The measure of a company’s success is directly reflected in the dedication and passion exhibited by their employees. PBA Land & Development is pleased to announce that we are celebrating the 5 year anniversary of our Controller, Maggie Liu. Maggie’s dedication to PBA and her knowledge of “all things finance” are part of the backbone that makes PBA the company that we are! Her passion is what makes her a remarkable individual and we are thankful she brings that with her every day to her work.

Originally from Liuyang China, Maggie settled in Regina in 2009 where she completed her education at the University of Regina obtaining her Bachelor of Business Administration Degree. Maggie also has her CPA and CMA professional designations. In 2014, wishing to live in a warmer climate, Maggie arrived in Calgary. In January 2015, Maggie joined the PBA team bringing with her many years of experience in the financial workings of real estate companies.

Not one to settle with a single career, Maggie and her husband founded Leaf Environmental Products, a company which is leading the way in providing Canadians with truly compostable pet waste bags, liners, cutlery, plates and a variety of other products.

All work and no play isn’t Maggie’s style! A lover of music and dance, Maggie has been known to board a plane to see a concert and she is currently taking Jazz dance lessons. She also sits on the Board of Theatre Grand as their Treasurer.

Adventure and travelling to places close to home like hiking and camping in the Rockies are something Maggie and her husband enjoy along with venturing to places a little farther on the map –  like Japan and China.

In January, we are celebrating Maggie reaching this milestone with us. From all of us at PBA: thank you for everything that you do. We look forward to many more years working together!

Every year the Tuesday following Black Friday is Giving Tuesday. It’s a day to think about our connection to each other, and the importance of giving in this season of joy. Over the past month leading up to Giving Tuesday, we have been supporting the efforts of our tenant, Kids Cancer Care, who is raising funds to support children’s cancer research.

Childhood cancer takes a tremendous toll on the lives of children and their families.  Kids Cancer Care is there to help with customized physical activity programs, tutoring, home-cooked meals for newly diagnosed families, and an amazing camp specially designed for kids with cancer. Kids Cancer Care also provides critical funding to childhood cancer research, which offers hope for less-toxic treatments, and hopefully one day, a cure.

With only 5% of all cancer research funding in Canada currently going to childhood cancer research, donations made to Kids Cancer Care’s Giving Tuesday campaign will help ensure more funding goes to children.

PBA is helping to match donations up to $40,000 until December 3^rd. Your gift will be doubled when you make a donation here.

To all those who have donated, we thank you for your kind gift!

At PBA, we believe that kids with caring, supportive relationships can overcome just about any challenge. We also believe that mentoring has the power to create a brighter future for children, families, and our entire community. It’s because we believe so strongly in these things that we have joined All-Star partners Qualico and Gary Nissen, to match donations made to Big Brothers Big Sisters through the All-Stars For Kids campaign. Together we will match up to $160,000 to raise a total of $320,000 during the month of August.

An impressive line-up of local sports stars, athletes, and Olympians have come on board to support this year’s campaign, including:

• Cheryl Bernard, Olympic medalist in curling
• Stamps QB Bo Levi Mitchell
• Sean Monahan from the Calgary Flames
• Two-time Olympic gold medal curler John Morris
• Olympic Wrestler Jasmine Mian
• Stamps President & General Manager John Hufnagel
• Cavalry FC players Nathan Mavila and Elija Adekugbe
• Rebecca Johnston, three-time Olympic medalist in hockey

These All-Stars, along with the other champions are helping to build awareness for the importance and impact of mentoring.

The Importance of Mentoring

Inherent in every child is incredible potential, and we all have a role to play in ensuring young people in our community have the support they need to realize that potential. Children who have the support of caring, supportive mentors do better in school, go on to successful careers, give back to their community, and live happier, healthier lives.

Why Support All-Stars For Kids

The funds raised from the All-stars For Kids campaign will empower life-changing mentoring relationships for children and youth in our community who are dealing with challenges that no one should have to face alone.

When you support mentoring you are not just investing in the future of a child, you are making an investment in the future of our entire community. It’s an investment that pays big dividends – for every dollar spent on mentoring, up to $23 is returned to our community.

Last year, All-Stars For Kids raised over $317,000 to create brighter futures for children and youth facing adversity. PBA joined our tenant, Big Brothers Big Sisters, to support their campaign because we believe in the power of mentoring and we want to ensure we raise even more money this year to help.

Make a donation and we match it dollar for dollar.

To make a donation online, visit allstarsforkids.ca/pbadonate

Together we can make an even ‘BIG’ger impact and build a future where children and youth in our community are resilient and thriving.

Planet Coffee Roasters holds a space in our Phillips Mall property going on 10 years and is soon to be expanding into the adjacent suite. It’s easy to say that we are proud to have them. 

Not because they are a reputable company with a perfect 5 star rating on Google, or because they are the company who supplies our corporate office with warm pick-me-ups on the daily, or because they are one of only a few companies in Calgary who is actually negatively carbon emitting, but because of ALL of those things and more. The list, truly, goes on. 

Planet Coffee are also a really great group of people. Their personal integrity shines through in the relationships they build with all of their hundreds of clients. They are innovative in the way they work by always looking for ways to improve the experience for the client. One of these ways is their amazing recycling program. Planet recycles 2800 pounds of coffee. 

Many corporate beverage supply companies offer recycling programs but only Planet partnered with another local company to create a new way to recycle every piece of the coffee and tea pods from the foil to the plastic, to composting the remaining coffee grinds and tea leaves. They are working on a program currently to make Keurig K-Cup pods fully recyclable in Calgary by the end of 2018. 

By choosing to fill your coffee cupboard at work with Planet Coffee, you are supporting the environment and sustainability. With Planet you can buy Ethical, Organic, Fair Trade coffee, supported by the Rainforest Alliance. How many local coffee companies can say that? 

They also maintain and service all the machines that their clients use and recommend the most efficient machines and products for the clients. 

It’s not surprising that the company is run so well. Planet Coffee Roasters is built on such a strong foundation. They have 23 years under their belt for Coffee Brewing Services alone. In 2007 Planet transitioned to Office Coffee Services and is going strong over 10 years. To date, they service Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer. It’s a success story worth sharing! 

Also a story worth telling: One of PBA’s own went on her first date with her husband 15 years ago at the historical Planet Coffee Shop location in the Mission area of downtown Calgary. They’ve been married 10 years and talk about that first date all the time! 

As a tenant, you are part of our PBA family. Your success is our success and we love to celebrate you!

Black Apron Cuisine, a gem of a spot in our Phillips Park property was once again featured in John Gilchrist’s column of the Calgary Herald. Click the link below to read more.

Gilchrist: These obscure Calgary restaurants are worth tracking down

Congrats guys!

It was a genuine pleasure to meet Maureen Tynan. She has a warm smile and kind eyes – traits she shares with her late father Bill who handed the family business down to Maureen. She is friendly from the start as she jumps in to tell me about her family’s legacy. It’s impossible not to feel the pride beaming from her as she points out her father and grandfather in photos lovingly hung on the walls of her showroom.

Tynan & Company (formerly John Tynan & Co), manufactures gorgeous and timeless residential and commercial furniture. The iconic antique pieces you’d see in historical places like The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel or even more likely, your grandparents’ house.

Kant-Sag™ (trademarked and patented by the Tynan family) boasts class and comfort that will last generations with their signature coil & web construction – values that are becoming appreciated by the younger generation.

While in the showroom and warehouse, Maureen (Aka Moe) shows me a beautiful chair undoubtedly manufactured by a chain that a customer has brought in for repair. It’s cracked and broken and clad in vinyl and you can practically see Moe’s concern for this seemingly beautiful, yet poorly constructed piece. The Tynan family with their Kant-Sag™ construction is unmatched in the industry. Quality construction is their guarantee.

Moe walks us through the front of the showroom to the warehouse area in the back which is full of furniture in need of repair or reupholstering. Shelves stacked with foam, long rulers, markers etc., ready to refurbish a customer’s wingback chair. There are boxes of old picture frames, some with antique images of Calgary back when the Tynan Factory was in the bustling inner-city area of 11 Avenue SW. The back room is literally filled above our heads with projects and when I ask when she expects to have all of these projects done she sighs and says “Well, should be all done by Christmas!” Of course, in my mind, it would take years to restore all of these pieces of someone’s home, but Moe and her team are extremely efficient. It’s trimmed down from the staff that once filled the factory to now a smaller, but very efficient team.

Tynan & Company have been tenants of PBA for more than 35 years and it’s safe to say that they are the thread that holds Phillips Park together. Although Moe and her family have been serving Western Canada with fine furnishings since 1929, there are currently no family members to take her place when she plans to retire.

Until then, Tynan & Company will remain a pillar of PBA Land & Development.

Andrew Boblin sees dirt differently.

Growing up on a farm in Sangudo, AB, putting in hard labour during the fall harvest, riding semi-professional motocross (5 bikes met their maker during that time) and now with PBA Land & Development as our Senior VP Real Estate & Development.

There have been many more stops on his road between the farm and the office but no matter the position Andrew could always see the big picture. Not fussing too much about the details (unless it’s on his attire – check out that spiffy pocket square) but putting real deep thought into where the organization was going. Even with motocross, a beloved pastime, he had the forethought to see that it was in his best interest to keep his bones intact and in his words “time to grow up” and go to school. Wise for a 20-year-old!

Sure, I could tell you about his experiences in architecture (architectural technologist *honours* via NAIT, drawing & designing with his own firm Matrix Design, curating massive projects like Calgary Co-Ops) or his expertise in construction and development (handling billion dollar pension funds through GWL Realty or Tonko Realty Advisors, now known as Triovest). Sure I could talk about his LEED Certification but it’s more important to showcase what Andrew is doing for PBA.

It’s a given that Andrew’s experience & expertise is essential to PBA. Andrew is the visionary behind all of the most exciting projects here. He’s the brains behind our latest project – Calgary’s ONLY 4+ star Marriot Autograph, Along with an urbanized Courtyard in the heart of downtown. This project, albeit fantastic to be partnering on, will not only propel PBA to the top of mind for development companies in town but it will undoubtedly boost Calgary’s status as a destination location for high-end conferences and professional events. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a brilliant addition to the team but his quick wit and fancy socks have made him a valued part of the PBA family.

On Wednesday, March 8, there is one important question to ask yourself: Will you #beboldforchange? That is the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day and it is one that we can all get charged up about – women, men, young and old – as we work toward a more inclusive, gender-equal world.

The goal of International Women’s Day is simple: a better world for women and therefore, a better world for us all. The World Economic Forum predicts that it will take close to 170 years to achieve gender parity – that means it will be 2186 before the gender gap is closed. That is why now is the time to make a difference, to be bold and drive change for women.

You might ask yourself, what can I do here at PBA Land in Calgary, Alberta? In fact, we can all be leaders for change. Here is what International Women’s Day organizers suggest:

• celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women because visibility and awareness help drive positive change for women
• declare bold actions you’ll take as an individual or organization to help progress the gender agenda because purposeful action can accelerate gender parity across the world

As a trailblazer in traditionally male-dominated industries, CEO Patricia Phillips gets why #beboldforchange matters. In fact, at PBA, gender equality is important throughout the entire organization, from corner offices to out in the field. Challenge negative gender stereotypes where you see them; mentor a young female employee and encourage her to reach her potential; form support networks for each other.

Be engaged. Be fired up. And on March 8, and every day, #beboldforchange, to make a difference for gender equality, at home and around the world.

At PBA Land, we believe that building a better future for our company means believing in our employees. To have the opportunity to see that, in turn, foster loyalty and dedication is an inspiration for our whole team.

Recently, we had the chance to honour two of our employees – Dennis Braunwarth and Janice Lynch – for 10 years of service. It is important to us to mark this milestone and show our gratitude, because indeed, hard work and dedication is what helps set PBA apart.

Every day, Dennis comes to work with a smile on his face. Janice has an eagle-eyed attention to detail that makes her work truly shine.

Dennis came to the company after initially managing the operations of some of PBA’s properties through CB Richard Ellis. A testament to Dennis’ good-natured approach, the tenants in those buildings were always happy – and soon, he was hired directly to manage the operations of PBA’s entire portfolio. His wife Joyce once told President and CEO Patricia Phillips he came home singing after his first day with PBA! Dennis is a dedicated ball player, a dog-lover and a big fan of a particular lunch: Dr. Pepper and hot dogs. He is also a tool fanatic, attached to the many items in his workshop.

Janice joined PBA from Robert Half as our property accountant. Her attention to detail at work is legendary to the point that it has even distracted her from details at home. She once discovered only a day before a trip to Cincinnati that her passport had expired – a rare occasion for such an organized person. She also has a great love for the outdoors and will often spend weekends hiking with her husband Steve. Singing is another love and Janice has been a choir member for years. Always quick to step up to any task required, she once organized an office choir within minutes to sing Jingle Bells at PBA’s Christmas party.

Committing to a certain team of people signals a belief in an ideal – to the company, the services it provides and to the job you are doing to help reach shared goals. PBA believes in a culture of respect and collaboration to inspire our team to fulfill their career dreams. We are delighted that Dennis and Janice have been able to share in those ideals and we salute their many contributions to the PBA family during their 10 years here.

PBA Land has always understood the importance of community involvement and of providing support to our youth. In the not too distant future, some of these youth will assume the roles of leaders in our community.  Having an impact on these young lives can change the direction of our society’s future.

One organization we have supported for many years is Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area (BBBS). As a PBA Land tenant since 2005, we believe it’s important to support this worthwhile organization. BBBS is a long-standing not-for-profit which changes the lives of young people and volunteers through the power of mentoring, helping young people reach their full potential. By partnering and working with our tenants, together we can build a lasting legacy that will have far-reaching impact.

Another long-time commitment of ours has been to support Business Fore Calgary Kids (BFCK). PBA Land CEO Patricia Phillips is one of the original founding members of BFCK, a foundation created to raise money for non-profit organizations supporting local kids in need through an annual charity golf tournament. By leveraging its success and strong relationships, PBA hopes to make a lasting difference in the lives of these children and contribute to stronger communities.

The PBA team is heavily involved in the organization of the annual BFCK golf tournament.  The 11^th Annual Tournament was held on June 6, 2016; over $2.3 million has been raised over the years with all funds directly supporting the Foundation’s charities:

• Even Start for Children Foundation
• Between Friends
• Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter
• YMCA Strong Kids Campaign
• Hull Services

At PBA Land, we believe in potential. We also believe in building impactful legacies and strong communities. Positively influencing a child’s life can mean all the difference to his or her future, and to our community.

With a state of emergency being declared in the Fort McMurray area, it is crucial to show our support for the people whose lives have been devastated by the loss of their homes and their businesses, those who are volunteering their time and resources and the emergency responders putting their lives at risk. The team at PBA Land has made a donation to the Canadian Red Cross to help with their efforts. The federal government has committed to matching each dollar donated to the Red Cross.

 Please join us in our efforts to support the Red Cross in anyway you are able to–the cost of this wildfire to the Province of Alberta and its residents is already in the billions of dollars. Donations can be made at Alberta Fire Appeals

 For other ways to provide your support to Fort McMurray evacuees, CBC Calgary has published a list of websites and organizations can be found here: CBC Calgary – how to help Fort McMurray

The PBA Land team