ICAS Ambassador for Calgary – Lawrence Rice CA

Lawrence shares his experience of living and working in Calgary, his tips for things to do in the area and how you can connect with the local ICAS community.

What’s your day job?

Director, Corporate Development at Parkland Corporation.

How long have you lived in Calgary?

Since October 2016.

Where were you before?

Aberdeen.

Where did you train?

I trained with Deloitte in Aberdeen.

What made you decide to get involved and become an ICAS Ambassador, and what have been the biggest takeaways for you personally and professionally?

I wanted to be able to help new ICAS members moving to Calgary. I’ve met many great people through the program and look forward to meeting more!

What was it about Calgary that made you want to come here?

I was attracted by the active lifestyle that Calgary offers. It’s on the doorstep of the Rocky Mountains and offers a rare combination of a good-sized city with extremely easy access to outdoor activities and nature.

Which part of Calgary do you call home?

I live in the Northwest, near Nose Hill Park.

What’s the one thing you shouldn’t miss if visiting the area? (e.g tourist attraction, cool area, best food, the outdoors)

Calgary Stampede at the beginning of July is unmissable and, more broadly, a short drive outside of Calgary will take you to some incredible nature which is great at any time of year.

I’m new to the area, can you recommend somewhere for:

A business lunch - Charcut on Centre St.
An evening out - My favourites are Ship & Anchor on 17th Ave or Palomino on 7th Ave.
A weekend getaway - Canmore or Banff are both great for a weekend trip.

Describe the local professional community in three words.

Active. Fun. Entrepreneurial.

What are the best things about living and working in Calgary?

It’s a liveable city. Big enough that there’s lots going on to keep me engaged socially and professionally but small enough that I’m not spending hours sitting in traffic every day and, relatively speaking, it’s an affordable place to live.

And what are the biggest challenges?

Public transportation can be a struggle. Unless you’re living and working in one specific area of the city, it can be a tough place to live in without a car.