Perspective Guelph 2022

Did know the City can help your business save water

About the cover

A MESSAGE froM ThE MAyor

Welcome to the 2022 edition of Perspective Marketing’s guide to living, working, investing, and doing business in Guelph!

Guelph is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and work in Canada, and it’s with good reason. Our city has a high quality of life, diverse economy, skilled workforce, and an ideal location minutes from Highway 401 along the Innovation Corridor that stretches from Toronto to Waterloo Region. We’re known as a mid-sized city that punches above its weight

when it comes to growth, innovation, and environmental sustainability.

Our city’s strong fundamentals mean that our economy is resilient and poised for continued growth and prosperity after the challenges of the last few years. I invite you to take a look through this guide to learn more about our city and what it has to offer. We would love for Guelph to be part of your success story.

Sincerely, Cam Guthrie Mayor

Visit www.perspective.ca

p erspective TM

1464 Cornwall Rd, Suite 5, Oakville, ON L6J 7W5 1-866-779-7712 info@perspective.ca www.perspective.ca

Publisher, ceo Steve Montague

vice-PresiDeNt Ed Martin

eDitoriAl Meredith MacLeod, Catherine Gaudreau, Phil Gaudreau

PerspectiveTM Guelph was produced Independent of the City of Guelph. 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 City of Guelph.

A bit about your local community foundation: THE GUELPH COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

what is a community foundation?

what is a community foundation?

There is a network of 191 community foundations across Canada, under the umbrella of Community Foundations of Canada. Together we help Canadians invest in making our communities better places to live, work and play. The Guelph Community Foundation contributes time, leadership and financial support to local initiatives, helping people give back where it is needed most.

community knowledge

Vital Signs reporting for Guelph & Wellington County which provides a top-line community check-up and outlines areas in which our community is doing well, and areas where we could be doing better. The findings in this report may help you identify where you would like to focus your donation.

To view the report please visit our website at: www.guelphcf.ca/CommunityInitiatives/VitalsSigns

how does giving work?

There is a network of 191 community foundations across Canada, under the umbrella of Community Foundations of Canada. Together we help Canadians invest in making our communities better places to live, work and play. The Guelph Community Foundation contributes time, leadership and financial support to local initiatives, helping people give back where it is needed most.

did you know?

community knowledge

The Guelph Community Foundation is a charitable non-profit organization. People and businesses with a philanthropic desire to give back to their community make a contribution using gifts of cash, securities, RRSPs/RRIFs, bequests in a will, gifts of life insurance or proceeds from golf tournaments or other selforganized fundraisers. Their contribution is pooled, invested and grows through careful stewardship. Income is generated and used to grant to areas of greatest need to enhance the quality of life and vitality in Guelph and the surrounding area. We make sure your wishes are fulfilled every year now and forever.

stories of impact

Our recent Vital Signs report for Guelph & Wellington County provides a top-line community check-up and outlines areas in which our community is doing well, and areas where we could be doing better. The findings in this report may help you identify where you would like to focus your donation.

To view the report please visit our website at: www.guelphcf.ca/CommunityInitiatives/VitalSigns

Every donor has a story; a reason they started a fund and shaped its focus. There are inspiring stories of impact within the community as a result of each gift. To “meet other donors” and find out more visit www.guelphcf.ca

how does giving work?

The Guelph Community Foundation is a charitable non-profit organization. People with a philanthropic desire to give back to their community make a contribution (many of the options are outlined in this brochure).

Their contribution is pooled, invested and grows through careful stewardship. Income is generated and used to make grants. We make sure your wishes are fulfilled every year now and forever.

Cam Guthrie, Mayor

A bit about your local community foundation: THE GUELPH COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Ask your financial advisor or estate planner How can this help reduce taxes and protect my wealth?

WE DON’T COMPETE WITH LOCAL CHARITIES

WE HELP TO STRENGTHEN THEIR WORK.

WE’RE NOT NEW. WE HAVE A TRACK

WE KNOW THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY

WE HELP YOU DESIGN YOUR GIVING GOALS.

Guelph’s New Partnership: Economic Development & Tourism work in Tandem

For the first time, the City of Guelph has an integrated strategy that identifies and leverages the opportunities that tourism adds as a catalyst for economic development.

“It’s

exciting to have a strategy that pulls the two worlds together.

Tourism is an important part of economic development and that is only going to grow,” says John Regan, general manager of Economic Development and Tourism (EDT).

The City of Guelph’s tourism program was moved into to his department two years ago to better connect and align the two complementary functions.

Guelph’s five-year Economic Development and Tourism Strategy sets out six goals: expand support for existing businesses; attract targeted investment; champion an innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem; advance talent attraction and skill development; build a must-see visitor destination in Ontario; and enhance Guelph’s unique brand for business, talent and visitors.

“Our strategy comes at a time of recovery from the pandemic. It sets out our goals and recognizes the crucial role of our networks and partners play in realizing them,” says the City’s EDT manager Christine Chapman.

The City is undertaking a multiphase business intelligence initiative to understand local business needs, so it can deepen local business relationships, support Guelph’s leading sectors of advanced manufacturing, agri-food and life sciences, and nurture new economic clusters.

Chapman is also excited about the focus on workforce development and talent attraction.

It aligns with tourism because what makes Guelph a great place to visit makes it a great place to live, too.

“It’s never a hard sell to convince people about Guelph once they’ve

been here. We just have to get future Guelphites to visit.”

The EDT strategy will be a living document, says Regan.

“We will constantly monitor our key performance indicators (KPIs), adjust our targets and add new ones as necessary as we ask ourselves about the value we are delivering.”

At the centre of that value is an openfor-business attitude.

“We have a mindset of ‘how do we get to yes.’ I truly believe we are all in economic development together – all our residents, all our businesses and everyone at the City.”

tourism

A pillar of the EDT strategy and a catalyst to reaching its targets is a new Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) that came into effect September 1, 2022. It applies a four per cent charge on stays of fewer than 30 days in hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, and private rentals such as Airbnb units.

Half will go into a fund administered by the City of Guelph and half will go to the designated destination marketing organization –the Guelph Chamber of Commerce – to support and market tourism venues, attract events and conferences, and to provide training and education to sector operators to help them grow their businesses.

“This will support businesses that are strong tourist pulls, as well as new product ideas,” says Alex Jaworiwsky, manager of tourism & destination development. She is excited about an initiative to expand the Ontario By Bike Network into Guelph and Wellington.

“With the hike in fuel costs and the costs of flights, people are looking for things to do as they remain local and get out to explore. We are encouraging local businesses to explore how to market and cater to cycling tourists.”

There is a lot of momentum behind tourism in Guelph, fuelled by its food and beverage scene, large festivals, and natural amenities, says Jaworiwsky.

“There is much to look forward to in terms of what the next few years will bring. Our goal is to always make our visitors feel like a local who knows all the great spots to be.”

Guelph Junction railway

Another pillar of Guelph’s EDT approach is the Guelph Junction Railway (GJR), a 38-kilometre stretch of rail line from Milton through Puslinch, Guelph and Wellington County that connects to Class 1 lines on either end. It is one of only two municipally owned railways in North America.

ZENTEK: 25,000 sq. ft

Guelph Expansion where Business Meets healthcare

Since 2014, it has been operated as an arm’s length entity, with all dividends going back to the City. In that time, it has grown by 202 per cent.

“We service 14 customers right now –many are transloading companies – and we are growing and diversifying the product mix,” says GJR general manager Les Petroczi. “We are hoping to hit close to 6,000 rail cars moved this year.”

Moving freight by rail is highly cost-effective, efficient and typically

more environmentally friendly than other transport methods. These factors are leading to a growing number of new customers for the railway in 2022.

“We are all about growth and employment in Guelph. More than 900 jobs in Guelph are directly linked to the GJR and as the cost of long-haul truck transport increases, rail traffic will increase. We are excited about the number of jobs that can be created.”

Zentek

is an intellectual property development and commercialization company based in Guelph that uses expertise in nanomaterials to uncover new possibilities in healthcare and beyond.

Graphene – a single layer of graphite or carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice – present almost limitless potential to protect against pathogens, detect and treat disease, produce clean water, make building materials stronger, and generate cleaner energy.

Graphene can be added to plastics, metals and many other materials to make them stronger, lighter, disease resistant, more durable and more conductive of electricity.

During the pandemic, Zentek (Nasdaq: ZTEK; TSX-V: ZEN) worked with

its partners at the University of British Columbia to develop ZenGUARD™, a proprietary, patent-pending technology that uses a graphene compound to produce an antimicrobial layer that transforms critical items like surgical masks and HVAC filters into advanced protective tools.

ZenGUARD™ has received authorization from Health Canada, with FDA approval underway. The product is a 2021 Mitacs Award winner for Commercialization in Canada.

ZenGUARD™ masks include four layers: a hydrophobic exterior that prevents infectious droplets from penetrating the mask; a ZenGUARD™-coated layer that filters dangerous pathogens; a melt-blown layer that filters dust and other particles; and

a hydrophilic interior that traps droplets inside the mask to prevent transmission of disease.

In scientific testing, ZenGUARD™coated masks removed 98.9 per cent more bacteria and 97.8 per cent more virus compared to surgical masks standardly used in clinical care, resulting in over 99.99 per cent bacterial and viral filtration efficiency ratings.

The Zentek team is currently exploring additional uses for ZenGUARD™, including advanced protection for air filtration (HVAC) systems.

“In addition to masks, we are exploring ZenGUARD™ for use in supporting

energy efficient indoor air quality in schools, buildings, transit and others,” said Greg Fenton, CEO. “Our antimicrobial coating could be a game changer in the HVAC space. “

Zentek has recently expanded its operations in Guelph, opening a new 25,680-square-foot manufacturing facility in June. It has an estimated capacity to coat the equivalent of 720 million masks per month, and is one of the world’s largest graphenebased production facilities.

The company, which has partnerships with 100 researchers at universities and tech firms globally, also operates an advanced research lab and scaleup facility in Guelph.

Guelph’s Talent Grab: find the perfect blend of a fortune 500 company and an exciting start-up.

System1 open fifth global location in Guelph ontario

Digital customer acquisition marketing company System1 has opened a new office in Guelph that allows it to continue its growth trajectory.

“We find this is a talent hotbed,” says Brent Drewry, senior vice-president of publishing. “We need smart, talented people and we have great relationships with the University of Guelph and the University of Waterloo.”

Los Angeles-headquartered System1 is a leading customer acquisition company. The company’s RAMP marketing platform attracts high-intent users and delivers them to advertisers and to System1’s own consumer subscription products.

System1 owns over 40 internet properties, including MapQuest, HowStuffWorks, Startpage and Info.com, that generate over 175 million monthly visitors. In just under 10 years, System1 has grown into a 500-employee company with five locations worldwide. The company went public on the New York Stock Exchange in January of this year and is projected to generate over $900 million in revenue in 2022.

The company arrived in Guelph in 2017, with the acquisition of Qool Media, and acquired Concourse Media in 2019. System1 now employs 70 people in Guelph and its new facility within the city’s Junction allows that to double.

“We’ve modelled our office on our other System1 locations as well as other tech companies by building an exceedingly productive but fun workspace,” says Drewry.

“It’s a fantastic office environment for our existing employees and new recruits.”

The Junction features repurposed rail buildings alongside new builds and includes a co-working space, a popular brewpub, private offices and public spaces.

“It is a state-of-the-art building in a funky location that really has a buzz around it,” says economic development officer Peter Minkiewicz.

The technology sector is a priority for Guelph.

“System1 is doing great things in Guelph and that is opening the eyes of other companies to the advantages offered here.”

“It’s great to see Guelph emerge as a tech hub. Talent is coming here. I’ve talked to a lot of people who came to the city for school and stayed because it’s such a

great place to live. I always tell people that System1 is the perfect blend of a Fortune 500 company and an exciting start-up, says Drewry who is a Guelph native.

ArE yoU AWESoME?

System1 is actively hiring marketers, engineers, data scientists, and product managers in all locations, including Guelph.

Growing local connections and opportunities for entrepreneurs

re-imagining Guelph’s farmers’ Market space to engage the community

When you envision a weekly farmers’ market, you probably expect several booths of farm-fresh produce, preserves and local arts and crafts. It’s a community space where neighbours meet and relationships grow. But what happens in that location the rest of the week? Could it be used to create new community connections and opportunities?

Nestled in downtown Guelph behind City Hall and boasting a long history as a former horse stable, the Guelph Farmers’ Market building, an 11,100 square foot (sq.

ft.) facility with an additional 20,000 sq. ft. of outdoor space, is being reimaged to better support local food and social entrepreneurs in new and innovative ways.

Through a collaborative process and formalized community benefit agreement with the City of Guelph, the Farmers’ Market building recently came under the oversight of 10C Shared Space (located at 42 Carden Street), a not-for-profit social enterprise positioned as “the hub for community changemakers in Guelph.”

Leanne McGray, Farmers’ Market lead, says it’s unique to have a not-forprofit running a farmers’ market with an overarching goal of creating opportunities for people to connect. The market’s downtown location is strategic and easily accessible by all modes of transportation, primarily serving residents that live within

a thirty-minute radius, along with tourists exploring the downtown.

The space will be put to good use throughout the fall and upcoming holiday season. A new weekly Thursday 4-7 p.m. offering has added another day of foodrelated activity, adding to the main Saturday morning market. Extended programming planned for the fall includes vintage clothing and antique markets, book fairs, student events, gardening workshops and weekly evening gift-focused markets in December.

Thanks to the vision and coordination from 10C and nearly $1 million in capital funding from partners such as FedDev Ontario and the City of Guelph, the infrastructure in the Farmers’ Market building is being updated. Building changes will support 10C’s goals to increase community uses for workshops, events and activities. Adapting the space to serve several functions involves major renovations that will be ongoing into 2023.

“Many heavy built-in elements and tables down the center of the market were removed and replaced with portable

equipment. People with strollers and mobility aids can now more easily navigate the space,” explains McGray.

With a focus on increasing accessibility, a new double door is planned for the front of the building, along with genderneutral washrooms. Other changes include creating a commercial kitchen for local entrepreneurs to access to create their food products which can then be sold at the market.

“There are opportunities for people to start their business here and help provide them with the supports to get to a bricksand-mortar location,” says McGray. “Anytime we can be part of that, we consider it a success.”

Planning the future of the Guelph Innovation District

Imagine you have 400 hectares (1,000 acres) of mostly undeveloped land just minutes from a thriving downtown core. What would you create?

TheCity of Guelph has such an opportunity and has crafted an ambitious and innovative plan that considers the City’s current and future growth needs, including local employment opportunities, while balancing the need for sustainability and environmental protection.

The area, near Guelph’s eastern boundary, is called the Guelph Innovation District. Guided by six key principles

– environmental and heritage protection, sustainability, mobility, attractiveness and memorability, diversity of uses, and innovative employment opportunities –the City is re-envisioning the use of this land, currently owned by the Province of Ontario, as an innovative, connective, and sustainable link from Guelph’s past to the community’s future. The Innovation District, Guelph’s downtown core and the University of Guelph will form a

knowledge-based innovation cluster that supports a future-ready Guelph.

A third of the land was sold by the Province of Ontario to local developer Fusion Homes in 2021 to create a new residential, mixed-use and employment area, and a heritage conservation district study is currently being undertaken for the remainder of the lands, which functioned as the Ontario Reformatory from 1910 to 2001.

Future-looking plans aim to add thousands of new jobs in the five focus sectors of Guelph’s Economic Development and Tourism Strategy: agri-innovation, cleantech, information technology, advanced manufacturing, and life sciences. The district will form part of a triad that includes Guelph’s downtown core and the University of Guelph, all working together to form a knowledge-based innovation cluster.

Filling those new jobs will mean new workers and they will need a place to live. That’s why Fusion Homes is getting ready to build living spaces for six thousand people within the District, with the intent to have shovels in the ground in 20242025. Ryan Scott, senior vice president of development and finance with Fusion Homes, said it’s the company’s most

ambitious project to date and possibly even for the city itself.

“We want to make sure that this community is relevant, not just when it gets built in 2028 but into 2050,” he said. “We’ve heard great feedback from stakeholders and from Guelph City Council about the fact it’s a local developer taking on a project of this scale inside the city.”

Aside from jobs and living space, Fusion’s goal in the new community is to ensure residents can easily walk and cycle around to get to their destinations, and to ensure the area is attractive even to non-residents. The developer’s concept continues to evolve as it navigates the block planning process with the city.

“It’s a large parcel that allows us to think in terms of a complete community as opposed to just a cookie cutter subdivision,” added Scott. “We hope to set this development apart with a variety of housing options, plenty of amenities, retail, useful parks and trails with good connections, and jobs.”

Long-term, the Guelph Innovation District is not only vital to meeting local employment and housing targets consistent with Guelph’s growth management strategy, but also essential to building a thriving, future-ready city.

Local businesses flourishing with a boost from the Grow Guelph network

In2019, Katrina Bell started her sidehustle making soy candles in her dining room. That same year, she moved from her long-standing job to a new full-time position at another company. Then in March 2020, in response to the pandemic, her new employer laid off a third of their workforce. Bell’s job was eliminated, causing her to quickly pivot her side-hustle into a full-time business.

Ramping up production filled her house with materials and packaging. With boxes of wax and empty jars lining her hallways and her home office overflowing with candles, wax, and fragrances, Bell started looking into options for running her business, The Copper Bell, outside her home. She stumbled across a ‘Win this Space’ program provided by the Business Centre of Guelph-Wellington that invited submissions from local entrepreneurs looking to scale up. This was Bell’s introduction to the wealth of services offered by the Grow Guelph network. Bell subsequently developed business growth, marketing, and professional development plans thanks to mentorship and opportunities provided by Grow Guelph partners. She’s currently

completing Rhyze Ventures, a women’s entrepreneurship program offered by Innovation Guelph, and is continuing to grow her confidence and leadership skills.

“The program encourages networking,” said Bell. “It’s hard to put a value on building relationships in the community.”

One fellow entrepreneur Bell met through Grow Guelph programs is Amber Cubitt, owner of Spoon In. Until March 2020, Cubitt offered ready-made fresh smoothie bowls at farmers’ markets and events, as well as catering.

“I had to refocus the business in the climate of the pandemic. I started delivering to people’s houses at lunchtime, but that wasn’t manageable,” says Cubitt. “I created the frozen smoothie bowl in August 2020.”

Realizing an opportunity to transform and scale her business, Cubitt reached out to the Business Centre Guelph-Wellington which pointed her on to mentorship opportunities and the Rhyze Ventures program.

“Working with Rhyze, there was a realization that this is a product we can scale, and people want it further than we

can reach them,” Cubitt recalled. “The want is there – we just need to get them into more people’s hands.”

With help from her mentor, Cubitt expanded her sales channels which now include 19 retail partners and cafes, and e-commerce sales. Next steps include increasing production and expanding distribution throughout southern Ontario.

connecting for successes, connected to success

Cubitt’s and Bell’s success stories are not the exception. They represent just two of the hundreds of local businesses getting support from the Grow Guelph network; a group of14 partner organizations that help businesses start, stay, and grow in Guelph to support a thriving and resilient local economy.

invest nurt ure prosper

Grow Guelph is coordinated by the City of Guelph, under a Collective Impact Model which supports the collaborative focus of the network, explains Stephanie Slaman, economic development officer with the City of Guelph.

“The network creates a space for senior business leaders within the partner organizations to talk about how we can create the biggest impact and respond to community challenges,” said Slaman.

Examples include the organizations collaborating on funding submissions, sharing business-intelligence, and celebrating the achievements of the business community. Working together, the partners offer concierge-type services that can support businesses with overcoming challenges and accelerating growth, which has been key to local economic recovery following the pandemic.

“When you have a healthy ecosystem, each of the interconnected aspects are working to their full potential and are able to support businesses in innovative ways,” said Slaman.

Guelph Connects Business – Access to GO Train from Guelph to Union Station Downtown Toronto

The Copper Bell

Spoon In

Turning waste into resources and capturing the world’s imagination

It’soften said one person’s trash is another’s treasure. Thanks to innovative partnerships in the Guelph-Wellington region made possible through the Circular Opportunity Innovation Launchpad (aka COIL), that “trash” might now be someone’s newest revenue stream.

Take the example of a local onion ring factory where the ends of onions are cut off and tossed in compost. Meanwhile, there’s no local supply for onion concentrate, commonly used for flavouring, and its being imported. Working with another factory, the onion ring maker’s waste is now being used to make onion concentrate, reducing food waste and creating millions of dollars in projected new value locally. That’s COIL in action.

COIL celebrates its one-year anniversary in October 2022. The initiative grew out of the City of Guelph and County of

Wellington’s Smart Cities Office, with support from organizations like Innovation Guelph and 10C, and with funding from Federal Development Agency of Canada for Southern Ontario. COIL has already helped more than 60 businesses across southern Ontario create, test, and scale circular economy ideas and innovation in the food, construction, and environment sectors.

“Finding creative ways to capture and reuse waste materials to develop innovative new products and supply chains takes creativity that is accelerated through the power of partnership in the region,” explains David Messer, executive director of Guelph’s Smart Cities Office.

“Building off strong established relationships with the city government, community leaders, researchers, small businesses, and support organizations is

the secret sauce, with everyone working toward a shared circular economy vision that delivers economic growth and environmental benefits,” says Messer.

That circular economy vision includes connecting local businesses, sharing data, and funding supply chain innovations to be more sustainable and resilient, with a focus on managing resources more effectively to help combat climate change and create opportunities. A hyper regional approach is important to understanding and identifying local resources, expertise, and opportunities, and to developing local-level solutions that can be scaled up across Canada and beyond.

There is keen interest in what COIL and its partners have been up to; their work has been featured by the World Economic Forum, and the COIL team has an

Why do restaurateurs Love Guelph?

Learn why Chefs are setting up in Guelph.

Summer

in Guelph is an exciting time.

In the downtown core the streets are bustling with people enjoying the great dining experiences Guelph offers on seasonal outdoor patios that enhance visits to the city’s historic downtown for locals and tourists alike.

Restaurants, cafés, and more are able to apply for an on-street patio for outdoor service between April 1 and Oct. 31. This opportunity has expanded some existing patios, but many

established outdoor serving areas for the first time.

Guelph’s hugely successful seasonal patio program was implemented as an emergency relief measure during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic then later endorsed by Guelph City Council as a three-year pilot (2021-2023). The patio program lets businesses apply for expanded outdoor space for multiple years.

“We needed to support small businesses as quickly as we could in such a difficult

time,” says Nicole Kupferschmidt, tourism programs officer.

Through the program, patios are permitted across the city but most are concentrated in Guelph’s downtown core.

“We heard from businesses that they may not have weathered the storm of pandemic lockdowns without this program,” says Alex Jaworiwsky, the City’s manager of Tourism and Destination Development.

“And there is a lot of optimism about the future. All the patios bring such character and vibrancy and charm to our streets, which are filled with beautiful heritage buildings.”

Although first implemented to address the shifting needs due to evolving pandemic health measures, there have proven to be additional benefits.

“This program offers a great opportunity for businesses without an

invitation to present at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) later this fall. Cities across Canada and around the world are taking inspiration from their work, watching to learn how they can replicate Guelph-Wellington’s innovative, environmentally-minded and successful business ecosystem.

option to have a patio otherwise,” says Kupferschmidt.

“They bring such life and fun and it’s great to see lights and people in our downtown.”

Bryan Steele, owner of La Reina, a Mexican restaurant in downtown Guelph, says the patio program provided new opportunities to reach more people.

“It has allowed La Reina to expand its customer base. Last summer, when there was no indoor dining, we had people visiting from other cities because of Guelph’s patio program.”

The patio program sustained La Reina during lockdowns and Steele wants to see it continue.

“It is a huge draw to the downtown. I have been in Guelph most of my life and I’ve never seen the downtown this busy.”

coil Activate Accelerator program canada’s hub for circular economy innovation

FOCUS WHERE IT MATTERS!

Market Strategy is only a thought or good idea without experienced tactical execution.

MARKET POSITIONING

FOR REVENUE GROWTH

Effectively positioning your company to target and onboard the right customer segment dictates your relevance within your market.

A proper positioning & execution strategy enables management choice. dreyas.com