Top honors┬áAt Cross Telecom, attaining top honors in the communications industry is more than just a goal, it is a matter of day-to-day business. Kate Sawyer reports. Cross Telecom, founded in 1996, is fast becoming the premier telecommunications provider in both the private and public sector. In the past decade, it has grown ten-fold, and has capitalized on strategic partnerships to expand and improve.

Growing green┬áColumbia Power recently completed one major power plant upgrade and is about to start work on another, setting the stage for it to help feed the growing demand for sustainable energy in British Columbia, as Keith Regan details.  Since it was formed in 1994, the mission of the Columbia Power Corporation has been to invest in hydroelectric power generation capacity. The provincial corporation and its joint venture partner, the Columbia Basin Trust, bought its first assetÔÇöthe Brilliant DamÔÇöin 1996.

Well-equipped manpower┬áCerPro Energy Services provides value for its clients by investing in its workforce and an ever-growing equipment fleet, Jaclyn Beck reports.  Four years ago, when oil prices began climbing toward $100 a barrel and exploration and drilling companies were pursuing the oil and gas boom that had started in Alberta, industry veteran Peter Pleskie saw an opportunity.

Realizing a vision┬áAs Keith Regan learns, Urban Landmarks and Carma DevelopersÔÇÖ Aurora project in downtown Edmonton is a labor of love and a result of a passion for creating a sense of community in any setting. Carma Developers has a long track record of conceiving and creating planned residential communities in the United States and Canada, with a 50-year track record of projects that blend housing and amenities in cities such as Austin, Texas; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Denver, Colorado.

COPT focuses on environmentally sensitive and sustainable office parks as a key differentiator in its field of commercial development and construction, Linda Seid Frembes learnsAccording to the US Census Bureau, Americans are spending more than 100 hours per year commuting to and from work, and the nationÔÇÖs longest commutes are in urban centers like New York City, Los Angeles and Boston. The trend toward suburban office space in urban submarkets has risen over the last decade, partly to alleviate the frustration of urban commuters.

From blue sky to reality┬áBluewater Health is amalgamating all of SarniaÔÇÖs hospital services on one site through a big construction and renovation project. Tracy Gazarek explains to Gay Sutton how the project was designed for the local community and to help protect the environment. On the shores of the southernmost tip of Lake Huron lies the city of Sarnia, Ontario. Enjoying an enviable position at the point where the St. Clair River exits the Great Lakes, it is one of the busiest gateways to the US from Ontario.

Canada's greenest campuses┬áBritish Columbia Institute of TechnologyÔÇÖs five campuses are becoming ÔÇ£living laboratoriesÔÇØ as it tackles sustainability through a team approach between operations and academics, John OÔÇÖHanlon learns from its sustainability director, Jennie Moore. Back in 2006, John English, dean of British Columbia Institute of TechnologyÔÇÖs School of Construction and the Environment, created the new post of director of sustainable development and environmental stewardship.

Gold rush┬áLinda Seid Frembes learns how a small public resource company is using its expertise to realize the potential and reduce the environmental impact of its Atlanta Gold project while revitalizing a former mining district in Idaho. Many investors perceive gold as a safe haven in uncertain economic times. At the same time, society has higher expectations of business taking on public responsibilities than it did five years ago.

A step in the right direction┬áAs one of the largest construction firms in the Pacific Northwest, Andersen looks to family values and a quality reputation to grow its business, Linda Seid Frembes learns from director of business development Steve Tinney. Andersen Construction of Portland, Oregon, is built on a foundation of quality building practices and long-term client dedication due to the values of its founder, Andy Andersen. Founded in 1950, Andersen Construction has grown into one of the largest construction firms in the Pacific Northwest.

Game on┬áThe Ameristar Casino in Black Hawk, Colorado, is revamping its strategy to offer guests more amenities and new lodging options for more of a resort-like experience, Linda Seid Frembes reports. Located 40 miles west of Denver, the town of Black Hawk, Colorado, is a former mining town that is now the stateÔÇÖs largest gambling destination. The small town is home to nearly a dozen casinos, all within an hourÔÇÖs drive of Denver International Airport.