London Inc. Weekly 06 • 21 • 2019
McDonald’s Canada to unveil green concept restaurant in London
Photo: The McDonald’s unit at 1033 Wonderland Road South will test new packaging and recycling initiatives
MCDONALD’S CANADA HAS announced it will unveil two green concept restaurants, one in Vancouver, BC, and one at 1033 Wonderland Road South in London. These McDonald’s units will act as incubator locations to test new packaging options and recycling initiatives.
The green concept restaurants will continue using much of the current McDonald’s packaging but will also test items with the potential to be rolled out more widely in the future. The first innovations will begin testing in the coming months and include a fully re-pulpable cup for cold beverages, new fibre lids, wooden cutlery and stir sticks, paper straws, smaller napkins and a McWrap carton.
“We are proud of the progress our Canadian organization is making towards our global packaging sustainability goals—it matters to our guests and we will continue taking our environmental responsibility seriously,” said John Betts, president and CEO at McDonald’s Canada. “Our green concept restaurants are an exciting new innovation as part of our on-going sustainable journey. They are an example of how we’re able to use our scale for good and keep raising the bar on what it means to be a responsible company committed to people and the planet.”
Globally, McDonald’s has committed that by 2025, 100 per cent of McDonald’s guest packaging will come from renewable, recycled or certified sources. 
Little consensus for Victoria Park development guidelines
Photo: Development guidelines for the lands surrounding Victoria Park remain a contentious issue
IT MAY BE back to the drawing board for new rules that regulate development around Victoria Park in downtown London.
The park is at the centre of debate over what exactly should be built around it, and a public meeting earlier this week showed little consensus.
City staff recommended a mix of height be permitted, from up to 35 storeys along the south side to just four stories near the corner of the Wellington and Central.
A high-rise proposal by Auburn Developments sparked the Victoria Park review. The company’s application for a tower at Wolfe and Wellington streets was reduced to 17 storeys and now hangs in limbo. But it could be nixed if council supports the draft guidelines recommended by staff. That site, under the draft plan, would only allow eight storeys.
Heritage advocates have squared off against builders in the conversation around how development should unfold around the park. The resistance of the Woodfield Community Association to high-rises ringing the park angered some pro-development residents in the area, who formed a group called the Woodfield Ratepayers’ Association, advocating for larger towers.
City staff will continue to consult the public over the summer.
Innovative young companies share 60-Second spotlight
Photo: 60-Second Pitch award winner, Zamir Khan of VidHug
LAST WEEK, TECHALLIANCE hosted its biennial 60-Second Pitch Competition & Awards Celebration at Voices.com.
The evening showcased a roster of exciting and diverse young tech firms presenting their company pitches in hopes of claiming a share of a prize pool valued at a total of almost $50,000 worth of business acceleration resources to help their ventures grow.
Prizes were handed out for first, second and third places, as well as a People’s Choice Award winner, an award based on popular vote of those in attendance.
The third-place award went to Ascend Applications, an accessibility plugin aimed at making AODA compliance easier with just one line of code.
In second place, bridging the gap between business and technology by providing unified communications and call centre services, was Nielsen IT Consulting.
The first-place award went to VidHug, a video-stitching platform that brings long-distance loved ones closer together via easy-to-assemble special occasion group videos.
And the People’s Choice Award winner was presented to Praxis, an innovative selection of toothpastes infused with supplements to improve both going to bed and waking up.
Summertime lunch hour concert series launched at RBC Place London
Photo: Thursday Tune Ups will feature a lineup of 10 outdoor lunch hour concerts
RBC PLACE LONDON, London Arts Council and London Music Office have teamed up to launch a lunch hour music series called Thursday Tune Ups.
Thursday Tune Ups will offer a lineup of free outdoor concerts on 10 dates between June 27 and August 29. Every Thursday, the patio at RBC Place London’s King Street entrance will be transformed into a lively community space featuring live music, food trucks, and visual artists.
“Even though our name has recently changed, our mandate at RBC Place London continues to be to bring the world to London,” said Lori Da Silva, RBC Place London general manager. “Last year we brought graffiti artists to London; this year we are thrilled to feature talented musical and visual artists supporting annual downtown festivals and our amazing local talent. We are looking forward to connecting the business community with these artists over the lunch hour adding to the vibrancy of downtown London.”
The lineup features a diverse range of acts and genres, and will include artists, community partnerships and local food vendors. Details of each week’s entertainment will be released throughout July.
Featured Business Event
Social Media Made Simple | June 25, 2019, 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Hosted by the Small Business Centre and facilitated by Cara Campbell of CC Social, the Social Media Made Simple seminar will walk you through the most popular social media platforms, how they work and, most importantly, how to make them work for you and your business.
Building on the basics, the seminar will then cover tips and tools to make managing your social media easier and less time consuming, as well as a talk about how to keep your branding consistent across all online platforms. (Facilitator’s note: It would be helpful, but not required, if participants bring a laptop or smart device.)