In the Fall of 2021, the FCR Thriving Neighbourhoods Foundation partnered with Canada’s largest food rescue organization, Second Harvest, in an effort help to combat food insecurity. This philanthropic organization works across the supply chain, from farm to retail, to capture surplus food before it ends up in landfills.

Thanks to the generous donations from our staff and corporate partners, we’re proud to announce our total amount raised is an outstanding $338,000, which will provide 939,168 meals for Canadian families facing food insecurity. These funds will rescue and redistribute over 939,168 pounds of food, and as a result, will prevent over 3.5 million pounds of greenhouse gases from entering our atmosphere – the equivalent of taking 491 cars off the road this entire year.

The FCR Thriving Neighbourhoods Foundation is an employee-led organization that supports registered charities and philanthropic initiatives that support the neighbourhoods in which we operate. Since its inception in 2020, we’ve been solely focused on food insecurity – one of our foundation’s four main pillars, beside mental health, youth initiatives, and social justice. We’re proud to have continued our mission to combat food insecurity in Canada this past fall.

Did you know 1 in 7 Canadians face food insecurity everyday?

Our foundation set an initial goal of $50,000, encouraging staff, their friends and family, as well as our corporate partners to donate through our online portal. FCR then matched all employee donations dollar for dollar, doubling our support for Second Harvest. With every dollar equalling two meals, this initial goal would’ve provided 100,000 meals – but did we ever surpass this goal!

The FCR Thriving Neighbourhoods Foundation kicked off this charitable initiative with an employee-led fundraising walk through seven of our urban neighbourhoods across Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver. We also offered a virtual attendance option to allow for all staff to participate and join in on the cross-country event.

Immediately, we were overwhelmed with the generosity of our amazing staff and corporate partners, and we couldn’t be more thankful to those who participated. By October’s end, our staff fundraising had come to a close, yet we continued receiving corporate donations through November and December. In our final push to raise funds for Second Harvest, we held an internal Holiday Draw that raised an additional $4,000 in just one week – a remarkable achievement for FCR staff.

First Capital staff joining our Neighbourhood Walk in Liberty Village

About Second Harvest

Aligning with our charitable goals, as well as our ESG objectives, Second Harvest actively works to solve our nation’s food insecurity issue. In Canada, $49 billion worth of perfectly good, edible food goes to waste every year due to cosmetic imperfections, confusion around best before dates, and errors in labeling or packaging. This wasted food often ends up in landfills and produces methane gas. Methane is a harmful green house gas that adds to climate change. In fact, if methane or food waste were a country, it would be the world’s third largest polluter behind China and the US. By diverting this perfectly good food from landfill and using it for its intended purpose – feeding people – there is a significant environmental benefit as well.

This really aligns with our ESG goals here at First Capital. It is important to us to have positive impacts on the environment and participating in fundraisers like this one, only increases our efforts
– Meaghan Bach, FCR Thriving Neighbourhoods Foundation Co-Chair

This wasted food has the potential to feed millions of hungry people as Canada produces enough to feed almost double its population. Second Harvest fights this problem by providing surplus food to local social programs across Canada, free of charge. By providing free food to these charitable organizations, it in turn helps to expand their capacities as they can spend the funds that may have otherwise been spent on food, on their core programs and support resources. To provide these charitable organizations with free surplus food, they often host fundraising events and lean on corporate donations for support.

Generally, we do not receive any funding from the government and rely solely on the generosity of individual and corporate donors like FCR. We truly could not do what we do without companies like you!”
– Corey Smith, Vice President, Philanthropy at Second Harvest

First Capital staff joining our Neighbourhood Walk at the Edmonton Brewery District

As one of Canada’s leading REITs, we are active in over 148 neighbourhoods across the country. With that in mind, the goal of our 2021 Fall Fundraiser was to ensure all neighbourhoods in which we operate would be supported, portfolio wide. Our $338,000 raised will provide 939,168 meals for community members in need across Canada.

First Capital would like to thank our staff, corporate sponsors, Second Harvest, and our Thriving Neighbourhoods Foundation for the outstanding success of our 2021 Fall Fundraiser. We couldn’t have done it without the support and remarkable generosity of those who participated, fundraised, and supported this charitable event.

Going forward, the FCR Thriving Neighbourhoods Foundation has some exciting plans for 2022 and 2023! Stay tuned for special updates including volunteer opportunities, charitable events, and the announcement of our next pillar of focus (one of mental health, youth initiatives, or social justice).

For more information on our 2021 Fall Fundraiser, listen to our newest episode of The Explainer podcast here – also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
Read more on our FCR Thriving Neighbourhoods Foundation here
Read more about Second Harvest here

First Capital staff joining our Neighbourhood Walks at Shops at New West, Shops of King Liberty, and Meadowvale Town Centre

For the third consecutive year, we are honoured to have been named one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers by Mediacorp Canada and The Globe and Mail. This esteemed award recognizes organizations who demonstrate excellence and best practices in the workplace for employee support and success. Each year, applicants are evaluated on leadership in employee culture, benefits & total rewards, communication, training & education, and community involvement.

“Our ongoing goal is to foster a professional, rewarding, dynamic, and enthusiastic work environment where everyone feels welcome and free to express themselves”, says Sommer Stewart Senior Director, People & Culture. “In supporting our employees, we offer competitive compensation, generous employer-paid benefits, training & education resources, and opportunities to grow their careers”. To name a few, we provide every full-time employee with a $3500 academic fund to further their education, an exceptional summer internship program, employees and their family members can receive up to $2,000 in mental health benefits, as well as extensive wellness packages to fit the diverse needs of our employees.

We recognize that fostering an inclusive, diverse, and equitable work environment is at the centre of every successful organization and remains at the core of our values. By creating a safe and respectful work environment that embraces different perspectives and lived experiences, we strive to inspire everyone to become their best selves. As a Canadian company, we understand the importance of ED&I in the workplace as it reflects the diverse communities in which we operate. We’re continuing to evolve, educate ourselves, become more socially accountable, and build on our understanding of ED&I. In doing so, we created our employee-led ED&I council in 2020 to improve our workplace and support our staff.

This fall, the FCR Thriving Neighbourhoods Foundation held a charitable walk in seven of our neighbourhoods across Canada in support of Second Harvest. Focusing on food insecurity, our goal was to raise at least 100,000 meals. With FCR’s match, every $1 we raised, translated to 4 meals for those in need. Our amazing staff exceeded this total and raised an outstanding $50,744 which was doubled by FCR ($101,488), translating to a total of 202,976 meals for hungry Canadian families.

As COVID-19 has continued to affect our workplace environment, our goal is to ensure the safety of our employees upon returning to the office. This fall, we implemented a hybrid work model where fully vaccinated employees have the flexibility to work three days in office and two days at home. During this time, we also introduced flex work hours to fit the diverse needs and schedules of each employee.

Being recognized as one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers for the third consecutive year is a testament to the excellence and talent among our 350+ employees nationwide. Our employees are at the core of our success, and we wouldn’t be where or who we are today without them.

THANK YOU FCR STAFF!

To learn more about this recognition here: Greater Toronto’s Top Employers 2022

Over 25 years ago, Craig Buckley, the CEO and founder of Kettlemans bagel, had a dream of having his favourite childhood food be enjoyed by more than just Montrealers. Bringing that dream to life, he’s grown his business from a humble bagel shop in the heart of Ottawa, to a Canadian sandwich institution. In our newest tenant spotlight, we explore how Kettlemans Bagel has popularized the Montreal bagel, while keeping to tradition and maintaining authenticity.

Soon, Kettlemans will be celebrating the opening of their fifth location at our Eagleson Place property in Kanata, ON – one of Ottawa’s fastest-growing areas. Not only will it serve the surrounding neighbourhood and increase accessibility for patrons in the city’s west end, but it will serve as the company’s new office and headquarters.

Born and raised in Montreal, Craig Buckley grew up with the city’s most beloved traditional baked good: Montreal bagels. Moving to Ottawa for work as an adult, he often made the lengthy Montreal trip only to enjoy them whenever possible; though, he wasn’t the only Montreal native doing so. With their wild popularity in one city, he realized the potential they could have in other cities.

He quickly fell in love with the idea that no matter where you are in the world, Montreal bagels are something that make people happy. He envisioned them being enjoyed in as many homes as possible, as he and his family did growing up. Fulfilling this dream, he left his corporate commercial bakery role behind, and Kettlemans Bagel was officially born.

In August 1993, Craig opened his first location in The Glebe, one of Ottawa’s oldest and most vibrant urban neighbourhoods. In order to make the best bagels around, he began by sourcing the most impeccable ingredients, while sticking to the traditional 400-year-old recipe. In this pursuit, he felt being 100% transparent with customers was essential, from which the open concept kitchen design was created – a feature that is still around in all their locations today. Essentially, Craig wanted Kettlemans to be more than just a bagel shop, but an entire experience where customers can come in and watch the baking process before their very eyes.

Differing from standard bakery bagels, Kettlemans Montreal bagels are hand rolled and pressed to release the trapped air. They’re then placed in a kettle of boiling honey water to provide a pop of sweetness and seal in the freshness; the name Kettlemans pays homage to this very process. The bagels are then baked in a wood-fired oven, giving them a slightly smoky flavour profile with a crispy exterior and soft interior. On top of their outstanding texture and flavour, what especially sets them apart is the profound love and attention that goes into every single one.

Because they’re hand-rolled, they’re not perfectly shaped… They’re beautifully imperfect”

Over the years, Kettlemans has become famous for their outstanding bagel sandwiches, using fresh proteins that are cured and prepared in-house. Keeping to the classic bagel-cream cheese pairing, they also offer fourteen different cream cheeses and fourteen bagel flavours – the combinations are endless!

As the older Glebe neighbourhood rarely saw new comers, Kettlemans immediately sparked a major buzz that quickly echoed throughout other Ottawa neighbourhoods. From the great success of his first location, not long after did he open his second in our College Square property serving the Nepean neighbourhood. It was here they started snowballing, as Craig had once dreamed, the success of his two locations allowed him to expand even more. In fact they’ve now opened a new location in the GTA, and soon to open in downtown Toronto, and Eagleson Place in Kanata, ON – Ottawa’s fastest-growing neighbourhood, to add to their three Ottawa locations.

Choosing Eagleson Place was easy not only because of its growth, but it serves the western most part of the city that their other locations do not – they wanted to make it their crown jewel in order to pay homage to their Ottawa roots. Overall, it will act as the company’s office headquarters and feature an innovative pick up window which will leverage pre-order technology via their mobile app.

Today, their bakery operations span over a 24-hour, 7 day a week period, in which customers can enjoy their bagels any time they please. This non-stop baking process allows them to wholesale their products to local grocers such as Farm Boy and Costco. They also offer catering services, a subscription model, a rewards program, and a state-of-the-art app to support these initiatives. However, their growth doesn’t stop there… In fact, expansion plans exceed this as they’ll be growing even further in Toronto in 2022 and potentially international in the future.

Did you know they’re now one of Canada’s most famous bakeries?

In the midst of all their growth, they pride themselves on maintaining the authenticity and tradition that Craig built the company upon. By sticking to the best quality ingredients, same classic recipe, perfect taste and texture, and attention to detail, they’ve established a loyal customer base.

Mixing tradition with progression, their main focus is to expand their flavour profile on a seasonal basis – a popular practice within the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) industry. For example, they recently came out with a pumpkin spice bagel for fall and are experimenting with a peppermint bagel for the upcoming Christmas season. In fact, for June pride month 2021, they welcomed the “LGBT” bagel containing lettuce, guacamole, bacon, and tomato, as the acronym suggests – a portion of the sales were donated to a local 2SLGBTQIA+ charity. Overwhelmed by its success, they decided to add it as a regular menu item, while continuing the ongoing donation.

Not only are they participating in socially responsible initiatives, but they’re focused on being environmentally friendly as well. In fact, Kettlemans has switched from using plastic to compostable bags and introduced eco-friendly packaging to reduce their overall carbon footprint.
By implementing initiatives such as this, they like to “lead by example” as not many other QSRs in the Canadian market are doing so. By being socially and environmentally responsible, while bettering customer experience and maintaining the best bagels around, they’re confident in their ability to inflict change and be pioneers in the QSR industry.

First Capital would like to congratulate Kettlemans Bagels on the opening of their newest location at Eagleson Place. For many years, they’ve been valued tenants of ours at College Square, and we can’t wait to see where their success will take them next. For more information on this Canadian bagel institution, check out their website or Instagram!

Meet Jennifer Cruz – First Capital’s Talent Acquisition Specialist.

Making that critical first impression while looking for employment all starts with one simple thing: your resume. No pressure, right? Taking that extra time to make sure it looks professional, functions the way you want it, and highlights your previous work experience are just some of the things to take into consideration. It only takes an average of 6-10 seconds for Recruiters to review a CV and determine if you have the experience they are looking for. Standing out as a top candidate isn’t always easy, so taking extra time to make these tweaks may help to give you a boost in this competitive job market.

Customize, Customize, Customize

As a Recruiter, we gravitate right to your relevant experience. The easier we can get to it, the easier it will be for the Recruiter to digest. Essentially, the goal for Recruiters and Hiring Managers is to match candidates’ skills and motivators to specific roles, so a generic resume may cause you to be unsuccessful in your job search. Ensure you are highlighting or rewording certain responsibilities to match the job description.

Adjust for ATS scanning

Just like us, most companies are now utilizing an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) to scan and filter through resumes. PDF’s (though not the best format), Word documents, and even plain text files can be scanned by the system much easier. Additionally, if you are using keywords from the job posting, you are more likely to come up at the top of the search.

Formatting

Choosing the best format to highlight your skills and experience sounds easy right? Well, that’s not always the case. Super flashy resumes might put off some recruiters (depending on the role), and even the wrong font size can really put you at a disadvantage. Choose the format that best represents you but is also easy to navigate through. Keep it simple and tasteful.

Adding Social Media

Everyone is on social media these days and your online presence is a common way of representing “your brand”. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and especially LinkedIn, are great resources to help promote yourself. Hiring managers and recruiters often look beyond your resume to get a glimpse of who you are, so be strategic about what you post publicly.

Length

o The saying goes, “Less is more”, and this definitely applies when it comes to your resume. If it starts getting too long, it is time to cut back. As a guideline and depending on the role you are applying for, if you have 1-3 years of experience your resume should be one page, and 5+ years of experience can be two.

Common Mistakes

Spell Check? Adding extra periods? Grammatical errors are common, and this can cause the recruiter to move onto the next resume – especially if the role requires attention to detail!

Our wonderful group of interns this past summer!

Going that extra mile and taking these simple things into consideration will only set you up for success and hopefully allow you to land your dream job.

Looking to join First Capital’s dynamic and diverse team? Head to our careers page for all job availabilities and sign up for our recruitment newsletter here.

Since the start of the pandemic, the Canadian Real Estate industry has gone through significant changes due to government lockdowns and imposed restrictions on tenant operations. As retail and leasing initiatives have had to innovate and shift their focus, we’re adapting to these changes by finding creative ways to utilize our vacant spaces. Some of these include opening COVID-19 pop-up vaccine clinics, temporary ghost kitchens, adding food trucks to development sites, and a renewed focus on short term leases and pop-up concepts to our properties.

COVID-19 Pop-Up Vaccine Clinics

Earlier this year, First Capital, alongside our peers in REALPAC, pledged to provide space to provincial and municipal health agencies to assist in the largest inoculation campaign in Canada’s history.

Throughout August and September, Cedarbrae Mall and Parkway Mall partnered with the Scarborough Health Network and opened pop-up vaccine clinics to help administer COVID-19 vaccines to members of the community. The clinics saw great success and were able to administer over 1,000 vaccines to community members. The turnout at both malls was so significant that Scarborough’s Morningside Crossing welcomed an additional one-day-only mobile clinic that vaccinated over 50 people in a single day.

Both Scarborough malls will be continuing these pop-up clinics through the fall, with Cedarbae’s closing at the end of November, and Parkway’s ending in late December. In addition, Morningside Crossing will be hosting a mobile vaccine clinic in November.

In doing our part, we were able to utilize the available spaces in these centres for public health units in order to support our neighbourhoods and help them thrive!

Book your vaccine at Cedarbrae Mall or Parkway Mall here.

Temporary Ghost Kitchens and Food Trucks

Another creative way in which we’ve utilized our available spaces is through temporary and short-term leases with ghost kitchens and food trucks.

Unfamiliar with ghost kitchens? That’s because they’re usually meant to be private and unseen by the public. The burgeoning concept is a food service and meal preparation centre that exists for the sole purpose of providing takeout food in a market currently under served. They generally have no waiters, dining rooms, front counters, nor public-facing signage. Chances are that the Wendy’s burger you most recently enjoyed from Uber Eats was prepared in a nearby Wendy’s ghost kitchen.

Wendy’s ghost kitchen at Yonge & Roselawn – one of our future development sites.

Amid the pandemic, online ordering and food delivery apps skyrocketed in popularity. To keep up with the growth, quick service restaurants (QSRs) and small restauranteurs alike turned to ghost kitchens. Their popularity has grown so large and widespread during the pandemic that they have seen five-year’s growth occur within just three months. The industry is now projected to be worth over $1 trillion by 2030 as suggested by Euromonitor.

As restaurants were forced to pivot from the loss of indoor dining, ghost kitchens provided a needed stream of business for many brick-and-mortar restaurants. It allowed them to prepare food for other brands, avoid employee layoffs, and lower costs. In some instances, it offers food and beverage entrepreneurs the ability to test new flavours and concepts without the capital requirements of opening a new restaurant.

Throughout the pandemic, we’ve worked with our Development team to find locations in our development pipeline that can support interim uses like Food Trucks and Ghost Kitchens. We’ve worked with community partners to create vibrant spaces that serve as gathering places, a prime example being our Yonge and Roselawn site. A visitor to the corner of Yonge and Roselawn today will find Home Appliance Food Co. adjacent to “In n Out”, our mural recently completed by a talented trio of young of local artists.

Home Appliances Food Co.’s food truck open at Yonge & Roselawn.

Pop-Ups in Yorkville

Yorkville is one of our most vibrant and sophisticated neighbourhoods, filled with endless opportunity for patrons, retailers, and businesses alike. Throughout the pandemic, it has welcomed pop-ups that were able to thrive in Yorkville’s unique environment. Some of our most popular creative uses of space have been pop-up art exhibits including Transformative Chic – The Everlasting Cheongsam, CRUSH in support of pride 2021, WABANKI 2021, Anthony Ricciardi, and Rundi Phelan.

Original paintings and works from the Wabanaki tribe of Atlantic Canada at Yorkville Village’s pop-up art exhibit!

During the 2020 holiday season, BRIKA Virtual Holiday Market temporarily occupied one of our available spaces, selling gifts from over 25 small and local businesses. Its COVID-friendly platform offered customers virtual shopping appointments, delivery of goods, and contactless pick-up.

Promise Sup ply, a local plant shop, opened a pop-up in one of Yorkville Village’s public shopping spaces. Immediately loved by neighbourhood members and frequent mall patrons, they recently moved into a larger unit and have beautifully revitalized the space. Similarly, STK, one of Toronto’s most exclusive steak houses, opened a pop-up patio concept along the mall’s laneway to increase outdoor dining seating amid indoor restrictions.

The pandemic has impacted the growth of many small businesses, making the opening of brick-and-mortar stores an even tougher endeavour in these precarious times. We hope these new pop-ups opening around Yorkville, and at our other properties, will serve as a gateway for smaller budding businesses to grow, and potentially open a full store in the future.

Head to Yorkville Village to check out all of our pop-ups today!

STK at Yorkville Village’s Laneway.

Our Objective

In adapting to this new normal, it has become increasingly necessary to creatively fill available spaces to new concepts including COVID-19 vaccine clinics, temporary ghost kitchens, food trucks, pop-up concepts, and others that we may not have in the past. We’re optimistic that these activations and creative uses of space have helped our tenants and neighbourhood members thrive amid these particularly trying times. As one of the largest owners and operators in the Canadian real estate industry, our main focus is, and has always been, to support our tenants and patrons. We’re always looking for new concepts, tenancies, and ideas to meet the evolving needs of the communities we serve, and we’ll continue to do so as we approach our return to the new normal.

Keep an eye out for more of our creative uses of space, and neighbourhood updates on our Instagram and Facebook.

In our commitment to support and help our neighbourhoods thrive, we actively add art to public spaces at our properties across the country. Our newest installation, Lighten Up, comes from renowned Toronto artists Christine Leu and Alan Webb of LeuWebb Projects. This new sculpture, located at 3080 Yonge Street, presents an aura of levity and joy on a bustling city corner downtown.

This unique piece is inspired by the neighbourhood’s active members and overall environment, hoping to catch the eye of those going by. Its bright and shiny design is meant to engage the public by providing a moment of wonder, joy, and dismay while bringing the charm of the neighbourhood to life. The seven striking balloons are designed to embody this very moment, right at the corner of Yonge and Lawrence.

Did you know that each cast aluminum balloon weighs between 600 and 800 pounds?

Photos by Doublespace Photography

Christine Leu and Alan Webb, the artists behind 3080 Yonge Street’s Lighten Up, are the owners and creators of LeuWebb Projects, a renowned art and design studio located in Toronto. The two share a background in architecture but have similarly gravitated towards the arts. Since 2011, Christine and Alan have built an impressive portfolio, completing over 20 site-specific installations both locally and internationally. Their ongoing artistic focus is finding new ways to engage the broader public through creative practice, whether that be interactive light and sound pieces at Nuit Blanche, temporary installations, or more permanent sculptures such as Lighten Up.

Just before the pandemic hit last year, Christine and Alan were asked to submit a design proposal for First Capital’s 3080 Yonge Street invited art call. Upon researching our arts program, they were impressed by the scale of our public art portfolio and prepared to make a submission.

It [FCR’s arts program] really offers a lot of opportunities for artists but also a lot to the general public
– Christine

Christine and Alan began by visiting the site to absorb the surroundings and atmosphere. From the busy Yonge and Lawrence intersection, to our many tenants and city-goers, to the TTC Subway stop; Christine and Alan could feel the rush of the neighbourhood and immediately had a moment of inspiration. Alan imagined a bunch of escaped balloons that have been trapped underneath the canopy. This would ultimately create a sense of joy and levity at a bustling Toronto street corner.

Maybe your eye catches one of these bright balloons above you and you have a moment with a different perception of the city
– Alan

Considering other perspectives and interpretations, Christine and Alan had also envisioned a singular balloon situated in the ground planter away from the others. They liked the idea of showing a contrast of emotions, exhibiting a feeling of deflation amidst the city’s liveliness.

For most people, the impact of the pandemic came with great uncertainty and unpredictability. Since the piece was designed and conceived pre-pandemic, the creative duo never could have expected what was to come. From the supply chain sourcing of aluminum alloy and its price fluctuations, to one of their extended team members catching COVID, Christine and Alan faced it all. Despite their challenges, it’s easy to see how this vibrant and engaging art piece brings colour and vibrancy to 3080 Yonge Street. Going forward, they have some exciting potential new projects coming up, including a monument for Canada’s mission in Afghanistan. They’re also recent winners of a commission to create a curatorial plan and arts project for a yet-to-be-named Canadian municipality – more details to come in the fall.

Thank you, Christine and Alan, for creating such a beautiful and unique piece for 3080 Yonge Street. You can now see Lighten Up in person at the corner of Yonge and Lawrence in Toronto. To explore more of Leuwebb’s portfolio, head to the following links below.

Website: leuwebb.ca
Instagram: @leuwebb

Want to learn more about our arts program and hear from LeuWebb Projects? Head to our newly refreshed arts page here and check out our episode of The Explainer here.

The Devenish is a fashion and culture hub in Calgary’s Mount Royal neighbourhood. Continuing our Tenant Spotlights, we’re highlighting one that has expanded her footprint in The Devenish twice in just four years. From a humble 900 sf of retail space to 4,000 sf today, Kate Hewko has grown a budding e-commerce empire and become Calgary’s top destination for all things fashion.

In tandem with her growing business, Kate gives back to her local community, participating in several of the city’s largest charity events and fundraisers. From styling top celebrities to being featured in several renowned fashion magazines, Kate’s accomplishments serve as a testament to her entrepreneurial spirit.

Kate Hewko inside her store located in The Devenish

Before becoming a fashion mogul, Kate began with a degree in economics from the University of Western Ontario, and a diploma in fashion marketing from the International Academy of Design & Technology. With a clear passion for fashion, she knew she wanted to start her own small business.

Although she had an eye for fashion and emerging trends, design was never something she studied, nor had interest in. Shortly after graduation, she started a small women’s boutique carrying emerging designers that unfortunately never took off. With a slight pivot, she started a similar small online jewelry store. Upon launch, she faced familiar issues such as slim profit margins and not enough reach.

Kate then made the career-changing realization that her business model needed to be self-branded, instead of selling other people’s jewelry. She began looking for manufacturers who would make smaller batches, so she could start producing her newly self-branded Kate Hewko jewelry – a change that ultimately proved incredibly successful.

It wasn’t long before she needed to keep up with the growing success of her brand, deciding to open a retail store to support it. Searching around town, she wanted to be on 17^th avenue in Mount Royal – the life and cultural heart of Calgary. The Devenish was the perfect spot, checking all of her boxes, with the added bonus of its historic design and heritage status. Beginning with a 900 sf unit, she opened her first ever retail store just two weeks before giving birth to her third child – an incredibly challenging time for her!

Within her first few months of opening at The Devenish, it quickly became apparent that she wasn’t going to make it from her jewelry collection alone. Wanting to dive into clothing, she asked herself: how do the big fashion brands such as Zara and H&M make large profits? The answer lies in sourcing from the right manufacturers using a private label model. By adopting this, she was able to turn her business around, increasing profit margins, and driving repeat business. This marked the second major milestone in her business and was a turning point for her brand.

Today, Kate works with over 50 manufacturers that allow her to bring in new product every week. In contrast to her competition, Kate’s products are not mass produced and aren’t available everywhere else. Her clients love the exclusivity and uniqueness of her products and can always come back to find something new and fresh on Kate’s shelves and online store.

What sets her apart from other designers is her keen eye for new trends and fashion freshness. If she notices a trend when purchasing, she won’t buy it as it wouldn’t interest her niche client base – they’re always looking for unique finds. Not only is it good business, but exclusivity allows her to thrive over the cheaper fast-fashion brands.

With her increasing success, Kate has now expanded twice in The Devenish in just four years. Starting at 900 sf, expanding to 1,700 sf in 2019, and now 4,000 sf, Kate Hewko is growing exponentially. Like most business owners, she was recently forced to pivot during COVID-19. At the start of the pandemic, she turned focus to her online store to adapt to the unprecedented circumstances – ultimately skyrocketing her sales. She went from having most sales come from in-store purchases at her single store in Calgary to a North American-wide range of clientele. In fact, her most popular cities now include Toronto, Calgary, Montreal, New York, and Los Angeles. Even though she saw great success in The Devenish prior to the pandemic, her e-commerce growth has greatly augmented her in-store sales and traffic even further.

Not only has her pivot to e-commerce helped grow her business, but she’s also grown an exceedingly large social media presence on Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok. She’s also been featured in some of the world’s most prestigious magazines such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, and has had celebrities including Miley Cyrus and Idina Menzel sport her jewelry on the world stage.

Through the continued success of her business, Kate is always looking for ways to give back to the Calgary community. She especially loves and cares for those that support children’s causes because she has three of her own. Kate believes it’s an important place to put money because it’s our next generation. She has hosted and participated in countless charity events over the years and has become known in the city for doing so. Her most notable ones include hosting a charity fashion event at The Grand and being part of the infamous Alley Party.

I love giving back because I enjoy helping to improve culture and community
– Kate

Kate recently hired four additional employees, allowing her to focus on the business aspects that she loves most – marketing, lead generation, and data analytics. Going forward, her main goal is to continue growing her business throughout North America, dive deeper into the world of e-commerce, and potentially bring back footwear and faux fur – apparel she once had to discontinue due to her smaller reach.

We congratulate Kate on the outstanding success of her business and the two remarkable expansions of her shop at The Devenish.

Learn more and shop at Kate Hewko here:

Web: https://www.katehewko.com/
IG: @katehewko

Adam Paul was featured on BNN Bloomberg to discuss the Q2 Quarterly results, and the Canadian real estate market.

Watch on BNN Bloomberg

For over 11 years, First Capital has developed a significant and longstanding relationship with the Ontario College of Art & Design University (OCAD U). In partnership with OCAD, we’ve held various art competitions challenging students to create unique installations at some of our properties across Canada. These competition pieces provide exposure for the artists while beautifying the neighbourhoods in which they are displayed. With every new piece we’re reminded of their creativity, imagination, and talent. We are thrilled to help them kick start their careers and build their professional portfolios.

This Artist Spotlight features our newest art installation, and the creative minds behind it. Recently, we met up with the three winners of First Capital and OCAD’s first ever mural-specific art call competition, Anastasia Tarkhanova, Zuna Amir, and Ashlyn Mundy. Tasked with designing to the theme of equity, diversity, and inclusion, while embodying the Yonge & Roselawn neighbourhood, these young artists impressed the judges, OCAD professors, and First Capital employees alike.

Just four months ago, Anastasia, Zuna, and Ashlyn found themselves looking for ways to build their artistic portfolios as fresh new graduates of OCAD University. By freelancing, assisting on bigger projects, and growing their own brands and businesses, they faced difficulty amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Upon hearing about First Capital’s student and alumni mural competition on equity, diversity, and inclusion (ED&I) in our Yonge & Roselawn neighbourhood, they were immediately interested.

The theme sparked their creativity and left plenty of room for interpretation. They were confident in their abilities to produce a quality mural reflective of their differing cultural backgrounds. Their decision to work together was easy – not only were the three friends from OCAD, but they’d previously won a similar competition that had been canceled due to the pandemic last year. This was their chance at redemption, to prove themselves once again, and to showcase their artistic skill and talent.

**Anastasia Tarkhanova:**

A versatile artist and designer specializing in digital art and indoor murals. People, music, nature, and new projects are what sparks her inspiration. Anastasia moved from Russia at the age of 19 to study at OCAD U, pursuing her artistic dreams .

**Zuna Amir:**

A multidisciplinary artist with an emphasis in illustration and animation. Finding inspiration from her surrounding environments, Zuna immigrated from Pakistan with her family several years ago. She also owns a clothing line called **The Shared Brand**.

**Ashlyn Mundy:**

Enjoys drawing, painting, and printmaking, while exploring new illustration mediums and playing with textures. Born and raised in rural Ontario, Ashlyn moved to Toronto at the age of 17 to begin her studies at OCAD U.

As they began brainstorming ideas and possible designs, their main objective was to bring the Yonge & Roselawn neighbourhood to life. Differing from Toronto’s bustling downtown core, they knew this neighbourhood had more of a community-like feel, consisting of a diverse population, local businesses, friendly dog walkers, and growing families. Out of the three artists, Anastasia lives in the neighbourhood with her boyfriend, and is a regular at the local coffee shops. As a Russian immigrant, it is stories like hers that create the wonderfully diverse community at Yonge & Roselawn.

Working virtually during the creative process, their goal was to make the mural as cohesive as possible, attempting to avoid it looking as though three individuals had worked on it. Using paint as their artistic medium, they decided on a 2D/flat image given the competition’s time constraint. Accounting for the large space (50ft long by 14ft high), they developed a striking colour palette to capture the eye from afar. Sending designs back and forth, their differing areas of expertise and creative opinions, coupled with their comfortability to be frank with one another, ultimately proved to be a recipe for artistic success.

From March to April, the three worked diligently to meet the proposal due dates upon each round’s progression. Although confident in their mural, they grew nervous as they couldn’t gauge their competition, meet the other contestants, nor review their entries – a truly suspenseful moment for the trio.

Not long after did Anastasia, Zuna, and Ashlyn find out the exciting news of being the chosen winners of First Capital’s mural competition. With this win in their back pocket, it ultimately marked the next major milestone in their careers.

You work so hard and are hopeful, and then once you get it, it’s extremely rewarding
– Anastasia

Throughout the month of June, Anastasia, Zuna, and Ashlyn began hand-painting the mural onsite in the Yonge & Roselawn neighbourhood. Since they had never really worked on something of this size and scale, seeing the large blank wall in person was a bit overwhelming at first – far bigger than their small computer screens. Despite their nerves, they all agreed how refreshing it felt to socialize and work with others again, following Ontario’s third lockdown.

On site, the team was delighted by the vibrancy and inviting atmosphere, receiving daily greetings from the locals and free meals from the onsite food truck, Home Appliances Food Co. Not only does the mural beautify the area, but the three believe it creates a community gathering place. They recall one woman saying that the sight of the mural had brightened her day, and another stopping to read a book against the new mural backdrop.

Overall, Anastasia, Zuna, and Ashlyn are extremely proud of their final work of art and are positive that it’ll only bring them more success going forward – growing their careers, portfolios, and artistic ability. They all agreed that after working on this incredible outdoor mural at Yonge & Roselawn, they see themselves working together again and on something similar. Above all else, they take pride in how they have beautified a piece of their community, and that their work is on display for their friends, family, and neighbours to see.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to current and former students in the arts?

Keep on trying for as many opportunities because the worst thing you’re going to hear is no… so keep putting yourself out there
Zuna

Follow your heart and do what you want because someone is going to hate it… Also, say yes to things you might not be sure about… Look at us now
Ashlyn

Just keep producing because I believe it’s better to not have opportunity but be ready, than not be ready but have opportunity… so if you know you can do it and you continue to apply for things, you could be chosen in a second and you don’t want to be overwhelmed when that happens… Also, networking; for me, it’s not necessarily how talented you are, it’s who you know because people want to work with people they know. Keep talking to people because you never know who you’re going to meet or where it’s going to take you
Anastasia

We couldn’t be prouder of these three amazing artists and look forward to seeing their continued success in the future! We congratulate them on their well-deserved win in our ED&I-themed competition, and for their work-of-art featured proudly in our Yonge & Roselawn neighbourhood. To learn more about the artist and their portfolios, head to their websites and socials below:

Anastasia Tarkhanova

Personal & Art Portfolio
Web: https://www.anatarkhanova.com/
IG: @anastasia.art

Zuna Amir

Personal & Art Portfolio
Web: https://zunaamir.com/
IG: @zunaamir.art

Shared Brand
Web: https://thesharedbrand.com/
IG: @thesharedbrand

Ashlyn Mundy

Personal & Art Portfolio
Web: https://ashlynmundy.format.com/
IG: @ashlyn.mundy.art

To see the mural in person, head to 2440-2444 Yonge Street, and for more information on our arts program check out our Explainer podcast here.

Over the past year and a half, the real estate industry has faced unprecedented challenges presented by COVID-19. In our efforts, we’ve worked to protect our employees, tenants, and customers, with a primary focus of maintaining a safe environment.

In a proactive response to making our properties as safe and healthy as possible, First Capital REIT (FCR) is proud to announce that we have achieved the WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations & Management from the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). This rating has been granted to 35 of our buildings across Canada, comprised of shopping centres, mixed-used properties, and office spaces, totalling 7.1 million sf. As a leader in the Canadian retail REIT sector, achieving this rating is a reflection of First Capital’s implementation of exceptional operational strategies and protocols to support and advance a healthy and safe environment in our public indoor spaces.

What is the WELL Health-Safety Rating?

Developed by IWBI and launched in June 2020, the WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Management, is an evidence-based, third-party verified rating for all public building types. The rating is given to those who engage in specific cleaning and sanitization procedures, air and water quality management, operational policies, emergency preparedness programs, and health services. By leveraging the insights and guidance from over 600 experts across the globe, the WELL Health-Safety Rating helps building owners prepare their shared spaces for the highest standards of health and safety now and into the future.

FCR’s proactive efforts to earn the WELL Health-Safety Rating is a function of our ongoing leadership and commitment to support the health and safety of our employees, tenants, customers, and communities. The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have made this even more important, and we have responded by further implementing additional operational strategies and protocols of the highest standards. We are proud that the hard work of our team and our purpose of creating thriving neighbourhoods has been recognized through the first WELL rating amongst Canada’s retail REITs.
– Adam Paul, President and Chief Executive Officer, First Capital REIT

Congratulations to First Capital REIT for taking extraordinary steps to prioritize the health and safety of those who live, work or shop in their properties. By addressing the immediate challenges related to the COVID-19 now and broader health and age-related issues into the future, First Capital has reinforced its leadership in creating thriving urban neighborhoods in Canada, and its achievement of the WELL Health-Safety rating will further support a healthy, resilient recovery while inspiring others to reopen with confidence.
– Rachel Hodgdon, President and Chief Executive Officer, International WELL Building Institute

Our ESG 2020-2024 Roadmap aligns our efforts and initiatives across our organization, with goals to have positive impacts in our communities and neighbourhoods – this WELL rating is a significant milestone in this commitment. Be sure to keep an eye out for the WELL Health-Safety seal at the FCR properties listed below:

FCR Shopping Centres

Cedarbrae Mall	Toronto, ON
Centre Commercial Beaconsfield	Montreal, QC
Centre Domaine	Montreal, QC
Chartwell Shopping Centre	Toronto, ON
Centre Commercial Cote St. Luc	Montreal, QC
Fairview Mall	St. Catherines, ON
Galeries Normandie	Montreal, QC
Gloucester Shopping Centre	Ottawa, ON
Meadowlark Shopping Centre	Edmonton, AB
Meadowvale Shopping Centre	Mississauga, ON
Merivale Mall	Ottawa, ON
Northgate Centre	Edmonton, AB
Parkway Mall	Toronto, ON
Place Portobello	Brossard, QC
Semiahmoo Shopping Centre	Surrey, BC
Stanley Park Mall	Kitchener, ON
Westmount Shopping Centre	Edmonton, AB
Whitby Mall	Whitby, ON
Yorkville Village	Toronto, ON

FCR Mixed-Use

71 King Street West	Toronto, ON
100 rue Peel	Montreal, QC
101 Yorkville Avenue	Toronto, ON
225 rue Peel	Montreal, QC
The Brewery District	Edmonton, AB
Mount Royal Block	Calgary, AB
Mount Royal Village	Calgary, AB
Mount Royal West	Calgary, AB
Place Viau	Montreal, QC

FCR Office

Victoria Terrace	Toronto, ON
85 Hanna Avenue	Toronto, ON
801 York Mills Road	Toronto, ON
1670 Bayview Avenue	Toronto, ON
3080 Yonge Street	Toronto, ON
Barrymore Building	Toronto, ON
Centre Wilderton	Montreal, QC