BusinessVIEW Saskatoon December/January 2015/16

December/January 2015/16

New professional lacrosse team calling Saskatoon home

The Saskatchewan Rush

Train the workers you need The Canada-Saskatchewan Job Grant helps you train workers to meet your requirements and provides the skills they need to achieve their career goals.

The Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada provide funding – up to $10,000 per trainee – to train new or existing employees for available jobs.

Creative Options Regina is a non-profit organization that has used the Job Grant to customize training opportunities for its future leaders.

Program Features: • You select the trainees and the training program.

• You pay one-third of the eligible training costs.

• You employ the trainee at the end of training.

Visit economy.gov.sk.ca/job-grant to learn more about the program criteria and how to apply.

Funding provided by the Government of Canada through the Canada Job Grant

“The CanadaSaskatchewan Job Grant is definitely not just for the trades.”

- Michael Lavis, Creative Options Regina

Table of Contents

December/January 2015/16

Featured Articles President’s View Pg. 4

Encouraging our leaders to be bold in continuous improvement efforts

Cover Story: The Saskatchewan Rush Pg. 5 New professional sports team calling Saskatoon home

Member Profile: SaskMade Marketplace Pg. 6 “Productivity: Our Path to Prosperity” conference Pg. 10 Recap of the “2020 Health Vision” conference Pg. 14 Canadian Chamber of Commerce Pg. 18 Ratification of Trans-Pacific Partnership Key to Canada’s Success in Asia The Saskatchewan Rush has opened their new front office and retail space in Saskatoon’s Scotia Center. (See story on page 5). Image: Grant Romancia Photography.

BUSINESS View­is a bimonthly publication of the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce 104-202 4th Avenue North, Saskatoon, SK S7K 0K1 Phone: (306) 244-2151 Fax: (306) 244-8366 Email: chamber@saskatoonchamber.com Website: www.saskatoonchamber.com Twitter: @stoonchamber Feedback on articles is invited, but views expressed in BUSINESS View are those of contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by, or are policy of, the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce or its Board of Directors. We encourage you to support the business leaders whose names and products you see advertised in this issue as well as throughout our entire membership. The Board reserves the right to edit submissions.

STAFF

Kent Smith-Windsor, Executive Director Derek Crang, Sales & Membership Director Terry Lawrence, Administrator Roz Macala, Executive Secretary Kevin Meldrum, Marketing Director Linda Saunders, Bookkeeper Ryan Wig, Communications Director Czarina Catambing, Committee Operations Intern Meghan Johnson, Committee Operations Intern

Cover image by Grant Romancia

BUSINESS VIEW SASKATOON DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16 3

President’s View

Taking on the productivity agenda Encouraging our leaders to be bold in continuous improvement efforts

The topic of “Lean” has generated many a column inch in our local news over the last few years. For such a valuable process improvement philosophy, the concept has been caught up in political discussions and received a lot of negative publicity.

Why then is our Chamber such a strong advocate for Lean, and why would we host a workshop dedicated to private and public organizational improvement in productivity?

Because there is so much more to lean than what is in the headlines.

In a nutshell, lean is a business philosophy with the primary objective of eliminating waste, where waste is defined as any activity that does not add value to the product or service delivered to the customer. I am sure we can all give examples of a reflection we have had in our own business where we were in the midst of our day to day and thought “why do we do this step?” The answer is often because we have always done it that way and no one suggested a change.

In a perfect world, if you were manufacturing and selling a product, the flow of goods would move seamlessly through the organization to the customer, being completed and ready for sale just in time for when the customer wants the product. This would eliminate all

waste, downtime, bottlenecks, etc. Since the world isn’t perfect, this goal isn’t realistic, so the goal isn’t elimination; it’s minimization.

Consider the evolution of the grocery store. For the impatient shopper like me, waiting in line is a great time to consider all of the ways the stores could better serve its customers. In some stores, the clerk scans your goods, puts it on a conveyor and then when all the goods are scanned, that same clerk bags everything. Good system, but the clerk has to physically handle every item twice. Today, most stores have the bags right beside the scanner so that the clerk only has to handle the good once and can scan and bag in one motion. That is lean in action.

Every business likely has an example of something they have done to improve their productivity, whether that is on a large scale like redesigning a manufacturing facility layout, or whether that is on a small scale like moving the photocopier closer to those that use it the most. Sharing these ideas is what makes all of us better.

For public organizations, the motivation is clear – taxpayers are demanding accountability for their tax dollars. They want to know that their money is being spent in the most efficient manner on the right priorities. We may not all agree on the priorities, but what we can agree on is not funding waste and downtime and processes that don’t add value.

I believe that it takes courage in government to tackle the productivity agenda. Political leaders run the risk of being caught in the centre of the blame game if their initiatives don’t go as planned. I believe we need to turn

that thinking around. We need to demand that our leaders think innovatively while balancing the risk. Why? Because continuing to do the same thing in a changing world is not the answer. Let’s encourage our leaders to be bold and let’s give them credit when they do. Let’s celebrate the successes and share the good stories. If we want to criticize, let’s be critical of the status quo.

Lean isn’t just a philosophy – it’s a culture.

It’s about empowering the team with a client centric focus to bring forward suggestions for change. The City of Saskatoon has set bold goals targeted around continuous improvement. Let’s continue to push this model forward to maximize value at a reasonable tax cost. Let’s tell the stories of success, let’s tell the stories of failure, and let’s use that knowledge to add value.

I look forward to reporting back to all of you on the successes of our first ever productivity conference. In the meantime, do your own research on what productivity improvements can mean for you. Walk through your front door using the lens of a customer. Map out your processes. Talk to your team. Just do something, and we can celebrate our successes together.

Tanya Knight President of the Board 2015/16 Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce

2015-16 Board of Directors for the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce 2

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President Tanya Knight - MNP LLP. 1st Vice-President Jason Yochim - Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS®.

Vice-President Kelly Bode - WMCZ Lawyers & Mediators. Past President Tony Van Burgsteden - Federated Co-Operatives Ltd. Bill Cooper - PotashCorp. Peggie Koenig - Koenig & Associates. Silvia Martini - Interlink Research Inc. Karl Miller - Meridian Development. Sandra Ribeiro - Canadian Light Source Inc. Chris Sicotte - Affinity Credit Union.

Sanj Singh - AdeTherapeutics Inc. Brian Skanderbeg - Claude Resources Inc. Trevor Thiessen - Redekop Manufacturing.

Chris Woodland - MacPherson, Leslie and Tyerman LLP. Colleen Yates - Equinox3 Consulting Ltd.

BUSINESS VIEW SASKATOON DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16

Cover Story

The Saskatchewan Rush New professional sports team calling Saskatoon home

By Terri Eger

Lee Genier, President of the Saskatchewan Rush, has set up their new corporate office and retail space in the Scotia Center, Saskatoon. (Image: Grant Romancia)

Saskatoon is now the home of a professional sports team, and not just any team, but a championship team. The Edmonton Rush Lacrosse team has relocated to Saskatoon under the new banner of The Saskatchewan Rush. After winning the North American National Lacrosse League title last year, the team has opted to move to the bridge city and already has an office in operation at Scotia Centre.

“Moving to Saskatoon is a great opportunity for us,” said team President Lee Genier.

“Saskatoon has a NHL size building, avid fans and is a great city without a professional sports team.”

While relocating a team of 20 players is no small feat, Genier and his locally hired staff are up for the challenge.

“Everything starts from zero,” he said.

“We are developing sponsorship packages, selling tickets and creating excitement in a new city.”

The team doesn’t have to start completely from scratch. With season ticket holders located across Saskatchewan and southern Alberta, a number of fans are used to travelling

for the action-packed games that The Rush action,” said Genier. is known for. Weekend games throughout The Saskatchewan Rush consists of a full, the season running from January to June 20-man roster of the best players in the allow fans travel time to attend the event league. As the winners of the league title, and get involved in the host city. it’s a great opportunity for Saskatoon to be “The team brings a distinct opportunity the team’s new home. to Saskatoon in terms of tourism and the Each home game will be an event, according economy,” said Todd Brandt, President and to Genier, who said fans are invited onto the CEO of Tourism Saskatoon. “They are already field following the game to interact with the a developed league with a mature product.” players. Pre-game VIP and entertainment Brandt sat down with Genier and The Rush packages are being developed as added value when the move east was being discussed. for the fans.

“Their business model makes sense,” said With teams travelling into Saskatoon from Brandt. “It will take time to develop the Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, team in Saskatoon but it will develop and Denver, Buffalo, Rochester, Georgia and grow and be a great asset to the community.

New England and games broadcast on TSN They are a well-oiled machine and having a Sports, having the team in the city is sure championship team move to our city is very to attract attention across North America. positive. I encourage the business community “Saskatoon is already a well-known city to get on board and support them.” and our team will help raise that profile.”

Being part of the community is a major part of the mandate for the team which is For tickets and schedule information, already attending local events. please visit SaskRush.com. Also, look for “The people here are very welcoming,” a special deal on the January 15th opening said Genier. “They are very excited to have night tickets, exclusive to members of the a professional sports team come to town Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce. and we are excited to be here.”

Details to follow on our website.

As Canada’s national sport, lacrosse has been gaining in popularity in recent years and is one of the fastest growing sports in North America. The game will be played on turf laid over the ice at the SaskTel Centre in the box lacrosse style.

“There is a lot of contact, a lot of goals scored and it’s a very high energy game The Saskatchewan Rush front office team (left to right): Drew Strelau, Derek that draws Reding, Samantha Erhardt, Lee Genier, Briana Mackow, Connor Gulka (Image: Grant Romancia) fans into the BUSINESS VIEW SASKATOON DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16 5

Member Profile

SaskMade Marketplace

By Terri Eger

In a time when eating quality, local food is important to consumers, SaskMade Marketplace is making it easy. Conveniently located on 8th Street in Saskatoon, the grocery store includes 150 vendors featuring more than 7,000 products, the majority of which come from right here in Saskatchewan.

For owner Candace Ippolito, a fourth generation beef producer herself, providing fresh, quality food choices for consumers is important.

“We want to connect people to the farm,” she said. “Consumers can come in here and ask the tough questions like what’s the difference between organic and non-organic, are GMO products safe for my family, and we can give them that information.”

With a knowledgeable staff who knows the producers and has tasted the products, personal service is key at this specialty grocery store that offers more than saskatoon berry jam. The business has a wide selection of locally grown, manufactured and value added products that include everything from appetizers to desserts and everything in between. Freezers are lined with locally sourced beef, bison, lamb and trout as well as northern fish including pike and pickerel.

Pizzas, fresh pasta, perogies and cabbage rolls are ready to heat and serve to your family.

Pies, chocolates and desserts round off the complete meal selection.

The store also offers a wide selection of specialty sauces including mustards, hot sauces and syrups.

“Saskatchewan is the leading mustard producer in the world and we offer a wide variety of flavours to choose from,” said Ippolito.

Numerous grain options speak to the

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BUSINESS VIEW SASKATOON DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16

SaskMade Marketplace manager Amanda Wilkins (left) and owner Candace Ippolito (right) with Chef Lynn Crawford (centre) who visited the store while filming “The Great Canadian Cookbook”. Chef Crawford celebrates using locally sourced ingredients like those found at SaskMade Marketplace. (Supplied Photo.) background of the other three partners in the business who are grain producers in the area. Jams, jellies and traditional treats that grandma used to make are available in the store as is a wide selection of work by local artisans. Pottery, photography, paintings and books all with prairie themes, make great one-of-a-kind gifts.

In addition to the grocery items available for personal use, SaskMade Marketplace also offers a customizable gift basket service.

“Let us put together something that represents the products and people you are gifting to,” said Ippolito. Working with customers, the business can personalize baskets in all shapes, sizes and quantities.

Baskets can be customized to include branded items from your business or event. Each basket is handmade with love in the store by sourcing products from small independent producers, as such, advance orders ensure the baskets are perfect.

Working with local producers and entrepreneurs is a highlight of the business for Ippolito who is an entrepreneur herself.

When a producer comes up with an idea

that they’d like to take to market, SaskMade Marketplace is often where their idea takes off.

“We get to see products from start to finish,” she said. “Getting people in the infancy of their business, we can help them grow and coach them into a national brand.”

“I understand the blood, sweat and tears they put into their product.”

SaskMade Marketplace continues to promote local products with simple ingredients. Consumers have the comfort of shopping close to home for locally sourced items that are made fresh.

“People want to know what’s in their food and where it comes from and we can help them with that,” said Ippolito.

Visit the retail store at 1621 8th Street East in Saskatoon, or phone 1-888-955-1382.

Website www.saskmade.ca.

Are you a Chamber Member who has a recent success story to share? Contact businessview@saskatoonchamber. com

YOUR IDE A S . OUR NE T WORK .

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. M2M

M A C H I N E-TO -M A C H I N E Kyle Folk is the founder of IntraGrain Technologies and the manufacturer of Bin-Sense™, a wireless remote monitoring system for grain bins. Bin-Sense transmits data from the bins over the cellular network using the SaskTel Machine-to-Machine (M2M) service.

Kyle’s customers can log in to IntraGrain’s website any time of the day or night and check the temperature and moisture level of their grain. “There’s really no end to the industries and people that M2M can serve,” says Kyle. “This is agriculture, but it could be oil and gas, or logistics or shipping.”

sasktel.com/m2m

Member News

Western Development Museum named Number One Thing to Do in Saskatchewan by TripAdvisor “Best Museum in Western Canada. No visitor to Saskatoon should miss the WDM.” All I can say is GO! I would recommend this museum to young and old alike and it was my favourite attraction in my whole trip to Canada. I will recommend it to friends and clients. Thank you and well done!

The Western Development Museum Saskatoon has been named the Number One Thing to Do in Saskatchewan for 2015 by TripAdvisor. This award is based on the number of four- and five-star ratings that an attraction receives from its visitors on tripadvisor.com. The WDM has been consistently ranked as number one in Saskatoon and has been the number one attraction in the province for over a year.

"The relationship that the Museum staff and volunteer groups enjoy has resulted in a truly wonderful partnership," said Jason B. Wall, Manager of the Saskatoon WDM. "Winning this award is absolute proof of what a group of like-minded people can do when working together to make this Museum one of the best attractions in the province."

What are Trip Advisor reviewers saying?

“History with a dash of something more.”

“A fun museum for the whole family.”

“This museum is outstanding! It took us more than 6 hours to see all we wanted to see.”

“Absolutely brilliant museum, best of its kind!”

“A ‘must visit’ museum for its high standards and reality of experience.”

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BUSINESS VIEW SASKATOON DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16

"The WDM in Saskatoon - and at its other three locations in the province - works hard every day to resonate with its visitors," said Joan Champ, CEO of the Museum. "It is wonderful to have this endorsement from reviewers on a trusted source like TripAdvisor."

TripAdvisor is the world's largest travel site reaching 340 million unique monthly visitors with over 200 million traveller reviews of attractions like the WDM, accommodations, restaurants, bed and breakfasts, and more.

The Saskatoon WDM has seen a steady increase in attendance each year and now welcomes over 130,000 visitors annually.

Last year, 135,016 people came through the doors of the Museum.

The WDM Saskatoon is located at 2610 Lorne Avenue. For information on the WDM call 306-931-1910 or visit wdm.ca.

Upcoming exhibits: • Through December 6: Canada: Day 1 travelling exhibit • Through January 8, 2016: Eaton’s Once Upon a Christmas exhibit • December 15 – May, 2016: 100 Years Ago: Remembering WWI exhibit

Save the date: Fifth Annual Community Job Fair Mark your calendars! The fifth Annual Community Job Fair will be held Wednesday, March 9th 2016 from 10am to 4pm at Bedford Road Collegiate.

The Community Job Fair is an opportunity to show case employment opportunities within your business and aims to be inclusive and accessible to all city residents. With more than 50 exhibitors and 800+ job seekers in attendance at Bedford Road Collegiate in 2015, this is the perfect opportunity to recruit potential employees for your organization.

The event is designed to connect core neighbourhood job seekers to meaningful employment in a variety of areas. Various industries across Saskatoon have found value in participating in this event and are represented each year from different sectors; hospitality and tourism, food services, construction and trades, financial services, and many more! Gain access to a large labour pool of qualified job seekers with a diverse skill set in a one stop environment.

Book your spot today, which includes lunch, for the low fee of $50. All proceeds from the Community Job Fair go to Bedford Road Collegiate’s student group raising funds for their annual Pow Wow. For more information, or to secure your table contact: Kayla Brien, Quint Development: (306) 978-4041 ext. 234 or employer@quintsaskatoon.ca. Tables are going fast, so do not delay!

Co-organized by: • Quint Development • Bedford Road Collegiate Institute • City of Saskatoon • Catholic Family Services

CAN CUSTOMERS FIND YOUR BUSINESS WHILE SEARCHING ONLINE? Search Engine Marketing (SEM) can help increase visitors to your website, by ranking advertisements higher in search engine results. SEM is an easy solution to help more customers find your business while searching online.

The Saskatoon StarPhoenix can help you implement SEM for your business.

Get started today by calling 306-657-6340 or visiting postmediaadvertising.com/DMS

Chamber Events

“Productivity: Our Path to Prosperity” Conference On November 23rd, the Chamber along with the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) hosted “Productivity: Our Path to Prosperity” – a full day conference exploring the successes of lean methodology and continuous improvement in both the public and private sectors in Saskatchewan.

Minister Don McMorris, Deputy Premier and Minister Responsible for Lean Initiative, opened the conference with a speech touting some of the more recent improvements the government has seen in lean processes in its eHealth service in terms of time and efficiencies, as well as the issuing of birth certificates which went down to 2 days on average from 57 days, all due to taking a lean methodology to the issues.

Conference keynote speaker Brian Elms, manager of the Peak Academy (an initiative of the City of Denver, Colorado) taught the conference attendees about how they work

with other city employees in Denver at all levels on the principles of “Lean,” which teaches how to eliminate waste, improve efficiency and ultimately create a higher standard of government.

Denver’s Peak Performance is the process improvement team created under Mayor Michael Hancock. All change is measured for its value to the customer, such as reduced wait times, or its savings of tax payer dollars.

Peak’s goal is to transform government from antiquated, bureaucratic, and wasteful systems into a customer-driven, creative, sustainable, and data-oriented government.

City employees are engaged to find ideas to save time and money, all while providing better service without adding resources.

Guest speakers from the public and private sectors shared their success stories with lean, including: Catherine Gryba, GM, Corporate Performance, City of Saskatoon. Greg Archibald, President, Schulte

Industries Ltd. Deborah Meyers, CFO and Vice President, Administrative Services, Saskatchewan Polytechnic. John Povhe, CFO, Superior Cabinets. Trish Livingstone, Saskatoon Health Region. Doug Kelln, CEO, SaskEnergy. Stewart Bellamy, Lean-Visual Workplace Coach & Trainer. Ben Grebinski, Director of Education, Prairie Valley School Division. Glenna Stewart, Lean Coordinator/ Productivity Coach, CME. The message everyone brought was that a mindset towards continuous and innovative improvement can have tremendous benefit for both the customer and the company in terms of service, quality and cost savings.

Kent Smith-Windsor, executive director of the Saskatoon Chamber said of the event: “If you’re against lean or continuous improvement, what you’re really saying is you’re against change. And change is important for any organization to stay competitive and healthy. ”

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BUSINESS VIEW SASKATOON DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16

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R E D U C E Y O U R TA X E S An investment in SaskWorks is RRSP and tax credit-eligible.

In addition to an RRSP tax deferral, investors in SaskWorks will receive a 20% Provincial tax credit and a 10% Federal tax credit† on investments of up to $5,000 annually. This means a $5,000 investment in SaskWorks may cost as little as $1,300!†† †

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Assumes a $5,000 investment by an investor in a marginal tax bracket of 44% ($138,586.01 and up).

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SaskTel Announces New Tier III Data Centre in Saskatoon

SaskTel continues to invest in and develop a comprehensive suite of products that simplify operations and maximize value for business customers of all sizes, from the home basement business to the largest multi-product line and location corporate clients.

Although currently operating data centres in 6 locations taking up 31,088 square feet, the demand for data centre based services continues to grow, and SaskTel has stepped up to meet that challenge. To meet the needs of existing and new customers, SaskTel is investing in a new certified Tier III Data Centre in Saskatoon with a scheduled completion of Q4 2016.

This new location will complement the new Tier II Data Centre recently opened in Regina, with both centres offering highly available, secure and stable operating environments for businesses IT infrastructure. The new data centre design will consist of 24,000 total square feet and has been certified by the Uptime Institute as meeting all Tier III requirements, such as concurrently maintainable electrical and mechanical components and multiple independent distribution paths serving dual-powered IT equipment that will be fully compatible within the typology of the site’s architecture.

“These are world class facilities that are outfitted with cutting edge technology to deliver services with the security, availability and assurance that business customers today demand from their technology partners,” said Sean Devin, SaskTel VP of ICT Delivery and Assurance. “SaskTel has been providing data centre services internally for over 30 years and to external customers for over 13 years, and today, SaskTel hosts government, corporate, and private customers from throughout North America.”

With SaskTel Data Centre services, such as Colocation, Managed Hosting and Disaster Recovery, businesses can be assured their critical data and IT infrastructure is kept in a safe, secure and professionally managed environment, letting them focus on what matters most.

Chamber Events

Recap of the 2020 Health Vision Conference “Getting to Great” Creating a foundation for the future The 2020 Health Vision conference was held October 19th and 20th in Saskatoon at the Western Development Museum.

The event featured guest speakers from around Saskatchewan, across Canada, and also the world with guest speakers travelling from the prestigious Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, and also from the Netherlands to share their stories.

The goal of the conference, which is intended to run every two years, is to spark conversation and to inspire our local business, academic, and health sectors to strive towards creating a centre of health excellence and innovation within our province. We have the tools, such as our educational and research institutions, and unique attributes like the Canadian Light Source, which gives Saskatoon and region a distinct advantage in the innovation market. However, it’s often just a change in mindset that is needed to think about the health market as an asset and resource rather than a cost centre.

Guests enjoyed an evening presentation panel from local leaders in the health industry being interviewed by Health Minister Dustin Duncan on how we can “Get to Great” in the health market in Saskatchewan. The following day offered several panel discussions intended to educate and inspire. Nearly 200 people were in attendance, with guests travelling from around Canada.

Look for the next event in 2017 to take the program to the next level. Thanks for everyone that supported this initiative.

Thank you to our sponsors: Powerhouse (Pillar)

Innovation Driver AND (Gold)

PRESENT:

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THANK YOU Health Vision Driver (Silver)

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BUSINESS VIEW SASKATOON DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16

Chamber Events

BUSINESS VIEW SASKATOON DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16 15

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Member Profile

Green and affordable homes a reality with Vereco

By Meagan Hinther

Solar panels provide power to this Vereco home. (Supplied Photo.)

When Chartered Accountant Ronn Lepage retired from a 31 year career with Deloitte, he decided to pursue a MSc in environmental strategy with a focus on residential housing. His research resulted in the construction of the first Vereco home for exhibit at the Western Development Museum in Saskatoon. Over 5,500 people toured the home. Many indicated a desire to build a similar home, but they did not know where to start.

“I saw the need for information and assistance building cost-effective, net zero homes,” said Lepage. “That led to the creation in 2009 of Vereco Homes Inc.” “Vereco’s mission is to help people design and build smart green homes that balance economics with sustainability,” explained Lepage. “Our homes are designed specifically for the harsh Saskatchewan climate and the additional comfort and energy efficiency are paid for by the energy savings.”

Vereco Homes only uses technologies that have a positive return on investment. While using technologies like wind turbines and solar panels is a way to replace conventional energy, Lepage stresses the importance of designing the home to reduce energy consumption. For example, a Vereco Home will use the energy of the sun through passive solar design.

Ronn Lepage of Vereco Homes Inc. (Supplied Photo.)

Highly insulated walls wrap the house, eliminating drafts and reducing space-heating requirements. Large, south-facing windows throw sunlight onto counter-tops and thick floors that absorb heat when the sun is low in the horizon, and release it slowly during darker parts of the day.

“A lot of people think that a energy efficient home will cost a lot of money. Using our smart green philosophy, a Vereco home will be more comfortable, energy efficient and sustainable while saving you money,”

added Lepage.

Lepage and his wife built their own home using the Vereco design principles. The 3,800 square foot home uses about $500 per year of natural gas for space heating.

They produce more electricity than they use with a 5,25 kW solar photovoltaic system.

The home is located on the North Saskatchewan River at Sarilia Country Estates near Langham, SK. Lepage and his wife developed the estates as a four-season recreation and lifestyle village that respects the river valley’s ecosystem and where residents live in harmony with their surroundings.

“We had a vision: to build a community that was designed with sustainability and the environment in mind. Vereco Homes became an extension of that,” said Lepage.

Today, Lepage has built Vereco Homes into a thriving business that helps clients build new smart green homes, retrofit existing homes or ‘green up’ existing house plans.

Vereco Home designs come in a variety of options, from large to small, and they also work with clients to design a home that meets a family’s needs and budget.

Interested in learning more about Vereco Homes? Join Ronn Lepage at the Saskatchewan Living Green Expo February 26 – 28, 2016 at Prairieland Park.

BUSINESS VIEW SASKATOON DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16 17

Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Ratification of Trans-Pacific Partnership Key to Canada’s Success in Asia Manila, Philippines, Nov. 18, 2015 - Canada must seize the opportunity represented by the rapid growth of the Asian economy, and the next step is the ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce told the Canadian government today.

“Canada is losing market share in the fastest-growing region of the world. Turning this situation around requires an ambitious trade strategy that plays to our advantages in areas like energy, information Image: Gunawan Kartapranata and biotechnology, advanced manufacturing and agri-food. The TPP we need to have the necessary tradecovers all of these areas, and what we enabling infrastructure, including need to now is to put it in place,” said pipelines, in place. This should be the Canadian Chamber President and CEO first area of focus in the government’s infrastructure plan since it will have the Perrin Beatty.

Speaking after a CEO roundtable largest immediate and long-term benefits with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the economy,” said Mr. Beatty.

At the Canadian Chamber’s annual and Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland held during the Asia-Pacific Economic meeting in Ottawa last month, delegates Cooperation (APEC) Summit in the from chambers of commerce across the Philippines, Mr. Beatty said he stressed country endorsed a policy resolution that two key priorities for the government calling on Canada to implement the TPP must be to ratify the TPP and to build and to expand trade ties with China, the infrastructure that’s needed to get India and Southeast Asia.

The TPP eliminates nearly all tariffs Canadian resources to our customers on Canadian imports and exports around the world.

“The TPP will give Canadian companies with member economies. It provides better access to a market worth trillions predictable market access for services, of dollars a year and create new job provisions for the movement of business opportunities. It’s also a chance to people and rules on investment work with our NAFTA partners and protection, intellectual property, shape the way business competes for e-commerce and state-owned enterprises decades to come,” said Mr. Beatty. that reflect Canada’s economic model.

“Having reviewed the TPP text, we’re The agreement provides protection and convinced this agreement is a net gain safeguards for sensitive products and for Canada. But to take full advantage enforceable disciplines on labour and of the opportunities the TPP represents, environmental standards, making it one 18

BUSINESS VIEW SASKATOON DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16

of the most cutting-edge and sustainable trade agreements ever negotiated.

“We look forward to helping the government assess its full impact and develop plans for affected industries. Every time you open your market, there will be challenges but , with the right measures, we can tackle them,” said Mr. Beatty.

The APEC Summit takes place November 18-19 in Manila.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce and several of its members attended the APEC CEO Summit, where Mr. Beatty delivered remarks and met with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines.

The TPP creates a common economic area covering 12 countries, 40% of the global economy and over 800 million customers. Earlier this week, the APEC Business Advisory Council—the official industry voice at the Summit—called on TPP members to ratify the agreement and open the door for others in the region.

Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan are among those who have asked to join.

-The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is the vital connection between business and the federal government. It helps shape public policy and decision-making to the benefit of businesses, communities and families across Canada with a network of over 450 chambers of commerce and boards of trade, representing 200,000 businesses of all sizes in all sectors of the economy and in all regions. Follow us on Twitter @CdnChamberofCom.

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416 21st St E, Saskatoon, SK 306-954-4222

From the Staff, Board, and Volunteers of the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce

MEMBERS PAGE COMMITTEE CHAIRS Agribusiness Opportunities Bert Sutherland - BERTradioonline.com Loran Forer - BMO Business Growth Elise Hildebrandt - The Mortgage Centre Business of Science & Technology Raj Nayak - University of Saskatchewan Celebrate Success!

Lynn Eberle - Saskatchewan Polytechnic Chamber on Tap Evan Drisner - Nu-Fab Building Products Future Opportunities Committee

Bill Brooks - Eclecthink International First Nations and Métis Opportunities Committee

Chris Sicotte - Affinity Credit Union Going Global Ken Ziegler - Robertson Stromberg Pedersen LLP

Monica Kreuger - Global Infobrokers Government Affairs Michael Chudoba - Foundation Realty Ltd

Health Opportunities Dave Dutchak - MD Ambulance Care Ltd. Sanj Singh - AdeTherapeutics Inc. Corey Miller - Saskatoon Health Region Sustainability Opportunities Colleen Yates - Equinox3 Consulting Ltd.

For more information or to join a volunteer committee email us at: committee@saskatoonchamber.com

22

BUSINESS VIEW SASKATOON DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16

Thanks to Rachel Mielke of Hillberg & Berk and BDC The Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce presented “Growth by Design” with Rachel Mielke of Hillberg & Berk on October 22nd, proudly sponsored

by BDC. Rachel offered her inspiration and knowledge to an enthusiastic crowd twice that day; once at our luncheon series and again in the evening during “Shaken with a Twist”.

Thanks to Rachel for her time, and also donating some fabulous prizes for the crowd in attendance that day.

United Cabs investing in mobile app to meet customer demand The United Group (United Cabs) has invested in new technology that’s in high demand. That technology is in the form of a new app, The United Cabs Taxi APP, which can be found on the Apple store, Google Play or on their website www.unitedgroup.ca.

Mobile app usage in Canada from March 2014 to March 2015 in the travel industry has grown by over 29%. With Uber making deeper in-roads into the taxi business, cab companies are developing apps of their own, which offer features including credit card payments and GPS tracking. Passengers can now track how far away the cab is, rate their experience and pre-pay with credit cards or PayPal. You still have the option to call personally and order a cab; however the app is simply a little more efficient. When a customer orders a car, it’s pinned to the nearest driver in the area.

United Group is currently marketing this service, which has been around for about a year now, through print ads, radio, and transit wraps, to let its users know they are reacting to consumer demand and feedback.

In addition to this, service is being improved by having drivers go through uncompensated, extensive training in order to drive. This includes sensitivity training geared toward the ever increasing needs of accessible transit clients.

For more information visit www. unitedgroup.ca.

New Member Profile: Modern Sole Modern Sole is a locally owned and operated boutique located in Stonebridge and specializes in women's shoes and accessories. Opened in October 2015, Modern Sole has been welcomed to the community with open arms. "Saskatoon has been wonderful," says owner Shanna Simon. "We are continually surprised at the fantastic support system. Not only are our neighbours kind and generous, but the people of Saskatoon know how important it is to shop local and we are incredibly grateful for that."

When a friend of hers opened a shoe store in Sherwood Park, AB, Shanna recognized how much Saskatoon needed something similar. She worked with the flagship store owner, Lauren Willms, in Alberta to create a store in Saskatoon that would both honour the Modern Sole brand but also be something Shanna could call her own. One of the ways Shanna achieved that was to hand-pick every brand in the store by searching all over the world for classic and unique pieces. The staff at Modern Sole take great pride in providing a wide variety of footwear for all different kinds of women, while keeping a clean and inviting atmosphere. All the accessories available at the store are made in Canada, including incredibly soft scarves perfect for chilly weather and a Saskatoon-based line from Karen Robson that mixes delicate chains and pendents with a bit of edge.

At Modern Sole, shoppers can expect to be greeted with a comfortable, honest shopping experience and leave with a highquality, special addition to their closet.

Modern Sole #150, 3020 Preston Ave, Saskatoon, SK (306) 373-7653 saskatoon@modernsole.ca

For membership information contact Derek Crang

(306) 664-0702 dcrang@saskatoonchamber.com Visit saskatoonchamber.com today under Member Services for more details

New Members

101284198 Saskatchewan Ltd. Leisure / Recreation 337 Edson St, Saskatoon Phone: (306) 934-0944 Dana Brass

Dr. Naomi Whelan Health Care - Services / Supplies 3-1810 8th St E, Saskatoon Phone: (306) 373-5209 Naomi Whelan

14North Construction Ltd. Construction AND Home-Based Business Phone: (306) 341-2507 Jonathan Paul

Galaxy Granite and Marble Ltd. Construction AND Real Estate - Residential A-2440 Avenue C N, Saskatoon Phone: (306) 382-7222 Jack Quan

AIM Program, The Non-Profit Organizations 407 Cumberland Ave S, Saskatoon Phone: (306) 381-6246 Tammy Ives The Alliance of China-Canada Enterprises & Entrepreneurs Business Services Phone: (306) 979-0388 Xiaoling Fan Andrew Peller Ltd. Beverages Phone: (306) 220-3747 Cindy Suski Azeroth Construction and Consulting Construction AND Home-Based Business Phone: (306) 203-9124 Elliott Byers Beaver Container Systems Moving / Storage Phone: (306) 220-1278 Robert Thomas Bell ‘n Whistle Bar & Bistro Restaurants 243 2nd Ave S, Saskatoon Phone: (306) 715-2441 Hanosh Dubash BRITEBOX Storage Co. Moving / Storage 3915 Wanuskewin Rd, Saskatoon Phone: (306) 668-3300 Sara Ghiglione Central Animal Hospital P.C. Ltd. Veterinarians / Animal Services 106 103 St E, Saskatoon Phone: (306) 374-5252 Brian Gibbs / Donna McBeth DDJ Accounting Services Accountants / Bookkeepers Phone: (306) 222-7930 Danette James Denovo Window & Door Inc. Windows & Doors CD-203 47th St E, Saskatoon Phone: (306) 384-5310 Chris Blocka

Good Wood Hardwood Carpet / Flooring - Sales / Service 936 4th Ave N, Saskatoon Phone: (306) 717-1243 Tyler Sokowski

Royal University Hospital Foundation Inc. Non-Profit Organizations AND Health Care Services / Supplies Room 1626-103 Hospital Dr, Saskatoon Phone: (306) 655-1984 Arla Gustafson S & J Window Washers Windows & Doors AND Home-Based Business Phone: (306) 221-1898 Sherry Kloth SMPIA (Saskatchewan Media Production Industry Association) Non-Profit Organizations 110-220 20th St W, Saskatoon Phone: (306) 780-9840 Steve Hearn

Imagine Renovations & Construction Ltd. Contractors Phone: (306) 321-5320 Sparclean Water 2010 Inc. Ryan Pape Beverages AND Retail 2-510 44th St E, Saskatoon Jia Hao Hotel Phone: (306) 931-4526 Restaurants Andy Schenn Jiao Jia Specialty Distributing Ltd. Metabolix Oilseeds Food Processors / Distributors AND Biotechnology Manufacturers NRC Plant Biotechnology Institute, 110 829 48th St E, Saskatoon Gymnasium Pl, Saskatoon Phone: (306) 975-9867 Phone: (978) 513-1800 Alana McLachlan Geraldine Peters-Wiles Third Avenue Signs Mitchinson Flight Centre Signs Air Transportation - Maintenance / Service / 205 3rd Ave N, Saskatoon Training AND Education / Training Phone: (306) 664-6246 Hangar 8, 2620 Thayer Ave, Saskatoon Siddhartha Choudhury Phone: (306) 244-6714 Dan Glass True Potential Health Services Inc. Health & Fitness AND Health Care - Services Modern Sole / Supplies Retail AND Retail - Shoes 3-1810 8th St E, Saskatoon 150-3020 Preston Ave, Saskatoon Phone: (306) 373-5209 Phone: (306) 373-7653 Jacqui Fleury Shanna Simon Universal Church Supplies Molly Maid Books / Book Dealers AND Retail - Gift & Janitorial / House Cleaning Services Novelty Phone: (306) 664-6243 437 2nd Ave N, Saskatoon Shannon Clemmer / Sebastian Fattal Phone: (306) 384-1924 Lisa Holst Pat Sirois Remax Realtor - REsaskatoon Real Estate - Commercial AND Real Estate Vendasta Technologies Residential Internet 250-1820 8th St E, Saskatoon 220 3rd Ave S, Saskatoon Phone: (306) 361-7998 Phone: (306) 955-5512 Pat Sirois Amy Gill Prairie Fire Cheerleading Health & Fitness AND Leisure / Recreation 421 42nd A St E, Saskatoon Phone: (306) 230-0182 Todd Knihnitski

Viking Innovations Ltd. Heating / Electric Control Systems PO Box 32032 RPO Erindale, Saskatoon Phone: (306) 250-8909 Jackie Martin

BUSINESS VIEW SASKATOON DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16 23

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SOLD BY PROSPECTUS ONLY. Please read the Prospectus, which contains important detailed information, before investing. A free copy is available from your Financial Advisor or the Principal Distributor, National Bank Financial Inc., a Member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund, at info.nbfinancial.com. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with Retail Venture Capital (RVC) Fund investments which may not be suitable for all investors. RVCs are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Tax credits are available to eligible investors on investments up to $5,000 annually, provided that the shares are held for at least eight years from the date of purchase. Redemption restrictions may apply. *Assumes a 44% marginal tax bracket and minimum taxable income of $138,587. The recently elected Federal Liberal Government announced its intention to reinstate the tax credit in full. Currently, 30% in tax credits apply to your 2015 income tax filing and 25% in tax credits apply to your 2016 income tax filing. **Canadian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association, First Half of 2015