Ottawa Fact Sheet - Q2 2011

Once again, the OGM team is starting the year running. With the year barely started, OCRI welcomed a mission from the Z-Park in Beijing. We are not used to receiving incoming missions in January (that true four season climate of ours) but we had negotiated strengthening our relationship and the Z-park team was in Ottawa to sign that agreement. We also used the opportunity to introduce our Beijing partners to our newly elected Mayor, Jim Watson. It kicked off a quarter that saw five incoming delegations from China and two well attended seminars and roundtables.

January also saw the winter meeting of C-11 (the grouping of 11 of the largest Canadian economic development agencies) in Ottawa. The usual meetings with Federal agencies were held but the highlight was the launch of considercanada.com. This website was developed to showcase the investment potential of the 11 regions and to ensure that we send a coordinated message, closely integrated to that of Invest in Canada, to the world. The attraction of foreign investment is very competitive. Canada has a great message, and the eleven members realize that our efforts can only be effective with a strong common message in tune with the Federal government.

Q1, and February in particular, saw a concentration on Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) and more specifically on helping the four companies that purchased the bulk of the Nortel assets - Ericsson, Ciena, Avaya and Genband. The main Nortel campus in Ottawa, on which all four companies are located, was purchased by the Federal government for the purpose of consolidating various National Defence locations around the city. Great for National Defence, but the four companies now had to find other locations in Ottawa. OCRI helped establish a task force of staff and government officials to facilitate and expedite the moves wherever possible. The companies are not being put out on the street tomorrow, but the move of four large companies and nearly three thousand employees is no small challenge.

March saw the formalization of a new Life Science cluster in the region. OCRI had commissioned a study to look at the future direction of the Life Science sector in the city. The principal finding of the study was that Ottawa had all the ingredients for success but was struggling to find the recipe. Strong industry leadership was necessary. Steve West, the CEO of Nordion and Sean Tomalty, the Plant Director of the Abbott Point of Care facility in Ottawa, agreed to be co-chairs of the new cluster. Six other stakeholders in the community were recruited to round out the executive and the new executive was introduced March 31st at the Quarterly Ottawa Life Sciences Executive Networking Forum.

Michael Darch
Executive Director

Unemployment Rates June 2010 - June 2011
(StatsCan) Monthly, Seasonally Adjusted

Overall Employment in Ottawa-Gatineau (StatsCan)

New home starts and Number of units sold in Ottawa June 2010 - June 2011
(Ottawa Real Estate Board)
All figures quoted in $ Cdn

Overall New Home Starts in Ottawa (CMHC)

Average Sale Price (Ottawa Real Estate Board)

1999: $274M
2000: $1.3B
2001: $921M
2002: $734M
2003: $241.71M
2004: $189.58M
2005: $359.40M
2006: $266.10M
2007: $184.45M
2008: $130.21M
2009: $33.46M
2010: $13.95M
2011: $23.0M

Click here for a detailed list of 2011 funding in the NCR

New investment attraction agency part of city economic development strategy Ottawa Business Journal (30/06/11)
A new OCRI-led initiative to attract fresh investment to Ottawa is among the highlights detailed in a new report on the city’s economic development plan, released Thursday

Huawei targets research with $1.4M Telus, Carleton partnership Ottawa Business Journal (14/06/11)
Huawei Technologies is hoping to get more time in the lab, as well as possible future employees, through a $1.4-million partnership with Telus Corp. and Carleton University announced Tuesday. 

TaraSpan, Wesley Clover Indian branch disclose record annual growth Ottawa Business Journal (11/05/11)
Ottawa's TaraSpan, together with parent company Wesley Clover Communication Solutions's branch in India, announced a record 147 per cent year-over-year revenue growth in the fiscal year ending March 31. 

Seprotech garners $14M DND contract Ottawa Business Journal (24/06/11)
After a tumultuous first half of the year, Ottawa clean-tech firm Seprotech Systems Inc. has received a massive order from the Canadian military

Teldio signs Down Under pact for two-way radio Ottawa Business Journal (24/06/11)
A small Ottawa company that provides applications for digital two-way radios has signed a distribution agreement for Australia and New Zealand.

BTI, DragonWave forge reseller partnership Ottawa Business Journal (24/06/11)
In the near future, BTI Systems expects to derive a significant part of its revenue from a reseller partnership with DragonWave Inc. (TSX:DWI), announced Monday.

Bridgewater to be acquired for $211M Ottawa Business Journal (17/06/11)
Broadband control system supplier Bridgewater Systems (TSX:BWC) said Friday it has reached a friendly takeover agreement with Amdocs Ltd. (NYSE:DOX) worth $211 million.\

Thermal Energy gets largest order in its history Ottawa Business Journal (16/06/11)
Thermal Energy International Inc, (TSXV:TMG) has a contract to supply a heat recovery solution for Fibrek Inc.'s pulp mill in St-Felicien, Que.

Zarlink, Medtronic ink long-term supply deal for radio chips Ottawa Business Journal (15/06/11)
Zarlink Semiconductor (TSX:ZL) has signed a long-term deal for its ultra low-power radio chips to be supplied to Minneapolis-based medical technology maker Medtronic Inc., with Zarlink agreeing to make certain products exclusively for Medtronic.

Honeywell offers US$491M for EMS Ottawa Business Journal (14/06/11)
After months of speculation about its future, EMS Technologies (NASDAQ:ELMG) is poised to be acquired by one of its major customers.

Huawei targets research with $1.4M Telus, Carleton partnership Ottawa Business Journal (14/06/11)
Huawei Technologies is hoping to get more time in the lab, as well as possible future employees, through a $1.4-million partnership with Telus Corp. and Carleton University announced Tuesday.

WiLAN, Poynt partner up Ottawa Business Journal (10/06/11)
Shares of Ottawa's Wi-LAN Inc. (TSX:WIN) remained flat early Friday morning after the company announced it would help Poynt with patent licensing.

Nordion signs US$75M credit facility with TD Ottawa Business Journal (7/06/11)
Nordion Inc, (TSX:NDN) has secured a US$75-million credit facility, as the health sciences company prepares to release its second-quarter earnings.

March system gets standardized in American bank Ottawa Business Journal (25/05/11)
Associated Banc-Corp has chosen to standardize its financial security system using March Networks (TSX:MN) technology.

Thermo Fisher acquires firm for US$3.5B Ottawa Business Journal (24/05/11)
Massachusetts-based Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO), which has approximately 300 employees in Ottawa, will take over allergy and autoimmunity diagnostic firm Phadia for US$3.5 billion.

OneChip gains US$18M in financing, targets first product Ottawa Business Journal (19/05/11)
After five years developing its first optical product, OneChip Photonics Corp. says a recently announced US$18 million in financing will give it the last push it needs to finish the development.