It’s the end of the year as we’ve known it and more of us are several yards short of fine. Only after the phrase “dumpster fire” becomes a frequently used descriptor on the national newscasts does one realize they’ve entered a new place, a terra incognito built simultaneously on fear and false equivalency. But that’s where we are and that’s what drives culture and culture is both cause and outcome of business.

If only the only thing to fear was fear itself. That luxury is so last decade. Writing this piece while simultaneously checking social media and listening to the drone of cable news in the other room one might think we’re on the edge of a swirling abyss, surfing the event horizons of several significant disasters at the same time.

So this isn’t really a predictions piece. It is more of a how things look right now piece. The pace of change in society is advancing too rapidly to make any reasonably safe predictions while still sounding sane and reasonable. Who could have predicted we’d be here this time last year? (As it turns out, just about every rational observer did.)

The perspective on where “we” are, and who “we” is, very often frames the debate. Writing this piece from the cool comfort of Toronto, Ontario, “we” appear to be in pretty good shape economically, culturally, legally, and nationally. Yes, there are structural problems with the ways each level of government deal with their budgets and duties but, by and large, we have highly responsible and competent government. That’s a gift compared to what’s happening to our neighbours.

Toronto’s economic engine is roaring strongly, even as the fuel sources that drive it, the manufacturing and industry, change rapidly to personal and financial services both here in the digital world and beyond your mobile device or desktop in the real offline world. Construction is still high, upgraded modern office space is at a premium, the tech industry is booming, and there is a sense that Toronto’s greatest days are almost here, just on the cusp of tomorrow. That’s a pretty good place for a city to be.

Similarly, Canada’s economy is growing at a strong pace. Based on results from the first three quarters of 2017, Canada’s economy grew 3%, a higher rate than all other G7 countries. A particular point of hope for both the Canadian and global economy is Alberta, which has managed to increase its economic output a whopping 6.7%, at a time of stagnant global oil prices and lowered investments in oil sand projects. Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia each grew by 3.2% in 2017. By comparison, the United States grew its GDP by 2.2% and Germany’s by 2.0%. Canada continues to outperform the world.

Canada will remain in a relatively competitive position no matter what happens. That sounds weird doesn’t it? It’s not that weird. Remember, this is business in a time of incredible change. Everything is relative to who and where you are, and what is going on around you. Canada might feel unstable right now, especially by Canadian standards but it’s in the best position it could be, given a set of highly problematic circumstances.

Continental free trade has been the foundation of Canada’s economy for the last three decades. That is about to change. The American government has reopened the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and is trying to force Canada and Mexico to accept trade conditions that blatantly benefit Americans only. This stance will likely lead to a failure of the talks and the eventual end of the NAFTA partnership. That leaves Canada with two existing trade deals with the United States. The first is the original Free Trade Agreement and the second is the global General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Ultimately, Canada needs a 21^st century trade arrangement with its largest trading partner. It would stand to reason Canada would enter bilateral talks with the United States to develop such a deal. That, however, would leave out Mexico, which has become an essential supplier and trade partner for labour and parts in the massive North American automotive sector. Not including Mexico in what has become such a complex supply-chain would create truly impossible conditions which could drive the costs of consumer goods up considerably while making the arrangements of business much harder.

Canada is a resource based trading nation managed by people who live in condos in the most urbane and intelligent cities Earth can offer. We mine and finance mining in other places. We cut wood and finance lumber operations around the world. We grow grains and beef, and have unfound or untapped reserves of traditional and rare Earth minerals. We are gold and diamonds and uranium and potash and all sorts such stuff and we still have a world’s supply of each for the taking.

Canada also has free trade deals with the European Union, Japan, other Commonwealth nations, and with most South American nations. We are still pursuing the Pan Pacific Trade deal and have at the very least opened Chinese interest in negotiating freer trade. Canada has options it hasn’t needed to develop until now and it is also supported by powerful allies.

In 2017, airplane manufacturer Boeing filed a trade complaint against its much smaller Canadian rival Bombardier. Bombardier had accepted government bailout monies after sluggish sales and slow development of its C-Series jet planes. Those bailouts were characterized as unfair subsidies, which pushed the US government to impose harsh tariffs on Bombardier just before it was to sell 125 C-Series planes to Delta Airlines. The deal was saved by Airbus which moved in to partner with Bombardier on the manufacture of parts of those planes in their American factories.

An important deal for one of Canada’s most important companies was saved by a compromise deal. That’s a Canadian outcome. It’s probably safe to assume we’ll be seeing more compromises in the near term future as Canada tries to ensure access, all the while waiting for the political climate to change.

In the meantime, people are left with the business of doing business. Technology will continue to drive change in what business is and how it is conducted. Right now, one of the greatest active trends is the extraordinary interest in Bitcoins and other crypto-currencies. No matter what happens with the price of any given crypto-currency, the real revolution is found in the ledger used to record and store value, blockchain. The advent of blockchain and other decentralized but unbreakable ledgers will alter our relationship with money and our ideas about the stored values of things. China’s bizarre experiment where it will be rating the social and economic worth of each citizen’s contributions will be dependent on blockchain to record value. So will future contracts, possibly even basic employment contracts.

One of the brightest trends of 2017 has been the sudden realization that people are no longer tied to place. People can travel across oceans overnight and find themselves on the other side of the planet by day-break. Perhaps it’s because a full generation has grown up in a fully wired world or perhaps it’s because there is a generational shift in the meaning of career employment that’s trending towards knowledge based work. As long as both hemispheres of your brain are working, it really doesn’t matter what hemisphere of the planet you’re on. Now that a critical mass of people have de-desked themselves, a living-room form of working space has evolved, the coworking model. Imagine a comfortable playroom in a beautiful setting with excellent WiFi, print and fax services, coffee, tea, or juice, really good places to sprawl out and work in, and a bunch of other cool people doing their things too. That’s a co-working space, new home to the traveling techie, globetrotting consultants, and local self-employeds who want others around them while they work.

Moving around for the next few years might be a good strategy for those who can do it. It’s hard to say how the coming weeks and months will turn out. So much happened in 2017 and a lot of it simply doesn’t make sense. Toronto is in an excellent position, as is Canada, even if the world around appears to be crumbling or just terribly concerning.

Stuff to think about:

Robotics
Guaranteed Annual Income
Home delivery vs. Retail
Blockchain
Uber, Lyft, AirBnB, and other “sharing” economy examples
American politics
Brexit
The Leafs finally winning the Stanley Cup
(ok, that last one is probably fantasy)

GREAT QUALITY NEIGHBOURHOOD

18 King Street East is a quality boutique Class A building – East
of Yonge Street: easy street parking, less traffic, excellent restaurants and lovely treed parks – St. James Park @
Church & King and Berczy Park @ Wellington East, Scott and Front Streets – Very high energy and engaging
area.

RESTAURANTS/TAKE OUT

Leave it to TELSEC. Let our staff take care of the catering for the important business meeting room rental or
training seminar! Just let us know what types of food you prefer and for how many people and let us do the
rest. For breakfast, lunch and dinner, Telsec can provide anything from assorted sandwiches to a high-quality
hot sit-down meal. We’re always happy to take care of our clients! https://telsec.net/boardrooms-meeting-
rooms/

1. CRAFT BEER MARKET (OUTDOOR COURTYARD)
Courtyard backs onto our Telsec building, 18 King St. E
1 Adelaide St E (enter on east side of Yonge St., south of Adelaide)
Toronto
Ryan Halsall
info@craftbeermarket.ca
Tel: 437-922-BEER (2337)
www.craftbeermarket.ca
Toronto’s first chef-driven food hall, perfect for lunch or team outings, with a wide selection of seasonal
dishes and local brews.

2. Beerbistro restaurant and bar
Outdoor patio next to our Telsec building, 18 King St. E.
18 King Street East, Main Floor
Toronto
Omid Azad
info@beerbistro.com
Tel: 416-861-9872
www.beerbistro.com

3. CONVIVIUM DINING – HIGH-END (SOME TABLES BACK ONTO OUTDOOR COURTYARD)
Courtyard backs onto our Telsec building, 18 King St. E.
83 Yonge Street
Toronto
Soumini Agate
sa@myconvivium.com
General Manager
Sarah Watson
sw@myconvivium.com
Floor Manager
Tatiana Frelik (Events)
tf@myconvivium.com

Tel: 416-691-9909
www.myconvivium.com

4. RESTAURANT 20 VICTORIA – MICHELIN 2025 APPROVED
20 Victoria Street
Toronto
Declan
20vicreservations@gmail.com
Tel: 416-804-6066
Instagram for reservations: https://www.instagram.com/twentyvictoria/

5. JOEY KING STREET
20 King Street West
Toronto
Nora Elhanafy
nelhanafy@joeyrestaurants.com
Tel: 647-678-5639
www.joeyrestaurants.com
If you want to wow your business partners or clients, then grab and go from this contemporary dining
spot with a menu featuring international and regional dishes. Order their upscale east like sushi, salads,
steaks or that wagyu beef carpaccio. Yum!

6. DACASTO (take out)
37 King Street East
Toronto
Enrico Dacasto
enrico@dacasto.com
Tel: 416-214-0986
www.dacasto.com

7. DEB BREAKFAST. CO (take out)
20 Toronto Street
Toronto
Sade Henry
torontostgm@eatdeb.com
Tel: 347-880-8291
www.torontostgm.com

8. THE POKE BOX (take out)
36 Toronto Street
Toronto
Jeremy
info@thepokebox.ca
Tel: 416-929-0363
www. thepokebox.ca
For business teams that love to indulge but want to feel good about it, consider ordering from The Poke
Box. Their individual boxed meals are prepared with fresh ingredients and packed with protein! Great
for sushi lovers but without a mess.

9. CARISMA (ITALIAN)

15 Toronto Street
Toronto
Michael Pagliaro
info@carismarestaurant.com
Tel: 416-864-7373
www.carismarestaurant.com

10. NAMI (JAPANESE)
55 Adelaide Street East
Toronto
Mana
namirestaurant1984@gmail.com
Tel: 416-362-7373
www.namirestaurant.ca

11. TERRONI (ITALIAN)
57 Adelaide Street East
Toronto
Patti Shaw
info@terroni.com
Tel: 416-203-3093
www.terroni.com

12. SWAAGAT – THE REAL TASTE OF INDIA
36 King Street East
Toronto
swaagattoronto@gmail.com
Tel: 647-943-9754

13. WOODS RESTAURANT AND BAR
45 Colborne Street
Toronto
Robin Singh
info@woodsrestaurant.ca
Tel: 416-214-9918
www.woodsrestaurant.ca

14. aKin – Michelin 2025 approved
51 Colborne Street
Toronto
Mike Birdsey, Genral Manager
Eric Chong, chef + owner
info@atkintoronto.com
Tel: 416-363-0151
www.atkintoronto.com
aKin is a modern Asian-inspired fine dining restaurant located in the heart of Toronto. Offering a
meticulously curated 10-course blind tasting menu that highlights local and seasonal ingredients, with
influences from diverse Asian cuisines.

15. CANTINA MERCATTO

20 Wellington Street East
Toronto
Niam H
info@cantinamercatto.ca
Tel: 416-304-0781
www.cantinamercatto.ca

16. UNCLE TONY’S
38 Wellington St E
Toronto
Siva Sathasivam
uncletonyssiva@gmail.com
Tel: 416-455-6650
https://uncletonys.ca/

17. FRESH KITCHEN + JUICE BAR – vegan restaurant
47 Front Street East
Toronto
Lindsey Dauilmar
ldavilmar@recipeunlimited.com
Tel: 647-693-7556
www.freshkitchens.ca
This plant-based restaurant is so good you won’t even miss meat. It’s a great choice for delicious and
health-conscious food and a top pick for those with dietary restrictions. Choose from their lunch and
dinner menu or opt for their takeout bundles and get appetizers and entrees for multiple people.

18. THE FLAT IRON: A FIRKIN PUB
49 Wellington Street East
Toronto
JC Trujillo
Jctrujillo3@gmail.com
Tel: 647-561-7224, 416-362-3444
www.firkinpubs.com/theflatiron
If your team likes pub grub, then the Firkin’s traditional English food is for you. Order from their party
platter menu for large groups, which includes all your classic pub favourites like fish and chips, sliders,
skewers, tacos, nachos, charcuterie boards and more.

19. SCORE ON KING (Sports Bar)
Outdoor Patio + Heated
Church & King
107 King Street East
Toronto
Tel: 416-519-4654
www.scoreonking.com

20. RESTAURANT LUCIE
100 Yonge Street
Toronto
info@restaurantlucie.com
Tel: 416-788-9054
www.restaurantlucie.com

21. PIZZAIOLO
(no e-mail)
104 Yonge Street
Toronto
Tel: 416-860-0700
www.pizzaiolo.ca

Restaurants

1. Ryan Halsall

CRAFT BEER MARKET (OUTDOOR COURTYARD)

Courtyard backs onto our Telsec building, 18 King St. E

1 Adelaide St E (enter on east side of Yonge St., south of Adelaide)

Toronto, ON

M5C 2V9

Tel: 437-922-BEER (2337)

Website: www.craftbeermarket.ca

2. Michael Pagliaro

Carisma (Italian)

15 Toronto Street

Toronto, ON

M5C 2E3

Tel: 416-864-7373

Website: www.carismarestaurant.com

3. Patti Shaw

Terroni (Italian)

57 Adelaide Street East

Toronto, ON

M5C 1K6

Tel: 416-203-3093

Website: www.terroni.com

4. Declan

Restaurant 20 Victoria – Michelin guide approved

20 Victoria Street

Toronto, ON

M5C 2A1

Tel: 416-804-6066

Instagram for reservations: https://www.instagram.com/twentyvictoria/

5. Mana

Nami (Japanese)

55 Adelaide Street East

Toronto, ON

M5C 1K6

Tel: 416-362-7373

Website: www.namirestaurant.ca

6. Restaurant Lucie

100 Yonge Street

Toronto, ON

M5C 2W1

Tel: 416-788-9054

Website: www.restaurantlucie.com

7. Niam H

Cantina Mercatto

20 Wellington Street East

Toronto, ON

M5E 1C5

Tel: 416-304-0781

Website: www.cantinamercatto.ca

8. Siva Sathasivam

Uncle Tony’s

38 Wellington St E

Toronto, ON

M5E 1C7

Tel: 416-455-6650

Website: https://uncletonys.ca/

9. Pizzaiolo

104 Yonge Street

Toronto, ON

M5C 2Y6

Tel: 416-860-0700

Website: www.pizzaiolo.ca

10. Robin Singh

Woods Restaurant and Bar

45 Colborne Street

Toronto, ON

M5E 1E3

Tel: 416-214-9918

Website: www.woodsrestaurant.ca

11. Amadeusz Domyslawski

GUSTO 501

501 King St. E

Toronto, ON

M5A 1L9

Tel: 416-477-5647

Website: www.gusto501.com

Health and Wellness

1. Thom Tullo

Morpheus8 by Inmode

47 Colborne Street

Toronto, ON

M5E 1E3

Tel: 416-863-6564

Website: www.amanspa.ca

2. Altitude Athletic Training

56 Colborne Street

Toronto, ON

M5E 1E3

Tel: 416-366-3838

Website: www.altitudeathletictraining.com

3. Physioheath Studios

33 Victoria Street, #130

Toronto, ON

M5C 2A1

Tel: 416-368-2525

Website: www.physiohealth.com

Hotels

1. Jennifer Smith

General Manager

The Omni King Edward Hotel

37 King Street East

Toronto, ON

M5C 1E9

Tel: 416-863-9700

Website: https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/toronto-king-edward

2. Mark Perry

General Manager

Executive Hotels and Resorts (Boutique)

8 Colborne Street

Toronto, ON

M5E 1E1

Tel: 416-350-2419

Website: www.spazen.ca or www.cosmotoronto.com

3. Emeline Boul

General Manager

Hotel Victoria (Boutique)

56 Yonge Street

Toronto, ON

M5E 1G5

Tel: 416-363-1666

Mobile: 647-574-5832

Website: www.hotelvictoriatoronto.com

4. Omkar Sawant

Reservations Manager

One King West Hotel

1 King Street West

Toronto, ON

M5H 1A1

Main: 416-548-8100

Reservations: 1-866-470-5464

Website: www.onekingwest.com

5. Van Nguyen

General Manager

Cambridge Suites Toronto

15 Richmond Street East

Toronto, ON

M5C 1N2

Direct: 416-601-3757

Hotel: 416-368-1990

Website: www.cambridgesuitestoronto.com

Our Amenities

We are by far the most experienced and best coworking team in the market – established in 1980

We are the highest Tech centre in the market

We have a very modern, high quality, brand new facility located at:

18 King Street East, Suite 1400

Toronto, Ontario M5C 1C4 Canada

- 18 King Street East is a boutique Class A building – East of Yonge: easy street parking, less traffic, excellent restaurants and lovely parks – St. James Park @ Church & King and Berczy Park @ Wellington East, Scott and Front Streets – Very high energy and engaging area
- A few steps (a few seconds) to the Yonge Street subway/underground PATH network and streetcar available outside building
- Building is located in Toronto's vibrant financial district
- Plenty of parking available in the area including street parking and reserved parking in the 18 King building
- Adjacent to the building huge outdoor food courtyard - Beer Bistro www.beerbistro.com and Craft Beer Market www.craftbeermamrket.ca restaurants and bars with onsite catering services
- Onsite amenities: Tim Horton's, Beer Bistro, Convenience store and Starbucks across the street
- Nearby amenities: underground PATH network, numerous restaurants, banking, Starbucks plus a wide array of nearby shops and services
- New modernized office layout fully furnished with meeting spaces and training rooms plus café lounge area
- We are leaders in the service of training/meeting rooms with full conference facilities, high quality hot and cold catering
- Largest training room and conference facilities accommodate up to 60 people classroom style
- Ultra-high-speed - 1 GIG pipe = 1,000 x 1000 fiber-optic network, which will deliver internet connection speeds faster than most North American services
- Private shower room
- Indoor Reserved Parking at the current building rental rate
- Bicycle parking
- Rent a space to accommodate your team for meetings, training sessions, corporate events or coworking space or flexible office space for one day, one week, one month or one year, or whatever term suits your business
- Telsec has over 650 locations in 40 different countries worldwide available for their clients. Office clients receive up to 8 hours of meeting space per month at no charge at any ABCN member location. Plus, Office and Virtual Office clients may rent a space from any member location at special member rates which varies depending on the location
- King Edward Hotel is located across the street - recently completed a $40 million renovation and boutique hotels close by within walking distance

Dining and entertainment at high quality restaurants only minutes away – Carisma, Terroni, Woods Restaurant & Bar and Michelin Rated - Restaurant 20 Victoria. Plus numerous lunch and takeout eateries nearby

Please check out our 70 second video, click below:

Take a look at our facilities www.telsec.net

Telsec will Customize Your Client’s Office(s) Layout to Meet Their Requirements.

You are welcome to drop-in any-time, a quick call would be appreciated to ensure our availability Vanessa 416-574-1112 or Josie 416-606-4349 or e-mail josie@telsec.net.

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