London Inc. Weekly 12 • 06 • 2019
Libro Credit Union introduces international payment and exchange services
Photo: Libro Credit Union will partner with EncoreFX to offer international payment and exchange services
EARLIER THIS WEEK, Libro Credit Union announced it has partnered with B.C.-based EncoreFX to offer self-service international payments and foreign exchange services to Libro’s business clients.
According to Libro, its business clients reported that the ability to transfer international funds effortlessly is a crucial component to continued business success. By establishing the partnership with EncoreFX, a leading provider of foreign exchange, global payments and risk management products for corporations, Libro’s business clients are now able to leverage the capabilities of Express, EncoreFX’s fintech platform, and will have access to robust, online self-serve foreign exchange and international payment solutions accessed through Libro’s online banking platform.
“Libro is excited to partner with EncoreFX—an organization that is closely aligned from a cultural, innovative and values perspective,” said Martin Kihle, Libro’s vice president, business banking. “Their foreign payment solutions will allow Libro to deepen its relationships with its owners and provide the necessary tools they require in today’s business environment. A soft launch will be initially made available to select Libro business owners.”
“Our company focuses on helping fellow Canadian businesses succeed on a global level,” added Allison Gramlow, Southwestern Ontario business development executive at EncoreFX. “We’re especially driven to help those in highly competitive industries—such as agriculture—succeed, and this partnership with Libro will allow us to do that.” 
GoodLife Fitness launches new corporate giving and volunteer program
Photo: GoodLife Fitness founder and CEO, David Patchell-Evans
GoodLife Fitness has announced the launch of an all-new giving and volunteer program called GoodLife Gives.
On the GoodLife Gives platform, employees will be able to donate to over one million causes globally, and GoodLife will match their donations, up to $200 per fiscal year, dollar-for-dollar.
Additionally, employees can earn volunteer rewards that go towards their $200 donation total. For every hour an associate gives back to a charitable organization, their GoodLife Gives account will be loaded with $5 that can be donated back to any cause of their choice.
“I love seeing the positive vibes and amazing energy our associates bring when they are volunteering,” said GoodLife Founder and CEO, David Patchell-Evans. “I am looking forward to watching their goodwill roll out in their communities across the country.”
To bring this program to its associates across the country, GoodLife has collaborated with Benevity, a Canadian company and global leader in online workplace giving solutions.
“Not only is giving back the right thing to do, but it also goes hand-in-hand with the core values that drive our business,” added GoodLife president and COO, Jane Riddell. “My hope is that our associates feel empowered to become agents of change in the communities in which we live and work and that they take the opportunity to give back to the causes that matter most to them.”
Another record month for region’s home resales
Photo: Area home resales posted record numbers in November
FOR THE SECOND consecutive month, home resales in the London region hit a new record.
According to the London and St. Thomas Real Estate Board (LSTAR), a total of 752 homes exchanged hands in November, the best November on record since the industry association began tracking data in 1978.
“We had another solid month, demonstrating the robust marketplace all across the region,” said 2019 LSTAR president, Earl Taylor. “There have been 9,658 home resales year-to-date, which is up 3.2 per cent compared to the same period in 2018, and we’re on course to surpass last year’s total sales.”
Low inventory across the region continues to influence all corners of the resale market, including prices. “Several regions saw sales-to-new listings ratios above 100 per cent, including London East [105.6 per cent] and Strathroy [107.1 per cent],” Taylor said. “We’re still experiencing low inventory levels, which also continues to impact the average home sales price in all regions.”
The overall sales-to-new listings ratio in LSTAR’s jurisdiction was 90.7 per cent, which the Canadian Real Estate Association says favours sellers. A ratio between 40 per cent and 60 per cent is generally consistent with a balanced market. A ratio below 40 per cent tends to favour buyers, while a ratio higher than 60 per cent indicates marketplace conditions favouring sellers.
Region-wide, the average home price was $416,116, up 10.6 per cent compared to November 2018.
Looking at London’s three main geographic areas, the average home price in London East was $357,796, up 18.6 per cent from last November. In London South (which includes data from the west side of the city), the average home sales price was $424,900, up 12.2 per cent compared to the previous year, while London North saw an increase of 1.9 per cent over last November, with an average home sales price of $493,896.
Office of Military Academic Medicine opens
Photo:Dr. Vivian McAlister of Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
WITH THE AIM of becoming a world leader in military medicine, the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University this week announced the establishment of the Office of Military Academic Medicine.
The office builds upon a long-standing relationship between Schulich Medicine & Dentistry and the Canadian Armed Forces and brings together the administration of current military physician education, research and partnership activities into one office. It also positions the School to work strategically with the ongoing programs to identify new opportunities for collaboration and expansion of current activities.
Dr. Vivian McAlister, professor at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, will serve as the director. “The office will facilitate interactions between the school and the Canadian Forces,” said McAlister. “We will grow the relationship, which is already more than 100 years old, so that Western becomes a world leader in military medicine and humanitarian care.”
Currently, the school partners with the Canadian Forces on a number of education and research initiatives, including undergraduate medical education program providing medical training for members of the military, specialized training for military physicians in programs such as surgery, anesthesia and psychiatry, and military medicine research collaborations and research.
“While we want to provide an excellent service to members of the armed forces who come here to learn and work, we also want to create new opportunities to develop care of disadvantaged people in areas of the world that are less fortunate than ours,” said Dr. McAlister.
Featured Business Event
Jingle & Mingle hosted by TechAlliance | December 11, 2019, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Toboggan Brewing Company
Christina Fox, CEO of TechAlliance, and David Ciccarelli, CEO of Voices.com and chair of TechAlliance’s board of directors, invite you to share festive cheer at Jingle & Mingle. Guests will enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks. Please register online by Friday, December 6, 2019.