Innovation Saskatchewan is responsible for implementing the province’s innovation priorities and helping grow Saskatchewan’s tech sector. Effective April 2022, this includes operation of the Innovation Place technology parks in Saskatoon and Regina.
Technology Roundtable
Well folks, we've come to our final technology roundtable. In our first installment, we asked some of our tenants how technology's role has evolved in their lives during the pandemic. In the second, what strategy has helped you the most professionally during the pandemic?
Now, in the third and final installment we asked our tenants what their number one social distancing lifesaver is, and boy, did they deliver (spoiler alert: there's a recipe for a new cocktail THE COVIDIAN). Enjoy!
Alex Shimla, Program Director, Co.Labs (Innovation Place, Saskatoon)
“Watching other people make sourdough on Instagram and then asking them to deliver it to my apartment while following all physical distancing protocols.”
Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (Innovation Place, Saskatoon)
“For many on the SHRF team, where Zoom and other virtual meeting technology was mostly confined to our professional lives, it has now been a way we can connect socially with our friends and extended families. Getting outside for a walk or bike ride, joining in for an online workout class, or just having driveway conversations with neighbours, family and friends has also been a great way to remember that we are all in this together!”
Jeff Dyck, Director of Engineering, Mentor, a Siemens Business (Innovation Place, Saskatoon)
“I live downtown and am used to an urban lifestyle where I spend many evenings out on the town for dinner and drinks and weekend mornings out for brunch. Shutting down restaurants and lounges has decimated my routine. I recently discovered that my refrigerator is good for more than storing condiments and that my oven is not just a decoration — it produces heat! My wife and I have been having home-cooked dinners at the table, outside, at the TV and sitting on the floor — mixing it up to keep it interesting. I have been working on my mixology skills too and created "The COVIDIAN" (a Negroni-inspired concoction):
1 oz red vermouth
1 oz Campari
1 oz Black Fox #3 gin
Splash of Armagnac
Stir in a mixing glass with ice. Serve in a rocks glass with a nice big, clear, round ice cube, and finish with a Luxardo cherry and drizzle 1/4 tsp of the cherry syrup onto the top of the ice cube. Yum.”
Brett Park, Co-founder, Shiverware (Innovation Place, Regina)
“Morning reading in the sun and afternoon neighbourhood walks for the win.”
Monique Simair, CEO and Founder, Maven Water & Environment (Innovation Place, Saskatoon)
“I’ve spent my last 5 years travelling at least 50% of the time. It feels really weird being at home this much! I’ve been enjoying expanding my orchid and streptocarpus collections. Yup, weird, but plants and flowers make me happy. The focus it’s taking to keep a startup business growing in these times is plenty to keep me busy!”
Tyson Liske, Vice President Marketing and Communications, Lumeca (Innovation Place, Regina)
“I have a classic Honda motorbike that is getting tuned up in the shop as I write this. Looking forward to going for a ride has given me something to look forward to in relative isolation. I am also in the process of landscaping our backyard. There is something cathartic about being able to turn on some music, turn the mind off a bit and do some manual labour.”
Dr. Lidia Matei, Corporate Business Officer, Sylvia Fedoruk Canadian Centre for Nuclear Innovation (Innovation Place, Saskatoon)
“We try to stay apart together. I enjoy a bike ride, long walks and playing board games with my family. Our Yorkie keeps us company while we do yard work or on the trails. Being home 24/7 with a teenager while doing online schooling is a challenge. Now is the time when we realize the tremendous load carried by school teachers every day. I am thankful for their work and dedication. It makes a difference in our lives.
Also, I dedicate some of my time to the Canadian Association of Radiopharmaceutical Scientists (CARS), I keep the radiopharmaceutical community informed on the strategies implemented by facilities across the country. There are 27 centres from Coast to Coast, so we work together and share our thoughts on facing daily new challenges in the current context.”
Jackie Robin, Director of Communications, Ag-West Bio (Innovation Place, Saskatoon)
“Runs or walks by the river almost every day. Zoom visits with my kids on the weekends (we even had a Zoom birthday party!). My cat. She has decided she likes office work; she spends about half an hour each day curled up on my lap while I’m at the computer.”
Katrina German, Director of Digital Awesomeness, KatrinaGerman.com (Innovation Place, Saskatoon)
“I love to garden so preparing my yard (now that the weather has changed) has kept me sane.”
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