2016 Waterloo

Perspe ctive

TM

Waterloo Region | 2 0 1 6

The

Lazaridis School

of Business and Economics Where Students and Alumni are Making a Difference

Region of Waterloo International Airport: 20 Year Master Plan

Light Rail Transit Vision Becoming a Reality

Outdoors, Arts and Culture Thrive in the Waterloo Region

Welcome to the Quantum Revolution

EXPERIENCE IT NOW!

Perspective

TM

W at e r l o o

R e g i o n

3

New Organization New Brand

W

aterloo Region is truly inventing the future and the new leadership team at the Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation (WREDC) is focused on accelerating the business momentum already established in the Region. This experienced leadership team at WREDC brings a diverse range of industry and sector acumen including the Auto, Tech, Manufacturing and Consumer sectors.

Team members have had successful careers in government, the private sector, not-for-profits, Foreign Service, and start-ups. CEO Tony LaMantia, after a 25 year career in the private and public sector, was recruited from his role as Assistant Deputy Minister of the Investment and Industry division of the Ontario government.

Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation is the first point of contact for companies of all sectors wishing to locate, relocate or expand in the Waterloo Region. Only ten months into its inaugural year, the organization has been ramping up operations and establishing its corporate vision to be locally rooted, internationally competitive and globally renowned. WREDC has been very active in supporting local company expansions and new companies landing in the Region, as well as participating in a number of community events,

including co-hosting the first annual AutoTech Symposium earlier this fall.

From an international perspective, there has been a steady flow of traffic from international businesses, government delegations and key investment intermediaries. By the end of 2016, the team will have led foreign investment and growth focused missions to California, Chicago, Germany, Korea and Japan – all key areas for growth in Waterloo Regions core sectors of Information and Communication Technology, Advanced Manufacturing, Food Processing and Automotive.

The Waterloo Region Economic Development Strategy detailed several dozen objectives for the organization, and LaMantia, with the help of his Board of Directors, prioritized these into four key operational planks that WREDC is accountable for: • To forge a track record of clear Foreign Direct Investment and scaleup wins. To that end, WREDC has already announced two new deals: ETAS Embedded Systems Canada headquarters (a Bosch subsidiary) and the NCC Group Kitchener facility.

• To build a best-in-class, “goto” Concierge Service to facilitate investment attraction and retention. This requires close collaboration with the Economic Development departments across the cities and townships in the

Region, to ensure that all prospective investors are offered best-in-class service at all times.

• To create a current inventory of investment ready-shovel ready sites, including a “best in class” centre of excellence as the go-to source for regional data.

• To develop a unified narrative and integrated marketing plan for the entire Region’s economic development.

In line with these key operational priorities, over the last several months the WREDC team has been working on creating a clear brand identity for the organization that will, along with a concise “Why Waterloo?” brand narrative, clearly and succinctly convey the key points of differentiation of the Waterloo Region in order to uniquely position themselves within the cluttered landscape for investment attraction.

Consulting with all stakeholders during the branding process, the economic development team took a very collaborative approach to the branding work.

“The primary objective of this branding exercise is to increase awareness of our organization and our region in the minds of our target audience - which are investment decision makers and intermediaries outside of the Waterloo Region” stated LaMantia. Through the extensive research process, it became very evident

About the cover The Lazaridis School of Business and Economics is one of the most prestigious and selective schools in Canada. They teach students to think for themselves, ensuring they can adapt to a world of ever-growing complexity. With more than 6,000 students enrolled in full- and part-time undergraduate, graduate and diploma programs, making it one of the largest business schools in Canada. The Lazaridis School offers programs on University of Laurier’s Waterloo and Brantford campuses, as well as in Toronto and Kitchener.

that the name “Waterloo” is how the international business community identifies this Region. And with that clarity, a new brand was created: Waterloo EDC. LaMantia states “The new brand name simplifies our message and signals an ease of doing business with our communities in the minds of our target audience.” Many similar multicity/multi-municipality regions are marketing themselves as a single entity and they are using their strongest brand equity and asset as their brand name – such as Toronto Global, Invest Ottawa, Los Angeles (LAEDC) and New York (NYEDC).

The new brand comes with a new tag line: “Waterloo EDC – inventing the future” which emphasizes action, talent, innovation and disruption – all of which is evidenced by the world leading institutions that call this region home, such as the Institute for Quantum Computing, the Perimeter Institute, the industry-led innovation center “Communitech,” the Centre for International Governance Innovation and the Accelerator Centre. The Marketing and Communication team is delighted with the newly developed logo, which clearly celebrates Waterloo and Canada. Says LaMantia “the new brand identity says it all – together, all of us in Waterloo are truly inventing the future.”

P e r s p e c t i v e TM 1464 Cornwall Rd, Suite 5, Oakville, ON L6J 7W5 1-866-779-7712 info@perspective.ca perspective.ca

Publisher, CeO Steve Montague ViCe-PresiDeNT Ed Martin Marketing Coordinator Sabrina Woods Account Executive Graeme Molloy

PerspectiveTM Waterloo Region was produced Independent of the Municipalities within the Waterloo Region. Contents are copyrighted and may not be reproduced without the written consent of Perspective Marketing Inc. The publisher is not liable for any views expressed in the articles and opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher or the Municipalities within Waterloo Region.

T:10”

THREE DOWNS. TWO OFFICIAL LANGUAGES. ONE LAW FIRM. Miller Thomson is Canada’s law firm. With 11 offices strategically placed across the country, we’re ready to spark your business growth and move you forward. millerthomson.com

FO RWA R D TO G E T HE R

Perspective

TM

W at e r l o o

R e g i o n

5

Snapshot of Success Supporting innovative companies to start, grow, and succeed

W

aterloo Region is one of the best places in the world for businesses to innovate and thrive. The area has a unique ecosystem that is creating jobs with world-class talent and producing cutting edge research and products that support the Region’s core strengths in ICT (information and communications technology), advanced manufacturing and financial services. With world leading institutions that call this Region home, such as the University of Waterloo, the Institute for Quantum Computing, the Perimeter Institute, the industry-led innovation centre “Communitech,” the Centre for International Governance Innovation and the Accelerator Centre, Waterloo Region has the talent to fuel innovation. Waterloo is inventing the future and here is just a small sample of the great successes happening in this vibrant Region over the past several months.

In September 2016, Thalmic Labs – a four year old tech wearables company – announced it had successfully raised a US$120 million Series B investment round. This was the largest single funding round secured by a Waterloo area start-up this year. The maker of the Myo gesture-control armband, Thalmic Labs is creating a new computing category and also just recently announced that it will be opening a factory in Waterloo to produce wearable tech for the consumer market.

Clearpath Robotics, a graduate from Waterloo’s Accelerator Centre, continues its momentum to raise capital and world class talent with a $30 million investment announced in early October of this year. After raising $14 million in March 2015, Clearpath will use the recent funding to boost development of its OTTO Motors division to provide autonomous vehicles for the use of moving materials inside factories and warehouses.

Clearpath Robotics have created OTTO – self driving vehicles designed exclusively for material transport. Pictured here OTTO 1500 capable of carrying up to 1500 kilograms on it’s back.

Waterloo Region businesses are not only attracting sizeable investment funding, but are also creating jobs.

ETAS, an automotive systems safety and security solutions company and subsidiary of Bosch, has recently announced Kitchener as their North American head office location.

Freidhelm Pickard, President and Chair of the management board says “I see the potential in the next five years of going up to 100 people.” The combination of security expertise and access to talent in Waterloo Region provide expanding global companies like Bosch with the resources needed for successful growth.

Then there is NCC Group – global experts in cyber security and risk mitigation – who just 12 months after launching in Waterloo Region is already increasing its workforce in its Canadian headquarters. According to Ian Robertson,Vice President of the Waterloo office, talent was a key driver in the decision to locate the Canadian headquarters in Waterloo

Region. “We are excited that NCC Group has chosen Waterloo Region as its Canadian headquarters and continues to thrive here,” remarked Tony LaMantia, President and CEO of the Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation. “This office’s mandate as the global centre for embedded hardware security is a testament to our community’s global significance for applied research innovation and winning talent.”

With the word “innovation” as part of your name, being recognized as one of the 20 Most Innovative Technology Companies in Canada is very rewarding. In October, TrustPoint Innovation was named to the Canadian Innovation Exchange Top 20 Program for 2016 by a committee of technology experts and investors from across the country. TrustPoint Innovation is focusing its efforts on securing the growing Internet of Things (IoT) market, including connected car, vehicle-to-vehicle communications, and Smart Cities.

As a proud member of the Toronto – Waterloo Corridor (www.corridor. ca), Waterloo Region was thrilled when General Motors Canada – with an innovation lab in Waterloo – announced in June 2016 a two-year plan to hire up to 750 engineers and software developers, as part of an ambitious automotive technology strategy that will serve to boost the Toronto-Waterloo Corridor as a magnet for high-tech employment. Similarly, Thomson Reuters is also deepening their commitment to the Corridor following the successful opening of an innovation lab at the Communitech Hub. The newly announced tech centre to be located in Toronto will create 400 highly skilled jobs over the next two years and 1,500 jobs longer-term.

If you are looking to locate, relocate, or expand your business in a vibrant, innovative and collaborative community, please give Waterloo Economic Development Corporation a call at 1-866-233-5133 or visit waterlooedc.ca today.

Building on Advantage TRANSFORMING REAL ESTATE INTO REAL ADVANTAGE CBRE Limited, Real Estate Brokerage is the World’s leading integrated commercial real estate services and investment firm. Discover real stories of how we build advantage for everyone who touches CBRE. Brokerage Services: industrial, office, investment,retail, land, hotels

W at e r l o o

R e g i o n

6

Government Grants & Funding

M

entor Works Ltd. helps companies get government funding. We work directly with Canadian businesses to help build and execute on their custom-developed Proactive Funding Plan™. This approach helps you grow your business and increase your cash flow by creating a proactive plan for government funding.

By building a Proactive Funding Plan™ based on your business’ strategic priorities, we will maximize your cash flow planning to help fund your business expansion efforts, new technology/ equipment, hiring, training, and research & development activities.

Mentor Works’ turnkey approach includes matching funding with each client’s unique priorities, while streamlining the application process and

keeping our clients up-to-date on all funding news and announcements so they never miss out on a funding opportunity.

Mentor Works also offers free educational business resources, including Downloadable Funding Resources, Funding Webinars & Workshops, a Daily Funding Blog, a Weekly Funding Newsletter, and a List of Top Funding Programs.

Find Funding Now: 1. Connect with Mentor Works today by phone 1-888-599-3111 or Contact Form to discover funding opportunities for your business.

2. Register for an upcoming funding webinar to explore grants and repayable funding options for specific industries and project types.

Mentor Works Ltd. The Government Funding Planners 1-888-599-3111 www.mentorworks.ca

Global Corporate Services: facilities management, project management, lease administration, transaction management, consulting Asset Services Valuation & Advisory Services Debt & Equity Finance Market Research

At Girard, Pilkey & Associates our focus is helping families who have done well financially, do better. We help our clients ignore the noise of the markets, avoid the biases that plague the sales-dominated investment industry, and invest their savings in an institutional-quality manner.

519 744 4900

If you’re not 100% confident in your current financial and investment strategy, we’d be happy to provide a cup of coffee and a second opinion.

www.cbre.ca www.cbre.com/buildonadvantage

www.Girard-PilkeyWealth.com

Girard, Pilkey & Associates Wealth Management CIBC Wood Gundy is a division of CIBC World Markets Inc., a subsidiary of CIBC and a Member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada.

Perspective

TM

W at e r l o o

R e g i o n

A laptop for every high school student

I

n a classroom at Southwood Secondary School in Cambridge, Ontario, Jane Gingerich delivered her lesson on the theory of the dominant seventh chord to a class of one. The laptop’s blinking green eye stared unerringly back at her.

Uploading her lessons to Youtube, Gingerich’s real students watch and re-watch her video lessons on new board-issued laptops allowing the teacher to dedicate classroom time to coaching and laying down tracks together for them to practice with at home.

“Technology wouldn’t be the first thing I would go to,” said Gingerich.

“But I know it is necessary.”

Across Waterloo region’s public schools this September, every Grade 9 student received a Google Chromebook to start the school year.

The small laptops are theirs to keep for the duration of high school, and the innovation is changing the face of learning in Canada’s innovation capital.

With technology available to every student, teachers in the Waterloo Region District School Board are finding new ways to provide instruction to help kids learn everything from math to music.

“I teach a multi-level music program, so there are Grade 9 through to Grade 12 in my class,” said Gingerich. “The Chromebooks mean I can provide a separate course for each child and I can spend my time in class facilitating and checking-in to make sure that the kids get it.”

By 2019, every student in 16 high schools will have their own board-issued Chromebook, making the Waterloo public board Ontario’s first to roll out such sweeping changes to learning and instruction.

“We now have the tools to teach students in their world – not in our world,” says Mark Carbone, chief information officer. “This is 2016, so we really want to give students access to the digital tools and resources for learning that reflects their interests and develops skills for the future.”

The public board recently put innovation at the core of a new strategic plan that focuses on individual student achievement and well-being.

“The Chromebook initiative is an example of our strategic plan coming to life for every one of our Grade 9 students”, said Carbone.

“This region is known around the world for technology and innovation.

Our public schools are now ensuring that the youngest generation of innovators in this region have the tools they need to make an impact on our world.”

In at least one music class, the Chromebook program is allowing Gingerich to be more of a musical director than a classroom teacher.

“Chromebooks are really pushing me to think how else can I use technology to help students learn rather than being in charge. I’m finding that I get much more input from my students and we are making music together.”

Jane Gingerich, music teacher at Southwood Secondary School, collaborates with a student using a new Chrombook issued to all Grade 9 students.

Photo credit: Kylie Penticost

LEARNING INNOVATION We’re helping to develop Waterloo’s future innovators. This year, all Grade 9 Waterloo Region District School Board students received their own Google Chromebook. We provide the tools all our students need to achieve success.

Learn more: wrdsb.ca/chromebooks

7

Perspective

TM

W at e r l o o

R e g i o n

8

Catalyst137 – World’s largest ‘Internet of Things’ technology hub to be located in the Waterloo Region

I

nnovation continues to thrive in the Waterloo Region. Slated to open in the summer of 2017, Catalyst137 will be the world’s largest hardware technology hub. Housed in a massive 475,000 square foot warehouse in the heart of Kitchener’s Belmont Village, Catalyst137 will provide a workspace and innovation center for hardware technology companies in the region, and draw entrepreneurs from around the world to the state-of-the-art facility.

Kurtis McBride, chief executive officer of hardware technology company Miovision, co-created Catalyst137 with Voisin Capital of Kitchener and Osmington Inc. of Toronto on the $55-million redevelopment.

“The buzzword these days is the Internet of Things (IoT) or what I like to call device-enabled software.

Catalyst137 is for device-enabled

software companies like us.” says McBride, whose company plans to take 130,000 square feet of the space. Miovision manufactures technology that connects traffic lights to the Internet, allowing them to be monitored in real-time.

The idea for Catalyst137 came out of McBride’s frustration. Each year, more than two dozen hardware companies graduate from the incubator programs at the University of Waterloo and Communitech. Until now, requirements for manufacturing space and loading docks relegated hardware companies to the outskirts of Kitchener-Waterloo while software companies needing less space swarmed to the city center.

“We realized that if we had a problem finding suitable space in the core of the city, other technology manufactures might too,” says McBride. “The space is designed so that as companies grow, they

can expand or adapt their spaces to their unique needs.”

Catalyst137 will establish an ecosystem of supporting services for tenants including industrial design, digital marketing, RF testing, electronics manufacturing and a makerspace. It will house 20 companies, alongside a new restaurant, bar, coffee shop and gym.

“Catalyst137 is the perfect spot for hardware technology companies to accelerate their time-to-market.” says Frank Voisin. “Our vision is that Catalyst137 will make KitchenerWaterloo the IoT capital of the world.”

Catalyst137 will be located just 3km southeast of the University of Waterloo and about 1km west of Google’s new Kitchener headquarters and Communitech, the region’s technology hub and accelerator center. The historic Iron Horse Trail runs adjacent to the

site providing convenient access along the region’s busiest pedestrian corridor.

For leasing inquiries contact Whitney & Company Realty Limited at 519.746.6300 or visit catalyst-137.com today.

Catalyst137 is the result of the shared vision of Kurtis McBride, CEO and cofounder of Miovision and Frank Voisin, President of the real estate investment firm Voisin Capital

BDC is where you need us to be: right here in Waterloo Region.

As the only bank devoted exclusively to entrepreneurs, we’re here to give you the financing and advice you need to steer your business in the right direction.

Kitchener-Waterloo Business Centre

50 Queen Street North, Suite 110 Kitchener, Ontario N2H 6P4 1-888-INFO-BDC

bdc.ca

BDCad_Kitchener-Waterloo_GlobeMail_9,5x4,5_en.indd 1

financing. advising. drive.

2016-10-14 9:52 AM

Perspective

TM

W at e r l o o

R e g i o n

9

Creating a World Class Vision Light rail transit in Waterloo Region

W

aterloo Region continues to grow. With a current population of 575,000, the Region is now the fourth largest community in Ontario and the 10th largest in Canada.

Over the next 20 years, growth will continue as 200,000 new residents are expected to move to this community.

Where will these 200,000 new residents live and how will they travel throughout Waterloo Region? The traditional pattern of suburban sprawl and single-occupancy car travel isn’t sustainable as the Region prepares to welcome these new residents.

The Region of Waterloo recognizes the need to look at new and improved ways to prepare for the future. Together with the Province – through its Places to Grow legislation – the Region is encouraging development and growth within existing urban areas. By focusing development and investment in the core, Waterloo Region can build up, instead of out, limiting urban sprawl and protecting the environment.

Moving people more efficiently in and around Waterloo Region, limiting urban sprawl and saving farmland through the protection of the environment are three of the fundamental goals of ION, the Region’s rapid transit service.

Approved by Council in 2011, ION is a visionary plan that will bring light rail transit (LRT) to Waterloo Region in two stages. Stage 1 is currently under construction and features a

This illustration is an example of how the transit hub could look. It would include transit amenities, offices, stores, condos and apartments.

19 kilometre LRT route from the Conestoga Mall transit terminal to the Fairview Park Mall transit terminal.

With 16 LRT stops, ION makes it easy for residents and visitors to travel between neighbourhoods, schools, major employment areas, events and shopping districts.

Stage 1 also includes a 17 kilometre bus rapid transit (BRT) route between Cambridge’s Ainslie Street transit terminal and the Fairview Park Mall transit terminal. ION BRT began operating in 2015 and features six stops.

Stage 2 will see the Region convert BRT to LRT, creating a seamless service between Cambridge and Waterloo.

ION will help local businesses attract new talent to the region, assist with job creation and stimulate new business growth. It will also help slow the increase in traffic congestion and reduce the need for costly road improvements in some areas.

Province funds King Victoria Transit Hub and expands GO service to Waterloo Region

T

he Province of Ontario has committed $43 million to construct a transit hub at the corner of King and Victoria Streets in downtown Kitchener.

The Transit Hub will connect ION, GRT, GO,VIA, pedestrians and cyclists in one convenient location. It will also include space for transit amenities as well as offices, stores, condos and apartments.

In September, GO doubled the number of train trips between Kitchener

and Toronto, by adding two morning and two afternoon peak train trips. This is the next step towards two-way all day service, and the overall vision to build a modern and integrated transit network in the region that seamlessly connects communities and businesses. GO also introduced a new express bus service running all day between Kitchener and the Bramalea GO Station in Brampton, making it easier to connect to Union Station in Toronto.

www.regionofwaterloo.ca

Perspective

TM

W at e r l o o

R e g i o n

10

The Lazaridis School of Business & Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University

B

uilding globally competitive firms is at the heart of Canada’s economic and educational challenge in the 21st century.

The Lazaridis School of Business & Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University is helping to meet that challenge and propel Canada into the future.

As it celebrates its 50th anniversary, the Lazaridis School has positioned itself to become a leading global centre for research and teaching, producing graduates who will steer the growth and success of tomorrow’s business economy.

Faculty and students recently moved into Lazaridis Hall, a stateof-the-art education facility located on University Avenue in Waterloo, Ontario.

This landmark building houses Laurier’s internationally recognized business school and the new Lazaridis Institute for the Management of Technology Enterprises.

“We’re in one of the best postsecondary buildings you’ll find in the country, which is fitting for one of the premier business schools in Canada,” says Micheál Kelly, dean of the Lazaridis School of Business & Economics.

Throughout the building’s vibrant open spaces, students can be seen collaborating — in the airy atrium, the light-filled café, and the sophisticated glass-walled meeting rooms.

The architecturally stunning Lazaridis Hall, designed for Silver LEED certification with a focus on environmentally sustainable

Associate professor Sofy Carayannopoulos teaches a first-year business class in the new Lazaridis Hall

features, is a critical component in Laurier’s strategy to develop confident and experienced business graduates who thrive in the global marketplace.

The new building brings Laurier students unique opportunities to learn with each other and with global partners. Lazaridis Hall’s virtual outreach capabilities make it an important venue for engagement between students and the local, national and global business

communities. The vision behind Lazaridis Hall was to create an active learning building. Classrooms, lecture halls, study rooms and auditoriums are all designed for maximum collaboration and include state-of-theart technology.

Housed within Lazaridis Hall is the Lazaridis Institute, a new initiative that empowers current and emerging growth-oriented Canadian technology companies to scale rapidly into global enterprises.

For Mike Lazaridis, the gifted engineer, visionary entrepreneur and notable philanthropist, establishing the Lazaridis Institute is part of his vision to ensure that Canada is ready for the next “industrial supercycle” — an era that he and other leading thinkers believe will be defined by quantum-based technology. Waterloo’s established high-tech ecosystem is the perfect foundation for developing a world-leading hub for quantum research and commercialization — a focus gaining global awareness under the name “Quantum Valley.”

The institute is an acknowledgment of and response to one of Canada’s biggest 21st century challenges.

“We realized that experienced high-tech management and business leadership was hard to find,” Lazaridis said in an article in Laurier’s alumni magazine, recalling his days leading BlackBerry Ltd. “We frequently had to look beyond Canada.”

Perspective

TM

W at e r l o o

R e g i o n

11

Lazaridis Institute is part of a vision to ensure that Canada is ready for the next industrial supercycle The Lazaridis Institute strengthens Laurier’s prominence by providing a one-of-a-kind national program for founders and CEOs of Canadian tech companies. The Lazaridis Institute Canadian ScaleUp Program provides mentorship and expertise from top business practitioners who have navigated first-hand the challenges of scaling a high-tech company, from the use of venture capital to more practical issues of organization design and how to manage talent as a company grows.

“Canada has extremely promising tech companies, but many don’t have the management experience needed to grow quickly,” says Kelly.

“The Lazaridis Institute is working with company founders and CEOs to take their firms to the next level and help them become globally competitive. There’s nothing like our scale-up program in approach or scope anywhere else in Canada.”

Kelly calls Lazaridis’ vision and generous contribution a vote of confidence in Laurier. For more than 100 years, the university’s academic excellence, strong student focus and deep sense of community has produced graduates with the skill and confidence to make intelligent, timely contributions to the business world. The Lazaridis School of Business & Economics, whose alumni include at least 500 CEOs and presidents and 2,000 company founders, builds upon Laurier’s commitment to innovation through immersive and hands-on learning.

Visit www.lazaridisschool.ca to see how Laurier is preparing Canada’s business leaders for tomorrow.

www.lazaridisschool.ca

Lazaridis Hall, located on University Avenue West in Waterloo

The bright and airy atrium at Lazaridis Hall

Perspective

TM

W at e r l o o

R e g i o n

12

QUANTUM: The Exhibition to premiere at THEMUSEUM Technologies poised to change our world at centre of new exhibition.

Q

antum technologies are poised u to transform technology as we know it. A new exhibition premiering at THEMUSEUM on October 14, 2016 aims to highlight how quantum science is shaping a new technological revolution that could change all of our lives.

Developed in collaboration with the University of Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC), QUANTUM: The Exhibition delves into the basic ideas and theories of quantum mechanics and how these behaviours are being applied to technology that will impact our everyday lives.

The exhibition includes interactive components to allow for hands-on learning, and showcases some of the

ground-breaking scientific discoveries made within the field of quantum physics throughout the 21st century.

Additional programming developed and presented by THEMUSEUM will include The Quantum Dialogues, curriculum-related educational programs, corporate opportunities and events.

Described as a “coup for Waterloo Region,” by David Marskell, CEO of THEMUSEUM, QUANTUM: The Exhibition is set to attract visitors from Southwestern Ontario and continue THEMUSEUM’s success of showcasing world-class exhibitions that awe, inspire and enlighten.

Canadian Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly originally announced the exhibition, part of INNOVATION150 celebrating Canada’s sesquicentennial in 2017, in Halifax last March.

QUANTUM, which runs in downtown Kitchener until January 1, 2017, will continue a nationwide tour.

The Institute for Quantum Computing is a partner of the Innovation150 initiative with five leading Canadian science outreach organizations, including Perimeter Institute, Actua, the Canadian Association of Science Centres and the Canadian Science and Technology Museums Corporation.

“Kitchener and the entire Waterloo Region are known as a hub for innovation, information technology, and science and manufacturing, all of which will be featured in QUANTUM: The Exhibition,” said Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of Kitchener.

“This exhibition will be right at home at THEMUSEUM, and we are proud to be the first stop on the Canada-wide tour.”

QUANTUM: The Exhibition demonstrates THEMUSEUM’s ability to successfully foster partnerships with the region’s most prestigious organizations such as the Institute

for Quantum Computing. The collaboration will bring quantum science out of labs and into the hearts and minds of our community.

“This world class experience was created in our community for our community,” said Frank Boutzis, president of THEMUSEUM’s board of directors. “For it to then be shared with the rest of Canada is something our organization is very proud to be a part of.”

More information available at www.THEMUSEUM.ca

MEET AND STAY… In our technologically advanced meeting and guestrooms - conveniently located in the hub of Waterloo

Wat.sales.sm@deltahotels.com 519.514.0412 deltawaterloo.com

Perspective

TM

W at e r l o o

R e g i o n

13

Thinking Bigger: A Toronto-Waterloo Innovation Corridor Every year, thousands of students stream into Waterloo Region’s postsecondary institutions, carrying books, laptops and increasingly global ambitions.

T

he question is, where will those ambitions take them?

If they are technically brilliant and highly motivated, Silicon Valley will beckon – and it has little to do with California weather.

With a population of about three million, the San Francisco-to-San Jose corridor has the greatest concentration of tech jobs in the United States, is home to firms worth trillions, accounts for almost half of all U.S. venture capital investment, and embraces talented immigrants who make up one-third of its scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs and startup founders.

Similar forces are at work in cityregions such as London-Cambridge and Tel Aviv-Haifa, where dense tech ecosystems have disproportionately shaped the innovation performance of their countries.

These innovation corridors share key attributes: an entrepreneurial culture where geeks are gods, deep talent pools, great research universities, abundant risk capital, scalability of innovations and the brand power to continually refresh themselves with global capital and talent.

Also, the co-location of startups and large, established firms in a single region gives early-stage companies access to big-name customers, while large companies benefit from the culture of experimentation and nimble thinking of high-growth startups.

So, where does this leave us?

While Canada is home to globally competitive tech hubs including Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Waterloo, only one region – the Toronto-Waterloo corridor – carries the potential to answer Silicon Valley, and significantly move the needle on Canada’s economy.

With strong research universities and technical colleges, a major international airport, population density (more than six million), vibrant immigration and entrepreneurial culture, TorontoWaterloo already has many ingredients essential to building such an ecosystem in Canada.

We are already home to 30 per cent of Canada’s university students and 21 per cent of the country’s population as well as the majority of its corporate headquarters, industry-led R&D spending and venture capital.

But building an innovation ecosystem capable of driving national growth also requires an intensive interplay among world-class research, targeted government support for technology development, industry R&D, venture capital and astute early adopters of homegrown technology.

That’s where thinking bigger comes in.

It’s tempting to look to Silicon Valley and assume all we need to do is produce more startups and attract more capital.

But first, we need to better understand what led to Silicon Valley’s status as the world’s premier innovation engine.

That engine was fuelled with massive government research investments to develop technology, initially for military applications. Steve Blank, the noted entrepreneur, academic and Silicon Valley historian, has credited these investments – and one professor’s determination to secure a share of them for Stanford University – for laying the foundation of what we see today.

That professor, Frederick Terman, lured top scientists to create a talent hub that drew successive rounds of government investment, and in turn, more talent. Terman and his colleagues encouraged students to start companies, mentored them and personally invested in their startups. Their groundwork led to the rise of Hewlett Packard, Fairchild Semiconductor, Intel, Apple and Google, to name a few.

Within the Toronto-Waterloo corridor, we produce such superb technical talent, creative ideas and intellectual property that tens of thousands of our graduates work in Silicon Valley or Seattle or L.A., while others have opted to stay in Canada, or return from abroad to start companies.

Canadian entrepreneurs have shown they can build game-changing technology here at home, but too often, these successes have been in spite of, not due to, the business conditions they face.

To tap the full potential of the Toronto-Waterloo innovation corridor, we cannot think incrementally. We need a bold vision and even bolder leadership from government, the private sector and universities, buttressed by the ambition and confidence that we can take on the world and win. We also need more direct government support of technology development, faster transit links, strategic procurement of homegrown tech by governments and large firms, expedited visas for global talent and clear targets for creating billion-dollar firms and tech jobs.

With these elements in place, Canada can become a global innovation superpower, where our best and brightest can pursue their wildest ambitions right here at home. That is, in the Toronto-Waterloo innovation corridor.

Iain Klugman is CEO of Communitech, and Kevin Lynch is Vice-Chair of BMO Financial Group

Perspective

TM

W at e r l o o

R e g i o n

14

Where high-tech meets horse-and-buggy

W

Christkindl Christmas Market; Canada’s original Festival of German Christmas held annually at Kitchener City Hall, to be held this year from Dec. 1 to Dec. 4

aterloo Region is a study in contrasts. It’s home to high-tech giants like Google Canada and BlackBerry as well as a thriving Mennonite community that still navigates the back roads in horsedrawn buggies. It offers world-class dining, festivals and hospitality, and endless opportunities to explore the great outdoors. And it’s less than a twohour drive from downtown Toronto.

Those are just some of the things that make the region such a great place to live, work or visit, says Minto Schneider, CEO Waterloo Regional Tourism Marketing Corporation.

The region encompasses the cities of Kitchener, Cambridge, and Waterloo, as well as the surrounding townships of North Dumfries, Wellesley, Wilmot and Woolwich.

“One of the things that makes Waterloo Region unique is that we’re a group of relatively small urban centres surrounded by rural farmland, but we’re also an extraordinary hub for high tech innovation,” says Schneider.

Many companies who come to recruit graduates from the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, and Conestoga College decide to stay, attracted by the region’s lifestyle.

Summertime in Waterloo Region is music festival season. Some of the most popular include the Kitchener Blues Festival, Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival, the Mill Race Festival of Traditional Folk Music, and Kultrún – a celebration of world music. continued on next page

A 21st Century Degree How Knowledge Integration at the University of Waterloo is shaping problem solvers for today’s workforce

I

n today’s complex, ever-changing workplaces, problem solving-skills are becoming increasingly important, if not a necessity—whether you work at a startup or a multinational corporation, as a scientist or a creative professional, as a project manager or CEO. “Real world problems transcend disciplines and specialties,” says Ed Jernigan, Professor Emeritus at the University of Waterloo. “We desperately need real world problem solvers.”

Jernigan aimed to fill this need when he founded the Bachelor of Knowledge Integration (KI) program on the philosophy that education should balance the “knowing” and “doing” components of learning. On the “knowing” side, flexible course requirements provide

breadth across the arts and sciences, but also require depth in a specialization chosen by the student. Core KI courses focus on the “doing,” developing skills in design thinking, creative problem solving, and collaboration. Graduates leave university with a unique skill set that will serve them well in any career they pursue.

Delaney Swanson graduated from KI in 2013 and now works as a designer at Overlap, a boutique strategic consultancy, where she improves the user experience of various services and systems. “KI helped shape the lens through which I see the world,” says Swanson. “I learned to jump into unfamiliar territories and be comfortable with the ambiguity I face every day in the workplace.”

KI attracts extremely bright students with wide-ranging interests. First-year student Naima Raza was involved in many high school activities, including a leadership role with Model United Nations and serving as a school board student trustee. After graduating, she

Knowledge Integration students (left to right) Andrew, Alex and Akanksha work together on a mind-map. Collaborative problem solving skills are central to the KI program. completed a fellowship at MaRS Studio [Y] before coming to Waterloo. “I was attracted to KI because of its focus on developing problem-solving skills,” says Raza. “I’m learning how to synthesize knowledge and work with individuals across multiple fields.”

Third-year student Logan Miller is tailoring his degree with the goal of a future career in economic policy. KI allows him to bring a different perspective to the field: “KI helps you look beyond

the models. I’ve learned critical thinking skills that allow me to address the complexity of economics.” Miller spent this past summer in Germany on an internship researching the economics of European Union real estate policies.

If there’s a Knowledge Integrator in you, or a need for one in your company, get in touch. ki@uwaterloo.ca www.ki.uwaterloo.ca

Perspective

TM

Canoeing the Grand River; with Grand Experiences Outdoor Adventures Other summer events include the Cambridge Scottish Festival, the Cambridge International Street Art Festival and Moparfest, Canada’s largest all Mopar car show.

In the fall, visitors flock to Kitchener’s famous Oktoberfest, while movie enthusiasts can catch Canadian and international releases at the Grand River Film Festival. The Wellesley Apple Butter and Cheese Festival has also been drawing crowds since 1976.

The region celebrates the winter holiday season with a visit to Kitchener’s Christkindl Market, St Jacobs Sparkles, or a Victorian Christmas at Castle Kilbride. New this year is The Gift of Lights, a drive-thru holiday light display at Bingeman’s Grand Experience.

Once the sap starts running at the beginning of April, it’s time to explore the sugar bush and sample the pancakes at the world’s largest single day maple syrup festival in Elmira.

But there’s more to Waterloo Region than special events.

The Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony offers a full season of concerts, from classical to pops, while the KitchenerWaterloo Art Gallery provides yearround exhibitions of regional, national and international art.

Theatre-lovers can take in a show at one of the three theatres operated

by Drayton Entertainment: St Jacobs Country Playhouse, St Jacobs Schoolhouse Theatre and Dunfield Theatre Cambridge.

As an agricultural centre, Waterloo Region is also home to some of Ontario’s largest farmers’ markets.

“The St Jacobs Farmers’ Market is probably the best known year-round farmers’ market in the province,” says Schneider. “A lot of people come from the GTA to shop.” The Cambridge Farmers’ Market and the Kitchener Farmers’ Market, both established in the 1830s, are some of the oldest in Canada.

And of course, there’s no shortage of great places to eat.

Chef Jonathan Gushue opened his farm-to-table restaurant, The Berlin, to rave reviews in Kitchener last year, while Chef Jason Bangerter serves up his award-winning menu at Langdon Hall Hotel & Spa in Cambridge.

A member of the exclusive Relais & Châteaux, Langdon Hall is a popular destination for visitors looking for a luxury stay as well as businesses wanting to escape the hustle of the big city for a meeting or conference.

With numerous hotels offering modern meeting spaces, Waterloo Region is a wonderful location for a corporate retreat, Schneider says.

Once the work is done, locals and visitors can unwind with kayaking, canoeing, fishing or a hike along the Grand River, a round at one of the area’s many golf courses, or hit the slopes at Chicopee Ski Club or take in a hockey game at The Aud, home of the OHL Kitchener Rangers.

“There really is a lot going on,” Schneider says.

W at e r l o o

R e g i o n

15

Perspective

TM

W at e r l o o

R e g i o n

16

The Future of Air Travel in Southern Ontario Guiding the future of The Region of Waterloo International Airport

T

he Region of Waterloo International Airport (YKF) is one of the top 20 busiest airports in Canada. In 2015 there were more than 150,000 passengers who used the airport and over 100,000 aircraft landings or take-offs. Waterloo Region has a highly mobile population and the numbers show there is a strong demand for air travel.

It is projected that by 2036 Waterloo Region will grow to 789,000 residents.

It is also estimated that by 2043 southern Ontario will be home to 15.5 million people and regional air travel volume is expected to reach more than 90 million passengers annually. Air travel demand over the next two decades puts Toronto Pearson Airport (Pearson) at roughly 65-70 million passengers annually by the mid 2030s with no signs of slowing down. With the potential for this increased demand for air travel the time to plan for it is now.

The Region of Waterloo is currently in the process of developing a 20 year Master Plan to guide the future of the Airport from 2016 to 2035. This plan takes a number of factors into consideration: • The opportunities and challenges the Airport will face over the next 20 years • How to best meet the travel and connectivity needs of our growing community • A projected capacity shortfall at Toronto Pearson International Airport that by 2043 could leave an estimated 20 million passengers unserved annually Air travel demand over the next two decades could see Pearson at roughly 65 million passengers – and there are no signs of slowing down. A study completed in September 2015 by the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), Growth, Connectivity, Capacity: The future of a key regional asset, proposed a potential solution to this passenger

shortfall. The report suggests Pearson investigate working with regional airports in southern Ontario to design an integrated multi-airport system, which could help move capacity from Pearson to other airports. The Region of Waterloo International Airport is one of several airports that could play a major role in helping to meet this regional aviation demand.

Preparing for this next phase of development is an important consideration in being able to respond to the passengers that could go unserved at Pearson. YKF is well positioned

geographically to play a larger role in this potential new system of airports.

Currently the airport only captures four per cent of the passengers in its immediate catchment area, approximately 35 kilometers around the airport. However it is estimated there could be up to two million passengers that travel from within this catchment area annually. More flights to more places would allow business and leisure passengers who currently travel to Pearson to fly from YKF. The ever-changing nature of the aviation industry could also affect the

Southern Ontario Regional Airports Strategy

Point of View Luncheon with Howard Eng, President and CEO of the (GTAA) Tuesday, November 15, 2016 at 11:30 AM Crowne Plaza 105 King Street E. Kitchener, ON N2G 2K8

future growth at YKF and the entry of ultra low cost air carriers into the Canadian marketplace would increase passenger traffic. With increased passengers at YKF, comes the need for airport enhancements including increasing the size of the air terminal building, adding parking spaces and improving the connecting road network.

In 2015 it was estimated that YKF contributed $90 million to the Region’s economy*. Currently over 25 businesses operate from the airport and employ more than 300 people. With the demand for increased passenger service and better global connectivity these numbers will only grow.

The Region of Waterloo International Airport in partnership with the Greater Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce is pleased to present a Point of View Luncheon with Guest Speaker Howard Eng, President and CEO of the (GTAA). To find out more about this event or about the potential opportunities that exist for the Region of Waterloo International airport, please visit: engageregionofwaterloo.ca The Region of Waterloo International Airport is owned and operated by the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario (Canada). *Wilfrid Laurier University 2015 Economic Impact Study

Perspective

TM

Sinfully Good Brew Innocente Brewing Company

W

hat happens when you combine a PhD in Molecular Biology and a Post Doctoral Fellowship studying yeast, with a brew making obsession for hopped up beer?

You get Steve Innocente, the madabout-hops scientist who turns beer making into an art form.

In 2004, Innocente moved with his family to Scotland where he did his post-doc at the University of Edinburgh studying Saccharomyces cerevisiae (brewing yeast) as a model system. While he had brewed on and off in Canada, he didn’t get into brewing again until he was expecting child number four and there wasn’t as much time to get out to the local Edinburgh pubs.

For professional feedback on his beers, Innocente started to enter local competitions. In January 2012, he joined and entered two beers into the Scottish Craft Brewers Competition. One of them won the category and was voted best in show. That beer has evolved into Bystander. Later that year he entered another competition hosted by the Institute of Brewing and Distilling at Heriot Watt University which won the ‘People’s Choice’ award! This got him thinking he might be on to something.

Contract Brewing at Alechemy Brewing, Innocente started the Innocente Brewing Company and his first beer “Innocente Bystander”, a 4% ABV, 125 IBU American pale ale took local pubs by storm! Additionally a premium lager (Lost) and an IPA (Conscience) rounded out his repertoire.

Now back in Canada, the Innocente Brewing Company is excited to be

part of the renaissance putting ‘craft’ back into ‘craft beer’ by adding to this flourishing beer scene which is slowly and surely converting Canadian palates.

In the summer of 2015, Innocente Brewing Company took home a gold medal for Best Porter at the Canadian Brewing Awards in Niagara Falls with their Charcoal Porter. This is the same beer that won a silver at the Ontario Brewing Awards and brewed as an exclusive for the Charcoal Group of restaurants, including Beertown locations in Waterloo Region (Waterloo and Cambridge) and London. This past summer of 2016, Innocente Brewing Company took home yet another gold medal at the Canadian Brewing Awards in Vancouver, but this time for Best Imperial IPA with their Two Night Stand.

This Porter style of beer has its roots in the working-class streets of London in the 18th century. Meant to be a meal for energetic porters, it was often a mix of aged beers and younger beer, used brown malt and was fairly hop-heavy and is still closely related to stout beer.

Proud to be a part of the fabric of Waterloo, Innocente Brewery invites you to make a date for a tour or Sample some of their beguiling beer. One thing the brewery loves are those curious about something only Innocente can answer.

Please call or stop in during Hours of Operation (Monday – Wednesday: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Thursday – Friday: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. - Saturday – Sunday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.).

Innocente Brewery is located at 283 Northfield Drive East, Unit 8, Waterloo, Ontario.You can call 519.725.1ALE (1253) or visit them online at www.innocente.ca

Looking to Locate, Relocate or Expand?

We’re your first point of contact for the Waterloo Region. @WREDCorp

waterlooedc.ca 1.866.233.5133

W Water loo Region Economic Development Group

Perspective

TM

W at e r l o o

R e g i o n

Where Students Go Beyond

S

t. John’s –Kilmarnock School (SJK) is the leading co-educational independent school in the Waterloo and surrounding region. Established in 1972, the School is located on a beautiful 36-acre natural campus. It offers enriched educational programming for students from JK – Grade 12 through its accredited International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum.

In an increasingly globalized world, many are beginning to opt for an approach to learning that embraces a global perspective and exposes students to the reality of a connected planet. Assignments that go beyond the textbook and classroom as well as progressive approaches to teaching and learning are hallmarks of an IB continuum education.

At SJK, students exceed expectations in an environment where they are engaged, understood and supported.

Specialized teachers, lower studentteacher ratios and involvement of parents as partners in education, result in individualized attention for students and the guidance they need to reach their fullest potential.

Teachers at SJK have the freedom to pursue innovative approaches to learning

and collaborating, in technology-rich environments, which equip students with a new kind of thinking for a new kind of world. Students learn through inquiry-based instruction where they are encouraged to be knowledgeable, inquirers, communicators, open-minded, risk-takers, and principled - to name some of IB’s Learner Profile Attributes.

A dynamic and diverse co-curricular program helps develop the whole child and extends learning beyond the School’s gates. Students have the opportunity to try new things, discover their passions and learn the value of different perspectives and cultures.

Travel abroad, experiential learning and service projects are part of the learning experience offered through the global classroom.

At SJK students find their excellence within, love to learn, and graduate as confident, well-rounded individuals, fully prepared for post-secondary education and life beyond.

The journey begins here.

Call Ms. Britt Leeking, Director of Enrolment at 519-648-ww2183 to book your personal tour.

GO BEYOND. Learn more at www.sjkschool.org 2201 Shantz Station Road, Waterloo Region (Breslau), Ontario N0B 1M0

18

OFFICE INDUSTRIAL RETAIL MULTI-FAMILY

2 2 6 .3 66. 9090

LAND

avisonyoung.com INVESTMENT

53,960 SF | KITCHENER INDUSTRIAL

17,000 SF | GUELPH INDUSTRIAL

912 SF - 1,450 SF | WATERLOO

INDUSTRIAL

INDUSTRIAL

29,000 SF | CAMBRIDGE INDUSTRIAL

SKYLINE PORTFOLIO

2,250 SF - 8,160 SF | CAMBRIDGE OFFICE

30,000 SF | KITCHENER Avison Young Commercial Real Estate (Southwestern Ontario), Brokerage 231 Shearson Crescent, Suite 210 Cambridge, ON N1T 1J5

11,000 SF | WATERLOO INDUSTRIAL

72,195 SF | WATERLOO OFFICE/RETAIL

1,000 SF - 3,857 SF | KITCHENER ©2016 Avison Young (Canada) Inc. All rights reserved.

The information contained herein was obtained from sources deemed reliable and is believed to be true; it has not been verified and as such, cannot be warranted nor form any part of any future contract.