Canada's Top Small & Medium Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 17
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B&R
CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS (2026)
p Toronto-based travel company Butterfield & Robinson gathers employees outside its office in Beaune, France, for a guided bike ride.
Human connection is the secret sauce
Maintaining a human connection is how this SME winner inspires employees — and keeps clients coming back
A
s AI reshapes work, Toronto-based Butterfield &
Robinson Inc. (B&R) offers
a counter-story: a homegrown travel company that
focuses on human connection and human
experiences. Still led by the founders’
vision, its future rests not on replacing
people, but on deepening the relationships and expertise that can’t be automated. Quite simply, it’s about putting people
first, a characteristic many of Canada’s Top
Small and Medium Employers (2026) share.
Founded in 1966 by a trio who loved to
travel, there’s a romance behind it. It starts
with the friendship of George Butterfield
and Sidney Robinson who met as
teenagers and spent summers traveling in
Europe. Then George married Sidney’s
sister Martha and the three planned that
first trip – a 45-day European adventure
for students. It sold out.
“Their partnership in life and business
helped shape the culture of B&R from the
very beginning,” says CEO Mike Scarola.
“The goal was always to slow down, be
present and make travel meaningful. That
insight became the spark and set the tone
for the company’s approach to travel.”
Now 60 years later, the firm continues to
be a sustainable business.
“Travel, at its best, is about people,” says
Scarola. “That human layer – the relationships we’ve built with local communities,
the guides who lead our trips, and the
connections formed between travellers – is
really the secret sauce.
“In a world increasingly served by AI,
B&R offers a human-first alternative.
Technology can handle logistics, but it
can’t replace intuition, creativity or the
personal care that turns a journey into
something meaningful.”
The company boasts a creative workplace culture that values new perspectives
and celebrates curiosity, encouraging
employees to work from its European
offices in Beaune, France, and Arezzo,
Italy, for up to four weeks annually. Staff
have the opportunity to learn first-hand
and gain a deeper understanding of
cultures across the organization, subsidized by a travel stipend of $1,500 and paid
accommodations.
Keeping connected face-to-face is a
priority for employees as well. Wednesday
cocktails, an end-of-day social where staff
gather in the office for snacks and a mix of
wine, beer and non-alcoholic options,
plays an important role in B&R’s culture
and helps strengthen relationships across
the organization.
As for George and Martha, Scarola says
they’re still very much a part of the B&R
family.
“George sits on our board and both of
them often join us in the office for our
weekly company-wide huddle,” he says.
“Believe it or not, they still host trips from
time to time, which our travellers
absolutely love. Their presence keeps us
connected to where we came from and
ensures the original spirit of the company
remains very much alive today.”
— Diane Jermyn
