Christie

KITCHENER, ON – (MAY 3, 2010) – Christie Digital Systems Canada, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has been named one of Canada’s Best Employers for New Canadians for 2010 by the editors of Mediacorp Canada Inc., a Toronto based publishing firm.

In addition, Christie has been named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers by the same publication.

The award winners for the Best Employers for New Canadians are selected based on five main criteria, according to whether the companies:

• Offer programs designed to assist employees who are recent immigrants to Canada.
• Have reduced employment barriers for recent immigrants, such as by recognizing foreign credentials and experience.
• Assist new employees with foreign professional or educational credentials in getting their qualifications recognized in Canada.
• Offer programs such as internal coaching or mentoring to help employees who are recent Canadian immigrants understand the Canadian workplace.
• Managers and employees receive training in cross-cultural issues or inclusiveness, to help create a welcoming and productive environment for employees who are recent immigrants.

“We are committed to hiring the brightest and the best, regardless of country of origin, education or experience,” said Karen Hiltz, Human Resources Manager, Christie Canada. “We’re thrilled to have many new Canadians in our organization.”

Among the initiatives Christie is involved with is the Waterloo Region Immigration Employment Network (WRIEN), an organization dedicated to improving employment opportunities for new Canadians in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Through its programs, WRIEN continues to foster an environment where the experience and skills of foreign trained professionals are valued in the community.

Christie Canada has also hired New Canadian employees via the Working Centre, a non-profit community organization and employment search center that provides resume and employment counseling, as well as guidance to maximize job search strategies.

For the Canada’s Greenest Employer award, each employer is evaluated by:

• The unique environmental initiatives and programs they have developed.
• The degree their employees are involved in these programs and whether they contribute any unique skills.
• The extent they have been successful in reducing the organization's environmental footprint. 
• The extent these initiatives have become linked to the employer's public identity and whether they attract new people to the organization.

The environmental initiatives Christie has undertaken include:

• Successfully registering two manufacturing plants to the internationally recognized environmental standard, ISO 14001.
• Introducing energy-efficient stand-by modes for many of its new projector models, and it is developing next generation solid state LED illumination technology with no consumable parts to replace.
• Expanding the recycling program to include organics (food waste).  Twelve new organic/recycling/waste stations were distributed throughout the Canadian facility. Each location provides source separation for organics, paper, glass, metal, plastic, and true waste.
• Reduction of electrical consumption by 13 percent within the first year by removing over 1000 fluorescent bulbs from office areas and the conversion of warehouse space to more efficient lighting technologies.
• Introducing a natural gas conservation program to recycle heat from the manufacturing process to heat the facility during fall, winter and spring months.
• Achieving an impressive 82 percent waste diversion rate (determined through ongoing monitoring and monthly reporting of program results). 
• An e-waste recycling program to ensure that all of its electronic waste is diverted from landfill and is recycled and disposed of properly – and even accepting batteries and compact fluorescent light bulbs from employee homes.