chronique - Été/automne 2008

22

Montreal’s Ruze DevelopsSustainable Advertisingfrom 400 Atlantic Ave.

Montreal’s Ruze DevelopsSustainable Advertisingfrom 400 Atlantic Ave.

LARGO : Boîte de jazz àQuébec, de style newyorkaisLARGO : Boîte de jazz àQuébec, de style newyorkais

Groupe SMi :Sciences et solutions

ÉTÉ/AUTOMME 2008SUMMER/FALL 2008

DES CARAÏBESAU CENTRE-VILLE

Kiano à Montréal : des saveurscréoles antillaises exquises

DES CARAÏBESAU CENTRE-VILLE

Kiano à Montréal : des saveurscréoles antillaises exquises

Plus :• Édifice d’Ubisoft à Montréal• Toronto’s GotStyle : Retailfor the Urban Male

• Vistek: Toronto’s IndustrialStrength Camera Store

Q U É B E C • M O N T R É A L • T O R O N T O • W I N N I P E G • K I T C H E N E R

1544

15

1616

allied_summer_fall_QUE_08:allied_summer_fall_QUE_08 9/17/08 11:53 AM Page 2

CHRONIQUE COMMUNAUTAIRE • 2

L’offre de solutions adaptées aux besoinsscientifiques et techniquesLe Groupe SM International de Montréal étend ses activités degestion à l’exécution de projets

CITÉ MULTIMÉDIA,MONTRÉAL -L’exploration pétrolièreet gazière exige souventle déplacement d’unenombreuse équipe versquelques-unes desrégions les plus éloignéesdu monde. Il est certespossible de rester encontact, mais c’est touteune autre histoire qued’avoir accès à un réseau local intégré, robuste et fiable aubeau milieu du désert algérien.

Voilà le défi qu’a dû relever le Groupe SM Internationale(SMi) de Montréal, dont les locaux de 17 000 pieds carrés àCité Multimédia hébergent de nombreux groupes de projetsde télécommunications ainsi que les bureaux administratifs del’entreprise et les équipes de gestion des projets internationaux.

Sonatrach, la société nationale du pétrole et du gaz del’Algérie qui exerce ses opérations dans tous les aspectsde la production, y compris l’exploration, l’extraction,le transport et le raffinage, avait besoin d’une solution deréseau de télécommunications entièrement intégré de manièreà ce que ses ordinateurs aux sites de forage, ainsi que lesutilisateurs éloignés, puissent se connecter à son réseaude données.

La solution mise en place par SMi : un conteneur chargé desuffisamment d’équipement de connectivité pour permettre à500 utilisateurs par site de s’en servir, et qui intègre aussi latéléphonie, les données, la communication par radio, la vidéoet des systèmes de repérage de véhicules.

Mais SMi n’est pas une société de télécommunications.Il s’agit plutôt d’une société de gestion de projets etd’ingénierie qui a ses origines dans les sciences de la Terre etle contrôle de la qualité, explique son président et chef dela direction Bernard Poulin.

« Nous tirons profit du plein potentiel de nos ressourcesscientifiques en mettant au point des procédés intégrésd’exécution, de construction et de conception, » explique-t-il,en ajoutant simplement « nous sommes des fournisseursde solutions ».

Fondée en 1972, la société gère actuellement des projetsd’une valeur d’environ sept milliards de dollars, emploie 800spécialistes dans les secteurs traditionnels de l’ingénierie, lesnouvelles technologies et des aspects de gestion de projets degrande envergure pour des travaux dans plus de 30 pays.

Du projet hydroélectrique de la Baie-James à la gestion deparcs de résidus miniers à la République Dominicaine, lestravaux de SMi sont aussi diversifiés par régions géographiquesque par secteurs d’activités. Ses équipes travaillent dans letransport, l’infrastructure municipale, la biochimie, l’industrieagroalimentaire, la gestion de l’énergie et la construction –pour n’en nommer que quelques-uns.

groupesm.com

The Science of Solution ProvidingCITE MULTIMEDIA, MONTREAL / - Despite developing a completely integrated telecommunica-tions network solution for an Algerian oil and gas company, Montreal’s Group SM Internationale(SMi), whose 17,000 square feet at Cite Multimedia house a number of telecommunicationsproject groups as well as the firm’s executive offices and international project managementteams, isn’t a telecom firm. Rather, it’s an engineering and project management firm with rootsin the earth sciences and quality control fields, explains its president and CEO Bernard Poulin.

“We capitalize on the full potential of our scientific resources through development ofintegrated design, construction and execution processes,” he says, adding simply, “we’resolution providers.”

Founded in 1972, the firm has some $7 billion in projects currently underway, now employs800 professionals who specialize in traditional engineering sectors, new technologies, andaspects of major-project management for work in over 30 countries.

From the James Bay hydroelectric project to managing tailing ponds for mines inDominican Republic, SMi’s work is about as geographically broad as it is multidisciplinary.Its teams work in transportation, municipal infrastructure, biochemistry, agri-food industry,energy management and construction – to name but a few.

Projet hydroélectrique de la Baie-James.

MON

TRÉA

L


3 • SUMMER/FALL 2008

King West Retail Strategy a Matter of Balance

KING WEST CENTRAL, TORONTO / - Retail at King West Central has always been a carefully considered equationthat comes from a need to balance services for area office workers with the requirements of the node’s growing residentialpopulation. To some degree, this has come to look like a balance between bistros and furniture retailers. Of course that’snot 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’texist before,” says Tom Burns, vice president of DTZ Barnicke’sRetail 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, thearea’s designation as a manufacturing zone had just been liftedand Allied spent considerable effort restoring the brick facadesof these former warehouses. “And now it’s a healthy vibrantneighbourhood,” 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 thetone for the neighbourhood, and Rodney’s was having issueswith their space on Adelaide East, so we found space for him on King West,” says Burns explaining that Crush Wine Barcame in shortly after, followed by Brassaii.

A plan was drawn up for both sides of this stretch of KingStreet 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 servednot only to give the neighbourhood some visually arresting

window displays, it also provided a destination shopping experience, drawing people from around the GTA to discoverthe node’s restaurants and furniture boutiques.

U.S. RETAILERS LOOKING AT CANADIAN MARKETS Therecent opening of Design Within Reach is in part an indicatorof the U.S. interest in Canadian markets, though much of theattention 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 bysolid performances to date.

But Burns says there is a new group of retailers just beginningtheir search for space in Canada that will also help drive salesvolumes 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 foreclectic buildings in developing neighbourhoods to establishtheir ‘studios’.

CANADA’S RETAIL SECTOR HEALTHY Unlike the retail marketin the United States, retailing in Canada remains healthy,according to Burns. The hot spots are Alberta and Saskatchewanwhere year over year increases are double digit. The GreaterToronto area is posting increases of 4%, which, according toStatistics Canada, reflects the national average.

With continued growth in sales all retail categories are seekingreal estate. From dollar stores to luxury retailers and from fastfood to full service restaurants, finding high quality real estateremains a challenge.

King Street West’snorth side featuresMini Downtown...

...while the stretch’s south side featuresrestaurants and furniture boutiques.

TORONTO

allied_summer_fall_guts:allied_summer_fall_guts 9/22/08 11:10 AM Page 1

RUE ATLANTIC, MONTRÉAL -Lorsque Sophie Seguin travaillaitcomme experte-conseil en affaires pouraider des entreprises à devenir plusefficaces, elle n’a pas pu s’empêcherde remarquer le gaspillage provoquépar les mauvaises pratiques de certainesentreprises en matière de développe-ment durable.

« Certaines entreprises ne disposaientmême pas d’un bac bleu, » sesouvient-elle. Elle fait remarquer quelorsqu’elle a monté sa propre entreprisede communications, l’un des objectifsfondamentaux du plan de gestion étaitque l’entreprise devait être carboneneutre.

En fait, les commentaires qu’elle areçus au sujet de son plan initial onttoujours été positifs, sauf en ce quiconcernait les principes de développe-ment durable. Bon nombre depersonnes lui ont conseillé ’abandonnercomplètement le côté « écolo » de sesopérations ou tout au moins de lecacher. C’est ce qu’elle a fait durant lespremiers mois, révélant par exempleaux clients seulement après achèvementd’un projet graphique quelconque qu’ilavait été imprimé sur du papier

recyclé.

C’était il y a trois ans. Depuis lors,Sophie Seguin et son collègue Pierre Provost, qui s’estassocié à elle il y a un an, ont fait de Ruze Communicationl’agence publicitaire la plus écolo de Montréal. Ils sontsouvent invités à siéger dans des comités avec de grandessociétés multinationales pour discuter de stratégiescarboneutres pour des entreprises de services. (PierreProvost participe, entre autres, à la mise en œuvre duplan de développement durable de Montréal.)

La clientèle de Ruze regroupe bon nombre de PMEainsi que plusieurs entités du gouvernement et desorganismes sans but lucratif, et sa liste de fournisseursécologiques s’allonge projet par projet.

« C’est ça le défi à relever. Il y a trois ans, trouver unimprimeur utilisant du papier fourni par une entrepriseforestière certifiée et des encres à base végétale était unvéritable casse-tête. Nous faisons maintenant affaire avecplusieurs fournisseurs, » explique Sophie Seguin, en ajoutantqu’il est indispensable d’obliger la chaîne de production en

entier, des fournisseurs de papier aux services d’hébergementpour sites Web alimentés par énergie éolienne, à adopter despratiques de développement durable.

La planification d’une campagne publicitaire utilisant despratiques de développement durable est un véritable processuséducatif aussi bien pour le client que pour le client duclient. Cependant, selon Sophie Seguin, la principale difficultéconsiste à dissiper le mythe que la solution écologique entraînedes coûts beaucoup plus élevés.

« Il est vrai que cela coûtait bien cher lorsque nous noussommes lancés en affaires. De nos jours cependant, imprimerun projet respectueux de l’environnement coûte en généralmoins de cinq pour cent de plus, » fait-elle remarquer. Ellesouligne que la liste des fournisseurs et des produits s’allongeet les prix continuent de chuter au fur et à mesure qu’unplus grand nombre d’entreprises montréalaises adoptent despratiques respectueuses de l’environnement.

ruzecommunication.com

CHRONIQUE COMMUNAUTAIRE • 4

Quand l’écolo l’emporteExperts en marketing responsable et en communication graphique écologique

Sophie Seguin et son collègue Pierre Provost ont fait de Ruze l’agence publicitaire la plusécolo de Montréal.

MON

TRÉAL

allied_summer_fall_guts:allied_summer_fall_guts 9/22/08 12:29 PM Page 2

UbiSoft building in Montreal marks gaminggiant’s second studio in Allied portfolioST. LAURENT BLVD., MONTREAL / – In August, Allied completed the acquisition of 5505 Saint-Laurent Boulevard, a five-storey, Class I office building on the southeast cornerof Saint-Laurent Boulevard and Saint-Viateur Avenue whose anchor tenant is gaming software giant UbisoftDivertissement 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 in2005, which also happens to be in a building owned byAllied Properties REIT.

Nouvelle acquisition : l’édifice Ubisoft à MontréalBOULEVARD SAINT-LAURENT, MONTRÉAL – En août dernier, Allied a complété l’acquisition d’un édifice de cinq étages (déjà connu sous le nom de Ubisoft), situéau 5505 boulevard Saint-Laurent à l’angle sud-est duboulevard 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 filialeen 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 dejeux à l’interne qui a abouti en 1994 à l’ouverture d’un studio à Montreuil (France) devenu par la suite le siègesocial 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 àShanghai, à Montréal, au 5505 Saint-Laurent, ainsi qu’àQuébec, en 2005, dans un édifice appartenant aussi àAllied Properties REIT.


RUE ATLANTIC, MONTREAL / - When Sophie Seguin worked as a businessconsultant advising companies on efficiency, she couldn’t help but noticethe inefficiency of some firms’ sustainability practices.

“Some companies didn’t even have blue bins,” she recalls, explainingthat 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 aftera graphic design project had been completed, for example, that it wasprinted 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 RuzeMontreal’s leading enviro ad agency, often being called upon to sit oncommittees with large multinationals to discuss carbon-neutral strategiesfor service enterprises. (Provost, for example, is involved in the applicationof 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 ForestryCertified paper and vegetable based ink was a struggle, but now we haveseveral suppliers,” says Seguin, adding that the key is to push the entirechain 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 educationprocess for clients and the client’s client, but the main challenge, saysSeguin, 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, butnow, to do a print job in an environmentally friendly way is usually lessthan five percent more expensive,” she says, adding that as more Montrealfirms embrace environmental practices, the list of suppliers and materialscontinues to grow, while prices drop.

Montreal Ad Shop MakesSustainability its Competitive Edge

Pierre ProvostVice-président, communication

Sophie SeguinPrésidente, directrice artistique


COMMUNITY CHRONICLE • 6

The Industrial Strength Camera StoreToronto’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 photo -grapher Ron Silverstein began renting studio space and advising on electronic flash lighting, he was just looking toearn extra income that stemmed from his profession. TheBuffalo, New York native likely hadn’t conceived that thesideline he started in 1976 would grow into a national retailer supplying Toronto, Mississauga, Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton markets with a wide array of the latest photo, video and digital imaging equip-ment. But that’s exactly what Vistek hasbecome.

For more than 30 years, the Toronto-based retailer, now located in the historic Dominion Breweries buildingon Queen Street East, has been the go-to spot for pros and avid amateurs in search of high-end and hard-to-findphoto and video equipment. And oneglance reveals that Vistek is far morethan just another camera store.

Occupying some 25,000 square feet at 496 Queen StreetEast for the last 18 years, and spread over four floors andwith a staff of 120, Vistek, whose name is derived from theterm ‘visual technology’, grew initially on the quality of itsrental equipment.

Back in the late 1970s, there weren’t many people rentingsophisticated photographic lighting gear, and there was ashortage of studio space. By 1977, Silverstein was makingmore money from renting out his studio than he was at actually shooting. And, answering a growing demand forEuropean lighting gear, he turned part of his studio into aBalcar equipment showroom.

“He basically had lighting equipment nobody else had,”explains Cam Levack, creative director at Vistek.

While sales are still strong on the pro side, Levack saysVistek has a loyal following among the “prosumers” – serious amateurs with skills and needs that border on the professional. As with most specialty retailers, Vistek’s strength lies in the expertise of its staff.

“They’re virtually all photographers or videographers, sothey’re not only knowledgeable, they’re enthusiastic,” saysLevack, explaining the competitive edge the retailer has over

big box electronics that have enteredthe camera market following the digital revolution.

And while that change has openedthe field to new players, it didn’tchange Vistek’s essential role as a placeto buy, rent or learn about the latestadvances. Today, as computers becomeas important to photographers as their lenses and tripods, the retailerhelps foster the link between photo,

video and digital imaging. Vistek offers a full-fledged Macdepartment with a wide range of hardware and software, even on-site Mac techs.

The store continues to sell to working professionals, dedicated amateurs, people in search of a thoughtful gift – as well as offer business-to-business solutions ranging fromsetting up an in-house studio, to recommending equipmentto produce the company newsletter. Its policy of offering“best in class” equipment in specific price categories ensuresits customers get relevant buying choices, accompanied bystaff know-how.

More than thirty years later, Vistek’s track record demon-strates there is always a market for something no one else has – whether it’s equipment, expertise, or passion.

vistek.ca

“While sales are still strong on the pro side, Vistek has a loyal following among the “prosumers” – serious amateurphotographers with skills and needs that border on the professional.

TORO

NTO


7 • ÉTÉ/AUTOMNE 2008

Consolidation des bureaux du Centre financieraux entreprises Desjardins dans la basse-ville

NOUVO ST. ROCH, QUEBEC / - Since 2005, the Centre financier aux entreprises Desjardins de Québec hasoperated 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 onebuilding on Boulevard Charest Est.

The Centre financier Desjardins expects the newlocale, some 9,000 square feet spread over two floors at390 Boulevard Charest Est, will create synergy betweenthe various account reps that service a very broad rangeof client businesses.

Offering consultation in areas such as real estate and construction, retail, wholesale trade, manufacturing,emerging markets and service businesses, the centre’steam members have in depth knowledge of the localbusiness community and bring a wide range of expertiseto bear on their client’s needs, says the centre’s director,Jacques Hallé.

In business, speed and information are closelylinked, he says, so getting his group together into a single space is in part designed to keep the informationflowing in this office, which handles some 4,000 businesses as clients and manages 1.4 billion in assets.

Centre Financier Desjardinsconsolidates offices to find synergy in vibrant Basse Ville

En septembre, tous les 58 employés du Centrefinancier Desjardins seretrouveront dans un seulédifice au Nouvo St-Roch.

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, quitotalisera 9 000 pieds carrés sur deux étages au 390, boulevard CharestEst, 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 diversdomaines 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 decompétences 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 dansun seul endroit vise en partie à faciliter le partage de l’information.

« Quand l’information circule rapidement, l’expertise peut circulerrapidement, » explique-t-il, en ajoutant que son bureau compte quelque4 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 devenaitlourde et l’équipe de Desjardins apprécie le look corporatif de l’édifice duboulevard Charest Est qui est facilement accessible à partir des autoroutesde la région.

« Le centre fournit ses services au marché de la ville de Québec, maisnous avons aussi de nombreux clients dans le Québec Métropolitain et enrégions, » fait savoir M. Hallé, qui explique que ses directeurs de comptesconsacrent une grande partie de leur temps à rendre visite aux clients.

L’idée de consolider les bureaux revêt encore une plus grande impor-tance pour avoir un endroit où tous les membres de l’équipe peuventapprendre à mieux se connaître.

Ce qui compte encore plus, c’est le quartier lui-même, où l’on trouvedes entreprises de haute technologie comme le développeur de logicielsUbisoft, des restaurants, des boutiques, des entreprises de services et unevie palpitante avec laquelle un centre financier peut s’identifier.

desjardins.com

QUÉBEC



EXCHANGE DISTRICT, WINNIPEG / - Let’s say you want to get some spray foam installed onto the ceiling of yourhome’s garage and you call the Canadian Urethane FoamContractors Association to get a referral.

That’s when the phone rings in an office at 250 McDermotAve. in Winnipeg’s Exchange District where a team of 11 atBuilding Professionals Consortium (BPC) work for a number of building and trade related organizations. It will also ringthere if you call the Heating, Refrigeration and AirConditioning Institute Contractor’s Division – Manitobachapter, the National Air Barrier Association, even the AirBarrier Association of America.

But providing industry support services for constructiontrade associations is just a small part of what BPC does. Itsmain area of service focuses on developing and implementingquality assurance programs, certification and training for thebuilding energy efficiency industry.

“For energy efficiency to work, you need a good productand it needs to be installed properly,” says BPC vice presidentRyan Dalgleish.

“If you don’t have those two factors working together, youjust won’t get the efficiency you’re looking for,” he says.

So if the contractor who comes to spray foam your home’sgarage is member of the trade association (CUFCA), chancesare he will be using tools and techniques learned in training

provided by BPC and working to a specific quality assuranceguideline that has been developed by the BPC team.

Almost 60 percent of its work is with U.S.-based clientsbecause 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 helpingcompanies like Dow and BBA Fiberweb (manufacturer ofTypar house wrap) develop training manuals for the properinstallation of their building performance products.

A family-owned firm, BPC started in the 1980s whenLaverne 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 PeterStafford, the senior Dalgleish launched BPC into qualityassurance 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 certificationbody by the Standards Council of Canada, and if that goesthrough, it will be the only firm in the country accredited tocertify individuals specifically for energy efficiency, admini -stering tests and validating a candidate’s skill and knowledge.

bpc.ca

Green StandardsWinnipeg’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 inWashington, DC and theChildren’s Hospital in Madison,Wisconsin, two buildings thatincorporated BPC’s qualityassurance program for air barriers.

A BPC instructor runs training for a foam insulation installer in Boston, MA.

WIN

NIPE

G


Allied’s new Kitchener building an early sign of area revitalizationWAREHOUSE DISTRICT, KITCHENER / -Sold out warehouse-to-condo conversions, ahigh-tech university campus under completionand a rising demand for funky brick-and-beamoffice and retail space are what you’d expect tosee in Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal, but it’s happening in Kitchener.

The southwestern Ontario city of 200,000 iscurrently undergoing an extensive revitalizationof its downtown core. Shifting, as many cities in the region did, from an industrial base to a knowledge economy hollowed out the down-town as companies and workers gravitated tothe suburbs.

But the city has launched a number of initia-tives to infuse the downtown with live, workand play areas in an effort to draw a criticalmass back to the centre. One such initiative isthe development of the warehouse district.

WAREHOUSE CONVERSION ‘UNIQUE’ A few blocks from cityhall and from the current $100-million Centre Block initiative, a condos, parking, retail, hotel and courtyard project intended to kickstart further revitalization, the ware-house district is repurposing historic buildings into funkyoffice environments. One already completed conversion, acentury-old former wooden seat factory at 72 Victoria StreetSouth, was acquired by Allied Properties REIT earlier this year.

“We don’t really have many buildings like that here,” saysDarren Shaw, a broker with DTZ Barnicke in Kitchener.

“There are very few brick and beam office opportunities inthe 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-storeybuilding, whose brick and beam environment was renovatedin 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 thenearby 5.6-acre site on which sits the former Lang Tannery,once the largest in the British Empire. It currently houses afew dozen small artisanal businesses in a warren of connectedbuildings, and the $30-million redevelopment plan for theTannery District project calls for more retail, restaurant andoffice with completion scheduled for 2009.

Bootmaker Kaufman’s old factory, also in the district, hasbeen converted to lofts and all of its 270 units, from studiosto three-bedroom units, have sold out.

Adding a residential component to the area is likely toaffect the demand for further amenities, but perhaps one of the largest projects to do so is the University of WaterlooSchool of Pharmacy’s $147 million Downtown HealthSciences Centre, which opened its doors early this year.

The 120,000-square-foot mini campus is also home to asatellite medical school affiliated with McMaster Universityand is expected to stimulate residential growth in the city’score as well as produce spin-off activities such as the creationof supporting businesses, the development of housing, as well as businesses focused on fitness and leisure activities.


72 Victoria Street South,originally renovated in 1999,houses eight tenants.

KITCHENER


EXCHANGE DISTRICT, WINNIPEG / - Fourteen yearsago, 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 artisticcommunity and the old sunlit warehouse spaces were dividedinto eclectic shapes that seemed to jibe with the sensibilities of the tenants.

She’s since occupied a few spaces in the building, but the1,000 square feet she currently has is just the right size for her, not only to display the large scale collections of abstractwatercolour 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 theculture and meet the people because you’re sitting in one placeall morning painting and soaking up the atmosphere,” shesays, accounting for the popularity of the sold out tours thatrun to locales in Greece and Spain.

Participants paint every morning and Brown estimatesabout half return home with several pieces ready to framewhile 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. Exceptfor her outdoor demonstrations, she’s too busy teaching.

She looks to the time between teaching and travelling todevelop her creative interests and finish her instructional bookabout working with watercolours on experimental surfaces.

EXPLORING NEW MEDIA “I like experimenting with differ-ent 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 barrierpaper 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 reusedin 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 varioustransportation companies so the family moved around a fairbit, living throughout Canada, and even for a year in China.All the while, Brown felt her need to paint grow, so when thefamily returned to Winnipeg, she took up studio space tocommit more time to her art.

When her husband Murray decided to stop working andsemi retire, she began to teach painting, drawing on her previous career as a teacher.

“Frankly, it was through my determination not to work atTim Horton’s that I could make this passion of mine actuallypay,” she recalls, “and once I started teaching more, it mademe realize it was all quite viable.”

More than that, her passion seems to be contagious. Whilesome of her students are retirees eager to learn or nurture abudding interest in art, more than half are now selling theirwork, and six former students are now renting studio space at 70 Arthur.


Watercolour artist feeds creativity throughteaching and painting tours

Changes, a 48x60 watercolour

Brown with a work in progress.

From her studio, Brown paints, hosts classes and runs her international painting tours.

WIN

NIPE

G



AutoCAD developer and furniture retailer join the St. Lawrence Market Area of Allied portfolio

King West’s Calphalon Culinary Center offers learning, inspirationand some serious sampling KING WEST CENTRAL, TORONTO / - The Calphalon Culinary Centerat 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 Chickenwith 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-CrustedHalibut 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 Secretswhere you can learn how to salvage a hollandaise sauce and how to searmeats for taste and flavour. (There’s a $20 fee, but you also get a $20 storecredit at the Calphalon Shop.)

Cooking classes start at $70. For more information, visitwww.CalphalonCulinaryCenter.com

TORONTO / - A seven-storey Class I brick building on King StreetEast is among the recent acquisitions to come into the AlliedProperties REIT portfolio this summer.

Near the intersection of Jarvis and King, and located on thenorth side a block away from George Brown College, 204, 210 and 214 King Street East feature a variety of tenants, the largestof 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 itsintroduction of AutoCAD in 1982, Autodesk has developed thebroadest portfolio of state-of-the-art digital prototyping solutionsto help customers experience their ideas before they are real.)

Retailer InDesign occupies a two-storey showroom furthereast at the 214 King Street East address. It carries a mix of mod-ern and contemporary furniture including sofas, chairs and tables.

INCOMING!


KING WEST CENTRAL, TORONTO / - If the abundanceof extreme makeover shows, the launch of Men’s Vogue andthe rise of the term ‘metrosexual’ haven’t clued you in to theneed for proper fitting men’s fashions, a visit to GotStyle onKing Street West will.

Launched in 2005 by Melissa Austria and Seamus Clarke(and now under the sole ownership of Austria), the menswearstore is designed to simplify the clothes shopping experiencefor men seeking to update not only their wardrobe, but their look - hairstylists work onsite and spa services availableinclude back waxing and an anti-hangover facial treatment, as well as a range of massages.

ONE FLIGHT UP Located on thesecond floor of an office building,GotStyle’s space isn’t ideal forattracting walk-by traffic, but given the media attention the storehas received since opening, the5,000-square-foot showroom hasbecome something of a destinationshopping experience.

Designed by club impresarioMarc Kiryacou, the space’s exposed walls and columns aregallery white, decorated with original art, lit with warehousewindows and peppered with flat screen TVs and leather furniture. But beyond the boy’s club aesthetic, the store’s appeal to men lies in its organization.

PRE-ORGANIZED OUTFITS FOR EASY SHOPPING Suits and more formal attire occupy a back-of-house spacewhile casual clothing takes up the bulk of the front, and is

arranged on racks that are colour-coordinated.

“The idea is that you can put an outfit together just fromone rack,” says Austria, a veteran of the fashion business whoworked 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, thereare 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 towearing. A modern cut gives you shape and actually makes you look trimmer.”

While Harry Rosen and Holt Renfrewaim for the CEOs, Austria says her storeserves the up-and-coming guys who wantto look great, but don’t have the salary tospend $2,500 on a suit.

TOP-NOTCH TAILORING The miscon-ception, she says, is that made-to-measuresuits are expensive, but GotStyle’s tailorednumbers start at $800, are made of Italian cloth and sewn locally under the

watchful eye of Joa Cavalicanti, who worked at Harry Rosen’s,and before that was a tailor on Martin Scorcese movies likeThe Aviator and Gangs of New York.

While the store doesn’t lack for ironic T-shirts with retroNHL logos and gadget accessories like cool Zippos andchunky watches, the bulk of its sales go to the smart casualwearer, trying to complete a jeans and blazer look that is both professional and contemporary.

FROM T-SHIRTS TO TIGER OFSWEDEN From $30 T-shirts to $1,250suits, the store tries hard to keep youdressed in something the guy at theother end of the bar is not likely to bewearing. Brands like Tiger of Sweden,Junk Deluxe, Gsus, Sand, Ted Baker andHaight & Ashbury figure prominently,but the made-to-measure department iswhere Austria is seeing a lot of growth.

To that end, GotStyle has come upwith a business starter kit that featurestwo made-to-measure suits, four shirtsand 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

FROM WARDROBE TO WAXINGGotStyle simplifies fashion for Toronto’s urban male professional


““The difference is that we offer a modern fit, so it’s not the boxyor baggy cut that larger guys are used to wearing. A moderncut gives you shape and actuallymakes you look trimmer.”

TORO

NTO



T O T U M T I P S

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 muchbefore 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 activityand you can risk hyponatremia, where the blood’s plasma becomes dilutedbringing on headaches, nausea and vomiting.

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 CaraMacMullin, a naturopathic doctor at Totum Life Science on King West, is todrink 1.5 to two litres a day.

“The key is to make sure you’rehydrated before you start exercising,”she says, adding that you should stepup fluid intake a couple of hoursbefore you begin your activity.

“Endurance events and longercompetitions are when you shouldconsider electrolyte and carbohydratereplacement,” says MacMullin, but ifyou’re planning an average workoutafter work, just make sure you’redrinking water throughout the day.

WATER BY THE NUMBERS1 to 2: the average person’s sweat rate per hour.

2: the number of cups of water you should drink two to three hours beforeyou 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.

CALCULATING HOW MUCH WATER YOU NEED EACH DAYHydration requirements will change with each individual, so Dr. MacMullinsuggests 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

Formal attire andonsite spa servicesand haircuts (above)can be found at theback-of-house while casual clothesfill the front.

HEALTH / SANTÉ


CITE MULTIMEDIA / - The longest cargo ship in theworld today is the container vessel Emma Mærsk. If this1,300-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 carryfrom 13,500 to 15,200 containers (most small ships carryless than 3,000), and the total value of cargo per voyagecould 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’sOceanwide sought to address.

INTERNET AND INTERNATIONAL FREIGHT Taking itsname from its roots in the shipping industry, though itworks in all manner of transportation, Oceanwide was started in 1996 to address inefficiencies in the movementand 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 officesin Miami and Belgium.

“We actually started with the idea of trying to displacesmall magazines publishing the sailing schedules of shipsaround the world,” recalls David Berger, an executive vicepresident 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 applicationin the international ocean freight arena, they connectedwith 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 marineinsurance. It also services hundreds of international freight forwarders and customs brokers for transportationmanagement and customs entry filing.

Whether it’s insurance, shipping or customs, Oceanwidemaintains an emphasis on delivering collaborative platformsthat can be deeply integrated into the IT systems of customers and partners.

Oceanwide.com

Montreal’s Oceanwide One of the largest software firms in the insurance and logistics field


L’informatique au service du transport des marchandisesCITÉ MULTIMÉDIA, MONTRÉAL – C’est en 1996 qu’Oceanwide relevait le défi de développer des logiciels adaptables à la gestion du transportdes 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 moyendu développement d’applications Web, à la mauvaise utilisation desressources 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 hébergéecomme service fourni à des clients par le truchement d’Internet. Lessolutions de la société sont utilisées par les plus importants courtiersd’assurances et certaines sociétés d’assurance et de gestion du fretmaritime. La société fournit aussi ses services à des centaines d’entreprises de transport international et de courtiers en douane pourla gestion du transport et des exigences de déclaration en douane.

Qu’il s’agisse d’assurance, de transport ou de douane, Oceanwideaccorde une importance prépondérante à la fourniture de plateformescollaboratives qui peuvent être entièrement intégrées dans les systèmes informatiques de ses clients et de ses partenaires.

MON

TRÉA

L



LARGO RESTO-CLUB : Seule boîte de jazz àQuébec de style newyorkais

NOUVO ST-ROCH, QUEBEC / - Le Largo Resto-Club a pignon sur rue depuisfévrier 2004 sur l’étonnante rue Saint-Joseph, dans le quartier Saint-Roch à Québec.

Fruit de l’inspiration du propriétaire Gino Ste-Marie, l’endroit se révèle une destina-tion où le convive voit chacun de ses sens charmés : à la fois restaurant, club de jazzet galerie d’art, le Largo propose une fine cuisine méditerranéenne et une sélectionrecherchée de vins provenant de la France, de l’Italie, de l’Espagne et du Portugal.

Du jeudi au samedi, les soirées de jazz sont très courues par la clientèle qui peut ainsiapprécier les prestations inspirées des meilleurs artistes de jazz de la province dansune atmosphère à la fois chic et relax, caractéristique du Largo.

Le Largo Resto-Club, là où ambiance, art et musique se côtoient, une destinationincontournable au centre-ville de Québec.

largorestoclub.com

LA FONDATION LARGO POUR LES ARTSLa Fondation Largo pour les Arts a été créée en 2006 par Gino Ste-Marie,et s’est donné comme mandat d’encourager et de faire la promotion de lamusique jazz et des arts visuels dans la ville de Québec. La Fondation souhaitemettre sur pied et promouvoir divers projets et événements artistiques dansces deux domaines, stimuler les échanges entre les artistes d’ici et d’ailleurs auxniveaux provincial, national ou international, et également encourager la relèvepar l’organisation de classes de maître, de concours ou de bourses d’études.La Fondation souhaite par ces actions stimuler et enrichir la vie culturelle dela ville de Québec.

La Fondation Largo pour les Arts relève de la Fondation communautairedu grand Québec.

www.fcommunautaire.com

En ce qui concerne ladiffusion du jazz...Le Largo Resto-Club est un acteur incontourn-able de la diffusion du jazz à Québec. Depuistrois ans, il présente un volet jazz dans laprogrammation du Festival d’été de Québec et,depuis 2007, il produit le Festival de Jazz deQuébec. Seule boîte de jazz à Québec de stylenewyorkais, Le Largo Resto-Club – la Maisondu jazz – propose une ambiance feutrée, unefine sélection de vins ainsi qu’une cuisineméditerranéenne succulente. Les amateursde jazz comme les néophytes peuvent yentendre les musiciens de jazz les plus réputéset trouver confort et détente pour prendresimplement un verre ou un repas complet auson de musiques envoûtantes.

En plus de la programmation régulière jazz dujeudi au samedi, le Largo Resto-Club présentede façon ponctuelle nombre d’événementsmusicaux spéciaux. Parmi ceux-ci, les sériesJazz du Festival d’Été de Québec (juillet), duFestival de Jazz de Québec (septembre), lesspectacles d’artistes de jazz qui se produisentau Largo dans le cadre de leur tournée, leConcours Relève Jazz (avril), de même quedes lancements d’albums, etc.

jazzaquebec.ca

Gino Ste-Marie, propriétairedu Largo Resto-Club.

QUÉBEC


CHRONIQUE COMMUNAUTAIRE • ÉTÉ/AUTOMNE 2008 • 16www.alliedpropertiesreit.com

Avez-vous une histoire à raconter? Écrivez-nous au [email protected]

Kiano: la cuisine créole au centre-ville

RUE SAINTE-CATHERINE - Alors que son restaurant créole antillais étaitencore à l’ébauche, un simple plan esquissé sur une feuille de papier au fondd’un tiroir, Gérard Augustin s’est promené à travers le centre-ville pour serenseigner sur l’emplacement des restaurants jusqu’à ce qu’il ait décidé d’ouvrirle sien à l’angle des rues Sainte-Catherine et City Councillors.

« Nous ciblons les professionnels qui travaillent dans le centre-ville et quisont toujours prêts à essayer du nouveau, » explique Augustin qui avait dirigéune entreprise de communications avant de se lancer dans l’assurance.

Cet entrepreneur en série (il avait déjà produit sa propre ligne de tee-shirts« Furieux » à l’âge de 16 ans) n’est pas resté employé à temps plein pendantlongtemps et l’idée lui est bientôt venue d’ouvrir son restaurant avec lacollaboration de Genndi Faustin, vétéran de l’industrie de l’accueil, qui a faitappel à son tour aux talents culinaires du chef cuisinier James Camille.

Kiano (mot zoulou qui signifie « outils d’un sage ») est un cadre informelde restauration rapide, bien aménagé, dans une salle haute de plafond et auxmurs orange, aux grandes fenêtres et un décor moderne comme les troisgrands contenants carrés en bois qui entourent de petites plantes.

Dans ce restaurant qui peut accommoder 50 personnes à l’intérieur et60 à l’extérieur, les clients ont le choix parmi plusieurs combos de viandes etde légumes, par exemple du poulet à la jerk, du poulet au gingembre, dubœuf au gombo ainsi que des plats de viande et de poisson, servis avec unchoix de riz et fèves, de crevettes ou relevés au gombo. La plupart des saveursreflètent un mélange des traditions culinaires des Antilles, mais l’accent estincontestablement créole.

Les pâtés sont cuits sur les lieux mêmes. En fait, presque tous les platssont préparés dans la matinée par le personnel de cuisine de Kiano, à partird’aliments frais plutôt que de préparations commerciales.

« Il y a une différence entre la restauration rapide et des plats préparésrapidement, » fait remarquer Augustin. Il explique que les saveurs antillaisessont souvent utilisées dans la haute cuisine et qu’il s’agit effectivement dehaute cuisine préparée rapidement.

Kiano Restaurant featuresGourmet Caribbean FoodMade FastRUE STE-CATHERINE /- Kiano, a Zulu word for awise person’s tools, is a quick and casual CarribeanCreole restaurant at the corner of Ste-Catherineand Rue des City Councillors launched this summerby Gérard Augustin with the help of hospitalityveteran Genndi Faustin, who in turn recruited theculinary talents of chef James Camille.

With space for 50 inside and 60 outside, dinerscan choose from a host of meats and vegetablecombos, like Jerk Chicken, Ginger Chicken, OkraBeef, as well as pork and fish dishes, each servedwith a choice of rice with bean, with shrimp, orflavoured with okra. Much of the tastes are a mixof Caribbean culinary traditions, but the focus isdefinitely Creole.

Patties are all homemade and almost everything,in fact, is cooked that morning by Kiano’s largestaff that comes in to work the kitchen, buildingmany of these dishes from scratch each day.

“There’s a difference between fast food, andfood made fast,” says Augustin, explaining thatCaribbean flavours are often used in fine dining,and that effectively, this is fine cuisine madequickly.

kianorestaurant.com

FSC LOGO HERE

Team Kiano: (l-r) chef James Camille, ownerGérard Augustin with Genndi Faustin.

MON

TRÉA

L


chronique - Été/automne 2008

Documents

villekiano montral

gestion deparcs

aspects de gestion

smi nest

socit nationale

socit gre

e r1544151616allied

style newyorkaisgroupe