Behind Downtown Markham
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2 016 Spring Issue MARKHAM’S EXCLUSIVE BUSINESS MAGAZINE MEET THE MAN BEHIND DOWNTOWN MARKHAM PLUS Tech Gadgets to Pair with your Smart Devices How a Markham Spa What’s Hot in Puts Quality First Employment Law: Accommodation Tee Up for Golf! Find a and Safety Course That’s Right for You IN THIS ISSUE 2016_LaDifference_06_outl.indd 1 1/22/2016 10:32:40 AM Docket No . File Name 074 2016_LaDifference_06 PUBLICAT ION:____________________________________________________________________The Voice Artwork supplied by CLOSING: Rolex Canada Ltd.- Advertising Department INSERTION DATE:_____________________________________Spring 2016 Contact: Ana Catucci, Director STARTED: Jan 22/16 Email: [email protected] AD SIZE: Full Page COMPLETED: Jan 22/16 TRIM: 8.5”W x 11”D INK-JET PRINTOUT IS NOT A BLEED: THIS ADVERTISEMENT MUST BE USED ONLY n/a COLOUR-ACCURATE PROOF COLOUR: CMYK AND MAY HAVE BEEN FOR SPECIFIC PUBLICATION AND DATE, Rolex Canada Ltd., 50 St. Clair Ave West, To ronto, ON M4V 3B7, T: 416.968.1100 - F: 416.968.2315 REDUCED TO FIT PAPER. AND MUST NOT BE MODIFIED. INPublisher THIS ISSUE Richard Cunningham COVER STORY President & CEO Editor Meghan Behse Colborne Communications 6 10 Creative Director Katherine Pomykacz Marketing & Events Coordinator Your comments are always welcome. Please email [email protected] Advertising information Christine Rogers Advertising & Marketing Consultant 905-474-0730 ext. 3019 Cover and Cover Story Design: CS-Graphic Design Inc. Design: Lisa Mervin, L.J. Sales Meet the Man Behind What’s Hot in Employment Law: Cover and Cover Story Photography: Downtown Markham Accommodation and Safety Dave Starrett Printing: CanMark Communications Circulation – 12,000 15 17 © February 2016. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or copied in parts, or as a whole, without prior written permission of the Markham Board of Trade Publication Agreement Number 41245573 How a Markham Spa Tee Up for Golf! Find a Course Puts Quality First That’s Right for You FINANCE RCA: An Over-Looked Retirement Markham’s exclusive business Solution for Business Owners 19 magazine published by: YPN Professionals, Entrepreneurs and BUSINESS BOOKS Community Volunteers Unite 4 Thinking Ahead for Your Business 20 MARKETING 2015 BUSINESS EXCELLENCE Is Facebook the Platform for You? 13 www.markhamboard.com AWARD RECIPIENT PROFILES Minken Employment Lawyers 22 TECHNOLOGY Markham Convergence Centre Tech Gadgets to Pair with Toshiba of Canada Ltd. 23 7271 Warden Avenue Your Smart Devices 9 Markham, ON L3R 5X5 SALUTE TO SMALL BUSINESS 24 T: 905-474-0730 • F: 905-474-0685 Is Cloud the Right Choice for [email protected] Your Business? 18 WELCOME OUR NEWEST MEMBERS 26 3 The VOICE Spring 2016 Professionals, Entrepreneurs and Community Volunteers Unite an interesting makerspace. Other recent Primarily, YPN finds its attendees fall into experience,” events have included rock three categories: young entrepreneurs – the comments YPN climbing and simulated people who are starting or own their own “It’s member James golf and been hosted by businesses; young professionals – the people Bortolus. “You kind of just have to Seneca College or at local who work at a company, large or small, and be here.” James is referring to the restaurants like Jakes on love what they do; and young community buzzing room of 20- to 30-year- Main and Kelsey’s. volunteers – the people who are extremely olds busy chatting and laughing “The biggest thing we involved in the Markham community. “And at a networking evening out at strive for is to get different when we bring them all together … well, you the new Milestones in Markham. kinds of professionals see what happens!” says James. “Honestly, these get bigger every out here,” YPN Chair Bill Hutton also mentions that for young time. Soon we’ll need a whole Bill Hutton explains. professionals, these events aren’t just about bar,” James laughs. networking and having fun. They’re also YPN stands for the Young opportunities to discuss with your own peers Professionals Network, a the advantages as well as the difficulties of Markham Board of Trade group that offers starting off in the business world. “Let’s say networking events to members under forty. someone is encountering a challenge at work James explains that while they only meet once and they want a place to share experiences: a quarter, people mingle like they’ve known This is the place to do that.” each other for ages. Costs to attend YPN events are based This particular event brought in a guest on venue. YPN is easiest to reach through speaker, Peter Lau, who spent 15 minutes Facebook (facebook.com/MBTYPN ), or if showing off 3D printed creations and you’d like to join their email list, just send chatting about the challenges of building a them an email at [email protected]. Nominate a Coworker, Employer, or Friend for This Year’s ASPIRE Awards PN’s third annual ASPIRE Awards celebration will take place later this year, where three young professionals will be honoured. YPN needs your nomination from Markham’s business community. The group is interested in individuals under forty who are achieving great things Y professionally and are involved in the community. This person can be a recent graduate, an entrepreneur, a small business employee, or someone thriving in a corporate environment. The goal of the ASPIRE Awards is to recognize young professionals excelling in the community, but also to inspire the next generation of business leaders. If you’re an employer or community member who knows of a great ASPIRE Awards candidate, email your nomination to Calvin at [email protected]. 4 The VOICE Spring 2016 5 The VOICE Spring 2016 MEET THE MAN BEHIND DOWNTOWN By Sarah Sweet MARKHAM Photography: Dave Starrett ust a few weekends ago, Rudy Bratty found himself turned away from a “ If I had to attribute our success to one thing, J condo presentation centre. The place it would probably be buying land the right way, was packed. “I’m sorry, sir, there’s no spot to park,” an apologetic attendant explained. at the right time. You make more money in land, But Bratty wasn’t the least bit frustrated. “I can’t tell you how happy you make me feel in my opinion, than in any other place in real to say that,” he said, before driving off again. There’s a good reason that Bratty was estate, if you buy it right and develop it right.” delighted rather than miffed: the condo presentation centre was showcasing residential options in Downtown Markham, It’s not surprising that Downtown townhouses, 3.4 million square feet of office a project being developed by the Remington Markham is inspiring a whole lot of interest. space—insurance provider Aviva is one of Group, of which Bratty is chairman and The $4 billion, 243-acre project near Warden the companies that has already signed on— CEO. He couldn’t get in because so many Avenue and Highway 407 is the most and a new campus for York University. other people were thinking of buying ambitious mixed-use development in Those who live and work there will in. “There’s been a fantastic response so Canada. Scheduled for completion in 2025, have access to a wide range of amenities far,” he tells me during a recent telephone it will boast 2 million square feet of retail and features: transit, art installations, conversation. “They sold quite a few just and dining space, between 7,000 and 8,000 restaurants, a hotel, a movie theatre, and that weekend.” residential units in condo towers and green spaces galore. And they won’t have to sacrifice conscience for convenience— Downtown Markham will end up being the largest group of LEED-certified buildings York Condos, upcoming Downtown Markham project. on the continent, which means it’s green- minded and sustainably designed. Downtown Markham is just the latest chapter in Bratty’s involvement with the city. In the 1970s, when most development was occurring in places such as North York, Scarborough, and Etobicoke, Bratty saw the potential in local land. “We had the foresight to see what could happen in an area that you needed time to develop,” Bratty explains. And just as he’d thought, when the York- Durham sewer began servicing his land parcels, their value increased considerably. He acquired additional land in Markham and in other growing municipalities, including Mississauga and Vaughan (where Remington is headquartered)—and his company grew as well. “If I had to attribute our success to one thing, it would probably 6 The VOICE Spring 20162016 “ I WAS REALLY IN MY HEART OF HEARTS A BUSINESSMAN, A DEVELOPER, A BUILDER.” Rudy Bratty, chairman and CEO of Remington Group 7 TheThe VOICEVOICE SpringSpring 20162016 Downtown Markham master plan be buying land the right way, at the right admits. But his father had other ideas: in parts of the United States, which saw time. You make more money in land, in having received little formal education suburban developments engineered to my opinion, than in any other place in real himself, he was determined that his son go function like urban downtowns thanks to estate, if you buy it right and develop it to university. “I got a B.A. as quickly as I a combination of commercial, residential, right.” It’s no stretch to call the man a could,” Bratty says. He then returned to his and cultural spaces and an emphasis real-estate mogul. father and announced, “All right, now I got on walkability. Remington also became At the end of the 1980s, with land a B.A. You’re gonna be happy, because I’m fired up by the vision, and Bratty now prices climbing, the company turned its educated.