king west clothiers king west clothiers

SUMMER/FALL 2008
QUEBEC CITY
•
MONTREAL
•
TORONTO
•
WINNIPEG
2
Pravda Vodka House Captures
Communist Kitsch
4
Montreal’s Ruze Communication:
Sustainable Marketing from
400 Atlantic Ave.
16
Winnipeg’s Underground
Café: hard to find, easy
to like
PLUS:
• Vistek: industrial strength
camera store
• Kitchener’s downtown
revitalization
• Totum Tips: Drink up
12
KING WEST
CLOTHIERS
Toronto’s GotStyle Offers
Retail for the Urban Male
•
KITCHENER
TORONTO
Vodka, Vodka Everywhere
With 76 different varieties of the world’s most popular distilled drink,
Pravda Vodka House brings the spirit to life with Czarist-themed décor.
Pravda’s rich and raw
interior features a
number of comfortable
conversation areas,
including a mock
gulag cell (left).
ST. LAWRENCE MARKET, TORONTO / - When
Marx) and the four-foot-high hammer and sickle hanging
organizers sought a Toronto venue for the launch of the
above the ground floor bar, you’ll find a number of curios
new James Bond novel, Devil May Care, this past June,
and accents, all of which work to complete the space’s ironic
a downtown Russian-themed vodka bar held just the right
communist kitsch atmosphere.
balance of intrigue and tongue-in-cheek décor to make
The long, two-level space lends itself perfectly to lounging,
an evening of all things Bond seem like it was being held
with more than a dozen comfortable conversation areas. For
on a faux-Kremlin film set rather than in a popular
something more private, the back of the upper level has a
St. Lawrence market area lounge.
VIP area whose heavy red curtains with gold trim can be
But then, that’s the idea behind
pulled back to reveal a marble mantel,
Pravda Vodka House, explains
to either side of which are tables and
its owner and congenial host
assorted seating.
“People associate vodka with
Robin Singh.
With some 76 varieties of vodka
an image, and that image is
“In Toronto, there are a lot of
available, Pravda offers tasting menus
pretty much Russia.”
places whose themes don’t actually
with everything from ordinary versions
match the interior, but here I just
of the drink to limited edition bottles
filled it with pretty much anything
and further authenticates the experience
I could find that was Russian,” he says of the Wellington
by offering a number of accompaniments from sturgeon
Street East nightspot that has grown popular with the aftercaviar and shrimp platters to the more rudimentary rye bread
work crowd for its intriguing interior and dedication to all
and pickles (“That’s the Red Army way,” says Singh).
things vodka (including gourmet Russian-inspired tapas).
The kitchen offerings have become more elaborate since it
“People associate vodka with an image, and that image
moved from its original space a few blocks west of its current
is pretty much Russia,” says Singh. The martini bar’s rich
locale (the old space is now Lucien), and features a twist on
and raw interior features dark oak floors, velvet upholstery
traditional fare like Beef Stroganoff and veal-stuffed perogies.
and chocolate brown leather sofas and arm chairs set against
Free appetizers are available most nights and ‘industry
exposed brick and heavy fir beam structural accents.
night’ on Tuesdays features half-price martinis and hot food
But in a themed lounge like this, the dressing is in the
till 1:00 am. A DJ spins Wednesday to Saturday, giving the
details, so beyond the wealth of communist leader portraits
place a mellow vibe, but for more eclectic entertainment,
(Brezhnev, Gorbachev, Lenin, Stalin, Chairman Mao and
check out the politically incorrect “Midget Martini” nights.
“
Pravdavodkabar.com
COMMUNITY CHRONICLE • 2
TORONTO
King West Retail Strategy a Matter of Balance
King Street West’s
north side features
Mini Downtown...
...while the stretch’s
south side features
restaurants and
furniture boutiques.
KING WEST CENTRAL, TORONTO / - Retail at King
West Central has always been a carefully considered equation
that comes from a need to balance services for area office
workers with the requirements of the node’s growing residential
population. To some degree, this has come to look like a
balance between bistros and furniture retailers. Of course that’s
not the whole story, but as one of Toronto’s newest nodes,
it’s part of the evolution of a neighbourhood.
“You have to remember that Allied [Properties REIT]
created a node almost single-handedly in an area that just didn’t
exist before,” says Tom Burns, vice president of DTZ Barnicke’s
Retail Group, who helped to build the street-front leasing
strategy when the area’s historic buildings were first being
refurbished in 1997.
UNCOVERING A VIBRANT NEIGHBOURHOOD Back then, the
area’s designation as a manufacturing zone had just been lifted
and Allied spent considerable effort restoring the brick facades
of these former warehouses. “And now it’s a healthy vibrant
neighbourhood,” says Burns, who recalls the challenge of
finding the area’s first ‘big’ tenant, Rodney’s Oyster House.
“We searched a long time to find the right tenant to set the
tone for the neighbourhood, and Rodney’s was having issues
with their space on Adelaide East, so we found space for him
on King West,” says Burns explaining that Crush Wine Bar
came in shortly after, followed by Brassaii.
A plan was drawn up for both sides of this stretch of King
Street West to carefully select who would move in and where,
helping to ensure each piece of the puzzle filled a niche of sorts.
Having the Mini Downtown dealership open in 2002 served
not only to give the neighbourhood some visually arresting
window displays, it also provided a destination shopping
experience, drawing people from around the GTA to discover
the node’s restaurants and furniture boutiques.
U.S. RETAILERS LOOKING AT CANADIAN MARKETS The
recent opening of Design Within Reach is in part an indicator
of the U.S. interest in Canadian markets, though much of the
attention is drawn to premium malls, where sales per square
foot continue to increase much faster than national averages.
Retailers like Sephora, Coach, Abercrombie, Lululemon,
Apple, Aeropostal, Aritzia and a few others are encouraged by
solid performances to date.
But Burns says there is a new group of retailers just beginning
their search for space in Canada that will also help drive sales
volumes and keep consumer interest up. Brooks Brothers, Crate
& Barrel, West Elm, Design Within Reach, Anthropologie,
Michael Kors are all making commitments for real estate.
And firms like Design Within Reach look specifically for
eclectic buildings in developing neighbourhoods to establish
their ‘studios’.
CANADA’S RETAIL SECTOR HEALTHY Unlike the retail market
in the United States, retailing in Canada remains healthy,
according to Burns. The hot spots are Alberta and Saskatchewan
where year over year increases are double digit. The Greater
Toronto area is posting increases of 4%, which, according to
Statistics Canada, reflects the national average.
With continued growth in sales all retail categories are seeking
real estate. From dollar stores to luxury retailers and from fast
food to full service restaurants, finding high quality real estate
remains a challenge.
3 • SUMMER/FALL 2008
MONTRÉAL
Quand l’écolo l’emporte
Experts en marketing responsable et en communication graphique écologique
RUE ATLANTIC, MONTRÉAL Lorsque Sophie Seguin travaillait
comme experte-conseil en affaires pour
aider des entreprises à devenir plus
efficaces, elle n’a pas pu s’empêcher
de remarquer le gaspillage provoqué
par les mauvaises pratiques de certaines
entreprises en matière de développement durable.
« Certaines entreprises ne disposaient
même pas d’un bac bleu, » se
souvient-elle. Elle fait remarquer que
lorsqu’elle a monté sa propre entreprise
de communications, l’un des objectifs
fondamentaux du plan de gestion était
que l’entreprise devait être carbone
neutre.
En fait, les commentaires qu’elle a
reçus au sujet de son plan initial ont
toujours été positifs, sauf en ce qui
concernait les principes de développement durable. Bon nombre de
personnes lui ont conseillé ’abandonner
complètement le côté « écolo » de ses
opérations ou tout au moins de le
cacher. C’est ce qu’elle a fait durant les
premiers mois, révélant par exemple
aux clients seulement après achèvement
d’un projet graphique quelconque qu’il
avait été imprimé sur du papier
Sophie Seguin et son collègue Pierre Provost ont fait de Ruze l’agence publicitaire la plus
écolo de Montréal.
recyclé.
C’était il y a trois ans. Depuis lors,
entier, des fournisseurs de papier aux services d’hébergement
Sophie Seguin et son collègue Pierre Provost, qui s’est
pour sites Web alimentés par énergie éolienne, à adopter des
associé à elle il y a un an, ont fait de Ruze Communication
pratiques de développement durable.
l’agence publicitaire la plus écolo de Montréal. Ils sont
La planification d’une campagne publicitaire utilisant des
souvent invités à siéger dans des comités avec de grandes
pratiques de développement durable est un véritable processus
sociétés multinationales pour discuter de stratégies
éducatif aussi bien pour le client que pour le client du
carboneutres pour des entreprises de services. (Pierre
client. Cependant, selon Sophie Seguin, la principale difficulté
Provost participe, entre autres, à la mise en œuvre du
consiste à dissiper le mythe que la solution écologique entraîne
plan de développement durable de Montréal.)
des coûts beaucoup plus élevés.
La clientèle de Ruze regroupe bon nombre de PME
« Il est vrai que cela coûtait bien cher lorsque nous nous
ainsi que plusieurs entités du gouvernement et des
sommes lancés en affaires. De nos jours cependant, imprimer
organismes sans but lucratif, et sa liste de fournisseurs
un projet respectueux de l’environnement coûte en général
écologiques s’allonge projet par projet.
moins de cinq pour cent de plus, » fait-elle remarquer. Elle
« C’est ça le défi à relever. Il y a trois ans, trouver un
souligne que la liste des fournisseurs et des produits s’allonge
imprimeur utilisant du papier fourni par une entreprise
et les prix continuent de chuter au fur et à mesure qu’un
forestière certifiée et des encres à base végétale était un
plus grand nombre d’entreprises montréalaises adoptent des
véritable casse-tête. Nous faisons maintenant affaire avec
pratiques respectueuses de l’environnement.
plusieurs fournisseurs, » explique Sophie Seguin, en ajoutant
ruzecommunication.com
qu’il est indispensable d’obliger la chaîne de production en
CHRONIQUE COMMUNAUTAIRE • 4
Montreal Ad Shop Makes
Sustainability its Competitive Edge
Nouvelle acquisition :
l’édifice Ubisoft à Montréal
RUE ATLANTIC, MONTREAL / - When Sophie Seguin worked as a business
consultant advising companies on efficiency, she couldn’t help but notice
the inefficiency of some firms’ sustainability practices.
BOULEVARD SAINT-LAURENT, MONTRÉAL – En août
dernier, Allied a complété l’acquisition d’un édifice
de cinq étages (déjà connu sous le nom de Ubisoft), situé
au 5505 boulevard Saint-Laurent à l’angle sud-est du
boulevard Saint-Laurent et de l’avenue Saint-Viateur.
Ubisoft Divertissement Inc., un géant des jeux vidéo,
est le locataire majeur de cet édifice; il s’agit d’une filiale
en propriété exclusive d’Ubisoft Entertainment SA.
Basé en France, Ubisoft a été fondé en 1986 par les
cinq frères Guillemot. Au début des années 1990, la
société a entrepris un programme de développement de
jeux à l’interne qui a abouti en 1994 à l’ouverture d’un
studio à Montreuil (France) devenu par la suite le siège
social de la société. Ubisoft a été introduit en Bourse
en 1996 et a poursuivi son expansion mondiale avec
l’ouverture de studios à travers le monde, y inclus à
Shanghai, à Montréal, au 5505 Saint-Laurent, ainsi qu’à
Québec, en 2005, dans un édifice appartenant aussi à
Allied Properties REIT.
“Some companies didn’t even have blue bins,” she recalls, explaining
that when she started her own communications firm, being a carbon
neutral company was firmly entrenched into the business plan.
In fact, the feedback she received on her initial plan was always
positive, save for that bit about sustainable practices. Many advised her
to drop the green aspect of her business altogether or at least to hide it.
For the first few months in business she did, revealing to clients only after
a graphic design project had been completed, for example, that it was
printed on recycled paper.
That was only three years ago, and since then, Seguin and her
colleague, Pierre Provost who joined her a year ago, have made Ruze
Montreal’s leading enviro ad agency, often being called upon to sit on
committees with large multinationals to discuss carbon-neutral strategies
for service enterprises. (Provost, for example, is involved in the application
of Montreal’s sustainable development plan.)
Ruze’s client base includes a number of small to medium sized
businesses as well as several government and not-for-profit agencies,
and its list of green suppliers grows with every new project.
“That’s the challenge. Three years ago, finding a printer with Forestry
Certified paper and vegetable based ink was a struggle, but now we have
several suppliers,” says Seguin, adding that the key is to push the entire
chain of production into adopting sustainable practices, from paper
suppliers to wind-powered hosting services for web sites.
Planning an ad initiative using sustainable practices is an education
process for clients and the client’s client, but the main challenge, says
Seguin, is to dispel the myth that a green solution is an expensive one.
“It’s true that it used to be a lot more expensive when we started, but
now, to do a print job in an environmentally friendly way is usually less
than five percent more expensive,” she says, adding that as more Montreal
firms embrace environmental practices, the list of suppliers and materials
continues to grow, while prices drop.
UbiSoft building in Montreal marks gaming
giant’s second studio in Allied portfolio
Pierre Provost
Vice-président, communication
Sophie Seguin
Présidente, directrice artistique
ST. LAURENT BLVD., MONTREAL / – In August, Allied
completed the acquisition of 5505 Saint-Laurent Boulevard,
a five-storey, Class I office building on the southeast corner
of Saint-Laurent Boulevard and Saint-Viateur Avenue
whose anchor tenant is gaming software giant Ubisoft
Divertissement Inc.
Based in France, Ubisoft became a publicly traded
company in 1996 and continued to expand around the globe,
opening studios in places like Shanghai and at 5505
St. Laurent in Montreal, as well as one in Quebec City in
2005, which also happens to be in a building owned by
Allied Properties REIT.
5 • SUMMER/FALL 2008
TORONTO
The Industrial Strength Camera Store
Toronto’s Vistek grew from studio rentals to a national retailer of
high-end and hard-to-find photo and video gear
QUEEN STREET EAST, TORONTO / - When photoWhile sales are still strong on the pro side, Levack says
grapher Ron Silverstein began renting studio space and
Vistek has a loyal following among the “prosumers” –
advising on electronic flash lighting, he was just looking to
serious amateurs with skills and needs that border on the
earn extra income that stemmed from his profession. The
professional. As with most specialty retailers, Vistek’s
Buffalo, New York native likely hadn’t conceived that the
strength lies in the expertise of its staff.
sideline he started in 1976 would grow into a national
“They’re virtually all photographers or videographers, so
retailer supplying Toronto, Mississauga, Ottawa, Calgary
they’re not only knowledgeable, they’re enthusiastic,” says
and Edmonton markets with a wide array of the latest
Levack, explaining the competitive edge the retailer has over
photo, video and digital imaging equipbig box electronics that have entered
ment. But that’s exactly what Vistek has
the camera market following the
become.
While sales are still strong on
digital revolution.
For more than 30 years, the Torontothe pro side, Vistek has a
And while that change has opened
based retailer, now located in the
the field to new players, it didn’t
loyal following among the
historic Dominion Breweries building
change Vistek’s essential role as a place
“prosumers” – serious amateur
on Queen Street East, has been the
to buy, rent or learn about the latest
photographers with skills
go-to spot for pros and avid amateurs
advances. Today, as computers become
and needs that border on the
in search of high-end and hard-to-find
as important to photographers as
professional.
photo and video equipment. And one
their lenses and tripods, the retailer
glance reveals that Vistek is far more
helps foster the link between photo,
than just another camera store.
video and digital imaging. Vistek offers a full-fledged Mac
Occupying some 25,000 square feet at 496 Queen Street
department with a wide range of hardware and software,
East for the last 18 years, and spread over four floors and
even on-site Mac techs.
with a staff of 120, Vistek, whose name is derived from the
The store continues to sell to working professionals,
term ‘visual technology’, grew initially on the quality of its
dedicated amateurs, people in search of a thoughtful gift –
rental equipment.
as well as offer business-to-business solutions ranging from
Back in the late 1970s, there weren’t many people renting
setting up an in-house studio, to recommending equipment
sophisticated photographic lighting gear, and there was a
to produce the company newsletter. Its policy of offering
shortage of studio space. By 1977, Silverstein was making
“best in class” equipment in specific price categories ensures
more money from renting out his studio than he was at
its customers get relevant buying choices, accompanied by
actually shooting. And, answering a growing demand for
staff know-how.
European lighting gear, he turned part of his studio into a
More than thirty years later, Vistek’s track record demonBalcar equipment showroom.
strates there is always a market for something no one else
“He basically had lighting equipment nobody else had,”
has – whether it’s equipment, expertise, or passion.
explains Cam Levack, creative director at Vistek.
vistek.ca
“
COMMUNITY CHRONICLE • 6
Centre Financier Desjardins
consolidates offices to find
synergy in vibrant Basse Ville
NOUVO ST. ROCH, QUEBEC / - Since 2005, the Centre
financier aux entreprises Desjardins de Québec has
operated two separate offices – one on Grande Allée
and the other in Nouvo St. Roch – but come September,
the 58 employees will be brought together into one
building on Boulevard Charest Est.
NOUVO ST-ROCH, QUÉBEC / - Depuis 2005, le Centre financier
aux entreprises Desjardins de Québec occupe deux bureaux distincts –
un sur la Grande-Allée et l’autre dans le Nouvo St-Roch. En septembre,
cependant, les 58 employés se retrouveront dans un seul édifice du
boulevard Charest Est.
Le Centre financier Desjardins compte sur le nouveau bureau, qui
totalisera 9 000 pieds carrés sur deux étages au 390, boulevard Charest
Est, pour créer de la synergie entre les divers directeurs de comptes
qui fournissent des services à un vaste éventail d’entreprises clientes.
Les employés du centre, qui fournissent des services dans divers
domaines comme l’immobilier et la construction, le commerce de détail
et de gros, la fabrication, les marchés émergents et les entreprises de
service, connaissent à fond le milieu des affaires local et ils disposent de
compétences approfondies pour répondre aux besoins de leurs clients,
explique Jacques Hallé, directeur du centre.
Dans le monde des affaires, la vitesse et l’information vont de pair,
fait-il remarquer. Pour cette raison, le regroupement de son équipe dans
un seul endroit vise en partie à faciliter le partage de l’information.
« Quand l’information circule rapidement, l’expertise peut circuler
rapidement, » explique-t-il, en ajoutant que son bureau compte quelque
4 000 entreprises clientes et gère un actif d’une valeur de 1,4 milliard
de dollars.
La gestion de deux bureaux dans deux emplacements différents devenait
lourde et l’équipe de Desjardins apprécie le look corporatif de l’édifice du
boulevard Charest Est qui est facilement accessible à partir des autoroutes
de la région.
« Le centre fournit ses services au marché de la ville de Québec, mais
nous avons aussi de nombreux clients dans le Québec Métropolitain et en
régions, » fait savoir M. Hallé, qui explique que ses directeurs de comptes
consacrent une grande partie de leur temps à rendre visite aux clients.
L’idée de consolider les bureaux revêt encore une plus grande importance pour avoir un endroit où tous les membres de l’équipe peuvent
apprendre à mieux se connaître.
Ce qui compte encore plus, c’est le quartier lui-même, où l’on trouve
des entreprises de haute technologie comme le développeur de logiciels
Ubisoft, des restaurants, des boutiques, des entreprises de services et une
vie palpitante avec laquelle un centre financier peut s’identifier.
The Centre financier Desjardins expects the new
locale, some 9,000 square feet spread over two floors at
390 Boulevard Charest Est, will create synergy between
the various account reps that service a very broad range
of client businesses.
Offering consultation in areas such as real estate
and construction, retail, wholesale trade, manufacturing,
emerging markets and service businesses, the centre’s
team members have in depth knowledge of the local
business community and bring a wide range of expertise
to bear on their client’s needs, says the centre’s director,
Jacques Hallé.
In business, speed and information are closely
linked, he says, so getting his group together into a
single space is in part designed to keep the information
flowing in this office, which handles some 4,000
businesses as clients and manages 1.4 billion in assets.
En septembre, tous les
58 employés du Centre
financier Desjardins se
retrouveront dans un seul
édifice au Nouvo St-Roch.
desjardins.com
7 • ÉTÉ/AUTOMNE 2008
QUÉBEC
Consolidation des bureaux du Centre financier
aux entreprises Desjardins dans la basse-ville
WINNIPEG
Green Standards
Winnipeg’s BPC has been establishing building industry energy
efficiency standards for over 25 years. Now with the construction
industry seeing green, it’s poised for growth.
The Smithsonian Institute in
Washington, DC and the
Children’s Hospital in Madison,
Wisconsin, two buildings that
incorporated BPC’s quality
assurance program for air
barriers.
A BPC instructor runs training for a foam insulation installer in Boston, MA.
EXCHANGE DISTRICT, WINNIPEG / - Let’s say you
want to get some spray foam installed onto the ceiling of your
home’s garage and you call the Canadian Urethane Foam
Contractors Association to get a referral.
That’s when the phone rings in an office at 250 McDermot
Ave. in Winnipeg’s Exchange District where a team of 11 at
Building Professionals Consortium (BPC) work for a number
of building and trade related organizations. It will also ring
there if you call the Heating, Refrigeration and Air
Conditioning Institute Contractor’s Division – Manitoba
chapter, the National Air Barrier Association, even the Air
Barrier Association of America.
But providing industry support services for construction
trade associations is just a small part of what BPC does. Its
main area of service focuses on developing and implementing
quality assurance programs, certification and training for the
building energy efficiency industry.
“For energy efficiency to work, you need a good product
and it needs to be installed properly,” says BPC vice president
Ryan Dalgleish.
“If you don’t have those two factors working together, you
just won’t get the efficiency you’re looking for,” he says.
So if the contractor who comes to spray foam your home’s
garage is member of the trade association (CUFCA), chances
are he will be using tools and techniques learned in training
provided by BPC and working to a specific quality assurance
guideline that has been developed by the BPC team.
Almost 60 percent of its work is with U.S.-based clients
because unlike Canada, energy efficiency is just starting
to become a national priority and adopted in state
building codes.
BPC also works with a number of manufacturers helping
companies like Dow and BBA Fiberweb (manufacturer of
Typar house wrap) develop training manuals for the proper
installation of their building performance products.
A family-owned firm, BPC started in the 1980s when
Laverne Dalgleish, Ryan’s father, parlayed his experience as
a home builder/renovator to become an energy efficiency
consultant. Partnering with son Ryan and family friend Peter
Stafford, the senior Dalgleish launched BPC into quality
assurance and education.
The team, along with some 30 instructors and consultants,
has been establishing building industry energy efficiency
standards for over 25 years now and with green building
drawing more attention, BPC is poised for growth.
The company is in the process of becoming a certification
body by the Standards Council of Canada, and if that goes
through, it will be the only firm in the country accredited to
certify individuals specifically for energy efficiency, administering tests and validating a candidate’s skill and knowledge.
bpc.ca
COMMUNITY CHRONICLE • 8
KITCHENER
Allied’s new Kitchener building an
early sign of area revitalization
WAREHOUSE DISTRICT, KITCHENER / Sold out warehouse-to-condo conversions, a
high-tech university campus under completion
and a rising demand for funky brick-and-beam
office and retail space are what you’d expect to
see in Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal, but
it’s happening in Kitchener.
The southwestern Ontario city of 200,000 is
currently undergoing an extensive revitalization
of its downtown core. Shifting, as many cities
in the region did, from an industrial base to
a knowledge economy hollowed out the downtown as companies and workers gravitated to
the suburbs.
But the city has launched a number of initiatives to infuse the downtown with live, work
and play areas in an effort to draw a critical
mass back to the centre. One such initiative is
the development of the warehouse district.
WAREHOUSE CONVERSION ‘UNIQUE’ A few blocks from city
hall and from the current $100-million Centre Block
initiative, a condos, parking, retail, hotel and courtyard
project intended to kickstart further revitalization, the warehouse district is repurposing historic buildings into funky
office environments. One already completed conversion, a
century-old former wooden seat factory at 72 Victoria Street
South, was acquired by Allied Properties REIT earlier this year.
“We don’t really have many buildings like that here,” says
Darren Shaw, a broker with DTZ Barnicke in Kitchener.
72 Victoria Street South,
originally renovated in 1999,
houses eight tenants.
“There are very few brick and beam office opportunities in
the local market. That’s why it’s always done well from a
leasing perspective. It’s pretty unique to the downtown area.”
Eight tenants fill the 90,000-square-foot, four-storey
building, whose brick and beam environment was renovated
in 1999, drawing design and advertising firms, engineers,
consultants and a large software firm, Peer Group, as tenants.
U OF W CAMPUS, CONDO LOFTS AND TANNERY PROJECT
CREATING BUZZ Another Toronto firm has purchased the
nearby 5.6-acre site on which sits the former Lang Tannery,
once the largest in the British Empire. It currently houses a
few dozen small artisanal businesses in a warren of connected
buildings, and the $30-million redevelopment plan for the
Tannery District project calls for more retail, restaurant and
office with completion scheduled for 2009.
Bootmaker Kaufman’s old factory, also in the district, has
been converted to lofts and all of its 270 units, from studios
to three-bedroom units, have sold out.
Adding a residential component to the area is likely to
affect the demand for further amenities, but perhaps one
of the largest projects to do so is the University of Waterloo
School of Pharmacy’s $147 million Downtown Health
Sciences Centre, which opened its doors early this year.
The 120,000-square-foot mini campus is also home to a
satellite medical school affiliated with McMaster University
and is expected to stimulate residential growth in the city’s
core as well as produce spin-off activities such as the creation
of supporting businesses, the development of housing, as
well as businesses focused on fitness and leisure activities.
9 • SUMMER/FALL 2007
WINNIPEG
Watercolour artist feeds creativity through
teaching and painting tours
EXCHANGE DISTRICT, WINNIPEG / - Fourteen years
ago, Leona Brown was just looking for a sunny, quiet place
to work on her painting. It wasn’t hard to peg 70 Arthur as
a likely location. It had a long association with the artistic
community and the old sunlit warehouse spaces were divided
into eclectic shapes that seemed to jibe with the sensibilities
of the tenants.
She’s since occupied a few spaces in the building, but the
1,000 square feet she currently has is just the right size for
her, not only to display the large scale collections of abstract
watercolour landscapes for which she has come to be known,
but also to teach classes and run her painting tours business.
SOAKING UP THE ATMOSPHERE “You really get to see the
culture and meet the people because you’re sitting in one place
all morning painting and soaking up the atmosphere,” she
says, accounting for the popularity of the sold out tours that
run to locales in Greece and Spain.
Participants paint every morning and Brown estimates
about half return home with several pieces ready to frame
while the other half come back with solid beginnings for
larger works. Brown, who has been running these trips for
11 years now, doesn’t paint major pieces on location. Except
for her outdoor demonstrations, she’s too busy teaching.
She looks to the time between teaching and travelling to
develop her creative interests and finish her instructional book
about working with watercolours on experimental surfaces.
EXPLORING NEW MEDIA “I like experimenting with different surfaces and combining media,” she says, explaining that
some of her work is initially mistaken for oil or acrylic
because it’s on a canvas primed with gesso to give it texture.
Another favourite material is Tyvek, the vapour barrier
paper used in residential construction whose fibers can be
seen when the surface is painted, giving it a marbling effect.
She is also experimenting with large-scale mixed media
collage, tearing some old paintings into pieces that are reused
in a new work.
Brown had always had an artistic bent, but only
began painting seriously when her children were young
(watercolours were easier to clean up, she says).
A PASSION THAT PAYS Her husband worked for various
transportation companies so the family moved around a fair
bit, living throughout Canada, and even for a year in China.
All the while, Brown felt her need to paint grow, so when the
family returned to Winnipeg, she took up studio space to
commit more time to her art.
When her husband Murray decided to stop working and
semi retire, she began to teach painting, drawing on her
previous career as a teacher.
“Frankly, it was through my determination not to work at
Tim Horton’s that I could make this passion of mine actually
pay,” she recalls, “and once I started teaching more, it made
me realize it was all quite viable.”
More than that, her passion seems to be contagious. While
some of her students are retirees eager to learn or nurture a
budding interest in art, more than half are now selling their
work, and six former students are now renting studio space
at 70 Arthur.
Brown with a work in progress.
From her studio, Brown paints, hosts classes and runs her international painting tours.
COMMUNITY CHRONICLE • 10
Changes, a 48x60 watercolour
INCOMING!
AutoCAD developer and furniture retailer join the St. Lawrence
Market Area of Allied portfolio
TORONTO / - A seven-storey Class I brick building on King Street
East is among the recent acquisitions to come into the Allied
Properties REIT portfolio this summer.
Near the intersection of Jarvis and King, and located on the
north side a block away from George Brown College, 204, 210
and 214 King Street East feature a variety of tenants, the largest
of which is AutoDesk, a California-based world leader in 2D
and 3D design software for the manufacturing, building and
construction, and media and entertainment markets. (Since its
introduction of AutoCAD in 1982, Autodesk has developed the
broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art digital prototyping solutions
to help customers experience their ideas before they are real.)
Retailer InDesign occupies a two-storey showroom further
east at the 214 King Street East address. It carries a mix of modern and contemporary furniture including sofas, chairs and tables.
King West’s Calphalon Culinary
Center offers learning, inspiration
and some serious sampling
KING WEST CENTRAL, TORONTO / - The Calphalon Culinary Center
at 425 King Street West offers a variety of themed cooking classes to enjoy,
from hands-on learning to delicious demonstrations.
For hands-on classes, you’ll get all you need to create a gastronomic
masterpiece as a chef walks you through the recipes and techniques.
Working from your own cooking station, classes such as Wok & Roll,
teach you to create healthy and flavourful Asian inspired dishes like
Chili Hoisin Beef Stir Fry with Cellophane Noodles and Crispy Chicken
with Eggplant Stir Fry. And of course, you get to eat what you make
If you’d rather sit back, relax and enjoying some sampling, check out
a demonstration class where you can watch a chef in action. The Tuscan
Table class features Gorgonzola and Porcini Fusilli, and Pine Nut-Crusted
Halibut while the Tropical Luau shows a sampling of island hospitality
with Braised Short Ribs and Mahi Mahi in Banana Leaves.
Also, watch for the fall’s popular lunchtime demo Top 5 Kitchen Secrets
where you can learn how to salvage a hollandaise sauce and how to sear
meats for taste and flavour. (There’s a $20 fee, but you also get a $20 store
credit at the Calphalon Shop.)
Cooking classes start at $70. For more information, visit
www.CalphalonCulinaryCenter.com
11 • SUMMER/FALL 2008
TORONTO
FROM WARDROBE TO WAXING
GotStyle simplifies fashion for Toronto’s urban male professional
KING WEST CENTRAL, TORONTO / - If the abundance
of extreme makeover shows, the launch of Men’s Vogue and
the rise of the term ‘metrosexual’ haven’t clued you in to the
need for proper fitting men’s fashions, a visit to GotStyle on
King Street West will.
Launched in 2005 by Melissa Austria and Seamus Clarke
(and now under the sole ownership of Austria), the menswear
store is designed to simplify the clothes shopping experience
for men seeking to update not only their wardrobe, but
their look - hairstylists work onsite and spa services available
include back waxing and an anti-hangover facial treatment,
as well as a range of massages.
arranged on racks that are colour-coordinated.
“The idea is that you can put an outfit together just from
one rack,” says Austria, a veteran of the fashion business who
worked on the wholesale side for brands like Clairborne,
Calvin Klein and Kenneth Cole.
Finding something stylish here is easy, and you don’t have
to be model thin to shop in the store. Sizes run to XXL, there
are shirts with 18-inch necks, and pants with 40-inch waists.
“The difference is that we offer a modern fit,” says Austria,
“so it’s not the boxy or baggy cut that larger guys are used to
wearing. A modern cut gives you shape and actually makes
you look trimmer.”
While Harry Rosen and Holt Renfrew
aim for the CEOs, Austria says her store
“The difference is that we offer
serves the up-and-coming guys who want
a modern fit, so it’s not the boxy
to look great, but don’t have the salary to
or baggy cut that larger guys
spend $2,500 on a suit.
“
ONE FLIGHT UP Located on the
second floor of an office building,
GotStyle’s space isn’t ideal for
attracting walk-by traffic, but
given the media attention the store
are used to wearing. A modern
has received since opening, the
TOP-NOTCH TAILORING The miscon5,000-square-foot showroom has
cut gives you shape and actually
ception, she says, is that made-to-measure
become something of a destination
makes you look trimmer.”
suits are expensive, but GotStyle’s tailored
shopping experience.
numbers start at $800, are made of
Designed by club impresario
Italian cloth and sewn locally under the
Marc Kiryacou, the space’s exposed walls and columns are
watchful eye of Joa Cavalicanti, who worked at Harry Rosen’s,
gallery white, decorated with original art, lit with warehouse
and before that was a tailor on Martin Scorcese movies like
windows and peppered with flat screen TVs and leather
The Aviator and Gangs of New York.
furniture. But beyond the boy’s club aesthetic, the store’s
While the store doesn’t lack for ironic T-shirts with retro
appeal to men lies in its organization.
NHL logos and gadget accessories like cool Zippos and
chunky watches, the bulk of its sales go to the smart casual
PRE-ORGANIZED OUTFITS FOR EASY SHOPPING
wearer, trying to complete a jeans and blazer look that is
Suits and more formal attire occupy a back-of-house space
both professional and contemporary.
while casual clothing takes up the bulk of the front, and is
FROM T-SHIRTS TO TIGER OF
SWEDEN From $30 T-shirts to $1,250
suits, the store tries hard to keep you
dressed in something the guy at the
other end of the bar is not likely to be
wearing. Brands like Tiger of Sweden,
Junk Deluxe, Gsus, Sand, Ted Baker and
Haight & Ashbury figure prominently,
but the made-to-measure department is
where Austria is seeing a lot of growth.
To that end, GotStyle has come up
with a business starter kit that features
two made-to-measure suits, four shirts
and four ties all for $2,500.
“If you get a great fitting suit,
you’ll feel better in it. No question,”
says Austria.
Gsmen.com
COMMUNITY CHRONICLE • 12
TIPS
How much water should I
drink when I exercise?
With summer workouts in full swing and the fall marathon season upon
us, it seems a good idea to tackle the topic of hydration. Drink too much
before an activity and you can feel bloated and cramp up. Drink too little
and you’ll lose energy and risk dehydration. Drink too much after an activity
and you can risk hyponatremia, where the blood’s plasma becomes diluted
bringing on headaches, nausea and vomiting.
HEALTH / SANTÉ
TOTUM
So what’s the right amount?
Of course individuals perspire at different rates and therefore have
different hydration requirements, but a good rule of thumb, says Cara
MacMullin, a naturopathic doctor at Totum Life Science on King West, is to
drink 1.5 to two litres a day.
“The key is to make sure you’re
hydrated before you start exercising,”
she says, adding that you should step
up fluid intake a couple of hours
before you begin your activity.
“Endurance events and longer
competitions are when you should
consider electrolyte and carbohydrate
replacement,” says MacMullin, but if
you’re planning an average workout
after work, just make sure you’re
drinking water throughout the day.
WATER BY THE NUMBERS
1 to 2: the average person’s sweat rate per hour.
2: the number of cups of water you should drink two to three hours before
you start a half-hour of physical activity.
60: the percentage of your body weight that is water.
60: the duration in minutes of an activity that will require you replace
spent carbohydrates and electrolytes with a sports drink.
150 to 200: the amount in milliliters of fluid you should take in every
10 to 15 minutes for an activity that lasts more than 40 minutes.
200: the amount in milliliters of orange juice that you can add to a
liter of water to make a homemade sports drink.
Formal attire and
onsite spa services
and haircuts (above)
can be found at the
back-of-house
while casual clothes
fill the front.
CALCULATING HOW MUCH WATER YOU NEED EACH DAY
Hydration requirements will change with each individual, so Dr. MacMullin
suggests using this formulation as a starting point. You’ll likely adjust
it based on your body’s needs and weather conditions, but essentially it’s
a simple matter of dividing your body weight (in pounds) by two. The
solution is equal to the number of ounces of water you will need daily.
So if your weight is 130, you’ll need 65 ounces of water, or approximately
8 eight-ounce glasses.
totum.ca
13 • SUMMER/FALL 2008
MONTRÉAL
Montreal’s Oceanwide
One of the largest software firms in the insurance and logistics field
CITE MULTIMEDIA / - The longest cargo ship in the
world today is the container vessel Emma Mærsk. If this
1,300-foot-long behemoth were set on its stern next to
the CN Tower, its bow would reach the tower’s main
observation level.
Depending on cargo weights, a ship like this could carry
from 13,500 to 15,200 containers (most small ships carry
less than 3,000), and the total value of cargo per voyage
could easily reach several hundred million dollars.
Keeping track not only of the world’s estimated six
million containers on the move at any given time, but
also of the insurance policies that surround these, used
to be a paper-based system. It was something Montreal’s
Oceanwide sought to address.
L’informatique au service du transport
des marchandises
CITÉ MULTIMÉDIA, MONTRÉAL – C’est en 1996 qu’Oceanwide relevait
le défi de développer des logiciels adaptables à la gestion du transport
des marchandises par route, par air ou par mer, y compris, bien
entendu, les questions touchant les assurances et les douanes.
En effet, l’objectif de cette entreprise était de remédier, au moyen
du développement d’applications Web, à la mauvaise utilisation des
ressources dans le transport et la gestion du fret international.
Oceanwide fournit des applications de gestion fondées sur le
modèle du logiciel-service (SaaS), une application étant hébergée
comme service fourni à des clients par le truchement d’Internet. Les
solutions de la société sont utilisées par les plus importants courtiers
d’assurances et certaines sociétés d’assurance et de gestion du fret
maritime. La société fournit aussi ses services à des centaines
d’entreprises de transport international et de courtiers en douane pour
la gestion du transport et des exigences de déclaration en douane.
Qu’il s’agisse d’assurance, de transport ou de douane, Oceanwide
accorde une importance prépondérante à la fourniture de plateformes
collaboratives qui peuvent être entièrement intégrées dans les
systèmes informatiques de ses clients et de ses partenaires.
INTERNET AND INTERNATIONAL FREIGHT Taking its
name from its roots in the shipping industry, though it
works in all manner of transportation, Oceanwide was
started in 1996 to address inefficiencies in the movement
and management of international freight through the
development of Internet-based applications.
Now it’s one of the largest privately held software
companies in the insurance and logistics field, with offices
in Miami and Belgium.
“We actually started with the idea of trying to displace
small magazines publishing the sailing schedules of ships
around the world,” recalls David Berger, an executive vice
president and one of the firms’ founders, who along
with CEO Mitchell Wasserman and CFO Mark Adessky,
set about trying to create an online portal for freight
forwarders.
They didn’t make much money from that initiative,
but in the process of developing an e-commerce application
in the international ocean freight arena, they connected
with insurance companies and their initial target market
of freight forwarders and became more involved in
that industry.
SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE Oceanwide now delivers
enterprise applications on a Software as a Service (SaaS)
basis, where an application is hosted as a service provided
to customers over the Internet. The firm’s solutions
are used by the world’s largest insurance brokers and
underwriters for the management of cargo and marine
insurance. It also services hundreds of international
freight forwarders and customs brokers for transportation
management and customs entry filing.
Whether it’s insurance, shipping or customs, Oceanwide
maintains an emphasis on delivering collaborative platforms
that can be deeply integrated into the IT systems of
customers and partners.
Oceanwide.com
COMMUNITY CHRONICLE • 14
TORONTO
Luminato’s Light Bright
10-Day Toronto Arts Fest’s Venues Rack up Record Attendances
QUEEN STREET EAST, TORONTO / - By mid June,
the crew at the Luminato offices at the Queen Richmond
Centre breathed a sigh of relief as Toronto’s newest arts
festival wrapped up ten days of theatre, dance, classical and
contemporary music, film, literature, visual arts and design.
With the participation of 215 international artists and
some 1,400 local artists, the second annual Luminato
festival, which featured events and installations at
41 different venues, was declared a resounding success
by its CEO Janice Price, who explained that the
10-day art-a-thon’s balance, breadth and depth met with
its stated goals of collaboration, diversity and accessibility.
Yonge and Dundas Square a proved a popular public
venue where nightly dance workshops and live music kept
crowds thoroughly entertained while the Nathan Philips
Square’s Funk Fest lit up the first Saturday’s daytime
programming.
Sales for ticketed events were up 11 percent from last
year and the Distillery District reported its highest ever
attendance numbers on the Saturday it hosted its gourmet
street food program.
Meanwhile, Harbourfront Centre’s attendance that same
day equaled its annual Canada Day figures, and the iconic
Photo installation Mille Femmes at Toronto’s Brookfield Place.
Galleria at Brookfield Place hosted busloads of visitors to
the exhibition of Pierre Maraval’s Toronto’s Mille Femmes,
a photo installation of 1,000 artistic, creative and inspiring
women from Toronto and their protégés who embody
the passion and heritage of the city. Given the numerous
requests from the public for additional opportunity to
see it, organizers held it over for an extra week. Luminato
is scheduled next year for June 5th to the 14th.
luminato.com
EVERY DAY, IN EVERY WAY
Using everyday moments to comfort,
play with, and teach your child will open
a world of possibilities for you both.
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Toronto, ON M5V 3C1
Tel.: (416) 977-1222
Toll Free: 1-877-583-5437 (KIDS)
General inquiries: [email protected]
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Invest in Kids® is a trademark of Invest in Kids Foundation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. All rights reserved. © Invest in Kids, 2007. Charitable registration no. 88988 5521 RR0001
15 • SUMMER/FALL 2008
WINNIPEG
Underground Café:
Winnipeg’s ‘Secret’ Restaurant
EXCHANGE DISTRICT, WINNIPEG / - It’s one of
series of murals depicting fantastic scenes that mix weird
those well-known local secrets. If you go to the basement of
whimsy with images of pop culture and some of the lunch
70 Arthur Street, open the silver door at the bottom of the
spot’s more popular dishes.
staircase, you’ll find the best veggie burger in Winnipeg.
Painted by local set artist Romolo Fantini who worked on
While it can be a little hard to find, the Exchange
the walls after hours in exchange for tea and beer, images
District’s Underground Café is not much of a secret to the
feature things like Spiderman chasing winged chili peppers
downtown office population, to which it has been serving
over the café’s best-known Sun Burger, Salvador Dali eating
comfort food with a twist from its eclectic basement locale
a plate of melting food, and Star Trek’s Jean-Luc Picard
since the late 1990s.
sharing space with hooka-smoking toads.
“I think being hard to find has
The space used to feature regular live
helped,” says current owner Wendy
jazz guitar and piano performances and
“I think being hard to
Cohen. “When people find us, I
was once a venue for the Fringe festival,
think it makes them feel special, like
but these days, its Sun Burger, a sesame,
find has helped. When
they’re in on a secret.”
sunflower, rice and egg patty on a toasted
people find us, I think it
bagel with lime-dill sauce is what draws
The truth is this secret restaurant
makes them feel special,
diners in from a five-block radius.
has been around since 1994 when the
original owner, Rory Boyce, decided
The spicy tuna melt is another popular
like they’re in on a secret.”
to offer local musicians and artists a
choice, says Cohen, and of course there’s
place to hang out and some decent
the Wendy, an egg salad sandwich with dill
food to go with it.
pickles and sharp cheddar. (“I figured if Ruben could have a
sandwich, so can I,” she says.)
“In the early 1990’s there were a lot of rehearsal spaces and
art studios around here,” says Cohen, who at the time was
Breakfast is a relatively simple affair with variations on the
one of the restaurant’s first employees.
egg, cheese and tomato on a bagel sandwich (add bacon,
chicken, pickles or sausage), and a full selection of specialty
While the customer base has shifted somewhat with the
coffees. The Underground also offers catering services. And
café’s reputation having expanded to nearby Portage and
if you’re bringing a large group in midday, be sure to call
Main’s bank towers, the bohemian atmosphere has not left
ahead and reserve. Between noon and 2 pm, things get pretty
the space.
busy. Seems the Underground Café is not a very well kept
Orange vinyl chairs and Corian-topped tables with an
secret.
eclectic selection of intimate lighting offer seating for some
50 diners while the wall are decorated with an elaborate
“
FSC L OGO HERE
www.alliedpropertiesreit.com
COMMUNITY CHRONICLE • SUMMER/FALL 2008 • 16
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