Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Chris Cann spent much of his professional career working in a variety of fields, from social and financial services, to non-profits and utilities. Dedicated to supporting the Queer community by creating sustainable long-term funding, and with the behind-the-scenes support of his husband, Darren, Chris founded the first queer-owned social enterprise utility company, Q-TILITIES. Powering homes and queer organizations across the province, Q-TILITIES “reinvests surplus revenue directly into 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations, charities, and non-profits across the province” according to Q-TILITIES website.
Kay Del Rio
Where do you get your passion for community work?
Chris Cann
The passion for community work comes from how I grew up and the values that were instilled in me from a young age. My mother was a nurse, a union leader, ran for the provincial NDP, and spent the majority of her career in human services. My grandmother was a teacher. They taught me from a young age to be kind, care for others, and to advocate for and stand up for those who are being discriminated against or taken advantage of. To be of service and give back whenever and however possible.
I grew up knowing I was gay, and had a hard time accepting my sexuality and coming out. I didn’t have the community or the supports or know where to turn. I chose to stay closeted and wondered what it would have been like if I had access to supports and services for the queer community that could have helped me process what I was going through. Looking back as an older adult, and how maybe my life would have been different if I had explored organizations or resources sooner.
The push to get more involved in the community has come from the shift that we have seen in Alberta with the government.
We’ve always had to fight in different capacities for rights, but now, especially in Alberta, we’re at a different point in time where we’re seeing things actively being stripped back, and if we’re not careful, it’s going to keep going.
And so, it was not enough for me just to sit idly behind the sidelines. I wanted to participate and be active. I know myself well enough to know that I’m not going to be out on the front lines. With Q-TILITIES, I could do a different kind of activism.
I started Q-TILITIES to work with and to support the community with a business model that would focus on providing a service that everyday folks need. I was looking at how to create a business that was a social enterprise based on reinvesting money back into the community.
We all need utilities, we have to pay the bills, whether we want to or not. We can turn something that is typically not a queer or trans-friendly industry, turn it on its head a little bit and use it for a force for good. Encouraging folks to use their purchasing power differently, and support the community with something we have to do anyways.
Kay Del Rio
Social enterprise is something that we’re starting to see a bit more of in Alberta. Why did you choose that business model?
Chris Cann
Social enterprise aligns with who I am as a person, in terms of what I believe in, how I want to show up in the world and how I think other people should show up in the world. I very much believe in supporting other people, and this just made sense. It allows me to give back in a meaningful way.
We live in a society where money is king, queen, and everything in between but I find that it has the power to do a lot more good than it is doing. It made sense to me: there’s a business that’s going to bring in money, it’s going to make money, and if it can be used to put back in the community, then why not?
Kay Del Rio
Do you have a memorable customer experience or a proud moment with Q-TILITIES that you’d like to share?
Chris Cann
It’s happening more now, somebody comes up to an event and they’re excited because they’ve heard about us or seen us on social media, and are excited to get to talk. Or when customers who have already switched see me and they say they’re happy with the service, they’re saving money, and they’re giving back.
Also, I’m really proud of the connections and the relationships I’m able to build with people. There’s a lot of cool queer and trans people in Alberta that are doing some great work. You don’t just get into business or a partnership with people just for the sake of taking money. Values have to align, they have to see that you’re passionate about it. And I feel privileged to have them in my circle and I feel like we’re building this together, right?
Kay Del Rio
Your husband, Darren, works alongside you building Q-TILITIES, how is it building this with him?
Chris Cann
Yeah, it’s been good. He always has my back and is always there to support from the sidelines. He’s been the biggest supporter from Day One. He does it because he believes in it too, and loves and cares about me and what I’m trying to build. I couldn’t imagine having anyone else alongside this with me.
We do have to wear a lot of different hats in our relationship, so it can be challenging at times. We have to always stop and say, okay, which hat am I putting on? Am I putting on the husband hat or is it a business hat? So, it does come with some challenges navigating how you separate work and business from the personal. Because they can bleed over.
Kay Del Rio
Can you share a goal that you’re working to achieve within the next year or so?
Chris Cann
Does complete domination of the power industry count?
But no, the goal would just be continued growth. I’d love to be able to come back here and say, in a year that we have doubled or tripled our customer base, that we have been able to put $10,000- $20,000 more back into the community.
If I was going to answer that, that would be it. To be able to come back and have this conversation with you and say, “We’ve blown it out of the water, and that we’ve got folks supporting us all the way from Lethbridge to Fort McMurray, and Grand Prairie” That would be the dream. Being able to show that success and share that success with the community.
Kay Del Rio
As a queer Albertan, I think if you were to take over Fort McMurray, everyone in the queer community would be laughing and loving it.
Chris Cann
Absolutely! Q-TILITIES, the sole power provider of Grand Prairie or Hinton, that would be fantastic.
Looking to change your utility provider? To sign up with Q-TILITIES and support the Alberta 2SLGBTQI+ Chamber of Commerce click here. As a Referral partner, the AB 2SLGBTQI+ Chamber of Commerce receives a portion of the revenue generated from using our sign-up link.
Q-TILITIES offers special rates and administration fee discounts for chamber members. Check out your Member Discounts & Benefits document for more information.
