If you will indulge me for a minute and look at our new logo, you will notice at its heart there is a stylized Canadian Maple Leaf. I'm not going to tell you what the image is supposed to invoke, because if you have to explain a logo, I think you've missed the mark. I see the Maple Leaf, but I also see a campfire image. As Canadians, many of us can relate to the simple joys and warmth of a crackling campfire - sometimes with s'mores and often times with mosquitos - kumbaya.
What occurred to me recently is that I also see a torch, and at that moment our logo took on more meaning to me than ever before, because when I began this letter explaining our new name and brand, the torch started to speak to me (no, not literally.)
We all carry our own torches, but when you are so incredibly lucky as to live in a country as beautiful as this, you carry part of a much bigger torch. While we're enjoying everything Canada has to offer, we owe it to our children and their children to preserve it and make it even better. That's part of the deal. Our parents and grandparents sacrificed and gave us this gift. Most of us have had it better than they did, and we want our kids to have it better than us. We will leave this great country better than we found it. We cannot take what we have for granted. Our values and culture matter. This country matters. We have to fight for it.
My mother's father was a Ukrainian immigrant and heavy equipment operator. He drove bulldozers and backhoes in The Pas, MB, Nanoose Bay, and Kitimat, BC. My father's father was a high school teacher in Vancouver. Humble beginnings, but my story isn't unique. My family worked hard to give me this opportunity. They were not perfect, but they passed the torch and it is burning brighter now than when it was passed to them.
So, how do we make sure that the torch is burning brighter when we pass it to our children? One way we can do that is to stand up for what we believe in, but without economic power, we cannot control our destiny. For us to remain true, north, strong and free, we have to be the best. We have to build great companies and industries that can compete at a world-class level. If our kids are going to make a great life in Canada, they need to have somewhere to work.
We are going to do our part to be the best in this field, and that means being the very best in the world. If we aren't, then someone else will take our place and preserving the future of Canada may not be at the top of their agenda. Today we live in a global economy, and we had better make sure that our kids are prepared to compete on a global level. It will be hard. They will need to be even more educated than we are, and they may not have the luxury of doing a degree in political science (all due respect of course). On the other hand, they have access to new technologies and emerging opportunities that I couldn't have dreamed of a decade ago.
Canadian Energy is our new name. It's not just our name but it’s who we are at our core. That fire in our logo is the energy in our hearts and spirits to be the best, day in and day out. To carry that torch and have some fun along the journey. (If you get to know us, you'll learn we like to have fun.)
If you have that fire in your heart - if you have Canadian Energy, then we can work together to help each other's businesses.
Today, we are in the business of providing stored and renewable energy products and services across Canada. Fossil fuels are an important part of our economy, but the future is renewable and our goal is to be the industry leader. That's who we want to be when we grow up. That is our life's work. Whether you live in Moncton or Victoria, we want you to know that you can count on us to give you the most value or we will die trying. If you need batteries, we're going to provide the best and with the best warranty. If you need renewable energy, we will have the best option. We will innovate. We will push the envelope. We are not going to ask for anyone else's permission to move forward.
If we don't live up to your expectations, then I want to know about it, and we will do better next time.
Yes it’s an audacious goal. Canadians are supposed to be humble, and we are, but we're still allowed to dream. Don't mistake our humility for complacency or weakness. We are not interested in second place. This is where we live. This is where our kids live.
We have a torch to pass.