April 8th, 2020
A message from our CEO
We are experiencing an extraordinary and unprecedented time in history. Nearly everything we know has changed in the past several weeks, and as we settle into our remote work environments, it certainly makes you think about what is important.
Culture
As designers, we specialise in researching best practices and trends in workplace design that make spaces efficient, functional, and comfortable. However, a shift of this magnitude was never imagined. Workplaces around the globe have been forced to adapt.
Our move to remote work is likely to change office culture and business forever. Having invested in digital technologies, mcCallumSather is in a fortunate position, which has allowed us to quickly adapt. We quickly moved to provide our staff with auxiliary large screen monitors for their remote workspace and now end each week with a virtual happy hour to bring the whole team together and reinforce our company culture.
Environment
Never has our mission to advance sustainable design and create a more resilient world been more important.
The world has seen a drastic reduction in the global carbon footprint due to COVID-19. We must pay attention.
We have a real chance to reset our approach to meeting Canada’s 2030 GHG reduction target of 30% below the 2005 level, and we hope that policymakers use this as an opportunity to yield something positive from this situation. Perhaps it is time to consider creating a transit energy/carbon footprint policy to guide the focus, development, and use of all forms of public and private transit, in addition to how we design, renovate, construct, inhabit, heat and cool our buildings.
Post-pandemic stimulus and recovery will be an opportunity to create jobs and keep the economy buoyant. We hope to see this through the creation of jobs in the clean technology sector; the promotion of research and local manufacturing of building materials needed for the construction industry as it transitions to greater energy efficiency; the encouragement of companies to understand and reduce and/or eliminate their carbon footprint; or waiving development charges on Net Zero Energy, Net Zero Carbon or LEED targeted projects.
Community
We are inspired by the global rise in togetherness. Canadian politicians have transcended partisan politics, working collectively to minimize the damage the global pandemic is inflicting on our economy and the public. This collective effort has not gone unnoticed and defines our sense of Canadian identity. As we come out of this global pandemic, it is our sincere hope that politics and politicians will build on this collective goodwill to the benefit of all Canadians across all provincial boundaries. We are all in this together.
We will continue to support our community in every way we can. We’ve put together a list of local and industry initiatives that have inspired us. We welcome any suggestions as to how we can reach out to the broader community and engage in activities or provide support that will make a difference.
We will get through this challenge together and learn from each other.
Finally, I want to thank our staff who, as community partners, cared about each other, supported each other, and offered help to our broader neighbours.