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.
Check out what we are doing and have been doing to keep our parks safe!
Ready for life at the park to get even better? The countdown to something BIG is on!
On Tuesday, November 30, we’re launching the Innovation Place Connect app — your one-stop shop for everything work, life and grow at the park! Here’s a sneak peek of what Connect has for you:
We are so excited to bring this new innovation to you and your teams at the park and provide everything you need to make park life amazing, right at your fingertips.
Excited? We are too! On Monday, November 29 watch your inboxes for the official Innovation Place Connect email where you’ll find more info on the app, how to download and register and more. On Tuesday, November 30 celebrate the launch with cupakes. Let’s get ready to Connect!
It’s that time of the year when we celebrate all we’ve accomplished, bring friends, coworkers and family together and most importantly, party! Our Boffins Event Centre in Saskatoon is the perfect place for your holiday parties and festive meetings (tenant business functions only!) — plus it’s already fully decorated.
Here’s more info for your bookings:
We hope you enjoy your festive get together in our cozy, warm space. Happy holidays!
And you’re invited! Back in late September, we joined forces with Startup TNT to bring you the first Investment Summit to include Saskatchewan startups. Twice a year, Startup TNT holds summits to invest at least $150,000 into local startups while also training new investors to become confident angels. They gather 30 investors (new and seasoned) to invest real money into real companies with real potential. And now it’s Saskatchewan’s time to shine!
On Thursday, November 18 (psst that’s tonight!), five Saskatchewan startups — Immigrate, Nanogram Pharmaceuticals, Omnee, StoreToDoor and Tunedly — will pitch investors in the Investment Summit Finale for a chance to receive $150,000 in pre-seed investment! On top of that, the investors will have an option to invest even more through side-deals with the winning startup and any other of the five startups.
Now that’s a reason to celebrate! So, we’re hosting a watch party and an after party at the Boffins Event Centre in Saskatoon. Join us to watch the finale pitches and all the exciting investments and then stick around to celebrate!
There will be food, music, drinks and a whole lot of networking opportunities! Register now for your free tickets — you won’t want to miss this.
Like a lot of people, we’ve been reflecting. We’ve thought a lot about how work has changed in this last year and how to make things better (and we’ve been spreading the gospel here!). Our Improvements Team has taken it one step further into the physical and has been busy improving spaces throughout our parks to help everyone feel and work a little better.
Here’s what you might have missed if you’ve been gone:
These are just a few of the projects we had on our list and as always, if you’re looking for improvements to your space, our Improvements Team can help you! Get in touch with your Property Manager for more information.
Close your eyes, take a deep breath and imagine a space that is much more than just a space. It’s a vibrant hub of activity that encourages growth and collaboration. It’s a shared ecosystem that encourages culture building. It’s a tech-enabled hub that is connected to the environment around it.
In our ever-changing work world, we’re seeing companies and startups want to strive for success in a different type of ecosystem. One that evolves with them and their changing needs and we see the vision for the incredible space and community.
Do you see it too? Doesn’t it look like a wonderful place? We think so too.
The Regina park will soon be home to our first innovation hub where community leaders and tech entrepreneurs come together in one cohesive community. Stay tuned!
Last week, we talked about the importance of branding, especially during times of change, and now it’s time to put that strategy into action. Here are some of the biggest trends happening right now that you should consider adding to your marketing initiatives:
These trends should help jumpstart your brainstorming while you evaluate your brand, how it emotionally resonates with your customers and your new strategic marketing plan.
One thing that is forever in motion is digital communication: strategies evolve, platforms change (apparently Facebook is Meta now?) and tools develop. One thing that remains consistent though is the need to cut through the clutter with your own key messages. Having a strong brand can help you stand out, connect with your ideal audience and amplify your growth.
Here are some tips we focus on to help get you started:
These are just a few of the tactics we employ and if you’re interested in exploring branding further, register for our Lunch & Learn The Importance of Branding with Zap Creative!
There are a lot of decisions that go into coming to work: what to wear?! what to eat?! when to leave and where to park?! Some of these are fun (we love a fashion show), some of these get redundant (the cafe is open for lunchtime ease!) and some are kind of… dull. But, we’re here to make parking exciting and easy!
Our parks have a ton of parking options to suit your teams’ needs and accommodate any guests. Both our parks have Scramble lots (park anywhere!), Reserved spaces (a special spot! Limited availability!), and Carpool spots (sharing is caring!) and in Saskatoon Diesel and Student lots are available as well as an electric vehicle charging station is on the way!
Have guests coming or just need a quick stop? We have metered parking available that also uses the PayByPhone app. And don’t worry we heard your feedback! In Saskatoon, we’ve reduced the daily parking pass rate from $9 to $6 for the rest of the year.
If you need more information, check out our Parking page in Tenant Resources or contact your Property Manager with any questions. Look out for your brand new parking passes in Saskatoon soon!
It’s no secret things have been a bit chaotic and tough these last 20+ months. We’re here to make things a little easier on your company or organization with our many partnership programs aimed to help our community grow, build and save while limiting risk.
Our park community has access to over $310,000 in partner credits and discounts to everything from cloud tools to recruitment services to grant funding to HR and marketing tools and more. Check out some of our latest partnerships:
And there’s tons more! Learn more about all our partnership programs or contact us to access these opportunities.
Winter is coming and we’re ready to keep park life and access easy for you so you can literally return to work, even in the dead of winter.
Our Grounds Crew has detailed procedures honed from years of experience to get everyone through almost anything winter throws at us! Our priority clearing system and third-party support contracts ensure our sidewalks, building footpaths and major roads stay clear and safe to use so you can work uninterrupted.
Sometimes Saskatchewan winters can even get the best of us, so after major snowfalls (remember last November?!) we may need additional time to clean things up and appreciate your extra patience as we do.
Questions about snow removal or park maintenance? Contact your Property Manager for more info.
It’s pretty trendy to have a games room and ping pong table at a tech park, but we don’t just do it to be cool. Research has shown that emphasizing play in your office culture with multi-person games like ping pong has a ton of great benefits for your workplace like:
Give it a try at our Games Room in Saskatoon, complete with a ping pong table, pool table, two foosball tables and a take-a-book/leave-a-book sharing library, or our other ping pong table in the Link. The Games Room is open Monday through Friday, 5:30 am to 10:00 pm, user access on weekends and masks are required. We provide the paddles (and cues and balls), you provide the fun!
The #1 question we get when we post photos of the Garden Park pond in Saskatoon is “What happens to the fish in the winter?” Just like we’re preparing to do: they’re wintering. Except, instead of cozy blankets, fires and hot chocolate, the koi find their way to indoor ponds throughout Innovation Place in Saskatoon to rest, re-group and chill out.
Removing the fish is a multi-step for our Grounds Crew that starts in August and ends, you guessed it, when the weather turns cold! First, floating plants are removed and composted and more hardy plants are over-wintered in dry storage or tough it out outside. Then, minnow traps are set to remove the (many, many) babies from the pond. Lastly, we set out to catch the Big Guys (and slightly smaller ones too!). We net catch all the large koi sometimes from the edge of the pond and sometimes our Grounds Crew dons hip waders to get any slippery evaders. Once we’ve got all the fish, most stay cozy all winter in special large tanks in our Grounds Shop and the remaining (fancy) few chill out in the Atrium and Galleria indoor water features.
And that’s it! When things get colder outside, take a nice stroll inside and visit our koi in Saskatoon and remember tis’ the season to rest, relax and retreat.
By now, we can all agree that the office is important and has lots of value beyond just being a physical space. It’s where we connect, create community, concentrate and (c)more!
Communicating those values effectively through your return-to-work plan can be a bit trickier. In today’s uncertain environment, every organization is trying to establish how to reopen their offices while keeping their workforce engaged. It’s probably one of the most complex challenges leaders are facing! Don’t worry, we’ve done our research and have a few key considerations for you:
As always, Innovation Place is here to help you navigate your path. Please feel free to reach out with questions, suggestions or resources you’ve found. We’re all learning together.
To get personal with you all: one of the best things for me about returning to work at Innovation Place is the Internet. It’s so fast! Gone are the days of waiting 25 minutes for Dreamweaver to load or being frozen in unflattering positions on Webex.
Because our IT department is amazing (yes I’m sucking up), they’ve gone into overdrive and have implemented some amazing upgrades throughout our parks to help you work smoother and, in cases like mine, faster:
If you have any questions or comments about our IT upgrades or more, contact your Property Manager with your feedback. Happy Interneting!
Working out at the Fitness Centre that is! Last week we talked about the benefits of getting away from your desk and getting some fresh air. We know that it can get a bit trickier as the air gets colder (and sometimes smokier!) and the days become shorter, but it’s super important to get your daily dose of exercise!
Specifically, research has also shown that exercising during the workday has a ton of benefits for employees, including:
A super easy way to integrate exercise into your life is to take advantage of our Fitness Centres in Regina and Saskatoon! They are open Monday to Friday from 5:00 am to 10:00 pm and full of great equipment like weight machines, ellipticals, stair climbers, free weights and more.
We are currently following all government health recommendations and restrictions and users must wear masks within the facility (can be removed when on equipment) and must show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result. We also provide regular enhanced cleaning and continue to monitor restrictions and best practices.
For more info on our Fitness Centres, check out the Fitness Centre Saskatoon and Fitness Centre Regina pages, and if you have any questions please reach out!
Okay yes, you called it: we’re obsessed with office design. But, in our defense, it’s because we’re in a totally unprecedented moment when it comes to the concept, design and utilization of the office!
The pandemic and (hopefully soon) post-pandemic workplace have raised a lot of questions about what the office means (a moving target if we’ve ever seen one) and how to make the best decisions for office life. Basically, there’s no blanket solution, but there are data-driven and behaviour-based options we can implement.
The workplace has been shown as valuable for community socialization, team collaboration and individual focus to name just a few. Designing an office that maximizes these aspects of office life results in better work, happier teams and overall higher worker satisfaction.
We can help make your new office dreams a reality (or our Project Management team can!) and in turn help support your teams to be the best they can be.
Get in contact with your Property Manager and we’ll set up a meeting to explore your options so you can create the best office for your team.
With more and more people returning to our parks, we want to make sure your suites and our public spaces and beautiful grounds are in tip top shape. Our Service Request System is the easiest and fastest way to address any issues you may encounter from a light bulb change to required assistance with a forklift. Our Tech Ops crew, including Randy and Brent pictured above, are always happy to help!
All you need to do is fill out a Service Request Form with the pertinent information and one of our friendly Innovation Place maintenance staff members will be there to assist you in a timely manner. The more details you can provide, the better! Or rather, the easier it will be for our team to come prepared to do the work. If there’s ever any special requirements before entering your space, let us know, and we are always happy to accommodate.
Our Service Request System is monitored Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. If there is ever an emergency, please contact us via 306.933.8115 in Saskatoon or 306.798.7275 in Regina. These phone numbers are attended to 24/7 to make sure we’re providing you with the service you deserve!
Check out our Park Maintenance pages for Saskatoon and Regina for more information.
What a treat! We’re loving soaking up these balmy days, enjoying outdoor meetings and lunches and taking (long) breaks strolling the parks. Getting fresh air and stretching your legs is a great way to recharge and reset during this busy time of year.
But… winter is coming. And with those cold, dark days (sorry to be so dramatic), it gets a little harder to step away from your desk and take the breaks you need. We have some ideas to help you stay active and mentally fit for the rest of 2021:
The Government of Saskatchewan announced new public health measures to address rising COVID-19 case rates and we’re ready to do our part to help continue to keep everyone safe!
Masks are now mandatory in indoor public spaces, including common areas within Innovation Place buildings like lobbies, elevators and hallways. Our spaces remain available for use and meeting rooms will continue to be cleaned before and after.
Proof of vaccination will be required to access our Fitness Centres and attend our events as of October 1.
If you need your vaccine, get your jab at our next walk-in vaccine clinic (Pfizer & Moderna) on Wednesday, September 29 from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm in the Philae Room in the Galleria in Saskatoon. Everyone 12+ years is welcome for their first, second or third dose (as applicable). Bring your health card and COVID-19 vaccination card (if applicable) and wear your mask. We’re so proud our walk-in vaccine clinics have given 400+ doses with 40+ being first doses — stay tuned for future vaccine clinics!
Visit our COVID-19 updates & resources page for more information and if you have any questions, contact your Property Manager. Thank you again for being a part of our community and taking care of yourselves and each other.
Thanks to everyone who attended our Welcome Week events to safely celebrate the resiliency of our park community and reconnect with one another! Thanks to Eurest Services and Momentum Café for providing all the amazing food. Here’s our super official breakdown of a successful fun-filled week:
250+ pancakes eaten (and enjoyed!)
75+ trivia players not to mention countless tacos consumed
1 super cool trivia game created by Stealth Media
4 Riders tickets won
500+ burgers eaten (and enjoyed!)
1 walk-in vaccination clinic hosted
2 horticultural tours enthusiastically run by our Landscape Manager
4 park tours enthusiastically run by our Client Relations team
300+ ice creams eaten (and enjoyed!)
1000+ smiles in our parks
Once again, a big mushy thank you for being the best darn park community in the whole world! If you have any feedback about Welcome Week or ideas for future events, contact your Property Manager or fill out our Feedback Form.
The benefits of recycling and composting are well-documented: it promotes environmental responsibility, reduces waste in landfills, saves energy and more! But, did you know it can be great for your company too?
Research shows that setting up a recycling and composting program that promotes sustainability in your office can help you attract and retain employees, build community and even save money!
Interested in recycling and composting? We can help!
For more information on how you can be environmentally sustainable, visit our Tenant Resources site and check out our interactive maps for recycling locations in Regina and Saskatoon.
Moving forward, offices will be critical tools for organizations to remain competitive in the workforce and foster innovation and growth in the workplace. Creating a compelling workplace that supports employees’ physical, cognitive and emotional wellbeing is paramount in creating a shared sense of purpose and community, not to mention producing some killer ideas.
In our new four-part series on design approaches, we’ll explore a variety of workplace strategies and design concepts that you could implement into your workplaces. Last, but not least, we focus on the integration of physical space and technology.
We’ve talked about the importance of balance and flexibility in the workplace and nothing illustrates it better (or tests our theories more) like a hybrid work environment, specifically hybrid meetings. When we consider bridging the gap between in-person and remote meeting participants, we think the three Es: Equity, Engagement and Ease.
We’ve equipped our meeting rooms with new equipment and services to ease digital meetings and you can too! Here are a few things you can do to your spaces if you want to incorporate the three Es into your meetings:
Interested in reconsidering your current space? Contact your Property Manager and our Innovation Place Project Management team will help you figure out the perfect office design.
Are you? How could you not be after seeing these excited faces?! Next week September 13-17 we’re safely celebrating the resilience and adaptability of our park community with a week full of fun events, delicious food and awesome prizes.
In Saskatoon, there’s still time to sign up for Pancake Breakfast, Tenant Appreciation BBQ, The Mix and Afternoon Ice Cream!
In Regina, sign up for Pancake Breakfast, Tacos & Trivia, Coffee Tasting, Tenant Appreciation BBQ, Park Tour and Afternoon Ice Cream!
You can also enter to win two tickets to the Rider game on Friday, September 17 or cool prizes by tagging us on social media in your Welcome Week photos and videos!
We want to thank each and every tenant and community member at Innovation Place (we’re slowly making the rounds) for their patience, kindness and flexibility as we all figured out how to safely work together during this time. Your commitment to this community is what dreams are made of and we can’t wait to celebrate your success together!
The return to office life is great for a ton of reasons, but we’re going to be honest: we miss a few things from remote work. No, not the endless video meetings or total isolation (yes the sweatpants), but the ability to maybe throw in a load of laundry or grab a few things at the grocery store during a break. Fear not, we’ve got you covered in Saskatoon!
No, we’re not going to do your laundry for you, but we will help with your groceries! Sign up for the CHEP Good Food Box in Saskatoon to have fresh produce delivered right to Innovation Place. Here’s how you do it:
That’s it! Next order date is Monday, September 13 and deliveries are always on a Wednesday. For more information, check out our tenant resource page or contact your Property Manager.
After a year of virtual events, webinars, podcasts, Brain Bites videos and well, everything, the return of in-person events following the July 11 end to restrictions was incredible. This summer was filled with hundreds of people getting freezies, mixing it up at Boffins Event Centre, playing in the Slo-Pitch Leage and listening to Jazz in the, er, Boffins. There was also over 50 Saskatchewan startups pitching at the first Great Saskatchewan Pitch Marathon… and lots more celebrating at the after party!
As summer winds down (too soon! we know!), we’re looking forward to a fun-filled fall full of fantastic Innovation Place programming — say that five times fast. We’re bringing back our Lunch & Learns, Deep Dives and Startupville Podcast, not to mention kicking things off with our first in-person Pi O’Clock on September 10 and our Welcome Week on September 13 - 17.
Thank you to our tenants and tech community for making Innovation Place a special place to start, build and grow and for the resiliency you have all shown. We are so proud to help everyone grow and thrive in Saskatchewan!
Register for upcoming events and stay tuned for more awesome programming and fun from us!
Moving forward, offices will be critical tools for organizations to remain competitive in the workforce and foster innovation and growth in the workplace. Creating a compelling workplace that supports employees’ physical, cognitive and emotional wellbeing is paramount in creating a shared sense of purpose and community, not to mention producing some killer ideas.
In our new four-part series on design approaches, we’ll explore a variety of workplace strategies and design concepts that you could implement into your workplaces. Today we consider the balance of collaborative and individual work.
We’ve got a question for you: what do you think the purpose of an office is?
Great answer! It’s definitely all those things. The pandemic has made us rethink the meaning of the office too and it’s become clear from our own research, experiences and talking to all of you that the office’s greatest contribution to a company’s success is its ability to support employee socialization and collaboration.
It all comes back to a shared sense of purpose and community and the right mix of spaces for people to connect in informal ways and individualized ways is critical. Effective collaboration is characterized by an ebb and flow of people coming together to work as a team and then moving apart to focus individually, process their ideas and complete assigned tasks. The workplace should nurture this pattern and include open settings to support teams and private settings to support independent work. Striking this balance will keep your team feeling just right.
Interested in reconsidering your current space? Contact your Property Manager and our Innovation Place Project Management team will help you figure out the perfect office design.
That’s right! The Atrium Café in Saskatoon and the Terrace Café in Regina, now called Momentum Café, open September 7!
Grab a bite or build your own at The Atrium Café in Saskatoon open Monday to Friday from 7:30 am to 3:00 pm. Our newly renovated Atrium Café serves up hot breakfast and lunch options straight from the grill and fresh salads and wraps from our signature line or your own creation. Enjoy your break at a table in our tree-filled Atrium space, our cozy lounge area or outside in the Garden Park. If you’re looking to cater your next meeting or event, Eurest Dining Services is available via CaterTrax — just give them 72 hours notice!
Eat, drink and inspire at Momentum Café in Regina open Monday to Friday from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm. Co-owned by Laurie Wall, Regina’s premier caterer and Celebrationist Extraordinaire at Wallnuts Expressive Catering, and CJ Katz, award-winning cookbook author and culinary host of The Wheatland Café on CTV, Momentum Café is stretching the boundaries of the traditional coffee shop. Expect colourful and artfully presented hand-crafted food and pastries, superb coffee, an artist in residence, interactive art displays and a venue that breathes sunlight and living plants.
Stay tuned for opening dates for the Concourse Coffee Lounge and Calian Café.
Moving forward, offices will be critical tools for organizations to remain competitive in the workforce and foster innovation and growth in the workplace. Creating a compelling workplace that supports employees’ physical, cognitive and emotional wellbeing is paramount in creating a shared sense of purpose and community, not to mention producing some killer ideas.
In our new four-part series on design approaches, we’ll explore a variety of workplace strategies and design concepts that you could implement into your workplaces. This week we look at increasing fluidity of workspace.
To keep up with the accelerating pace of business and change, a fluid workplace that can flex as needs evolve can support innovation and advance the culture of your organization — all while optimizing your space. Integrating an open, collaborative area that can support meetings in the morning, serve at the café at lunch, host a town hall in the afternoon and ease into a work lounge in the evening, enables different kinds of work to happen more effectively, all while contributing to your employees’ health and wellbeing.
Basically, think adaptability, not permanence. And think about how your space can create a physical experience that brings people together in new and effective ways.
Interested in reconsidering your current space? Contact your Property Manager and our Innovation Place Project Management team will help you figure out the perfect office design.
One of the best things about Innovation Place (if we do say so ourselves) is our unique spaces. We’re talking the beautiful Terrace Plaza, the Galleria bowl, the Rotunda and, crowd favourite, the Garden Park and Chalet. Not only are these places stunning to look at (and snap a quick selfie), they serve as amazing non-traditional meeting venues!
Now that everyone is returning to the office, it’s time to spice up your meetings from the usual boardroom or dreaded online space. Here’s why you should consider a destination meeting:
These are just a few reasons why you should consider scheduling your next meeting outside the traditional office walls, like our Grounds Crew above having a meeting in the Chalet — that could be you and your team! Just don’t go, you know, in the pond. Happy meeting!
Moving forward, offices will be critical tools for organizations to remain competitive in the workforce and foster innovation and growth in the workplace. Creating a compelling workplace that supports employees’ physical, cognitive and emotional wellbeing is paramount in creating a shared sense of purpose and community, not to mention producing some killer ideas.
In our new four-part series on design approaches, we’ll explore a variety of workplace strategies and design concepts that you could implement into your workplaces. First up: an open plan office.
When most think of an open plan office, they think of the decades-old trend of open, individual work stations of ever-increasing density and meetings held in enclosed conference rooms. But the open plan office of the future switches it up!
Open space, that may include moveable boundaries, will become more common for meeting while individual work will happen in areas that minimize distraction and enhance visual and acoustical privacy. Because open collaboration spaces do not include fixed features, they are more flexible and able to change as new work patterns emerge. For example, quick stand-up meetings with visible content hosted in open spaces, defined by flexible furniture and easy-to-access technology, can lead to increased innovation, problem-solving and co-creation.
Interested in reconsidering your current space? Contact your Property Manager and our Innovation Place Project Management team will help you figure out the perfect office design.
Okay, we know it’s still super hot outside, but our Tech Ops crew, the forward thinkers that they are, have already set their sights on improving the park come wintertime! And that means, you guessed it, making sure the heat is on and working. We chatted with our Technical Operations Manager Myron about what they’re doing and why.
Hi Myron! So, what’s happening in this photo exactly?
Our Building Operator Tony is upgrading the heating pumps for the heating system to one of our buildings in Regina.
Ugh, HEAT. Why are you doing this now?
Hey, I know nobody wants to talk about heat right now! But, we’re being proactive and changing out a critical piece of equipment. Our pumps run 24/7 and if this failed in the winter, it could be catastrophic.
Oof. So this maintenance will keep everyone cozy at Innovation Place come winter?
Yep! This type of foresight in changing out aged equipment ensures we’ll be up and running in the middle of winter. Plus, we keep the old ones as spares should we need them in an emergency, so we’re fully covered.
Nice! Are there any additional benefits?
A newer pump will be more efficient, especially since our last one is 21 years old! This one will have more pumping flow due to lower losses in tolerance in pump housing. So basically, we’ll achieve more flow with the same amount of energy. Plus, this guy should be good for another 10+ years!
This is all very cool. Okay last question and it’s a big one: does this work require two sets of glasses?
You bet.
Vaccinations are rolled out, restrictions lifted and now your employees are returning to the office…now what? The pandemic has increased employee expectations for a great work experience. How can you make your workplace even better for everyone?
Our tip: make the workplace a destination spot! The main reasons people are excited to return to the office is to regain a sense of belonging, improve their network and nurture relationships. In short: we want to connect with people other than our pets and family about things other than our pets and family.
Employees want to collaborate, connect and co-create and by creating spaces where they can meet up in small or big groups, informal or formal settings, it can encourage and foster that sense of shared purpose.
Our common areas, cafes and outdoor spaces definitely provide this opportunity, but there are lots of small changes you can make to your office environment too — and the Innovation Place Project Management team is here to help!
We can work together to help you optimize your office while balancing the needs of your staff and business objectives to give you a workspace that will inspire your team to do their best work. Contact your Property Manager to learn more!
Did you know you can enjoy a full English garden right in the middle of Regina? It’s true! The Terrace Plaza located outside of 10 Research Drive (you know, the building with the amazing spiral staircase) is designed to resemble a quaint English garden full of roses, wrought-iron decorations and bistro tables, perfect for an afternoon tea, morning coffee or pleasant workday hangout, just like Wayne and Kendra above!
Not to mention there’s a stunning water wall and central fountain meant to create the tranquil illusion of being totally surrounded by nature. Come for a stroll and take a break in the Terrace Plaza and stay tuned for future events, BBQs, concerts and more happening there!
It’s the phrase that haunted our dreams at the start of the pandemic as we panic bought or consciously acquired (wink!) a multitude of items to soothe our souls. Now, several months later, businesses are feeling the crunch of product shortages, cost increases and shipping delays as they aim to stock back up on products. But, that’s proved to be a struggle too!
Why? Well from a semiconductor chip shortage affecting the auto industry and driving up prices to the world economy suddenly running low on everything, a lot of things are at play. One thing that’s for sure is our next several months will continue to be delayed. But stay positive! At least the grocery stores all have toilet paper again.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for making these last few weeks so extra special and fun! We’ve had 250+ attendees at 4 Freezie Tuesdays at our 2 parks and 55+ attendees at our first The Mix event happening every Thursday in Saskatoon. Wowza!
Seeing lots more faces back in our parks, mixing and mingling, eating freezies, hanging out is reminding us how special our parks, tenants and the whole Saskatchewan tech sector truly are!
Keep coming out for Freezie Tuesday and The Mix every Thursday in Saskatoon (you could win two tickets to The Sheepdogs concert on August 7) and stay tuned for exciting events like Jazz in the Bowl August 11 and more!
Return to work is in full swing in Saskatchewan and we wanted to take a slightly deeper look at some best practices, starting with the hybrid model. For those who’ve been working remotely for the last 16+ months (or was it 900 years?) transitioning back to office life probably comes with a lot of feelings: excitement at seeing new faces, relief at getting back to a work-oriented setting (and not say, your dining room table) and confusion over having to get fully ready in the morning?!
A great way to help employees ease back to work full time is by incorporating a hybrid work model — that is a mix of remote and in-person work set around a schedule. Here’s why and how to do it:
WHY: According to our research, embracing a hybrid model can boost productivity, spur creativity and keep workers safe, happy and healthy while they adjust.
HOW: First, try to understand how your employees are handling the shift back to work — what’s working, what isn’t and what leaders need to change. Second, crowdsource tools and survey options so you can quickly and frequently hear from employees about what they would prefer, how hybrid is going and when they’re ready to come back full time.
It’s aliiive! (Yes, I’m mixing horror movies — just go with it.) Our living plant walls are back in Saskatoon and ready for you to visit on the large Galleria balconies. Why are living plant walls so special? We chatted with our Landscape Manager Kyla to find out.
What are the benefits of living walls?
In outdoor settings, living walls soften up the space and add vertical interest while having minimal impact in small spaces because of their small footprint. Plus, they look great.
Definitely! What kinds of plants are on our living walls?
On the North balcony, there’s clover throughout and silver falls dichondra at the top that will slowly grow down throughout the course of the summer. On the East balcony, there’s clover, portulaca, gazania, kenilworth ivy and silver falls dichondra designed to look like pictures inside a scrapbook. You’ll notice that triangles on each corner represent the little tabs that hold pictures and inside the plants create a pattern like a picture.
Very cool. Who designed these?
The designs were done by our Grounds Maintenance Equipment Operator Travis and he and Erin from our Grounds team (pictured above) installed them.
Hmm, what if we wanted more living walls. Do they require more work?
Not more, just different! They need frequent watering because they are shallow, however, they generally get fewer weeds because the weed seeds have a harder time settling into the soil because it’s vertical.
We’re officially in love with the walls. Were they tough to install?
We love the walls too, but they were definitely a challenge to install! There are 32 panels on the North balcony and 210 panels on the East balcony that all had to be hand carried up the stairs by the grounds staff. We made a human chain, but it was still like running stairs in gym class if your gym class was outdoors in a heatwave with a sweaty mask on your face!
Be sure to check out and marvel at all 242 panels of our living walls, snap a picture and tag us in it!
So, in case you haven’t noticed — it’s been HOT lately. What does it take to keep our buildings COOL on 35+ degree days in the Saskatoon park? Glad you asked.
TWO: the number of chillers in the central plant running at 95% capacity, generating a combined 1,720 tonnes of cooling
THREE: the number of cooling towers running at 100% capacity, generating 57,000 liters of 23-degree condensing water
THREE: also the number of secondary chilled water distribution pumps running at 85% capacity circulating 203 liters per second of 7.5-degree chilled water to the buildings
175,000: the amount of liters of chilled water pumping through a network of underground piping connecting all buildings
What do all these numbers add up to? A whole lot of electrical power and chilled water flowing throughout the park buildings’ equipment like air handling units, rooftop units, fan coils, heat exchangers, terminal boxes, radiant panels, cooling coils, pumps and more! And, once this water has absorbed heat, it’s recirculated back to the Energy Centre in a closed loop to be re-cooled.
In short, this is what it takes to cool our environments and keep humans, and equipment, comfortable. Big thanks to our Energy Centre Operators, Building Operators, Trades staff and Admin and Support staff for the critical roles they play in keeping this operation running smoothly and flowing cooly.
Seeing more smiling faces at our parks and in our hallways and common spaces this past week has been, to put it lightly, seriously amazing. That joyous feeling of collective effervescence (it’s a real thing!) is riding high as we revive and upgrade our many amenities and services and introduce some old faves like Freezie Tuesdays and our Slo-Pitch league and totally new ones like Walking Paths!
Can you tell we’re excited? We’re excited! And we want you to be excited about coming back to work, creating connections (remember people?!) and, not to dampen the mood or anything, feeling safe and ready. We’ve all been through a lot these last 16+ months and we definitely understand that all that excitement is also mixed with trepidation and apprehension about returning to normal. Luckily, we’ve got some best practice honed from research and lived experience to help you and your team ease back in effectively:
Want more suggestions? Check out the Workplace Safety & Prevention Services: Post Pandemic Business Resumption Checklist and the Workers' Safety & Compensation Commission: Covid-19 Workplace Safety Planning Checklist and don’t forget to fill out our Return to Work survey with any ideas and feedback!
One thing that was made incredibly clear this year is that people love meetings. Maybe love is a strong word, but meetings remain incredibly important, especially when people are working remotely or just in another city! We decided this was a perfect time to beef up our meeting rooms in Saskatoon with new equipment, services and more! Here’s a quick list of everything new:
Need something else? Let us know! Contact your property manager with any feedback.
Start each month with a fresh bunch of seasonal flowers delivered right to the Innovation Place offices in Saskatoon!
We partnered with Poetica Flowers — a fantastic Saskatoon business that sources flowers from local farmers and Canadian growers — for a new flower subscription box service. Here’s how it works:
Our Client Relations team along with the Grounds Crew have mapped out two lovely walking path options worthy of your exploration in Saskatoon. These paths are the perfect excuse to get outside and explore the park on a beautiful day while getting some exercise. And hey, bring a friend!
We’ll be looking to add more pieces to these walking paths over the next little bit to help you learn about the plants and trees populating the park. So, stay tuned!
Check them paths out PDF-style!
And hey, we didn’t forget about our Regina peeps! The walking path will be rolled out soon so keep your eyes open for the cool dude strutting painted on sidewalks around the park in the near future.
Much like the collective weight on all our shoulders, all COVID-19 restrictions in Saskatchewan will be lifted on July 11. Here’s what that means for you at our parks!
Outside our parks, there are some great things available. Let’s have a quick chat!
Q: Will Rapid Antigen Testing be available at Innovation Place?
A: We tried! But, unfortunately no — logistics failed us. However, be sure to check out Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) for more info on how this safe and simple COVID-19 test method delivers results in 15 mins.
Q: What about mobile vaccinations at Innovation Place?
A: We tried! I know, we sound like a broken record, but we did! SHA has designated other workplaces more essential, however, they assure us that Innovation Place has a special place in its heart. New news! There will be a mobile walk-in clinic at Innovation Place in Saskatoon on Wednesday, July 7 from 9 am to 2 pm in the Candle Span Room in the Atrium.
I’ve seen great return to work initiatives that would be awesome for Innovation Place. Can I tell you about them?
A: ABSOLUTELY. In fact, we have a survey for that! Take our survey and tell us your plans, what you need, want and anything else. Nothing is too big, small, silly or serious! (Okay maybe too silly, but we can handle it!)
Now, take a big, relaxing deep breath, a sip of water and bask in the relief that we made it.
Enhanced cleaning in common areas was one of the first things we did to help keep people safe. Our janitorial crew, including Zege pictured above, sanitizes everything to keep you safe: door handles, elevator buttons, push paddles, fitness equipment, seating… you get the point.
We plan on continuing this level of cleanliness even after Step 3 of the Reopen plan because, put simply, it’s pretty great! If you would like a deep clean using fun things like electrostatic spray to sanitize your space, contact your Property Manager to arrange a cleaning.
As always, thanks to Zege and the janitorial team for their amazing work always and especially during the pandemic.
Many employees are excited to return to the workplace to reconnect with their coworkers and, frankly, just get out of the house! What that workplace might look like is up to you and we’re here to help.
Through their network of design industry contacts, our Project Management team has kept up-to-date on the latest solutions to best address the new post-pandemic office models. Coupled with their years of experience, our team is ready to help you and your team navigate and implement any physical restructuring required to fit your short- and long-term space strategies as you return to work.
Contact your Property Manager to talk about space solutions and whatever else is on your mind.
Who wants to talk indoor air quality (IAQ)?! IAQ is all the rage these days so we thought we’d give you a little behind the scenes look at what we do to ensure our IAQ is always A+.
Have questions about IAQ, space modifications or more? Contact us — We’ll connect you with the right person at Innovation Place.