When a home is designed with flawless aesthetics, your security system should blend right in - without compromising on safety.

At Reed Security, we believe that luxury living and peace of mind go hand in hand. Recently, we had the opportunity to prove just that at 924 Saskatchewan Cres East, a stunning luxury spec home masterfully renovated by the talented team at Centennial Kitchen and Bath.

We were brought in to outfit this spectacular property with a seamless, cutting-edge smart home security system.

Watch the Walkthrough Video

Michael Shaw and Virgil Reed recently visited the property to showcase the new setup. We walk you through the gear we used to secure this home, highlight some of our favorite smart features, and - as you’ll see - manage to have a little fun along the way.

When Acadia Group of Companies broke ground on their state‑of‑the‑art building at 120 Prospect Road in Saskatoon’s BizHub Industrial Park, they knew their security needed to keep pace with growth.

To meet this challenge, Acadia Group of Companies partnered with Reed Security to deploy a unified security solution - combining smart alarms, access control, and video surveillance into one intuitive platform.

Project Overview

Client: Acadia Group of Companies

Location: 120 Prospect Road, BizHub Industrial Park, Saskatoon

Scope: Smart alarm, access control, and video surveillance, all managed via Alarm.com

Objectives:

- Seamless integration of alarms, cameras, and door/gate control

- Centralized management via desktop and mobile

- Easily manage security for 150+ employees

- Scalable platform to support future expansion

Our Solution

1. Smart Alarm System

   - Door sensors and smart motion detectors

   - Real‑time alerts via desktop and mobile app

   - Remote arm/disarm functionality for added convenience

2. Access Control

   - Electronic door locks and gate control using smartphones

   - Customizable user profiles and schedules for yard, shop, and office areas

   - Comprehensive audit trail of every entry and exit

3. Video Surveillance

   - High‑definition cameras covering all access points and critical zones

   - AI person and vehicle detection

   - Continuous recording with secure cloud backup

   - Instant playback and clip sharing through Alarm.com

With Alarm.com's unified interface, Acadia’s facility managers can monitor alarms, manage access, and review video footage - all from a single dashboard.

About Acadia Group of Companies

The Acadia Group of Companies, founded in 1982, is a Saskatchewan‑owned and operated family of construction firms delivering turnkey solutions for large‑scale, complex projects. It encompasses Acadia Construction Inc., Acadia Paving Ltd., Acadia Pumping & Dewatering Ltd., and Integrated Engineering Inc., bringing together expertise in earthwork & civil infrastructure, civil engineering, mining & industrial, railway, environmental remediation, paving, concrete, fluid handling, and water resources. With over 150 skilled professionals, Acadia is dedicated to excellence, safety, and community engagement - values that made them a perfect partner for this project. Learn more at acadiagrp.ca.

How Acadia Leverages Alarm.com

User Management: Quickly add, modify, or remove access for up to 150 employees - no more physical keys. New smartphones simply require new mobile credentials.  

Zone‑Specific Permissions: Define access levels for yard gates, the shop floor, and the office with tailored schedules.  

After‑Hours Monitoring: The system auto‑arms every evening at a specified time, sends confirmation when armed, and alerts on any non‑typical activity - like an HVAC service door opening at 5:10 AM or unexpected entry at 8:56 PM.  

Video Verification: Link alarms to live camera feeds to verify incidents remotely. If a false alarm occurs, Jason can disarm the system and clear the event from his phone within seconds.  

Remote Control: Arm or disarm the system and unlock doors via the Alarm.com mobile app to ensure authorized personnel can enter without delay.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Lindsay Ullathorne and team on the grand re-opening of Canadian Tire 912 in Martensville, SK! 

With 50,000 square feet of retail space and over 50,000 products, Canadian Tire is your home for all the everyday things that help you work, play and live better.  

Project goals and requirements

For a retail location like Canadian Tire, security isn’t just about protecting assets; it’s about peace of mind and maintaining a safe, welcoming environment. Lindsay Ullathorne, the owner, had two primary objectives in mind:

1. Increase Deterrence: Visible security measures act as a powerful deterrent, discouraging potential thieves from attempting any unauthorized activity.

2. Reduce Losses Due to Theft: Effective video surveillance allows for immediate investigation and response to any suspicious activities, ultimately reducing the financial impact of losses.

Reed Security was established in March of 2000 with a vision – we want to be the #1 security provider in Saskatchewan! Over two decades later we are known for our great local service and protect 1000’s homes and businesses across the prairies. To serve you better we have locations in Saskatoon, Regina, Prince Albert, Calgary and Edmonton.

We help businesses and organizations re-gain control, reduce theft, monitor their properties, protect staff and grow their bottom lines. From small businesses to large enterprises our professional-grade Smart Business security solutions from Reed Security provide tools you can rely on.

In our latest article, we shine a spotlight on Reed Security commercial security client - Rayner Agencies.

MEET RAYNER AGENCIES

For our latest client spotlight, Virgil Reed met with Sheldon Wasylenko, Co-Owner, GM of Rayner Agencies. (above)

Rayner Agencies Ltd. is a general insurance brokerage that has been owned and operated by the Wasylenko family since 1971. Originally established by Lorne and Ruth Rayner in 1948, the business was started in the Sutherland area of Saskatoon and has continued to serve clients throughout Saskatchewan since its opening. Rayner Agencies Ltd. is a full-service insurance brokerage representing a large number of insurance companies and offers a wide range of insurance policies for homes, automobiles, businesses, and agricultural risks.

Their patience paid off and they moved into the iconic old Sutherland Hotel and Bar location on Central Avenue. The extensive renovations to the 7500 sq ft property resulted in a stylish location that seamlessly blends heritage and modern styles including their beautiful Atrium.

Now the Rayner Agencies 23 team members have plenty of space. In addition, they rent out the impressive boardroom to 3rd parties for meetings and events.

PROTECTING RAYNER AGENCIES

When it came to the commercial security needs, Reed supplied the alarm and access control systems and the client supplied their own cameras. 

The Reed Security team is proud to work with and provide support for wonderful local businesses like Rayner Agencies. Their focus to maintain the highest level of customer service, with honesty and integrity is very much aligned with Reed Security's value and mission.

"Rayner Agencies Ltd. chose Reed Security to design it’s building and door security system for our new building project at 810 Central Avenue. Right from the beginning, the sales and design team led by Geoff as well as the support team understood our needs very well and did an exceptional job deploying their solution and providing the support we needed along the way. Their technical knowledge and post-installation support was important to us. I would confidently recommend Reed Security for handling your commercial security needs."

Sheldon Wasylenko, Co-Owner, GM of Rayner Agencies

Thank you Sheldon and Rayner Agencies for trusting Reed Security to protect your People and Property!

NEED BETTER SECURITY? WE CAN HELP! 

DROP US A LINE AND GET A FREE SECURITY EVALUATION OR CALL 306.653.3200

Reed Security was established in March of 2000 with a vision – we want to be the #1 security provider in Saskatchewan! Over two decades later we are known for our great local service and protect 1000’s of homes and businesses across the prairies. To serve you better we have locations in Saskatoon, Regina, Prince Albert, Calgary and Edmonton. 

In our latest article, we share the details of a security pilot project by the Downtown Saskatoon Business Improvement District.

SMART BUSINESS SECURITY

We help businesses and organizations re-gain control, reduce theft, monitor their properties, protect staff and grow their bottom lines. From small businesses to large enterprises our professional-grade Smart Business security solutions from Reed Security provide tools you can rely on.

In our latest project spotlight, we share some interesting information on a pilot project for the DTNYXE Bid in Saskatoon, and how security cameras and Video Surveillance Keeps Security Front and Center in smart cities across the globe! 

 
“Urban populations are expanding rapidly around the globe, with an expected growth of 1.56 billion by 2040. As the number of people living and working in cities continues to grow, the ability to keep everyone safe is an increasing challenge However, technology companies are developing products and solutions with these futuristic cities in mind, as the reality is closer than you may think. Solutions that can help to watch over public places and share data insights with city workers and officials are increasingly enabling smart cities to improve the experience and safety of the people who reside there. “ - Rishi Lodhia- Managing Director, EMEA,

We all want our public places to be safe, whether you are in shopping malls or walking around towns and cities downtown. From dangerous drivers to petty crime on the streets to high profile bank robberies, surveillance cameras can go some way to recording events, helping the police or other emergency services to respond quickly to, and in some cases even prevent serious incidents.

REED SECURITY PROJECT: DTNYXE 

Reed Security is excited to announce that we are the Saskatoon security company selected by the Downtown Saskatoon Business Improvement District to provide services for the pilot security surveillance project in Downtown Saskatoon. We installed high-definition surveillance cameras at several key locations in Saskatoon’s City Centre, in an effort to make our cities downtown feel safer for all citizens.

We installed REEDHD™ security cameras with ColorVu technology. The cameras use an ultra-low light sensor and a built-in spotlight to see in color 24/7. The client can check on cameras anytime, anywhere using our desktop and smartphone apps.

 “It was easy to increase the safety and protection of our community. The cooperation we received from DTNYXE and participating businesses was outstanding.”
Virgil Reed, CEO, Reed Security

"Reed Security was great to work with, the project was delivered on time and on budget and we are pleased with the overall result. They were sensitive to the needs of property owners to ensure the installation was sensitive to building facades."
Brent Penner, Executive Director, DTNYXE

  

 

DO SECURITY CAMERAS DETER CRIMINAL ACTIVITY?

 

Case studies have proven that having a video surveillance system can deter a significant amount of crime. The University of North Carolina found that half of all the surveyed burglars would flee the area after discovering cameras. Additionally, 60% of burglars said they wouldn’t rob an establishment if they had prior knowledge of the video surveillance system.

 

EXAMPLES OF SMART CITY VIDEO SURVEILLACE

Hayward, California*

After investing in improving its downtown area, city officials in Hayward, California, realized that the area around city hall needed further security measures to stop the drug dealing, prostitution, theft and violent crimes going on there. Purchasing solar-powered, deployable video surveillance units saved the city a significant amount of money since power lines would have had to have been trenched in. Even better, the drug dealing came to a rapid halt thanks to camera identification and other crime went down an estimated 60 percent as well.

Mankato, Minnesota*

The city of Mankato, Minnesota, has complied with its new public safety and property protection initiatives and helped reduce the number of public safety crimes, as well as vandalism incidents. A recent nationally-publicized altercation that took place outside a bar was captured on the city’s surveillance cameras, giving law enforcement evidence that aided in the judicial process.

*Source: https://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/90109-the-impact-of-surveillance-smart-cities

 

You could say that the common factor between every smart city project in the world is in their ultimate goal: to improve quality of life, or livability, for their citizens, and Saskatoon is no different. 

Atlanta, Georgia

In addition to city departments, the networks of local private businesses can also be integrated. This results in a public-private partnership that ensures the highest level of protection for a city and its citizens. There are already some very successful use cases proving the importance of collaboration between the public and private sector, for example, the initiative “Operation Shield” ran in the City of Atlanta.

 

“Operation Shield is a two-way street. The police department gets eyes in a particular area they might not have had before, and at the same time, it gives businesses peace of mind that APD can see what’s going on and respond faster should the need arise.” - Thomas Sutton, Senior Police Officer of the Atlanta, Georgia Police Department

10 CITIES WITH THE MOST VIDEO SURVEILLANCE

#1- Cameras per person 

Based on the number of cameras per 1,000 people, these cities are the top 10 most surveilled in the world: 

1. Taiyuan, China – 465,255 cameras for 3,975,985 people = 117.02 cameras per 1,000 people 

2. Wuxi, China – 300,000 cameras for 3,315,113 people = 90.49 cameras per 1,000 people 

3. London, England (UK) – 691,000 cameras for 9,425,622 people = 73.31 cameras per 1,000 people 

4. Indore, India – 200,600 cameras per 3,113,445 people = 64.43 cameras per 1,000 people 

5. Changsha, China – 262,000 cameras for 4,694,722 people = 55.81 cameras per 1,000 people 

6. Beijing, China – 1,150,000 cameras for 20,896,820 people = 55.03 cameras per 1,000 people 

7. Hangzhou, China – 400,000 cameras for 7,845,501 people = 50.98 cameras per 1,000 people 

8. Qingdao, China – 262,000 cameras for 5,742,486 people = 45.62 cameras per 1,000 people 

9. Kunming, China – 200,000 cameras for 4,550,831 people = 43.95 cameras per 1,000 people 

10. Xiamen, China – 150,000 cameras for 3,790,792 people = 39.57 cameras per 1,000 people

#2- Cameras per square mile 

Based on the number of cameras per square mile, these cities are the top 20 most surveilled in the world:
 

Source: Comparitech Figures as of May 2021

Depending on whom you ask, the increased prevalence and capabilities of CCTV surveillance could make society safer and more efficient, could trample on our rights to privacy and freedom of movement, or both. No matter which side you argue, the fact is that live video surveillance is ramping up worldwide. 

WANT TO FEEL SAFE, GET ACCOUNTABILITY AND RE-GAIN CONTROL? 

DROP US A LINE AND GET A FREE SECURITY EVALUATION OR CALL 306.653.3200

Reed Security is a Multi AWARD WINNING company and we are your TRUSTED SASKATOON ALARM & SECURITY EXPERTS