Page 4 – First Capital

In our Tenant Spotlight series, we’re featuring the tenants that help shape our neighbourhoods and urban communities. Today’s spotlight is on a baking power couple from Edmonton who started their fresh doughnut business at a local farmer’s market and turned it into a destination spot for city dwellers and country folk alike. Meet the amazing owners of Edmonton Brewery District’s Doughnut Party, Matthew Conrad and Simon Underwood who are dominating the city’s pastry industry and revolutionizing the doughnut with their unique combinations.

Matthew at work in his Edmonton Brewery District flagship, packing a doughnut box and parking the delivery truck!

Growing a small business is never easy, especially when leaving behind a career and a sense of job security. Ten years ago, Matthew found himself with a choice – to stay employed as a schoolteacher or take the risk and invest 100% of his time in his doughnut business. Though he was between teaching positions at the time, the uncertainty and risk of starting a small business was a leap out of his comfort zone.

Growing up, Matthew’s family loved to cook and bake, making him very comfortable and confident in the kitchen. Being in this environment, he was always surrounded by food, especially fresh dough. After honing his craft in his home kitchen between teaching positions, he began baking for friends and family; doughnuts proving to be the clear fan favourite. It was one of those friends that offered him a spot at their local farmer’s market to sell his already highly sought-after doughnuts. Upon opening Doughnut Party at the farmer’s market, the business grew exponentially, happily surprising both he and his partner Simon. They soon realized the major gap in the market as freshly baked doughnut shops were all but non-existent in Edmonton – aside from the local Tim Horton’s.

Matthew describes Edmonton as “a big city with a small-town mentality… when something happens here, everyone knows about it, and everyone is loyal”.

To keep pace with the growth, Simon began investing 100% of his time into the business. Working together, their differing idealistic versus realistic minds made the perfect match.

We’re partners in business, and partners in life
– Matthew

With their continued success at the farmer’s market, the pair knew the next big step was a retail store. However, they first needed to perfect their recipe. Both attended various doughnut universities in New York, Kansas, and California. After comparing lessons learned from the top doughnut institutions in America, they created their ultimate recipe. The same recipe is used today and includes two secret ingredients that are still in the mix today!

In January 2017, the pair opened their first brick-and-mortar store, signing a short-term lease not far from Edmonton’s downtown core. The location wasn’t ideal as it was on a back street with minimal vehicle and foot traffic and limited parking. Despite its downfalls, Matthew and Simon thrived on social media, which drew crowds of hungry customers on opening day. From day one, their customers instantly fell in love with their vast selection of elaborate and unique flavours. After a few successful years, their lease was nearing its end. They had quickly outgrown the space and began looking for something more walkable, popular, and accessible.

Enter the Edmonton Brewery District, First Capital’s mixed use shopping centre on 104 Avenue NW, which checked all their boxes. Simon and Matthew loved its historic architecture, proximity to their home and previous location, the wide variety of quality small businesses, the abundance of parking (above and below ground), and overall neighbourhood synergy. Above all else was its central location in Edmonton, as they needed a flagship kitchen that could serve their current baking needs and service future satellite locations. This strategic kitchen placement would ultimately save on the overhead costs of individual kitchens at their smaller locations. It was clear that Edmonton Brewery District was the perfect fit!

Nearing the end of construction and grand opening preparations coming together, the global COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the pair were forced with a harsh reality – the success of Doughnut Party was at risk. To make matters worse, their first satellite location in Edmonton’s Ritchie neighbourhood had opened just six weeks before the onset of the pandemic, and province-wide lockdowns forced them to close. A few months later, case counts began to drop and they were able to officially open their first headquarters/flagship store in the Edmonton Brewery District in June 2020. Matthew and Simon were immediately overwhelmed by the success of the opening despite the pandemic!

Doughnut Party’s flagship location at the Edmonton Brewery District

Throughout the pandemic, the pair has found it particularly difficult to navigate through all the uncertainty. Since opening, they’ve adapted and survived the waves of lockdowns and physical distancing measures by creating the Doughnut Party contactless delivery service. Their goal was to make their beloved customers feel completely safe, while still being able to enjoy their one-of-a-kind doughnuts in the comfort of their own homes.

We called it the ‘Doughnut Party pivot’
– Matthew

This month (June 2021), Matthew and Simon are celebrating their one-year anniversary at the Edmonton Brewery District. Despite opening during the pandemic, they’ve seen tremendous success and couldn’t be happier to call Brewery their new home and headquarters. The synergy they felt upon their initial visit of the property has only grown since their time here. Loving the Brewery District’s environment, they’ve befriended several of their neighbouring tenants, including Takiwa Ramen. Not only are they pleased with their new flagship store, but they would recommend it to any small business looking to grow their brick-and-mortar presence.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone looking to jump into starting their own business?

Know that things aren’t going to come to you, it does require a lot of hard work… Put yourself out of your comfort zone, teach yourself, learn, and do things that you didn’t expect or weren’t part of the plan
– Matthew

Doughnut Party’s flagship location at the Edmonton Brewery District, preparing for the daily deliveries.

The story continues for Matthew and Simon. Using the Brewery District location as their baking headquarters, they plan on opening more satellite stores around Edmonton. In their future plans, they’ll be looking into new neighbourhoods, building on their social media strategy that helped grow their business initially. With the incredible success of Doughnut Party thus far, Matthew and Simon are hopeful and optimistic for the future of their business. In celebrating their one-year anniversary at the Edmonton Brewery District, they’re reflective on what this milestone represents, especially in such a trying year for small businesses. Matthew believes that if they’ve been able to survive and even thrive through this pandemic, they can get through anything.

A few of the delicious doughnut offerings at the Edmonton Brewery District Doughnut Party.

Here at First Capital, we couldn’t be prouder of their success and look forward to seeing what’s next for these two amazing entrepreneurs. To learn more about Doughnut Party, check out their website and Instagram. Congratulations Matthew and Simon on your one-year anniversary at the Edmonton Brewery District!

Last year, First Capital launched our five-year Environmental, Social, and Governance Roadmap in efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change and reduce our environmental footprint.

Included in the roadmap, we outlined several sustainability initiatives as part of our ongoing ESG journey – one of them being the implementation of at least 8 additional beehives on the rooftops of a select few of our properties by June 2022. That is in addition to the 8 existing bee colonies that are currently housed in a handful of our properties, including Cedarbrae Mall and our head offices at 85 Hanna in Ontario, as well as Mckenzie Towne in Alberta. In fact, we’re proud to share that we’re on track to meet this target as three new hives in both Ontario and Quebec will be ready by the end of this spring (Chartwell, Morningside, and Place Portobello). For more information, on-site photos, and news updates on our current hives, head to My Hive below:

A few of our busy bees at Parkway Mall in Scarborough, ON – the hive houses 7,500+ and counting!

Environmental Importance of Beehives in our Thriving Neighbourhoods

Bees play an instrumental role in the survival of the Earth’s ecosystems and crop health. Their importance lies in the ability to transfer pollen between flowering plants that ultimately leads to their growth and reproduction. From various types of berries and gourdes, to canola and potatoes, many plants would not be able to survive without the pollen provided by these incredible insects. Without their ability to pollinate, our food supply would decline rapidly – an issue already becoming a reality in many parts of the world.

Did you know, bees contribute to over $5 billion of Canadian agriculture a year?

With global warming on the rise and the increased loss of our ecosystems, bees and their hives are struggling to thrive. From 2013 to 2014, the Canadian agricultural landscape saw a 29% decline in bee population, with Ontario being the hardest hit province at 58%. However, in the last five years, the industry has seen a steady increase not only in the number of beekeepers per province, but also the number of bees per hive. With the help of First Capital’s ESG initiatives to introduce more beehives within our properties, we are excited to see those numbers rise even more!

Check out our busy bees at Broadmoor Shopping Centre in Richmond, B.C. – The hive houses over 9,000+ and growing!

In reflecting back on this past year (and a half), it is no secret that it has been very trying for everyone, but imagine trying to scale a new business during the pandemic! In our ongoing Tenant Spotlights, we are meeting the people and places that are the driving forces within First Capital neighbourhoods. In this second installment, our spotlight is on Jennifer Halfin and Hillary Abramsky – two incredible women changing the face of physiotherapy in Toronto – with a youthful twist!

Jennifer & Hillary of Toronto Kids Physio

This past year has been an interesting one for many, but no year has been more eventful for the women behind Toronto Kids Physio, Jennifer and Hillary. While the idea of launching and scaling a business on the cusp of the global pandemic sounded daunting, Jennifer and Hillary were up to the challenge and have been crushing it.

The dynamic duo behind Toronto Kids Physio met at Camp Kadimah, an overnight camp in Nova Scotia, with Jennifer acting as Hillary’s counsellor one summer. This created a bond which led to years of back-and-forth discussions about life and career paths, resulting in a brief overlap at another Toronto based clinic. Whether or not they realized it at the time, their partnership would turn into a great entrepreneurial story, resulting in two Toronto-based Kids Physio practices.

Jennifer & Hillary in their 3080 Yonge Street Practice

Finding a job in the specialized area of paediatric physiotherapy is quite difficult for a new graduate, despite the significant need for services in the community. This ignited Hillary’s entrepreneurial spirit as she knew there must be a better way. She needed to think creatively after experiencing difficulties getting job placements. While she was working alongside Jennifer, she followed Kids Physio Group, a kids-only, physiotherapy-only company in British Columbia, on Instagram.

It wasn’t long after, that she reached out to Laura Patrick, CEO and Founder of Kids Physio Group, and set out to Vancouver to work there for a year. She then coordinated with Jennifer to take the plunge and start a Kids Physio Group franchise in Toronto – the first outside of BC. For Hillary and Jennifer – the idea of creating a complete one-stop-shop for kids to get the therapy they needed was an exciting opportunity.

They saw firsthand the need for this service in Toronto – and after almost a year of working to build a business, including Jennifer’s signing of loan agreements from a hospital bed just after delivering her third child – the two were ready to open their practice. However, they still needed a great location to open up shop; one with convenient access for their clientele. It was through a familial connection that Hillary heard of 3080 Yonge Street, First Capital’s mixed-use property on the corner of Yonge Street and Lawrence Avenue. 3080 Yonge Street is situated atop the Lawrence subway station and only a 5 minute drive from the 401, a location perfect for their first location in Toronto.

The pair knew that after bootstrapping their way to this point, using credit cards and small business loans to fund such endeavours, they needed a space that would be easily transformed into the practice they envisioned from the start. A space on the 5^th floor had recently become available, a former small office with some self-contained rooms. The location checked a lot of the boxes for their practice, and the pair began a buildout and within 2 months, had the grand opening in November 2019.

Toronto Kids Physio at 3080 Yonge Street – under construction in 2019

Responding to COVID-19

Fast forward to March 2020. Like the rest of us, the first lockdown caught the newly minted entrepreneurs by surprise. The pair was left to shift their practice from in-person to a fully virtual experience. Hillary and Jennifer needed to think quickly and make difficult decisions, while also balancing the needs of their families. It was during this time that their partnership proved to be most valuable, in which their hard work really paid off.

The practice was able to sustain itself in its new digital capacity, but by no means measured up to the physical space they had just built. Taking consultations online meant Jennifer would often use her own kids as subjects in various exercises and stretches. It wasn’t long before the pair was able to rehire their existing and new employees and reopen their physical location, albeit in a very different capacity. New stringent cleaning protocols and safety measures left the team adapting their practices day-by-day to keep employees and clients safe. These safety measures and a team of dedicated volunteers enabled them to continue growing their practice and work towards opening their second location in Leaside Village!

The new COVID safety measures changed the protocols during an appointment, but not the team’s desire to help.

Hillary and Jennifer quickly recognized that they were ready to add a second clinic. Strong relationships with physicians in the field meant that they were able to connect with existing tenants at the newly completed mixed-use medical building in Leaside Village, and knew that it was the ideal location. First Capital’s new building, an extension to its Leaside Village Shopping Centre, allowed the pair to build a custom space and reach an established community in the Leaside neighbourhood.

Jennifer & Hillary inspecting the buildout of their new Leaside Village location

The Road Ahead

On the heels of International Women’s Day in March, Jennifer and Hillary served as true examples of leaders in our community. Today, through the hiring of new grads and interns, they are working to build the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs. They continuously credit the people they surround themselves with for helping them get to this point.

We look forward to seeing where this pair of entrepreneurs take their business next!

I really loved building a team and sharing success with them…It’s really all about the people!
– Hillary Abramsky

The women behind Toronto Kids Physio in what is soon to be Leaside’s newest kids only physio practice!

You can learn more about Toronto Kids Physio on their website and Instagram. Join us in welcoming them to Leaside Village next month!

How are you helping to Restore Our Earth?

Every day should be Earth Day, however on April 22, 1970, Earth Day was born. This day was created to remind us of the importance of taking care of our planet – it is our only home after all! It is a day of education, empowerment, and conversation. Communities around the world take part in sustainability initiatives and many extend these activities for the entire month of April.

The theme of this year’s Earth Day is “Restore Our Earth”, which focuses on the importance of reducing our environmental footprint and repairing the damage we have done in the past.

In May 2006, First Capital embarked on the path towards sustainability with our commitment to develop all future properties to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. Since then, First Capital has been pursuing sustainability strategies and initiatives to help minimize the threat of climate change, reduce our environmental footprint, and reach our goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. We are generating biodiverse communities by creating spaces where nature can thrive, while adding vibrant characteristics that can be enjoyed by all.

First Capital is committed to having a positive environmental impact, making our neighbourhoods socially accountable and having thorough and responsible corporate governance practices. Here are a few sustainability projects that we have been working on:

Completing Our Lighting Conversion

We have completed our 5-year commitment to convert all our exterior and parking lot lighting to energy-efficient LED. We worked with local contractors to create spaces with reduced maintenance costs, enhanced aesthetics, and improved visibility, and most of all significantly reduced the amount of energy used. For example, one of our latest conversions was at the Promenade du Parc where we converted all lighting fixtures to LED. This complex will now have an estimated savings of approximately 57,000 kWh annually, which represents a 55% reduction in electricity use. Click here to learn more about this project.

aerial photo of Promenade du Parc parking lot showing the LED conversion

Photo of Promenade du Parc parking lot showing the LED conversion

Growing Our Bee Family

Wild pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, promote healthy biodiversity and are crucial to human survival. Climate change, development and widespread pesticide use are compromising their habitat, and food sources and populations are in decline. Did you know that we currently have urban beehives at eight properties across the country? Below you will find the My Hive pages for our beehives, where you can keep up-to-date on what is happening at the hives and even see pictures of our fuzzy pollinating friends.

We’re happy to announce that our bee family continues to grow! This Spring, we are installing hives at three more properties (Morningside, Chartwell and Place Portobello) with plans to add five additional in Spring 2022!

What’s more, we are updating our landscape management standards to include native plants and prioritize pollinator species for landscaping at existing properties and in new development projects.

What can you do to help? As our communities continue to grow, local butterflies and bees are losing natural spaces to eat, sleep and raise their young. You can help make your neighbourhood more bee and butterfly-friendly by adding native wildflowers to your garden, yard or balcony.

Photo of a hive at Broadmoor Village – Vancouver

Photos of our hives at McKenzie Towne and Shops at New West

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Electric vehicles (EV) save on fuel costs, routine maintenance, and most of all, leave a smaller environmental impact. Just imagine a world with less car emissions!

As EV technology continues to develop and becomes more easily accessible to more people, the demand for better infrastructure will continue to increase. At First Capital, we want to be a big contributor to the expansion of EV infrastructure. At First Capital, we will expand our network of EV charging stations at our properties. We currently have over 160 EV stations installed across 48 properties, and we will be installing 90 more this summer across 40 properties. Our goal is to provide EV Charging at 100% of our properties by the end of 2024.

EV Chargers at Cedarbrae Mall

These are just a handful of examples that are the result of our entire First Capital team being engaged in sustainability. We have additional initiatives that are underway, and we invite you to learn more about our sustainability strategies and ESG roadmap by clicking here.

Supporting our Neighbourhoods.
Giving Back to our Communities.
Partnering with our Tenants.
Connecting with our Employees.
Celebrating as One Team with One Purpose.
We Launched FCR Thriving Neighbourhoods Foundation.

First Capital and its employees have a long history of volunteering and giving back to the local communities in which we live and work. So last year, after a lot of work by many FCR team members, we launched our new charitable foundation called the FCR Thriving Neighbourhoods Foundation.

Aligned with our purpose and brand – with people and community at the centre of our business, the Foundation’s mandate is to support charitable initiatives that are making an impact in the neighbourhoods where we operate. The Foundation is a natural complement to FCR’s business – as we continue to make a long-term sustainable commitment to the communities we serve – to generate and enhance value for all of our stakeholders.

Even more, as an employee-led, registered charity, the Foundation empowers FCR employees to work together as ‘one team with one purpose’, to engage in a common goal of helping neighbourhoods thrive.

The structure of the Foundation is comprised of two components:
– FCR Thriving Neighbourhood Foundation, where monetary donations will be made to registered charities
– FCR Initiatives, where employees will support non-charity events and causes in Arts & Culture, Innovation and Sustainability

The Foundation will focus on four pillars selected by employees and aligned with charitable organizations that focus on well-being of the communities in which we operate and neighbouring communities – Social Justice, Mental Health, Youth Initiatives, and Food Insecurity & Poverty.

This past holiday season, we launched our first initiative focused on Food Insecurity & Poverty in Canada. Each office selected a local Food Bank to support with a combined goal of 10,000 monetary + food items. We exceeded our goal and raised over 66,000 donations in the form of food items, monetary contributions from staff + Board of Trustees, Foundation match of dollar-for-dollar monetary donation, and $1 per item donated plus $10,000 personally donated by our CEO, Adam Paul.

As for what’s next – we have a lot planned! Various campaigns, fundraisers and initiatives are in the works, with much more coming. We hope to build on the great momentum from our holiday food drive.

Stay tuned!

For the second consecutive year, First Capital was recognized by The Globe and Mail as one of Greater Toronto’s Top 100 Employers for 2021. The list is a benchmark published annually that recognizes employers for best practices in the workplace. Organizations are evaluated based on leadership in the areas of employee culture, benefits, communications, training, and community involvement.

First Capital strives to deliver a rewarding, stimulating, and fun place to work, where individuals are treated with respect. First Capital provides employees with competitive remuneration, generous benefits, training, educational opportunities, and career advancement. We provide a comprehensive benefits package to full-time employees, including a wellness subsidy.

First Capital is committed to an inclusive and diverse workplace. As a national company, we recognize the importance and value of a workforce that is inclusive and reflects the diverse communities in which we operate.

This year, First Capital implemented a robust COVID-19 response, including workplace safety & physical distancing upgrades, PPE & signage, work-from-home flexibility, and a list of other safety measures aimed at protecting employees.

First Capital’s commitment to a safe workplace environment, opportunities for growth, and extensive benefits see us consistently ranked high in preferences of new grads, thereby earning us inclusion in the Career Directory 2021.

This latest recognition is a testament to the dedication and commitment of our talented team of over 350 staff. Our employees are at the core of our success.

Learn more about First Capital & the other winners here.

Preparing for an interview can be stressful! Figuring out what to wear, how to properly handshake and even finding the right office – all things to consider with meeting someone in person.

With many organizations switching from in-person to virtual interviews, your interview prep will now focus on some things that you might not have thought of!

Here are some tips and things to consider when preparing for a virtual interview:

Still Dress for Success: It is always recommended to dress business casual from head to toe – just in case! You never know when you might have to stand up or even unintentionally leave the camera on.

Test Technology: Technology is great, but it’s even better when it actually works! It takes just a few minutes to test that your speakers, microphone, and camera are in good working order.

Professional Identity: Keep it professional! Make sure you are identified with a simple email and your full name is always preferred.

Backdrop: It is always great to make sure you control what you can, setting yourself up in front of an interesting but not distracting background would be ideal. For example, you wouldn’t want to be set up in a high traffic area in your house where people passing by in the background will distract you or the interviewer. And not to worry, things happen, I am sure we have all seen our fair share! Also, if you really want to stand out, try a virtual background, but preferably nothing crazy like the beach or outer space.

Minimize Distractions: Ensure the notifications are off on all devices, programs that could be running and sounding alerts on your laptop or even text messages coming into your personal phone. Also, we can’t forget about our furry friends. With the potential of crossing the camera at any given moment, it’s best to keep them in a separate room for the meeting. This will ensure you have your eyes on the prize and you will keep consistent eye contact with the interviewer.

Jennifer Cruz is First Capital’s Talent Acquisition Specialist

October 1, 2020

First Capital REIT (“First Capital”) alerts employment candidates that employment offer scams are on the rise in Canada. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be an opportunity for scammers to target people seeking employment.

One of the schemes being used by fraudsters are to create fake job advertisements that are followed through with a fake Skype/Zoom interview and fake job offers using falsified documents containing a real companies’ name, logo, or trademark.

One of the first signs of a fraudulent job offer is when the applicant is asked to send any form of payment, for example, to cover job supplies, visa/immigration costs, uniform expenses, etc. Please also note the email address from which the communications are being sent. i.e. if it is a hotmail/gmail address it may not be a legitimate company email.

First Capital, nor any recruitment agency acting on its behalf, would never ever ask job applicants to forward any type of payment in conjunction with a job application/offer of employment. Moreover, a job offer would not be made without first meeting with the candidate.

If you have any concerns about a job offer, please do not hesitate to contact us.

If you believe you are a victim of employment offer fraud, we would urge you to contact the local police and/or report the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

The Sculpture

“Inspired by the historic architectural curved roof feature of Parkway Mall and the heritage of Maryvale Farm, a breeder and trainer of racehorses (circa 1928 – 1939), ThreeSidesOneGesture curves into an arch through which the community enters and engages with the history and identity of the neighbourhood. In this sculpture, the community experiences three elements that coexist: the human conjoined with the ecosystem and the built environment, even though all three are never simultaneously visible. By walking around the sculpture, the viewer experiences the changing juxtapositions of the arch, humanity and horse, which superimpose in changing configurations.”

You can read more about the sculture, and the artist Suzanne Simoni at her website here.

The Competition

In 2019, First Capital selected Suzanne Simoni as the winner of the 2019 First Capital Public Art Competition for her ThreeSidesOneGesture sculpture. This competition was part of the public arts initiative that provides students and emerging artists with an opportunity to showcase their work publicly at First Capital properties.

First Capital made a commitment to sponsoring this public sculpture competition, which was open to third-year and fourth-year OCAD U students and graduates. The winner of the program received a cash prize and First Capital supported the fabrication, site preparation, transportation and installation of the sculpture.

FCR is committed to supporting our small business tenants through participating in the CECRA program.

The FCR CECRA Tenant Application portal will provide qualifying tenants with access to apply to the program with the required CECRA tenant information.

Please ensure you confirm you meet the FCR tenant registration criteria on the portal landing page prior to proceeding to create an account.

Once the tenant application is reviewed by FCR, the required CECRA tenant documents will be issued to the tenant for execution.

Deadline to submit tenant application: Friday, June 26, 2020.

Please note, if you are already accepted in the FCR SBSP, you have the option to choose between the SBSP or CECRA, but not both. If you qualify for CECRA and apply to FCR CECRA, once your application is processed and approved by CECRA, the terms of the CECRA Rent Reduction Agreement will replace and terminate the prior SBSP agreement.

Be sure to stay informed as CECRA continues to provide regular updates – here is the link to access the latest CECRA program details + FAQ.

Access your FCR CECRA application here.