Alterna Savings is a full-service financial co-operative that is committed to supporting the well-being of our members, employees and communities. We promote community economic development through micro-lending initiatives, encourage our members to be financially knowledgeable, give back through many charitable activities and continually strive to be transparent at every level of our operation. Based on co-operative principles, we put people and communities first. At Alterna Savings, exceptional service, products and solutions are just the beginning.

Approximately 85 cents of every dollar at Alterna is re-invested in our communities in the form of mortgages and loans.

Alterna Savings also owns a subsidiary bank called Alterna Bank which allows us to bring our cooperative philosophy beyond Ontario's borders.

Aon Hewitt is the global leader in human resource consulting and outsourcing solutions. The company partners with organizations to solve their most complex benefits, talent and related financial challenges, and improve business performance. Aon Hewitt designs, implements, communicates and administers a wide range of human capital, retirement, investment management, health care, compensation and talent management strategies. With more than 29,000 professionals in 90 countries, Aon Hewitt makes the world a better place to work for clients and their employees.

The Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC), currently branded as simply Atlantic Lottery, is an organization that operates lottery games in Atlantic Canada. It is owned jointly by the four Atlantic provincial governments: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. ALC's headquarters are located in Moncton, New Brunswick. All profits returned by ALC are distributed to the provinces for their general funds.

ALC was founded in 1976, shortly after the founding of government lotteries elsewhere in Canada. While ALC's first games were only played on a regional basis, it quickly joined the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation, which offered national draws.

ALC has been seen by some as an innovator in lottery technology. In 1988, they became the first lottery organization in the world to print a bar code on all draw and scratch tickets, allowing for instant verification of a prize. In 1990, they introduced the first legal video lottery terminals in Canada. The introduction of PlaySphere in 2004 allowed users to play the lottery over the Internet, another first.

Since 1976, ALC has awarded more than $5.5 billion in prizes and paid out $5.9 billion in profits to its four shareholders.

The Bank of Canada is the nation's central bank. Its role, defined by the Bank of Canada Act, is "to promote the economic and financial welfare of Canada." The Bank is responsible for Canada's monetary policy, bank notes, financial system, and funds management. The Currency Department of the Bank of Canada carries out its management activities within the context of its Business Excellence Program, including Quality and Healthy Workplace frameworks. The department has customized the NQI framework to suit its business requirements. The Business Excellence Program is critical to the department’s success in achieving its objectives and in working towards its vision of being “second to none.”

Calian is a business and technology service provider which serves both Canada and the International market. Through its two divisions SED Systems in Saskatoon and Business & Technology Services in Ottawa, Calian offers a wide range of service solutions. SED provdes services in the areas of Satellite Communications Ground Systems, Satellite Control Systems & Services, Network Management Systems, and Manufacturing Services. B.T.S. provides program delivery in the areas of Information technology, Training, Healthcare and Operations & Maintenance. Proudly Canadian, Calian is a publicly traded company that ensures that only the most qualified teams are employed to help their customers meet their organizational objectives

You may know Canada Wide Media as the largest independently owned magazine publishing company in Western Canada - but they are so much more. Canada Wide Media Limited provides a diverse range of media services and products, ranging from high-end printed publications to the latest in digital media. For over 30 years, they have grabbed the attention of audiences across Western Canada.

From creating the latest in digital media to high-end printed publications, they do it all. They proudly publish over 50 quality products (at last count) including 11 self-owned magazines, 30 custom publications for leading clients, 10 eNewsletters, and 8 "very cool" websites. They even do books. They have over 6 million readers.

Website: http://www.canadawide.com/

Canadian Government Executive is the journal of record for public sector executives. Moving into their 19th year of publishing, CGE reaches a wide national audience of senior decision-makers and managers across federal, provincial and municipal jurisdictions.

Our mission is to contribute to excellence in public sector management. Our contributors are among the sector's most well-known and respected thought leaders. Through high quality editorial, extensive networking opportunities, a large and enthusiastic readership, and high readership recognition and use of advertisers' products and services, CGE has become the market leader.

Published 10 times a year, CGE reaches a monthly audience of 17,500 subscribers. In addition, each issue enjoys a pass-along readership of 22,000 (Mendon and Associates study). Online, approximately 20,000 readers per month regularly peruse interviews and articles while our weekly e-newsletter reaches over 9,500 subscribers in the National Capital Region. In all, CGE reaches up to 60,000 public sector leaders and decision-makers every month.

The City of Barrie is Central Ontario’s Premier Waterfront Community and home to 132,000 people. In partnership with the NQI, Barrie and its 1,200 full-time and part-time employees embarked on a journey of excellence in late 2007. The City developed a Six Year Plan for Excellence based on NQI’s Progressive Excellence Program which serves as the foundation for the journey. In October 2008, Barrie reached the first major milestone, NQI PEP ® Level 1 certification for Organizational Quality and Healthy Workplace®. The City is committed to continuous improvement and has a wide range of initiatives underway or planned that are focused on corporate quality and organizational excellence. Barrie intends to work in co-operation with the NQI to achieve sustained organizational performance and results.

The City of Regina is committed to excellence and has a number of initiatives in place to help deliver on that commitment. In the latter part of 2007, the City developed its first Corporate Strategic Plan, Accelerating Excellence. The Plan articulates the City's Vision, Mission, Values and Strategic Priorities that will guide us in our approach to enhancing the quality of life for our residents and visitors. Included in our Plan are initiatives that will hone the efficiency and effectiveness of our business, manage the City's growth, further develop a sense of community and be good stewards of our assets and infrastructure. Through our Customer Service Strategy, the City plans to further build our customer-focused culture, with an impact on all internal and external relationships. Our Healthy Workplace initiatives promote a healthier, safer workplace for all employees. Through these activities, the City of Regina is driving forward on the path to become a fully certified member of NQI.

The Certified Management Accountants of Ontario is a self-governing professional organization that awards the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation to qualified candidates in Ontario. With some 25,000 members, CMA Ontario maintains rigourous standards of accreditation and professionalism in managment accounting to protect the public interest.

A leading Canadian hotel management company, Delta Hotels operates and franchises more than 40 full-service city centre and airport hotels and resorts under the Delta brand. Widely regarded as Canada’s “brand of choice” by guests and owners, Delta Hotels also distinguishes itself as an exemplary employer. It is the only hotel company to be recognized for its sustained focus on business excellence by the National Quality Institute with three Canada Awards for Excellence, including the award program’s highest honour, the Order of Excellence (2007). It also consistently ranks as one of the country’s best employers in The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business annual “50 Best Employers” list (2001–2003, 2005–2011).

Diversicare Canada Management Services Co., Inc. is a Canadian-controlled private operator of retirement, assisted living and long-term care residences. Managment scenarios cover the spectrum of individual owners, limited partnerships, joint ventures, private investment groups, non-profit organizations, and receivership/insolvency appointments. They also provide consulting services and design/development assistance on new projects, particularly where they have been contracted to manage the project following opening. In all cases, their goal is to provide the highest standard of quality care and service, which when combined with cost-effective, efficient, responsible, and responsive managment, enhances the quality of life of the residents and provides financial stability to the Company.

WIND Mobile is a Canadian wireless telecommunications provider that is dedicated to improving the Canadian consumer experience by offering customers simple, easy-to-understand and transparent plans. Since its launch in December 2009, WIND Mobile has offered customers real unlimited voice/data/text plans with no term contracts and no hidden fees. WIND is committed to becoming the country's fourth national carrier and already boasts to having more than half a million happy customers. WIND Mobile is part of Amsterdam-based VIMPELCOM Ltd., a global company with over 200 million customers. For more information on WIND Mobile, please visit: www.windmobile.ca.

Alberta Infrastucture is responsible for infrastructure planning, and building and managing government-owned vertical infasctructure. The ministry works with all other Alberta Government ministries to meet the needs of a growing economy and population. Their business is Asset Management; their vision is to be the "best public sector asset manager in Canada.". To that end they believe they must know their business and be excellent at it. For more info about Alberta Infrastructure and the Government of Alberta visit www.infrastructure.alberta.ca

As a leading provider of life and health insurance and a caring member of the communities we serve, Great-West Life takes special interest in supporting innovative programs that address the health and wellness concerns of Canadians. As presenting sponsor of Canada’s Healthy Workplace Month® through our national corporate citizenship program, we are proud to support this initiative as a means to help raise awareness of the benefits of workplace health for organizations and individuals alike.

We are pleased to support NQI in promoting wellness, including mental health, and encouraging exemplary principles and practices.

Great-West Life and NQI are building stronger communities together.

The Herzig Eye Institute has treated thousands of patients from across Canada, 42 US states, and 23 countries worldwide. The Herzig Eye Institute is led by Co-Founder and Medical Director Sheldon Herzig, MD, FRCSC, a world-renowned expert in his field and past president of the Canadian Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeon who prepared the Recommended Safety Guidelines for Laser Refractive Centres in Canada and Co-Founder and CEO Cherry Tabb, recipient of the RBC Canadian Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Innovations. The Herzig Eye Institute's High Definition Vision® solutions utilize only the most advanced vision correction technology as well as other provenintraocular surgical procedures for patients who do not qualify for laser surgery. The Herzig Eye Institute also offers treatments for presbyopia including NearVision CK, Monovision LASIK, Refractive Lens Exchange, the Intraocular Collamer Lens (ICL), as well as providing Advanced Cataract Solutions. The Herzig Eye Institute is the only custom vision correction surgical centre in North America to be awarded the prestigious ISO 9001 certification by SGS International Certification Services, Inc.

Hill+Knowlton Strategies is Canada’s leading public relations and public affairs consultancy. Trusted by many of the world’s top companies and brands, their network of experts deliver standout ideas that impact business results. With nine wholly-owned offices across Canada, they influence opinion, protect reputation, manage crises, drive sales and raise awareness for clients across the country. Follow them on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/hk_canada or visit their website
www.hkstrategies.ca ,

Hill+Knowlton Strategies is a proud recipient of the Progressive Excellence Program (PEP) Quality Level 4 Certification and the Canada Awards for Excellence Gold Award for Quality from Excellence Canada. They were recently recognized as one of the Best Workplaces in Canada for 2011.

Information Services Corporation of Saskatchewan (ISC) is the provincial Crown corporation responsible for land titles, vital statistics, survey, personal property and corporate registries, as well as related geographic information.

ISC has established itself as the trusted and secure provider of Saskatchewan's critical registries: the Land Registry, the Saskatchewan Personal Property Registry (SPPR), the Vital Statistics Registry, the Corporate Registry, and the Legal Survey Plan Registry. In addition, ISC maintains the foundational Legal Survey System, Geographic Information Systems, and provides a wide range of related services to customers both inside and outside of Saskatchewan.

Manulife Financial’s Canadian Individual Wealth Management (IWM) Operations, which serves the Manulife Investments businesses, began its National Quality Institute (NQI) journey to Silver Canada Awards for Excellence in 2002. Since that time, IWM Operations has grown stronger by aligning their organization with the NQI Framework for Business Excellence. Achieving Silver recognition, in 2008, has reinforced IWM Operations’ commitment to continuous improvement as a way of life.

Manulife Financial is a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 19 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and Asia, and primarily through John Hancock in the United States, the Company offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners.

Metrolinx, an agency of the Province of Ontario, provides leadership in the coordination, financing, and integration of all modes of transportation in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). A seamless, integrated regional transit network with a focus on public transit means people and businesses will be able to move more easily across the GTHA, making cities more liveable and the economy stronger, while protecting the environment.

In 2009, Metrolinx merged with GO Transit, the regional public transit service. The organization grew further with the addition of the Air Rail Link in 2010, which will be a premium express rail shuttle service between Union Station and Pearson Airport. Most recently it added another operating division in 2011 - PRESTO - an electronic fare card that allows riders to transfer seamlessly across multiple transit systems. For more information, go to www.metrolinx.com or click the link above.

OTIP (Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan) is a non-profit organization directed by a Board of Trustees consisting of two representatives from each of the four education affiliates: AEFO; ETFO; OECTA; and OSSTF. Our organization serves education employees and other union groups, tailoring products and services to meet their specific needs.

OTIP continues to grow, providing a full range of group and individual insurance products and employing over 300 staff members. Our commitment to quality extends across our organization and is entrenched in our corporate culture. In 2008, we set and successfully achieved our corporate goal of obtaining NQI PEP® Level 3.

ParticipACTION is the national voice of physical activity and sport participation in Canada. Originally founded in 1971 ParticipACTION was re-launched in 2007 to help prevent the looming inactivity crisis that faces Canada. As a national not-for-profit organization soley-dedicated to inspiring and supporting healthy and active living for Canadians it works with its partners, which include sport, physical activity, recreation organizations, government and corporate sponsors, to inspire and support Canadians to move more.  www.participACTION.com

Peel Children’s Aid, one of the largest Children’s Aid Societies in Ontario, protects children and strengthens families ensuring the safety and well-being of children in the Region of Peel.

We are proud to have achieved Level 2 of NQI’s Integrated Progressive Excellence Program (NQI PEP®)).

Partner testimonial: Peel District School social worker… one of my students and her mother recently told me that they were treated with respect and that meant a great deal to her and her daughter.

A client…my worker has given me total confidence in myself and that I’m doing a great job raising my children.

PowerStream is the second largest municipally-owned electricity distribution company in Ontario, delivering power to more than 330,000 customers residing or owning a business in communities located immediately north of Toronto and in Central Ontario. The communities they serve include Alliston, Aurora, Barrie, Beeton, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Markham, Penetanguishene, Richmond Hill, Thornton, Tottenham and Vaughan.

The company, jointly owned by the municipalities of Barrie, Markham and Vaughan, is committed to providing its customers with safe, reliable and efficient service. They achieve this goal by focusing on operational efficiencies and procedures in order to minimize overhead costs and maximize the use of company assets.

Purolator is Canada’s leading integrated freight and parcel solutions provider. Celebrating 50 years of delivering Canada, the company continues to expand its reach to more people, more businesses, and more places across the country and around the world. Purolator is proud of its Canadian heritage and is well-positioned for future growth and success. As the recent recipient of the Logistics Quarterly Third-Party Logistics Sustainability Award, Purolator is growing globally in a sustainable manner while contributing to the well-being of the communities in which its over 11,500 teammates live, work, and play. For more information, click the above link.

Ricoh Canada Inc., headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ricoh Company Ltd., the 72-year-old leading supplier of office automation equipment with fiscal 2008 sales in excess of $20 billion.

Ricoh’s fully-integrated hardware and software products help businesses share information efficiently and effectively by enabling customers to control the input, management, and output of documents. Click on the link above for information about Ricoh's complete range of products and services on the World Wide Web.

The Rotman School is part of the University of Toronto and located in downtown Toronto, home to the largest financial district in Canada and the third largest in North America. The mandate of the Rotman School is to redesign business education for the 21st century with a curriculum built on Integrative Thinking™. The school offers a range of flexible MBA options, a Master of Finance, a PhD program, and executive programming. It is home to some of the most innovative research institutes in the world, and boasts an impressive network of global partnerships in a variety of academic, corporate and community sectors. The Rotman MBA is ranked as one of the top programs in North America by the Financial Times.

The Rotman belief is that modern business leaders must develop an ability to find creative solutions in the face of multiple and often conflicting perspectives. Students receive a solid grounding in all the functional areas of business, and then learn how to go beyond them to see the big picture. By drawing upon the tools and insights of Integrative Thinking and Business Design™, they approach each challenge with a disciplined creativity. It's a transformational learning experience that drives each Rotman students' ability to generate value and innovation in a rapidly-changing business environment.

Saint Elizabeth has been a trusted name in Canadian health care for more than a century and is a leader in responding to client, family, and system needs. As an award-winning not-for-profit and charitable organization, Saint Elizabeth is known for its track record of social innovation and breakthrough clinical practices, and it has received numerous awards for its innovative human resources and business practices. Their team of more than 5,000 nurses, rehab therapists, personal support workers and crisis intervention staff deliver nearly five million health care visits annually.

The Social Services Department is the largest department of the Regional Municipality of Durham. It provides vital services and programs to the residents of Durham Region each month through its six divisions: Business Affairs and Financial Management, Children's Services, Family Services, Housing Services, Income and Employment Support, and Long-Term Care and Services for Seniors.

Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services organization providing a diverse range of protection and wealth accumulation products and services to individuals and corporate customers.

Together with our partners, we operate in key markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China. and Bermuda. A market leader in group benefits, we serve more than five million Canadians in over 10,000 corporate, association, affinity, and creditor groups across the country.
Our extensive products, services, and technology enable us to tailor group benefit programs to meet virtually any customer’s needs. We are proud to be NQI’s Champion of Excellence, and NQI’s Canadian Healthy Workplace® Criteria is a cornerstone of our HealthyRETURNS™ workplace health management offering.

Teck is a diversified resource company committed to responsible mining and mineral development with major business units focused on copper, steelmaking coal, zinc, and energy. Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, its shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols TCK.A and TCK.B and the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TCK. Further information about Teck can be found at www.teck.com (or click the link above).

The Art of Productions Inc. (The Art of...) is Canada's leading owner and producer of business conferences for professionals - presenting the most engaging live programs you'll ever experience. They share the most prominent business leaders, internationally-renowned speakers, and bestselling authors - to learn from and be inspired by. They deliver a unique and personal experience with actionable ideas, strategic visions, and creative insights - the essence of a live event! www.theartof.com

The Lowe-Martin Group has been in operation since 1908, leading the industry in the implementation and application of new and emerging technologies that deliver exceptional quality and versatility across the spectrum of offset and digital print and supporting services.
Lowe-Martin has been certified ISO 9001 for over twelve years. We manage sensitive public and private sector print communications and also provide integrity required data management. We are deeply committed to lessening the impact of our industry on the environment. We maintain environmental certifications and continue to implement initiatives to ensure that environmental awareness is firmly established in our corporate culture.

Markham, strategically located in the heart of the Greater Toronto Area, is one of the fastest growing municipalities in Ontario with more than 300,000 people. More than 400 corporate head offices and over 800 high technology and life sciences companies are located in Markham. These two sectors generate a total employment close to 33,000, or almost a quarter of the total employment of 123,000. High quality facilities, a highly educated and diverse workforce, and a pro-business environment signify the many attributes that continue to attract world-renowned corporations to Markham, including IBM Canada, AMD, American Express, Motorola, Honeywell, Sun Microsystems, Johnson & Johnson and many others.

In July, 2010 Markham was proud to receive NQI certification at the NQI PEP® Level 3 Integrated Quality and Healthy Workplace® , and the Canada Awards for Excellence – Silver.

Established in 1984, Venture Communications is one of Canada's largest independent marketing communications firms, with offices in Calgary and Toronto. The company delivers highly creative marketing solutions that are informed by a deep understanding of what drives business. Venture's core philosophy is that marketing must deliver measurable business results, and we are recognized thought leaders in the area of marketing accountability. For more information, please visit www.openminds.ca or click the link above.

VIA Rail Canada operates the national passenger rail service on behalf of the Government of Canada. An independent Crown Corporation established in 1977, the company provides Canadians with safe, efficient, accessible, and environmentally responsible public transportation in both official languages. VIA consistently ranks as one of the most trusted transportation companies in Canada. In Leger Marketing's 2010 Top 100 Companies in Canada survey, VIA outranked every other transportation company.
VIA operates up to 497 trains weekly on 12,500 kilometres of track, and serves 450 communities across the country, from coast-to-coast and north to Hudson Bay. VIA carried over 4 million passengers in 2010.

VIA's fleet includes 396 passenger cars and 78 active locomotives. In addition to 159 railway stations, VIA operates four modern maintenance facilities, and employs some 3,000 people. While VIA owns 223 kilometres of track, most of the infrastructure used by the passenger service is owned and managed by the freight railways, including ten different national and short-line operators.

Windsor Regional Hospital, a multi-faceted, health services organization operating from two main sites, the Metropolitan Campus and the Western Campus providing both Acute and Continuing Care Services with 669 beds on various sites, Windsor Regional Hospital is one of the largest non-teaching hospitals in the Province of Ontario.

Their organization is committed to supporting a comprehensive, patient/client/resident and family-centered health system for the citizens of Windsor/Essex County and for some specialized services, Chatham-Kent. In association with their community partners, they provide a wide variety of services that contribute to this community health system.

The engine of Windsor Regional is its staff. This includes employees, professional staff (medical/dental staff, ) and volunteers. Windsor Regional has been recognized and honoured by local, provincial and national organizations for its workplace initiatives. These include the Hospital's vibrant Healthy Lifestyles Program which includes on-site yoga, jazzercise, healthy eating, weight training, walking clinics, and running clinic. Windsor Regional has been recognized for two years running with the Heart Health Action with their Gold Award along with being recognized nationally by the National Quality Institute - NQI PEP(r) Level 2 in their Progressive Excellence Program.

Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) plays a key role in the province’s occupational health and safety system. The WSIB administers no-fault workplace insurance for employers and their workers and is committed to the prevention of workplace injuries and illnesses. The WSIB provides disability benefits, monitors the quality of healthcare, and assists in early and safe return to work for workers who are injured on the job or contract an occupational disease.

The WSIB wants and is expected to be a leader in safety, health, and wellness, in the workplace. As such, a Healthy Workplace Committee (HWC) was formed in 2005 to guide the development and implementation of a Healthy Workplace using the NQI PEP® Healthy Workplace® Criteria to assist in the process. NQI PEP® Level 2 was achieved in 2007, and the organization is working towards NQI PEP® Level 3 in 2010.

Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS), formed in 2010 through the amalgamation of Farm Safety Association (FSA), Industrial Accident Prevention Association (IAPA) and Ontario Service Safety Alliance (OSSA), is one of four Health & Safety Ontario partners.

WSPS provides health and safety products, training and consulting to Ontario's agricultural, manufacturing and service sectors, and is a trusted advisor to businesses seeking to boost productivity and profitability by reaching zero work-related injuries, illnesses and fatalities.

WorkSafeBC is an independent statutory agency governed by a Board of Directors appointed by the provincial government of B.C. It serves 2.3 million workers and more than 200,000 employers throughout the province and is funded through insurance premiums paid by registered employers and through investment returns. The British Columbia Workers Compensation Act, first created in 1917, created WorkSafeBC, which is the regulator of workplace health and safety and administers a no-fault insurance system. The mandate of WorkSafeBC, in concert with workers and employers, is to:
• Promote the prevention of workplace injury, illness, and disease
• Rehabilitate those who are injured and assist with timely return to work
• Provide fair compensation to replace workers’ loss of wages while recovering from injuries
• Ensure sound financial management for a viable workers’ compensation system.

Xerox Canada is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Xerox Corporation. Xerox Corporation operates with 136,000 employees in 160 countries. As a $22 billion company, they are the world’s leading enterprise for business process and document management. They provide true end-to-end solutions, from back-office support to the printed page, to help their customers operate their businesses and manage information. Xerox was recently named one of Canada’s Best Corporate Citizens by Corporate Knights magazine and one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers.

More than three decades ago Xerox began making strategic investments in Canada’s knowledge infrastructure by establishing a leading research centre in Canada. Today Xerox Corporation is the only multinational business process and document management company in the world conducting value-added, advanced materials research in Canada. As a leading information technology company and one of the “Top 100 R&D Spenders in Canada”, Xerox continues to attract talent to Canada from around the world. Xerox continues to leverage the Canadian advantage through the global materials mandate assigned to the Xerox Research Centre of Canada which generates well over 150 patentable ideas per year. As a result, materials invented in Canada at the XRCC are present in every digital output product Xerox offers worldwide. The success of the XRCC has helped establish Xerox Canada as one of the single highest performing operating entities in the world for Xerox Corporation.