Business Examiner Victoria - January 2016

JANUARY 2016

» FOCUS ON ARCHITECTURE

–PAGE 7

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INDEX News Update 2 Sooke 4 Esquimalt 4 Greater Victoria 6 Sales 15 West Shore 16 Who is Suing Whom 19 Movers and Shakers 20 Opinion 22 Law 23 Salt Spring Island 23 Contact us: 1-866-758-2684

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Family business ‘Next Steps’ requires a proactive approach Family business and succession advisor speaks on the importance of planning

V

ICTOR I A – Renowned family business and succession advisor David C. Bentall, Founder of Next Step Advisors, recently spoke at an event put on by the Canadian Association of Family Enterprise (CAFE) Vancouver Island, to talk about some of the longterm planning challenges facing today’s family companies.

“I’ve seen the best and worst of situations,” says Benta ll.

“The family enterprise dynamic is so unique and complex, it’s unlike any other form of business. I grew up in that environment and am very aware of the pea ks a nd va l leys that each employee and family member experiences.

“I feel that the successes I’ve been able to contribute to as an advisor have been a direct result of the challenges we’ve faced over the years as a family in our own business journey. My first experience with succession was very painful as the company

ended up going through a major breakup, and it’s motivated me to help others avoid some of the mistakes that were made.”

Bentall was born into a third generation construction and development compa ny, wel l known for the Downtown Vancouver Bentall Centre, Rogers Arena (formerly GM Place), and the Telus Corporate offices, among many others.

He is also an instructor for Institute of Family Enterprise Advisors, Business Families Foundation, the founding Chair of Busi ness Fa m i l ies Centre UBC, and was involved with the successful domestic bid for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.

One of the most important challenges Bentall identified was that many companies aren’t sufficiently preparing the next generation to lead. There are a wide-range of causes, from the SEE NEXT STEPS | PAGE 5

David C. Bentall, Founder of Next Step Advisors, engaging a crowd on family business and succession planning PHOTO CREDIT: TRINITY WESTERN UNIVERSITY

Record number of nominations for Business Excellence Awards Gala Companies from Sooke & Sidney to Port Hardy & Quatsino set to compete for top spot in January 21 Vancouver Island celebration in Nanaimo

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ANAIMO – Resorts, high tech companies, manufacturing firms, forest and aquaculture businesses. And more.

They’re all in the running for the 16th Annual Vancouver Island Business Excellence Awards, with the winners to be unveiled

at the Jan. 21, 2016 at the Coast Bastion Hotel in Nanaimo.

“Every year we do this, it’s a bit of a discovery process,” noted Mark MacDonald of the Business Examiner, which coordinates the event. “The Business Excellence Awards honours the best of the best in Vancouver

Island business, and there are new and innovative companies that have entered that we had no idea existed.

“There are so many wonderful stories out there on the Island, and it is clear that 2015 has been a very good year in business for many companies.”

RBC Royal Bank, Hayes Stewart Little & Co. Chartered Professional Accountants, Coastal Community Credit Union and Air Canada are the Gold Sponsors for the event. Category sponsors are Helijet, Thompson Cooper LLP, SEE AWARDS | PAGE 13

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NEWS UPDATE

JANUARY 2016

BC Shaw Communications Inc. to acquire WIND Mobile Corp.

Shaw Communications Inc. has agreed to acquire a 100 per cent interest in Mid-Bowline Group Corp. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, WIND Mobile Corp. for an enterprise value of approximately $1.6 billion.

“The global telecom landscape is quickly evolving towards ‘mobile-first’ product offerings as consumers demand ubiquitous connectivity from their service providers. The acquisition of WIND provides Shaw with a unique platform in the wireless sector which will allow us to offer a converged network solution to our customers that leverages our full portfolio of best-in-class telecom services, including fibre, cable, WiFi, and now wireless,” said Chief Executive Officer, Brad Shaw. “This transaction represents a transformational step in the history of Shaw and we are excited about our future growth prospects in mobile. This growth will be accelerated by combining Shaw’s existing customer relationships, trusted brand and wireline and WiFi infrastructure with WIND’s impressive asset base, including its existing spectrum position and mobile network.”

WIND is Canada’s largest non-incumbent wireless services provider, serving approximately 940,000 subscribers across Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta with 50MHz of spectrum in each of these regions.

Led by a management team with demonstrated telecom expertise, the Company has achieved impressive growth as evidenced by a 47 per cent increase in its subscriber base over the past two years which has translated into strong growth in revenue and EBITDA. In calendar year 2015, WIND is expected to generate $485 million in revenue and $65 million in EBITDA. As WIND continues to reinvest in its network and service offering, including a scheduled upgrade to 4G LTE services by 2017, the Company expects that its unique customer value proposition will result in continued strong growth in the future.

WIND’s current management team is led

by Chief Executive Officer Alek Krstajic, who has over 20 years of telecom experience. Mr. Krstajic and his team will remain with the Company and will continue to drive the wireless opportunity. In 2011, Shaw announced the launch of a carrier-grade WiFi network, Shaw GO WiFi, which has since expanded to over 75,000 hotspots, increasing the value proposition of broadband outside of the home.

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BC Apparel manufacturers join in partnership to meet labour needs With clothing and footwear sold around the globe, BC’s apparel manufacturers have a strong reputation for producing high-quality brands.

To keep the industry strong and growing, apparel manufacturers throughout the province are partnering together to help address skills gaps and labour market challenges within the sector.

The Apparel Manufacturers Sector Engagement Project is a partnership that will bring together apparel employers and associations committed to addressing common workforce challenges in the manufacturing sector. It is the first phase of a broader initiative to help ensure that British Columbia has the skilled workforce for the manufacturing jobs of the future.

Some of the unique challenges that the

apparel manufacturing sector faces include: attracting key executive and technical talent; ensuring technical skills, such as industrial design and textile science are available; developing an integrated supply chain with more local links; and building on BC’s global brand.

The BC Apparel Manufacturers Sector Engagement Project partners include more than 90 companies as well as the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters.

The Sector Labour Market Partnerships Program ensures that government funding and programs for training are aligned with industry feedback, providing a valuable tool for businesses. This year, close to 20 Sector LMP Projects have been active around the province. Seven new projects have been implemented in the last five months.

Sectors currently working on Sector LMP projects include: tourism, manufacturing, construction, technology and the green economy, as well as projects that relate to the labour-market participation of Aboriginal peoples.

David Labistour, CEO of Mountain Equipment Co-op said, “Like our peers in BC’s apparel manufacturing sector, MEC now competes against global brands and retailers for our customers’ patronage. The fact is, we all grapple with continuous changes to global supply chains, technology and consumer preferences.”

“We need the best people possible – top talent with international experience who can continually elevate our capabilities and mentor those under them to achieve the highest standards of design, performance and value – if BC apparel manufacturers are to thrive.

We welcome the Province’s commitment to working together to address the labour challenges we all face.”

BC has the fourth-largest apparel sector in North America with 600 businesses, generating 7,000 jobs in the province, 14,000 jobs globally and shipping $3 billion in goods to over 50 countries.

Well-known technical performance and premium brands include: Arc’teryx, Aritzia, Lululemon athletica, MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op), Herschel Supply and Kit and Ace.

VICTORIA New Business Hub Opens at Victoria City Hall Marked with the cutting of a red tape ribbon, a new business hub at Victoria City Hall was opened to help new and established entrepreneurs connect with the tools and resources they need for their businesses to thrive.

“I’m thrilled to have the Business Hub at City Hall opening for business today,” noted Mayor Lisa Helps. “The Hub is one of the key recommendations coming from the Mayor’s Task Force on Economic Development and Prosperity and will be a critical part of continuing to support small business, drive investment, and foster Victoria’s inherently entrepreneurial spirit.”

“The City of Victoria’s new business hub will support the city’s growing start-up community,” said Greg Kyllo, Parliamentary Secretary for the BC Jobs Plan. “Our province’s Venture Acceleration Program and recent $100 million venture capital announcement of the BC Tech Fund ensures we can all help promising tech companies get a solid start to growing their business and creating local jobs.”

The City of Victoria is currently recruiting for a Business Ambassador, a customer service professional with experience in business start-ups, development and social enterprise. The Ambassador will serve as a resource for those navigating processes within local

NEWS UPDATE

JANUARY 2016

government, and other agencies.

Reciprocating on a recent trade mission, in February 2016, the City and business community will host influencers from San Francisco in Victoria. Invitees will include Joanne Fedeyko, Executive Director of C100 in San Francisco, a non-profit member-driven association that provides a bridge between Canadian start-up founders and innovative corporations, and the highly influential Silicon Valley network.

C100 charter members include some of the most successful Canadians working in some of the most important tech companies in the Silicon Valley. The mission dates of February 17-19 were strategically chosen to coincide with VIATEC’s event called Discover Tectoria, a one day exposition of more than 70 Greater Victoria technology firms and research agencies.

VANCOUVER ISLAND Harbour Air Wins Canada Traveller Experience of the Year Harbour Air Seaplanes, the world’s largest seaplane airline, has been voted the top tourism experience in Canada by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC).

The VISA Canada Traveller Experience of the Year award was awarded

to Harbour Air at the TIAC annual dinner in Ottawa.

“We are truly honoured to be recognized by this national organization for such a prestigious accomplishment,” said Harbour Air founder and CEO Greg McDougall. “I want to thank our employees for their incredible dedication to creating exceptional travel experiences and providing a high level of customer service for our guests”.

Harbour Air was among 14 other organizations honoured by the Tourism Industry Association (TIAC) of Canada as a recipient of the 2015 Canadian Tourism Awards.

The Visa Canada Traveller Experience of the Year award recognizes companies that have gone above and beyond, offering travellers superior tourism experiences in Canada.

The Canadian Tourism Awards are presented annually recognizing success, leadership and innovation in Canada’s tourism industry.

Harbour Air operates a fleet of Canadian made de Havilland Beaver, Single Otter and Twin Otter aircraft renowned the world over their capability, reliability and history. Harbour Air Seaplanes has been in business for over 33 years and transports over 400,000 passengers throughout coastal British Columbia every year.

VANCOUVER ISLAND Ferries Names Its First

LNG Newbuild BC Ferries has named the first of three new 360-foot, liquefied natural gas-diesel dual fuel ferries the Salish Orca, a name chosen “to honour the Coast Salish people and the Salish Sea where the ship will operate.” The vessel is under construction by Remontowa Shipbuilding in Gdansk, Poland, where a naming ceremony took place recently.

“Using primarily LNG to fuel the new ships will result in reduced emissions and reduced costs for BC Ferries,” states a release.

Salish Orca is to join the BC Ferries fleet in late 2016, replacing the 50-year-old Queen of Burnaby on the operator’s Comox-Powell River route, northwest of Vancouver.

Remontowa is also building the Salish Eagle and Salish Raven, which are to commence service in 2017 on Southern Gulf routes.

“This marks a major milestone in building our new ships, as we honour maritime tradition with the official naming ceremony for the Salish Orca,” BC Ferries president and CEO Mike Corrigan said in the naming announcement.

“As we progress with our vessel replacement program, we will continue to look for opportunities to build LNG-powered ferries,” Corrigan said, “while maintaining our high standard of safety and reliability as well as reducing our environmental footprint.”

The new Salish-class ships will replace vessels that are at the end of their life cycle. BC Ferries estimates that the use of LNG will result in the reduction of an estimated 9,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, “the same as taking 1,900 passenger vehicles off the road annually because LNG is cleaner burning than marine diesel.”

BC Ferries is also planning to convert two 550-foot ferries to LNG-diesel dual fuel operation.

Remontowa, Italy’s Fincantieri, and Seaspan in Vancouver are vying for that work.

BC Provincial Tech Investment Applauded By BC Chamber The BC Chamber of Commerce welcomed the December 8 provincial announcement of a $100-million venture capital fund to be set up to assist BC’s technology sector.

The fund has been established to build on the continued momentum found in the BC Jobs Plan for one of the fastest growing industries in the province.

“The announcement further strengthens our province by continuing to diversify BC’s economy.

The multi-billion dollar tech sector is a huge economic driver in BC and a major employer in many regions across the province,” said Jon

3 Garson, President and CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerce.

“Building upon this success, the provincial government is laying the groundwork to foster future growth in this sector.”

This $100-million venture capital fund provides entrepreneurs and start-up tech companies needed access to capital funding, enabling them to become future job-creators and thus strengthening communities in our province.

“The tech sector is growing rapidly in British Columbia, in many cases faster than the overall provincial economy, and facilitating a channel for more opportunities in this sector is the right move at the right time,” added Garson.

The new BC Tech Fund is the first pillar, along with enhancing the talent pool and increasing access to markets, which will all be unveiled in the complete BC tech strategy which is to be announced in January. Building on support for start-up tech companies, such as the digital animation and visual effects tax credit, this fund is great news for a sector of the economy that can help push for greater productivity and innovation.

The BC Chamber is the largest and most broadly-based business organization in the province. Representing more than 125 Chambers of Commerce and 36,000 businesses of every size, sector and region of the province, the BC Chamber of Commerce is “The Voice of Business in BC.”

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SOOKE/ESQUIMALT

JANUARY 2016

CHAMBER ENCOURAGING DEVELOPMENT

ESQUIMALT RJ SENKO

A

s we welcome the New Ye a r, y o u r C h a m b e r Board of Directors are busy setting the stage for a constructive 2016. First among our priorities is economic development within the Township.

Of course any economic growth within our community is g u ided by the Officia l Community Plan (OCP), which Council has announced is undergoing a two-year comprehensive review. T he OCP g u id e s Cou nci l on how ou r community will develop in the future and as such it’s vitally important that Esquimalt business has a say in the process.

To ensure our members have a strong voice in examining the OCP your Board has asked local businessman, Mark Eraut of the Merdyn Group and Bingo Esquimalt, to represent your interests as the Township reviews the OCP.

Congratulations to Chamber member, Juan Navarro of Arriba Mexico Food Company, which was recently selected as one of the top 10 best International Trade Companies for the 2016 Small Business BC Awards

You r Boa rd is a lso keepi ng a watch f u l eye on Cou nci l’s pl a n s for redevelopment of E sq u i m a lt R oa d , i nc lu d i n g the long promised Esquimalt Village P roject (E V P). O n D e c e m b e r 10 t h t h e To w nship’s Request for Proposals closed for those interested in developi ng t he E V P. Cou ncil reviewed the outcome at a closed-door meeting on December 14th a f ter wh ich we appeared before Council to request it release the results of the RFP at its earliest opportunity. As most will know the EV P has been a “priority” of Cou nci l’s si nce Mayor Desja rd i n s wa s f i rst elected i n 2008. Since that time we’ve seen numerous news releases a nd much debate but no development. This prime piece of proper ty, located nex t to the Township Hall on Esquimalt Road, has the potential to kick-start redevelopment in our town center so its importance to the economic growth of our community cannot be over-stated.

Speaking of the redevelopment of Esquimalt Road, last Aug ust Cou ncil adopted the R ev ita l i z at ion Ta x E xempt io n B yl a w, w h i c h w a s d esigned to encourage property

ow ners a long the Esqu i ma lt Road corridor to upgrade their buildings in exchange for a tax exemption of up to 10 yea rs on the resu lti ng i ncrease i n a s s e s s e d v a lu e. To d ate n o property ow ners have ta ken adva ntage of t he i ncent ive.

If you would like information on the prog ra m, we encou rage you to contact the Township’s Development Services Department.

Finally, congratulations to Cha mber member, Juan Navarro of Arriba Mexico Food Company, which was recently selected as one of the top 10 best I nternationa l T rade Companies for the 2016 Small B u s i n e s s B C Aw a r d s . A s a sem i-f i n a l ist A r r iba is now competing to make the top 5 f i na l ists, wh ich w i l l be a nnounced January 29. Good luck to Juan and company.

Fo r m o r e i n fo r m a t i o n o n business opportunities in Esquimalt visit our website esquimaltchamber.ca or you can give us a call at 250-590-2125.

RJ Senko is a Vice-President at the Esquimalt Chamber and President of RJStrategies.

He can be reached at 250-888-3534.

IT IS SOOKE’S TIME TO THRIVE Our resident relocation programme and newcomers’ club has

SOOKE KERRY CAVERS

A

s ou r Ch a m b er’s AG M ( D e c e m b e r 16th at 6 pm) and the end of my term as the Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce President approach, I’ve found myself not only reflecting on our accompl ish ments over the past year and but also looking ahead to what remains to be done by our next President and Board of Directors. Certainly, the current Board has been among the most committed and insightful our Chamber has ever had in its 68year history. This group of dedicated volunteers from Sooke’s business community has donated over 150 hours per month towards a long list of initiatives we

continued to grow and now has 70 members meeting monthly

identified earlier this year.

We have enjoyed some key successes in 2015 and have seen our hard work pay off in several important areas. Our efforts in workforce development over the past year, along with the other members of the Sooke Region Learning Collaborative, have resulted in new continuing education programmes being offered in Sooke on a variety of topics including business management and labour and employment law. We are proud that fifty leaders in our community

ca me toget her at ou r Economic Development Symposium in late September and identified key projects that Sooke needs to move forward and we are inspired to work hard to see these projects come to fruition. Our resident reloc at ion prog ra m me and newcomers’ club has continued to grow and now has 70 members meeting monthly. We also hosted several very successful community events this past year. Our Business Excellence Awards Gala was an incredible success and 10 outstanding businesses in our community were recognized. Our annual golf tournament and Santa Claus parade continue to attract large numbers of people and we have big plans for new events next year.

Of course, much remains to be accomplished in 2016.

Without a doubt, economic development will remain a top priority for us.

Kerry Cavers is the new president of the Sooke Chamber of Commerce.

OFF THE COVER

JANUARY 2016

NEXT STEPS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

current generation allowing an environment to develop that’s not conducive to accountability for their children or relatives, a lack of maturity or capacity from the younger generation, or even a lack of motivation from existing leadership to prepare to step aside.

“The wisest families have a few things in common that help them manage this process,” he says. “First, they require that the family member work outside of the family business for at least 5 yea rs, a nd requ i re them to earn one or two promotions within the other organization. This tactic creates a filter ensuring that they take the position seriously and have the ability to contribute in a meaningful way.”

“Second, when t he fa m i ly member does start working, it’s i mpor ta nt that they report to non-family managers

“Studies have shown that there are a few strategies that prevent internal conflicts and ensure that everyone is on the same page.”

DAVID BENTALL NEXT STEP ADVISORS, FOUNDER

and be regularly evaluated. By not doing so you can actually rob someone of valuable feedback that leads to growth and improved performance. That concept can also be extended throughout the company with ‘360 performa nce rev iews’, which creates a safe place for all staff to give honest, objective feedback.”

Another challenge can be the older generation’s unwillingness, or perceived inability to move out of the way and allow the next one to take over.

“W hen someone starts a company it’s their baby,” says Benta l l. “It’s rea l ly i mportant to have empathy for that, this empathy is a gift that the younger generation can give to their elders.

“One that has been establ ished, the older generation needs to be proactive about distancing themselves from day-to day operations, and one of the first things they can do is develop strong leadership teams

that have input on the direction and strategy of the company.

“Adding an external board of directors comprised of a majority of independent directors is another effective tactic. Outside objective input is critical in an organization’s development. Following that the current owners need to determine how much capital they want to draw from the business so that they’re not dependent on a salary within the company. Once those things have been determined, they can start developing a plan to transition away from day-to-day operations, and move the next generation i nto more sen ior leadersh ip roles.”

Bentall also spoke on issue prevention, and the importance of taking a forward thinking approach to the future of the family business.

“St ud ies h ave show n t h at there are a few strategies that prevent internal conflicts and ensure that everyone is on the

5 same page,” he says. “Regular family meetings are vital, there needs to be a place where each person can feel comfortable to express their concerns without fear of retribution.

“In addition, there needs to be a formalized strategic planning process that ensures that everyone is on the same page, and knows where the company i s he ad e d . O ne of t he mos t destructive habits in fam ily businesses is the failure to communicate and seek out objective feedback. If you can make sure that it’s not an issue, and give your family and non-family employees opportunities to have their say, you’re going to save a lot of heartache and stress.” www.nxtstp.net

New South Island Regional Economic Development Organization Receives Majority Support From Local Governments

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t a Council meeting in Sooke last evening, t he D i st r ict of So oke b e c a m e t h e s e ve nt h m u n icipality to support the South Va ncouver Isla nd Econom ic Development Association (S V I E DA), a f ive ye a r pi lot for a new economic development model for the south island region. Sooke joined the mu n icipa l ities of La ng ford, Colwo o d, View Roya l, Victor i a , O a k B ay, a n d S id n e y in their support for a collaborative and tactical regional economic development mode l t h at w i l l s e e m u n ic ip a lities, private sector and First Nation communities working together for the greater prosperity of the loca l economy.

A m a j o r i t y o f t h e m u n icipa l ities have ag reed to collaborate. Councils of Saanich, Esquimalt and Central Saanich voted on joining the col laboration December 7th and North Saan ich on December 14th. A date is p e n d i n g for t h e D i s t r ic t of the High la nds.

“T he recent a n nou ncement speaks to a new energy s pre a d i n g a c ro s s S o ut h e r n Va ncouver I sl a nd t h at va lu e s a c t ive c ol l a b orat ion a s a mea ns of solv i ng cha l lenges and enabling success for t he b enef it of a l l cit i zen s,” said Dan Dagg, Interim Cha i r, Sout h Va ncouver Island Economic Development Association. “As a long-time resident, business owner and pa rent, t h i s oppor tu n ity to work collaboratively pulling

in one direction across political boundaries is exciting. It is also critical for our families now, a nd for ou r ch i ld ren’s future. ” Joh n Wi lson , CE O of Wi lson’s T ransportation i s one of mu lt iple pr ivate sector funding partners of SVIEDA. “Councils that have signed on have recognized the merit in a col laborat ive a nd tact ica l ap pro a c h to s t re n g t h e n i n g and diversifying our regiona l e c o n o m y,” s a i d W i l s o n . “ We a r e s t r o n g e r w o r k i n g together bu i ld i ng on sha red v a l u e s t o a d v a n c e r e g i o na l s t ra te g i e s to b e n e f it local economies. Value-added agriculture, ocean and mari ne tech nolog ies, adva nced m a nu factu r i ng for ex a mple – t hese sectors spea k to a l l o f u s . T h e re i s m o m e n t u m bu i ld i ng for a sha red v ision of d iversi f ied a nd v ibra nt reg ion a l e conom ies for ou r children and grandchildren.

We welcome t he leadersh ip suppor t of t hese rem a i n i ng communities.”

SVIEDA will build upon the good work undertaken by the G re a t e r V i c to r i a D e v e l o pment Agency and harness the strengths of the entire region.

SV I EDA prom ises to be coll ab orat ive, re s u lt s-d r iven , accou ntable a nd equ itable.

T he mu n icipa l f u nd i ng formu l a i s ba se d on a 50/50 for mu l a of $1.00 p er c apita plus a percentage of total tax collected. Private sector and non-government funders will contribute $20,000 per year.

T he i n it i a l F u nd i n g Pa r tner’s Council meeting was set for December 11th. The South

Va ncouver I sl a nd E conomic Development Association should be fully functioning,

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JANUARY 2016

GST AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING When the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was introduced in 1991, the federal government recognized that it could

GREATER VICTORIA

undermine housing affordability

BRUCE CARTER

H

ousing affordability is top of mind within our community. We need affordable housing to build healthy communities and to attract and retain the workforce we need today – and tomorrow.

With an anticipated boom in residential housing, the question could be, will this new construction help?

When the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was introduced in 1991, the federal government recognized that it could undermine housing affordability. The GST New Housing Rebate was designed to address this problem.

At that time, the government estimated that over 90 percent of new houses in Canada were priced at less than $350,000. This

was the basis for establishing the threshold for the full rebate at $350,000 or less, with a partial rebate available for homes selling for up to $450,000. Homes priced above this level were not eligible for any GST rebate.

In the November Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Market Absorption Survey, the average price of a newly-constructed single detached unit in Greater Victoria was $766,576, of which the GST bi l l wou ld have been nea rly $40,000. With only 15 percent of new units selling for less than $400,000, a minority of buyers would have received the full or partial GST rebate, versus the majority as was originally intended.

The GST is increasingly posing a barrier to affordable housing in Greater Victoria. As house prices continue to rise, new home buyers will pay increasingly more GST and housing affordability will deteriorate further.

The impact doesn’t end with new home buyers. Since new and resale homes are competitive products, the high prices of new housing are reflected in higher prices in the resale market as well.

Nor does the impact of GST on residential construction end with home ownership. Since it was introduced in 1991, the GST has discriminated against rental housing by providing a rebate for ownership housing but none for rental units. In addition, because residential rents are classified as

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JANUARY CHAMBER EVENTS • Tuesday, January 26 Mercha nt Serv ices Demystified - Noon to 1 pm Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce (100 – 852 Fort St.)

• Thursday, January 14 Prodigy Group Mingle - 5 pm to 7 pm Keg Steakhouse & Bar (500 Fort St.) • Wednesday, January 20 Business Expansion Series: Selling to Asia - 9 am to 4 pm VIATEC Victoria Advanced Technology Council (777 Fort St.)

• Friday, January 29, 2016 Export Bootcamp: Develop Your New Market Entry Plan Friday 9 am to Saturday noon English Inn (429 Lampson St.)

• Thursday, January 21 Business Mixer - 5 pm to 7 pm Cent re for At h let ics, Recreation a nd Specia l Abi l ities (Un iversity of Victoria) exempt rather than zero-rated under the GST, landlords are unable to recover the tax paid on the purchase, repair or improvement of residential buildings.

The taxes on residential construction has resulted in a lockin effect and an overall decrease in affordable housing. Affordable housing is important to business operations – providing

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• Wednesday, February 17 Chamber Week Member Breakfast - 7:30 am to 9 am The Bay Centre (1150 Douglas St.) housing for all levels of the employment spectrum, supporting the attraction and retention of a skilled workforce.

Bruce Carter is CEO of Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce and can reached at 250-383-7191 or bcarter@victoriachamber.ca www.victoriachamber.ca

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JANUARY 2016

ARCHITECTS Architecture: The Meeting Of Art With Engineering British Columbia is home to more than 1,900 architects, working out of firms located literally all across the province

BY DAVID HOLMES

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R I T I S H COLU M BI A – Architecture is a profession that combines the best parts of art with science and engineering to produce a structure that ideally will serve its users for years or even centuries in some cases. The towering cathedrals of Europe or the temples of Japan stand as eternal testaments to the skills and vision of those who designed and constructed them. British Columbia is home to some of the nations’ most innovative and visionary architectural firms, from single person entities serving an individual community, to metropolitan practices with dozens of architects working on projects located across the globe.

“It’s not art like a sculpture it’s something people will be able to use for years or even generations.

This is one of the only art forms that are pre-commissioned, most of the others, like a painting, have to be made first and then you have to find someone who will like it. In this case you have already been given a commission to start a project like this and then you create it,” explained Tina Mathur, an architect working out of the Iredale Group Architects in Victoria.

Architects in BC work under the auspices of the Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC), an independent body that was created in 1920 to regulate and administer the profession in much the same way the College of Physicians and Surgeons oversees the medical profession.

The AIBC is charged with ensuring excellence in the profession by establishing educational and examination standards, through the granting of accreditation and certification to practitioners and by offering internship programs among other responsibilities.

A province as rich in geography, as expansive in space and as diverse in the tastes and desires of its citizens as British Columbia is equally served by the variety and scope of its architectural

Chernoff Thompson Architects North of Prince George designed the new administration building at the Mount Milligan Mine

Designed by D’Ambrosio Architecture + Urbanism the Garbally Centre is a 62,000 square foot office building practices. To offer some insights into the range of firms operating across the province here are a few brief profiles of some of BC’s leading architectural firms.

Located in Prince George, the f i r m of Chernoff T hompson Architects North is believed to be the largest full service firm in Northern BC. Founded in 1998, the practice has a staff of about eight and includes four AIBC certified architects and/ or architectural technologists on its team. The practice has worked on a full range of commercial and multiple residential projects, as well as developments as diverse as hotels, houses of worship, recreational facilities and retail outlets. Among its highest

profile projects were the $7 million Mount Milligan Mine administrative building and the $30 million Northern Sports Centre in Prince George. To learn more visit the firm’s website at: bct@ telus.net.

In Nanaimo on Vancouver Island Raymond de Beeld Architect Inc. is one of the Harbour City’s premier architectural firms. Founded by Raymond John De Beeld in 1996, the firm has a staff of four, including one AIBC architect and one intern architect. This award winning practice specializes in both commercial and residential designs as well as retail outlets, renovation work and recreational developments. Among its top major

projects was the design for the $8 million Uchucklesaht Cultural Centre in Port Alberni and the $7.5 million Squamish Community Gaming centre. To learn more visit the firm’s website at: www. rdbarchitect.ca.

In the fast growing city of Kelowna the firm of Philip MacDonald Architect Inc. has been serving the Okanagan and beyond since 1994. T his practice has worked on both public and private projects, primarily to clients in the BC Interior.

Specialties of the firm include public housing developments, hospitality facilities and planning services for public agencies.

A winner of multiple awards, including the prestigious Gold Tommie in 2011, a sampling of the practice’s projects includes a $25 million Seniors Retirement Housing project in Kamloops and a $9 million Residential Care Facility in Kelowna. The company’s website can be accessed at: www. pma-architect.ca Located in downtown Victoria de Hoog & Kierulf Architects is a full service practice experienced with both public and private sector projects. The practice was launched in 2001. With a staff of 17 and with two AIBC registered architects in-house the firm specializes in a wide range of areas from heritage restoration projects to institutional work, to hotels and health care facilities. Just a few of its better known projects include the The Pier, a $25 million hotel complex in Sidney and the design for the $12 million Mondrian Residences in Victoria. To learn more visit the firm’s website at: www.dhk.ca As is the case with all the architects working in these firms, their accreditation, registration and licensing is administered through the Architectural Institute of BC (AIBC), an entity created by law nearly a century ago.

“The mandate of the AIBC is to regulate the profession of architecture in the public’s interest.

We were established by Statutory SEE ARCHITECTURE | PAGE 8

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Act. We are not a lobby group or a member interest group where we’re there to advance member’s business interests. We establish the criteria, the credentials and the competency levels for those wanting to enter the profession,” explained Joan Hendriks, the Institute’s Registrar and Director of Registration and Licensing.

“Before you ca n become a registered architect there is an internship program, which involves several years of practical experience and examinations to ensure that you are competent to practice architecture. This is to make sure the public’s interest is not harmed by incompetent practitioners,” she explained.

The AIBC reports that there are more than 1,900 registered architects in the province, working in firms of varying sizes and serving multiple market niches.

BC architectural firms are based in communities around the province, including these examples.

In Prince Rupert the firm of Alora Griffin Architect specializes in sustainable and green designs, residential projects (both single and multi family), retail and commercial structures, just to name a few. Founded in 2001 this practice is a sole proprietorship that is committed to the development of affordable sustainable architecture while

Nanaimo’s Raymond de Beeld Architect Inc. has been involved in designing commercial buildings like this TD Bank branch since 1996 endeavor i ng to i ncor porate energy-efficient and environmentally friendly materials into every design conceived. A few of the practice’s better known projects include the $2.5 million Kondolas Furniture Store project in Terrace and a $1.2 million addition to the Prince Rupert RCMP detachment. To learn more contact the firm at: architect@citywest.ca Back in the provincial capital the firm of D’Ambrosio Architecture + Urbanism was incorporated in 2010 but began work more than a decade earlier. The firm focuses its efforts on the Greater Victoria, southern Vancouver Island area. The company has a staff of 11 including four AIBC

The Northern Sports Centre at the University of Northern BC in Prince George was designed by Chernoff Thompson Architects North

registered architects and intern architects. The practice specializes in office design, recreational projects, transportation facilities and retail centres among many others. The recipient of a long list of awards and honors some of its lengthy catalog of completed projects include the $50 million The Atrium, an office and commercial complex as well as the $12 million Garbally Road office building. To learn more visit the company website at: www.fdarc.ca The Kamloops based firm of Owen & Hunter Architects has operated since 2005 and has provided a wide range of design SEE ARCHITECTURE | PAGE 9

A $25 million hotel complex in Sidney The Pier was designed by the Victoria based firm of de Hoog & Kierulf Architects

CONSTRUCTION INNOVATION: A CALL TO ACTION

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t the Construction Council of Va ncouver I sland (CCVI) meeting in April 2015, the concept of innovation in publicly funded construction and infrastructure was explored and debated.

Now, key i ndu st r y leaders are preparing to present their findings on what innovation means to the construction industry at the CCVI’s upcoming meeting in Nanaimo on Thursday, February 4, 2016.

Last spring, the general consensus among the attending public sector owners, design consultants, contractors, manufacturers and suppliers, was that innovation is not clearly understood, qualified, or evaluated in a competitive environment.

T he A ssociation of Consulting Engineering Companies of BC (ACEC-BC) presented a memorable not ion during the town hall portion of the meeting, suggesting that the public sector buyers of construction services would not realize innovation

in a low bid competitive process. This notion sparked passionate d i s c u s s ion s a ro u n d defining and realizing innovation in the public procurement process while maintaining subjectivity and fairness.

Discussion a nd research regarding innovation w ith i n the construction community is not limited to Vancouver Island. This is a provincial and national focus.

Some of the resulting initiatives will be presented in February at the CCVI’s next meeting.

The BC Construction Association (BCCA) and Homeowner Protection Office (HPO) partnered on the Construction I n novat ion P roject.

This initiative involves acqu i ri ng a better understanding of what innovation means to the construction industry and how the adoption of new tech nolog ies and practices provide value to the industry, their customers, and end users.

Helen G ood la nd of Brantwood Consulting led this project and

it involved months of provincial consultation w ith i ndustry members and stakeholders.

Goodland will present the findings and recommendations from her report, Construction Innovation in BC: A Call to Action, at the upcoming CCVI meeting.

“It is difficult to overstate the importance of construction to BC’s economy,” Goodland said. “As a $15 billion industry, it provides 8 per cent of the province’s wea lt h a nd employs more t h a n 200,000 people, making it BC’s largest employer. Innovation is vital for not only the continued prosperity of BC’s construction companies, but also for the province as a whole.”

T he A ssociation of Consulting Engineer Companies (ACEC-BC) and Consulting Engineers of BC (CEBC) were responsible for other related initiatives. The engineering associations maintain that the success of any project often depends upon obtaining the most-abled, experienced, and reputable

engineering expertise available.

“T he selection of a design consultant can have a profound impact on the entire project,” s a y s K e i t h S a s h a w, ACEC-BC President.

“By using Qualification Based Selection as the best practice, owners can ensure that there is a clear understanding of the scope of the project, helping owners deliver a project effectively.”

Sashaw will be joining Goodland and presenti ng a n overv iew on how to implement Qualification Based Selection.

The next CCVI meeting will be held at the Grand Hotel in Nanaimo on Thursday, February 4, 2016. The program will also include a market update and continue its practice of the town hall where attendees can raise challenges and opportunities that are shared by the Vancouver Island Construction Community.

Visit www.vicabc.ca to learn more about the Construction Council of Vancouver Island.

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3388A Tennyson Avenue Victoria, BC, V8Z 3P6 T: 250.477.4255 E: mail@vda.ca W: vda.ca

D’Ambrosio Architecture + Urbanism were the designers of The Atrium a $50 million office and commercial complex

ARCHITECTURE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

services to the Okanagan reg ion ever si nce. T h is full service company has worked on resident i a l, commercial, institutional and retail projects among ot hers. T he f i r m h a s a staff of 10, including two AIBC registered architects.

Among its best known projects were the $15 million Landmark Centre (Phase 2) residential / commercial project in Kamloops and the $6 million McGill Centre project. To learn more the owner can be contacted by e-mail at: trevor@owenandhunter.com R e t u r n i n g t o Va ncouver Isla nd, the Comox-based firm of Chislett

Architecture and Planning Inc. is a one person office that has operated since 1991. Providing a full range of services, the practice has worked on projects ranging from single family residences, to office, places of worship and commercial centres. A representative sampling of its work includes the $30 million Riverside Square project in Comox and the $4.5 million Eagles Ridge condominium project in Campbell River. To learn more visit the company’s website at: www.chislettark.com A rchitecture is one of the most diverse and multi faceted of professions, combining imagination with art, science, business and marketing - just to

name a few. For Hendricks and the AIBC it’s the professions unique mixture of c re at ive c h a l len ge s that help to make it such a rewarding career choice.

“It is a very interesting, challenging time to be an architect. There are opportunities out there if you’re interested in grabbing the bull by the horns. It really isn’t for the faint of heart but it can be very interesting as the pace of change is only speeding up.”

These brief profiles represent only a handful of the architectural practices operating in the province.

To learn more if considering a career in architecture, or to locate a firm in your area, visit the AIBC website at: www.aibc.ca/

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Women Architects Making Professional Inroads

In British Columbia only 16 per cent of the province’s 1,900 architects are women

BY DAVID HOLMES

“Running into the

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Old Boy’s network is

ICTORIA – The hospital where you were born, the home you live in, the schools you learned in, the office where you work, the stores you shop in and even the funeral parlor where you will make your final appearance on this Earth are all the physical manifestation of the imagination of an architect.

The noted American architect Richard Meier put it this way: “When I am asked what I believe in, I say that I believe in architecture. Architecture is the mother of the arts. I like to believe that architecture connects the present with the past and the tangible with the intangible.”

A seamless melding of science and engineering with art and business savvy, the profession of architecture has shaped our modern world, and has offered us glimpses of the future that awaits us all. British Columbia is home to some of the best in the profession, a creative calling that had long been a male-dominated bastion. But slowly the walls of that carefully designed tower have weakened and increasingly women are playing pivotal roles in this evolving mix of art and science.

“I was very much art-focused when I was younger, I wanted to choose a profession where I would be able to continue to be creative and express myself creatively.

Architecture seemed to fit my nature because it was also about science and I was very interested in that, geometry, physics and things of that sort,” explained Karen Marler a principle of Victoria’s HCMA Architecture + Design.

“I would view it as a good career choice for young women. There is so much diversity in the types of work you can do, as well as the diversity of the types of people you can meet. Every project brings with it a new challenge and I think that’s what interests me. Seeing

something that certainly used to happen, but not as much anymore.”

CHRISTINE LINTOTT ARCHITECT

Christine Lintott: Christine Lintott is rare in the world of architecture as she’s the owner of her own architectural practice how to get the best solution with all of these different issues and challenges you are confronted with.”

In British Columbia architects function under the auspices of the Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC). This organization is an independent body created to regulate and administer the profession in the public interest much the same way the College of Physicians and Surgeons oversees the medical profession. The institute was created by statutory law in 1920 to ensure excellence in the profession through formalizing educational work experience and examination standards and by offering internship programs among other responsibilities.

The AIBC has established stringent entry standards to the profession to become registered as an architect in BC. These standards have been developed to ensure that candidates are competent to practice architecture. Only those individuals that meet these standards for registration are entitled to hold themselves out to be an architect and use the professional title Architect AIBC. Joan Hendriks who is the AIBC’s Registrar and Director of Registration and Licensing reports that there are presently more than 1,900 registered architects in the province but that only a small percentage are female. “Currently women represent about 16 percent of our current total population of architects. The difficulty a lot of professions face because of the aging demographic out there, including ours, is that it will take a long time for the older generation to retire. Architects as a rule don’t quit when the hit 65, Arthur Erickson (a legendary Vancouver architect) worked until he was 80,” she said.

“It will take a while before there is gender equality in architecture, and we continue to look for ways to improve this. What we’re trying to do is target our incoming numbers this year, what

Tina Mathur: Beginning her career in India, Tina Mathur has experienced the Boy’s Club element of the profession first hand

Karen Marler was attracted to the profession of architecture due to its wide reaching creative potentials do the gender numbers look like this year? Overall we’re about one third to two thirds female to male entering the profession at this time.”

As with all aspects of contemporary business and professional life women have gradually made inroads, even to the highest peaks of the profession, but not easily or all at once. “There certainly are far fewer female architects than there are male. In many architecture schools the gender ratio in Year One is easily 50/50. But the actual percentage of women who go ahead and do their internship and ultimately register as a professional architect is somewhere in the order of 15 to 20 percent,” explained Christine Lintott, the owner of Capital Region architectural firm Christine Lintott Architect.

“It’s surprisingly low, the number of women who actually do get registered and even fewer women who are actually principles or run their own practices.”

She said as a woman and the owner of an architectural firm, she remains a fairly rare commodity in her profession. “Running into the Old Boy’s network

is something that certainly used to happen, but not as much anymore. I don’t feel necessarily that I have to prove who I am or have to demonstrate my expertise or my role. I’m not saying it doesn’t occur and that there isn’t a bit of old school adversarial ‘us and them’ that emerges here and there but I really work hard to diffuse that,” she said.

“I don’t see myself as a woman; I don’t see myself as any different as anyone else around the table.

I’m just another in a team of professionals trying to get something done for the client.”

Tina Mathur, who is an architect with Victoria’s Iredale Group Architecture, began her career in India before moving to Canada and re-registering to become a practicing architect in her new home. For her, especially early in her career, the gender bias was a very real part of the job.

“It’s always a challenge in most professions to be a woman. I can look at it from two points of view.

Coming from India it was much more challenging to deal with the construction side as they would be used to dealing only with men,” she said.

Joan Hendriks: Joan Hendriks is the Registrar at the AIBC “Typically most of the women architects (in India) didn’t have to end up dealing with the construction side. Usually the firms wou ld h i re a n engi neer who would handle the construction aspects. But if you had to come across some contractors you would generally be patted on the head and not taken as seriously as your male counterparts. You dealt with it, but it wasn’t what you wanted.”

Becoming established in her new home Mathur found that while less apparent, a definite male focus did exist in her profession. “When I moved to Canada I was glad to see that occurring less and less. It’s still there to some degree, it’s still a Boys Club, a male comfort zone but it’s definitely changing. If you’re a male and suggest going out with the builders and having beers together no one would even notice. But if I suggested that with a contractor they would be surprised or uncomfortable at the very least,” she said.

“You have to deal with it a little differently as a woman because you’re not one of the fellows. You can’t have the same sort of relationship, be as friendly with them as the men can. If you try there is always going to be a little bit of hesitation.”

While instances of gender bias still do occur, for many in the profession the issue of sex has played only the most minor of roles. “I personally didn’t find it hard from a gender point of view.

I registered in 1989 in Scotland, then worked in London for a time and then came here,” explained Margaret Newell, an architect with Joe Newell Architect Inc. “Maybe a couple of times I’ve had a contractor who would ask a question and I’d answer and he’d say something like: “do you want to check that with the guys in the office?” and I would just say no, it’s okay. But really not a lot, perhaps I’ve just been lucky in that regard. The customer will quickly find out if you know what you’re doing or not, regardless of gender.”

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JANUARY 2016

She said she believes the inroads made by women in her profession are both noticeable and welcome. “Times have totally changed, when I used to attend architectural seminars and other meetings I’d be just about the only woman there, but today there are far more women in the profession. It may not be 50/50 yet but there are certainly a lot more than there used to be.

I think that’s a very positive sign for the future of our industry.”

The obvious way to develop a gender balance in the profession is to have more women make architecture a career choice.

Hendriks said that while women are routinely beginning careers as architects, the number actually following through with the process is mystifyingly low. “Overall across North America it seems that in the first year at architecture schools the ratio is 50/50, but by the time they graduate you’ll see more women dropping out of the program than men. By graduation it’s maybe 60/40,” she said.

“Then once graduation is over the next big milestone is being registered as an architect. Starting the internship program, completing the internship program ends up seeing even more women drop out, so the big question is why is that? Why don’t women continue on to registration? It’s a question we really don’t have an answer to.”

In some cases the challenge of having both a career and a family have factored into the low completion statistics for female architects. Marler said that recent changes made by the Architectural Institute may help to diffuse that problem. “The AIBC system is changing for young women to allow them to transition from school to having a family to getting back into the

workforce. Many years ago in order for you to get registered you’d have to have four or five consecutive years of work,” she said.

“So the change allows it to not be consecutive years, there can be a break in the system, as far as my understanding is.

They’re looking to make it more inviting for women, to allow them to go and have a family and then get back into the workforce and get registered.”

Female architects who have succeeded in their profession are increasingly viewing themselves as mentors to the coming generation who are interested in pursuing architecture as a career. “I welcome any females who want to ring me up or inquire as to the nature of the profession. I try to be encouraging but I’m also realistic – becoming an architect is a lot of hard work.

At the end of the day what really matters is the passion you feel for what you do, whether that’s architecture or anything else,” Lintott said.

“I think that absolutely it’s a viable career and I think female voices are distinct and I think how they see the world is a vision that needs to be at the design table. I think women are starting to see that they have a role to play in our industry.”

For Hendrik entering the profession, while not the easiest course of study, offers a world of potential for young women. “In terms of demographics, at looking at the average age of our membership which is over 50, we’re aware of the need to attract new individuals to the profession. What we’re trying to do is broaden our audience, doing more outreach to post secondary institutions and even to high school students trying to increase the intake of women architects, not just for their own good but for the good of the profession.”

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NEW PRINCIPAL AT VICTORIA ARCHITECTURAL FIRM Architect Carolynn Wilson has become a partner in rebadged city architectural practice

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ICTORIA – There have been some major changes at the top at Victoria’s Moore Architecture Inc., following the announcement that Carolynn Wilson has become a principal of this award winning architectural firm. Company founder Tom Moore has announced that the newly rebranded architectural practice is now known as Moore Wilson Architects Inc. “I moved from Winnipeg to Victoria eight years ago and Tom hired me when they were then known as Moore Patterson Architects. I had worked for other firms since then but I came back two years ago with the idea of becoming a partner – a goal now fulfilled,” Wilson explained.

Having worked in the profession of architecture for nearly three decades, Wilson began her career by studying to become an Architectural Technologist at Toronto’s Ryerson University (Bachelor Degree) before earning her Master’s of Architecture Degree at the University of Manitoba. “I’d definitely say that I bring heart to

the position. Also coming as I do from a technical background and as a project manager I can bring experience in oversight across the entire spectrum of projects to provide a broad overview that can help the vision for a project right from the beginning,” she said.

Throughout her career she has demonstrated a genuine passion for sustainable architecture, including working on the world’s most sustainable office building, the Manitoba Hydro Building. This is in addition to leading the sustainability initiatives for the Art Gallery of Victoria renewal project.

“I also think that it doesn’t hurt that I’m a very good listener of the client, being able to understand what it is they actually need. I’m interested in hearing from the client and the end users. When we work on projects people will typically have an idea before we meet.

They may already have an existing building or they’ve worked in that profession for a long time or they have an idea what works or doesn’t work for them. For me, listening to them is a very important part of the process.”

Wilson is an award winning architect in her own right as she was a recipient of the Canadian Architect Student Award of Excellence, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) Gold Medal and the Architecture Institute of America Medal. “The

other key element to having a successful practice is working very closely with consultant’s team so that we can produce an integrated design solution that meets a multi-facetted set of challenges, as well as finding a design solution that is innovative and fully meets the client’s needs. The bottom line is ensuring we have a happy client at the end of the project.”

Moore Wilson Architects is an architectural firm that has worked on a wide range of projects over the years including institutional, commercial, health care, multiunit residential, non-profit housing and market housing. A partial list of the clients the firm has worked with include the Capital Regional District, the Municipality of Oak Bay, Ocean Networks Canada (University of Victoria), Capital Iron, Art Gallery Of Greater Victoria, Prince Rupert Airport Authority and other commercial projects.

In her new capacity Wilson looks forward to the challenges ahead.

“Our firm is built on doing anything and everything so we want to continue being diverse in the types of projects we undertake. We have a very exciting culture in our office and a lot of diversity so we want to keep bringing in a varied group of clients and do what we can to keep them satisfied,” she said.

To learn more visit the firm’s website at: www.moorewilson.ca/

Architecture Planning Interior Design Sustainability Project Management

Moore Wilson Architects Inc. 531 Herald St, Victoria, BC t. 250 384 2131 w. moorewilson.ca Tom Moore Architect AIBC, NCARB, B Arch tmoore@moorewilson.ca Carolynn Wilson Architect AIBC, M Arch, LEED AP cwilson@moorewilson.ca

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JANUARY 2016

M&N MATTRESS SHOP: A PASSION FOR HEALTHY SLEEP “We have lots of referrals Local store continues to wow customers

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and lots of repeat business. That shows that we’re doing something

ARKSVILLE - M&N Mattress Shop Ltd. (est 2000) in Parksville is making headlines again. This year, The Better Business Bureau awarded the store its coveted Torch award for Top Fu rn itu re/ Mattress store on Vancouver Island again; in addition it won in the Category Community Engagement.

Company owner and President Mark Nagra, said, “It’s hard to explain, but this year was even better than last year. Waiting for the winner’s company name to be called, was giving us a few butterflies. What a great feeling it was to be the top and get a BBB Torch Award for recognition of Excellence in Customer Service and more. Words can’t express how proud we are of our staff who are a huge part of the team work that allows this to happen! It definitely makes a successful year that much better to have this award proudly displayed in our store. Thank you to our fabulous customers for supporting us. And, for the second year in a row, the family-owned store is vying for the top Better Business Bureau Torch award.”

Nag ra sa id that the store’s reputation centres on service, a great product and honest advertising. He also credits his wife, Neelam for bringing the store to the next level. Neelam has worked with her husband since day one and has managed the store since 2009.

Nagra noted that the acknowledgement from the BBB is particularly noteworthy because it is customer driven. M&N’s website alone has nearly 300 customer testimonials (just in the last few years), with over 80 per cent signing with their full name and city of residence-credibility.

M&N just celebrated its best year ever and September was an all time record month. Nagra credits his customers with bringing so much success to his store.

right.”

MARK NAGRA PRESIDENT AND OWNER, M&N MATTRESS SHOP LTD.

“We love our customers,” he said. “We have customers who ca me to us 15 yea rs ago a nd they’re buying their second or third bed. We have lots of referrals and lots of repeat business.

That shows that we’re doing something right.” He recalled the best advice he ever received from a former boss.

“Always put yourself in the customer’s shoes; then it’s easy to know what you should do. And that’s what we all do. A customer comes in and has a concern, no problem. We understand. We make it right. We want happy customers.”

Just as i mpor ta nt as g reat customer service, is the product M&N sells. Nagra said that he and his family live a healthy lifestyle and they understand that health is important in the products they sell.

“We don’t sell chemical laden, man-made memory foam products,” he said. “We have the studies in the store that show that they off-gas more than any other material. We promote and sell products that are healthy and that hopefully, will make you healthier as well. Whether poor sleep is due to temperature or pressure points, we have material that will relieve pressure points and help you sleep with a regulated body temperature.

Those are natural materials like wool, organic cotton, natural latex from a rubber tree, Celliant (Thermo-reactive natural minerals) and if it’s going to be foam, we have the cleanest foam in North America.”

The store buys from the Restwell

Mark Nagra says his wife Neelam is largely responsible for earning the store a Torch nomination Mattress Company that produces the Ironman Recovery Mattress, an exceptional product that specifically assists people with issues ranging from arthritis to diabetes and poor sleep, and also helps athletes recover more quickly while increasing stamina.

M&N Mattress Shop and its Surrey partner are the only stores in Canada to carry all eight models of the Ironman, a mattress that contains Celliant and Cellitex (patented), a combination of 13 thermal reactive natural minerals that keep the body cooler in sleep and have a clinically proven beneficial effect on the body, increasing the oxygen in the blood. It has been tested and proven by over 10 North American university medical centres. European, Chinese and Australian governments have given celliant class one medical device approvals.

“So we sell healthy products,” Nag ra sa id. “A nd of cou rse, most of our products are made in BC as well.” He added that the store’s sales staff is also extremely knowledgeable.

“We educate customers on the health benefits of the natural and organic materials in the products we choose to carry,” Nagra said, adding that most people have issues with beds that begin to sag and carry the indent of their bodies. The material the bed is made of makes all the difference.

Given that most beds today can’t

M&N Mattress Shop is located in Parksville

Sukh Khakh is known in the store as the “Doctor of Sleep” be flipped, this “bouncing back” is more important than ever.

M&N also specializes in space-saving cabinet beds – an excellent alternative to murphy beds. The cabinet is free standing, turns into a bed in 30 seconds and comes in multiple colours, mattress options, models, styles and sizes.

Na g ra i s pa ssion ate about match i ng people w ith the right mattress and with helping people improve their health and sleep patterns – the two go hand-in-hand. “ We’re a l l a b o u t s e r v i c e , qua l ity a nd va lue,” he sa id, add i ng t h at it goes w it hout

saying that his store will match any competitor’s price – but its care of the customer is matchless. It also offers free setup, delivery and removal of the old mattress.

“Beating people’s prices is easy,” he said. “We won’t be undersold. But getting the right bed for health issues or preventing health issues – that’s wh at we’re a l l about – t h at and the best customer service possible.”

M&N Mattress Shop is at 1 – 291 East Island Highway in Parksville. www.parksvillemattress.com www.ironmanmattress.ca

Congratulations M&N Mattress Shop for receiving the BBB 2015 Torch Award for Excellence in Customer Service Ironmanmattress.ca OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

parksvillemattress.com Tel 250 248 7133

Toll Free 1-866-550-6275

OFF THE COVER

JANUARY 2016

13

Don’t agree with your property evaluation? You can appeal

P

roperty owners will soon be receiv i ng t hei r a n nu a l proper ty assessment notices in the mail.

T h i s ye a r, t he B C A ssessment Authority is sending approximately two million notices out to property owners across the province.

Tim Down, Director, Property Tax Services with Colliers International h a s over 2 8 ye a rs of va lu at ion a nd property assessment appeal experie n c e i n B .C., a n d i s a n a c c re d ite d member with the Appraisal Instute of Canada, International Association of Assessing Officers, as well as the Canadian Property Taxpayers Association.

He notes that 2016 property assessment values will vary from community to community based on the local market conditions. “It h a s been w idely repor ted t h at residential property values have risen dramatically in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley,� says Down. “The u nprecedented m a rket dem a nd for com mercia l a nd i ndust ria l propert ies w i l l resu lt i n la rge assessment increases as well as there remains too much money chasing too few available properties. “However, resource based communities have not fared as well with the uncertainty of oil and gas expansion, collection and distribution to offshore markets. It is critical that commercial and industrial property owners and tenants take a close look at their 2016 property assessment values to ensure their assessment values are fair and equitable.�

Dow n says t h at i f a n a ssessment is i ncorrect, the proper ty ow ner or tenant will be paying more property tax now and into the future, so they need to ensure they have been assessed fairly and equitably.

“Property taxpayers have the right to either the lower of the actual market value or the equitable assessment value for their property,� Down says. “Assessment values should be no higher than a similar, competing property in the taxation jurisdiction.�

Down points out that, for example, an industrial property in Fort St. John shouldn’t be assessed at a higher rate than a similar neighbouring property. “T here are things that can cause a property assessment value to change besides a rising market: Changes to the neighbourhood, like updated services,� he adds. “Physical changes to the property. Changes in zoning and/ or official community plans. The assessor is responsible to interpret the effect any change has on a property’s market value.�

Down also points out that property ta x payers a l so h ave to b e awa re of “tax shifting� where certain property assessment values are increased above the average increase which will lead to a h igher correspond i ng property tax notice. “Commercial and Industrial property tax rates are significantly higher in smaller communities compared to residential rates as local politicians tend to be more concerned with homeowners who vote,� he says. “Property taxes are the largest operating expenses after mortgage and leasing costs.

A successf u l appea l w i l l reduce the annual property taxes payable which goes straight to the bottom line performance of a property.�

T h e p ro p e r t y a s s e s s m e n t a p p e a l deadline is February 2, 2016 and there are no fees to file an appeal. “Once the appeal deadline has passed, you cannot appeal your property taxes,� Down notes.

Visit one of our two locations today SIDNEY 2493 Beacon Ave

250.655.4085

LANGFORD 2800 Jacklin Rd

250.590.5039

Property taxes too high?

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AWARDS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

CIBC, Invest Comox Valley and Grieg Seafood.

Ca te go r i e s t h i s y e a r i n c l u d e : A g r i c u l t u re , Automotive, Construction/Development, Entrepreneur, Forestry/ Wood Products, Green, H e a l t h , H o s p i t a l i t y/ Tourism, Manufacturer, Ocean Products, Professional (legal, accounting, insurance), Real Estate, Reta i l, Sma l l Busi ness (u nder 50 employees), Technology, Trades and Business of the Year (over 50 employees). “Each year, it seems that the nominations are nearly evenly split between companies south of the Malahat, and those from north of the Malahat, and this year is no different,� says MacDonald. “That’s not surprising, as the population of both areas are very close, but it also shows the

Voted #1 Ethnic Food restaurant in Sidney for 9 years in a row

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Deadline for appeal is Feb 2, 2016 2015 Colliers International Property Tax Services specializes in the :LWK RYHU \HDUV RI SURSHUW\ DVVHVVPHQW DSSHDO H[SHULHQFH 3DFWHVW annual Review and Appeal of property assessments, property &RPPHUFLDO 5HDO (VWDWH $GYLVRUV VSHFLDOL]H LQ WKH DQQXDO 5HYLHZ DQG tax minimization strategies, as well as Property Transfer Tax $SSHDO RI SURSHUW\ DVVHVVPHQWV SURSHUW\ WD[ PLQLPL]DWLRQ VWUDWHJLHV appeals throughout British Columbia.

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Proactive Service, Proven Results Christina Dhesi, BA Tim Down, AACI,& P.Advisory APP. CAE, RI Associate, Valuation Services Director, Community Investment Property Tax Services

strength of the economy on Vancouver Island is spread out.�

MacDona ld ex pects a sel l-out for the a lways popu la r event. T ickets are $125, and are availa b l e t h r o u g h w w w.

businessexaminer.ca/ events/2016-vancouver-island-business-excellence-awards.

For more information on the event, contact MacDonald at 1-866-758-2684 ext. 120.

PacWest Commercial Real Estate Advisors Christina.Dhesi@colliers.com tim.down@colliers.com E-mail: tim@pacwestrealestate.ca 250-414-8371 250-864-9140 Web:Tel: www.pacwestrealestate.ca F: 1-250-864-9140

14

JANUARY 2016

THOMAS PHILIPS WOODWORKING WINS TWO GOLD CARE AWARDS Victoria-Based Company Recognized as Leader in Sustainable Design and Construction

W

hen Thomas Philips Wo o d w o rk i n g w a s a w a rd e d t w o G o l d CARE Awards from the Victoria Residential Builders’ Association, it was time for co-owners Eric Gummer and Derrick Paas to reflect on a near half-decade of hard work and professional success.

Their CARE Awards, recognizing leadership in sustainable West Coast design and construction, will join the other awards these Victoria-based woodworkers have collected since 2011. Their 2015 honours—for both “Best Traditional Kitchen Under 200 Square Feet” and “Best Traditional Kitchen Over 300 Square Feet”—cap off four years of exceptional work.

Thomas Philips Woodworking has made its name as a custom cabinetry and millwork provider for high-end homes. In particular, their work on luxury kitchens and bathrooms has earned them a sterling reputation for style and quality.

The Thomas Philips team, including Eric Gummer on the far right side, and Derrick Paas beside him W hen Gummer and Paas launched their venture, they had “no jobs, no money, and no back up.” The two friends could have experienced a vastly different outcome from their current award-winning status.

They had both enjoyed woodworking in high school and pursued it professionally as young adults. Gummer spent time working on custom yacht interiors, which gave him a taste for highend woodworking. Paas worked

The kitchen for which Thomas Philips Woodworking won the “Best Traditional Kitchen over 300 Sq Feet” CARE Award

on houses, building them from start to finish.

By 2011, they were both ready for a change and the idea for the company was born. They figured if they tried and failed, it was better than living with regret.

Searching for a name, Gummer’s girlfriend suggested they combine their respective middle names.

“Thomas Philips” had a ring to it. It evoked the professionalism and prestige Gummer and Paas wanted their company to embody.

But a name was one thing; they had to build a company culture to go along with it. The odds for making any new venture a success are stacked against most small business owners.

So how did Gummer and Paas succeed in building the discriminating clientele that allowed them to pursue the high-end, eco-conscious work they are known for?

“It’s customer service and attention to detail,” claims Gummer.

“We use higher grade materials.

Customers know they’re getting a second-to-none product with us.

We know what it takes to make the final outcome amazing.”

For example, when a prospective client expressed interest in hiring Thomas Philips for a project utilizing reclaimed timber products, Gummer’s enthusiasm kicked into high gear.

He sourced out different salvage yards milling reclaimed wood and took pictures. He wanted to show her the possibilities. His excitement was infectious and Thomas Philips ultimately got the job.

It looks as if the style of woodworking that Thomas Philips excels in has a bright future.

From interior designers championing the “chabby chic” look, to homeowners who want to create beautiful spaces with smaller

A Thomas Philips kitchen featuring eco-friendly reconstituted walnut cabinets

ecological footprints, Thomas Philips’ services should continue to be in high demand.

Gummer describes the innovative possibilities for customers who want ecologically friendly design solutions: “There’s so much we can do. For example, you can create reconstituted veneers that look just like mahogany or walnut but are actually made by wood mills that add dye to fast-growing, inexpensive wood.”

He also points to their decision to build an island extension out of reclaimed floor joists from the same house. It was only one of the many touches that made the award-winning kitchen uniquely beautiful and environmentally low-impact.

The business that two woodworking friends built at a high risk to themselves is now employing nine people. They have outgrown their original shop and are preparing to move into a new space that is two and a half times larger.

“We will be increasing production,” says Gummer. “But quality will remain our number one goal.”

Quality assurance is something that Gummer and Paas have taken pains to maintain. In order to do that, their business operation has evolved accordingly.

“We started out knowing a lot about woodworking but we were new to running a business,” says Gummer. “We learned that for many customers, it’s overwhelming to have your kitchen redone, to have trades people in your home.”

Gummer and Paas wanted their customer service standards to be exceptional. They created a team of talented woodworkers to focus on building so they could be more available for communicating with customers.

“We like focusing on the relationships,” says Gummer. “We just got a holiday greeting email from a customer we worked with 3 or 4 years ago. That means a lot to us.”

It’s an approach that’s working out well for Thomas Philips Woodworking. Who knows how many more awards their future holds? To learn more, visit: thomasphilipswoodworking.com.

Columbia Paints & Industrial Supplies

Your Island Distributor of AcromaPro Coatings

Congratulations to THOMAS PHILIPS WOODWORKING LTD. on your CARE Awards!

612 Garbally Road, Victoria, BC V8T 2K2

250-475-2295 • www.columbiaindustrialsupplies.com

Proud to be business partners of

Thomas PhiliPs

WoodWorking lTd.

Best Wishes for Continued Success! floform.com | 250.472.1200 731 Summit Avenue,Victoria, BC V8T 5L6

SALES

JANUARY 2016

15

u str con he t n ni u me str wo con d d for n a the n l s u n i r I s gro en ry ve om tego ou break aw nc forC d Va Hais un gro ks rea b s i Ha T

THE POWER OF THE MINDSET

SALES JOHN GLENNON

Y

our mindset has more to do with your success than almost any other single element. There are plenty of salespeople who possess extensive product knowledge, have numerous influential business contacts, are well-spoken, and have appealing personalities, yet their sale performances are average… sometimes, only marginally acceptable.

Then, there are salespeople who have just enough product knowledge to get by, have few business contacts, don’t always articulate their thoughts in the most artful manner, and don’t have particularly sparkling personalities, yet their sales performances rank in the top ten percent.

How can that be?

Success in sales, or almost any endeavor, is not simply

a product of one’s talent, education, personality, or contacts (although, those elements can surely help), but rather the result of one’s attitude—the natural tendency to have a positive outlook and maintain positive expectations.

But, it’s more than just being able to see the glass as half-full rather than half-empty. It’s the ability to see possibilities…coupled with the resolve to take the required actions to turn those possibilities into realities.

Some people will view a challenge, and after analyzing the positive and negative aspects of it, choose to focus on the positive. They see possibilities and envision success. The more they focus on the positive aspects, the stronger their belief grows about their ability to successfully meet the challenge. And, the stronger their belief grows, the more resolute is their judgment to take the actions necessary to achieve their goals. They press on, regardless…and they succeed.

O t h ers w i l l v iew t h e same challenge and focus on the negative aspects—all

i

the reasons (real and imagined) that the challenge can’t be met successfully.

They only see limitations, and envision only failure.

The more they focus on the negative aspects, the stronger their beliefs grow about the improbability of successfully meeting the challenge and the futility of investing any effort in its pursuit. They give up, or at best, make a half-hearted ef for t…a nd t hey don’t succeed.

Your success is nothing more (or less) than what you envision it to be…and your determination to act in a manner consistent with that picture. If success has eluded you thus far, perhaps it’s time to change your picture, and then press on.

Copyright 2015 Sandler Training and Insight Sales Consulting Inc. All rights reserved.

SUBSCR TODAY I&BFOE STA INFORMY FO ED!

John Glennon is the owner of Insight Sales Consulting Inc, an authorized Sandler Training Licensee. He can be reached at jglennon@sandler.com, toll free at 1-866-645-2047 or visit www.glennon.sandler.com

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con st r uct ion shou ld b e reflective of the character of the building it’s affixed to. Sign designers, like the professionals at Talon Signs, will typically take their inspiration from the architecture of the building itself.

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16

WESTSHORE

JANUARY 2016

JANUARY: PUTTING YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD

WEST SHORE JULIE LAWLOR

S

i n c e Ja n u a r y i s a t i m e of new begin n ings, it seems appropriate that I start 2016 by talking about C o a s t C ol l e ct ive G a l l e r y & Arts Centre. After many years at Pendray House on Heatherbell Road overlooking Esquimalt Lagoon, Coast Collective is moving to a new location.

Still in Colwood, the Gallery & A rt Centre opens prem ises at 103-318 Wale Road next

to the Holiday Inn Express & Suites from January 6. Execut ive D i rector & E duc at ion C o-o rd i n a to r Ci n dy Moyer i s e x c i te d a b o u t t h e m o v e .

“Big walls!” is one of the adva nt a ge s of t he new s pa c e, as Pendray’s wood panelling meant it was not possible to a c c o m m o d a te s o m e p i e c e s of work. T h i s lo c at ion w i l l change that, and also makes it possible for people to come to a weekend a r t workshop, stay over n i g ht at t he Hol iday Inn, and dine at the Orca Grillhouse next door. Newly opened i n October 2015, the Orca Grillhouse prides itself on “great food, great people a n d a g re a t e x p e r i e n c e fo r customers of all ages.”

••• Just around the corner from this Westridge Landing complex is Saunders Subaru.

The Saunders family and the Saunders business are many things to many people, and I know them as huge supporters of t h e We stShore Ch a m b er of Commerce. It is therefore f it t i n g t h at t h e C h a m b e r’s first mixer of the year will be held at Sau nders Suba r u on January 20 from 5-7 pm. Each of ou r m i xers h as a sl ig ht ly d ifferent f lavou r dependent on our host, and this one is no exception. We’re describing our January event as an “Info-Mixer” as it will include a short presentation on the BC Cancer Fou ndation’s Deeley Research Centre in Victoria.

If you’re not a member of the Cha mber we’re wa iv i ng ou r guest fee for this event, so you are welcome to join us to connect with other local business people, enjoy appetizers and non-alcoholic beverages, and

learn more about how DRC are preparing to launch an innovat ive new t reat ment opt ion for cancer.

••• A s i t ’s a n e w y e a r, i t ’s a great time for me to encourage you to suppor t you r loc a l Ch a mb er of Com merce.

We are non-profit organizations which exist to support a nd con nect busi nesses a nd com mu n ity. T he WestShore Ch a m b er of Com merc e h a s 380 members from all across t he West Shore – Colwood, t he H ig h l a nd s, L a ng ford, M e t c h o s i n a n d V i e w R o ya l. However it do esn’t stop t here, a s we h ave mem b ers across t he Capita l Reg ion a l District who like to connect w ith what is goi ng on i n the West Shore. I f you’d l i ke to learn more about who we are a nd wh at we do, please feel

free to get i n touch w ith me or have a look at our website at westshore.bc.ca Julie Lawlor is the Executive Director at the WestShore Chamber of Commerce. You can reach her at 250-478-1130 or jlawlor@westshore.bc.ca

WINDSOR PLYWOOD MUCH MORE THAN A LOCAL BUILDING SUPPLY COMPANY

L

A NG FOR D – W i n d s or Plywood first opened its doors in the Westshore i n 1988. T he W i nd sor te a m has been helpi ng customers w it h t hei r ow n doors – a nd f loors and other items – ever

since. “ Wi nd sor Ply wood h a s its own in store Door Shop that can handle most scenarios,” notes M ichael Ha nson, who has ow ned a nd ma naged t h e s t o r e s i n c e 19 9 5 . “ We

s p e ci a l i z e i n c u s tom-si z e d doors to fit a l most ever y opening.

“Whether it’s exterior doors or i nter ior, Wi nd sor m a kes it work, and within budget.”

Hanson notes that even

though there are now so many door styles ava i lable tod ay, “the sta nda rd Sha ker doors a re c e r t a i n ly m a k i n g a b i g comeback, and wall mounted ba r n door looks a re t he a nswer to many do-it-yourself problems. T here’s no f ra ming, no painting. . .just attach the rail system and hang the you r do or of choic e. It’s a s easy as 1, 2, 3.”

Windsor employees cut wood to si ze for customers, a nd of fers door shop ser v ices that cover every thing needed to install new doors, i nclud i ng lock sets, h i nges, sh i ms a nd door stops. T hey also offer free estimates and quotes. “ Wi nd sor w i l l a lso i n sta l l doors a nd f loors i n a ti mely fash ion, a nd does home a nd job site visits,” he adds.

T h e s to re a t 8 8 8 Va n I s l e Wa y, j u s t o f f Ja c k l i n R o a d in Langford, is fully stocked with a variety of home improvement products.

We s p e c i a l i z e i n h a r d t o source interior/exterior home finishing products i nclud i ng f loor i ng, doors, mouldings and especially wood products.

Wi ndsor Ply wood now has 6 1 s t o r e s a c r o s s We s t e r n Canada and the northwestern U. S . , a n d h a s e s t a b l i s h e d it s e l f a s m u c h m o re t h a n a lo c a l b u i ld i n g s upply company. A key part of Windsor’s success is its emphasis on providing except ion a l customer service and competitive pricing.

Wi ndsor Ply wood’s goa l is simple - focus on customers’ needs. T hey favou r a smaller for m at t h at c a n re s p ond

quickly to shifting customer demands and market trends. “ We’re m o re t h a n a l o c a l building supply company, and our business model is also very d i fferent,” says Ha nson. “We carry higher quali t y, r e s p o n s i b l y s o u r c e d products and our staff members are friendly knowledgeable cra ft a nd trades people t h at d on’t work on c omm ission or quotas. T hey a re trained to help our customers with every step of their projects — big or small.”

“For over 46 years we have been bri ng i ng u n ique produ c t s t o t h e m a r k e t p l a c e ,” notes Hanson. “Whether that be live-edge mantle and wall brackets, the natural British Colu m bi a fe el , to t h e m o s t complete selection of finishing mouldings, stair components, ha rdwood f loori ng, i n sol id a nd engi neered styles, and of course, laminate floors to meet every budget.”

Hanson is also proud to have brought the Torlys Floori ng b ra n d to Va n c o u ve r I s l a n d as one of their first dealers.

“T hei r bra nd cont i nues to bring new and exciting f loor o p t i o n s i n t o o u r m a r k e tplace,” Hanson says.

V i n y l a n d c o rk f l o o r s a re a mong ma ny new options, a nd H a n son add s t h at “ t he Vi nyl Pl a n k F loor i ng products are really sitting well in our market.”

Windsor Plywood has been – a nd c ont i nu e s to b e – a n avid sponsor of sports teams a nd school prog ra m s i n t he Westshore community.

Windsor Ply wood is at 888 Van Isle Way in Langford. www.windsorplywood.com

VANCOUVER ISLAND

JANUARY 2016

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Award-Winning Hotel One of Canada’s Best The Oak Bay Beach Hotel has been serving guests from around the world for more than 80 years

BY DAVID HOLMES

“If there is an event

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happening in Oak Bay it’s

ICTORIA – It takes more than flame or fiscal uncertainty to extinguish the indomitable spirit of the Oak Bay Beach Hotel. Located at 1175 Beach Drive this classically elegant hotel and residential complex has been serving visitors and locals alike for more than 88 years.

“It’s really interesting actually as the original hotel was built in 1927 but it burned down. The hotel was then rebuilt in 1930. That hotel was completely taken down before construction of the present facility began because it wasn’t able to be seismically renovated,” explained Hotel General Manager Michelle Le Sage.

“What was really great was that it took about six months to take the hotel down because they either recycled or reused about 90 to 95 percent of the hotel. So when you walk through the new Oak Bay Beach Hotel, which is a complete rebuild, there are actual pieces of the original hotel throughout. Our wine cellar for example has the original windows from the Snug Pub; the entrance to that pub is the original one, the brick from all four fireplaces are original from the old hotel. There are touchstones from the old hotel all over the new one.”

The 1930 version of the Hotel was torn down in 2006 with the intention of it being completely re-built by about 2008. However circumstances lead to a six year gap before the hotel was ready to reopen in 2012. During the intervening time the Global economic crunch arrived, the local real estate market took a major hit and as much of the Hotel’s funding model was linked to the real estate side of equation the Hotel went into receivership.

“The hotel itself has always been successful. It’s the real estate, the funding model that led to the difficult times. The future looks really bright. It has been business as usual even through receivership and we are very optimistic about the future,” Le

happening at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel” MICHELLE LE SAGE GM, OAK BAY BEACH HOTEL

Sage said.

The new Oak Bay Beach Hotel while outwardly similar to its earlier incarnations is much different in terms of function and usability.

A full service, classic hotel in the most time honored fashion, with 100 guest rooms and a staff of 142, the 21st Century edition of the Hotel also includes 20 private residences that make up the luxurious complex’s top floor.

“The residents live in condominiums on the top of the hotel.

They are beautiful but it’s not something you see very often.

But think back to the old days in New York City when people lived in the Plaza and other hotels. Even now in Vancouver the Fairmont Pacific Rim has residences so I think it is something that’s definitely built around a lifestyle, it is about hotel living which for some people is just fabulous,” she said.

“Just think about it, you have the luxury of having the heated mineral pools down by the water, you have access to a chef and butlers and housekeeping and valets so it really is all about a certain lifestyle. It adds a real uniqueness to the hotel and I love the fact that we even know their pet’s names, as the little dog comes through the lobby and our valets will wipe its little paws. It just adds a different uniqueness to our property.”

For Le Sage the opportunity to serve as the General Manager of the re-imagined Oak Bay Beach Hotel is the culmination of a career that spans more than 30 years. She began her career in the

The heated mineral pools near the water’s edge are just some of the luxurious extras the hotel is noted for

Michelle Le Sage is the General Manager of the Oak Bay Beach Hotel, joining the operation while it was still under construction

The present Oak Bay Beach Hotel opened for business in 2012, but is actually the third hotel of that name to exist on the current site

hospitality industry in Parksville at what was then the Bayside Inn. “I have been with the Oak Bay Beach Hotel for four years; I was here one year before the opening (in 2012), so I was here during the construction stage. My career in this industry really has been an amazing journey and at this Hotel I have an amazing team. We laugh and say we’ve just gotten out of our terrible twos and are just getting into our threes. We may have our training wheels on but we are picking up speed. The hotel is doing really well and we will continue to grow and learn what this now new hotel is all about.”

Idyllically located minutes

from downtown Victoria, yet seemingly in a world apart with the surf rolling practically at its doorstep and the gleaming snow-clad peak of Mount Baker dominating the view, the Oak Bay Beach Hotel is an economic boon to the local community, a lure to visitors worldwide and a focal point for regional activities.

“We are continuing to follow the traditions that we started with; our dinner theatres and special shows, we really have become Oak Bay’s living room.

If there is an event happening in Oak Bay it’s happening at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel. For the locals we have people who come almost every day to have their

coffee from Kate’s Café and then sit in the lobby to enjoy it. It is almost like if they’re not there I worry where they are,” she said.

“This hotel really is a gem in the community. It is so nice that the community continued to support the Oak Bay Beach Hotel and to make it what it is today. We were recently nominated as the number four luxury hotel in Canada and that is because of the staff, they are just amazing. But it’s also the people in our community, they believe in the hotel and the vision that has been created and they continue to support it.”

To learn more please visit the hotel’s website at: www.oakbaybeachhotel.com/

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JANUARY 2016

New Era Begins For Nanaimo’s St. Jean’s Cannery

Controlling interest in Nanaimo’s St. Jean’s Cannery were sold to a Port Alberni First Nations group

BY DAVID HOLMES

I

t’s business as usual at the Harbour City’s St. Jean’s Cannery and Smokehouse following the announcement that the iconic 54 year old Nanaimo business had been sold to First Nation’s interests from Port Alberni. Gerard St. Jean, the current owner and son of company founder Armand St. Jean announced December 1 that he had sold controlling interests in the company to NCN Cannery LP, a corporate entity owned by a group of five Nuu-Chah-Nulth First Nations.

“St. Jeans was started by Gerard’s father Armand, literally in his back yard and it’s grown into what it is today, 54 years later. Right now Gerard and his family trust own 100 per cent of the company’s shares. For personal reasons, business reasons he’s selling an interest to a group of Native groups from Port Alberni,” explained Steve Hughes, St. Jean’s General Manager.

In the formal announcement of the sale St. Jean said he was excited about the business prospects this new partnership will provide.

“The seafood industry continues to evolve. First Nations have increasing access to local wild-caught resources that will help with our

supply chain, and they have an important story to tell in the market,” he said.

“We have been talking for a long time and, as our business continues to grow and seek new areas to expand, an alliance with NCN Cannery LP increasingly made sense for our company, employees and clients.”

Larry Johnson, President of the Nuu-chah-nulth Seafood Development Corporation, the parent company of NCN Cannery LP said the acquisition is an historic event for Island First Nations. “We’re an ocean people we’ve been on the coast since time immemorial so it made good sense for us to make this acquisition. We had always been working toward developing a vertically integrated seafood business. After five years of retaining our earnings (under the terms of the DFO’s Pacific Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative (PICFI) business initiative) we started looking at investment strategies in the areas of seafood business such as aquaculture and processing. Initially it wasn’t for sale. So we looked at other places and then investigated it further. I guess Gerard thought about it for a while and decided that it lined up nicely with his values it certainly lines up with all of our

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First Nations values.”

Founded literally as a backyard venture in 1961, St. Jean’s has expanded and evolved into one of the west coast’s premier providers of canned and packaged seafood products. Currently the company focuses on several key business areas.

“There are really four parts to our business. There’s the sport fish processing which is what most people know us for. People catch fish here, or anywhere really, and they ship it down here for us to process. We also have a commercial co-packing element so we do smoking, canning and other products such as jams, jellies, sauces for other clients. We also have our retail aspect, our storefronts in the malls and our online sales are growing quickly,” Hughes explained.

“Another element of the business, which had been a separate business that was bought about three years ago, is Rain Coast Trading.

It primarily deals with our canned products. Rain Coast was a co-pack customer of ours and they’re heavily in retail, Thrifty’s, Wal Mart, Loblaws, Whole Foods and places like that. It’s high end. Short runs, hand-packed, personally selected, full traceability – we can tell you where the fisherman caught it and who the fisherman was. It’s all wild

and consistently this brand finishes at the top of the sustainability index for Greenpeace’s tuna rankings. It’s a high end, highly valued brand.”

For Johnson the acquisition was the result of an effort that had been ongoing for more than two years.

“NCN was an entity that we had to put in place to complete the purchase. St. Jean’s was a perfect fit for us, the access to the cannery, value-added, the marketing, the database of international customers and many other factors. Gerard and his family have built that landmark business. Part of our strategy is how do we integrate our licenses and quota and access into the corporation and start featuring our First Nation stories into the marketing,” he said.

“I can imagine some place down the road where we’ll incorporate say shellfish from Kyuquot or Henderson Lake Sockeye or other different resources from each of the First Nations that could also feature their stories to help in the marketing.”

St. Jean will continue to be involved in the day-to-day operations of the company as both a director and as a major shareholder. “Under the new ownership we’re expecting it to be pretty much business as usual. We’re focused on expansion, but other than making sure that

we have continuity for the company and solid financial backing it doesn’t really change anything,” Hughes said.

“We’re not going anywhere, we chart our own destiny. Down the line there might be some opportunities for synergies around raw material and quotas and that sort of thing but we haven’t really gotten into any of that yet. This is merely another step in the continuity plan for the business.”

“We want to integrate our company vision and mindset to build on the successes Gerard has already accomplished. We totally appreciate what he has done with that company. This is now one of the largest canneries remaining in Canada. It’s an absolute win-win for everybody.

We have access to the resource and now have access to the processing capacity,” Johnson said.

“Our team which worked really hard on this for the past two years were exceptional. I’m really proud of all that we had to do to get to this point. There were some hard decisions and some hard negotiating, diligence, perseverance and patience have really paid off. It was a team effort all of the way.”

To learn more please visit the company website at: www.stjeans.com

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WHO IS SUING WHOM

JANUARY 2016

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 0707874 BC Ltd 710 Memorial Lane, Qualicum Beach, BC PLAINTIFF Lambert, Valerie Charlene CLAIM $ 7,275 DEFENDANT 0959361 BC Ltd 301-910 Fitzgerald Ave, Courtenay, BC PLAINTIFF Treviso Holdings Ltd CLAIM $ 1,939,397

Houston, Bella Eva CLAIM $ 25,249 DEFENDANT 397781 BC Ltd 3rd Flr 1665 Ellis St, Kelowna, BC PLAINTIFF Bank of Montreal CLAIM $ 526,047 DEFENDANT Alpine Building Maintenance Inc 500-5811 Cooney Rd, Richmond, BC PLAINTIFF Big Island Building Services Ltd CLAIM $ 161,473 DEFENDANT Cascade Fire Protection (2012) Ltd 3908 West Coast Rd, Sooke, BC PLAINTIFF Smith, Andrew Michael CLAIM $ 25,216

DEFENDANT 0960933 BC Ltd 301-910 Fitzgerald Ave, Courtenay, BC PLAINTIFF Treviso Holdings Ltd CLAIM $ 1,939,397

DEFENDANT Compass Management 1331 Pemberton Ave, North Vancouver, BC PLAINTIFF Van Rooy, Charles CLAIM $ 25,176

DEFENDANT 2 Burley Men Moving Ltd 567 Leaside Ave, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF

DEFENDANT Davey Tree Expert Co of Canada 20th Flr 250 Howe St, Vancouver, BC

PLAINTIFF Plant, Stephanie CLAIM $ 24,466

CLAIM $ 6,444

DEFENDANT Easy Living Holdings Ltd 201 Selby St, Nanaimo, BC Rhino Labour Temp Services Ltd CLAIM $ 17,298

CLAIM $ 762,384

DEFENDANT Nootka Tug Ltd 111 Wallace St, Nanaimo, BC PLAINTIFF Parsey, Shelley Norman CLAIM $ 20,727

DEFENDANT Evans Bay Contracting Ltd 4 Lambert Rd, Surge Narrows, BC PLAINTIFF CR 92 Holdings Ltd CLAIM $ 69,276

DEFENDANT Oasis Landscaping 221 Twillingate Rd, Campbell River, BC PLAINTIFF Chau, Justin Kyle Cheung CLAIM $ 25,173

DEFENDANT FTS Forest Transport Services Ltd 16 201-156 Morison Ave, Parksville, BC PLAINTIFF Smith Transportation Ltd CLAIM $ 11,620

DEFENDANT Romanoff Home & Garden 240 King George Terrace, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Burman, Peter CLAIM $ 58,643

DEFENDANT Islay Investments Ltd 100-4636 Elk Lake Dr, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Cadboro Bay Developments Ltd CLAIM $ 5,768

DEFENDANT Saratoga Oceanfront Ltd 3000-700 9th Ave SW, Calgary, AB PLAINTIFF 0907144 BC Ltd CLAIM $ 151,813

DEFENDANT Mountain West Properties Inc 645 Tyee Rd, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Fabulous Home Staging Inc

DEFENDANT Saratoga Oceanfront Ltd 3000-700 9th Ave SW, Calgary, AB PLAINTIFF Liberty Investments Limited

Custom and commercial tile work

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DEFENDANT Sitka Surfboard Corporation 202-1007 Fort St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Company Capital Inc CLAIM $ 26,239 DEFENDANT Specialized Plumbing & Gas Works Ltd 785 Windsong Pl, Mill Bay, BC PLAINTIFF Stephens, David CLAIM $ 8,304 DEFENDANT Vanisle Windows Ltd 300-848 Courtney St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Soler, Rocio CLAIM $ 25,156 DEFENDANT Westview Marina 111 Wallace St, Nanaimo, BC PLAINTIFF Parsey, Shelley Norman CLAIM $ 20,727

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

JANUARY 2016

Jonathon’s Restaurant in the Royal Scot Hotel & Suites, located at 425 Quebec Street, has reopened after undergoing extensive redecorating.

specialty store sells raw dog food made of muscle meat, bone, organ meat, supplements and vegetables – all from BC. To get in Movers and Shakers, call Thom at 250-661-2297 or email thom@businessexaminer.net Mhairi Nicolson and Dan Bennett have opened Raw Feeding Victoria in the heart of Fernwood Square. The

Angela Cote, a current franchisee of two Victoria M&M Meat Shops, has branched out to starting a new business in Business Growth and Franchise Consulting. The venture has officially launched its new

website at www.angelacote.com.

Style ‘N’ Print, a locally owned garment press and design shop located in Victoria, has added a retail area to its location at 2639 Quadra Street. Owner Randy Stubbs has also added a Direct to Garment printing machine to produce fullcolor one-off shirts for unique gifts or events.

After 30 years in business downtown, the firm of Green Horwood & Co. LLP Chartered Professional Accountants will be moving to the third floor of 710 Redbrick Street. The firm is also welcoming the addition of Larkin & Nast Chartered Professional Accountants as a new member of its firm.

Victoria brand and design consulting company, Design, Strategy, Research Inc., is celebrating its 10th anniversary in business this year.

Margo Freigang has opened Madison & Muse, a home décor shop, in Cadboro Bay Village. Begun as an e-commerce site importing European linens for North American customers, the business has expanded to a storefront.

Angela Anderson has recently taken over the former Nicole & Co Hair Design location at 636 Johnson Street and re-opened as Staerk Hair.

The Best Western PLUS Inner Harbour in Victoria has been recognized with the M.K. Guertin Award at the Best Western Hotels and Resorts’ 2015 Convention, recently held in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The award is the brand’s highest honor, and recognizes hotels that best represent the vision of Best Western’s founder and demonstrate exceptional levels of quality, guest satisfaction and dedication to the brand.

Pretio Interactive, a mobile advertising company, has welcomed Meghan McKenzie as the company’s new VP of Sales. McKenzie has

worked with large multinational brands on advertising campaigns in Europe and North America. She earned her Bachelors of Commerce in Entrepreneurial Management at Royal Roads University.

Tina Kang, owner of Shoppers Drug Mart in Sooke, has retired from her position as of December 6. The store is now under the ownership of Conrad Simson.

HUB International Insurance will have relocated its premises to 11406660 Sooke Road as of January 5.

The Small Business BC Awards has announced its top 10 semifinalists, which will be used to determine the top 5 finalists for each of the categories, which will be announced January 29. For the Premier’s People’s Choice category: Back to Earth Enviro Products Inc. in Coldstream, Game Quest in Prince George, Kobau Plumbing & Gas Fitting Ltd. in Osoyoos, Pye Design in Nanaimo, Shiraz Café and Restaurant in Prince George, TC Creations in Prince George, Vintage & Restoration Love in Dawson Creek.

In the Best Apprentice category: Hey Beautiful Salon in Nanaimo Taylor Pro Training Ltd. in Kelowna and The Foxy Box in Victoria. For the Best Community Impact category: Coco Café in Nanaimo, Cowichan Women Against Violence Society in Duncan, Good Times Games and Electronics in Prince Rupert, GreenStep in Kelowna, Tla’amin Convenience Store in Powell River. For the Best Company category: Abeego Designs in Victoria, Tradeopolis Communications in Kamloops and What The Fungus in Summerland.

For the Best Concept category: Big Heart Publishing Inc. in Wells, Filaprint in Tumbler Ridge, Merge in Tofino, Road Representation in Nanaimo and The Realms of Toys in Williams Lake. For the Best

MOVERS & SHAKERS

JANUARY 2016

Emerging Entrepreneur category: Cryo Care in Kelowna and JOMA Environmental Ltd. in Victoria. For the Best Employer category: Nancy O’s Restaurant in Prince George.

For the Best International Trade category: Arriba Mexico Food Co. in Esquimalt and DEEBEE’s SpecialTea Foods in Victoria. For the Best Online Marketer category: Modern Marketing Advantage in Qualicum Beach. For the Best Workplace category: Contours for Men and Women in Prince George, Hey Beautiful Salon in Nanaimo and Rainbow’s Roost in Kamloops.

Sooke’s RBC Royal Bank has Joanne Walsh as its newest Financial Planner, and Debra Johnston as its newest ‘mobile’ Financial Planner.

Sooke Laundry has welcomed Yvonne Westcott as its new manager.

The Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce has welcomed West Coast Outdoor Adventure Rentals and Secure Knowledge Management Inc. as its newest members. The Chamber has also announced its 2016 Board of Directors, which includes: Kerry Cavers as President, Sean Dyble as Past-President, and directors Terry Cristall, Travis Butler, Karen Mason, Frederique Philip, Bryan Mooney, Dana Lajeunesse, Steve Grundy, Allen Krutz, Pooja Barooah and Scott Votour.

The Better Business Bureau of Vancouver Island has announced its executive for the upcoming 2016 term. Members include: Richard Gordon as chairman, succeeding Gary Eisenstein, Walter Donald as vice-chairman, Vern Fischer as treasurer, Mike Regimbal as secretary, president and CEO Rosalind Scott, and Sharon CartmillLane as legal counsel. Directors include: Chris Gillen, Rick Anthony, Robin Richardson, Kim Garnett, Rose Arsenault, Robyn Walle, Gregg Meiklejohn, Dave Rogers and honorary director Paul Chow.

After 12 years as chief executive officer for the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, Bruce Carter will be departing from his position in June.

Victoria resident Scott Ward has been named to the 2015 class of the Native American 40 Under 40 by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development.

Co-op members in the Comox Valley and Saanich Peninsula have voted

unanimously in favor of the two groups merging in the Spring under the Peninsula Co-op banner.

Joe Newell Architect Inc. is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

The Reading Room Cafe and Bookstore in Sooke is under new ownership.

Shaw Communications will be purchasing Wind Mobile, Canada’s fourth-largest mobile operator for $1.6 billion. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2016.

Harbour Air Seaplanes, the world’s largest seaplane airline, has been voted the provider of the top tourism experience in Canada by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada.

WestJet Encore has launched a new direct daily service between Nanaimo and Edmonton.

The non-profit Land Conservancy of BC, based in Victoria, has welcomed Cathy Armstrong as its new executive director.

Mariner’s Village in Sooke has gone into receivership, with debts estimated at more than $23 million.

Greater Victoria home prices are expected to increase by nearly three per cent next year, jumping to $590,525 for the average home, from $575,000 last year.

Victoria city council has agreed to provide up to $297,000 in funding toward another affordable housing project in Saanich.

Victoria city council is open to the idea of having a casino in the city, as the BC Lottery Corporation surveyed municipalities near the core area last month to find out if they wanted to be considered for a development.

Maurizio Conforti of Conforti Homes will be succeeding Tim Schauerte of James’ Joinery as president of the Victoria Residential Builders Association’s Board of Directors for 2015-16. Other members include: Terry Johal as vice-president and builders’ council chair, Todd Halaburda as second vice-president, Jenny Martin as treasurer, Derek Ballman as suppliers and trades council chair, and directors Dusty Delain, Mike Dunsmuir, Maximillian Huxley, Kyle Leggett, Rob Parsons, Matt Peulen, Kyle Ryan, Ellie

Sercombe and Norman Verbrugge.

Jenifer Iredale has received a Distinguished Service Award from the BC Museums Association. Iredale is a retired director of BC’s Heritage Branch, and has served as a curator, writer, manager and director for the Province of British Columbia.

Tourism Victoria has been awarded two Gold Adrian Awards by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International, recognizing its work around marketing the Victoria Conference Optimization Network and for its Beyond Words partnership with Baggins Shoes.

DTZ Victoria is now part of Newmark Knight Frank Devencore – one of the world’s largest commercial real estate firms, and will now do business as Devencore Realty Victoria Ltd. Victoria’s BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association has elected Peter DeBruyn as its chairman for the 2015-16 term. Other members of the board include: Gilbert Noussitou as vice-chair, Liz da Mata as treasurer, Matthew Rissling as secretary, Bob Parrotta as past chair, Janis Goard as event chair, and directors Paul Hadfield, Don Monsour, Martin Cownden, Emory Haines and Kevin Neilson.

North Island College has hired Thevi Pather as its new executive director of international education.

Workers are finishing work on the 73,000-square-foot, $30-million Westhills YM-YWCA building in Langford. The development will contain a Greater Victoria Public Library branch and and offshoot of the Victoria Conservatory of Music.

Adventure Clothing Travel Store celebrated the grand opening of its new storefront, located at 1010 Broad Street.

A $30-million massive restoration project at the Fairmont Empress Hotel is underway.

Pemberton Holmes has welcomed Elaine Wright and Paul Butterworth to its team of real estate professionals.

D.G. Bremmer & Co. has opened a new storefront at 620 Broughton Street.

The cruise ship under the name

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of the Ruby Princess docked in Esquimalt for a 10-day stop while 350 Victoria Shipyards workers fulfilled the $5 million refit contract.

The Downtown Victoria Business Association’s general manager, Ken Kelly, has announced that he will be retiring effective in June.

Shipbuilding and marine services company Seaspan has called on the federal government to launch an ”open, fair and competitive process” to fill Canada’s short-term supply ship needs.

Campus Honda has welcomed the additions of Blake Horman and Joe Halasz to its sales team, located at 506 Finlayson.

Eighteen Greater Victoria students passed the Chartered Professional Accountants’ Common Final Examination, taken in September.

Those passed include: Matthew Barnett, Patrick Bustard, Andrea Cooper, Ashleigh Cyr, Devon De Wynter, Sambo Eam, Hayley Falkins, Megan Galavan, Grant Gullekson, Cody Kielbiski, Lisa Koronko, Teagan Mcinnes, Addison Mollon, Anne Parker, Jason Parmar, Brett Powell, Kira Rochefort and Jing Yang.

Westside Integrated Health Centre, formerly located at 130-180 Wilson Street, has relocated to 1282 Fairfield Road, and now operates under the banner of Moss Rock Medical Centre.

Manpreet Dhillon, a Vancouver human resources professional and executive coach, has been appointed by the provincial government to the Royal Roads University board of governors.

Vancouver Island Brewery earned gold medals for its Hermannator Ice Bock and Hermann’s Dark Lager, as well as a silver medal for its Islander Lager in the Tastings.com World Beer Championships.

The Aboriginal Tourism Association of British Columbia has unveiled a new travel expert program, designed to give tourism operators the tools to offer First Nation context to its visitors. The association also handed out its annual awards, recognizing Tourism Victoria with its industry partner award, and Walters Cove Resort with its outdoor adventures award.

Disaster Aid Canada has recently received a TELUS Community Grant

Pre-Registration Only Lunch Included

for its Soap for Hope program. The program picks up soap and shampoo gently used from hotels, reprocesses it, and provides local shelters with hygiene needs.

After 30 years in Victoria’s downtown, Green Horwood & Co LLP Chartered Professional Accountants is moving to the third floor of 710 Redbrick Street. The company is also welcoming Larkin & Nast Chartered Professional Accountants as members of its firm.

A third-year University of Victoria engineering student has been selected to sit on the Bank of Montreal’s Millennial Advisory Council.

Mortgage Depot is celebrating being in business for 25 years.

The Fairfield Gonzales Community Association has elected a new board of directors. Members include: Don Monsour as president, Doug Tolson as vice-president, Anne Tomyn as secretary, Susan Snell as treasurer and directors David Allison, Maureen Connolly, Ron Cox, Scott Davis, Barbara Edwards, Wayne Hollohan, Kelby MacNayr, Heather Murphy and Christopher Schmidt.

Sidney Save On Foods manager Justin McGregor was this year’s recipient of the Generation Next Award – a national honour that recognizes emerging leaders under age 40 in the grocery industry.

Diane Lloyd has been appointed interim CEO of the Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island.

Cathy Scott has purchased Crystal Cruises, located at 1889 Oak Bay Avenue.

OPINION

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JANUARY 2016 A division of Invest Northwest Publishing Ltd. Head Office 200-3060 Cedar Hill Road, Victoria V8T 3J5 Ph: 1.250.661.2297 Fax: 1.250.642.2870 Toll free: 1.866.758.2684 Website: www.businessexaminer.ca

PUBLISHER/EDITOR | Lise MacDonald, lise@businessexaminer.ca SALES | Thom Klos –thom@businessexaminer.ca, Josh Higgins – josh@businessexaminer.ca,

Joanne Iormetti – joanne@businessexaminer.ca WRITERS | Goody Niosi, Julia MacDonald, Beth Hendry-Yim, John MacDonald, David Holmes WEBSITE | John MacDonald

ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND FOR FIRST NATIONS

MARK MACDONALD

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pportunity is knocking for First Nations in British Columbia.

Perhaps more now than ever before, First Nations have a very real chance to catapult forward economically in the coming years.

There are already well-catalogued successful examples of economically successful First Nations.

On Vancouver Island, there’s the Campbell River Band’s redevelopment of downtown property, which effectively transformed Campbell River as a city, as well as Komoks First Nation’s very successful Pentlatch Seafoods Ltd. and Salish Sea Foods.

On the Lower Mainland, Tsawwassen First Nation is gearing up for the opening of two massive retail shopping alongside Highway

17 near the Tsawwassen ferry terminal. Combined, the new Tsawwassen Mills and Tsawwassen Commons will become the second-largest shopping complex in B.C., next to Metropolis Metrotown in Burnaby.

Leading the way for years now, by continuing to raise the bar, are the Osoyoos and Westbank First Nations in the Okanagan. Osoyoos Chief Clarence Louie has been a key motivator for other First Nations with his speeches and example, as their NK’MIP resort/ vineyard/golf course has taken the South Okanagan by storm.

Westbank First Nation has several successful shopping centre operations that have fuelled much of the growth in West Kelowna, as Chief Robert Louie has led the way with several innovative ideas, including the much-anticipated Lake Okanagan Wellness Centre.

It is the latter that holds perhaps unlimited potential in terms of revenue generation and economic growth, which could become a model for other First Nations.

Remember these three words: private health care.

In Canada? Impossible, due to the constrictions imposed by the Canada Health Act. Any mention of two-tiered health care causes many Canadians to at least

threaten to light their hair on fire, amid calls against “queue jumping” and favouritism. Anything that might allow sick people to obtain care in this country other than standing in line for the next available physician or surgeon other than the status quo is met with the strongest of verbal opposition.

But health care facilities on First Nation territory? This could be an absolute game-changer for not only First Nations, but all Canadians.

Let’s face it: We already have two-tiered health care in this country. One tier is for all Canadians who have “access” to health services as their number comes up. (Surely we don’t believe we have “free” health care by now. . . it has been documented that our current system costs every Canadian an average of $5,000 per year.)

The other tier is for those who can afford to pay for health care in other countries. Countless Canadians hop the border for medical services in the United States, Mexico and beyond. They have the wherewithal to get well now, and they take that advantage to do just that.

Faced with getting in line to wait for knee/hip replacement surgery

and suffering in pain for six, nine, 12 months – or as long as they can physically endure – wealthier Canadians are choosing to spend retirement funds on operations that get them healthy immediately, so they can enjoy life, pain free.

What if those services were available in Canada? With our dollar continuing to slide against U.S. currency, if Canadians could have those same services at home on First Nations territory, they’d also save over 30 per cent just on the exchange rate alone.

If a First Nation was to identify private health care clinics as significant economic opportunities critical to the success of not just the First Nation but surrounding communities, which government official or lobby group would challenge that?

Benefits would abound. For First Nations, these could be job-creating economic engines with enormous possibilities. For others, a chance to get healthier, quicker, spending Canadian, rather than U.S. funds. Not to mention eliminating ever-growing lineups for surgical procedures.

Going through the list of First Nations projects listed above, it is obvious that real estate development is another lucrative market

opportunity that has already been identified.

So, why is development on First Nations land so attractive to builders and developers? Because First Nations, particularly those which have already settled their land claims, have a fresh slate.

They haven’t had years of civic and regional district bureaucrats instilling administrative red tape and impediments to growth. They are starting from ground zero.

Here’s a possible example: Investors wanting to build a development within city limits could face waits of one-to-two years to work their way through a quagmire of regulations, stipulations and duplicated inspections.

Meanwhile, neighbouring First Nations land offers almost immediate start times due to the lack of bureaucracy, plus taxation levels should be more affordable, due to the fact their First Nation doesn’t require mounds of hidden fees to pay for layers of expensive bureaucrats.

Those are just two major benefits to First Nations with settled land claims.

It’s a reason why much of the expected economic growth in this province will come from projects on First Nations land.

The time has come.

ECONOMIC FREEDOM AND CANADA’S PUBLIC POLICY SCHIZOPHRENIA The Trudeau and Notley governments appear dedicated to repeating the mistakes of the BC government in the 1990s and Ontario today FRED MCMAHON THE FRASER INSTITUTE

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n international rankings of economic freedom, Canada has soared past the United States, so it should be no surprise that among sub-national jurisdictions in North America (which encompasses 10 Canadian provinces, 50 U.S. states and 32 Mexican states) three Canadian provinces - Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan ranked at the top using 2013 data, the most recent available.

But Canada is becoming a bit of a policy schizophrenia country.

Three other Canadian provinces were close to the bottom of the Canadian and U.S. rankings: Nova Scotia tied with 10 other

jurisdictions for 42nd, Quebec and Prince Edward Island tied for 57th, ahead of only Delaware among the Canadian provinces and U.S. states. The 32 Mexican states were behind all Canadian provinces and U.S. states. The remaining four provinces, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Ontario were in the middle of the Canada-U.S. pack.

And reversals are coming. Since 2013, Alberta elected a new government and Canada chose a new federal government. And both governments have shown a propensity for policies that reduce economic freedom, putting government in the way of free individual choices by upping taxation (so you have less

of your own money to spend as you choose) and increasing government intrusion into the economy, thus reducing space for free exchange.

The relative ranking of the provinces helps illustrate the power of economic freedom. The average per capita provincial domestic product of the top provinces is $70,294; of the four middle provinces, $52,124; and of the three at the bottom, $41,655.

Economic freedom is simply the ability of individuals and families to make their own economic decisions, unhindered by overly large government or restrictive regulations. Over a century of evidence shows that the drive and ingenuity of individuals beats heroic government in creating prosperity. More than 130 policy and fact-based academic articles have used the North American index in research and found that a number of positive outcomes, including increased growth and entrepreneurship, are powered by economic freedom.

Over the past 20 years, Canada has run a fascinating experiment in the ability of economic freedom to drive growth and the lack of economic freedom to inhibit growth.

During much the 1990s, BC fell back in economic freedom as the size of government and regulation increased. Long one of Canada’s richest provinces, BC fell to have not-status. During the 1990s, BC had by far the slowest growth of any province in Canada at just 7.3 per cent per capita over the decade in inflation-adjusted terms.

At the same time, Ontario increased its economic freedom and had a growth rate of 20.7 per cent, almost three times of that of BC in the 1990s.

Then, everything turned upside down. Ontario’s economic freedom went into reverse in the first decade of this century and, just like BC before it, the province fell to have-not status. This is remarkable denouement for Ontario, the province that had been Canada’s economic engine.

In the decade following 2003, Ontario, like BC before it in the 1990s, had by far the slowest growth rate in Canada, remarkably just 3.3 per cent. Meanwhile, BC was moving in the opposite direction, increasing economic freedom. With increased economic freedom, BC quickly moved out of

have-not status and had a growth rate almost five times that of Ontario, at 15 per cent.

It is amazing how we can be resistant to learning even the most obvious lessons - BC falling into have-not status when economic freedom was reduced and then soaring when it was increased; Ontario experiencing strong growth when economic freedom was relatively high and then falling into have-not status when economic freedom declined.

The recent elections in Alberta and federally in Canada have elected governments that appear dedicated to repeating the mistakes of BC in the 1990s - and Ontario today - by increasing government’s interference in the economy, although growth and prosperity are strongly related to individual economic freedom, not big government.

Fred McMahon is a Fraser Institute resident fellow and holder of the Dr. Michael A. Walker Research Chair in Economic Freedom. See the Fraser Institute’s Economic Freedom of North America report

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LAW

JANUARY 2016

23

SOCIAL MEDIA AND COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT LAW

Pause before you hit send

I am aware of the paramount rule, that you don’t post anything

I

love social media. I will not pretend that I am as heavily involved as many of you, but I can say that I enjoy the exchanges. Every day there is some Facebook posting by a friend that shows up on my smart phone.

This keeps me informed as to what my friends are up to, so I don’t lose touch. I also like interesting articles and videos that my friends post on Facebook or bring to my attention through a “tweet”. In turn, I like to reciprocate. When I encounter something interesting, I make my friends aware of it on social media or sometimes I attach it to a text or email.

I am aware of the paramount rule, that you don’t post anything through social media that might place you in a bad light with your employer, members of your church, and persons you care about. One of my outlets is in preparing articles (occasionally videos) that are posted on the Thompson Cooper website.

However, I avoid the possibility of copyright infringement; as I

through social media that might place you in a bad light with your employer, members of your church, and persons you care about have been consulted numerous times by persons facing “cease and desist” letters with respect to content on their websites.

Copyright includes the copyright owner’s exclusive right to make copies of, or publish, a work or any substantial part thereof, and, subject to some exceptions (discussed below), it is infringement of copyright to do these things without the permission of the copyright owner. For that reason, all articles posted on our firm website are written by either myself or my partner, Michael Cooper. All posted photos are taken by myself or I obtain permission and confirm that permission by email.

Michael Cooper and Doug Thompson of ThompsonCooper LLP Once the articles are completed, I disseminate them via social media.

The platforms I use for business are generally LinkedIn, Google plus, and Twitter. To date I have been reserving Facebook for friends, but I am told that I should establish a business presence on Facebook.

This brings me to the point of the article. The other day a friend emailed a wonderful video with a Xmas theme. I loved it and did not hesitate to forward it to selected friends, although I did not post it on social media. I was subsequently looking for an end of the year message to post on the Thompson Cooper website.

I immediately thought of that wonderful video with the Xmas theme, but then I stopped in my tracks and pulled out my copy of the Copyright Act. Section 29 of the Copyright Act sets out exceptions to infringement.

As I review the “fair dealing” exception found in Section 29, it is for the purpose of “research, private study, education, parody or satire”; clearly not applicable.

As I review the “reproduction for private purposes” exception found in Section 29.22, can I say it is for “private purposes” if it is for my business? I think not! I note that even the section

on “private purposes” does not apply if the copy that has come into my possession is “an infringing copy”.

In many cases, I have no idea whether the copy sent to me by friends is or is not an infringing copy. To make matters worse, it ceases to be for “private purposes” i f I sha re it w ith my friends. What is the take away for the reader? The advice I give to you is the advice I give to myself.

I will continue to circulate interesting articles and videos to my friends and my business contacts.

If I have concerns about possible liability, I will ensures that two conditions are met. The first condition is that I must receive the article or video directly from the source, so I know it is not an infringing copy. The second condition is that I receive the article or video in circumstances under which it is reasonable to assume that I am authorized to pass it along. By way of example, if I send an article that I have written out on social media via LinkedIn, Google plus or in a tweet; it is reasonable to infer that I have given you permission to retweet the article to your contacts. However, when a friend emails you a video from an unknown source, you are taking a risk in forwarding it on.

FROM THE GROUND TO MARKET: SALT SPRING’S TASTY OPPORTUNITY On Salt Spring Island, AgriTourism has a lengthy heritage and recently, has demonstrated exponential growth

SALT SPRING ISLAND JEREMY MILSOM

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ecently cited as one of BC’s visibly trending growth industries, “micro–agriculture” has found itself moving toward wider recognition amongst young and old alike, with a favourable economic upside. The very apparent quest for growing, buying and eating local vegetables, fruits and baked goods, and for enjoying craft beers and local wines, is providing a natural opportunity for economic growth. Considering this region’s favourable climatic and demographic realities, a human need to eat daily and the passionately driven and dedicated stakeholders on the production side, there is a great match for further development!

On Salt Spring Island, Agri-Tourism has a lengthy heritage and recently, has demonstrated exponential

growth! From market farming, specialized crops and products, craft beers, award winning wines and cheeses, tofu, organic fruits and vegetables, vibrant flowers, wild ciders and more, this “pillar” of the local economy is opening eyes and imaginations and clearly driving the island’s “trademark”.

Its visibility is already attracting repeat audiences at the famous Saturday and Tuesday markets, the annual Fall Fair, the Apple and Garlic Festivals, Seedy Saturday, a Lavender event, and year round tourist visitations at many farm stands around the island. Add in the culinary events like the Salt Spring Sip & Savour Heritage Food & Drink Festival and the trend toward a “farm to table” focus at local restaurants, the island becomes “an event” in itself as a foodie destination for the locals and a surprise bonus for tourists!

Salt Spring is also known for vibrant arts and crafts, unique wellness and spiritual activities, for eco-tourism and healthy outdoor recreation and adventure. The evidence from both locals and visitor preferences points

increasingly toward micro-agriculture continuing its influence in building Salt Spring’s destination status and ultimately driving growth for the overall island economy.

Tying together the passion, the challenge and the hoped for financial reward through robust sales, often reveals a need for more business management skills within many small business ventures. Many of the “stakeholders” in agricultural activities candidly claim that there is a need, an opportunity but state that it is a challenge to find the applicable resources.

An objective of the Salt Spring Chamber of Commerce, (which was started 53 years ago by the Agricultural community and has a seat on the Salt Spring Agricultural Alliance) is to support the agricultural industry and the business community at large, by addressing this business knowledge need. The planning process and strategy for communicating with the stakeholders is being developed.

This direction when fulfilled will certainly benefit the sustainability of this economic sector and the resulting economic benefit from Salt Spring Island’s continued leadership status as a source of micro-agricultural delights!

Jeremy Milsom is the Communications Director of the Salt Spring Island Chamber of Commerce.

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