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OttawaReads comes to Life in Cornwall

lnewman — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:55:47 +0000

2010 was a great year for volunteers and organizers of OttawaReads all across the city. But, it was an even better year for the children in Cornwall who, for the first time, had an opportunity to participate in one of the region’s most influential volunteer-based reading programs.

OttawaReads absolutely took off this spring thanks to the involvement of various individuals and organizations including: Marc Hurtubise, principal of École Rose-des-Vents; Pauline Laneville, literacy resource teacher; the five generous volunteers who were supported by Andre Charlebois, director of the Charles-Emile Claude Multipurpose Centre for Seniors; and Linda Newman, Program Manager OttawaReads, OCRI. This initiative was made possible through the development of a special project, led by the Charles-Emile Claude Multipurpose Centre for Seniors, which received federal funding to bring OttawaReads to Cornwall.

This first season is just the beginning of a great adventure in reading. Students in the first and second grades of Rose-des-Vents School were delighted to mingle with volunteers who helped them read for a predetermined period, two times a week, during the month of May. Our volunteers, Aline Fleury, Madeleine Laflamme, Jeannine and Robert Lemire were completely dedicated to guiding the children through entertaining reading exercises and the students reciprocated by trying hard and having fun!

We mustn’t forget to thank our team seamstress who crafted custom book bags for all our volunteers. It added a personal touch to a program that will be remembered for a long time!

Congratulations to all and good luck with Cornwall’s new community project.

If you are interested in learning more about OttawaReads (which is available in both official languages), becoming a volunteer or introducing the program to your community, please contact Sheila Jenkins, Program Manager, OttawaReads , (613) 828-6274 ext. 237, sjenkins@ocri.ca.

Ontario Technology Corridor Makes A Splash At Intersolar Munich

bpatacairk — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:11:14 +0000

In today’s economic environment, it is somewhat difficult to encourage foreign companies to settle in another country and grow their business. The knee jerk reaction during economic woes is to tighten your belt and get frugal in your spending. This phenomenon is not unique to any one culture as we saw from the latest recession. It is also no big secret that North American (NA) countries continue to outsource to China and India. Competing on a dollar-for-dollar basis on this score is an exercise in futility. Although it seems a foregone conclusion that Canada has been trailing when it comes to competitiveness, the reality is we have the most stable economy in the world and some of the most lucrative government incentive programs.

Take for instance Ontario’s feed-in-tariff program , which is a comprehensive, guaranteed pricing structure of renewable electricity production. At .80 cents/Kw, it is an easy conversation to have with a potential foreign investor. Add in the Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credits and you have the makings of a winning formula. This brings me to my recent trip to Intersolar Munich, June 9-11.

Intersolar Expo is Europe’s largest international trade fair for solar technology. It focuses on photovoltaics, solar thermal technology and solar architecture. All the movers and shakers in the cleantech industry attend this show and so too did the Ontario Technology Corridor (OTC) delegation. OTC is a consortium established in 2003 by OCRI, the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance and Canada’s Technology Triangle. In recent years, both the regions of London and Niagara were added – representing Canada’s ICT strength and most recently cleantech. OTC’s main mandate is to attract businesses to Ontario. The collective strength of the OTC gives each region an unparallelled global competitive advantage.

Prior to our visit to Intersolar, we were able to secure 60 meetings with businesses that may consider expansion in North America. We garnered this type of interest largely because Ontario’s feed-in-tariffs are so lucrative. Couple this with Canada’s economic stability, other tax incentive, excellent skilled workers and a great quality of life and you have a recipe for potential investment. Of the 60 companies that we met with, five have agreed to stop in Ontario on their way to Intersolar San Francisco in July.

We look forward to welcoming them to OTC territory and giving them a first-hand view of what each region has to offer.

You can never have too much information!

kcunningham — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 14:49:24 +0000

Who knew that Evan Hansen, editor in chief, Wired.com is actually a local boy – well kind of, grew up in Kingston. He’s at the helm of one of the most popular online tech mags in the world. I’ve been looking forward to this presentation for weeks. To have a publishing guru speak at TEB is kind of rare and he didn’t disappoint. The audience was quite diverse this moring, caps and birkenstocks to skinny suits and jeans, he drew “cool” communicators and startup execs. His presentation was diverse enough to engage the technology executives in the room and generated a fair bit of thoughtful Q&A.

For the full presentation – visit our archives.

Key takeaways regarding the Internet of Things include the basic fact that it is FUN but has serious implications for the way you do business, develop policy and adjust proceedures. There’s no shortage in information and no rules as to what data is relevant – each product, company, idea is unique. The Internet of Things is based on REAL services that are available NOW and provide VALUE. As the Internet of Things continues to evolve on a daily basis, Evan stressed that the “rules of engagement” must make consumers comfortable in order to be successful.

See you in September at the season opener.

Canada Open For Business with Elimination of Section 116

mscarborough — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:52:39 +0000

The Canadian federal government tabled their budget for 2010 and sent a clear message to international investors that Canada is clearly open for business.

In the budget, the government removed the Section 116 tax barrier, a barrier that has prevented Canadian emerging technology companies from obtaining international investment dollars to be truly globally competitive. A summary of Section 116, courtesy of Deloitte (www.deloitte.ca) , is as follows:

Withholding and Section 116 certificate process — The overwhelming majority of foreign VCs are not subject to Canadian tax when they sell an investment, but face a delay of many months to work through the Section 116 tax clearance process until funds can freely flow to them. Many foreign VCs are structured such that each of the investors in the VC — sometimes hundreds or even thousands — is subject to this clearance process as if they held the investment directly. This delay results in lower returns and frequently causes direct financial loss to investors. Canadians who invest in the United States, the United Kingdom and other major global markets do not face such taxes or delays from red tape.

Requirement to file Canadian tax returns by foreigners who don’t owe taxes creates hundreds of pages of unnecessary paperwork — Canada imposed tax filing requirements in circumstances where no taxes were payable by these investors. When a foreign VC sells an investment, each investor of the foreign VC has to file a Canadian tax return even if they don’t owe any taxes. This results in literally hundreds of pages of documents that are required for signature and processing for a single sale. This tax return filing issue also applies to certain Canadian public companies.

What does this mean for emerging technology companies raising funds from foreign investors from the US and abroad? It means those companies with high potential will be able to more easily attract foreign investors. It means that more foreign capital can come into Canada to invest in some of our leading knowledge based enterprises when large amounts of capital are still lacking. It also means that Canada can remain and grow competitively in the global marketplace, showing the world that we are innovators most innovative people and companies in the world.

If you would like more information on Section 116 and the federal budget, there are a plethora of resources including the Government of Canada website. Many of OCRI’s members and partners also have commentary and position papers including the CVCA (www.cvca.ca), BIOTECanada (www.biotech.ca) , CATA Alliance (www.cata.ca) to name just a few. Watch for upcoming professional development sessions from the Investment and Commercialization Group at OCRI (www.ocri.ca/investment ) to further educate CEO’s of emerging technology companies in Ottawa about the impact of this change on raising capital.

The City is looking for your input

chaw — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:32:33 +0000

The City of Ottawa is conducting consultations that will lead to a new Economic Development Policy which will be presented to Council this spring. OCRI executives participate regularly in ongoing discussions with the City on their role and leadership. Last Friday, we attended a stakeholder’s forum to voice our views and have since met with them specifically on the innovation strategy.

The approach the City chooses to economic development is key to all of our success. The consensus now is that we can no longer simply default to expansion of the Federal Public Service as our engine of prosperity. Your voice in this discussion is important. I would like to encourage you to participate as well by logging on to OPINIONOTTAWA.CA where you will be able to review position papers on subjects including the role of knowledge-based industries, talent and more and comment on them in the discussion forum.

Please take the time to make your opinion heard as an actively involved member of our community and business leader. Ottawa has a great economic future filled with potential across so many industries.

Let’s do what we can to ensure that the City has significant and sincere input that they can use to define an approach to economic development that reflects the realities of our great city!

Excerpt from Ottawa’s ICF Top 7 Application : Digitial Inclusion in Ottawa

kcunningham — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:43:38 +0000

Being “connected” and online has become a way of life and a natural thing for Ottawa residents, regardless of their economic standing, physical or mental abilities or location. Ottawa has demonstrated a strong commitment to digital inclusion and bridging the digital divide over the years.

In the city’s first broadband plan, access to the internet and addressing the digital divide were key issues to overcome in order to become successful in the new global economy. Programs such as Smart Capital and National Capital FreeNet helped to establish Ottawa as the most connected city in the world. Not only was technology and access to the technology provided to Ottawa residents, training was also available for those who needed help to develop a level of comfort with the new technology. Smart Capital was funded by the federal and provincial governments to push forward Ottawa’s broadband connectivity plan. A variety of programs provided the framework for Smart Capital including: Digital Ottawa, Altogether Ottawa, FreeNet, E-Government, Smart Libraries, E-College, E-Democracy and Smart Sites. Today, a number of those programs no longer exist due to the fact that their mission was completed but some continue to serve the community to this day. Their range of services has evolved and changed to reflect the current needs and interests of the local community.

In addition to technology-based inclusion, Ottawa is a firm believer in providing today’s students and our future leaders with the proper tools they need in order to learn effectively while in school. For that reason, we support learning and skill development for students at all levels through partnerships with the community, government and businesses to develop the talent Ottawa needs to support a globally competitive knowledge-based sector. Some of the community’s most valuable programs in this regard include OttawaReads – a literacy program, JUMP Math – numeracy program, Winning Innovations in Schools (WINS) – joint projects with local cleantech and life science companies for high school students, the High School Technology Program – hands on tech and programming experiences and the School Breakfast Program which provides a nutritious breakfast to 11,000 children in 145 schools each day.

Did you know? The Ottawa Public Library (OPL) provides services free of charge to increase digital inclusion and the everyday use of technology. The Library works with many local, provincial and national partners to extend and enrich service. Free Internet access has been available at the Ottawa Public Library since 1996 and free high-speed Internet access has been available at all 33 branches of the Ottawa Public Library (OPL) since 2001. High-speed wireless Internet access was first piloted at the Ottawa Public Library in 2007 and was installed in every branch of the OPL in 2008. The Ottawa Public Library has 373 public access workstation that provide high speed internet access and a variety of software applications. Wheelchair-accessible computer workstations are available at all wheelchair accessible libraries. All courses at the Ottawa Public Library are offered free of charge. In 2008, 947,499 people used a public Internet access workstation at the OPL. In 2008, the Ottawa Public Library held 376 computer training sessions aimed at teaching older adults and newcomers how to use a personal computer, 1,512 people attended these sessions.

OCRI Entrepreneurship Centre Satellite Kiosks - As entrepreneurial activity spread across the vast Ottawa region it became evident that the one stop shopping approach taken by OCRI’s Entrepreneurship Centre was not adequate for the growing demand for its services. The concept of satellite offices was explored and pilot tested in Orleans with great success. Subsequently, two additional satellite kiosks in Kanata and Barrhaven have been opened. The impact on the community has been significant while helping minimize costs for staff, travel and overhead and maximizing the use of digital technology to provide easy access services and business advice to constituents. In 2009 alone, over 1000 people attended networking events hosted at the kiosk centres.

Ottawa Carleton District School Board – Special Education Allocation of laptops to students with Learning Difficulties. Each year, hundreds of laptops are loaned out to students with special needs through this ministry led initiative. Hundreds of students, teachers and families benefit from this digital inclusion initiative. In the last five months, technical training has been provided to over 600 teachers, on a wide variety of subjects: wikis, Google Apps, Photoshop Elements, Gizmos, ComicLife, Podcasting, PhotoStory. This year, the school board is introducing a new Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) training for elementary teachers.

These are just a few of the great examples in Ottawa of programs and initiatives that really do make a difference. By bridging the gap between education and employment and providing access to technology Ottawa is definitely an intelligent city and Canada’s creative economy capital!

More grandstanding to come….

When someone asks you what Ottawa is like, what’s your answer?

kcunningham — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 21:38:46 +0000

As you may know, OCRI is very much involved with the development of the Innovation Strategy for Ottawa. For the past several months, the Innovation Strategy working group which represents Ottawa’s diverse knowledge-based community including education, research, government and industry has been working together to collect input and feedback from all sectors in the community. Now, after completing initial consultations, the group is ready to provide their assessment.

Tomorrow, Claude Haw, President and CEO of OCRI, will speak about Ottawa’s Innovation Strategy in greater detail at the Mayor’s Breakfast at Ottawa City Hall. Facts are… Ottawa has changed, we’ve got good news, positive momentum and diversity on our side which positions the city well for success in the new creative economy.

Over the next three months, the plan will be rolled out including objectives, targets and action items. Essentially, the Innovation Strategy will provide a road map to ensure that Ottawa’s creative class continues to build wealth and successful new companies.

Key action items of the innovation strategy will address talent, cluster and ecosystem development, investment attraction and marketing the entire region to the world.

Check out Claude Haw’s article which appeared in this week’s Ottawa Business Journal. He clearly outlines why and how well Ottawa is on track to becoming a leader in the creative economy. Just like the article says – Ottawa has changed – and the new reality here includes new companies, new sectors, new success stories, renewed growth, revitalized energy and enormous potential.

So the next time someone asks you, “What’s Ottawa like?”, what will you say? Tell them the real story – that Ottawa is Canada’s creative economy capital.

UPDATE: Claude Haw’s presentation is now available online http://www.ocri.ca/about/publications.asp

Brutal Optimism in the face of Harsh Reality…lessons from a bigshot at TEB this morning

kcunningham — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:33:56 +0000

Bernie Ashe was so proud as he introduced his little brother, Rob, to the Technology Executive Breakfast (TEB) crowd this morning. Introductions can so often be bland and a direct steal from the speaker’s bio but Bernie’s humour, personal stories and insight provided the audience with much deeper appreciation for Rob the person, and what’s driven him to such success as a globally respected business leader.

Not long ago, we all gasped as Cognos was seemingly gobbled up by IBM. One of our biggest and best success stories was no longer “ours.” Rob, who is fiercely loyal, with over 25 years at Cognos walked us through the highs and lows teaching us some important lessons that can enable all of us to be ready and able to adapt to change – regardless of what it is. Undoubtedly, shift happens and there’s nothing we can do about it other than be on the upside of the transition. How? 1) strategically be prepared to run as a stand alone 2) talk to everyone! be connected and know who to call when you need information or advice 3) make sure your board is aware and informed 4) have up to date projections and 5) continuous strategic planning is mandatory. Being prepared is the key – a great example of this was the way that Cognos ran simulated takeovers which allowed them to practice reacting, responding and managing all kinds of acquisition scenarios. By including the board, management, bankers, lawyers in the dry runs, they were able to develop a very high level of readiness. It was an invaluable tool for the company and meant that when Rob received the call from IBM, he knew it was not a CEO’s decision but a board responsibility and the process began, as planned!

IBM’s commitment to building a Smarter Planet in which new intelligence is one of the key pillars, drives a global commitment to improving how the world collects, analyzes and use information. Cognos is a “pearl” in the IBM necklace which includes some of the best people, technologies and services in the world and the Ottawa team is seen as the centre of IBM’s Analytics expertise.

Takeaways from today:

innovation will pay off
you need to follow the shifts
be prepared
there are huge opportunities if you follow the right areas including: analytics, social networks, cloud, and mobile with its world changing applications.

You know it was a good event when after the closing remarks and applause, nobody wants to leave.

Looking forward to Peter Allen of DragonWave who kicks of 2010 on January 28!

Donald Trump event next week – agenda now available!

Terry D'Angelo — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:17:07 +0000

Here is the speaking order for the Eastern Ontario Economic Showcase featuring Brett Wilson of CBC’s Dragons Den and Donald Trump. This will take place next week on Thursday September 24, 2009 at the Ottawa Civic Centre http://www.ocri.ca/showcase/assets_2009/agenda.pdf – it starts at 12:30 pm and ends at 5:00 pm.

Tickets are still available through Ticket Master http://www.ticketmaster.ca/event/100042658B706626

In addition to the Presentations, there is a tradeshow that is open to the public at no charge from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm happening in the Civic Centre Salons – check out the list of companies that will be at the tradeshow http://www.ocri.ca/showcase/exhibitors.asp

Hope to see you there. Read More

Brett Wilson of Dragons’ Den added to Eastern Ontario Economic Showcase

Terry D'Angelo — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:56:55 +0000

Eastern Ontario Economic Showcase has added Brett Wilson of CBC’s Dragons’ Den to the already great lineup….. check out the updated speaker lineup…… Going to be amazing…. http://easternontarioshowcase.com/