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November 2020
TOPSOIL AIMS TO MAKE LOCAL URBAN FARMING THE FUTURE OF FOOD PRODUCTION - 16
TOPSOIL Founder and CEO Chris Hildreth wants to showcase local food production and the benefits of commercial urban agriculture in cities across Canada
CAPITAL REGION IDENTIFIED AS POSSIBLE TESLA FACILITY – 14
GROUPE DENUX: A PROUD REAL ESTATE LEGACY BORN OF IMMIGRANT AMBITION – 18
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We’re back for another issue of the Business Examiner Victoria, thanks for spending some of your valuable time with us! Like many of you, we are in the midst of the pre-holidays push, driving hard for the unofficial business shutdown in mid-December. This month we’re leading with a story on TOPSOIL, an innovative urban agriculture company providing new ways to thrive at home and develop secure, local, food supplies. Also in this edition is an in-depth look at Groupe Denux, one of Vanouver Island’s leading developers with roots in Eastern Canada and Europe. To help you stay informed and better manage your business, we also have Chamber of Commerce reports from across the Greater Victora area, CITIFIED’s monthly update, financial advice from Coastal Community Credit Union, Who Is Suing Whom, Movers and Shakers, and much more. John MacDonald, Director, Business Development
Contact Us 25 Cavan Street Nanaimo, BC V9R 2T9 +1 866-758-2684 info@businessexaminer.ca www.BusinessExaminer.ca Office Hours Monday – Friday: 9:00am – 5:00 pm Saturday – Sunday: Closed Editor: Lise MacDonald (lise@businessexaminer.ca) Press Releases & Story Ideas: (media@businessexaminer.ca) Sales: John MacDonald (john@businessexaminer.ca)
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8 NEWS UPDATE
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WEST SHORE
SAANICH PENINSULA
GREATER VICTORIA
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CITIFIED
16 TOPSOIL AIMS TO MAKE LOCAL URBAN FARMING THE FUTURE OF FOOD PRODUCTION
18 GROUPE DENUX: A PROUD REAL ESTATE LEGACY BORN OF IMMIGRANT AMBITION
23 WHO IS SUING WHOM
26 HARDY BUOYS DEVELOPS INNOVATIVE SHELF-STABLE PRODUCT
28 ADVISORY
30 MOVERS AND SHAKERS
34 OPINION
NEWS UPDATE
CPABC: LOCAL UPDATE VICTORIA – According to the BC Check-Up: Work, an annual report by the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (CPABC) on employment trends across the province, the COVID-19 pandemic fallout pushed Greater Victoria’s unemployment rate to 10.6 per cent in Summer 2020 (June to August). Since the low point in May, Greater Victoria has recouped jobs in four consecutive months, helping lower the unemployment rate to 9.3 per cent in September. However, that rate is well above pre-pandemic levels and significant job losses remain. In September, Greater Victoria’s total employment fell by 3.1 per cent compared to last year, a loss of 6,100 jobs. The job losses were entirely concentrated in the service sector, in particular those relating to tourism. The three industries that experienced the largest annual employment decline were the accommodation and food services; other services (e.g. personal and household services); and information, culture and recreation industries. Together, these industries employed 23,400 workers in September, a significant decline from the 33,900 employed last year. In contrast, the region’s largest employer, public administration, experienced a 3.6 per cent increase to 29,100 positions, now accounting for over one in every seven jobs. One positive sign was in the goods sector employment, which expanded by 2.3 per cent, largely due to strength in manufacturing and ongoing construction projects across Greater Victoria. The construction industry employed 16,600 workers in September, up nearly 600 positions from a year ago, while manufacturing employment was up over 20 per cent. www.bccheckup.com. WWW.BUSINESSEX AMINER.CA
Inez Louden, FRI Associate Broker 250-812-7710 inezlouden@telus.net Pemberton Holmes – Sidney 107 – 2360 Beacon Avenue Inez was raised in a family of 6 children and was taught to work hard, do the best she could and always work honestly and ethically. “My Grandfather, who lived with us in his last years, told me to treat others as I would want to be treated – but do it first.” In honour of her Grandfather, and in keeping with the way she was raised, Inez has always tried to follow this one simple rule in life. Inez believes education and staying current on changes in the real estate industry is very important in representing, and providing. the best service to her clients. Her FRI (Fellow of the Real Estate Institute) and Associate Broker designations, plus membership in the Real Estate Institute of Canada and Better Business Bureau are part of her education achievements. “I love my job and have been very fortunate to have met so many wonderful people who have referred me to their family and friends”. If you are thinking of making a real estate move, give Inez a call at 250-812-7710 and put her 31 years of experience and knowledge to work for you.
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NEWS UPDATE
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INDRO ROBOTICS’ DRONES CAN NOW SHIP CARGO 25 KM
BC HOUSING MARKET CONTINUES RECORD PACE
SALT SPRING ISLAND – Just like shipping your precious parcels via plane or vehicle, there is now the capability to ship via Drone. A first in Canada, the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has approved InDro Robotics Inc. to operate a domestic air service, using drones for the carriage of cargo. With the new cargo carrying license, the InDro Heavy Lift Wayfinder Drone will ship increased cargo over longer distances. InDro has extended distances approval from Transport Canada for 25km and InDro’s researchers are working and hopeful this distance will expand to 200 km in the very near future. On November 2nd, InDro Robotics was awarded a top award in Canada’s Drone industry. At the Umanned Systems Canada (USC-STC) virtual conference, InDro Robotics was selected to receive the USC-STC Organization Award for its extraordinary contribution to the Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) industry, extraordinary collaborative spirit, and always being at the forefront advancing RPAS technology.
T he British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that a total of 11,051 residential unit sales were recorded by the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) in October 2020, an increase of 43.8 per cent from October 2019. The average MLS residential price in BC set a record of $812,960, a 12.5 per cent increase from $722,333 recorded the previous year. Total sales dollar volume in August was $8.98 billion, a 61.8 per cent increase over 2019. “The provincial housing market sustained its blistering pace of activity in October,” said BCREA Chief Economist Brendon Ogmundson. Prices are also being pushed higher by a lack of inventory. Total provincial active listings continue to trend lower and were close to 14 per cent lower in October 2020 compared to 2019. Year-to-date, BC residential sales dollar volume was up 29.7 per cent to $58.7 billion, compared with the same period in 2019. Residential unit sales were up 16.3 per cent to 76,140 units, while the average MLS residential price was up 11.5 per cent to $771,085. November 2020
NEWS UPDATE
VICTORIA REAL ESTATE A total of 990 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this October, 59.9 per cent more than the 619 properties sold in October 2019 and 0.1 per cent more than the previous month of September 2020. Sales of condominiums were up 70.8 per cent from October 2019 with 304 units sold. Sales of single-family homes were up 53.1 per cent from October 2019 with 487 sold. There were 2,122 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service at the end of October 2020, 19.7 per cent fewer properties than the total available at the end of October 2019 and an 11.2 per cent decrease from the 2,389 active listings for sale at the end of September 2020. The Multiple Listing Service Home Price Index benchmark value for a single-family home in the Victoria Core in October 2019 was $859,900. The benchmark value for the same home in October 2020 increased by 2.3 per cent to $879,600, virtually the same value as listed in September. MLS HPI benchmark value for a condominium in the Victoria Core in October 2019 was $512,500, while the benchmark for the same condominium in October 2020 remained close to last year’s value at $512,300, 0.3 per cent more than the September value of $510,600. WWW.BUSINESSEX AMINER.CA
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GREATER VICTORIA
CHAMBER CHATS OFFER BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE ON CURRENT ISSUES
10 BRUCE WILLIAMS
With so much misinformation making the rounds these days, businesses need well-sourced facts from reputable sources. The Chamber is a strong supporter of local media outlets, such as the Business Examiner, who have served Greater Victoria and Vancouver Island for generations. We also produce our own content with a very specific focus on events and issues of interest to our members. We have well-read weekly newsletters that target business and community leaders. And we host dozens of events every year that provide our members with opportunities to question high-level subject experts and CEOs — including many top decision makers from industry and government. In November, we launched a new initiative we’re
calling Chamber Chats. You can watch this series of vodcasts on our website or through our social media channels. They offer fascinating insight into our economy and the path out of the pandemic. As we all know, we are generally shifting our information intake onto video platforms, and I do have some experience in interviewing people! Conversations like these offer genuine and engaging communication when you hear someone not just read their words. So far, I’ve spoken with experts from the Victoria Real Estate Board, including president Sandi-Jo Ayers, president-elect David Langlois and executive officer David Corey. We discussed the fundamentals behind why real estate sales continue to set records in Greater Victoria. Our region saw 990 property sales in October — almost 60 per cent more than October 2019. And I spoke with a world-renowned expert on vaccine research who is an associate professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of BC. Dr. Srinivas Murthy is also the co-chair of the WHO clinical research committee on COVID-19, and a critical care and infectious diseases physician at the BC Children’s Hospital. When will a viable vaccine arrive and will it allow us to go back to where we were before the pandemic? The short answer is vaccines will be a major milestone but we’re going to need to continue adapting our operations to stay safe for many months to come. I hope you take a few minutes to check out our conversation and hear directly from an expert on a topic we’re all curious about. And that’s really the goal of Chamber Chats. We
November 2020
GREATER VICTORIA want to provide our members and the business community with trustworthy, locally sourced information on topics that will help you be successful. All of the subjects we are exploring will help our members get a better perspective on how we’ll get through this pandemic together. We’ll look at what’s happening to help fill commercial offices and co-working spaces, as well as how you can enhance your home office. We know there will be investment opportunities in emerging sectors. How important is the film industry to the Island’s economy? How are retailers adapting. What about financial services or our supply chain? Of course, we want to hear from you as well. What topics do you think are important for the business community? Send your suggestions
to communications@victoriachamber.ca. And go to victoriachamber.ca/events for the latest opportunities to connect with The Chamber network. Bruce Williams is the CEO of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce
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WEST SHORE CURRENT FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESS DURING COVID
JULIE LAWLOR
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It is fascinating to watch the intersection between “business as usual” and “pandemic response” as so many organisations adjust and prepare to managing life with COVID. In this article, I’d like to let you know about some of the supports that are currently available to business to help with this adjustment. Applications opened on October 26th for the Canada United Small Business Relief Fund. “Created and launched by RBC, Canada United is a national movement to support local businesses in communities across the country.” In addition, during Small Business Week, Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade Minister Mary Ng announced an investment of $12 million to support the Canada United campaign. Small businesses are invited to apply for grants of up to $5,000 to help them adjust to the impacts of the pandemic. This can range from health and safety modifications to enhancing their e-commerce presence. You can apply at https://occ. ca/canada-united-small-business-relief-fund/ Moving from a national to a regional opportunity, VIATEC has launched their Digital Economy: Rapid Response + Resiliency Program for businesses in the Greater Victoria region. It is a “no-cost, no-obligation program that works one-to-one with business owners on their unique needs and circumstances...” The program is funded through Western Economic
Diversification through Innovate BC, and you can find out more by clicking on “Programs and Services” at viatec.ca Also funded by Western Economic Diversification Canada is a professional development program which is led by the BC Chamber of Commerce in which chambers, their members and non-members from across the province are taking part. Building Resilience to Thrive is an “online training program, developed in partnership with UVIC’s Gustavson School of Business. [It] will offer relief to businesses, helping to mitigate the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic by teaching them how to adapt their business models, re-engage customers, and adjust workplace cultures. The certificate program will be offered to individuals at a minimal registration fee to ensure cost isn’t a barrier during the pandemic…The program will feature weekly seminars delivered by award-winning professors Dr. Mark Colgate and Prof. Brian Leacock, for six weeks and will be offered three times over the course of five months until the end of March 2021.” Julie Lawlor is Executive Director at the WestShore Chamber of Commerce.
November 2020
SAANICH PENINSULA SEEKING YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS FOR MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL RELATIONSHIP to live, work, and play, appeals to them. Our off
DENNY WARNER
As an international organization that has been around for more than 420 years, we have a lower than preferred profile with a certain demographic. Younger folk, to be specific. That we remain largely unknown to young entrepreneurs presents a huge opportunity for us and for them, because of our many shared interests and values. What Chambers have always excelled at is in connecting members. We provide educational opportunities but our deep understanding of the business community allows us to put members in contact with others who can provide the strategic advice and support new entrepreneurs seek. Our community is highly resourced. Every sector is represented and business leaders are willing to assist when asked. Networking and collaboration can be done on and offline. We offer both. Young people are highly idealistic and in supporting local they use their resources for the greater good. That we prioritize local businesses and make communities better places for people WWW.BUSINESSEX AMINER.CA
and online branding and promotion creates a platform for new businesses to be noticed and for young entrepreneurs to gain credibility by association. And that includes their local appeal as well as their Google ranking. Also important are the opportunities to develop leadership skills through committee and board positions. Some of the “perks� of being a chamber member include our cost savings programs. Extended health care coverage and savings on payment processing are only the tip of the discount iceberg. Financial capital is precious and we can help them save some money that will be put to good use elsewhere. We welcome young entrepreneurs to bring their energy and business interests to our well-crafted, highly-functional, antique table. We have much to accomplish and learn from each other. Denny Warner is the Executive Director at the Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce.
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Citified.ca
CAPITAL REGION IDENTIFIED AS POSSIBLE TESLA FACILITY Sponsored by
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Langford A 19,000 square foot daycare facility for 225 children has been proposed along the southern stretch of Bear Mountain Parkway. According to plans submitted to the municipality, the project is planned for 2200 Bear Mountain Parkway opposite Marble Place, approximately a kilometre-and-a-half from the Leigh Road Trans Canada Highway interchange amid developments on South Skirt Mountain. If built, the daycare will be one of the largest private childcare operations on the South Island. A proposal that could deliver the tallest residential buildings to Langford’s city centre has been submitted for review. Proponent Rejuvenate Dt Langford Nominee Inc. has applied to rezone several parcels along the 900-block of Bray Road west of Jacklin Road to construct two towers rising from a shared podium. A final floor count has yet to be determined. Regional The world’s largest maker of electric vehicles has identified the Capital Region as one of several locations in North America in the running for a vehicle service facility. California-based Tesla Inc. is actively searching
LE E SAAS R LE FO R O
7900 Lochside Drive Central Saanich, BC Opportunity to purchase a brand new 5,658 Sq. Ft. retail/office building or lease individual units within the building. Located in the new community, the Marigold Lands in Central Saanich. $2,900,000
LE E SAAS R LE FO R O
for a suitable location with both long-term and short-term operational outlooks. Saanich Council has sent a rezoning application to transform a prominent commercial hub in the Tillicum-Gorge neighbourhood to a public hearing. Alan Lowe Architect, on behalf of an unnamed building firm, proposed a five-storey residential and retail complex at 300 Gorge Road West and 2900 Tillicum Road in the fall of 2018. If approved, the project will replace a single storey retail strip known for Il Greco Restaurant, a tanning salon and an herbal supply retailer. Aryze Developments has announced plans to transform the Island Outfitters property on Douglas Street near Cloverdale Avenue into a mixed-use residential and commercial project. Island Outfitters moved its operation to the West Shore following an early 2020 fire that destroyed the premises. Aryze’s plans emerge as an initial adopter of Saanich’s new Uptown-Douglas Plan that will guide the transformation of the Douglas Street corridor into a high density, mixed-use precinct with building heights up to 24-storeys. The densification effort will align with Victoria’s path
1011 Fort Street Victoria, BC Opportunity to purchase a 8,168 Sq. Ft. retail/office building or lease full floors or individual units within the building. The property is well positioned with prime frontage on Meares and Fort Street. $2,800,000
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2300 Douglas Street Victoria, BC Opportunity to acquire a 16,162 Sq. Ft. development site along the Douglas Street corridor. Holding income from existing tenant. $3,900,000
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE EXPERTS Ross Marshall
Personal Real Estate Corporation Senior Vice President CBRE Investment Properties Group 250 386 0004 ross.marshall@cbre.com
Chris Rust
Personal Real Estate Corporation Senior Vice President CBRE Investment Properties Group 250 386 0005 chris.rust@cbre.com
Opt in to receive our property listings! www.cbrevictoria.com CBRE Limited, Real Estate Brokerage | 1026 Fort Street, Victoria, BC | 250 386 0000
November 2020
Citified.ca towards a transformation of its stretch of Douglas Street from Tolmie Avenue south. Sooke BC Housing and M’akola Development Services have submitted plans to the District of Sooke for 7 5-u n i t s o f a f fo rd a b l e apa rtments a long the 2100-block of Cha r ters R o a d . T h e fo u r-s to re y building will feature layouts sized between studios and three-bedrooms. The application is part of a A rendering of Tresah, a 247-home mass timber-designed condominium project larger effort to deliver over coming soon to Speed and Frances avenues in the Mayfair District of Victoria. The BC Hou si ng-suppor ted area is part of a comprehensive effort by the City of Victoria and the District of Saanich to densify and modernize the Douglas Street corridor between downtown units of affordable hous- Victoria and Saanich’s Uptown area. © Mike Geric Construction ing to Sooke that, pending municipal approvals, could intersection. Although the land is flanked also yield a multi-building project along by the 15-acre Dockside Green project, it is Drennan Street at Sooke Road/Highway not part of that master-planned community 14. BC Housing’s plans for Charters Road and is a stand-alone proposal. In-keeping and Drennan Street are in addition to a 75w ith Dockside Green’s env i ron menta l unit affordable housing proposal eyed for stewardship, however, the developer will Wadams Wade in Sooke’s town centre. pursue the environmentally-forward LEED Victoria Gold sustainability designation. A dow ntow n landmark sitting vacant A 12-storey mass timber-designed condosince the closure of a popular Asian cuiminium coming to the 600-blocks of Fransine restaurant is slated for demolition ces and Speed avenues (west of Douglas in the coming days. The former home of Street’s Mayfair Shopping Centre) will rise Ming’s, a single-storey, 1970’s-era building as an early adopter of gentrification efforts overlooking the intersection of Quadra and by Saanich and Victoria for the Douglas Johnson streets, will be making way for Street thoroughfare. Known as Tresah, the future redevelopment after sitting empty 247-suite high-rise (of which 68-units are since the restaurant’s closure in 2018. situated within a six-storey component) An office proposal eyed for Harbour Road is expected to get underway by early next in the Vic West neighbourhood has been year. Tresah follows the recent expansion revived following the cancellation of an of Mayfair Shopping Centre in 2018 and earlier iteration. Rising to six-storeys, arthe transformation of an adjacent motel chitectural firm James E. Irwin Architect into the Victoria location of a new lodging (JEIA) has envisioned a nearly 45,000 square chain known as Hotel Zed. feet of offices on a triangular lot just shy victoria.citified.ca/ of the Harbour Road and Esquimalt Road WWW.BUSINESSEX AMINER.CA
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OFF THE COVER
TOPSOIL at Dockside Green GrowSpace in Downtown Victoria covers 20,000 square feet alongside the Galloping Goose Trail, adjacent to the Bay Street Bridge
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TOPSOIL AIMS TO MAKE LOCAL URBAN FARMING THE FUTURE OF FOOD PRODUCTION COMMERCIAL URBAN AGRICULTURE MIGHT SOON ARRIVE IN YOUR CITY, IF CHRIS HILDRETH HAS HIS WAY VICTORIA - When Chris Hildreth began his academic pursuits at the University of Victoria, he had a plan. Working toward a minor in business and a double major in environmental studies and sociology, his goal was to lay the groundwork for a future sustainable business. In his second year, he was still attempting to pin down exactly what that business would be. “When I started at UVic, I thought I would eventually go into alternative energy,” explains Chris. “I started to see in the first two years, particularly after taking environmental studies classes, that food was a repeated theme that was coming up in a lot of the issues we’d be talking about, be it political, environmental, health, social, economic, food was a common root problem.”
Chris soon directed his studies and future business plan into food. In particular, food systems. “In my last two years at university I focused all of my business classes into developing my business plan, and all of my sociology and environmental studies classes on studying the industrial food system in North America post-World War II,” Chris elaborates. “For me, that was the real turning point in terms of our current, outdated food system, and how we’re eating today.” Chris believes what became our norm; fast food, TV dinners, supermarket chains, chemical warfare companies turning to agriculture, fertilizers and pesticide production, while excellent at producing food in volume, has created a subpar food supply. November 2020
OFF THE COVER “The food from grocery stores travel huge distances to get to us. There are tons of CO2 emissions involved, as well as wasteful packaging,” Chris continues. “Produce is grown in monocultures, on hectares and hectares of land, needing massive amounts of chemical inputs to maintain. It’s very out of sight, out of mind; we don’t really care if our food is sprayed with pesticides because we don’t see it occurring. And that doesn’t even touch meat production.” In short, Chris saw the systems he studied as having net negative consequences from startto-finish. This pushed Chris to the questions that would launch his future business. Can you create a food production business that scales, while also having positive benefits with every aspect of the system? Can it have minimal CO2 emissions, provide the highest quality, most fresh local produce to the community, with zero wasteful packaging and no synthetic fertilizers? Could you do it all in the city? Chris believed yes, on all fronts. Thus, the TOPSOIL concept took root, starting in Victoria. “When we started, it was tough because I had no farming or gardening background,” Chris explains. “I was coming at this with some seed money, a business plan and blind ambition. The second hurdle, Victoria wasn’t even zoned for commercial urban agriculture to operate in city limits. I had to prove my business plan was even viable.” Chris did this by starting a small, 400 square foot rooftop garden on a commercial building in 2015, and presenting it to Victoria’s city council members as a proof of concept. Four days after their visit, the city gave the greenlight to move forward, rezoning the entire city in the process to allow urban agriculture. In 2016, the TOPSOIL at Dockside Green GrowSpace at 395 Harbour Road in Downtown Victoria was born, the first business of its kind to grace the city, starting with 10,000 square feet to grow their fresh produce. The completely modular setup was created to allow for simple movement and use on any surface, in any city, from rooftops to developed and undeveloped land. While netting a location to grow their produce was a milestone first step, the second WWW.BUSINESSEX AMINER.CA
component of Chris’ business plan still needed to be proven; could it make money? “The first year was good,” Chris notes. “We were supplying local restaurants with produce, using washable, reusable packaging, and an electric bike to transport our goods to them. The second year was our saving grace though.” Utilizing the same amount of space a local farm had at its disposal, TOPSOIL grossed as much revenue in one year as the farm had in their tenth year. Chris knew he was onto something. He simply needed to refine the process, reduce costs, and systematize the entire business. He also wants to change what farming means to city-dwellers. “People in cities often have preconceived notions about farming; I want them to relate to urban farming like they do microbreweries. I want that same energy around local food production. It just needs to be rebranded and properly marketed. Our farming isn’t what you think it is. We don’t fit traditional molds.” Today, TOPSOIL has 20,000 square feet of space at Dockside Green, providing food access to thousands of members of the Victoria community. With the help of Director of Operations Ashley Whelan, Market Manager Jess Ash, and Production Assistants Brett Schulha and Quinn Scott, Chris has had the support needed to consider TOPSOIL’s future in BC and beyond, with a clear eye toward competing with the big food distributors. With the entire infrastructure for a 20,000 square foot TOPSOIL site able to fit into a twenty foot shipping container and sent to any city, the possibilities appear vast. Most recently, Chris has begun considering whether to pursue a franchise model, selling the farm as a kit, or simply expanding sites on his own and running them as an expanded business. Whatever form TOPSOIL takes, he feels confident the business plan conceptualized in university, and refined over the years in Victoria, works. In 2020, punctuated by the global pandemic, Chris and team have managed their most profitable year yet. With another location in the works in Victoria and new potential sites elsewhere on the horizon, you might soon find a TOPSOIL in your neighborhood, and the fruit of their locally-grown labor on your plate. www.topsoileatlocal.com
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FEATURE STORY
The Groupe Denux apartment building Dover Ridge in Nanaimo offers ocean views of the Georgia Straight.
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GROUPE DENUX: A PROUD REAL ESTATE LEGACY BORN OF IMMIGRANT AMBITION A FOUNDATION OF SUCCESS BUILT ACROSS CANADA CREATED WITH THE STRENGTH OF FAMILY VANCOUVER ISLAND - Jean-Louis Denux’s immigrant experience is the foundational element of his family’s business. Arriving in Canada from France in 1970, JeanLouis married his wife Diane and settled in Quebec City to raise five children, Eve, Francois, Nicolas, Sophie and Marie. During this time, he was a computer programmer for the University of Laval, while Diane worked in nursing. Still, the ambitious couple wanted something more. Diane and Jean-Louis longed to earn a living while enjoying the freedoms of entrepreneurship. Together, they made the leap and purchased several centuries old residential duplexes in Old
Quebec City. After determining rental income could support their family, they resigned their positions and threw themselves full-time into real estate. In 1984, Jean-Louis and Diane sold their Quebec investments and moved to Vancouver Island, purchasing several multi-residential properties. Over the years, the Denux family continued to diversify, next investing in retail properties. Reaching back to his roots, Jean-Louis eventually purchased office buildings near Montpellier, France in 1996. A family business, the Denux children played their parts in growing the company profile as well.
November 2020
FEATURE STORY
Another Groupe Denux project, the Terra Alta luxury apartments in Langford were completed in October of 2019
“In 2003, we expanded in Montreal, acquiring several large concrete high-rise apartment buildings,” explains Sophie. “Eve, Marie and myself were living there, and joined the company full-time at that point. Francois and Nicolas were already managing the BC portfolio.” And still, the family continued to diversify the business, launching
Proud partner of Groupe Denux, congratulations on your success! 110-1039 Langford Parkway, Victoria P: 250.800.2169 E: info@compasselectric.net www.compasselectric.net
Congratulations Groupe Denux, pleasure to be a part of your success!
106 – 1039 Langford Pkwy, Victoria
250.474.0139
admin@verityconstruction.ca www.verityconstruction.ca
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FEATURE STORY
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Proud partner of Groupe Denux, congratulations on your success!
Providing legal services to Victoria’s businesses since 1866
www.crease.com
Sequoia on Watkiss in Victoria is yet another apartment home offering from Groupe Denux, with building and landscaping completed in April of 2019
their first construction project in 2005, an office building in Montpellier. By 2010, the Denux clan was purchasing industrial, commercial and retail units in Calgary. In Nanaimo since the mid-eighties, they built their first multi-residential building there in 2013, followed by a small-bay industrial property groundbreaking in 2018, with a sister site in Calgary.
November 2020
FEATURE STORY
“The Groupe has been around for many years; we intend to remain so for many more.” Located in Nanaimo, the Oakwood Business Park is a part of the diversification of properties Groupe Denux has pursued on Vancouver Island
Notes Eve, “New construction on Vancouver Island has flourished, with an average of one new multi-residential building per year built by our group. We are currently completing the first new multi-residential building in Nanaimo to offer below market rents using the CHMC Flex program.” A less tight-knit, family-centric enterprise with such a multitude of moving parts might struggle under the weight of its responsibilities, particularly after losing the patriarch of their company. When Jean-Louis sadly passed away in 2008, they were already pursuing a long-planned split of the properties into six independent companies amongst the five siblings, their spouses and Diane. Rather than drifting apart after this new arrangement, the companies pulled together under the umbrella of Groupe Denux.
EST. 1971
534 David Street Victoria, BC V8T 2C8
www.apexsteel.ca Fax: 250.386.1612
T: 250.386.2929
We are pleased to support Groupe Denux! 24 Hour Emergency:
250-388-1827
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Congratulations to Groupe Denux on all your success!
Your financial well-being is our top priority.
since 1986.
We are here to help. Call us today at 1.888.517.7000
w w w. u n i t e d f l o o r s . c a #104-2520 Bowen Road, Nanaimo • 250-758-4664
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FEATURE STORY “Since the transition to the second-generation, even with each company remaining financially separate, we have succeeded in remaining strong as a group, and continue to expand,” elaborates Francois. “We share offices, resources, and knowledge. We realized long ago that family is important and the key to success is communication, collaboration and focusing on the big picture.” This philosophy extends through the family-run entities to their employees, of which they have over ninety between BC and Montreal, with three full-time in Montpellier. Explains Marie, “Our strength is having a diverse class of assets in numerous markets, where we live or have lived, and in which we are active and know well. Internally we are a hands-on property management team. We offer a collaborative and respectful work environment, and have
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Jean-Louis Denux began what would eventually become Groupe Denux in 1974, making his first real estate purchases with wife Diane in Old Quebec City
confidence in our on-site managers. We encourage them to manage each property as a small business. Because of this philosophy, many of our colleagues have been with us for ten-plus years.” And of course, this care and respect extends to their tenants and partners as well. Being a locally owned business in each province Groupe Denux serves, they take great pride in being responsive to tenant feedback, and maintaining long term relationships Proud partner of Groupe Denux, with many small business suppliers. Notes Nicolas, “The Groupe has Congratulations on your success! been around for many years; we intend to remain so for many more.” Some future plans for those years to come include new multi-residen6377 Icarus Drive, Nanaimo daryoush@d-arcitecture.ca tial buildings in Saanich, Langford, 250.933.1991 www.d-architecture.ca Montreal, Nanaimo and Calgary, an additional industrial building Congratulations to mid-island, as well as renovating Groupe Denux on all and improving some of their older your success! properties in 2021. Whatever their future plans, Groupe Denux will build on Diane and JeanLouis’ proud legacy in the coming years together, as a family, across the BC landscape and beyond. www.groupedenux.com
November 2020
WHO IS SUING WHOM The contents of Who’s Suing Whom is provided by a third-party resource and is accurate according to public court documents. Some of these cases may have been resolved by publication date. DEFENDANT Aragon Construction Management Corp 201-1628 West 1st Ave, Vancouver, BC PLAINTIFF ADAX Management Inc CLAIM $20,805 DEFENDANT Aragon Esquimalt TC Properties Ltd 201-1628 West 1st Ave, Vancouver, BC PLAINTIFF ADAX Management Inc CLAIM $20,805 DEFENDANT BC 0729858
Keeping projects on time and on budget
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317-877 Goldstream Ave, Victoria, BC 401949 BC Ltd CLAIM $6,645 DEFENDANT Cleanviro Tech Corp 2 1 4-4250 K i n g s w ay, Burnaby, BC PLAINTIFF Liu, Lintao CLAIM $24,176 DEFENDANT Covault Technologies Inc 1700-1055 West Hastings St, Vancouver, BC PLAINTIFF SRED Consultants Inc CLAIM
$14,068 DEFENDANT Cowichan Valley Dental Group Inc 3 0 5-8 0 47 19 9 t h S t , Langley, BC PLAINTIFF Danyluk, Collin CLAIM $35,000 DEFENDANT CPM Canadian Property Management Inc 1214 Haliburton Close NW, Edmonton, AB PLAINTIFF Rideout Construction Ltd CLAIM $5,746 DEFENDANT Devon Properties Ltd 100-990 Fort St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF
Bourque, Donovan Michael CLAIM $7,176 DEFENDANT Faith Hotel Assets Ltd 6374 Ic a r u s D r, Nanaimo, BC PLAINTIFF Sales, Rita Francisco CLAIM $35,326 DEFENDANT Fix Healthcare Limited 805 Johnson St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF McBride, Richard Alan CLAIM $35,000 DEFENDANT Hindi Engineering Ltd 1061 Richmond Ave, Victoria, BC
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WHO IS SUING WHOM PLAINTIFF Mid Island Aggregates (2013) Ltd CLAIM $2,282,089 DEFENDANT Maximus Canada Services (BC) Inc 202-1007 Fort St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Lamb, Timothy CLAIM $35,236 DEFENDANT Metropolitan Building Products Ltd 5191 Rowling Pl, Richmond, BC PLAINTIFF Tan, Hui Min CLAIM $35,156
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DEFENDANT
Navigate Surgical Technologies Inc 800-885 West Georgia St, Vancouver, BC PLAINTIFF RT P r i me I ndu st r ies Group Ltd CLAIM $20,245 DEFENDANT On The Island Bathliners Ltd 204-655 Tyee Rd, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Hann, Lanny CLAIM $7,405 DEFENDANT Openspot Technologies Inc 501-321 Water St, Vancouver, BC PLAINTIFF Citykinect Inc
CLAIM $5,484 DEFENDANT Richardson Homes Ltd 201 Selby St, Nanaimo, BC PLAINTIFF Island View Railing Systems Ltd CLAIM $21,443 DEFENDANT SMG Securities Inc 2 1 4-4250 K i n g s w ay, Burnaby, BC PLAINTIFF Liu, Lintao CLAIM $24,176 DEFENDANT T hunderbird Holiday Service Ltd 1700-10175 101st St NW, Edmonton, AB
PLAINTIFF Sales, Rita Francisco CLAIM $35,236 DEFENDANT Westmound Manufacturing and Distributing 3376 Sexsmith Rd, Kelowna, BC PLAINTIFF Tan, Hui Min CLAIM $35,156 DEFENDANT Westpro Industries 4637B Sooke Rd, Metchosin, BC PLAINTIFF Convoy Supply Ltd CLAIM $24,003
November 2020
CONSTRUCTION
Region
Contractors / Developers / Architects
Project Address
Project Details
Victoria
Knappett Projects Inc / Milliken Development Corp
1900 Richmond Rd
Seniors Housing - 125 units
Victoria
Aryze Development / Steller Architectural Consulting
2570 Fifth St
Condominiums - 64 units
Victoria
Farmer Construction / Analogue Projects Ltd
505 Quadra St
Apartments - 83 units
Victoria
Campbell Construction / Alpha Project Developments
1400 Quadra St
Apartments - 113 units
Esquimalt
Lida Homes Inc / T-Square Design and Consulting
939 Colville Rd
Townhouses - 10 units
Sidney
Homewood Constructors / dHKarchitects
9861 Third St
Condominiums - 34 units
Langford
Pacific Coast Land Company / Alan Lowe Architect
815 Orono Ave
Condominiums - 31 units
Langford
Verity Construction Ltd / Denux Group / WA Architecture
665 Redington Ave
Apartments - 100 units
CRD - Gulf Islands
Kinetic Construction / Mobius Architecture
176 Bishop's Walk Rd
Affordable Housing - 24 units
Nanaimo
Windley Contracting Ltd / Low Hammond Rowe Arch
10 Buttertubs Dr
Affordable Housing - 159 units
Nanaimo
Westmark Construction / Raymond de Beeld Architect
20 Barsby Ave
Condominiums - 90 units
Port Alberni
Island West Coast Developments / dys architecture
4450 Maitland Ave
Affordable Housing - 46 units
Courtenay
WestUrban Developments / Thuja Architecture & Design
1849 Riverside Ln
Apartments - 94 units
Campbell River
Dayton Cox Construction / MHArchitects
703 Salal St
Townhouses - 10 units
Campbell River
C and C West Contracting / JM Architecture Inc
1430 Island Hwy South
Apartments - 90 units
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FEATURE STORY
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HARDY BUOYS DEVELOPS INNOVATIVE SHELF-STABLE PRODUCT PORT HARDY COMPANY’S SMOKED SALMON NOW HAS A ONE YEAR SHELF LIFE, WITHOUT REFRIGERATION PORT HARDY – Hardy Buoys has been a busy operation for many years, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused a slowdown that provided valuable downtime to help the company reposition itself for the future. Bruce and Carol Dirom, who opened the fish processing and smoking operation 26 years ago, used the three week shutdown time to develop a new ‘shelf-stable’ product that could
revolutionize their business for years to come. “This is a game changer for us. This smoked salmon product does not require refrigeration, and it has a one year shelf life,” says Bruce, adding their Candied Salmon Jerky comes in three flavors, original, maple and garlic/ pepper, while their traditional hot-smoked candied salmon nuggets come in several other flavours.
November 2020
FEATURE STORY There are other shelf stable products still in the research and development stage that they plan to add to their newly launched online shopping platform later in 2021, including Salmon Pepperoni Stix. “We have lab reports to prove the science for how this process is done, and we’re continually monitoring the product with the lab,” Bruce adds. For the past three years, Hardy Buoys was producing salmon jerky under an Oregon-based company’s brand, but once COVID-19 hit they were directed to stop production immediately because the company needed to concentrate on their U.S. seafood brand interests. Dirom says although the sudden loss of revenue stream was very challenging for Hardy Buoys, the production and product experience gained gave them the confidence and courage to move forward with the product under their own brand. “It is far too expensive to ship product that is perishable,” Dirom notes. “Now, our new product goes into a pouch with an oxygen absorber that basically consumes any oxygen left in the bag, making the product non-perishable. He adds that although the process is fairly labour intensive, they’re researching packing equipment that will allow them to produce more without adding much more staff. They currently have 40 employees. Hardy Buoys is launching a shopping centre website this November that further opens up the Canadian market, and also provides an open door to shipping product into the United States.
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It’s the latest metamorphosis for the company, which started out making candied smoked salmon nuggets, moved into processing fish and wholesaling product to other companies to use under their own labels. An overly competitive western Canadian market nudged the original Hardy Buoys brand into the background. “This is our real way to take our own brand back into the marketplace,” he states. “We know this product is excellent.” Hardy Buoys custom processes salmon, black cod and albacore tuna, and they produce their own smoked products mainly with Atlantic farmed salmon from local Mowi Canada West farms. “We rely on farmed salmon,” he states. “It’s economical because we can get it fresh daily, and it’s a reliable source, 12 months a year.” Mowi helped get Hardy Buoys operational again during the earlier days of the COVID pandemic. “Mowi came to us and asked if we could produce portions for the food banks they were supplying on the island, all the way down to Nanaimo,” Dirom notes. “That was enough to get our company back up and running, starting with 12 people. It’s a good feeling to know Mowi is continuing to support the food banks, because protein is so important.” Over the past year, an independent buyer based in Nanaimo has been taking Hardy Buoys product and selling it online through Amazon, and Dirom says they’ve strengthened that relationship and are anticipating continued growth. www.hardybuoys.com
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ADVISORY
PROTECTING YOUR BUSINESS & LIVELIHOOD AGAINST THE UNEXPECTED
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In the past few months the world has given us a lot of “teachable moments,” including the value of preparing for emergencies. It’s clear that it pays to plan for different situations and have the right preparations in place. Lately, many of my clients have been inspired to evaluate their own business continuity plans. To help inform these conversations, I like to ask if they’ve considered three “what if” scenarios that could adversely affect their business—and their livelihood. What if: 1. There was a natural disaster such as a fire, flood or earthquake that interrupts your business operations? Would you be able to keep paying operating expenses and other bills? 2. The building your business operated in was damaged or destroyed? How would you pay the expenses to replace your equipment or relocate entirely? 3. Something happened to your warehouse or supplier and they couldn’t provide you with the stock you need? Would you be able to attract and keep customers if you weren’t able to fulfill orders? If you’re concerned your business wouldn’t stay afloat in these scenarios, there is a solution—business interruption coverage. Its most valuable benefit is that it works to make your business whole again so that you can get back to generating the income you were prior to the loss. Business interruption coverage reimburses you for lost profits and continued fixed expenses during the time your business is closed (while the premises are being repaired following an insured loss.) Covered expenses may include mortgage payments, taxes, utilities, accounting and legal expenses, interest on loans, salaries and the cost of insurance. Business interruption coverage will even top up your income after you’ve re-opened
Yvonne Jones, CAIB and cover advertising costs to let your clientele know when and where you’ll be back. Did you know that companies that plan for emergencies and have appropriate coverage in place are much more likely to have a successful return to business? If you have questions about business interruption insurance, start by talking over your situation with an insurance expert. Contact me to find out how Coastal Community can help you ensure it’s business as usual. Yvonne Jones, CAIB is a Commercial Insurance Advisor with Coastal Community Insurance Services (2007) Ltd. For more information on business insurance services, call 1.888.741.1010 or book a call back appointment at cccu.ca.
November 2020
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MOVERS AND SHAKERS
MOVERS & SHAKERS Announcements, business changes, celebrations and other hidden gems from around Central/North Vancouver Island. Curated just for you.
Submit your company’s announcement to: media@businessexaminer.ca
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Victoria photog rapher Regina Akhankina was awarded two Best in Class awards at the 2020 Professional Photographers of Canada - British Columbia Reg ion Annual Provincial Regina Akhankina Image Competition. Regina was also a Finalist for the prestigious Photographer of the Year. The Shawnigan Lake Museum is expanding to provide space to display the facility’s unique collections, develop new exhibits and attract new events. Funding comes via the Island Coastal Economic Trust’s (ICET) Economic Infrastructure and Innovation Program (EIIP). ICET will contribute $250,000 to the project’s $1,827,000 cost. The project is expected to begin in 2021. Capone’s Chicken has opened its doors at 4-612 Head Street in Esquimalt. A $64-million building with 274 units of rental
housing above ground-floor commercial space is planned on 1.5 acres at the north end of Old Town Victoria. Construction is expected to start late next year and take 18 months. Keycorp Projects, on behalf of Seacliff Properties, has applied for several amendments allowing for a childcare centre with room for 225 children on a property straddling 2140 and 2200 Bear Mountain Parkway. Victoria’s Nancy Ann Rose has launched West Shore Road Runners, a mobility scooter club open to those with disability or mobility limitations who are 18 or older. Sooke council is taking steps to fix the Bluffs staircase, one of the district’s waterfront viewpoints closed since August. Council approved a motion to apply for a provincial grant councilors hope will cover the total cost. The Bluffs project is estimated to cost $150,000. Sooke School District members and regional First Nations representatives broke ground on two new Langford schools at 3100 Constellation Avenue recently. Pexsisen Elementary and Centre Mountain Lellum Middle are part of a November 2020
MOVERS AND SHAKERS $55.2 million project led by Farmer Construction Ltd. Both schools are expected to open September 2022. I n D ro Rob ot ic s, run by President and CEO Philip Reece, has received Canada’s first licence to Philip Reece deliver commercial products via drone. Deliveries will fly supplies from the medical clinic in Chemainus to the clinic at Penelakut Island, controlled from its 12-person Salt Spring Island office.
Healthcare assista nt (HCA) Lisa MacKenzie of Sidney All Care Residence has won the 2020 BC Care Provider of the Year in the category of long-term care by the BC Care Providers Association representing non-governmental Lisa MacKenzie operators of ca re services in British Columbia. She received the award during the SafeCare BC’s Hearts and Hands online conference for health care assistants.
The City of Victoria has received more than $6.5 million from the provincial and federal governments through the COVID-19 Safe Restart Grant for Local Governments.
The Saanich’s engineering staff will relocate to the old Emily Carr library building at 3500 Blanshard Street this month to free up space at Municipal Hall.
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MOVERS AND SHAKERS
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Phillips Brewing & Malting Beer Shop at 2010 Government Street in Victoria has announced the second annual edition of their seasonal sampler pack featuring a dozen brand new mystery beers. The Space Case, which made its debut last year in twelve 650 ml bottles, now comes in convenient 473 ml cans, and is available at the Phillips retail store and select private liquor stores in BC and Alberta. Olive Olio’s Bistro and Espresso at 3840 Cadboro Bay Road in Saanich is prepared to provide your caffeine fix. They’re open Monday through Saturday 7:30 to 5, Sunday 8 to 5. Ash Road is slated to receive a number of upgrades this fall, including a new concrete roadside barrier and a realigned centre-line. Saanich Engineering will replace the broken wooden barriers later this month, weather permitting.
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Netflix series MAID has been filming in Sidney. Starring Margaret Qualley (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) and her real-life mother Andie MacDowell (Groundhog Day), shooting most recently occurred at Sidney Pier, as well as scenes inside and outside the Great Canadian Dollar Store on Beacon Avenue. Shooting will continue around Greater Victoria into early 2021. Fish O Chips at 10153 Resthaven Drive in Sidney is offering call-ahead takeout orders. Check out their online menu at www.fishochips.ca, or give them a call at 250-656-4435.
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The Maritime Museum of BC in Langford is seeking commercial tenants. Coldwell Banker Commercial Oceanside Real Estate has been hired to find renters for the office tower within the Pacific Maritime Centre (PMC). The $87-million project is due to open in spring of 2024. The 80,000 square foot PMC on McCallum Road will include a 1,200 seat, immersive planetarium theatre and an observational lighthouse design sky deck. The commercial space of six 15,000 square foot floor plans will have November 2020
MOVERS AND SHAKERS an air handling system, daycare services and onsite parking. The 148-year-old Metchosin Schoolhouse will receive some much-needed work done to keep it in proper shape. TrueLine Contracting Ltd., Timberhawk Homebuilders and Belton Brothers Structural Movers will raise the building to allow excavating, laying of a foundation and adding drainage. Once the foundation is done, volunteers hope to add flooring, electrical, insulation, and to replace unrecoverable siding on the building.
Victoria’s Iconic Logan’s Pub announced it is permanently closing its doors due to COVID-19 pandemic struggles. Logan’s has been a Fernwood staple since 1997. Denciti Development Corp. has proposed 274 rental units for a 1.5-acre site at 610-624 Herald Street and 611-635 Chatham Street in Victoria’s Old Town. If approved, construction is expected to begin in late 2021. The Rack Westcoast Bistro at 2345 Millstream Road in Langford is open for business, offering both dine-in and pickup. Find out more about their menu and events, including Wing Night Wednesdays, by following them at https:// www.instagram.com/the_rack_bistro/
E T N E C -S D R A W A
In time for fall, Victoria’s Ile Sauvage Brewing Co. has created La Tarte, a sour brown-based beer, aged with pumpkins, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and vanilla. The brand new brew is available on tap in their tasting room at 2960 Bridge Street, and can be taken home in growlers. To see the rest of their beverage selection, visit www.ilesauvage.com/beer-list.
D
!
Construction is underway on the Vancouver Street, Graham-Jackson, and Harbour Road corridors in support of growing the City’s AAA cycling network. These corridors will add 4.8kms to the network, more than doubling its current size, extending to city limits and creating connections from the downtown core to several neighbourhoods and to nearby municipalities. Work on all corridors is expected to be complete in Spring 2021.
Street in the James Bay neighbourhood and 736 Princess Avenue in the Burnside Gorge neighbourhood. The John Howardy Society will own the latter, while the Capital Regional Housing Corporation will develop the former.
A new Liquor Express has opened at the Wilkinson and Interurban intersection in Victoria. The non-profit Capital Region Housing Corp. owned by the Capital Regional District has plans in Sooke to build a complex at 2075 Drennan Street with 170 units, and another project on 2170 Charters Road that would add another 75 homes. Victoria council recently approved housing and commercial developments at 330 Michigan WWW.BUSINESSEX AMINER.CA
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OPINION
CANADA MOVING TOWARDS U.S.-STYLE ‘SPEND NOW, PAY LATER’ GOVERNMENT
JASON CLEMENS AND MILAGROS PALACIOS THE FRASER INSTITUTE
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Pulitzer Prize-winning author George Will has repeatedly argued that, contrary to conventional wisdom, there is enormous consensus in Washington, D.C. – borrow today to finance spending and tax cuts but leave the costs (i.e. taxes) to the next generation. There are increasing signs that Canadians are gravitating to this D.C. consensus, which resulted in the U.S. national debt (held by the public) increasing from $3.4 trillion in 2000 to $16.8 trillion in 2019, pre-recession. Up to 2015 and extending back to at least the mid-1990s, Canadians had a very different consensus – balanced budgets and paying down debt, prioritizing government spending to live within our means, and competitive taxes. Such consensus led not only to strong government balance sheets but also a comparatively robust economy. A shift occurred in the 2015 election when the
Trudeau Liberals were elected on a promise to run deficits for three years to finance increased spending. Of course, that’s not where we’ve ended up. Between 2016-17 and 2019-20 (pre-recession), the Liberal government increased spending (excluding debt interest costs) by $118.0 billion compared to the baseline 2015 budget of their predecessors, well in excess of Liberal election promises. And even though the Liberals benefitted from $26.1 billion in cumulatively lower debt interest costs, the much higher levels of spending necessitated an additional $86.4 billion in borrowing, with no end in sight to deficits. Simply put, the governing Liberals spent a lot more than planned – and all of it was financed by borrowing. The results from a recent Angus Reid Institute poll on pharmacare underscore this new preference for receiving benefits today but imposing the costs on the next generation. The poll showed 88 per cent support for a national pharmacare program covering all Canadians. Critically, though, the expansive poll only included one question that attached any sense of “cost” to the new program. The poll asked for support if different taxes were increased to pay for the new program. Support for national pharmacare remained strong when the “cost” was attached to a new wealth tax on those earning more than $250,000 or a higher
November 2020
OPINION corporate income. For both of these taxes, average Canadians reasonably see someone else paying for the cost of this new program rather than themselves. However, when asked whether they supported national pharmacare if it meant a one percentage point increase in the middle-income tax rate (even though this would be insufficient to pay for such a program), support for national pharmacare plummets to 47 per cent. Our expectation is that support would be even lower if a question linked the real cost of national pharmacare to an increase in the GST. Canadians overwhelmingly support pharmacare, so long as they don’t have to pay for it today. And it’s not just opinion polls. The expansion of the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) in 2016, one of the signature reforms of the Trudeau government, embodies this preference for receiving benefits today and paying for them tomorrow. The CCB provides tax-free payments to roughly 90 per cent of Canadian families with children under 18. In 2019-20, the expanded CCB represented a 30 per cent increase over costs of previous child benefit programs introduced by the Harper government. Critically, though, the entirety of the increase in the CCB was financed by borrowing. In other words, the increased benefits received by parents today will be paid for by their children in the future. There are serious risks to government finances, both today and in the long-run, if Canadians indeed drift further towards a U.S.-style approach to public finances, where existing programs are expanded and new ones introduced while the costs are pushed into the future for
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the next generation to worry about. Like in the United States, this approach in Canada will mean more government debt passed on to the next generation with very little to show for it. Jason Clemens and Milagros Palacios are economists with the Fraser Institute.
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MOVERS AND SHAKERS Pacificanna, James Movers, Pacific M&A and Business Brokers Ltd. and Plexxis Software have joined the Victoria Chamber. The Sidney Business Improvement Area Society (Sidney BIA), in partnership with Sidney Courier has announced delivery service through Sidney Courier will be free to Downtown Sidney businesses. For more information about the Sidney Delivery Program, visit www.Sidneybia.ca/ SidneyDelivers. Registered audiologist Chelsea Burdge has joined the talented Resonance Hearing Clinic team at 2401 Beacon Avenue in Sidney. Call them at 250-656-7266.
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Chelsea Burdge
Sidney Beauty Salo n & Ta n n i n g a t
106-2360 Beacon Avenue is offering senior specials every Monday, in addition to their standard services, which include perms, hair colouring, pedicures, waxing and more. Call 250-656-3622 to make an appointment. The Capital Regional District is considering adding another dollar a year for five years to the parkland acquisition fund fee for homeowners as a means to help reduce the impact of climate change, boost the population’s general well-being during COVID-19 and protect biodiversity. The committee recommended the increase as part of the proposed 2021 CRD parks budget. the current $20 a year household pay came after a motion to add $2 a year through 2030 was nixed. Built in 1946 by Bill Lindley, the building known as the ‘Tin Grotto’, located at 2076 Otter Point Road in Sooke, will soon be demolished by Maple Ridge-based T&T Demolition. The building originally served as Sooke’s first machine shop.
November 2020
MOVERS AND SHAKERS Plans for a new Legion building in Langford that would include 100 low-cost housing units for seniors are moving forward, with a rezoning application for the project recently submitted to the city. A public hearing will be scheduled early next year if the application proceeds. The original Royal Canadian Legion Branch #91 broke ground in 1965. Island Health has opened a new COVID-19 testing site at the UVic campus in parking lot 10 off Gordon Head Road via West Campus Way. The site will be open daily 8:30 to 4:30. If you’re experiencing symptoms, call 1-844-901-8442 to schedule a test. The M’akola Housing Society is overseeing creation of residences on Sooke Road, Drennan Road and Charters Road. A $12.4-million portion of the Sooke/Drennan project includes 34 units rented at the income assistance rate and 51 affordable units, with help from a $765,000 housing trust fund grant. The Charters project, with a total capital cost of $5.2 million and support from a $330,000 grant, would include 75 affordable units in a four-storey modular building by summer 2021. Sustainable new residential tower “The Wedge” by Cox Developments at 952 Johnson Street and 1400 Vancouver Street in Victoria has begun construction, anticipated to be completed by early 2023. The development recently won the Gold Nugget Grand Award as the Best On-TheBoards Multifamily Community at the 57th annual Pacific Coast Builders Conference and tradeshow. BC deputy premier and finance minister, and MLA for Victoria-Beacon Hill Carole James is retiring after a 30-year career in politics. James noted she looks forward to spending more time with her husband, First Nations artist Albert Gerow, an elected chief of the Burns Lake First Nation.
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MOVERS AND SHAKERS
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Victoria’s Phillips Brewing & Malting Co. has released this year’s version of Green Reaper Fresh Hop IPA, an annual ale celebrating the best of BC’s local hops harvest. Green Reaper is available at the Phillips Brewing retail store located at 2010 Government Street, and select beer retailers.
10 Acres Group, which includes three restaurants and a 10-acre farm, has launched a cafe and online market, where customers can order a variety of high-quality foods, including from local partners, available for pickup as early as the next day in Sidney or downtown Victoria. Visit 10acres.ca.
Cosmologist Julio Navarro has been recognized as the f i rs t Un iversity of Victor ia Cit at ion L au re ate by Clarivate Analytics. T he desig nation uses data to ident i f y h i g h ly cite d researchers whose c ont r i b ut ion s to science have been Julio Navarro influential and/or transformative, deeming them ‘Nobel class.’ Since the designation was created in 2002, 360 researchers have been named Citation Laureates, with 54 eventually receiving a Nobel Prize.
The Criddle family-owned Glen Meadows Golf and Country Club at 1050 McTavish Road is up for sale again for the second time in three years. The 132-acre property was released back to the family after the BC Supreme Court granted them the right to re-sell the property after ruling a 2017 sale was not completed.
Founded by Lauren Isherwood and Nicholas Baingo, Sidney-based Vumami Foods has released a brand new vegan condiment, Umami Bomb Shiitake Chili Oil. The tasty new product can be used for noodles, stir fry, dips, spreads and more. It’s available at select gourmet markets throughout BC, or via www. umamibomb.com. Vista 18 at the Chateau Victoria is reopening its daily breakfast service from 7 am to 11 am. On weekends, breakfast/brunch will run to 12:30 pm. Of course, they are doing so under safety protocols to protect guests and staff. Give them a visit at 740 Burdett Avenue. Parking is complimentary and the staff are looking forward to once again serving diners.
Shooting continues on the Hallmark Channel TV movie Christmas, She Wrote in Downtown Victoria, starring Danica McKellar (Winnie Cooper from the Wonder Years). The movie will premiere December 6th. Rogers Communications Inc. is deploying 5G services across BC, with rollouts into Greater Victoria, including Sidney, the West Shore and Sooke. The telecom provides 51 towns and cities across the province with 5G, touted as one of Canada’s fastest cellular networks. Sooke district councillors voted 5-1 last week to consider an application by Aragon Properties to build 132 residential housing units in central Sooke. The Vancouver-based company proposes to develop 4.2 hectares (10.5 acres) of farmland along Church Road and Wadams Way, including 78 townhouse units and 54 single-family houses. Dr. Bonnie Henry, BC’s provincial health officer, is being recognized with an honorary degree from Royal Roads University for her work leading the province’s pandemic response. Dr. Henry will receive the honorary doctor of laws degree during Royal Roads’ fall convocation ceremonies on November 6th.
November 2020
MOVERS AND SHAKERS Tug Eatery in the Mermaid Wharf building at 407 Swift Street in Victoria has opened. Offering west-coast comfort dishes with an emphasis on fresh seafood, they also provide live music two nights a week with Jazz Sundays and Acoustic Tuesdays. Found out more at www.tugeatery.com. The Camosun Cuisine Machine food truck will rotate between Interurban and Lansdowne campuses as well as in the community, including local schools. The truck, a collaboration between Professional Cook Training students, and other college programs including Automotive and Metal Trades, Electrical, Fine Furniture, Pipe Trades, Comic and Graphic Novels, and the School of Business, is part of the Industry Training Authority curriculum. The Cuisine Machine is operated by apprentices in the Professional Cook 1 program, under supervision from the Culinary Arts
instructional team. Follow @CamosunCuisineMachine on Facebook and Instagram for menu updates. Victoria vegan meat company, Very Good Butchers, have signed a deal with wholesale distributor UNFI Canada to distribute their products across Canada. The new deal will see their products shipped to Eastern Canada, adding to a current distribution network of 275 stores. They will also add two additional production facilities in 2021 in Vancouver and Patterson, California to meet increased demand. Netflix and Warner Bros. series MAID will continue to film in various locations in Saanich and the City of Colwood through March 2021. Netflix announced the limited series in November 2019, produced through LuckyChap Entertainment, founded by actress Margot Robbie in 2014.
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