Blog # 146...October 2023
BMO's new corporate headquarters, in Nordstrom's former space in Toronto's Eaton Centre, is an extraordinary example of a worker focused workplace, maybe a taste of the future and - dare we hope - an encouragement to other employers.
Work - what occupies us, all the different kinds of work we do, from looking after ourselves and other people to earning money or goods to live, has always fascinated me. In the 5 years since I published a piece about that sector of the world, it's changed enormously, leaping ahead - and sideways. I'm taking a look at the huge and fairly sudden changes that have happened since then, and what we may see down the road.
Let's start with the work of daily living in our surroundings: masks, vaccines, tests, consciousness of our elder friends and relatives, staying in, when and where to go out, smoke in the air, maintaining interests and engagement, maybe stresses of paying bills and finding housing and dealing with anxiety and/or depression.
Then there's what's involved in the work we do for money: contract, shifts, part time, permanent, temporary, at home, in an office, store or factory, more independence, time with family, loss of collegiality, tenuous, risky, satisfying, valued, too much, not enough, lost offshore, multiple jobs, too far away, stressful relationships, and on and on.
Outside factors come into it too: artificial intelligence supporting some sectors, threatening others; labour shortages in some fields, and the rallying of the union movement as workers gain influence and increasing strength and people who sell groceries, make cars and write Hollywood shows strike for their rights.
Many workplaces look different these days, more casual clothes (flip flops in the boardroom?) and many vacant spots as people sit at their kitchen tables or curl up on the sofa. Sone workers are being ordered back while other employers are paying more attention to the physical environment with art and colour schemes or coaxing staff back in with pickle ball courts or gourmet lunches.
So back to BMO and the environment it's created for its employees...lucky them to have their wants and needs considered and even anticipated! Maybe some of the ideas and intentions will spread and be adapted in other settings.
Such a large project involves the talent and work of many individuals, and since I write about art, and because I love what she's done, I'm concentrating on Panya Clark Espinal's spectacular piece Ring True that's central to the space.
To create a project in a financial centre Panya was inspired by the rings on the Canadian ten dollar bill which celebrates our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Four circles of different colours are rendered on a monumental scale on the escalator's banks, integrating into multiple planes as the passenger moves upwards, sometimes distorted, at other times in perfect alignment. In a playful way, Panya suggests that aligning one thing with another can help us gain clarity and wonders if what we claim in our Charter actually does ring true in our lived experience.
What's coming in the future? One thing is sure, with rights and freedoms, come online scams...the latest appears to come from a friend with "pictures" in the message line, as a way to enter your system. DELETE if you're suspicious and check the email address of the sender to see if it matches your legit contact. Be vigilant, the www is a bit of a wws (wild west show).
And hello to the thousands of AI trollers from Singapore who visit my blog every month, should I be flattered?
I'll be back in November, hope you will be too.
