BLOG

The Communica team comes from a diverse background with many different experiences and passions. Whether it is travel, politics, communications, public relations, social media, marketing, public policy or law… there’s no shortage of unique ideas around the boardroom table. Below you’ll find blogs on some of our ideas. What’s got you thinking?

May 19, 2015
Join Us For Happy Hour In Prince George

Happy hour isn’t just for Fridays. On Monday, May 25 we are hosting a networking reception in Prince George during the BC Chamber of Commerce AGM. Event details are as follows: Monday, May 25, 4:00 to 6:00 pm Winston Room, Coast Inn of the North 770 Brunswick St., Prince George Event features complimentary beverages, snacks, door prizes and an official toast from Communica at 5:00 pm – we invite you to spend a happy hour (or two) with us. Communica specializes in Stakeholder and Aboriginal Engagement, Communication, and Stakeholder Information Management (SIM). While we “cut our teeth” on creating and implementing multi-year and multi-stakeholder engagement strategies in regulatory processes, we are also capable of seamlessly integrating into existing teams that may need a few extra hands. If you are interested in learning more about Communica and meeting some of our team members, please RSVP to events@communica.ca at your earliest convenience – we hope to see you there! Continued

May 11, 2015
Spark Women's Leadership Conference

Communica will be participating for the first time in the Spark Women’s Leadership Conference in the energetic Northern British Columbia town of Fort St. John. The Spark Women’s Leadership Conference launched last year to promote a sense of community and leadership among women in northern British Columbia (BC). In 2014, over 150 women attended from across Western Canada to learn and grow from one another. The 2015 Spark Conference is hosted by the North Peace Economic Development Commission and occurs on May 12 & 13. Agenda highlights include a panel with women leaders in the energy sector, a workshop on stepping up to your leadership potential and headshot photo stations. In BC women compose almost half the work force, and since 2008, have consistently had a lower unemployment rate than men (BCStats). There are great opportunities for women in our province, and when we work together to learn and develop from one another, the leadership opportunities are even more attainable. I will be at this year’s Spark Conference and am excited to meet and learn from women across the province. I’ll be sharing my key takeaways via @CommunicaPA using the hashtag #SparkConf2015. Follow along with us and @sharingthespark and join in on the conversation of promoting women as leaders in the BC workforce. – Kyla Humphreys Continued

May 8, 2015
Event Highlights: Shetalks Resources

Around 100 women and men donned the doors of the downtown Vancouver BCIT campus on May 4th to listen to the impressive stories of 15 women working in the British Columbia resource sector. As part of SheTalks first industry speaker series, speakers were encouraged to share personal stories on how the resource sector has shaped and impacted their lives. Each woman brought a different perspective to the table which made for a very enriching day. For a glimpse into the event, the following are our 10 favorite quotes of the day. Sustain nature and nature will sustain us – Marian Adair, Nature Trust of British Columbia In business, one of the most beneficial things you can do is to understand your partners – Susannah Pierce, LNG Canada If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together – Maninder Dhaliwal There is no such thing as being an expert on your own, collaboration and diversity are key – Laurie Sterritt, BC Hydro Stories are the currency of relationships, be the conversation starter and tell your story – Janine North, Northern Development With a bit of Effort, even the world can be at your feet – Julie Payette as quoted by Cynthia Des Brisay, Fortis BC The road to success is always under construction – Maninder Dhaliwal Small towns teach you the most wonderful lessons on personal leadership – Janine North, Northern Development Seek interdependence instead of sheer independence – Laurie Sterritt, BC Hydro 3 keys to success are collaboration, commitment and compromise – Karen Brandt, Interfor Corporation Promoting the power of action, the day left me feeling both proud and excited to work in such a dynamic industry. Not only are women making waves in a male dominated industry, we are a growing part of Canada’s economic development! – Shannon O’Byrne Continued

April 28, 2015
Shetalks Resources Vancouver Conference

Aiming to celebrate all that the women of Vancouver have to offer, Shetalks Vancouver is back with their second conference, Shetalks Resources. Working in conjunction with Resource Works, this will be their first of hopefully many industry nights. The day will feature women working in the resources sector. Held on May 4th 2015 from 10:00AM – 3:00PM at BCIT’s downtown Vancouver Campus the day offers an exciting schedule of networking and storytelling. Hosting an impressive panel of 15 women, the event will be structured in a Ted style format where speakers have a maximum of 8 minutes to share their stories and expertise. When exploring different career options, many women are often under the impression that the resource sector is predominantly made up of men. However, according to Statistics Canada, the divide is actually quite closer than you would think with women making up 47.6% of the industry. The conference showcases the value of women’s contributions to and importance in creating and growing the successful resource industry that British Columbia boasts today. As communications and stakeholder experts in the resource industry and having an impressive percentage of women making up our team, we at Communica feel passionate about seeing the level of involvement of women in this industry grow and flourish. With 15 different women sharing their stories, the day is sure to be full of awe inspiring encouragement. I will be attending and hope to see you there! If you are at the event or in your office, please follow along with us on May 4th at @CommunicaPA Shannon O’Byrne Continued

April 22, 2015
We’re Going Back To The British Columbia Economic Development Association’s Annual Summit

For the third year in a row Communica is participating in the British Columbia Economic Development Association’s (BC EDA) Annual Summit. In 2013 and 2014 Communica sponsored the BC EDA Summit providing us the opportunity to operate a booth on the tradeshow floor and introduce a speaker. Through our involvement in the Summit we’ve connected with local government, industry associations, economic developers and Aboriginal groups from around British Columbia – we’ve made some great connections over the years and are excited to be back. In a nutshell, the BC EDA is the primary professional association of economic development practitioners in British Columbia with hundreds of members from across the province. Their hard work and dedication helps member communities grow and expand new and existing businesses, and work towards strategic infrastructure investment, land use planning and community enhancement. The theme of this year’s Summit is “From the Ground Up,” designed to inspire new levels of economic growth and prosperity in communities across British Columbia. Highlights on the agenda include a Q&A with key staff from the Ministry of International Trade, a discussion on economic development for Aboriginal communities and an address from the Honourable Minister Shirley Bond, M.L.A., Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training. I will be attending this year’s event; I hope to see you there! If you cannot attend in person, follow along with us @CommunicaPA using the hashtag #BCEDA15 and with the BC EDA @BCEDAEvents – Kyla Humphreys BCEDA (Team member Amanda Jarl at the 2013 event in Vancouver) Continued

April 17, 2015
Communica Vancouver Sun Run

Our Vancouver office is gearing up for the Vancouver Sun Run this Sunday – this is Communica’s first year having a Sun Run team. After months (or weeks, or a couple days) of training all that’s left to do is compile our playlists to keep us motivated as we make our way through the 10K! Here’s a sampling of some of our favourite running songs, what’s on your running playlist? Jessica, eight-time Sun Runner, goes for a variety of genres to keep her interest levels up: Madeon – Nonsense (Audio) ft. Mark Foster Eagle Eye Cherry – Save Tonight (EigenARTig Remix) Destiny’s Child – Jumpin Jumpin Kyla chooses any song (on her normally relaxed playlist) with a good beat: Empire of the Sun – Alive Classified – Inner Ninja Calvin Harris – Feel so Close Robyn – Dancing On My Own Amanda picks any song with the word “run” in it and a good tempo: Kings of Leon – On Call Pumped Up Kicks – Foster the People Brave Shores – Never Come Down Joelle only has remixes on her running playlist: Naxxos – New Orleans (Sam Feldt Remix) Lykke Li – I Follow Rivers (FlicFlac Remix) Disclosure – You & Me (Flume Remix) Vance Joy – Riptide (FlicFlac Edit) Asaf Avidan – One day / Reckoning Song (Wankelmut Remix) Shannon goes for some new sounds: ODESZA – Sun Models (feat. Madelyn Grant) Kelsey, three-time Sun Runner, suggests unplugging and listening to the bands, sights and sounds along the route. See you at the start line! Continued

March 13, 2015
Referendum Vs Plebiscite – Not To Be Confused!

In Vancouver, we’re starting to see the onslaught of advertisements that go along with the upcoming vote on the proposed Metro Vancouver Congestion Improvement Tax to assist in improving transit options. The vote runs from March 16 – May 29. Politics aside, let’s focus on the communication in the advertisements as there is a fundamental difference. The terms “referendum” and “plebiscite” have both been used, almost interchangeably in various print articles in local and regional papers and radio advertisements. These words denote very different calls to action for the result of the vote. Elections BC is calling this a plebiscite, and the Mayor’s Council is calling it a referendum. So what’s the difference? A referendum poses a yes or no vote to the electorate and calls for the results of the vote to be legally binding. A plebiscite poses a yes or no vote to the electorate and does not require the results to be legally binding. However, the results may be used to influence legislation. The plebiscite can be held either in person or by mail. After seeking clarification from both parties, this vote is in fact a plebiscite, meaning that the while the results are not automatically enacted into legislation, they can be honoured. BC Premier Christy Clark promised a referendum on transportation to the electorate after being re-elected. Control of the vote was given to the Mayor’s council. The use of the plebiscite also permits the use of mail in votes, a cheaper option if held outside of a government election. Regardless, this is a stark difference in terms and clarification needs to be communicated to the public. Historical referendums in Canada: 2005, Single Transferable Vote (BC) 1995, Quebec Referendum (National) 1898, Prohibition (National) Historical Plebiscites 2003, Vancouver Olympic Bid 2014, Kitimat District plebiscite on Northern Gateway – Amanda Jarl, Analyst Continued

March 3, 2015
7 Simple Solutions To Regulatory Success

With an ever evolving regulatory environment, an effective Stakeholder Information Management (SIM) strategy is more important now than it has ever been. Unique to Communica, Stakeholder Information Management (“SIM”) is one of our firm’s core competencies, and a dedicated team of analysts specializes in supporting clients’ stakeholder engagement activities. SIM provides direction and support for organizing relevant information — communication, commitments tracking, issues, etc. — in the most effective, efficient ways possible. Many of the largest companies in the energy sector rely on Communica’s analysts to help manage all of the information gathered from their Aboriginal and stakeholder engagement programs. Join Communica’s SIM team to learn how their specialized analysts and proven processes will help minimize your delays in earning regulatory approval through 7 SIMple steps. 7 SIMple Solutions to Regulatory Success Metropolitan Centre in Strand/Tivoli rooms March 24, 2015 11am – 1.30pm (drop-in) To RSVP for this event please email events@communica.ca Continued

December 4, 2014
Christmas Is A Time For Giving

Christmas is a special time, for people to enjoy the company of family and friends, to give and receive presents, and to eat, drink and be merry. But we know not everyone is equally fortunate, and that without a helping hand many people won’t have, and don’t have, a very merry Christmas. That is why once again Communica is making donations to charitable agencies in Calgary and Vancouver, and directly helping to provide some holiday presents, food and good cheer to others in our communities. In Calgary, Communica is again working with the CUPS Adopt a Family team to bring Christmas to two families. We have provided funds for CUPS to provide Christmas gifts, grocery gift cards and a cash donation for a family of four. And Communica staff will buy gifts for a family of eight, who will also receive grocery gift cards and a cash donation. In Vancouver, Communica staff are sponsoring a family of two – a mother and son – through the YWCA. That sponsorship also includes Christmas gifts and a grocery store gift card. And once again, Communica staff are individually buying and giving toy hampers to one or more of the many agencies, such as the Salvation Army, fire and police departments, and Toy Mountain depots, that also collect and deliver toys for Christmas. We at Communica are pleased to be able to share our good fortune with others, and that is particularly true at this special time of year. So from all of us at Communica, Merry Christmas, everyone. – Jim Rennie, Senior Manager, Operations Continued

September 25, 2014
Communica 2014 Stampede BBQLunch

Thursday, July 10, 2014 Communica hosted our annual Stampede BBQ lunch. With over 200 staff and guests combined, our event was a great success. Communica would like to thank all our vendors, suppliers, staff and volunteers for making this celebration a memorable one and we are already looking forward to Stampede 2015! Video footage from the Communica 2014 Stampede BBQ lunch. Communica-Stampede-Event-2014-10057 Communica-Stampede-Event-2014-10014 Communica-Stampede-Event-2014-10006 Communica-Stampede-Event-2014-10192 Communica-Stampede-Event-2014-10277 Communica-Stampede-Event-2014-10244 Continued

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