Business Examiner Thompson Okanagan Summer 2021

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Summer 2021

WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION ON THE RISE — 9 Nutech Phoenix Branch Managers, from left: Cyndi Dalton of Kelowna and Andrea Lee of Kamloops

WOMEN HELP LEAD THE WAY AT ACE PLUMBING & HEATING – 12

NUTECH PHOENIX: KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE – 18

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There is a lot to celebrate right now. Business is moving back to normal one step at a time, with the province sticking to its word - so far - on the phased re-opening plan.

Certainly there are industries like tourism and hospitality that are not yet out of the woods, but I am optimistic that changes in regional travel restrictions will provide the first step towards recovery for these sectors.

One bright spot in BC’s economy over this time is the construction sector’s wild ride. New projects, rising housing prices, skilled labour shortages, crazy demand, these are all symptoms of confidence in the future of the province and the stability that we have been blessed with.

People and businesses want to be here, and they are proving it with their spending.

This edition focuses on Women in Construction & Trades. This industry is growing, and it cannot reach its full potential without participation from everyone.

We are so pleased to tell you the great stories of organizations with female leaders, and the positive effects it is having on the industry.

Alongside this feature, we have great content featuring the Ace Plumbing & Heating, Nutech Phoenix, E.B. Horsman, and a whole lot more.

Keeping battling, we are nearly there.

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)

9 WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION

6 NEWS UPDATE

12 ACE PLUMBING & HEATING

14 E.B. HORSMAN & SON

18 NUTECH PHOENIX

20 TRUE CONSULTING

19 WESTHILLS AGGREGATE

22 TOTA

23 ADVISORY

24 GREENSHEET

24 OPINION

NEWS UPDATE

Artistic rendering – FactionProjects.com

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TERRASENSE ANALYTICS AWARDED $199,754.70

NEW AFFORDABLE HOMES OPEN IN WESTBANK FIRST NATION

KELOWNA - TerraSense Analytics announced recently they have been awarded a $199,754.70 six-month contract through the Department of National Defence’s Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program for SeaMIST. SeaMIST is an extension of the current TerraSense MIST (Multi Modal Surveillance & Tracking) product line, designed to enhance maritime situational awareness by detecting visible objects encountered in a naval environment using an ensemble of deep learning networks.

S ​ eaMIST will operate in real-time to fuse information from multiple sensors to detect, track and classify common navigational hazards, threats, and other targets. To keep pace with a rapidly evolving threat landscape, TerraSense will use artificial intelligence trained to counter emerging technologies such as drone swarms and hypersonic missiles. Because SeaMIST employs infrared sensors, hazard detection and classification can be done in all weather conditions regardless of visibility and time of day. ​A novel artificial intelligence solution will be developed to provide insight into target threat levels and enable intelligent prioritization. In addition to threat classification, all weather operation and target prioritization, SeaMIST will focus heavily on ensuring that the operator builds an appropriate level of trust in the system by developing an extensive explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) component.

WEST KELOWNA - Two new affordable rental housing buildings with a combined 17 homes are open for Westbank First Nation (WFN) Members, Elders and families in the WFN community, thanks to a partnership between WFN and the Province.

Located at 1920 Falcon Ln., the first complex is a two-storey apartment building with 14 apartments. The building has a mix of one- and two-bedroom units, with the ground floor and two-bedroom units serving WFN Elders and Members who require an accessible layout.

Monthly rents are $400 per month for the eight one-bedroom units and $600 per month for the six two-bedroom units.

The second complex, located at 1910 Fox Rd., has three townhomes for WFN families. Each townhome has two bedrooms, living, dining and kitchen areas, and one-and-a-half bathrooms.

Monthly rents are $650.

WFN provided the land for both projects and will own and operate the buildings. It will hold a land acknowledgement and private blessing ceremony of the site later this month.

Residents will begin moving into their new homes July 1, 2021.

Summer 2021

NEWS UPDATE

BCREA: CANADIAN MONTHLY ECONOMIC GROWTH

VALMET AND RED LEAF PULP SIGN EXCLUSIVE AGREEMENT

BRITISH COLUMBIA - The Canadian economy contracted for the first time in 12 months in April as monthly real GDP fell 0.3 per cent due to restrictions put in place to contain the third wave of COVID-19. The largest declines were felt in high-touch services sector industries like retail trade and food services. Output of the real estate sector also dipped in April, though coming off a record month of sales in March.

Many sectors are currently dealing with the complexities of recovering from a pandemic that has produced significant shortages of materials and labour. As a result, there is an adjustment process underway, highlighted by rapidly rising costs, as businesses scramble to recover back to pre-pandemic levels of production and service. That process will continue to create some ups and downs as the economy moves into a post-pandemic environment but the overall trend in the economy is overwhelmingly positive. Statistics Canada estimates that strong growth resumed in May and we anticipate the Canadian economy will expand at a 6 per cent rate this year. The same is true of the BC economy, where we are tracking economic growth for 2021 at 6.2 per cent.

KELOWNA - Red Leaf Pulp Ltd., developer of a proprietary low-carbon pulping process, and Valmet, Ltd. have signed a long-term Teaming Agreement to exclusively collaborate and pursue commercialization of Red Leaf’s innovative ag-based pulping process in North America, employing Valmet’s fiberline and other value-added equipment.

Red Leaf’s initial plant in Regina Saskatchewan is expected to start commercial production in 2023 and will have the capacity to produce 600 tonnes per day of market pulp from waste wheat straw collected and aggregated from local producers.

Red Leaf Pulp and Valmet announce exclusive teaming agreement to commercialize innovative ag-based pulp technology.

“We are pleased to partner with Valmet in developing this new pathway for ag-feedstock pulp.

The technology has been successfully proven through piloting at Valmet’s Fiber Technology Center in Sundsvall, Sweden and will comfortably scale to achieve strong financial returns.” said Martin Pudlas, CEO of Red Leaf Pulp. “Valmet’s team has been terrific to work with and their technical capability and equipment options are second to none. We appreciate the confidence shown in our process and our team, and look forward to completing final feasibility and project finance with Valmet’s invaluable support.”

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NEWS UPDATE

CPABC: BC CHECK-UP

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KELOWNA - According to BC Check-Up: Live, an annual report by the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (CPABC) on demographic and affordability trends across the province, the Thompson-Okanagan region added 8,462 new residents in 2020, bringing the total population to 609,320 residents.

Between 2016 and 2020, the region’s population increased by 7.1 per cent as a result of a growing number of residents coming from other parts of Canada. In 2020, Thompson-Okanagan gained a total of 8,155 new residents from other B.C. regions and provinces, a majority of which were 25 to 54 years old.

In the past five years, the number of residents increased by 53,113 people while only 19,746 residential housing units were completed. In 2020, a total of 4,134 housing units were completed. While down from 5,676 units in 2019, it is still well above the average of 2,525 annual completes between 2011 and 2018.

Across the Okanagan Valley, the average single-family home sold for $756,200 in April 2021, up by nearly a third (29.4 per cent) compared to April 2020. The average price for an apartment sold in April 2021 was $407,000, up by 12.6 per cent over April 2020.

Summer 2021

WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION

Photo courtesy of vicabc.ca1

WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION ON THE RISE 35% INCREASE IN SECTOR PARTICIPATION, WITH PLENTY OF ROOM FOR MORE BRITISH COLUMBIA - The number of women working in construction trades in British Columbia has gone up a whopping 35 per cent over the past five years.

Yet that represents only 6.2 per cent of the actual workforce, a percentage that will undoubtedly improve in the years to come as women avail themselves of opportunities within the burgeoning sector, statistics released by the British Columbia Construction Association reveal.

The value of current construction projects in the province is $120 billion, with another $221 billion in proposed projects forthcoming.

There are currently 25,784 construction companies in B.C., 92 per cent have less than 20 employees. That’s up five percent over five years, and along with that, there is expected to be 26,806

WWW.BUSINESSEX AMINER.CA

CHBA Central Okanagan President Cassidy deVeer

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WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION construction job openings in the province due to retirements and expansion, and 11,331 construction jobs are anticipated to be unfilled due to labour shortages by 2030.

The average annual wage of construction employees is $63,168, and that number continues to climb, due to a combination of labour shortages and overtime opportunities resulting largely due to those labour shortages.

Cassidy deVeer, President of 3rd Generation Homes and President of CHBA Central Okanagan, notes that the number of women in the industry continues to grow, in all areas.

“Every time I step on site I see more and more females in all different roles,” deVeer states. “My engineer is female, and when we go visit most of our suppliers their stores are full of females, I have

a female carpenter on staff, I have seen female drywallers and isolators. It’s so exciting to see us achieving more balance in our industry. I think Kelowna is leading the way in this, as I don’t think it is this was across the province.” deVeer foresees more women choosing the industry as a career, adding “I think the more that younger women can see this industry as a viable career because other women are doing it, the more will enter it.

“This industry provides so many great opportunities and is in such high demand,” deVeer continues. “That demand won’t be going away anytime soon as Canada is short 1.8 million homes compared to the rest of the G7 countries, which is not far off from the total number of homes we built this past decade.”

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Summer 2021

WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION

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The average annual wage of construction employees is $63,168, up 8 per cent over 5 years

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WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION

WOMEN HELP LEAD THE WAY AT ACE PLUMBING & HEATING

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KELOWNA – In 1979 when ACE Plumbing & Heating was founded, women in the construction industry were few and far between.

Now, 40 plus years later not only are they deservedly a big part of the industry, in many cases they are leading it.

ACE’s Jolene Azama and Jordana Lloyd are just two shining examples.

Jolene, Commercial Project Manager at ACE has been with the company since 2004, starting as a Project Coordinator with their HVAC department. In her position today, she manages 25 employees and holds a Diploma of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from BCIT. “I am fortunate to be mentored by our President, Brian Walters, who has over 40 years of experience in the industry,” she notes. “Our success comes from the great team we have assembled. Everyone works well together, and we are all focused on turning over successful projects.”

Jolene recognizes that the company’s reputation in the marketplace is attractive to customers.

“We know that for many contractors, reputation is as important as price, so we strive to be their first choice,” she says. “We continue to diversify our knowledge base and adapt to new technologies so that we can offer our customers the best plumbing and HVAC products available.”

Jordana, Residential Project Manager at ACE, has been with the company since 2010 and oversees the company’s vast Residential

Jolene Azama is Commercial Project Manager at ACE

Jordana Lloyd is Residential Project Manager at ACE

Department, managing 38 employees.

She leads all new housing projects from start to finish, explaining: “I complete the plumbing and heating quotes, help the customers finalize their selections of equipment, plumbing fixtures and fireplaces, etc., order and send products to site and coordinate with our installers. I help to manage the entire process for customers building their dream home.”

Jordana notes the company has grown consistently over the years, “though the last year has seen an upswing that we were not expecting.

We had anticipated that things would slow down due to the pandemic, however, the Okanagan has continued to grow, and we feel very lucky to be part of that growth.”

As the industry continues to grow women will rightfully fill more leading roles, especially at ACE where equal opportunity has been part of the company’s fabric since its inception. www.aceplumbingandheating.net Summer 2021

WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION

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WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION

E.B. Horsman women at a recent annual general meeting

E.B. HORSMAN & SON: EVERYONE BUILDS HORSMAN

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Electrical supply company E.B. Horsman & Son, one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies, has a phrase that embodies their values, while being a play on in their name EBH: Everyone Builds Horsman.

Founded in Saskatchewan in 1900, E.B. Horsman has 21 locations and 330+ employee owners across Western Canada - an increasing number of which are women.

Renee Lytle, CFO, recalls when she started 24 years ago that the occasional branch would have a female and rarely in the warehouse. Now almost every branch has multiple women in every position. It’s a trend that continues in the traditionally male-dominated construction sector, and a key component to the company’s current and future growth.

“Women are extremely important to our business,” notes Sereeta Khara, Human Resources Manager, at E.B. Horsman & Son’s head office in Surrey. “The construction industry has been leading by example by attracting and recognizing the women in their industry.”

Externally, EBH is making a difference through initiatives such as sponsoring the BCEA Anti Racism Action Plan and participating in the EFC (Electro Federation Canada) and the BCEA (BC Electrical Association) Women’s Network with our very own Laura Dempsey as Chair.

Internally EBH champions women and other URM (underrepresented minorities) through their Inclusion and Diversity Committee. Sereeta states the

more diversity in our companies and our industry, the better for everyone.

“Diversity is at the core of our values and our success. Diversity of thought brings new ideas and energy into this fast paced world,” she adds. “Plus, it expands the recruiting pool by 50 per cent. We love seeing women in all positions from working the tools to management roles.”

E.B. Horsman includes a staff-led Giving Back Committee to decide which worthy community organizations and causes to support. Various staff incentives include birthdays off, and maintaining a goal of providing 40 hours of training per year to each employee.

“We want women to know we are here and there is a great career with us,” she says. “We have open communication in our company, and want to engage women and involve them in the evolution of this industry.”

The company operates as one of Canada’s largest ESOPS and is majority owned by President and CEO Tim Horsman, a fifth generation Horsman, and the firm stays close to its small-town Western Canadian roots.

“Historically our business strategy was to be in smaller communities to be close to our customers,” Sereeta observes. “Today, regardless of the size of the city our branch is in, we want deep roots in the community with our employees, customers, suppliers and giving back strategies.” www.ebhorsman.com Summer 2021

WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION $15.20 an hour, but minimum wage in the field of construction is going to start at $18-$19 per hour.

Who wouldn’t want those jobs? They can buy their cars, they can go to school, and there is funding to attend school is available for a woman that wants to go to trade school.”

Price has been in the industry since 1999, when she began working with construction projects at Home Depot.

“I remember back then it (women in the construction industry) was starting to be accepted, but now, when I tell people I work in construction, it’s only the most ignorant that ask: ‘Are you in reception?’

5 or 10 years ago, if I told people I worked in construction, they thought I was the receptionist, as that was a female-dominated role.

“I have seen the difference in the attitudes, perceptions and receptions now. People don’t blink

BUILT FOR ALL

Kathy Price, Construction Administrator of Knappett Projects Inc., Chair of the Vancouver Island Construction Association Victoria Women in Construction Committee, points out there is plenty of opportunity now, and in the future, for women in the sector.

Things have changed, to the point where Price says “we’re not proving ourselves – we’re working.

“Today, nobody cares whether you’re a woman or not, they are interested in if you can do the job,” she notes. “They aren’t questioning capability.

That’s part of old assumptions and belief systems, and it’s been proven that we can do it now. I think that’s an important milestone.”

Construction sector jobs are viable, and increasingly attractive, career opportunities.

“Even at the entry level,” she states. “The provincial minimum wage was recently increased to

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WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION

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There are about 219,500 people employed in the construction sector in BC, which is down 3 per cent over the past 5 years

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Kathy Price of Knappett Projects Inc. is Chair of the VICA Women in Construction Committee

an eye when a woman says ‘I’m a carpenter’.”

Rachel Mayer, Office Manager of Island Aggregates, is a member of the VICA Nanaimo Women in Construction Committee, runs the scale house, dispatching trucks and weighing them in and out at their operation in south Nanaimo/Cassidy. She observes more women have joined the membership.

“The first few years I was here, there weren’t too many members, but it definitely has grown a lot in the last few years, and the awareness that is wonderful,” she says. “The goal is to reach out to everybody, in any part of construction.

“It’s definitely growing more and more as the years go by, and that’s great to see.”

Price concurs, noting that VICA’s Women in Construction membership is not just for trades people.

Summer 2021

WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION “We like to remind people that when we say we want them to join us as a member, it’s all of them the field engineer, the carpenter, the bookkeeper,” she adds. “We are all simply women working in the industry, and we stand together and work together to discuss all of the issues and reap the success.”

Programs like Camosun College’s Women in Trades program have encouraged more women to get involved in the industry.

“It is working, and that’s super,” she states, but adds that more women are also getting involved in engineering – civil, mechanical and electrical – as well. Opportunities abound.

“We need more people,” she adds.

April was BC Construction and Skilled Trades Month, and Knappett Safety Manager Cori Coutts and the Victoria office field staff were honoured with a Leadership Award from the BC Construction Association and LNG Canada, which sponsored the awards.

Coutts oversaw the field team’s creation, implantation and maintenance of safe job sites during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Knappett has had no COVID-19 cases on its sites to date.

“For the first time in history, Knappett’s field staff were essential workers, and they were proud of it,” Price notes.

BCCA President Chris Atchison stated: “Congratulations to these deserving winners for their achievements in protecting the construction workforce. These awards showcase just a few of the thousands of individuals that kept our industry going through the pandemic, workers who understand the importance of both mental and physical safety and have acted under extreme pressure with integrity and professionalism.”

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WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION

NUTECH PHOENIX: KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE WOMEN PROPEL COMPANY FORWARD IN THOMPSON, OKANAGAN

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KELOWNA & KAMLOOPS – Nutech Phoenix is focused on putting out fires and keeping people safe.

A number of women hold key positions throughout the company, including Cyndi Dalton, Branch Manager in Kelowna and Andrea Lee, Branch Manager in Kamloops for Nutech Phoenix, the new name for the recent merger between Nutech Safety and Phoenix Fire, Life, Safety. The list also includes Shirley Tary and Stephanie Dalton in Kelowna, and in Kamloops, Shantel Renner and Tina.

President and owner Bob Dieno is very pleased with their leadership in the company, which has provided fire and safety products and services to the Thompson Okanagan region, and to greater Vancouver, through their third branch in Richmond, for over 30 years.

Andrea has been with Nutech since 2014, and as Branch Manager, is responsible for day-to-day business operations.

“Since my first day at Nutech we have always worked as a team, and everyone helps each other to be successful,” Andrea states. “As a result, once moving into a management position I continued to have a great relationship with our team.

“There have been many women in the safety industry who had to endure hardship and had to overcome perceptions to gain a voice in this industry, but I personally did not experience any major obstacles with the customers I have dealt with,” she observes.

Cyndi adds “The response has always been very positive in our area. The fact that I am female has typically not been an issue as I am able to communicate in a professional manner and can relate to all levels of the industries we serve.”

Nutech Phoenix Branch Managers, from left: Cyndi Dalton of Kelowna and Andrea Lee of Kamloops

Along with carrying industry leading products for all workplace safety needs, Nutech’s team helps clients determine first aid supply requirements, map out emergency lighting paths, design kitchen suppression systems and performs hydrotesting on cylinders, as part of their services and resources to help save lives. They also have COVID-19 supplies in stock, including masks, gloves, contactless thermometers and hand sanitizer.

Nutech has grown steadily in recent years and is currently experiencing best-ever growth.

“The keys to success for Nutech have been customer service, business integrity, diversification of products and services and last but not least, an amazing team of individuals that work and play together like family,” Andrea notes.

Cyndi concurs, attributing the success to “our team working together and communicating effectively through our growth and changes in the industry, and adjusting our offerings and levels of service as necessary – especially with the recent pandemic situation.” www.nutechphoenix.ca Summer 2021

WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION

JOANIE GABRIEL A FOCAL POINT AT WESTHILLS AGGREGATE PENTICTON – At some point in construction, many of the companies building projects in the Okanagan for the past 30-plus years have purchased products from Westhills Aggregates.

That means they’ve dealt with Dispatcher Joanie Gabriel, affectionately known by Westhills employees and customers alike. When the day eventually comes when she retires, her shoes will be difficult to fill. Everyone loves her, and she’s involved in almost every step of interaction with the company, from invoicing to loading product.

Westhills Superintendent Chris Ingle notes “Joanie sits at the scale house, and deals with every single coming and going customer, and has been doing it for such a long time that everyone knows her. Between the amount of years she has put in and how she takes care of everybody, it’s going to be a major void when she retires.”

Adds General Manager Desmond O’Brien: “Joanie bakes for our customers, and if she’s not there at the window, they come and ask where she is.”

Westhills is a subsidiary of the Penticton Indian Band Development Corporation. All employees of Westhills are either family or friends.

“All of the employees here, everyone you’re working with, you have personal contact with and you’re going home to break bread with them,” Ingle observes. “That is the very essence and foundation that all of the PIB companies are built on, and relationships are so extremely important.”

Which makes Joanie so important.

“She’s the glue that holds it together, the matriarch so to speak,” Ingle says, to which O’Brien adds: “She doesn’t just do her job, she knows all of the workers since they were kids, and a lot of WWW.BUSINESSEX AMINER.CA

Joanie Gabriel

them are now adults. She keeps them in line.”

Westhills has grown steadily, and recently added new product offerings to expand their market share.

“Rock sells itself, but we wanted to venture into civil and road building, so our marketing strategies have changed a bit. We’ve put enough feathers in our hats and eggs in separate baskets to allow us to expand,” notes Ingle.

That includes processing and bagging landscaping material that is sold at stores, including colours from peach and white to brown and black, from a half inch to boulders.

“With diversification comes a variety of different clientele, and having Joanie to be able to be the direct contact for all of our clients that come in and out is so important,” Ingle says. “People want to come back and look forward to seeing her. Joanie has held everyone together for years, and when she leaves, she will shadow the ideal candidate for an extensive period of time. She wants to make sure the success here continues.” www.westhillsaggregates.com

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WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION

Alyssa Schultz, P.Eng., Project Engineer (right) and Marissa Moore, B. Tech, BC Land Surveyor of TRUE Consulting.

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TRUE CONSULTING HELPS LIGHTS THE WAY FOR MORE WOMEN IN THE TRADES TRUE MOVES TO MAKE A MORE EQUITABLE AND SUPPORTIVE WORLD FOR WOMEN IN THEIR INDUSTRY KAMLOOPS - Terry Underwood founded TRUE Consulting in 1986, designed around a practical, client-centric approach to municipal engineering. The company quickly grew, earning a loyal client base along the way.

Today, TRUE has approximately 65 employees across Kamloops, Williams Lake, Trail and Penticton. Of those, around 30 per cent are women, a greater number than the industry standard.

Amongst them are Partner and Professional Land Surveyor Marissa Moore and Municipal and Land Development Project Engineer Alyssa

Schultz. Both understand the value women bring to the trades, together seeking an industry-wide environment where women can thrive.

Marissa, a graduate of BCIT in 2008 with a Bachelor of Technology, who currently oversees a variety of day-to-day operations at TRUE and established its Land Survey Division in 2017, believes women are vital to a healthy workplace ecosystem.

“Things have thankfully changed a lot since 2004, when I was one of four women in a class of seventy-five at BCIT. I believe women add a valuable dynamic to this industry. For instance, Summer 2021

WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION we’re often better at our “soft skills” and considered more approachable. No matter what, diversity leads to more creative discussion and problem solving. It’s really neat to see more women in trades today.”

With a growing number of companies actively recruiting women, offering maternity leave top-up and flexible transitions back to work afterward among other achievements, the industry deserves credit for evolving. Still, Alyssa believes more can be done.

“Women are statistically more likely to leave the industry earlier than men due to a number of factors. Many employers don’t realize they’re contributing to poor retention of their female staff. Regardless of their intention, people have biases they aren’t aware of. I would encourage employers in our industry to pursue sensitivity or unconscious bias training at all levels. There are great industry events by Women in Construction, Engineers & Geoscientists BC, etc. that provide opportunities for gender-balanced discussion on allyship, sexism, and retention of women in our profession, often at no cost. Employers who ensure their female staff have the resources needed to feel secure and be successful in their careers will see a huge positive impact.”

Concurs Marissa, “An employer that is supportive of the women in their industry can only benefit. At TRUE, I feel heard. There’s room for me to grow as a professional. They celebrate my achievements, support my decisions, and offer me great opportunities.”

TRUE is also pursuing meaningful avenues to see more women hired in construction, trades, and engineering, starting with students. It’s an endeavor in which Alyssa actively participates.

Starting at TRUE in 2018 as an EIT, Alyssa earned her professional designation in 2020.

Now a Professional Engineer, she chairs TRUE’s Sustainability Committee, and is their champion WWW.BUSINESSEX AMINER.CA

No matter what, diversity leads to more creative discussion and problem solving. It’s really neat to see more women in trades today. for Engineers Canada 30-by-30 initiative, which seeks to increase newly licensed women engineers to 30 percent by 2030, the universally held tipping point for sustainable change.

“To achieve 30-by-30, we need to look at youth engagement in Science-Technology-Engineering-Math (STEM) to recruit girls at a young age.

TRUE is sponsoring the EGBC Science Games for the third year in a row, a STEM initiative organized by Engineers and Geoscientists BC to teach kids about engineering and geoscience.

I also work with teachers in SD73 to teach high school kids about Engineering and Geoscience and how to enter these programs in university.

Because we serve small communities across the BC Interior, we are uniquely positioned to engage students who experience little post-secondary recruitment. We hope the girls in these communities work alongside us someday.”

With the likes of Marissa, Alyssa, and others working toward a more inclusive space in construction and engineering for women, 30-by-30 looks like a genuinely attainable goal.

Concludes Marissa, “I believe the future of trades is supportive in adding women to engineering, construction and land surveying.

I really feel like the industry is heading in the right direction.”

It appears TRUE is dedicated to leading by example. www.true.ca

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TOTA

AIR CANADA’S NEW SERVICE BETWEEN MONTREAL AND KELOWNA CELEBRATED

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KELOW NA TOTA is excited to announce Air Canada’s newest nonstop domestic route between Kelowna International A i r p o r t ( Y LW ) a n d M o n t r é a lTrudeau ELLEN WALKER-MATTHEWS A i r p o r t ( Y U L ) , celebrated yesterday at YLW. Starting with three flights weekly, the schedule will increase up to five weekly flights by mid-August. The addition of this route into the Thompson Okanagan is just in time for Canadians to begin traveling nationally, connecting one end of Canada to the other.

Passengers of this route will fly on Air Canada’s fuel-efficient Airbus A220-300 fleet, featuring 12 Business Class seats, 125 Economy class seats (the widest ones in the fleet), a modernized in-flight entertainment system, and Wi-fi.

“Our new flights onboard Air Canada’s ultra-quiet and environmentally-friendly Airbus A220-300 are also conveniently timed with connections to Atlantic Canada and abroad through our Montreal hub. As the country reopens, we are pleased to help friends and family reunite, and support Canada’s economic recovery and tourism industry,” said Mark Galardo, Senior Vice President, Network Planning and

Revenue Management at Air Canada.

These flights will not only connect the Thompson Okanagan to guests from Quebec but also connects the region to Air Canada’s vast global network with just one stop. With the addition of Montreal, the Thompson Okanagan is now directly connected through YLW to all four of Air Canada’s hub cities: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary. YLW offers flights through other airlines to Victoria, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Hamilton, Kitchener/Waterloo, and Whitehorse.

“We are thrilled to see this new direct flight from Montreal into Kelowna opening up tremendous possibilities for domestic travel in the Thompson Okanagan Region,” said Ellen Walker-Matthews, Acting President and CEO of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, as she referenced the recently increased demand from Travel Trade and Travel Media in Quebec. “We have been seeing increased interest in our region from this part of Canada for some time now and this flight will be critical to help support that demand.”

This opportunity was made possible through the ongoing strong partnership between Air Canada, YLW, and YUL along with TOTA, Big White Ski Resort, the City of Kelowna, Tourism Kelowna, Okanagan Bucketlist, and the Kelowna and Vernon Chambers of Commerce.

Ellen Walker-Matthews is the acting President and CEO of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association

Summer 2021

ADVISORY

HELP IS A CALL OR CLICK AWAY FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS

Tracie St. Luke Have you had to pivot your business in these fast moving times? If so, you may find yourself doing things differently, including your business’s finances. From adopting online banking to introducing contactless payment options, these may pose a learning curve to business owners, requiring guidance from your financial institution. Fortunately, help can come to you, and not necessarily the other way around.

Your bank or credit union’s contact centre is an important resource to lean into—for product and services support but also education and helpful advice—beyond a brick and mortar branch. Even better, these experts are here for you when and how you need them, often with extended hours to fit your schedule.

As one of the managers of Coastal Community’s Island-based contact centre (or as we like to call, the Relationship Centre), I know how valuable it is for business owners to be able to pick up the phone or chat online with one of our experts. We’re increasingly finding our Relationship Centre is the primary contact for many local businesses to help them with their day-to-day banking, and then some.

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Based on some of the common questions my team’s fielded recently, here are a few tips and tricks we’d like to pass on: 1. If your business sends or accepts things like e-Transfers, set up a separate business email address to avoid mixing business funds with personal. The Auto Deposit feature can also streamline things.

2. Check to see if your financial institution offers online banking made for businesses.

This version often comes with options that can help your bookkeeper or accountant.

3. Apply for a business credit card through the contact centre. You can give your office manager a card to make purchases and even set different card limits for different roles in the company.

One of our favourite things to hear from the people we assist is, “I didn’t know you could help me with that.” We want to break down the assumption that a bank or credit union’s contact centre is just for help with personal finances or minor things. At the Relationship Centre, we see ourselves as a seamless extension of our branches and insurance offices. To do this role justice, we offer the same helpful, proactive advice and strategies— just online or on the phone instead.

Tracie St. Luke is the manager of the Nanaimo-based Relationship Centre at Coastal Community Credit Union. You can reach her team by calling 1.888.741.1010.

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BUILDING BRIEFS GREEN SHEET - Phase 1, 2 cabins and conversion of existing access building to cabin - Phase 2, 6 cabins PROJECT STATUS Rezoning application and OCP amendment application at 2nd reading - owner working on additional requirements OWNER Calvin Withrow - 2066 Blind Bay Rd, Blind Bay V0E 1H1 250-675-3784

SIMONE SUNDERLAND

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KAMLOOPS LOCATION 604 Lorne St - Condominiums - Commercial - Marquess on Lorne PROJECT TYPE: Mixed-use Dev PROJECT New mixed-use development - 2 structures - 6 storeys - 70 units - Building 1, Marquess West, 27 residential units and main floor commercial - Building 2, Marquess East, 43 residential units - 1- and 2-bedroom units - u/g parking PROJECT STATUS Construction start of Building 2, Marquess East, anticipated summer/21 - presales underway - construction completion of Building 1, Marquess West, finishings underway ARCHITECT JM Architecture - Bldg 4 15243 91 Ave, Surrey V3R 8P8, 604-583-2003 GENERAL CONTRACTOR Tri-Amm Developments Corp - 2713 Blind Bay Rd, Blind Bay V0E 1H1 250-320-7591 COLUMBIA SHUSWAP REG DIST LOCATION 2066 Eagle Blind Bay Rd, Blind Bay - Tourist Cabins PROJECT TYPE Commercial New PROJECT New phased tourist cabin development - 9 units

COLDSTREAM LOCATION 9909 Kalamalka Rd - Community Hall & Child Care Centre PROJECT TYPE Institutional new PROJECT New community hall and day care centre - 1 storey community hall, approx 5,208 sf, offices, reception, kitchen, washrooms, hall for banquets - day care, approx 4,753 sf, offices, learning rooms, washrooms, kitchen - surface parking - wood and rock exteriors PROJECT STATUS Construction Start anticipated August/21 - final design underway ARCHITECT Sahuri & Partners Architecture - 201 123 Forge Rd SE, Calgary T2H 0S9 403-228-9307 OWNER District of Coldstream - 9901 Kalamalka Rd, Coldstream V1B 1L6 250-545-5304 KELOWNA LOCATION 1075 Stockley St - Blue Sky – Duplexes PROJECT TYPE Multi-family New PROJECT New duplex subdivision - approx 22 units - 11 lots new road PROJECT STATUS Development permit application submitted - rezoning approved APPLICANT CTQ Consultants Ltd - 1334 Saint Paul St, Kelowna V1Y 2E1 250-979-1221 OWNER Melcor Developments Ltd - 207 1664 Richter St, Kelowna V1Y 8N3 250-717-8390

Summer 2021

BUILDING BRIEFS KELOWNA LOCATION 1220 and 1230 Pacific Ave - Condominiums – Townhouses PROJECT TYPE Multi-family new PROJECT New multi family development - 1 structure - 5 storeys - 25 units - street access townhouses - wood frame construction - above grade concrete parking structure masked behind the townhouses - asphalt shingle roofing - fiber cement exteriors PROJECT STATUS Rezoning application at final reading - development permit application in process APPLICANT VLS Developments - 250-869-5260 ARCHITECT BlueGreen Architecture Inc (Kelowna) - 100 1353 Ellis St, Kelowna V1Y 6Y9 236-420-3550 KELOWNA LOCATION 2100 Rutland Ct - Shopping Centre - Reids Crossing PROJECT TYPE Commercial new PROJECT New retail service commercial development - approx 52,295 sf area - 10 structures - Building A, 5,300 sf Building B, 5,005 sf - Building C, 6,000 sf - Building D, 2,040 sf - Building E, 2,180 sf - Building F F1, 2,700 sf, F2, 2,800 sf - Building G2, 3,000 sf - Building H, 9,300 sf - Building J, 21,665 sf - demolition of existing structures PROJECT STATUS Rezoning Application and OCP amendment at final reading - development permit application in process ARCHITECT Urban Design Group Architects - 420 745 Thurlow St, Vancouver V6E 0C5 604-687-2334 DEVELOPER West 18th St Enterprises Inc - 129 10555 48 St SE, Calgary T2C 2B7 403-242-1660 GENERAL CONTRACTOR Desjardins Contracting Ltd - 3130 Sexsmith Rd, Kelowna V1X 7S6 250-258-8802 KELOWNA LOCATION 417 Cedar Ave – Condominiums

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PROJECT TYPE Mixed-use dev PROJECT New mixed-use development - 6 storeys - 17 residential units - 1- and 2-bedroom units - 576 sf to 1,202 sf units - 1,307 sf commercial unit at grade - approx 12,668 sf total - at grade parking - rooftop amenity area - exterior concrete elevator shaft - exposed concrete, brick cladding, composite wood and fiber cement siding exteriors PROJECT STATUS Rezoning Application at 2nd reading - development permit application in process ARCHITECT LIME Architecture Inc - 205 1626 Richter St, Kelowna V1Y 2M3 250-448-7801 DEVELOPER Worman Homes - 401 590 KLO Rd, Kelowna V1Y 7S2 250-762-0040 CITY OF WEST KELOWNA LOCATION Canyon Crest Dr – Townhouses PROJECT TYPE Multi-family new PROJECT New townhouse development - 26 units PROJECT STATUS Site prep underway DEVELOPER Tallus Ridge - 2521 Crown Crest Dr, West Kelowna V4T 3K4 250-469-4004 PEACHLAND LOCATION 4316 Beach Ave - Commercial – Residential PROJECT TYPE Mixed-use dev PROJECT New townhouse development - 26 u New mixed use development - 4 storeys - main floor, commercial 2nd to 4th floors, residential, 5 units - approx 1,076 sf to 1,290 sf units - approx 9,881 sf total - roof top deck - stucco and cedar plank exteriors - demolition of existing SFD and access buildings PROJECT STATUS Construction start anticipated fall/21 - rezoning and development permit approved ARCHITECT TRTA Architecture Ltd - 101 2903 35 St, Vernon V1T 2S7 250-545-0784

25

OPINION

DIVISIVE RHETORIC AND POLICIES: CAN NORTH AMERICA STAY TOGETHER?

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MARK MACDONALD With inflammatory rhetoric, divisive discourse and policies that pit one sector of society against another – with no apparent middle ground – what is happening in North America?

Let’s start with this country. Canadians have now elected a Trudeau as Prime Minister six times, which will most likely be seven if and when the next federal election is called. It is clear that the Trudeau family has a vision of Canada that, while successful in its goal of gaining government, ostracizes and minimizes those outside of Ontario and Quebec.

The Liberal brain trust correctly recognizes that all a political party needs to gain power is win those two provinces. Thus their concentration on policies that ensure that dominance and centralization remains.

Pierre Trudeau‘s National Energy Policy immediately doomed Alberta’s economy starting in 1980, stifling that province’s economy with unprecedented limitations that middle-aged Albertans recall bitterly to this day. The reduction of Alberta’s economic clout, while ensuring central Canadian dominance, also became a rallying cry, encapsulated with “The West Wants In” that prepared the way for the Reform/Canadian Alliance/ Conservative wave that resulted in a decade of Stephen Harper.

Canadians rejected more Harper for Justin Trudeau‘s “sunny ways”, and the west was “rewarded” by more policies that cripple western Canada’s economy. Punitive legislation restricts pipelines east, south and west, although they begrudgingly, eventually gave the go ahead to the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion.

The impact of every major energy policy decision this Trudeau has made mirrors that of his father.

Little wonder that Albertans’ distrust, even hatred, of Trudeau grows, and the flames of separatism continue to be fanned. What does Alberta get out of remaining in Canada except restrictions to its right to extract and export its resources? What does Alberta get in comparison to what it contributes financially, in terms of equalization payments – compared to Quebec, for example?

There yet remains enough cooler heads in Alberta to tamper down calls for separatism. Premier Jason Kenney, who some believe looked at success in rejuvenating that province as a springboard to

Summer 2021

OPINION head back to Ottawa and lead the Conservatives, has been loath to engage in that conversation.

Perhaps only personal ambition stands in the way of heightening separatist dialogue – but Kenney’s unpopularity isn’t enhancing any possible future national goals. Will that change?

At what point does Alberta say “enough”, and states it wants out of Canada? And what does it mean to Alberta that Trudeau proclaims that Quebec has the right to declare itself a nation. If Quebec, then why not Alberta? Or others?

The Trudeau “vision” of Canada seems to be embodied in weaker east and west. The Maritimes hopelessly cycle back and forth between hoping for federal government handouts from Ottawa. They are true dependants.

Western Canada? Its great economic strength is resources, and Ottawa clamps down on that. Look at Ottawa’s handling of fish farming. One decision, and instantly, 1,500 jobs evaporate off the BC coast.

To be replaced by what?

Again we ask: If Trudeau says Quebec can become its own nation, then why not Alberta? Or even all of Western Canada?

Meanwhile, south of the 49th, our neighbors are split right down the middle: Democrat/Republican; left/right. That chasm continues to expand, with bitter, divisive words from both sides. Fervent Democrats/Republicans view their opponents as enemies of the United States, and there is no voice, or apparent appetite, to douse that dialogue. The only enemy, it seems, is compromise.

Can the United States keep United? There are increasing discussions about states seceding from the Union to pursue the fiscal and moral path of their own choosing.

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Both sides are at fault, but is there a willingness to meet in the middle, somewhere, to calm the storms of verbal civil war before it becomes another call to arms?

Government-forming parties in both countries – and provinces - must be willing to compromise with those they’ve defeated, and determine to serve all constituents – not just the ones who got them elected. That includes introducing policies that work for everyone, while calming the conversation and eliminating war-mongering words that cast their opponents as evildoers. Without that, how can Canada and the U.S. remain as functioning, unified countries?

Maybe that’s what this is all about – tearing down both countries from within, just like Ancient Rome.

That’s something we can learn from history, if we dare to learn from it and purpose to not repeat it.

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27

MOVERS & SHAKERS

MOVERS & SHAKERS Announcements, business changes, celebrations and other hidden gems from around the Thompson/Okanagan.

Curated just for you.

Submit your company’s announcement to: media@businessexaminer.ca

KELOWNA

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Cooper Medical Supplies at 101 – 1953 Baron Road is celebrating its 30th years in business.

Room and Pillar Spa has opened at #100 – 1546 Harvey Avenue in Gateway Plaza, designed to mimic a natural salt mine or cave. Call 250860-0188 or email hello@roomandpillarspa. com to make an appointment.

OEB Breakfast Co., an eatery with locations across Canada and the United States, will soon be serving customers from the ground floor of the Ella commercial and residential tower, located at the corner of Ellis Street and Lawrence Avenue.

MNP’s Thompson-Okanagan Region welcomes four new team members to the partnership in 2021; Camie Haggerty, Kyla Stewart, Ken Harvey, and Jeromy Spence.

Cooper Medical Supplies, owned by Paul and Carol Meise are celebrating 30 years in business. They are located at 101-1953 Baron Road in Kelowna. They have hired Ken Grieve as the new Business and Marketing manager. Ken brings 25 years of experience in marketing and business development.

SunRype, Kelowna’s fruit-based food and beverage manufacturer, has partnered with the After The Bell program to help provide 150,000 healthy food packs to Canada’s most vulnerable youth over the summer in celebration of their 75th anniversary.

Kristian de Pont

Kristian de Pont, has opened Good Sorts Property Services. They offer a range of commercial cleaning and janitorial services. Kristian arrived in 2015 from New Zealand with a background in franchising and facilities management.

Summer 2021

MOVERS & SHAKERS www.goodsorts.ca Kelowna City Council has approved a temporary use permit for a mobile rock crusher to be used on the future site of a new Costco on Baron Road.

The mobile crusher will be on-site to break down approximately 4,500 cubic metres of material, equivalent to around 320 dump truck loads of fill.

The Community Foundations of North Okanagan (CFNO) has put $72,000 toward the 50-kilometre Okanagan Rail Trail development spanning from Coldstream to Kelowna, which will include plaza gathering space, hilltop viewpoint and interpretative installations celebrating the Syilx peoples and cultural values of Kalamalka. Friends of the Okanagan Rail Trail just launched its Sunflower Campaign which will finalize the design to create the signature trailhead. The organization aims to raise another $100,000 to complete the development by 2022. To learn more or donate, click here.

Andrew Docherty and Josee LaBelle are the new owners of Vista Villa Couples Retreat. They purchased the business from Sherry Cote. The couple are have relocated from Calgary.

A redesigned application for the development of a mixed-use residential project at 3340 Lakeshore Road on the current site of the Willow Creek Campground will be reviewed by the City of Kelowna on June 1st. Located beside the parking lot of Boyce-Gyro Park, the Stober Group project is a mixed-use design that features 345 homes located above a concealed parking structure, surrounded by a mix of retail and residential uses, featuring a ground floor level that houses corner plazas, cafés and restaurants with patios.

Lindsay Krieg has opened Room and Pillar Spa at 100-1546 Harvey Ave. The spa features a simulated Himalayan salt cave.

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Four UBC-Okanagan students collaborated with Canadian aerospace company SKYTRAC, a leader in satellite communications and intelligent connectivity solutions, in the UBCO’s fourth-year bachelor of management capstone course. Trygve Bredeson, Jeran Knorr, Alana Fulton and Faisal Howlader, met bi-weekly with the company to understand SKYTRAC’s new SDL350 and ISAT-200A-08 Satcom systems, and to discuss their developing recommendations.

Frame Custom Homes won the top prize at the Canadian Home Builders’ Association’s digital gala, taking home the Design Excellence Award based on cumulative results in the new home and home spaces categories.

Sleep consultant, Pam Nease, has expanded her practice to help parents with autistic children.

She and her team have been providing their services in the Okanagan for 12 years and helped more than 2700 families.

Bird Canada has arrived in Kelowna, joining Lime, Zip and Roll in the city’s growing scooter-share market. Earlier this year, Kelowna was included in a three-year provincial pilot program allowing e-scooters as travel options on its streets.

Annika Betts, Audrey Surrao, Carla Carlson, Cedric Younge, Dale Sivucha, Edan Fay, Jon De Bruyne, Joseph Clohessy, Kelly Watt, Kristi Caldwell, Michael J. Ballingall, Nataley Nagy, Natalie Corbett, Gail Given, Penny Gambell, Sam Samaddar and Thom Killingsworth are the new 2021/22 Board of Directors for Tourism Kelowna.

Diana Forbes and David Pearson have rebranded their salon and spa at #107-3957 Lakeshore Road to Slate Salon and Spa. The National Association of Music Merchants has recognized Wentworth Music with one of the Top 100 Dealer Awards in the world for 2021.

The are located at 106-1634 Harvey Avenue.

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The Rogerie, a business that rescues plastics from landfills and makes them into saleable products, now has a permanent location at the downtown Innovation Centre. Owners, Angela and Brady Rogers, have announced that they are now accepting ‘really’ clean household plastics from the public at 103-460 paid Avenue.

WEST KELOWNA West Kelowna’s Crown & Thieves winery will soon open the doors to its new rooftop restaurant collaboration with Kelowna’s Salt & Brick restaurant on Bernard Avenue with a fusion called Salt & Thieves. A brand new open kitchen is being built atop the Crown & Thieves building, with incredible views of West Kelowna’s vineyards. The tentative opening date is July 9th.

The first phase of West Kelowna’s Goat’s Peak neighbourhood recently cleared a public hearing. The new neighbourhood, being developed by Emil Anderson Properties, is planned to have more than 900 homes. The first phase, which still needs final approval from council before construction commences, includes trails linking the community to Goat’s Peak Park. Future development proposals also include space for a new school and commercial spaces.

West Kelowna’s Goats Peak Winery is proposing a concrete tower that would offer patrons a view of the city, abandoning plans for a previously proposed 35-metre lighthouse at the 2789 Highway 97 South location. Monette Farms purchased the property in 2019 to develop a 12-acre estate vineyard and winery. The matter will come to West Kelowna City Council for future deliberation. ROV Engineering Consultants is helming the project.

West Kelowna’s new city hall and Okanagan Regional Library will share a 51,500 square foot, four-floor building. The ground floor will host the library, while the upper three floors will be Summer 2021

MOVERS & SHAKERS occupied by the municipality. The remaining two floors will mostly staff workstations, meeting rooms and storage. The first tender package, for utility and enabling works recently closed on the $18 million project at the corner of Old Okanagan Highway and Dobbin Road.

LAKE COUNTRY Vancouver-based AgriCann Solutions Corp. will acquire Lake Country’s Craft Nurseries Canada Inc. CNC›s focus is on the supply end of the cannabis industry, developing genetics for both cannabis and hemp to produce seedlings and clones, specializing in medicinal high-CBD as well as THC strains.

A new Woodsdale gas bar and convenience store are in the works for the corner of Bottom Wood Lake and Woodsdale roads, with Lake Country Council recently approving the application for the store, the plans of which suggest the location will be a Canco station.

An application involving 2,500 hectares along roughly 20 kilometres of eastern Okanagan Lake shoreline in Lake Country has been put before the British Columbia Wine Authority.

The application would formally create a new sub-geographical indication, or appellations, to create a wine region in the area. The application will require a vote among stakeholders before being forwarded to the Ministry of Agriculture by the BC Wine Institute for approval.

Lake Country Chamber of Commerce welcomes a new board of directors: Jennifer Madsen – Oyama Zipline Adventure Park; Melissa Cooney; Jeff Schall – Sage Realty; Chris Lewis – Tourism Kelowna; Carla Carlson – Comfort Suites; Blaine Rhymer; Kassi Neary– Peak Cellars; Adam Taylor – Innov8; Suzanne Nazareno – UBCO; Lynn Fanelli – Lake Country Museum; Naomi Maki – Interior Savings and Marc Ellam – Grillers Meats.

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VERNON The City of Vernon has approved funds for new recreational facilities at Kin Race Track and a study for the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP detachment’s renovations. Council agreed to spend the bulk of the $12 million FortisBC Legacy Reserve on new additions at the race track park and potential future home to the Active Living Centre. A conceptual design of the centre is set to go to referendum mid-October. Us for funds include a potential outdoor rink, sports fields, a dog park and walking trails and lands for affordable housing and the new recreation centre. $2 million will go toward a feasibility study to explore the detachment’s needs.

Vernon’s BX Press Cidery is one of 25 small businesses in Canada to be featured in the Before the Business booklet, which aims to promote businesses by sharing their backstory. The booklet is the brainchild of Toronto-based Lexicon Financial Group of Raymond James Investment Counsel. To read about the rich history of BX Press Cidery, click here.

Bannister GM Vernon donated $2,750 to the Jubilee Hospital Foundation in advance of the recent 18th annual Have a Heart Radiothon on Pure Country 105.7. All donations during the radiothon went toward enabling staff to access new technologies and provide opportunities for better care for moms and babies at VJH. The event raised over $70,000 for the cause.

Torrie Silverthorn is the new tourism manager for the City of Vernon.

Nicholas A lexander Home & Garden i s celebrating five years in Vernon with tons of deals. From flowers to fruit trees and much more, check out their inventory at 6325 Highway 97.

John Perrott is the new manager of economic

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The Home Building Centre on 27th Street welcomes Kate Anderson to their flooring department sales team.

Bannister GM Vernon has announced Robert McLaren as salesperson of the month for May. Tyler O’Dwyer won top salesperson of the month at Vernon Toyota.

Nicholas Alexander Home & Garden is celebrating 5 years in business at 6325 Hwy 97.

Vernon mechanic Derek Kotowski is the winner of the annual Rodi De Vuono Award for Outstanding Service from BC Transit.

SALMON ARM Six 70,000-lb. girders have been put in place for the future Highway 1 Salmon River Bridge. The $29.7 million project is being helmed by Springline Construction Services.

Construction of the four-lane replacement to the RW Bruhn Bridge is expected to take place over three years. The project is expected to go to tender late this year. A recent memorandum from District of Sicamous planning assistant Steffi Sunny was submitted to the district’s planning and development committee, discussing possible ways to beautify the underside of the new bridge. Proposals include visual upgrades via artistic lighting, as well as possible Splatsin involvement to identify opportunities for the inclusion of Indigenous artwork highlighting the cultural significance of the area. The bridge is expected to cost $ 224.5 million, with the federal government covering Summer 2021

MOVERS & SHAKERS $91.08 million of the cost.

The owner of the Best Western, Sicamous Inn Ltd., is proposing a new 7,900 square-foot residential development near the intersection of Highway 1 and Rauma Road in Sicamous. Salmon Arm-based architect Bernd Hermanski is the authorized agent on the application. The project would consist of A six-floor, 40-unit residential building with ground-floor commercial space.

The application was reviewed by the District of Sicamous’ Planning and Development Committee at a recent meeting.

A proposal to build a 350-unit RV resort in Old Town Bay was recently reviewed by the Sicamous’ Planning and Development Committee.

The resort, which would include a clubhouse, staff accommodation and be serviced with municipal water and sewer systems, would be located on a .21 square-kilometre parcel of land and have access to Shuswap Lake and the Eagle River.

Ashley Homestore recently opened the doors to its new 20,000 square foot location at 521 10th Street SW, near the Mall at Piccadilly.

PENTICTON Penticton Chamber of Commerce announced the 34th Penticton and Wine Country Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards to take place October 2nd. Nominations are now open.

A new outdoor rink is coming to Penticton downtown core, beside the City Hall. Construction is expected to begin in August with a December completion.

The province, through BC Housing, has purchased Meadowlark Motel, Sun Valley Motel and Mayfair Motel in Penticton as part of a proposed redevelopment plan to bring 103 affordable homes to those with low incomes in the community. The province invested WWW.BUSINESSEX AMINER.CA

approximately $7.9 million for the purchase of the three motels.

Front Street Brasserie, which closed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, will re-open under a new concept, shifting from indoor dining to home delivery. The rebranded Brasserie Provisions is open Tuesdays and Fridays, delivering to Penticton, Naramata, Heritage Hills and Summerland or pick-up from its downtown Penticton storefront.

The City of Penticton is considering selling off a section of Alberni Street to allow an expansion to the Hotel Penticton. The closed section of road would be added to the property that the Mundi Hotel Group will put a new hotel on. The expansion would add between 30 to 45 additional rooms to the Hotel Penticton. The new Mundi Hotel would be 100 to 110 rooms in six-storeys, with a restaurant. The city proposes that the closed road portion be added to the land at 903 Vernon Avenue, purchased by the Mundi Hotel Group in exchange for the group taking on additional work to facilitate the road closure and give up a small westerly portion of the site. The city also proposes in return for the sale to the Penticton Hotel, that it be compensated by a cash payment of $265,000.

Chilliwack metal artist Kevin Stone has been hired to build a 50 foot long, 35-foot tall chrome T-rex sculpture to be permanently on display in Penticton. The anonymous buyer intends for the sculpture to be on a hillside property overlooking the city, or alternatively, purchasing a public park and putting the T-rex there alongside other dinosaur sculptures and donating the entire park to the city.

Milani Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning is now serving Penticton. www.Milani.ca BC Transit is recognizing Penticton’s Mike Palosky with its Transit SuperStars award.

Mike is transit supervisor for Penticton Transit

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MOVERS & SHAKERS Service Ltd. Every year, BC Transit recognizes those making a positive difference in regional transit systems across the province.

Slackwater Brewing has released Surfcaster IPA, a New England style IPA. The seasonal ale is on tap and in cans at Slackwater, and will ship to select liquor stores.

Alida Erickson has received a l i feti me achievement award from the BC government for nearly 12 years of service as volunteer director of Penticton’s Emergency Support Services program.

SUMMERLAND

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The Oasis Luxury condominium project on Lakeshore Drive is undergoing pre-loading, which requires the placement of fill on the property to prepare the ground for the placement of foundations. This additional fill will be removed once the pre-loading phase is completed.

approval. The RDOS can also submit a shadow bid for consideration while ensuring a fair process for private firms. The current landfill agreement expires in May, 2022.

Yaki’s Pizza & Subs at 9902 Main Street is open and offers delicious daily specials. Check out their pizza, sub, pasta and salad menu here.

KAMLOOPS A&T Project Developments has applied for a permit to build a 344-square-metre food storage warehouse for the Kamloops Food Bank Society at 156 and 164 Wilson Street, across the street and down the road from the existing Kamloops Food Bank site at 171 Wilson Street.

The municipality has provided final approval for the third phase of the Treffry Place subdivision in Trout Creek. This subdivision will provide an additional 13 single-family lots.

Kamloops accountant Norman Daley, health journalist André Picard, computer scientist and scholar Maria Klawe and litigation lawyer Marvin Storrow will receive honorary degrees from Thompson Rivers University during its spring virtual convocation ceremonies on June 17th. Each year, TRU awards honorary degrees to those who have demonstrated excellence in the fields of public affairs, science, arts, humanities, business, law and philanthropy.

The 100 Men Who Care group have raised money to support three charities in the area: Montessori School, the Ooknakane Friendship Centre in Penticton and the Okangan Boys and Girls Club. The group raised $4,300 in total.

Kamloops-area author Michelle Good won a prestigious Governor General’s Literary Award in the English Fiction category for her debut novel, Five Little Indians, the story of five young students at a residential school in BC.

The municipality has received the subdivision application for the second phase of the Hunters Hill development. This phase is for 30 singlefamily lots in the development. Municipal staff members are reviewing this application.

Lorianna Bennett is the newest provincial court judge in Kamloops. She has worked as a lawyer in Kamloops at Paul & Company for 19 years.

The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen has approved a public and private b i d c o m p e t it io n to r u n t h e Ca m p b e l l Mountain and Oliver Landfills. The RDOS will send the new contract to tender with the board’s

T he City of Kamloops and Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc have renewed their fire service agreement, which will have Kamloops Fire Rescue provide fire protection and rescue services to reserve lands for until March 31, 2024, with an optional two-year extension.

Summer 2021

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