People on the Move: Robert Rheaume helping Linebox Studio design better future for Ottawa

David Sali

February 21, 2024

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A retirement filled with leisurely days lazing on a beach or perfecting his golf swing was never in the cards for Robert Rheaume. Still brimming with energy at 63, the former leader of BDO Canada’s assurance practice in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario has kept his finger on the pulse of the city’s business community, even after closing the book on a four-decade career as a full-time chartered professional accountant. In fact, long before he officially “retired” from BDO in December 2022, Rheaume was already preparing for the next phase of his professional life. “I had always said I still want to have an impact on our community,” says Rheaume, who earned a commerce degree from the University of Ottawa in 1982 and began his career as a CPA at KPMG. Early last year, he launched his own company, CCRS Advisory Services, to help small and medium-sized businesses with their long-term strategic planning – or, as Rheaume puts it, marrying “steady growth with quality growth.” After 40 years in the accounting industry, Rheaume has seen plenty of fledgling entrepreneurs hit a wall as they try to take their businesses to the next level. In his new role, he’s leaning on his expertise to help guide clients past those obstacles to growth and realize their full potential. “A lot of it is just refining a lot of the processes they have in place,” he explains. “As a small business owner, these big projects come along and you see the wheel going and then, oops, there’s no (other) big project on the books. “They’re missing some opportunities, and I’m there to challenge them to think outside the box and avoid complacency.” While most of his consulting gigs so far have been one-offs, Rheaume recently signed on with fast-rising Ottawa architecture firm Linebox Studio as an adviser and fractional CFO. It’s a bigger commitment, but it’s one Rheaume couldn’t be happier to take on. Linebox – whose best-known work includes designing Shopify’s former head office at 350 Elgin St. and reimaging the interior of an office building-turned-residential complex at 473 Albert St. for developer CLV Group – has a reputation for being a bit of a trailblazer in the Ottawa architecture scene. Co-founders Andrew and Melissa Reeves focus on developments that strive to leave a smaller environmental footprint – for example, CLV Group’s Albert Street building and its upcoming office-to-residential conversion project on Laurier Avenue, which Linebox is also designing. By preserving the original building’s external concrete skeleton, conversions save hundreds of truckloads of cement and all of the greenhouse gas emissions that go along with cement production. That puts Linebox on the cutting edge of a new wave of more sustainable development in Ottawa, Rheaume says. “There are going to be a lot of these (office conversions) going on in Ottawa,” he predicts. “We’ve got a massive inventory of buildings that need to be used in some form.” The firm is also designing a nine-storey condo project in Sandy Hill for Windmill Development Group that will use beams made of specially engineered wood that is much lighter than concrete, meaning it requires less energy to transport and produce. Linebox’s commitment to sustainability resonates with Rheaume, whose own house has a basement lined with wood rather than concrete. He believes projects like the one in Sandy Hill using cross-laminated timber could be the start of a new trend in residential mid-rise construction. “They’ve done amazing things in Ottawa,” he says of the Linebox team. “I’m just in awe of what they want to do going into the future. “When we start talking about a world-class city in Ottawa, these guys embed this (idea) from A to Z. They really want to see something different, they want to see (the city) lively, they want to see it succeed.” A large share of Rheaume’s clients at BDO were involved in commercial and residential real estate development. He’s hoping his extensive knowledge of the industry and its key players will pay dividends for Linebox. “I bring new contacts, new opportunities on specific projects and will hopefully get them to a nice place as an organization,” he says.

Other people on the move across Ottawa

Sara Cooper is the new CEO of Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa, bringing more than 20 years of leadership experience and an extensive career at United Way East Ontario. In a statement from the organization, Cooper said she is “honoured” to work with Habitat Greater Ottawa to address the “vital need for affordable housing.” Cooper is taking over from interim CEO Hazzem Koudsi, who will be returning to his role as CEO of Habitat Prince Edward Hastings. Ottawa economist and policy analyst Robin Shaban has been named associate partner at Vancouver-based management consulting firm Deetken Insight. Shaban, who is also a fellow at the Public Policy Forum, will lead Deetken’s Ontario operations as the firm continues to ramp up expansion into the province. Shaban has worked as an economist, policy analyst and research adviser and was previously principal at Robin Shaban Consulting. Currently a PhD candidate at Carleton University’s School of Public Policy and Administration, Shaban is studying competition policy and economic efficiency. Shaban also was also a co-founder of economic consulting firm Vivic Research and co-founder of think tank Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project. The new ByWard Market District Authority has welcomed Christine Rozak as director of public affairs. Rozak joins the team with experience in senior marketing management, including with Ottawa Tourism, MNP and Cyan Solutions, and the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa. In her new role, Rozak will lead advocacy and communications, strategic partnerships and economic development initiatives. – With additional reporting from OBJ staff