Business magazine spring 2015 by The Local

BUSINESS

SUNSHINE COAST

Spring 2015 • Vol. 02 No. 01

MAGAZINE

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH

Coastal Craft PAGE 10

WHERE

Art MEETS

COMMERCE PAGE 24

Business as

(UN)USUAL THE FLOUR PEDDLER PAGE 28

MINDING YOUR BUSINESS

on Social Media PAGE 6

BUSINESS

SUNSHINE COAST

OME NEW HONSTRUCTEEIOMENNT C

an ck plans, set of sto or just an have a h ether you ouse rking wit hin Wh ect you’re wo Longman’s in-h time, wit and ns, they archit sketch the pla pleted on eeded our a and a was com to create the home. exc ide t t p jec hel duc pro h pro team design the end of Eac design h you to be one son get, and with l work wit me can l bud ations” -- S. Stin y work l work wil stressfu a new ho ect phase the , its style, Ltd wil proive and uilding r exp design out opments ign st expens r life. Being you ough the your home’s lay the mo an Devel the entire des ng the Thr you decide Longm becomes nces in you to through purchasi tractor experie con ing lls. you and l h wa nag era ng wit the own gen full-time job. Ma ping m choosi colours for kee d cess, fro g paint l, secon on time, with to pickin a stressfu , keeping them et, dealing tors lot des on budg pec sub-tra process and ins y rever the whole nt departments It can be risks. me . ern ing gov tak and jor under es with costs is a ma ry but it com very sca warding ld be a built cou gman Developa house Our with Lon “Having sle free. However been has high stanhas process. y rything ” to a ver budget. ments eve ng completed on e and bei house is in on tim is coming dard, it tilier velop-- D. Bou gman De years Lon homes. They 20 n ng re tha n buildi act construcFor mo has bee ntr ments Ltd ped a Fixed Co es your home elo nte With a have dev s that guara -budget. ces e and on or to the first tion pro pri ilt on-tim will be bu act Agreement, l know what is ntr wil Fixed Co ching dirt you going to is it ch tou pleted. how mu shovel be built, to be com going to is going when it ents on cost and Developm ts. Longman ovation projec e hired “We hav home ren l 201 4 te ara e • Fal Mag azin three sep

MAGAZINE

TABLE OF CONTENTS 06

Minding your Business on Social Media

World Class Craft

New Home Construction

Cast in Stone

Natural Edge

Earth Friendly

Festival Finesse

Where Art Meets Commerce

Pender Harbour Spirit

Business as (UN)usual

The Sunshine Coast Business Magazine is published twice a year by The Local Weekly Newspaper. Cover Photo Courtesy of: Coastal Craft Featuring: The Signature Aluminum 65' Concord Motoryacht This material written or artistic may not be re-printed or electronically reproduced in any way without the written consent of the Publisher. The opinions and statements in articles, columns and advertising are not necessarily those of the Publisher or staff of the Local Weekly. It is agreed by any display advertiser requesting space that the ownerʼs responsibility, if any, for errors or omissions of any kind, is limited to the amount paid by the advertiser for that portion of the space as occupied by the incorrect item and there shall be no liability in any event greater than the amount paid for the advertisement.

Local

the

weekLy

#213 - 5710 Teredo Street Sechelt, B.C., V0N 3A0 Phone: 604-885-3134 Fax: 604-885-3194 Email: publisher@thelocalweekly.ca www.thelocalweekly.ca

Sun shin

e Coa st

Bus ines

Page 1

of: Willgoose Millwork

Publisher’s Message Photo Courtesy

RACT AG

ED CONT

IX WITH A F

N AT U R A L E d g e

complete the work of art are availab le based on the clients’ prefere finish is done using nce. Steve’s favorite walnut oil and carnub BC beeswax, natural a wax as opposed toxic petroleum to product oils says Steve. have used many products in my woodw “I ing days including orkWell meet Steve. the spray on finishe Chances are the I prefer a natura next time Large you see one of l oil and wax finish. s, but trees that Steve those trees you The end products have a could be milled sources locally sitting around a life of their own and are into thick slabs spectacular natura are that take over two more natural and warme l wood years dining table having r to the touch.” to dry. From there dinner with a friend the slabs spend neighbor. And or days in his 30 Trained as a machi Steve kiln before they nist, motorcycle got the table there, will be the guy who into a mechanic dining table. Steve’s can be worked and carpenter in from an ancient his early days Steve tree to a six foot design and spefallen cial care started his wood workin along with his clients live edge thick g business in 2003. cut slab results dining table. in one of a kind produ specifications spiration? Gustav His inStickley, a 1900’s cts each with character of its own. furniture And specific finishe a maker. Steve was impressed with the miss to sion and craftsm an style created by Gustav ver wonder what happens to some of the massive trees on the ground after we see lying stately maples remov a storm, or the ed from cleared property?

Willgoose Millwo rk, company, is locate Steve’s woodworking d in Halfmoon Bay. of the wood he Most uses in his portfo designs comes from lio the Sunshine Coast. of specialty! Solid His Slab Tables.

Sunshi ne Coast Busine ss Magazi ne • Spring 2015

Page 18

Festival

FINESS

nd ed ha A sk ill o a st ’s s th e C A rt s g u id e ri tt e n W l a u ann sh in d ig

cdotes. with ane readings ing or to link table do context, re comfor ed standseem a s are mo polish would me writer ers. Some are only — own. “So s ter k on its adian wri t than oth !” s- tha t Can ng enough tas ans ing pre tha edi mm to want up com daunti progra r guess e ause we genres, and Festiuld eve that the full-tim Coast ho wo of thing bec imagine ld be a the eers. shine a tricky a wide range You can ng alone cou their car the Sun Written Arts— ing “It’s of proges of booki writers val of the longest-runn g ent s at various sta ter to have the for and 33rd its tin or now in country’s writers, attrac ry writer o need the wri current book, ause task. ada. festival, Can a als an eve ast h t in bec , Co adi We wit hel shine others of of Can a crowd e Pavilcomes s to Sec The Sun ique among groups draw in file that gathering s of reader-fan band? feature un venue (th sons, to an herings sing panels and year, is other rea 450 seats in the Centre). thousand virtual one-m ters’ gat pri a ost all Most wri r writers com there are helt’s Rockwood year—is helt, alm e. ieve a or fou tim But in Sec at Sec man. is to ach n of three themes. one writer at a one wo hugely ion my goal entatio s exploring Actually, are of the group, res t nts cer rep and tha a eve du really ion pro “Within der, and represent reg 7, readily of the 21 e and it’s vidson, e of gen since 200 zation’s “very ite uniqu ce and by the Jane Da ersity, ani . balanc festival d. ien tural div mat is qu popular credits the org ard of directors - ages, a cul y.” Davidson sai the aud “This for bo both by ntr un ’t end gratefully and involved” beloved, vidson said. icated vol lled of the cou up doesn ded line l d Da a year festiva engage ntion the 200 few highly ski t tickets writers, fting the a me sell 9,000 ight writers And cra Not to the services of a few weeks jus ugh to r-n o has the oved eno three-day, fou there. teers and y staff hired for e writer wh an audi- Bel gram a an intens e-in. d temporar August event. s lov e to pro rk for and hol s ak wo hav der age bre the ’t e rea t enable “W ke-orprior to really eng hat doesn ll set tha wn and r, the ma , the only ability to d Davidson. “W their head do ild a ski duction? the yea you bu t most of ts with Davidson ence,” sai eone to just pu How do nage such a pro But for ast bility res . som to ma r.” the Co responsi - is for d for an hou d, you s ployee ved to rea art Pot em mo e tark to rea 58, full-tim muted r the wo writer , now er the Por the and the Davidson ly 90s, and com nt to hea ters, I ord in between, the wri g,” People do wa ed, but ideally versation g the ear “I book I do everythin the fundraisin explain to have a con in in Davidson ir work lity ties, and the publicity, the abi put the g, tin has and o rke ce als ma audien more vidson. with the said Da lining up ing act of writers, and te balanc right The intrica ters — the 201 5 Spr ing wri azin e • than 20

Sun shin

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Page 2

Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Spring 2015

BEHIND THE SCENES FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK...

CONTRIBUTORS...

elcome to Spring 2015! With our theme of Behind the Scenes, the Sunshine Coast Business Magazine is pleased to reveal and write about things that usually happen without really being seen. More specifically, while we all enjoy attending our festivals and events, or marvel at the kind of boating crafts being produced, or share in the intrigue of being introduced to some of our eclectic entrepreneurial younger generation, how often do we really get the inside story. We are pleased to say these business people are our neighbors, they are a strong part of our local economy, and they are local producers of our lifestyle and culture on the Sunshine Coast. Jeremy Dunn is an expert in social media. He walks us through the benefits of social media in business today and also advises on what to do if your business is targeted by unwanted attacks. We introduce you to Jeff Rhodes, a most unassuming gentleman who runs a renowned yacht building company right here in Gibsons and who is one of the most successful boat builders in Western Canada.

“I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance”

Susan Attiana is Publisher of the Local Weekly and the Sunshine Coast Business Magazine. She has 30+ years experience in the newspaper, media and magazine industry in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. She lives in Sechelt.

SUSAN ATTIANA PUBLISHER / EDITOR Rik Jespersen is a journalist, editor and television producer who has worked with various print, online and broadcast media across Canada over the past 30 years. He lives in Roberts Creek.

RIK JESPERSEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER / EDITOR Christina Johnstone is a Graphic Designer with 11+ yrs experience in the news industry. She produces the White Rock Real Estate Advisor and produces the Sunshine Coast Business Magazine. She spends her time between Sechelt and White Rock.

- Steve Jobs

Following the path of the Hergesheimer brothers of Roberts Creek will certainly captivate you and keep you spellbound as you read their amazing story from entrepreneurism to the written word. Join us as we visit the Business of the Arts where Jane Davidson shares the skills needed to produce one of the country’s longest-running gathering of Canadian writers; the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts. Nancy Cottingham Powell talks about event marketing on the coast in Where Art meets Commerce; she organizes the annual Sechelt Arts Festival and we get insight into the work involved in putting on this extraordinary art show. I could go on but enough said. Enjoy the inside stories as much as we did putting them together for you!

CHRISTINA JOHNSTONE PRODUCTION / GRAPHIC DESIGN

THE SUNSHINE COAST BUSINESS MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED TWICE A YEAR BY THE LOCAL WEEKLY NEWSPAPER.

We wish to thank the following Sunshine Coast Businesses for their time and support: Jeﬀ Rhodes - President Coastal Craft, Donna McMahon - Gibsons Chamber, Kim Darwin - Sechelt & District Chamber, Leonard Lee - Pender Harbour & District Chamber, Jane Davidson, Nancy Cottingham-Powell, Steve Willgoose, Dennis Wilkinson, Andrea Routley - Caitlin Press, Jeremy Dunn - BC Salmon Farmers Association, David Longman - Longman Developments, Ian & Jane Macdonald - Vaka Marketing and all other advertising supporters of this publication.

Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Spring 2015

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Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Spring 2015

B USINESS MINDING YOUR

on Social Media

he use of social media like Facebook, Twitter and others has grown exponentially in the past five years, and almost all businesses could benefit from a presence on them. But it can be tricky and sometimes confusing to manage. Sunshine Coast Business Magazine sought out some practical advice from Jeremy Dunn, a former vice-president with Laura Ballance Media Group and a former associate with Curve Communications. Dunn is currently Executive Director of the B.C. Salmon Farmers Association. Sunshine Coast Business Magazine: Where does a small business start with social media? Jeremy Dunn: You need to have someone in

your organization who’s interested in it and committed to doing it because when you’re in a small community like the Sunshine Coast, nothing beats the personal touch. The one thing that social media does give you is the ability to further those personal relationships into a digital environment. If you’re a business in Vancouver, you may have 300 or 400 people in your Facebook group. You might have 40 or 50 people in a smaller community like Gibsons or Sechelt. But those 40 or 50 can be very loyal to your business and interested in your news when you share it. And Instagram can be a really effective way to keep people connected with your business. It helps personify it. Small businesses often have a big fear the social media is going to be very laborious and a burden on their business. But because it can all be done from a smartphone, it can be managed quite eﬃciently. SCBM: There are probably half a dozen major social media platforms out there, with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Linked In, etc. How does a small business decide which social media to choose or should they develop a presence on them all?

Jeremy Dunn - Executive Director of the BC Salmon Farmers Association

Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Spring 2015

JD: If you’re in a small business, you probably shouldn’t try to be everywhere. The good news is that Facebook and Instagram— because Facebook owns both— are quite easily linked and have a lot of synergies. If you’re not a business that is very picture friendly or image-heavy, then Instagram might not be a great place for you because it really relies on a picture. Facebook is the world’s most popular social networking site. There may be some question if it has the relevance or engagement it had five years ago, but there’s definitely no questioning the reach Facebook has. It’s generally the place to

start. Twitter is a unique tool, it’s growing its audience all the time and one that allows for immediate user feedback that seems to promote conversation more than other sites. SCBM: How frequently should business people be posting? JD: You want to do it regularly. You want to have at least one or two a week. But your content, whether it’s 140 characters on Twitter or it’s a posting on Facebook, has to be relevant to your audience. It’s what you want to share with them but it’s also about what they want you to share, because if people aren’t engaging or aren’t reading it, then you’re not reaching your goals. If you don’t have interesting content to share, don’t over-share for the sake of getting your name out there, because you’re a borderline spammer at that point. SCBM: How do you evaluate the effectiveness of your social media use? JD: Typically, you evaluate it by the level of engagement. Is your content being Shared? Is it being Liked? Are you adding people to your Facebook page? Actually buying advertising on Facebook, if you’re looking to grow your audience, is very reasonable and very effective. A lot of times, people have a hard time building that initial network. And advertising works very well. Online metrics aren’t an exact science but on Twitter, it should be a goal to make your tweets interesting enough for people to retweet. It should be a goal to have a social media influencer— people who have a big following—retweet your content. SCBM: What if you get someone bad-mouthing your business on social media? Whether they’re unhappy customers or just trolls, is there any recourse or strategy you recommend? JD: This one is challenging for both businesses and individuals. The recommended action is to have a short policy in the “about” section of your Facebook page that lets the community know what is and what is not acceptable on the page, for instance, no personal attacks, no profane language, etc. If people cross the line then the post is deleted. If people are trolling you on Twitter, respond to it as an inappropriate comment. If it persists, block the individual and let your followers know why you’ve done this. If the person is bringing up a legitimate business such as a customer service issue, this is your chance to show your network you are aware, responsive, and working to solve issues.

SCBM: What about hashtags. How important are they? JD: Hashtags are important if you’re looking to be searchable. They’re certainly not a must. If you’re tweeting and you want to be seen in a larger conversation, maybe there’s a hashtag #sunshinecoastbc. Or people might follow that hashtag because they like images of the Sunshine Coast, so if you’re posting an Instagram photo that matches that theme, then you want to use that hashtag. SCBM: You often might see, especially on Twitter, people or companies reposting the same material frequently over the period of a week or so. Is that a good strategy? JD: What’s happening there is people or companies are using services like Hootsuite, a fantastic service, which allows you to time your tweets. Instead of tweeting in real time, you can take half an hour and set up, say, 10 tweets to go out at certain times over the next week. So you’re not having to think about this on an ongoing basis. SCBM: But on Facebook, is it best to post just once? JD: Yes, keep it down to one post, and encourage Liking and Sharing. If you have 12 people in your company, and those 12 people Like the post (although you shouldn’t insist that your people do that, necessarily), but if they’re engaged with the post and they Like or Share it, then those people’s social networks are seeing that post as well. The goal here is that you have an engaged group that wants to share your content and wants to add to that conversation. Everybody in your company should at least know that you’re involved in social media and what you’re trying to achieve.

Google+, Facebook, Social Media, Mobile, Video, QR Codes, Biz Directories and Much More!

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SCBM: It doesn’t have to be hard to do, does it? JD: I’ve spent a fair bit of time in training people in local government and small businesses on social media. I’ve found generally that people who haven’t been engaged there on a regular basis make it more complicated than it has to be. A fantastic resource for this is Small Business BC, which offers seminars on a fairly regular basis on social media marketing and communications that are very good. If people in small business haven’t had any training and can’t talk their kids into training them, then Small Business BC is a great place to go. - RIK JESPERSEN

Contact Greymouse Local Marketing Services For Online Marketing Solutions For Your Local Biz! Cell: 778-889-8603 Biz: 604-200-6032 http://GreymouseServices.com Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Fall 2014

Start-Up 101 Draws a Sell-Out Crowd in Gibsons

ou don’t have to live on the Sunshine Coast very long before you get tired of explaining to people that we don’t live on the island! But we are fortunate to be lumped in with Vancouver Island when it comes to accessing Innovation Island (www.innovationisland. ca), a business accelerator program based in Nanaimo.

Why focus on technology? The tech sector now employs more people in BC than oil, gas, forestry and mining combined. It is the fastest growing industry in the province, with over $23 billion in annual economic impact, and wages that

Photo Courtesy of: Richard Hoath, SCteckhub

are 65% higher than the BC average. In February, the Coast welcomed three representatives of Innovation Island for meetings in Sechelt and an all-day Startup 101 course in Gibsons. That course drew a soldout house of over 40 entrepreneurs to gain business insights from start-up experts Graham Truax and Ean Jackson.

Paris Gaudet, Executive Director of Innovation Island, said: “We’ve done these courses in different communities through our region and the one in Gibsons had highest attendance to date. This speaks to the level of interest and need. You have a lot of folks who are really creative and innovative. Our objective is to support them to get to the next level.” The Gibsons Chamber of Commerce welcomes this terrific opportunity for local entrepreneurs to gain access to resources and expertise. This is a great example of building partnerships to leverage maximum economic development benefit from existing programs, people and resources. Kudos to the SCtechhub, Community Futures and Sunshine Coast Community Foundation for sponsoring this event. When local organizations work together we can do great things.

Photo Courtesy of: Richard Hoath, SCteckhub

- DONNA MCMAHON Executive Director Gibsons & District Chamber of Commerce

W RK HUB 2.0 better than ever Business as usual.

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Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Fall 2014

Community

Futures Sunshine Coast

Growing communities one idea at a time

Bringing a Business to

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE THE GIBSONS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE he Gibsons Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a new group called Coast Makers, which is rapidly gaining momentum. (www.coastmakers.com)

Makers are enthusiasts who use a blend of old crafts and new technologies (especially 3D printing, 3D modelling software and advanced materials) to create new tools, objects, or artwork. The Makers Group is a great opportunity for students to be mentored by artisans and people who work in tech related occupations or are retired from high level careers in business and industry. They help young people to learn and experiment in technologies where the opportunities are expanding explosively, much the way that computers took off forty years ago. Having an active Makers community here is also an attractor for innovative and creative people who are thinking of relocating to the coast. The demographic that the Sunshine Coast wants to attract and retain--people under 50 who create their own jobs or bringing jobs with them--is attracted by lifestyle and amenities. And among those amenities are the social and professional networks that create community. The Coast Makers are holding a major meet-up on Sunday, May 31 at Kinsman Hall in Gibsons, which will be open to everyone interested. They also plan to work with partners such as Sunshine Coast Recycling to find novel ideas and methods for repurposing/remanufacturing recycled materials into potential commercial products. Geeks + Junk = Gold? We hope so.

Dave Chisholm President Gibsons Chamber of Commerce

Gibsons

Here are some reasons why you should! CONVENIENT

Only 2 hours from Vancouver

AFFORDABLE

Affordable housing prices

RELAXED

A slower pace of life

CONNECTED

World class fibre optic internet

SMART

Electric vehicle charging stations and a geothermally heated subdivision

ACTIVE

Outdoor recreation abounds year-round

CULTURED

Outstanding arts and culture

Insert you & your laptop HERE

Gibsons & District Economic Development Data about our region www.gibsonsanddistrict.ca

Gibsons Visitor Information Centre Open year round - 417 Marine Dr (across from Molly’s Reach) www.gibsonsvisitorinfo.com visitorinfo@gibsonschamber.com 1-866-222-3806 / 604-886-2374 Gibsons & District Chamber of Commerce Open weekdays, 10 to 2 in Sunnycrest Mall 604-886-2325 exec@gibsonschamber.com Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Spring 2015

WORLD-CLASS

CRAFT

ne of the most successful boat-builders in Western Canada is located right here on the Sunshine Coast, and business is so good that the company is expanding into a whole new line of vessels.

Coastal Craft has specialized for the past decade in crafting gorgeous aluminum-hulled yachts ranging from 40 to 65 feet in length, and generating millions of dollars in annual revenue. Now company president and CEO Jeff Rhodes says it’s time to open up a parallel production line for the kind of boats the company started out making back in the day. “Our heritage business was building commercial boats—water taxis, crew boats, patrol boats, things like that,” said Rhodes, in his oﬃce at his factory in Upper Gibsons. “We stopped doing that 10 or 12 years ago and began focusing on recreational boats. Just this year we decided to get back into that market, on request from some of our early customers. So we’re gearing up, we’re doing more hiring.” The company already has nearly 50 employees. Rhodes said being located here—as opposed to a major centre like Vancouver— has not made it diﬃcult to find the right people. “Fortunately, the Coast is full of very talented craftsmen. That was one of the reasons I decided to start the company here, because I knew there was raw talent around. “The level of skill we have in this building is quite unique in the industry. To find this level of trades and level of quality, you really have to look to the Netherlands or to France, where you’ve got a culture of boat-building at a very high level.” Rhodes, who turns 48 this year, was born in North Vancouver, but has had lifelong connections to this area. “My mom’s parents bought in Roberts Creek in the 50s. My Dad’s parent’s were here in the early 1900s,” he said. Since starting the company in 1996, Rhodes has put together an assembly-line staff and what he proudly calls “an excellent upper management team” to churn out several boats a year. The yachts range in base price from $1 million for a 40-footer to $3.5 million for the 65-foot Concord, which takes one full year to build. Pricey, sure. But these aluminum-hulled gems last virtually forever, leaving the usable life of the much more common fibreglass-hulled pleasure boats in their wake. “It’s similar to building a house with bricks compared to wood,” is the analogy Rhodes likes to use. The prices reflect the time-consuming processes involved in shaping and marrying aluminum pieces together, followed by a painstaking “fairing” process that smooths the thousand welds. Then comes a complex finishing and painting regimen. FULLY OUTFITTED All the wood joinery that is involved in custom-made interiors is designed and created by hand at the factory, where all electronics, navigation and yacht systems are also installed. Coastal Craft’s

Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Spring 2015

Local businessman Jeff Rhodes ships a unique product

boats leave the factory fully ready to frolic. “When we finish them, they have the pillows, the shams, the bedding, the wine glasses, they’ve got it all,” said Rhodes. Coastal Craft’s orders come mostly from North America, with the bulk on the west coast, from Alaska to California. But word does get around. The Concord currently in production will be delivered to its owner near Boston in early 2016. Marketing for the company is 21st Century style, with website and social media components. But the real deals get done by attending boat shows, which have Rhodes and some of his staff criss-crossing the continent to attend several times a year. “Boat shows are a must. People need to be able to get on board, touch and feel, meet us, meet the crew, see the boat, get that emotional connection that you don’t get from the internet or even reading a story in a magazine about the boats,” he said. While Rhodes has no plans to move the company, he could foresee expansion to a satellite operation someday, but not to the city or Vancouver Island, but maybe in the southern U.S. “They’ve got healthy ship-building industries going on there. They’ve got the manpower, they’ve got the resources. The cost of living is a lot lower. Costs are a lot lower and resources are plentiful, for a lot of the trades we’re looking for to build boats,” said Rhodes. Even if that kind of expansion were to come about, the Sunshine Coast operation would always remain the jewel in the crown. “Coastal Craft in Gibsons would be the developing parent company of anything we’d be doing anywhere else in the world,” Rhodes said with conviction. “This will always be the flagship company.” - RIK JESPERSEN

BEST MOTORYACHT, 60– 69 FEET 2014 Aim Marine Group Editor’s Choice Award

T HE SIG NATURE ALUMINUM 65 ’ CON CORD. H A N D B UI LT I N G I B S ON S , B C.

COASTALCRA FT.COM

Client: Coastal Craft Size: Full Page (no bleed)

File Name: 1540_CC_SCBM_FP

604.886.3004

Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Spring 2015

NEW HOME

CONSTRUCTION

WITH A FIXED CONTRACT AGREEMENT

uilding a new home can be one of the most expensive and stressful experiences in your life. Being your own general contractor becomes a stressful, second full-time job. Managing sub-trades, keeping them on time, keeping the whole process on budget, dealing with government departments and inspectors is a major undertaking. It can be very rewarding but it comes with costs and risks.

Each project was completed on time, within budget, and the end product exceeded our expectations” -- S. Stinson Longman Developments Ltd will work with you through the entire design process, from choosing and purchasing the lot to picking paint colours for the walls.

“Having a house built could be a very scary process. However with Longman Developments everything has been hassle free. Our house is being completed to a very high standard, it is coming in on time and on budget.” -- D. Boutilier For more than 20 years Longman Developments Ltd has been building homes. They have developed a Fixed Contract construction process that guarantees your home will be built on-time and on-budget. With a Fixed Contract Agreement, prior to the first shovel touching dirt you will know what is going to be built, how much it is going to cost and when it is going to be completed. “We have hired Longman Developments on three separate home renovation projects.

Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Fall 2014

Whether you have a set of stock plans, an architect you’re working with or just an idea and a sketch and Longman’s in-house design team help to create the plans, they will work with you to design the home. Through the design phase they work with you to decide your home’s layout, its style,

David Longman - President

Building Excellence on the Coast

the type and colour of the siding, roofing, flooring, walls, ceiling and trim paint. This includes the layout and style of the kitchen and bathroom cabinets, the material and colour of the countertops, the bathroom tub and shower tile, the fireplace type, size and locations, the heating and hot-water systems used, etc. The goal of the design phase is to develop a construction plan for the home you want at the price you can afford.

www.blueheronvillage.ca

“From the initial drawing up of the plans to the final completion of our home Longman Developments and their trades were very professional and did an incredible job both on the interior and exterior of our home.” -- C. Jones Once the design and layout of your home has been decided, Longman Developments Ltd then puts together the Fixed Contract Agreement which will detail what will be built, when it will be completed and how much it will cost. Once you’ve signed the agreement they will get to work and you can relax until it’s time to call the moving company to move your furniture and effects into your brand new home. Your home is covered by a 2-5-10 National Home Warranty governed by the Homeowners Protection Oﬃce. “Without any hesitation, we can truly say that you can count on every member of the Longman team to provide friendly, reliable, quality service each step of the way on your path to your new home.” - G. & B. Parker

www.cedargardens.info

Custom Home Construction

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY DEVELOPMENTS MULTI-DWELLING RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS NEW HOME CONSTRUCTIONS CUSTOM RENOVATIONS Longman Developments Ltd. 511 Pratt Rd, Gibsons, BC V0N 1V0

604.886.2272

www.longmandevelopments.com

Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Spring 2015

WHY IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IMPORTANT TO A COMMUNITY? Kim Darwin, President Sechelt & District Chamber of Commerce

ong before the words, “economic development” became popular, the Sechelt & District Chamber of Commerce has promoted and driven economic development in Sechelt and surrounding areas. We are business and professional men and women who have joined together to promote the civic, commercial and industrial progress of this community. We have been and will continue to be a major factor in promoting and enhancing the social and economical climate in which we all live and work. It seems like the words “economic development” are heard everywhere these days as communities work to build a more reliable future. If one searches for the definition of economic development, you’ll find that it doesn’t have one set definition; Loveridge and Morse defined it as “a sustained community effort to improve both the local economy and the quality of life by building the area’s capacity to adapt to economic change”; David Dodson, MDC, Inc. defined it as “the process by which a community creates, retains, and reinvests wealth and improves the quality of life”. What I really like about both of those definitions is that they both relate to an improvement in “quality of life”.

Indeed, the ultimate goal of economic development is to improve the quality of life for all the people who live in a community (province or country) through things like high quality schools, effective public safety, exceptional medical care, diverse recreational opportunities, clean water, good roads, and much more. It is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Therefore, preserving, promoting, and improving a community’s educational system, natural environment and community aesthetics, and civic life must be an integral component of its economic development strategy. While business and industry recruiters certainly play an important role in the economic development of a community, so do the engaged community citizens. It is important to note that not all economic growth is desirable. A proper conception of economic development must embrace the concept of “sustainability” — meeting the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. That is, our goal should be to grow employers, jobs and incomes without compromising the future of our natural resources and assets. Finally, it takes a whole community to grow and improve a community. We, at the Sechelt & District Chamber of Commerce, will continue to be an integral part of improving the quality of life for our whole community.

SECHELT HAS ASSETS > Latest in fibre optic technology

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Sechelt Innovations GROWING COMMUNITY

Unit #103 - 5674 Teredo St., Sechelt, BC V0N 3A0 Ph: 778.458.3044 | info@SecheltInnovationsLtd.com SecheltInnovationsLtd.com Top left, Sarah Doherty, SideStix; top right, Josh Ramsey, Tofino Air; bottom left, Aaron Joe, Salish Soils; and bottom right, Capilano University Sechelt Campus.

Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Spring 2015

THE BEST MEDICINE Is a IsCommunity a community of of Support. support.

New tower on St. Mary’s Hospital, Sechelt

Enhancing care on the coast takes a whole community. Together we’ve raised funds to provide our hospital and staff: • Digital mammography machine • Portable digital X-ray machine • $10,000 annual staff education fund • Endoscopy equipment • Patient Wander-Guard system • Infant resuscitation machines • Foundation House for visiting medical personnel, attracting skilled physicians and specialists to our community.

Be a part of a greater coast community.

Visit www.stmhf.org to learn more about your volunteer Hospital Foundation today. Join us in our vision for world-class healthcare on the Sunshine Coast.

www.stmhf.org

| 604.885.8637

Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Spring 2015

Stone CAST IN

Rockhouse Photo Courtesy of: Rik Jespersen

t’s called the Rockhouse, and no, it’s not a nightclub. It’s a home—built right into the face of a rock that towers more than 100 feet above the Village neighbourhood of Sechelt.

kind home. They find the Rockhouse is a big help in persuading clients to hire them.

Besides its beauty, the granite provides a moderating climatic effect.

“We have lots of meetings right here. People look around the house. We find it sells,” said Leung.

The daring and unique design is the work of architects Ana Cristina Sandrin and Howard Leung. Five years ago, they took up the challenge of creating a single-family dwelling on an empty quarter-acre lot on Salmon Drive, one that happened to feature a ten-storey wall of granite at the back of the property.

“It’s always about 15ºC. In the summer it’s cool, so it’s kind of nice. And in the winter, it’s warmer than the outside air.”

“A lot of clients come to us because they have a tough building site. And they see this house and say ‘Oh, I’m sure they can handle it.’ Even if they don’t have diﬃcult sites, they see what we have done and it gives them a lot of confidence.”

As their property line actually extends back past the rock face, Sandrin and Leung have built staircases right into it, leading up to a series of large flat areas. They’ve established a patio and garden on the first shelf and plan to build a 100-sq-ft yoga studio on the next one up. The view from up there takes in both the Georgia Strait and the Sechelt Inlet.

The couple, who had met while studying architecture at UBC, were based in Vancouver at the time and it was never their intention to live on the Coast. “We designed the house to sell, but we fell in love with it,” said Leung. So they moved to Sechelt, where they now operate their own company, Sandrin Leung Architecture, from their one-of-a-

Sandrin and Leung attached the house right to the rock face, which is framed like a large painting on the back wall of the living room. The rock also feels close enough to touch through the strategically placed windows in the master bedroom and in the shower. “You’ll see a lot of rock in foundations in houses around Vancouver, in basements and usually as floors, not as walls,” Leung said.

Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Fall 2014

The couple are fully aware of the artfulness of their home design, so much so that they made the home itself a stop on the Coast’s annual Art Crawl. You can learn more about the couple’s work at www.sandrinleung.com. - RIK JESPERSEN

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Sunshine Coast Business Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ Spring 2015

ver wonder what happens to some of the massive trees we see lying on the ground after a storm, or the stately maples removed from cleared property?

Willgoose Millwork, Steve’s woodworking company, is located in Halfmoon Bay. Most of the wood he uses in his portfolio of designs comes from the Sunshine Coast. His specialty! Solid Slab Tables.

Well meet Steve. Chances are the next time you see one of those trees you could be sitting around a spectacular natural wood dining table having dinner with a friend or neighbor. And Steve will be the guy who got the table there, from an ancient fallen tree to a six foot live edge thick cut slab dining table.

Large trees that Steve sources locally are milled into thick slabs that take over two years to dry. From there the slabs spend 30 days in his kiln before they can be worked into a dining table. Steve’s design and special care along with his clients specifications results in one of a kind products each with a character of its own. And specific finishes to

Photo Courtesy of: Steve Willgoose

Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Spring 2015

Photo Courtesy of: Steve Willgoose

Photo Courtesy of: Willgoose Millwork

NATURAL Edge

complete the work of art are available based on the clients’ preference. Steve’s favorite finish is done using BC beeswax, natural walnut oil and carnuba wax as opposed to toxic petroleum product oils says Steve. “I have used many products in my woodworking days including the spray on finishes, but I prefer a natural oil and wax finish. The end products have a life of their own and are more natural and warmer to the touch.” Trained as a machinist, motorcycle mechanic and carpenter in his early days Steve started his wood working business in 2003. His inspiration? Gustav Stickley, a 1900’s furniture maker. Steve was impressed with the mission and craftsman style created by Gustav

Photo Courtesy of: Steve Willgoose

Today, the fully equipped millwork shop and Steve’s own renovated home, sits on a nice 12 acre parcel of land right off the

winding Highway on the Sunshine Coast halfway between Sechelt and Madiera Park. Photo Courtesy of: Steve Willgoose

and initially started creating similar pieces. But eventually Steve’s eye and design took a life of its own with a more west coast style and a live edge flair of natural home grown maple wood and bark. From there his business has evolved into custom woodworking for large or small projects. From custom kitchens to bathroom vanities, to wood tables, cutting boards or picture frames you are likely to find that Steve has built it.

Steve today focuses on building live edge tables (natural edge tables), thick slab tables - big or small, mirror frames, kitchen islands and fireplace mantles. If you are considering a new build or have renovations on your mind and want the look, warmth, texture and feel of natural wood in your home take a look at Steve’s products online at www.willgoosemillwork.com. - SUSAN ATTIANA

Photo Courtesy of: Steve Willgoose

www.willgoosemillwork.com Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Spring 2015

A warm & personal welcome The warm and friendly greeting that Welcome Wagon delivers is brought into over 400,000 homes a year, where the hand of friendship is extended personally and with heart. Whether you are purchasing or renting, newcomers to the Sunshine Coast are always delighted with our basket of Community Information and gifts from participating local businesses. WE ALSO VISIT FAMILIES WITH NEW BABIES!

For your personal welcome to the Sunshine Coast please contact JUDITH 604.886.9896

(From Gibsons to Halfmoon Bay)

welcome2sunshinecoast@gmail.com

604-885-7595

Sunshine Coast Business Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ Spring 2015

Photo Courtesy of: Dennis Wilkinson

EARTH Friendly I

ts that time of year again! Time to decide how your outdoor space will look and feel! As your mind wanders thinking about plants, flowers, bushes, trees or shrubs, colour selections, shade or no shade, low maintenance or no maintenance, one ultimately ends up visiting various nurseries and this can be an onerous task every spring. But what if you don’t have the time, or your yard has been screaming for a makeover for years, or the kids have left home and you want to redesign your outdoor living space with a more serene look and feel? Maybe you have just finished your new build and want a landscape designer who can turn your vision into reality. Do you see a large patio, a calming water feature, new stepping stones or specialty stonework leading up to your patio? Perhaps you have wanted to get rid of the slope in your yard and replace it with a low maintenance design. Meet Dennis Wilkinson, owner of The Third

Little Pig. Wilkinson is an award winning landscape designer who has been transforming gardens and landscapes for over 30 years. He originally studied at the University of Guelph where he learned the Science of Horticulture and received an Associate Diploma in agriculture with a horticulture major. He has been revered for his outstanding creativity, knowledge and design. Wilkinson’s full service design team asks the right questions, listens to your thoughts and

wishes and creates the landscape design you have been looking for. The attached photos demonstrates the kind of expertise you can expect from The Third Little Pig Contracting Ltd. Take the guess work out of it and talk to Dennis who will provide you with the answers you have been looking for. Ask him about one of his specialties, West Coast Japanese, where he works with wood, stone and water! - SUSAN ATTIANA

Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Spring 2015

Festival A skilled hand guides the Coast’s annual Written Arts shindig

ho would ever guess that the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts—the country’s longest-running gathering of Canadian writers, attracting thousands of reader-fans to Sechelt every year—is a virtual one-man band? Actually, one woman. Jane Davidson, producer of the hugely popular festival since 2007, readily and gratefully credits the organization’s “very engaged and involved” board of directors. Not to mention the 200 dedicated volunteers and the services of a few highly skilled temporary staff hired for a few weeks just prior to the August event. But for most of the year, the make-or-break responsibility rests with Davidson, the only full-time employee. “I book the writers, I order the Porta-Potties, and I do everything in between, the marketing, the publicity, the fundraising,” said Davidson. The intricate balancing act of lining up more than 20 writers — the right writers, and

Canadian writers only — would seem a daunting enough task on its own. “It’s a tricky thing because we want to present writers of a wide range of genres, and writers at various stages of their careers. We also need the writer to have the profile that comes with a current book, or for other reasons, to draw in a crowd, because there are 450 seats in the venue (the Pavilion at Sechelt’s Rockwood Centre). “Within that group, my goal is to achieve a balance of gender, and a representation of ages, a cultural diversity, represent regions of the country.” Davidson said. And crafting the festival lineup doesn’t end there. “We have to program a writer who has the ability to really engage and hold an audience,” said Davidson. “What doesn’t work is for someone to just put their head down and read for an hour.” People do want to hear the work read, Davidson explained, but ideally the writer also has the ability to have a conversation with the audience and put their work in

Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Spring 2015

Jane Davidson - Producer - SC Festival of the Written Arts

FINESSE

context, or to link readings with anecdotes. “Some writers are more comfortable doing that than others. Some are polished standup comedians!” You can imagine that the programming and booking alone could be a full-time task. The Sunshine Coast festival, now in its 33rd year, is unique among others in Canada. Most writers’ gatherings feature groups of three or four writers comprising panels and exploring themes. But in Sechelt, almost all of the 21 events are one writer at a time. “This format is quite unique and it’s really beloved, both by the audience and by the writers”, Davidson said. Beloved enough to sell 9,000 tickets a year for an intense three-day, four-night writers and readers love-in. How do you build a skill set that enables you to manage such a production? Davidson, now 58, moved to the Coast in the early 90s, and commuted to arts

administration jobs at institutions like Vancouver Playhouse and the Charles Scott gallery. Then came the big mid-life gig: General Manager of the Vancouver Writers Festival, the biggest international confab of scribes in Western Canada. Davidson did that for six years, teeing her up perfectly for the Coast job. “It was so good. I learned so much there. But when this opportunity came along it was like, ‘Yes!’” Davidson manages a budget of just over $200,000 for the non-profit society and charity that is the Festival. Half of that is earned through ticket sales, food and beverage sales and program advertising. “We also get funding from the Canada Council, the BC Arts Council, Department of Canadian Heritage and the District of Sechelt.” The money has to go a long way. Despite the promotional value of a much-loved event like this one, publishers don’t pay the freight. The Festival covers all writers’ expenses, and pays them a modest honorarium.

THE PENDER HARBOUR CHAMBER 2015 MUSIC FESTIVAL

he Pender Harbour Chamber Music Festival is sailing into its second decade with an outstanding repertoire which includes gems from favourite classical composers including Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and Mendelssohn and contemporary composers such as Malcolm Arnold, Paul Schoenfield, and Allan Gilliland. In keeping with its reputation of presenting internationally known artists, the Artistic Director, Alexander Tselyakov will again welcome an outstanding array of musicians for 2015 including the Juno award winning Gryphon Trio; Order of Canada recipient, James Campbell, clarinet ; Terence Tam, violin whose playing has been described as “an astonishing mixture of precision and ease”. These artists will be joined by, Allene Hackleman - horn, Yariv Aloni - viola, Pamela Highbaugh Aloni - cello, Dylan Palmer - double bass.

The Eleventh Annual PHCMF is delighted to announce an exciting initiative; they are including young BC artists, newly establishing their careers. Pender Harbour’s, Rose-Ellen Nichols - mezzo soprano, recently acclaimed for her performance as Pauline Johnson in Tobin Stokes’ Pauline, will perform along with Vancouverite, Jenny Dou - piano and Halfmoon Bay’s, Simon Gidora - violin. These young performers will delight audiences at the free Friday afternoon concert newly entitled Rising Tide as well as sharing the program with the complete roster of performers during the weekend. The concerts will range from the serious to the light hearted and are sure to tempt the most discerning audiences. All the performances take place in the Madeira Park School of Music August 13th – 16th, 2015. Further information is available at www.penderharbourmusic.ca or by phoning 606-989-3995.

And the society’s reach goes well beyond the August event. “We also do a lot of things in schools throughout the year. We have a program called Celebration of Authors, Books and Communities. Our main partner is the school district and we take writers into classrooms. We reach about 1,000 students a year,“ Davidson said. Then there’s the two aboriginal storytelling festivals she’s helped produce in the last two years. And there’s a spoken-word mentorship program, with a goal of a two-day spoken-word festival in June, featuring student artists and their professional mentors. It’s a busy life, but there are few complaints from Jane Davidson. “I know how lucky I am to have this job. I love it.”

The 2015 Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts runs from Aug. 13-16. Information on this year’s roster of writers is available at www.writersfestival.ca Ticket sales begin May 27. - RIK JESPERSEN

11th Annual

Pender Harbour Chamber Music Festival August 13 – 16 2015

School of Music, 12952 Madeira Park Rd, Madeira Park, BC

www.penderharbourmusic.ca | 604.989.3995 Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Fall 2014

THE SUNSHINE COAST

WHERE

Art

MEETS

COMMERCE

tent on it and actually have a proper audio system and a green room back stage. But it was really low-budget.” The budgets are still tiny by Vancouver standards, but Cottingham Powell and arts marketing expert Diana Robertson have teamed up to bring the festival a long way.

Nancy Cottingham Powell & Diana Robertson

hen Nancy Cottingham Powell started the Sechelt Arts Festival in 2004, the dialogue between the arts and business was anything but creative. “Most businesses on the Coast had no clue what event marketing was. They were used to giving money and getting a tax receipt, or not. That was it,” Cottingham Powell said. There was no sense of splashing logos around a performance site or gallery, or of tying in corporate branding in any way. “If the business donor got thanked at the event, then that was it,” she said. “I sort of brought the whole sponsorship thing to the Coast. When I first did it in 2004, nobody had ever seen anything like that before.” A California native and now a long-time resident of Sechelt, Cottingham Powell learned the ropes of entertainment production in Vancouver, starting with Expo ’86, then moved through a number of entertainment production positions, including entertainment manager at the PNE, and managing producer of Music Fest Vancouver (along with husband Ross Powell), Celtic Fest Vancouver and the Pacific Baroque Orchestra, among others. She recalls that performance art production on the Coast was surprisingly rustic, even just 10 years ago. “It was a different beast then. It was an outdoor event in Hackett Park in the summer,” Cottingham Powell said. “I was the first person to bring an outdoor stage and put a

It’s now billed as, “the Sunshine Coast’s leading-edge performing and visual arts festival,” providing 10 days of accessible arts programming, with prominent First Nations components. Venues include Raven’s Cry Theatre, the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre, Tems Swiya Museum and Seaside Centre. “There were more than 65 artists that were engaged last year, either performance-based or visual artists,” said Robertson. “All are paid an honorarium.” That comes from a festival budget that was just over $86,000 in 2014. “The District (of Sechelt) provides approximately one-third of that, the rest of the revenue we raise or earn from corporate sponsorship, big individual donors and ticket sales. Almost all of that money gets spent in our community,” said Cottingham Powell. Robertson said big corporate sponsors include Sunshine Coast Credit Union and the Royal Bank of Canada. “There’s a handful of legal firms and accountants that have come in, along with Westland Insurance. We’re hoping to broaden that, but there really isn’t a big base of potential sponsors on the Coast,” said Robertson. Getting all that together requires about 45 volunteers and a dozen or so contractors, including Robertson and Cottingham Powell. There are no full-time employees. A big part of the success of the festival is the move from August to October (this year, the 15th to the 25th), where it connects directly on the calendar with the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl, a phenomenally popular and lucrative celebration of Coast creativity in its own right.

Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Spring 2015

The heart and brains behind the Art Crawl is Linda Williams, arguably the queen of arts boosters and volunteers on the Coast. A native of the Fraser Valley, Williams is having anything but an idle retirement. She also produces the Crawl’s detailed brochure, the Purple Banner Guide to artists on the Coast, the monthly Arts & Culture Calendar and is a founder and webmaster of the Coast Cultural Alliance. The Art Crawl involves artists willing to open their studios to the public for one weekend (this year, Oct. 16th to the 18th), and is a shining example of art happily meeting commerce. “We started five years ago with 75 studios. We had 6,000 studio visits and the artists made $30,000,” said Williams. “Last year we were up to 141 studios. We had 20,000 visits, and sales were about $165,000, direct to the artists.” The budget is a relatively paltry $20,000, much of which comes from the Sunshine Coast Regional District. Williams used to ask for arts grants but last year, at the suggestion of then-SCRD board member Donna Shugar, submitted an application for economic development money. “Because that’s what it is,” said Williams. “The Art Crawl really feeds into economic development.” No doubt about it. An increasing number among the studio visitors are from off Coast, so there’s measurable impact on restaurants and local motels and B&Bs. And once they’re on the radar of Lower Mainland art-buyers, Coast artists continue to benefit from after-sales. “The Sunshine Coast has moved from being thought of as ‘little Sunday artists,’” said Williams. “Now, some of the galleries in Vancouver and beyond are coming to search out the artists that we have here.” Money derived from and devoted to the arts on the Sunshine Coast will never rival that of education, health care or government administration. But with an unusually high per capita incidence of visual and performance artists here, it is a growth industry. As Nancy Cottingham Powell puts it: “We don’t have logging anymore. So arts, culture and tourism, they’re our natural resource now, the things that can provide jobs for people.” - RIK JESPERSEN

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Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Spring 2015

Photo Courtesy of: Pender Harbour District

PRESIDENTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MESSAGE Pender Harbour and District Chamber of Commerce

Leonard Lee President

or all of us on the Sunshine Coast, Spring brings renewal and fresh opportunity. Our loggers and fishers are out working and really appreciate the warmer weather. We welcome the longer days, the return of the rufous hummingbirds, the sounds of the songbirds, the sight of newborn wildlife and the cheerfulness of friends coming home after choosing to experience winter in warmer climates a little south of here. The Pender Harbour and District Chamber of Commerce is meeting spring with some new initiatives to encourage the economic wellbeing of our area. We have major plans to enhance our website, Facebook and Instagram pages. We are providing content to various publications in an effort promote our area. We are providing signs for our businesses and community festivals. Our core infrastructure support will continue as we operate our Visitor Centre in Madeira Park and provide washroom facilities in Madeira Park and Garden Bay. We owe a big thank you to our SCRD and the Harbour Authority of Pender Harbour for their unwavering support of these projects. Many of the heavy yearly responsibilities are already behind us. We have held our AGM and have a full slate of Directors and Officers in place. We have completed the necessary reports to close off 2014, prepared our 2015 work plans and approved our 2015

Sunshine Coast Business Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ Spring 2015

Budget. Our grant requests are complete and we have our working committees in place. Spring is also the season when our not for profit groups get ready for their outdoor festivals and events. Two upcoming dates to note are the Lions Easter egg hunt on April 5 followed by the April Tools Wooden Boat Challenge on April 25. Two new events have been added to our community calendar this year: the Mountain Grind Sunshine Coast on April 25 to 26 and Pender Harbour Days on July 10 to 12. A complete listing of events can be found on our web site at http://www.penderharbour.ca/community-events-calendar.html. While at that site have a look at the main page and enjoy the sample pictures and articles that are forwarded from our Facebook and Instagram pages. We are very pleased with the work Judy Renouf has done to establish and maintain our new Chamber/Pender Harbour Facebook page and are thrilled with the quality material appearing there. Please visit https://www.facebook.com/penderharbouranddistrict to learn more about our community and the specials being offered by our merchants. Mike Ryan has recently established and is maintaining a Chamber/Pender Harbour Instagram page and while it can be viewed by a PC, portable devices like smart phones and tablets provide the best viewing experience. The pictures and videos being posted there are provided by local talent and include works by Ev Steele and Windows Gallery/Heather Adams. Go to http://instagram.com/pender_harbour/ and enjoy the people, scenery and nature at its best. Our Chamber is proud to serve the Pender Harbour area and do our part to support and promote our Sunshine Coast.

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BUSINESS AS (UN)USUAL

Continues with The Flour Peddler, from Roberts Creek to South Sudan

Chris Hergesheimer pedals the bike mill in Vancouver

n 2008, a small-scale flour miller from the Sunshine Coast created a handmade bike mill to attract a dedicated farmers’ market following. Chris Hergesheimer wanted to challenge the belief that there is only one way—the big way—to grow, process and market grain and flour. For Chris and his family, it wasn’t about profit, but connecting a community to its food producers for better health, lower impact on the environment, and the kind of flapjacks only fresh-milled flour can make. You may know him as the Flour Peddler.

this was one of the most challenging food products for J.B. MacKinnon and Alisa Smith to source when doing their now internationally renowned 100-Mile Diet. Where do you find fields of wheat within a hundred miles of Roberts Creek? Oh yes, the Flour Peddler was the missing piece – our local food buffet was complete. Chris Hergesheimer had identified a demand for locally grown and freshly milled flour and supplied that demand.

the dismal economic outlook, they devised a plan to deliver the bike mill to a tiny village in South Sudan.

But no, this is not the glorious rags-to-artisanal flapjacks story you might expect. How does a small-scale miller, with expensive grains from small-scale growers, compete with the big guys – Prairie wheat and Quebec mills?

So how did this all lead to South Sudan?

After five years, Chris had pretty much had the biscuit. He was putting time into a business that was never going to pay off, despite his commitment to the environmental and social values of his mandate. He also found that juggling a small business with a growing family and postgraduate studies was overwhelming. He and his family could not endure another season at the markets. But the Flour Peddler had another asset – Chris’s brother Josh. Josh wasn’t about to let his brother throw in the apron. Committed to their cause, and believing in its value despite

It is not the typical evolution of a small business. Investment banker John Theissen once suggested to the Hergesheimers, “Make it about freshness, not geography”—buy the lower cost Prairie grain, a larger mill, scale up. But this strategy runs counter to the Flour Peddler’s belief in the benefits of local food. Chief William Kolong is a friend of the family who came to Canada as a refugee as one of the legendary Lost Boys, the name given to thousands of children who fled fighting during Sudan’s civil war, which lasted twenty-two years. One day Chris asked him if a bike mill would help his community by giving them a chance to mill their own grains and work together to create a cooperative business. Kolong answered, “My brother, if you promise to come to my village someday, I promise we will make it happen.” A crowd-funding campaign, a meeting with an investor, an article in the Vancouver Sun and many bags of flour later, it happened. In 2013, the Hergesheimers travelled from the rainforests of Roberts Creek, BC, to the

“I started the Flour Peddler to offer people the experience of buying freshly milled flour from grains grown in BC,” Hergesheimer explains. “People just gravitated towards it, and I realized that for a lot of people it was also about interacting with the producer of their food.” This idea led to a very busy schedule for Chris. For the next five years, he presented educational talks to elementary school children, sourced locally grown flour from farmers throughout southern BC, and peddled – and pedalled – his flour at farmers’ markets all over the lower mainland. Before getting from Roberts Creek to Cloverdale or wherever the market was for him on some Saturday, he must mill the grain the night before, bag the flour, aﬃx labels – and not only Chris, but his family, too – wife, mom, dad… To local foodies at farmers’ markets, this guy had it together. He presented us with the holy grail of local food: locally grown flour. Indeed,

Chris Hergesheimer demonstrates the bike mill to the Panlang Womens Cooperative in South Sudan

Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Spring 2015

bustling streets of Kampala, Uganda, and finally onwards to the village of Panlang in the northwestern corner of South Sudan. But for these seemingly undauntable community organizers, this was just the beginning. They celebrate the launch of their book, The Flour Peddler: A Global Journey into Local Food from Canada to South Sudan (Caitlin Press), later this month, which tells the story of these two community-minded entrepreneurs as they set out to build and deliver their bike mill to this rural women’s cooperative in Panlang. Chris and Josh come face to face with the realities of life in South Sudan when war breaks out and their microcapitalism mission becomes a race to leave the country before violence makes escape impossible. Part grain-chain analysis, part bare-all exposé, The Flour Peddler is a gripping story that explores the trends and issues of local food systems as well as the challenges and power of alternative food movements. For the Hergesheimer brothers, it is also a journey of surprising adventure, from broken-down market vans, fraudulent bus tickets and hungry bears to a Russian helicopter, an attempted coup and a heart-wrenching homecoming.

J.B. MacKinnon, co-author of The 100-Mile Diet, describes it as “Food writing meets true adventure in this book that sees the globe with local eyes. From Canada’s west coast to the heart of South Sudan, The Flour Peddler reveals that local eating isn’t just about food– it’s about the way we relate to the people and places in our lives.”

The Flour Peddler - Talk & slideshow June 4 • 6 pm Gibsons Public Library Books for sale at event Continuouscycle.ca Caitlin-Press.com

It is a lively read, an adventurous and heartbreaking story, and told with a voice that is both intelligent and completely disarming. And what is next for the Hergesheimers? Business as (Un)usual continues. Combining their diverse backgrounds and expertise in flour milling, travel in South Sudan and other parts of Africa, journalism, land and food systems, political science, economics (it is a long and impressive list of credentials), they have created Continuous Cycle, a consulting firm that offers services on a broad range of issues relating to food security, environmental assessment and community empowerment, with clients such as Vancouver Coastal Health, FarmFolk CityFolk, Persephone Brewing and more. Pedalling a stationary bike mill may not propel you, but it certainly takes you places. Submitted by: Andrea Routley - Caitlin Press

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