-quarter of the total distance around the globe – and one of the world’s longest subway systems with more than 1,300 kilometres of track. Any way you slice it, the Big Apple has a mammoth amount of infrastructure that must be kept in good running order, and thousands of employees responsible for doing that every day. “The scale of New York City seemed like a great place to come and apply these concepts that we’re confident will work in aerospace and defence and oil and gas and apply them here in a city environment,” Mr. Batstone says. “They say if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere, right?” But Contextere began making a name for itself even before its arrival at

Contextere co-founders Gabe Batstone (left) and Carl Byers. PHOTO COURTESY CONTEXTERE

“The scale of New York City seemed like a great place to come and apply these concepts that we’re confident will work in aerospace and defence and oil and gas and apply them here in a city environment. They say if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere, right?” – GABE BATSTONE, CO-FOUNDER OF OTTAWA SOFTWARE STARTUP CONTEXTERE

Urban-X. The company was cash-flow positive from the get-go and is on pace to surpass $1 million in revenues in its first full year in business, Mr. Batstone says. “We were able to generate revenue from the start,” he says. “That’s given us the luxury to spend time on market problems and customers and not on convincing people we have a good idea.” The startup is targeting Fortune 1000 companies that are looking for enterprise solutions to boost productivity. It’s a lucrative global market with huge potential, but Mr. Batstone concedes that actually getting deals done with firms of that size requires a hefty amount of patience and persistence. “The good news is they’ve got reasonable budgets and they care about these kind of productivity challenges,” he says. “But the reality is the procurement cycles are long and there’s certain hoops

and hurdles that you have to go through. We knew those in advance, so to us that was just a part of the process.” With federal leaders in Canada and the United States vowing to invest huge money in new infrastructure projects over the next several years, Mr. Batstone says the sky is the limit for his young firm. “There are literally going to be trillions of dollars in the U.S. and certainly many billions of dollars in Canada spent on infrastructure,” he says. “If we’re going to make that infrastructure smart and we are going to factor in the digital component to the infrastructure, there’s kind of two elements. One, that’s a large business opportunity, and two, I think it behooves us part of the technology and business community to try to make sure that money is spent in the best possible way.”

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Happy 20th Anniversary, Ottawa International Airport Authority “People seem very concerned about the (political) climate down south. When we did a test a few weeks ago, we were amazed at the level of interest just for some very basic Google ad words. The engagement was off the charts.” – RYAN GIBSON, LEAD MARKETING STRATEGIST AT INVEST OTTAWA

Continued from page 7 “The response has been really, really enthusiastic,” he says. The Kanata North BIA, which is unveiling phase two of its “Serious Tech Lives Here” campaign this week, will have a link to Invest Ottawa’s job board on its site. The two organizations are also running joint newspaper and web ad campaigns in major Canadian cities, including Toronto and Montreal. “It’s really great timing in that we have

some common objectives, obviously, from a talent attraction perspective,” says the BIA’s executive director, Jenna Sudds. “It’s more attention to the opportunities that are here, which hopefully will help drive some more talent in this direction. It makes a lot of sense from that perspective.” Mr. Gibson says if the current campaign goes well, Invest Ottawa plans to launch an expanded version with more videos and a wider reach in the fall.

Why companies should register their business names as trade-marks Perley-Robertson, Hill & McDougall demystifies the assumptions surrounding one of your most precious commodities. Read more here: www.techopia.ca/perley

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inevitably lead to higher costs and lower service levels for our travellers as for-profit ownership interests will look to provide a shareholder return instead of investing 100% of excess revenues back into airport operations. I encourage you to visit the website www.noairportselloff.ca to learn more about your airport and why the current locally-governed authority model is and has been working well on your behalf. 2017 promises to be a special year for many reasons. Along with our 20-year anniversary, Canada is celebrating its 150th anniversary, and Ottawa-Gatineau is prepared to welcome the rest of Canada and the world into the Region for the ongoing Birthday party and events such as Red Bull Crashed Ice, the Juno Awards, and the Grey Cup. The airport is decked out in its 2017 finery, and ready to play host as the primary 2017 celebration gateway - if friends and family are thinking of planning a visit, there’s no better time than this year! It takes a tremendous amount of effort and dedication to achieve success. In YOW’s case, it is employees, past and present, working together with partners on the campus who offer innovative ideas, persevere through challenges, and embrace service excellence. We have enjoyed the support and trust of many individuals and organizations in the community over the years, and together we have built an airport that values customer service, manages with integrity and transparency, and has safety and security woven through every aspect of its operation. I look forward to our airport providing you with the travel experience you’ve come to expect at YOW for many more years to come.

15 OBJ.CA

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AIRPORT AUTHORITY AND OTTAWA 2017 ANNOUNCE OFFICIAL PARTNERSHIP

MONDAY, MARCH 13, 2017

Jennifer McKay, a Partner in the Intellectual Property Group at Perley-Robertson, Hill & McDougall, has expertise in dealing with both national and international trade-mark portfolios, enhancing the strength of the firm’s team.

n February 1, 1997, the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport Authority (OMCIAA) was officially born. Established as a private, not-for-profit organization, the Authority’s mandate was to operate and develop airport facilities and lands in support of the economic growth of the National Capital Region. Since 1997, the Authority has invested nearly $725 million in infrastructure, including a new terminal, Parkade, combined services building and state-of-theart baggage handling system, to name a few. It reconstructed all three runways and extended the commercial Runway End Safety Areas (RESAs) to bring them in line with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) standards. And, it continued to invest in safety, security and customer service enhancements for the benefit of passengers, employees, and visitors. As evidenced by the dozens of customer service awards and the more than $2.2 billion generated in total economic activity in Ottawa and Gatineau each year, YOW’s privatization was and is a success. As we celebrated this important milestone and our many achievements, we also launched a campaign to protect our airport model and educate our stakeholders about what airport authorities are, how they are well governed, what they have invested over the past two decades, and how they contribute to their communities. The campaign is intended to address the federal government’s recent discussions about asset recycling. If it goes forward, the plan could use funds acquired by selling Canada’s major airports to private business interests that are looking to turn them into for-profit enterprises. The campaign sheds light on cases elsewhere in the world where privatization did not always fulfill the original promises or had a negative impact on the air traveller as a result of higher costs I, along with the CEOs from Calgary and Vancouver airports and our respective Boards, have publicly stated that selling Canada’s airports is ill advised. We believe this most notably because it would

PROFILE “We very definitely encourage and recognize that in order to be a better lawyer you need to be a well-rounded person, because it helps lawyers connect better with their clients.” Ted Mann began studying music in university before switching to law. PHOTO BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS

– TED MANN, FOUNDING AND MANAGING PARTNER OF MANN LAWYERS

Composer-turned-lawyer plays to his strengths As a young music student, Ted Mann realized his true passion lay in pursuing a career in law – but he still finds time to tap into his artistic side by taking to the stage at GCTC charity events This profile on lawyer Ted Mann is part of new OBJ series examining the road to success for Ottawa community business leaders and entrepreneurs. BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS caroline@obj.ca

MONDAY, MARCH 13, 2017

OBJ.CA

ed Mann clearly remembers Watergate, arguably the biggest political scandal in U.S. history, and how it unravelled back when he was studying music at the University of Toronto’s Trinity College. It was the early 1970s and he’d been on the path to becoming a composer. Interestingly, the Watergate story connects, albeit very loosely, to Mr. Mann changing his tune about his career. While Mr. Mann was focused on the breaking political news out of Washington, his classmates were more concerned about which violinist had been absent the evening before at a Toronto Symphony performance. “Nobody had any interest in what was happening outside of music,” he recalls. “It was kind of like a bell went off in my head and I said, ‘Am I that passionate about music? Am I prepared to be that focused about music that I cut out all the other stuff?’ The answer was no.”

Mr. Mann switched to law, choosing a profession that would instead allow him to help others. He earned his degree at Osgoode Hall and went on to enjoy a fulfilling career that has spanned decades. “In the end, sitting in the corner composing music is not really me,” he says. “I wanted to have a job where I could work with people and help people.” FULL-SERVICE LAW FIRM Mr. Mann is a founding and managing partner of Mann Lawyers, a growing, full-service Ottawa firm of 24 lawyers. It deals with personal injury law, family law, employment law, commercial and real estate litigation, as well as corporate commercial, commercial real estate, residential real estate and wills and estates. “I love (being a lawyer), and I don’t know if there’s anything else that would give me quite the same satisfaction,” he says in an interview at his office on Scott Street in trendy Hintonburg. Mr. Mann didn’t always feel so comfortable in the legal profession, saying it took time for him to learn to be himself. It was hard when he first moved to Ottawa, where he didn’t know anyone. “I have felt like a square peg in a round hole,” he acknowledges. “I really

felt like I was not fitting in as a lawyer because I didn’t necessarily think or act as other lawyers did, so I often felt out of place and not really part of the profession.” It wasn’t until he began performing in the annual Great Canadian Theatre Company Lawyer Play that he started meeting lawyers with an artistic side. “I realized that I had people in the profession who were like me, and then I began to relax,” he says. Mr. Mann, 62, grew up in Etobicoke, a former suburb of Toronto. He was the son of a salesman-turned-president of an industrial oil company and a homemaker. His younger brother lives in Australia with his family, while his older brother died of AIDS in 1990. He began his career working at a small firm in Mississauga, followed by a stint in Charlottetown. He moved to Ottawa 30 years ago to join the firm Gold Kelly (the outdoor enthusiast says he was partly lured to the nation’s capital because of the Gatineau hills). In 1994, he started his own firm. It became a partnership in 2003 and the name eventually changed to Mann Lawyers. The office has a neighbourhood feel to it, from its hanging artwork acquired from nearby Orange Art Gallery to its office door signs that bear community

5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT TED MANN

1 2

He does the Ottawa Citizen crossword puzzle and word jumble every day. Four mornings a week, he’s at the Taggart Family YMCA-YWCA as a member of the adult masters swim club. “There’s something about getting in the pool at 6:30 in the morning, only in your bathing suit, that leaves you able to hide only so much,” he jokes. “You develop this bond with these people that you’re swimming with.”

He’s an adventurous guy. In his office are photos of his hiking trip to Machu Picchu in the Andes Mountains of Peru, kayaking at the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska and his expedition to Baffin Island and Greenland.

Mr. Mann is board vice-chairman of Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind. “I love dogs and believe strongly in the mission of the organization,” he says.

His two favourite roles in GCTC Lawyer Plays have been Reverend Parris in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and William Russell (inspired by American politician Adlai Stevenson) in Gore Vidal’s The Best Man.

names such as Wellington and Kitchissippi. Mr. Mann lives a couple blocks away with his husband, mortgage broker Robert Borden. The firm prides itself on its collegiality. “I think that people need to be able to enjoy themselves when they come to work,” Mr. Mann says. The firm also encourages its staff to pursue outside interests and community involvement. Mr. Mann is on the executive of the County of Carleton Law Association and was board chairman of the Ottawa Chamber Music Society. He swims, cross-country skis and hikes. He also teaches in the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa. “It’s important to us that each person here maintains a full life outside of the office,” he says. “We very definitely encourage and recognize that in order to be a better lawyer you need to be a well-rounded person, because it helps lawyers connect better with their clients.” Mr. Mann has performed in a dozen of the GCTC Lawyer Plays that raise money for the theatre company and for a local charity. He will be appearing on stage in late May for this year’s production of Macbeth. He’s playing the avenging hero Macduff, who, like Mr. Mann, is one of the good guys.

“It is your sixth sense telling you that something’s not quite right for you. If we keep trying to stop procrastination, then we’re really sort of running up the wrong hill. It’s a useless waste of time to avoid something you’re going to do innately.” – MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT NANCY MORRIS

Continued from page 3 “I can see the faces change and become more relaxed,” she says of audience reactions when she presents her findings at seminars. “It’s almost like they’re hearing something they sort of know deep inside, that I am procrastinating because I am afraid of something or I’m concerned about something. I’m putting a voice to that – I’m labelling it for them.” The central tenet of Ms. Moore’s book is a concept called “eating the frog.” Named after a quote from Mark Twain, it’s a method of overcoming our dread of unpleasant tasks – the kind we tend to avoid all day – by tackling them headon the moment we arrive at our desks. The book also contains more than 100 exercises readers can use to help them make the most of their time. “If we just charge through it in 15 minutes first thing every morning, we’re changing the perspective of (tasks we avoid),” she argues. “That’s really important if you want to build up somebody’s confidence. Rather than spending a whole day creatively avoiding the frog, now we get to creatively use our brains to solve other problems and create new business results.” Ms. Morris has taught the “eat the

frog” concept to dozens of organizations around the world. She says once people see its results, they almost universally buy into it – and actually have fun with it. Clients have even e-mailed her photos of plastic frogs they use to identify particularly vexing challenges such as unfinished reports. “People love identifying what that frog is,” Ms. Morris says. “People just get it because it’s simple. It’s like, ‘Oh, I can do this.’ You give somebody too complicated a system and they’re not going to use it.” In her seminars, she encourages managers to help their employees understand why they procrastinate. Bosses need to realize it is normal behaviour and work with staff to find its underlying causes rather than make employees feel bad for putting things off. “Business psychology 101 is not usually a course for managers,” she says with a chuckle. “One of the reasons we procrastinate is because we fear being judged. If you’re a manager who either directly or indirectly judges people, they know it. Your own behaviour as a manager can be getting in the way of somebody being productive.” Procrastinate Now: Rethinking Time Management is available for free on Ms. Morris’s website at nancymorris.com.

presents:

Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin, Ville de Gatineau

Monday, April 10, 2017