Business Examiner Vancouver Island - March 2018

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MARCH 2018

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Cumberland Crate Company: A Modern Take On A Classic Product

NANAIMO

Company Planning To Open Multiple Retail Outlets

Saywell Contracting has grown by recognizing needs in the marketplace

BY DAVID HOLMES

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INDEX News Update

2

West Coast

6

Cowichan Valley

7

Parksville

8

Nanaimo

13

Comox Valley

35

Campbell River

36

Construction

37

Movers and Shakers

39

Opinion

42

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UMBERLAND – There was a time when things were made to last, when products weren’t plastic and disposable and when hand-made quality wasn’t the exception but the rule. For Archie Pateman and Roderick Lane, the owners and co-founders of the Cumberland Crate Company (CCC), those times are now. “I guess it all came about because I was tired of plastic crates. Tired of having those plastic crates break, leading to waste that just ends up in the garbage can. So Archie and I decided that the answer was to get away from plastic, and to make our own crates, but out of wood,” Lane explained. Situated in a nearly 3,000 square foot production facility located at 2694 Dunsmuir Avenue in

SEE CUMBERLAND CRATE | PAGE 29

Roderick Lane (left) and Archie Pateman (right) are the owners and co-founders of the Cumberland Crate Company. Centre is employee Sheryl-Anne Sisson PHOTO CREDIT: KAREN MCKINNON

Pemberton Holmes Opens New Real Estate Office In Courtenay Family-Owned & Operated Real Estate Business Has Served Island Since 1887 BY DAVID HOLMES

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OURTENAY – The openi ng of t he new Comox Valley branch of Pemberton Holmes Ltd. is just the latest step by this 131-year-old familyowned and operated business (with 15 offices and more than 330 realtors) to become a truly Vancouver Island-wide real estate firm. “This is a brand new branch, the powers to be have purchased the building (a former accountants office) and my business partner and I lease the building from them,” explained

R. Mike Mullin, Personal Real Estate Corporation, CPA CGA, the franchise office’s President and co-owner. Kim Young the owner and Managing Broker of the Pemberton Holmes branches in Parksville and Bowser is the co-owner of the new Comox Valley branch and is currently serving as its Managing Broker. “I’m two or three months away from getting my Broker’s licence, so once I get my licence I will replace her here in that capacity,” Mullin explained. Last year Pemberton Holmes purchased the existing Realty

Executives Mid-Island fra nchise in Nanaimo, rebranding it Pemberton Holmes Nanaimo. While that operation is a corporate-owned office the new branch in Courtenay operates as a franchise location. A Commercial realtor with a focus on rental properties such as multi-family projects including duplexes, four-plexes and apartment buildings, as well as a Commercial and Residential Mortgage Broker, Mullin brings a diverse background and skills set to his ownership stake in the franchise.

“It has always been my long term ambition to become an Island-wide company, from one end to the other and this was part of that,” explained Mike Holmes the owner and manager of Pemberton Holmes. “We just happened to find the right person in Mike Mullin, who had the ambition and the will to do it. He and Kim Young own the office which is much more akin to a franchise. We recognized the potentials of the Comox Valley and are very excited to have a SEE PEMBERTON HOLMES | PAGE 38

NEWS UPDATE

2 VANCOUVER ISLAND Tofino Bus Expands Routes Tofino Bus will be expanding their service once Greyhound

cancels their service between Victoria and Nanaimo. While Tofino Bus already services the route between the two cities, they are planning on expanding their trips once Greyhound implements their cuts. The BC Passenger Transportation Board approved Greyhound’s request to cut service to n i ne routes across BC on

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February 21, which includes thei r route from Victoria to Nanaimo. Meanwhile, Tofino Bus was approved in November 2017 to expand their service already in place between Nanaimo and Victoria to include sm a l ler com mu n it ies a long t he route. T he se c om mu nities include Mill Bay, Cobble Hill, Cowichan Bay, Duncan, Chem a i nus, L adysm it h a nd Departure Bay in Nanaimo. Tof i no B u s a l re ady m a kes three trips a day from Nanaimo to Victoria, with an extra on Fr id ays a nd Su nd ays. O nce Greyhound cuts their service between the cities, Tofino Bus will increase service to four times a day and five times on Fridays and Sundays. Tofi no bus was fou nded i n 2002 as a van service catering to surfers, transporting them and their gear from Nanaimo to Victoria out to Tofino on Vancouver Island’s west coast. The local company now serves 42 communities, has a fleet of 31 buses and motor coaches across numerous terminals and employs 45 people year-round.

PORT ALBERNI Alberni to Host Cruise Ships Again in 2019 Alberni Valley News

T he Por t A lbern i Por t Authority (PAPA) and West Coast Agencies have announced the return of cruise ships to Port Alberni in 2019. Currently, Holland America Line (HAL) is scheduled to return to Port A lberni May 25, June 15 and July 6 of 2019. Por t A lb er n i l a st hosted a cruise ship in May 2013, which was also a HAL vessel. While feedback from passengers, crew and the company itself was extremely positive about their experience with Port Alberni, market conditions did not allow for a return since then. However, PAPA, in partnership with the City of Port Alberni, remained connected to the company and within the industry to keep the community known as welcoming and a great cruise destination. Steve Hnatko, General Manager of Cruise Operations for West Coast Agencies said he sees great growth opportunity for the cruise business in Port A lberni. “Port A lberni’s experience hosting cruise ships a nd cr u ise passengers f rom other destinations, such as Nanaimo, is very well-known and highly regarded in the industry,” he said. “Passengers are once again seeking new destinations that offer a warm welcome and a unique, authentic experience. Port Alberni stands out as this type of destination.” T he city’s econom ic

d e ve lo p m e n t m a n a ge r, Pat Deakin, emphasized that, “as partnering organizations and as a community, we have never given up on the cruise industry, as we steadfastly believe in the potential of the cruise ship industry in the Alberni Valley. We remained confident that we have a unique offer that is attractive to visitors. We continue to rise to the top of different desi rable desti nation lists, such as the recent Best Places for Millennials to Visit. We look forward to working with the many different groups in the community to do what we do best – be the warm, welcoming hosts who create lasting, positive memories!”

CAMPBELL RIVER Campbell River Wins Open for Business Award T he City of Campbell River received the Open for Business award at the recent Small B usiness BC Award s ga l a i n Vancouver. More than 30 BC communities were nominated for the award. Campbell River was a finalist in the large community’s categor y; placi ng f i rst among cities with populations SEE NEWS UPDATE | PAGE 3

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greater than 25,000. “ T he C it y wa s up a g a i n s t strong competition, with the City of Prince George and the City of Penticton a lso bei ng recognized as finalists in the large community’s category for their progressive initiatives,” says Mayor Andy Adams. Each nominee for the award had to present a business case outlining the innovative ways they support small business. Campbell River’s case focused on their Modern Entrepreneur initiative and their municipal broadband network: CRadvantage. The Modern Entrepreneur initiative supports business retention and growth through events such as profession a l development workshops, network i ng oppor tu n ities, a nd roundtables which encourage m e n to r s h i p, l e a r n i n g , a n d collaboration. CR advantage provides the infrastructure required for high tech businesses.

COURTENAY ICET Funds Island Communities The Island Coastal Economic Trust (ICET) is supporting three Island communities with funding to implement economi c d e ve lop m e nt s t rate g i e s. Ucluelet, Gabriola Island, and the Cowichan Lake Region will receive a total of $27,000 in f i n a nci a l s up p or t for t hei r projects. T he funding is granted t h ro u g h t h e “Q u i c k S t a r t” stream of ICET’s Economic Development Readiness Program, which provides up to $15,000 to help communities with limited resources jump start new economic development strategies. The funding will be used to i mplement e a s y-to-re a l i z e projects or to bridge the planning gap for more complex initiatives. As the name implies, the goal of the program stream is to move plans to action as quickly as possible.

$12,000 of funding will support the Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce with the development of the year-long Ucluelet Business and Employment Retention and Expansion (UBRE) P rogram. In Cowichan Lake, ICET’s Quick Start program granted $10,000 to support the development of action-focused plans to grow the region’s tourism sector and amenities. The process w i l l be led by Community Futures Cowichan in pa r t nersh ip w it h Econom ic Development Cow ichan a nd First Nation stakeholders. T h e G a b r i ol a C h a m b e r of Commerce has been awa rde d $5,0 0 0 to d e ve lop t h e i r new Economic Development Strateg y. T he ICET f u nd i ng will enable them to develop the organizational structure and human resources required to implement their economic development strategy.

its January 1 implementation. Other risk factors include rising interest rates and new taxes introduced by the provincial government in the latest BC budget. In February 2018, the benchmark price of a single-family home in the V IR EB area re a c h e d $ 4 8 3, 4 0 0, u p 19 per cent f rom one yea r ago. (Benchmark pricing tracks the value of a typical home in the rep or ted a rea.) T he b enchmark price of an apartment last month rose to $293,900, up 29 per cent board-wide from the previous year, while the benchmark price of a townhouse hit $376,900, a 22 per cent increase from February 2017.

Last month, the benchmark price of a single-family home in the Campbell River area hit $392,700, an increase of 23 per cent over February 2017. In the Comox Valley, the benchmark price was $476,700, up 18 per cent from last year. Du ncan reported a bench ma rk price of $419,000, an increase of 15 per cent compared to Februa ry 2017. Na na i mo’s benchmark price rose 18 per cent to $5 2 4, 4 00 wh i le t he Pa rk sv i l le-Qua l icu m a rea saw its benchmark price increase by 19 per cent to $540,400. The cost of a benchmark home in Port Alberni reached $270,500, up 25 per cent from one year ago.

VANCOUVER ISLAND Stable Seller’s Market Continues Last month, 316 single-family homes sold on t he Mu lt iple Listing Service (MLS) System compared with 288 in January and 2 45 last year. T he number of apa rtments cha ng i ng hands in February rose by 28 per cent while townhouse sales decreased by four per cent. There were 812 single-family home s for sa le i n Febr u a r y compared to 749 in January and 947 one year ago. The supply of apartments and townhouses also rose slightly from 2017, up three per cent and five per cent, respectively. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) notes that the housing market in BC is still thriving due to the province’s strong economy. However, BCR EA forecasts some economic headwinds for 2018. It appears that Guideline B-20 – also known as the mortgage stress test – lay behind December’s uptick in sales as buyers scrambled to purchase before

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3 CAMPBELL RIVER City Pursues Infrastructure Prize Campbell River Mirror T he City of Campbell River has decided to put its na me forwa rd to try a nd w i n pa rt of a $75-m i l l ion pr i z e p o ol from Infrastructure Canada to i mplement “sm a r t g reen initiatives.” T he Smart Cities Challenge is a n Infrastructure Canada i n it iative that cha l lenges SEE NEWS UPDATE | PAGE 4

NEWS UPDATE

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MARCH 2018

NEWS UPDATE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

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communities across the country to “use data and connected technologies to a d d re s s t h e i r m o s t pressi ng problem s by encouraging technology innovation,â€? according to the report presented to cou nci l at its last meeting. “C o m m u n i t i e s of a l l sizes across Canada still face challenges that tradit ion a l solut ion s h ave failed to solve,â€? the contest states. “How can we i mprove how we move a rou nd , e a r n a l iv i n g, create safety and security, protect our environment, lea rn, l ive a nd play?â€? The winning communities will receive either $5 million or $10 million – depending on their size – to implement their ideas. One grand prize of $50 million will also be awarded. The city feels it already has a leg up on much of the competition with the recent implementation of CR Advantage, the cityow ned f ibre optic network, installed last year. However, before they can pitch to In frastructu re Ca n a d a h ow t h e y w i l l

address problems within the com mu n ity shou ld t h e y w i n t h e c o n te s t , they need to know what you think the problems are. T hey have launched a website (connect.campbellriver.ca) asking for i d e a s f ro m t h e p u b l i c on how the city can use technology and data “to build a brighter future for our community.�

NANAIMO Nanaimo Airport Construction The Nanaimo Airport is about to get bigger. Con s t r u c t ion on Nan a i m o A i r p o r t i s e xp e c te d to b e g i n s o o n , which, once completed, will increase the airport’s s i z e b y 1 4,0 0 0 s q u a re feet. The airport is expecting to brea k g rou nd on the expansion either this month or in April. T h e $1 4-m i l l i o n u pg ra d e w i l l s e e t h e e xpansion of the terminal’s departure lounge, security screening areas and baggage. The airport has received $5-m i l l ion i n funding from the federal

and provincial governments and is expected to complete the expansion by 2019. The expansion is the first-phase of a 20year $55-million expansion plan for the airport that will see the termina l ex pa nd f rom 23,680 s q u a r e f e e t t o 70,3 9 5 square feet. O nce Ph a se 1 i s complete, the security area will be able to handle sign i fica ntly more people a nd the seati ng depa rture lounge will increase its capacity from 140 to 320. The first phase will not cause any disruptions to daily operations at the airport and staff will be ready to assist passengers during construction. Once the f i rst phase is complete, t here a re no plans for expansion to the airport for a while. T he Na na i mo A i rport handled 358,000 passengers in 2017 and expects to handle 406,000 passengers th is yea r. Last year the airport saw WestJet add year-round s e r v i c e to Va n c o u ve r, the construction of a new hangar by Alkan Air a n d A i r Ca n ad a Rouge a n n o u n c e d n o n- s t o p seasonal service to Toronto, which is expected to begin in June.

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Record Number Of Nominations for VIREB Commercial Building Awards Team Of Judges Poring Over 54 Buildings From The Malahat To Port Hardy

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ANAIMO – A total of 54 buildings from the Malahat to Port Hardy have been nominated for the 11th Annual Vancouver Island Real Estate Board Commercial Building Awards, set for April 19 at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre in Nanaimo. It’s an all-time record for nominations, and it is now the task of the team of seven independent judges to decide which properties will be the winners from amongst the group of commercial, industrial and revenue-producing projects, including renovations that have been completed between January 1 and December 31, 2017. The nomination deadline is March ͕. There will be at least 11 commercial categories: ■ Mixed-Use (commercial/ residential) ■ Seniors housing ■ Community institutional ■ Community recreational ■ Retail

■ ■ ■ ■

Industrial Multi-family Hospitality Commercial renovation/ restoration ■ Office ■ Green There will also be a Judges’ Choice Award for the best overall entry. Last year’s w i n ner wa s S t . P a u l ’s Centre for Ministry and Communit y Ser v ice in Nanaimo. G old Spon sors of t he Awards are MNP LLP, RE/ M A X C om mer c i a l a nd Coastal Community Credit

Union. Black Press is a Platinum Media Sponsor. Category sponsors are Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), Colliers, NAI Commercial, Herold Engineering and Yellow Sheet Review. Tickets to the event are $125 plus tax, and are available at www.businessvexaminer.ca/events. For information about the event, please contact Sue Lessard of VIREB at 250390-4212 or Mark MacDonald at 250-758-2684 Ext. 120, or via email at mark@ businessexaminer.ca.

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MARCH 2018

GROUND BREAKING BEGINS FOR NEW PORT ALBERNI SUBDIVISION “This development would be the perfect location

Local Realtor Dave Koszegi Developer Of New Uplands II

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ORT ALBERNI – For Dave Koszegi, a realtor at RE/ MAX of Nanaimo and the head of Port Alberni’s leading real estate sales team – The Dave Team – the Alberni Valley is one of Vancouver Island’s truly under-appreciated treasures. But thanks to his marketing efforts and the work he’s put into his latest subdivision development Uplands II, the secret is getting out! “I played a role in the development of the earlier Uplands I subdivision, both as the developer and as a realtor, so I’m very excited to see the ground-breaking on this project take place,” Koszegi explained. A raw land development encompassing approximately 17 acres, Uplands II provides the perfect venue for Port Alberni homeowners to plant roots in this growing community. “While different to many other areas on Vancouver Island, in Port Alberni we sell the land to clients who are the end users, whether they are builders or someone who is simply building their own home,” he explained.

families to retirees.” DAVE KOSZEGI REALTOR / DEVELOPER, RE/MAX OF NANAIMO

“We put in the infrastructure and services for the subdivision and then sell the lots. Many of our out of town customers have come to us because in Nanaimo as well as in Parksville and Qualicum, it’s typically the case where it’s one developer doing the land and another doing all of the building. An approach like that leads to a situation where other builders simply can’t find the lots they need to build on.” The first part of this project, Uplands I, is located conveniently close to the City’s hospital, shopping, as well as to local parks, schools and walking trails. Initially developed about 10 years ago, the development involved 55 lots – properties that sold out almost immediately.

Music Moves

Port Alberni realtor Dave Koszegi oversees the placement of the signs at the new Uplands II subdivision Following on with the success of that earlier phase, Uplands II will feature 63 individual lots and based on the level of interest and excitement the project has generated so far Koszegi is anticipating this development will sell out quickly as well. “We’ve just put the signs up and we’re already 70 per cent sold. We’re going to be retail selling the balance of the lots so we’re expecting the remaining parcels to be picked up quickly,” he said.

Unlike with single developer subdivisions, Uplands II allows the home owner to use their creative licence, but still must adhere to some building restrictions. The plan is a community of detached, single family residences and if the owner meets the City’s requirements, possible legal suites. “Highlighted by a dedicated park and surrounded by nature trails for that secluded feeling, Uplands II remains conveniently located close to both the

downtown and the hospital. This development would be the perfect location for everyone from young families to retirees,” Koszegi said. “The prices of our remaining lots run between $125,000 and $155,000, with all of the properties generously sized. This development is offering a lot of value for people, which is probably why we’ve been receiving a lot of out of town interest.” www.midislandhomes.com

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t feels like spring has been a long time coming on the We s t C o a s t , a n d w e a re ready for it to arrive. T he festival that welcomes both the season and the gray whales back is the Pacific Rim Whale Festival. Now in its 32 nd year, the festival is a two-week celebration with a wide variety of activities for all ages. Running from March 10-25 th , you can take in culinary events, Maritime Kids’ Days, music and art events, as well as a parade to kick it all off and closing ceremonies in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. For a listing of all the activities involved in the whale festival please visit www. pacificrimwhalefestival.com. Many local businesses take time off in the winter, both to

rest after a busy season and to revamp their locations. They are all back up and running this month. The Wickaninnish Inn has reopened its doors after a renovation in January that includes a new wine cellar, an expanded conference and banquet room, and a redone lounge and bar section at The Pointe Restaurant. SoBo Restaurant has reopened after a closure with a new cookbook in the works, and restaurants like Wolf in the Fog and The Ice House Oyster Bar enjoyed a bit of time off but are now back in full swing. Ou r tou rism members enjoy representation from Tourism Tofino on a year-round basis, including news of openings and closures, current vacancies and more on their refurbished website at www.tourismtofino.com. March is a busy month for the Chamber in Tofino, with our AGM taking place March 27 th at the Best Western Tin Wis Resort. We thank our long-time Cha mber president Jennifer Steven of T he W hale Centre and Salt, as well as vice-president Duane Bell of Rhino Coffee House for their many years of service on the board. You will be missed! The full Chamber board

for 2018-2019 will be named at the AGM, which is held in conjunction with Tourism Tofino’s annual meeting. New Chamber/Tourism Tofino member Pacific Coastal Airlines is our AGM sponsor this year. Pacific Coastal is bringing a new daily air service to Tofino starting April 3 rd, 2018. T he team at Pacific Coastal was also in town Thursday, March 1 st for a Meet and Greet event at Basic Goodness Pizzeria. T hanks to Kevin Boothroyd, Director of Business Development and Corporate Communications, for attending and sharing news of the new service, as well as free f light giveaways, pizza and beer with our members. We wish you a warm welcome to Tofino. A salute to our newest Chamber members West Coast Cakes: Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, , Ronnie’s Backyard BBQ , and Tofino Panorama Oceanfront Home. Jen Dart is Executive Director of the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at 250.725.3153. www. tofinochamber.org

COWICHAN VALLEY

MARCH 2018

BLACK TIE AWARDS AROUND THE CORNER

COWICHAN VALLEY SONJA NAGEL

M

arch is all about two key events produced by the Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce: Cowichan’s 2nd annual Dine Cowichan Festival and 2018 Black Tie Business Achievement Awards. Modeled after the successful Dine Around and Stay in Town Victoria and Dine Out Vancouver Festival, Cowichan’s culinary festival featured 25 participating restaurants from across the Cowichan Valley. Dine Cowichan Festival kicked off February 23 and ran until March 11. There was something for everyone in this year’s Festival – from pub food to farm-to-table, casual, ethnic and fine dining. Participating restaurants have already noted a

significant increase in Dine Cowichan menus sold over last year, mainly because the public is more aware how the program works and what a great opportunity it is to try new eateries or return to old favourites. Everyone enjoyed fabulous food at fabulous prices. The Dine Cowichan Festival is the brain-child of the Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce which operates the Cowichan Regional Visitor Centre. The Chamber is also busy preparing for the 21st Black Tie Awards and Auction, April 7, 2018. These business achievement awards honour excellence and volunteerism in the Cowichan Valley Regional District. 2018 marks the greatest number of nominations ever received in Black Tie history – 155 nominations. The most popular categories are: Customer Service accounting for 35 per cent of all nominations received, Business Achievement 1 – 10 Employees make up 18 per cent of nominations, and the Volunteer category with 15 per cent of all nominations received. Now that the nominations are confirmed, the Chamber

starts the process to determine the finalists – three finalists in eight categories. The finalists will then participate in an interview process, with the results announced at the Black Tie Award and Auction on April 7, 2018 at Brentwood College School. Event tickets are now available for purchase on the Chamber’s website. Welcome new members to the Chamber: Stillhead Distillery, Cory Towriss Law, Shawnigan Dental Health Centre, NextGen Hearing Industrial, M2M Consulting Inc, Grace Point Projects, GT Hiring Solutions, Black & White Event Rentals, South Island Fireplace & Spas, Impeccable Jewellery, United Floors, Habitat for Humanity ReStore Duncan, Housecalls Painting and Decorating, Sybille Sanderson Collaborative Consulting, Hart Legal, Thread Setter Designs, Versa Sign, Timberwest and e3 Duncan.

7

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PARKSVILLE

8

MARCH 2018

ANOTHER NDP TAX TO PREVENT BUSINESS FROM PROSPERING

PARKSVILLE KIM BURDEN

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ou have to wonder about an ideology that attempts to prevent businesses from prospering from dollars coming into a community from outside of the community. The announcement of a “speculation tax” in the recent BC Budget is said to target and thus prevent home ownership without occupancy by either an owner or a tenant. This is not a speculation tax. It is a vacant home tax. A vacant home tax aimed at improving the rental pool. A vacant home tax aimed at people who have come here from other places in BC and across Canada as an initial investment in

our communities with an eye to making BC their full time place of residence after retirement or when they are able to find sustainable employment here. The collateral damage of this tax will do exactly the opposite of what the stated intention is. It will not expand the rental pool it will actually deter investment in housing. It will discourage new construction and reduce housing starts which is what we need to increase the availability of rental and attainable housing. Pe ople who a re p u nished because they own a vacation home or have kept and are maintaining an inherited family home will sell those homes and return to their jurisdiction of employment. They will take with them the d ol l a rs t h e y s p e n d o n home maintenance and renovation and the dollars they spend on groceries, clothes, furniture, art and activities for the months they are in residence. The Parksville-Qualicum Beach region will be particularly hard hit by this

regressive tax. We are a well known retirement/ vacation destination. Our businesses thrive in part due to wealthy retirees who spend 6 months here and 6 months elsewhere. When those retirees tire of being punished not just once, like the property transfer tax, but every year they will sell and our businesses will suffer as a result. In terms of addressing affordability of housing, it is unlikely this will change anything on its own as it doesn’t address the supply issue and as stated it will serve to decrease the incentive to build. There is a need to rethink this strategy and look at other ways to improve the availability of rental and attainable housing. Focussing on incentives for developers to invest in our province and increase the housing supply would be a good start. Punishing snowbirds is not going to change the marketplace. Kim Burden is Executive Director of the Parksville Chamber of Commerce

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MARCH 2018

Western Forest Products Acquires Its First American Holding The Hampton Lumber Mills-Washington Plant Was Purchased For $9 Million (USD) BY DAVID HOLMES

processing facilities. Does WFP plan on any future acquisitions south of the border? According to Khunkhun that would all depend on how good a business opportunity any future moves might offer. “Like with any business, we are open to evaluating opportunities that provide a strategic fit to our business and support us in building value for shareholders,” she said. The land acquisitions of Western Forest Products stretch from the lower mainland

V

A NCOU V ER – T he January 17 acquisition of Arlington, Washington-based Hampton Lumber Mills-Washington Inc. by British Columbia’s Western Forest Products (WFP) is a first for the provincial forestry giant. Already the largest coastal British Columbia woodland operator and lumber producer, the $9 million (USD) purchase is the first time the company has acquired an American-based company. “We are pleased to complete this acquisition, which is aligned with our strategy of increasing the production of targeted, specialty products while providing more effective service to our selected U.S. customers,” said Don Demens, WFP’s President and CEO at the time of the announcement “We look forward to developing a strong presence in the local community as we leverage these assets to build value for our shareholders.” The results of a melding of three different forestry companies in 1980, Western Forest Products is today an integrated forest products firm with an annual available harvest of approximately 6.1 million cubic metres of timber, of which approximately 5.9 million cubic metres is from Crown lands. The company was created originally as a joint venture of Doman Industries Ltd., Whonnock Industries Ltd., and British Columbia Forest Products Ltd. The company presently has a lumber capacity in excess of 1.1 billion board feet from seven sawmills. Principal activities conducted by the company include timber harvesting, reforestation, sawmilling logs into lumber and wood chips, and value added remanufacturing. Substantially all of Western’s operations, employees and corporate facilities are located on the coast of British Columbia and now in Washington State, with sales worldwide. So what was the motivation behind the acquisition of the US firm? According to Babita Khunkhun, Western Forest Product’s Senior Director of Communications, the move will now provide WFP with easier access to the American marketplace. “The acquisition provides us with a distribution and processing centre closer to our US customers which supports us in

Don Demens is the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of British Columbia’s Western Forest Products

to the northern coast of British Columbia, making it the largest investment company in Coastal manufacturing with currently nine milling facilities located in Nanaimo, Cowichan Bay, Ladysmith, Chemainus, and Port Alberni. The principal activities conducted by WFP and its subsidiaries include timber harvesting, reforestation, sawmilling logs into lumber and wood chips, and value-added remanufacturing. www.westernforest.com

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Hampton Lumber Mills-Washington was acquired by WFP on January 17, 2018, making it the firm’s first US purchase delivering more effective service, as well as increasing the production of finished, specialty products,” she explained. “With the duties on softwood lumber, the acquisition provides Western with a key asset in the United States to help protect the company from the damaging effects of duties on our US destined products.” The 18 acre Arlington operation has 170,000 square feet of covered storage with rail access and is ideally situated in close proximity to Western’s major US markets. The company will use the site as a centralized specialty products distribution centre while implementing capital upgrades to the kilns, planer and other

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MARCH 2018

GRANT SIGNS ARE SPECIALISTS IN ALL STYLES OF ILLUMINATED SIGNAGE “This is a more custom and From Channel Letters To Vehicle Wraps Sign Shop Has An Extensive Product Line

much more attractive form of illuminated sign that can be shipped and installed

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AMPBELL RIVER – Signs, t hey a re you r t i reless salesperson working 24/7, an ambassador proudly showcasing your business, a first impression for new customers and a welcome sight for repeat clients an effective and attractive sign is a key component of any venture’s successful marketing efforts. Grant Illuminated Signs Ltd. has been helping make businesses visible and inviting for nearly half a century. “Grant Signs has certainly been a part of the local business community for a long time. We’ve been in operation since 1972 and have been CSA International (Canadian Standards Association) certified to manufacture illuminated signs since 1978, including one of our most exciting products, channel letters,” explained General Manager Jonathan Calderwood. A particularly successful part of the operation’s production is the creation of signs that make use of channel letters, as Calderwood explains. “What really sets us apart is that we manufacture LED illuminated channel letters,

anywhere in Canada.” JONATHAN CALDERWOOD GENERAL MANAGER, GRANT ILLUMINATED SIGNS LTD.

manufactured out of aluminum, acrylic, stainless steel and even more exotic materials. This is a more custom and much more attractive form of illuminated sign that can be shipped and installed anywhere in Canada,” he said. Grant Illuminated Signs has produced channel letter signage for a wide range of clients, both local businesses and nationally. Thanks to the relationships it has developed over the past 46 years the company has created a network of approved contractors that can carry out the actual installation of its products for clients beyond its normal service area. “Another product that we’re very excited about is our line of vehicle wraps, a product that is becoming increasingly popular. Grant Signs is a certified 3M Select supplier and employ a 3M Preferred installer for its line of quality vinyl vehicle and commercial wraps,” Calderwood said.

For nearly 50 years Grant Illuminated Signs has been an industry leader in the manufacture and installation of signs

Grant Illuminated Signs are specialists in the design and fabrication of channel letter signage In addition to its experience creating channel letters, Grant Illuminated Signs can also produce freestanding illuminated signage, dimensional signage, illuminated sign cabinets, timber frame structures, awnings, LED retrofits and perhaps most importantly, provides complete electrical service and support for clients with a taste for that t i m e-h o n o u r e d m a rk e t i n g method. Another innovative product offered by the company include its line of LED illuminated message centres – dynamic systems that employ LED lighting to convey messages and information. Manufactured in-house, Grant Illuminated Signs produces message centres using a unique modular system that is adaptable for a variety of uses and an equally diverse group of clients. “Digital LED message centres are exciting items that have a lot of different uses. We’re not talking about a red crawling message but something that looks more like a large television set. There are some systems of the type on Vancouver Island that are billboard sized, so they can be scaled up any way you want,” Calderwood said. “Having a sign made is a fairly straight forward thing and it usually occurs in concert with other professionals, such as architects and designers and even la nd lords for exa mple. Designing, manufacturing and

Grant Illuminated Signs have created signs that are in place across Vancouver Island and beyond installing a product like large scale channel letter signage can involve a lot of different people but we have the experience to make the process as painless as possible,” he said. According to Calderwood, when customers acquire a sign from Grant Signs they are purchasing more than a product, they are buying a true visual representation of their business. For him, signage tells the story of its owner and is an invaluable part of an enterprise’s overall marketing efforts. Looking towards tomorrow, Grant Illuminated Signs intends to expand its reach into the Nanaimo area on a more day to day basis, including the possibility of opening a second shop in the Harbour City

at some future point. Located at 1711 19th Avenue in Campbell River, in an expansive office and shop space that encompasses nearly 8,000 square feet, Grant Signs currently has a staff of nearly a dozen and operates a small fleet of vehicles to install and service its products. Multi-layered and providing a large array of services and products, Grant Illuminated Signs has been helping businesses across the country succeed for nearly half a century, a record of performance it intends to see grow in the future. After all, one of the firm’s key mottos is: Grant Signs - Manufacturing long-term advertising solutions for Canadian businesses! www.grantsigns.ca

11

MARCH 2018

Port Authority Plots Course to Transform Nanaimo

N

ANAIMO - As Nanaimo’s ship comes in, the chief pilot could be the Nanaimo Port Authority. Headed by energetic new CEO Ewan Moir, the Nanaimo Port Authority is continuing to serve as an increasingly important forward-thinking engine for a community in dire need of economic infusion and sustainable job-generating development. Moi r’s va r ied backg rou nd seems designed expressly for his new role in Nanaimo. Originally from Scotland, he started in marine engineering and the merchant navy. From there, he succeeded in a succession of senior executive leadership roles in Europe, North America and Asia in a variety of industries: wood pellet manufacturing with international shipping; aggregate production; marine construction and dredging; business development for an international engine manufacturer; and turning companies into award-winning industry leaders. “Nanaimo has massive potential,� Moir observed. “It is a wonderful location, midway between the north and south island and a short shipping distance to the lower mainland.� T h is location is key to the NPA’s plans for Nanaimo, which is ideal for development as the

CEO Ewan Moir island’s shipping and distribution hub. One weakness Moir sees is that the island is a “justin-time economy� with products flowing in as needed but limited warehousing on the island. Should there be an earthquake or anything else that disrupts transport, the island will quickly run out of supplies. With that in mind, one of the NPA’s priority projects is to work with their partner DP World to develop a dock with earthquake standards as a container-distribution system operating out of Duke Point. Moir sees other potential opportunities, such as industry-specific warehousing

Framed in wood with glass walls, the award-winning Cruise Ship Terminal building makes the most of its waterfront views and distribution based in Nanaimo. Na na i mo cou ld a lso be the landing port for products from Asia, which could serve the big retail box stores which currently lack on-island warehouses. The distribution system could also provide product to Vancouver, where storage is scarce and expensive, since any desired product could be delivered to the lower mainland in a few hours. T he por t a lso ad m i n isters 35 paved acres of some of Nanaimo’s best waterfront property at the Nanaimo Assembly

Wharf. Already in place on the property is the Cruise Ship facility, a dramatic, glass-walled, wood-framed award-winning waterfront passenger terminal, which makes the most of every inch of ocean view. In addition to serving as the cruise ship terminal building, the $25-million-dollar building is home for Nanaimo Port Authority offices and the base for Helijet Nanaimo, an 18-minute link to the lower mainland. Alternatively, travellers can choose Por t Aut hor ity tena nt Ha rb ou r A i r a s a q u ic k

con nection to dow ntow n Vancouver or the Vancouver Airport. Always supportive of creating alternate options for Island residents, the Port Authority’s waterfront also includes a designated location for the much-anticipated fast ferry to Vancouver. Already in place is a dock and 6.5 acres for parking on the Nanaimo side. Negotiations are underway for the landing dock and parking on the Vancouver side; the ideal solution would be to use the Seabus Terminal, which would give passengers immediate access to Vancouver’s transit system. Western Canada Marine Response Organization (WCMRC) will be locating its main operationa l headqua rters at the Nanaimo Assembly Wharf. WCMRC is the Transport Canada-certified marine spill response team for Canada’s West Coast. These and other projects were presented at a p ubl ic O p en House February 22. Moir said the Open House is the first of three such events that the Port plans to hold this year, allowing Nanaimo residents to meet with staff and board members and lea rn about how t he N PA is working to assist with the transformation of Nanaimo.

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MARCH 2018

MATCHMAKING AUTOMOTIVE STYLE EARNS TOP NATIONAL AWARD FOR ALBERNI TOYOTA Dealership Named The Best Of 248 Stores In Canada

P

ORT ALBERNI - Selling a car should be closer to matchmaking than marketing. It may sounds fanciful but it makes sense. For the owner who has a long daily commute or a job on-the-road, more time could be spent with the car than with a spouse. Matching vehicle and owner is the goal of Alberni Auto’s Toyota and Chrysler divisions. The approach is embraced by more than customers: Alberni Toyota was just named the best of 248 stores in Canada. This accomplishment under the Toyota President’s Program is even more impressive since the dealership is in a small community an hour drive from the closest urban centre. “We achieved the top score in Canada for sales excellence,� says General Manager Shawn Elder. He defines sales excellence as finding the perfect vehicle for the buyer.� “I don’t consider myself a sales person. I provide information and options and help the person seeking a vehicle find their best value,� he says. For many people a vehicle is both a major financial commitment and a partnership that lasts for a decade or more. The average owner now keeps his or her vehicle for 11.5 years. People LOVE their cars in a way that they don’t love other purchases. Many even choose to name their cars. A 2017 survey by carjojo.com reported 42 per cent of owners bestowed names upon vehicles. Because it is a major purchase, many buyers descend on the car lot seeking the best possible deal. By contrast, Elder encourages buyers to seek the best possible value: the vehicle that meets all their requirements and that they

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Shawn Elder

“You need to love the vehicle – you’re going to be looking at it and living with it every day.�

Number One in Canada, the staff at Alberni Toyota are celebrating their President’s Program award at the best of 248 Canadian stores

will love owning and driving. Even when people arrive determined to buy a specific car they’ve seen on the lot, Elder insists on a test drive. “You need to experience the vehicle. Once you do, either you’re going to figure out this is exactly what you want or you will find out you don’t like it. You need to love the vehicle – you’re going to be looking at it and living with it every day.� O f ten p eople a r r ive se eking a specific vehicle or colour and leave with something else that turns out to be their better choice. For the right vehicle, price is secondary to value. “You pay for

the vehicle because it is the right vehicle and even years later, there is no buyer’s remorse.� For s o m e o n e s t a r t i n g t h e search, Elder recommends talking to trusted family/friends about their experiences. “See what they have bought and where they have bought and if they’ve been happy,� he said. “Have they enjoyed a good buying experience combined with excellent follow-up service?� The service aspect is important because modern vehicles are heavily computerized. “They don’t build them like they used to,� Elder said. “The amount of technology that’s in a vehicle now is just amazing.� Computerized veh icles a re often self-monitoring and can be updated by dow n load i ng software. Elder also predicts the market is 10 years from self-driving cars. These cars will have optional user control but the ability to override driver choices. “The second you mess up, the self-driving car will take over.� Electric cars becoming common with legislation and widespread

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development of charging stations supporting their use. Alberni Chrysler just sold its first electric hybrid Pacifica mini-van to the city of Port Alberni. Elder notes the vehicle market is diverse. He sees everyone from starter buyers acquiring their first vehicles to seniors choosing their ‘last car’. There is always a following for trucks and the new, sporty Toyota Camry is a popular option for younger buyers seeking a

blend of security with style. Compact SUVs are also popular, since they combine fuel efficiency with the safety of all-wheel or four-wheel drive, multiple passenger, and cargo capacity. The bottom line when establishing a relationship with a new or new-to-you vehicle is making the right match. “Do you like it – or do you love it?� Elder asks. “To get your best value, you need to love it.�

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MARCH 2018

13

THREE MAJOR AWARDS FOR COAST BASTION HOTEL Madill City Centre Gets Green Light For New Development

NANAIMO MARK MACDONALD

I

t’s a “trifecta” for the Coast Bastion Hotel. For the second consecutive year, the downtown Nanaimo property was named Hotel of the Year at the Coast Hotels annual conference last month in Victoria. Not just that, but Director of Sales and Marketing Elverna Edwards-Mailloux won the Platinum Sales of the Year Award for top sales in the Coast chain, which features 39 properties in Canada and the United States. Also, the Coast Bastion posted the highest revenue in all Coast Hotels. It’s an amazing accomplishment to capture all three awards in one year. Former GM Henry Traa, who was GM of the Coast Bastion for the 2016-17 award winning years, retired last fall. Daryl West was named General Manager of the Coast Bastion Hotel in February, moving up the island from Victoria, where he was Hotel Manager at the Coast Victoria Hotel & Marina by APA. ■■■ New automotive dealerships and other buildings on the former Madill site received the green light from Nanaimo city council following a public hearing at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre. Madill City Centre at the confluence of Kenworth and Labieux Roads and the Old

Emil Tomescu Island Highway will include new automotive dealerships, a seniors’ care facility, mixed use and office space. Patrick Brandreth of Island West Coast Developments represented the project at the city hearing, and noted that Labieux will connect to Kenworth at a new roundabout. ■■■ Changing gears: Real estate duo CooperMcLintock is no more, emerging as two separate entities. John Cooper Group and Sean McLintock & Associates are the new brands for John and Sean, and we wish them both well in their new paths. They’ll both still operate out of their downtown Nanaimo office, and continue under the RE/ MAX of Nanaimo flag. ■■■ Canada Revenue Agency had its hands severely slapped in a ruling that vindicates the owners of the MGM Restaurant, as a judge awarded Tony and Helen Samaroo $1.7 million by a BC Supreme Court judge, including $750,000 in punitive damages and $300,000 each for aggravated damages, as well as $347,000 in legal fees they spent defending themselves from the tax evasion charges. The Samaroos were charged with 21 criminal counts of avoiding taxes in 2008, and have been fighting the charges ever since. The trial lasted 19 days. Justice Robert Punnett said in his ruling that CRA’s “conduct in this case was high-handed, reprehensible

and malicious.” ■■■ Nanaimo Port Authority President and CEO Ewan Moir announces that Emil Tomescu has been appointed the new Vice President, Asset Maintenance, with the NPA. Emil arrives in Nanaimo after serving as Director, Project Engineering and Asset Maintenance with the Prince Rupert Port Authority in Prince Rupert. ■■■ Dodd’s Furniture is progressing on building its new location at the corner of Uplands Drive and Turner Road. ■■■ Long Lake Nursery at the corner of Rutherford Road and the Island Highway has been readied for demolition, making room for what is expected to be a new car dealership. SupErb Construction is in charge of the demolition. ■■■ Dave Frinton and Shelley Good are planning on moving their CruisePlus business from Lantzville to Ross Road by this June. ■■■ Black Key Studios, which combines graphic design, custom art and tattoos, has opened at 195 Commercial Street, notes Jordan Unrau. ■■■ Influx Fuels is the new name of the former Cassidy Tempo Gas Station on the Island Highway across from Nanaimo Airport. ■■■ Vancouver-based Wertman Development Corp. has purchased two sites in Nanaimo, to build a 20-plus storey condo tower downtown, and a two-building rental project near Vancouver Island University. The downtown site is near

the waterfront, and plans calls for commercial space in the building. ■■■ McKenzie Self Storage at 1030 Old Victoria Road has applied to expand their storage facility operation. ■■■ Luxe Lashes and Brows has opened its doors at 210-3300 Norwell Drive. ■■■ While Greyhound Canada has announced it is canceling its Victoria to Nanaimo bus service, Tofino Bus is servicing the route, while Wilson’s Transportation, after having

its application to serve the route declined by the Passenger Transportation Board, is considering re-entering its application for the route. ■■■ More tenants keep joining the lineup on Metral Drive next to COBS Bread and Meatcraft, as Planet Fitness has announced plans to open a location in the strip mall. ■■■ Prairie Coast, a John Deere dealership, will be opening across from Gordon’s Homes on the Island Highway south of Nanaimo. ■■■

A 59 unit apartment complex is planned for 5085 Uplands Road, which will be built by Westurban Holdings Group Ltd. ■■■ Allnorth Consultants has opened an office at 96 Wallace Street. ■■■ Blackbird Academy, for early learners, has opened at 1713 Bowen Road Unit G. Mark MacDonald writes about business in Nanaimo. Tell him your news by emailing him at mark@businessexaminer.ca

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14

MARCH 2018

ARBUTUS DENTAL SMILES AT THE FUTURE WITH NEW PARTNER Oceanside Dental Practices Prides Itself On Serving the Entire Family

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UALICUM BEACH – Patient-centric and technol o g i c a l l y- d r i v e n , t h e Arbutus Dental Clinic has been a leading Central Island dental practice for more than 20 years by being the perfect melding of technology and the human touch. Opened by Dentist Dr. Francis LaCouvee in 1997, the practice routinely serves hundreds of patients from across the Oceanside area and beyond. Recent ly Dr. Simon Gooch joined the practice as LaCouvee’s new business partner, adding a new dimension of service and experience to help lead the operation into the future. “Three years ago we carried out a major renovation of our offices as a means for us to move forward to expand our services and to better serve the community,” Dr. LaCouvee explained. “ W it h t he add it ion of D r. Gooch as my partner we’re able to offer even more comprehensive dentistry to our patients, over a shorter period of time which will allow us to serve them even better.” Located at 101-183 Fern Road

Congratulations Arbutus Dental Clinic on your milestone 20th anniversary! ______________________________ Nickellsilver Business Solutions Inc. www.nickellsilver.ca coachk@nickellsilver.ca

West in Qualicum Beach, the Arbutus Dental Clinic is a 3,000 square foot state of the art dental practice featuring eight surgical suites and some of the most up to date equipment in the region. With a staff count of nearly 20, including administrative personnel and Dental Hygienists, the Arbutus Dental Clinic is one of the largest practices of its type in the region. The extensive renovation work completed by Bob Walls Contracting a few years ago was carried out to enhance the clinic’s visual appeal while at the same time helping to make patients more comfortable and at ease. The work, now completed has resulted in a dental office that is both incredibly functional, but one that is also aesthetically and architecturally pleasing. Serving clients from all across the region, the Arbutus Dental Clinic primarily serves the O c e a n s id e c om mu n it ie s of Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Qualicum Bay, Bowser, Deep Bay, Fanny Bay, Lasqueti Island, Denman Island, Hornby Island as well as nearby rural areas. “I’m definitely an Island boy, having been born and raised in Ucluelet on the west coast, so you’d have to say that I’m an Island original,” LaCouvee said. After high school graduation, and with the goal of a career in dentistry in mind, he spent three years at the University of Victoria (UVIC) where he worked toward his undergraduate degree. He was then accepted a year early into the dental faculty at the University of British Columbia (UBC) where he completed his degree in 1986. “While going through the dental program at UBC I decided to graduate with no debt and went into the Dental Officer Training Program (DOTP) with the Canadian military. When I graduated from UBC I was posted to Lar, in what was then West Germany for four years of service out there,” he explained. Enjoying his military

They’re all smiles at the Arbutus Dental Clinic, this Qualicum Beach practice has a long history of community support

The Arbutus Dental Clinic has been designed to be functional as well as comfortable SEE ARBUTUS DENTAL | PAGE 15

LARRY MACDOUGALL PHOTO

Island Oral Facial AND

Implant Surgery www.islandoms.ca 250-753-6671

Congratulations to the Arbutus Dental Clinic Providing Oral, Facial & Dental Implant Surgery to Vancouver Island since 1983

ROBERTSHAW DENTAL LABORATORY Congratulations Arbutus Dental on 20 years in business! 250-754-3201 • Robarts Street Nanaimo

15

MARCH 2018

Dr. Francis LaCouvee (left) has formed a business partnership with fellow dentist Dr. Simon Gooch

Located at 101-183 Fern Road West in Qualicum Beach the Arbutus Dental Clinic is elegant and functional LARRY MACDOUGALL PHOTO

The Arbutus Dental Clinic was custom designed and constructed, and was opened in 1997 LARRY MACDOUGALL PHOTO

ARBUTUS DENTAL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

experience LaCouvee could easily have continued along those lines, in fact by 1990 Dr. LaCouvee even considered moving to Fort Knox, Kentucky to complete a Master’s Program in dentistry. But the needs of family and a desire to return to the West Coast

fortuitously encouraged him to leave the Armed Forces and to move, along with his wife Lesley to Qualicum Beach. Starting a family (he and his wife have three sons) he began practicing dentistry in association with Dr. Verne McShane, a partnership that continued for seven years. “I practiced with Verne for seven years and then decided

I wanted to go off on my own and to open my own practice. We opened Arbutus Dental on August 5, 1997 and began practicing at 183 Fern Road West, our current location. I built a user-specific building for the practice and here we are today,” he explained. Also a graduate of the UBC dental program (graduating in 2011),

Dr. Gooch is a native of Williams Lake and had previously practiced dentistry in Parksville. “By working in Parksville I’m very familiar with the area, and in many ways Parksville and Qualicum Beach are almost like extensions of the same community,” Gooch said. While business growth is certainly a consideration for the two partners, and the Arbutus Dental Clinic does continue to welcome new patients, it’s the quality of individual care that truly motivates the two resident dentists. “To us it’s not about how many patients we see, it’s really about the level of individualized care and service that we provide,” LaCouvee said. “Even though Simon and I have become a partnership it truly still is all about being able to give the patients the individualized care that they require, to make them accepting of treatment in an environment that is relaxed and comfortable.” Open Monday to Friday 8:00 to 5:00 (but closed on the weekends) the Arbutus Dental Clinic regularly provides a full range of dental services. “We’re certainly a full service shop. From young children having their first check up through to hygiene services where we can treat more advanced periodontal cases right on through to root canals, extensive crown and bridge work and even implants,” Dr. LaCouvee explained.

“We’ve always provided an opportunity for our patients to have an involvement in their treatment, in their health care, and that’s something we’re not going to change. We’ve always taken a team approach when working with our patients, to help guide them with their health care needs.” While Dr. LaCouvee specializes in services such a dental implants Dr. Gooch, who has been practicing dentistry for the past six years, is more of a dental generalist, focusing on primary dental tasks such as cleanings, fillings, extractions and others. “Francis is the implant guy, but SEE ARBUTUS DENTAL | PAGE 16

Congratulations Arbutus Dental on 20 years in business!

OCEAN’S EDGE ORTHODONTICS

Congratulations on Your 20th Anniversary! Wishing Arbutus Dental Continued Success.

Dr. F. Edward Murdoch Inc.

Congratulations on your 20th Anniversary! We are proud to be partners in patient care. We create fabulous smiles. Let us inspire yours!

Parksville: 250 248 1130 • Nanaimo: 250 390 1331 www.oeosmiles.com

16

MARCH 2018

ARBUTUS DENTAL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

I do my share of services such as soft tissue laser dentistry, which again is another example of the sort of leading edge services this practice regularly provides,� Gooch explained. “My focus is on fa m i ly dentistry. We’re both family dentists which mean we can look after you from childhood to old age – from first tooth to last as we sometimes joke.� Having two working dental professionals in the same practice has had unexpected benefits for LaCouvee, in the form of a sort of gentle, professional competition. “We’re always trying to be the best that we can be. We regularly go back and forth between cases. I’ll bring things to Simon and he’ll bring things to me, we can work better by putting two heads together,� he said. “There’s no escaping that with two of us here there’s a little bit of competition, we’ll check out each other’s craft, but in the end that spirit will help both of us to become even better dentists. It makes work a lot of fun. We laugh a lot and frankly have a good time here.� W h i le someti mes a n overworked phrase, the Arbutus Dental Clinic is in every sense a true state of the art facility. The clinic has been essentially paperless for years, is fully digital (meaning all imagery and files are stored

Congratulations and Happy 20th Anniversary! 166 First Ave W Qualicum Beach 250 752 0818

Both Dr. LaCouvee and Dr. Gooch stress that the Arbutus Dental Clinic staff is one of its greatest assets

“We’re both life-long learners, a personal drive that has allowed us to grow our skills and improve our skills.� DR. FRANCIS LACOUVEE FOUNDER, ARBUTUS DENTAL CLINIC

electronically), is equipped with the latest sterilization equipment and has the highest end radiographs (X-ray machines) available. The clinic even has access to digital tools that can record tooth impressions electronically – without the need for gels or traditional gums. “Keeping abreast of the latest technology has been our motto right from the start. We’re constantly evolving and upgrading with our education as well as our technology. We’re both life-long learners, a personal drive that has allowed us to grow our skills and improve our skills on an ongoing basis,� LaCouvee said. Another huge part of the success story that is the Arbutus Dental Clinic is its ongoing commitment

The Arbutus Dental Clinic has been serving clients throughout the Oceanside region since 1997 to the communities that it serves. The practice has from its inception been an active and willing supporter of local events, groups and causes. Over the past two decades LaCouvee and his staff have supported through funding or work in kind everything from the local Chamber of Commerce to sports teams and much more. That recognized need to be an active community member, to be a good corporate citizen is a business philosophy the practice anticipates continuing to honour

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in the years to come. Even with the introduction of a new dental professional in-house Dr. LaCouvee is not expecting to scale back his commitment to the clinic. If anything the staffing increase has helped to re-energize his interest and fascination with his chosen vocation. “With Simon here we have a built in succession plan for when I eventually decide to retire. But realistically I feel I have at least another 10 plus years anyway where I can mentor Simon and

Congratulations from all of us on your 20th anniversary! McGORMAN MacLEAN

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gradually transition out of the practice,� LaCouvee stated. “One reason I won’t be retiring any time soon is that I’m still enjoying it so much. With Simon here I feel truly re-invigorated. He’s a young man and he’s really helped to keep me competitive and excited about our work. We have access to some of the newest and best technologies, and we have collectively some of the best patients anywhere. So who would want to leave all of that?� www.arbutusdentalclinic.com

Chartered Professional Accountants

3rd floor 180 McCarter St. Parksville, BC T:  250.248.3211 E: info@mcgormanmaclean.com

17

MARCH 2018

Medical Cannabis Producer Making European Inroads Tilray Currently Has Major Production Facilities In Both Canada And Portugal BY DAVID HOLMES

N

A NA I MO – Med ica l cannabis producer Tilray may be a Vancouver Island based firm, but the quality of its expanding product line has attracted the attention of medical practitioners and clients from across the globe. Recently the firm signed deals to sell cannabis products, in dried form or as extracts, to clients in the Czech Republic, Germany and in South Africa, and that’s just part of the firm’s international reach. Currently the company sells medicinal cannabis products to literally tens of thousands of patients in 10 different countries and on five different continents. In addition to those mentioned, Tilray routinely serves clients in Argentina, Australia, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, New Zealand and of course all across Canada. Tilray’s recent entry into the Czech market was considered a strategic milestone for the firm as it had put a great deal of time and energy into making its presence felt in Europe. “We are proud to be increasing access to medical cannabis across the EU (European Union) and pleased to be able to serve patients in need in the Czech Republic,� explained Tilray’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Brendan Kennedy at the time of the Czech announcement. Tilray has been actively pursuing the European marketplace for many years, achieving its first success about two years ago when it became the first company to legally import medical cannabis into the EU when it started serving patients in Croatia. This was followed by its first sales in Cyprus in May 2017, followed by the founding of a $29 million state-of-the-art EU Campus in Portugal in September of that year. The facility was set up to produce, package and ultimately distribute medical cannabis all across Europe. “Tilray’s EU Campus is another strategic milestone as we aim to build the world’s most trusted and admired medical cannabis brand. For the past two years

Brendan Kennedy is Tilray’s Chief Executive Officer, and a driving force behind the company’s European expansion

“Tilray’s EU Campus is another strategic milestone as we aim to build the world’s most trusted and admired medical cannabis brand.� BRENDAN KENNEDY CEO, TILRAY

we’ve been working hard to find the right location for cultivation, processing, and research facilities to serve the rapidly growing demand for high-quality medical cannabis products in Europe,� Kennedy said. “Portugal has the ideal climate to cultivate cannabis, a highly skilled health care workforce, and a vibrant research community. It’s more environmentally-friendly and cost-effective to supply European patients from Portugal than from northern climates.� Opening its Nanaimo operation in April 2014, Tilray currently has more than 200 employees, working in four different Canadian provinces and in seven countries around the world. The

Opened in 2014, Tilray’s Nanaimo 60,000 square foot production facility is located at the Duke Point Industrial Park

Medical cannabis producer Tilray has more than 40,000 marijuana plants in production at its Nanaimo facility Island firm was one of the first companies to ever receive a federal license from Health Canada to cultivate process and distribute medical cannabis in Canada. The company’s 60,000 square foot, $30 million state-of-the-art research and production facility in Nanaimo is home to 31 cultivation rooms, 10 manufacturing and processing rooms and three research laboratories. The Nanaimo operation produces 50 distinct cannabis strains and 36 cannabis extract products. There are currently 40,000 plants in cultivation at the Vancouver Island facility. Tilray is the first company to legally export medical cannabis from North America to Africa, Australia, Europe, and South America. And is also the first firm to be federally licensed to cultivate cannabis in multiple countries, Canada and now in Portugal. It was also the first company in the world to have its production facility Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certified in accordance with European Medicines Agency (EMA) standards, one of the highest levels of accreditation possible. Tilray’s European operation is located at the innovative Biocant Park in Cantanhede, Portugal. A science park entirely devoted to biotechnology, the venue has from its inception been devoted to advanced life sciences knowledge where technology is developed and applied creating value in business initiatives. Tilray and its expanding range of medicinal cannabis products fit perfectly with the philosophy of the science park, as it was created to bring business and science together in a common setting. Tilray is in the process of constructing a greenhouse and a processing facility on property, with phase one expected to be finished

this spring. The development will include an indoor laboratory and genetics bank, outdoor cultivation sites, a 10,000 m2 greenhouse, and a 1,500 m2 processing facility. The company’s future expansion at the site will add 15,000 m2 of greenhouse cultivation space and another 1,500 m2 for processing. Over the next three years, the project is expected to create 100 direct jobs, including highly skilled positions by the time the project is fully developed by 2020. The company’s second Canadian facility is located in Enniskillen, Ontario, on a 100-acre property with 13 acres of existing greenhouse space. The facility is expected to increase Tilray’s current production capacity fivefold by the end of 2018. www.tilray.ca

Join us as we celebrate the best in commercial construction on the Island north of the Malahat

2018 2017

VIREB COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL VIREB BUILDING AWARDS AWARDS BUILDING

Thursday, April 19, 6 pm at the il Date April 21st Thursday, April 20,6pm 6 pm Vancouver Island Conference Centre the Coast Bastion Nanaimo atat Nanaimo’s Bastion Hotel in Coast Nanaimo 2017 Tickets can be purchased at Tickets $125 - Book through: www.businessexaminer.ca (Events Page) VIREB COMMERCIAL www.businessexaminer.ca/events

BUILDING AWARDS Gold Sponsors

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Tickets can be purchased at Commercial www.businessexaminer.ca (Events Page) Commercial Real Estate Services, Worldwide.

On behalf of the entire Dodd’s Furniture family, we would like to express our sincere appreciation to our staff and the many wonderful volunteers and agencies we work with every year. We are proud and honoured to be one of many locally focused businesses in Victoria that are supported by the communities we serve.

www.doddsfurniture.com

MARCH 2018

BE AWARDS WRAP UP

19

Utilizing Awards, Nominations and Recommendations To Build Brand BY DEB MCLELLAND

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or business, awards are both an opportunity and a recognition of the amazing things business owners and their teams do each and every day. Awards, nominations and recommendations are the opportunity as a business owner to build your brand, and as a consumer, they are attestation to the quality goods or service a company provides. For business, a brand is the answer to the question “what do you t h i n k of (you r company)?” when you are not in the room. The strength of brand is the single greatest determining factor on whether a business grows or withers. It is also completely within the business owner or leaders control to create and maintain. In essence brand is the result of two aspects of your business; marketing and customer experience. If the two align in a positive way, your brand builds. Let’s get back to awards, nominations and recommendations. All three of these are elements you can use in your marketing strategies. R e c om mend at ion s shou ld show up on your website, social media, and in some cases your advertising campaigns. Due in large part to the consumer process of shopping online before shopping in store, what others say about you is essential in building positive brand presence. With regards to nominations and awards, when used strategically, both have incredible brand value. A nomination for a prestigious award is a recognition that your business is performing at a high enough level that others recognize your brand as positive and powerful. So, how do you use nominations to build brand? Talk About it. When you are n o m i n a te d , t a l k a b o u t t h e

SEE BE AWARDS WRAP UP | PAGE 20

Awards Finalists Matthew Fox, co-owner and founder of Campbell River’s Beach Fire Brewing Company and Leah Tremain, founder and CEO of Tremain Media Inc

Brandon Moniz of Shaw Business Vancouver Island was the Entrepreneur of the Year category sponsor, and he presents the award to Melanie Cadden of Coco Café in Cedar

A nomination for a prestigious award is a recognition that your business is performing at a high enough level that others recognize your brand as positive and powerful

Congratulations Alair Homes We’re proud to be working with you!

Congratulations!

N A N A I M O S H OW R O O M : #3 - 4341 Boban Dr. T: 250-585-4544 | E: info@westcoastshutters.ca

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Thank you everyone for this amazing honour! Special thanks to my wonderful team for all the effort they put into our business.

Josh Higgins, left, of Business Examiner Vancouver Island, presents the Trades Business of the Year Award to Ben Mazzei of Mazzei Electric in Nanaimo PHOTOS BY ITS PHOTOGRAPHY

BE AWARDS WRAP UP CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

Close to You – Parksville’s Fabulous Fashion Boutique 174 Corfield St S, Parksville, BC T: 250-248-3781 E: info@closetoyou.ca Open Mon to Sat: 9:30am – 5:30pm • Sunday: 12:00pm – 4:00pm

MARCH 2018

honour of being part of a peers group of businesses that shines in the community. Talk about it at social events, on your social media feeds and your websites.

M a rke t yo u r E xc e llence. Use your advertising dollars to reinforce your brand through print, radio, television or digital streams. As part of some processes, popularity is key, for others its about traction with audiences. Regardless of your

marketing goal, celebrating the acknowledgement of your business is a win, even if you don’t get the hardware. Attend The Event. Some bu si ness ow ners don’t fol low th roug h. Awa rd SEE BE AWARDS WRAP UP | PAGE 21

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21

Left, Tracey McGinnis is co-owner and store manager of Comox Valley’s Blinds & Bubbles Boutique. John McGinnis, right, is co-owner and certified Hunter Douglas Installation and Repair Technician

Douglas Pascoe, left, of Island Savings Credit Union, presents the Award of Merit in the Industrial Manufacturer category to Foster Coulson of Coulson Ice Blast of Port Alberni

BE AWARDS WRAP UP CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

events a re oppor tu n it ies to connect with other business owners you may not normally meet, on an even stage. You are both high performance. Use

these events to network, market and build excellence based relationships. When you Win. Display your certificates, awards, trophies or whatever is presented, at your front desk or counter. Put the win on your website. Tell

people about your success, and why you received the award. Tell a story about your path to the award and why it has made you a abetter business. Finally, take time to recognize all the people who helped you get there. Acknowledge and thank your team, your suppliers, the person who nominated you and mostly your customers. They are the ones who got you here, and they want you to succeed as much as you do. Let them know you are thankful to them for the win. Deb McClelland is the executive director of the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce.

Cheryl Lee presents Ocean Products Business of the Year to Jessica Abel, owner and operator of Saltwest Naturals in Sooke

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MARCH 2018

BLACK DIAMOND MECHANICAL AND WELDING PLANNING MAJOR EXPANSION “We’ve actually outgrown Industrial Mechanical Service Provider Keeping Industry Moving For 20 Years

our present shop and we’re going to be building a new and larger facility about two years from now.” JARVIS SHAVER MANAGER, BLACK DIAMOND MECHANICAL AND WELDING LTD.

In the shop (l to r) are Timber Johnson, Jason Conn, Mark Brown and Jarvis Shaver, Ryan Busch is in the background to pay dividends for the company. His business leadership has proven so successful that the company has essentially outgrown its present shop and has secured property to build a much larger and more functional facility on Church Road in Parksville, a shop that is expected to be completed within the next few years. “We’ve actually outgrown our present shop and we’re going to be building a new and larger facility about two years from now. Our main focus right now is to diversify so that when the logging industry slows down we can put more energy into different avenues, That’s why we`re involved in things like forklift maintenance, and have a contract with Quality Foods, for example, to look after all of theirs,” Shaver said. “Our goal right now is to see commercial transport representing about 30 per cent of our workload, 30 per cent logging with the remainder construction and forklifts. As far as the construction industry goes we regularly work on everything from excavators and rock trucks to virtually any form of rolling stock you might see on a typical job site.” Black Diamond’s new facility, to be constructed on a five acre lot,

Black Diamond co-owner Timber Johnson (left) and Manager Jarvis Shaver work with clients from across the Island is expected to feature six drivethrough bays capable of handling six trucks with semi-trailers at the same time, or 12 tractors without the trailers. While not the largest shop of its kind on Vancouver Island, once it is completed it will certainly be among the largest in the Central Vancouver Island region. “We’re in the planning stage right now, finalizing the design, such as having the entire roof covered in solar panels, but we expect work on this to be underway within the next two years, with it up and running within the next three to three and a half years,” Shaver said. I n t h e f u t u re , B l a c k D i amond Mechanical and Welding

anticipates continuing to serve its commercial and industrial clients from its present facility, adding to its productivity once t he new shop is completed. Alert to changes in technology and in the regional marketplace, the firm is always searching for new opportunities and niches to explore. “It’s certainly an exciting time for us. While we continue to look after camp logging operations as we always have, there are so many different areas we are also interested in. Technology is creating change and we want to be part of those changes,” Shaver explained. www.blackdiamondmechanical.ca

CONGRATULATIONS TO

BLACK DIAMOND MECHANICAL AND WELDING FOR 10 YEARS IN BUSINESS

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505 East Island Highway , Parksville, BC , Phone: (250) 248-57 18 Fax: (250) 248-5777 Tollfree: (866) 248-57 18 E-Mail: lordco67@lordco.com

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said. In its earliest incarnation, Black Diamond Mechanical provided a unique remote service, using specially equipped service trucks to bring heavy duty repair and welding services right to the worksite. Carrying out repair duties for a number of different logging and road building companies along the coast, Black Diamond quickly earned a reputation for providing top notch service at cost-effective prices – which only helped to expand both its name and its client base. “In the early years, we didn’t have a fixed shop like we do now, but worked in the field, essentially all over the west coast. We worked up Seymour Inlet for a number of years, doing repairs on log loaders, grapple yarders, rebuilding engines, working on hydraulic pumps, you name it and we likely worked on it,” Shaver stated. “I left Timber and Dave for about six years, where I worked all over, including in Botswana in Africa and in Shanghai, China, before coming to Nanaimo where I was running the shop at Copcan Gregson (Copcan Civil Ltd.). About nine years ago they asked me to come run the shop for them here in Parksville which they were building at the time, so that’s when I came back to work for Black Diamond.” Johnson and Pope were also the owner / operators of two forestry firms at the time, Nanaimo Lakes Logging and Bear Lake Logging. Working with these firms was Shaver’s primary task when he first rejoined the company. “David Pope asked me to come run the shop for them. So I came and met with them and came back on board to work for them, and have been here ever since,” Shaver said. Closing operations of Nanaimo Lakes Logging about two years ago (while still retaining ownership of Bear Lake Logging), the production tempo at Black Diamond Mechanical declined as the firm was no longer working on its own equipment to the same degree. Replacing that workload was Shaver’s focus at the time, a task he threw himself into whole-heartedly by developing business strategies that continue

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ARKSVILLE – From fleet operators to logging compa n ies, Black Diamond Mechanical and Welding Ltd. has been the destination of choice for contractors in need of a heavy duty mechanic for more than two decades. Now having nearly outgrown its current facility the Central Island maintenance firm is making plans for its biggest expansion yet. “Prior to 1998 the company operated as a numbered company, but that’s when we officially became Black Diamond Mechanical, so I guess this is our 20 th anniversary year operating under that name,” explained company Manager Jarvis Shaver. Specializing in providing a full range of heavy duty mechanical repairs, Black Diamond has the experience and the staff to handle everything from servicing semi-tractor trailer units, reefer units, and are a designated inspection facility for CVI’s to repairing a full range of industrial / construction equipment such as excavators, graders, rock trucks, loaders, grapple yarders and other logging and construction equipment. More recently the company has also started providing routine maintenance services on forklifts. A partial list of the services this industrially-focused firm provides includes mechanical and hydraulic repairs, regular preventative maintenance duties for its commercial clients, extensive welding and custom fabrication capabilities, line boring and machining and even pressure washing. Whether working from service trucks capable of handling assignments in the field, or in the firm’s expansive 13,000 square foot shop facility and administrative centre located at 1139 Franklin’s Gull Road in Parksville, Black Diamond Mechanical and Welding, and its staff of about a dozen, is equipped and experienced to handle all of their commercial and industrial client’s ongoing mechanical and servicing needs. Founded, owned and operated by Timber Johnson and David Pope, Black Diamond Mechanical’s roots are firmly planted in the coastal forest industry. “It started out strictly as a mechanical and welding company, working right in the logging camps. I was a welder at the time looking for an apprenticeship, so I went to Timber and Dave and I was lucky enough to be able to get an apprenticeship with them as a heavy duty mechanic,” Shaver

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MARCH 2018

VANCOUVER ISLAND ACCOUNTANTS INNOVATE WITH NEW WEB BASED SERVICES “With the tools and Connect Live CPAs represents a shift in the rapidly evolving accounting technology landscape

systems available through Connect Live CPAs, clients will have quick and easy access to everything

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A NA I MO – I n a n i ndustry where historically the service delivery model has been slow to evolve, the days of having to cart your slips and documents to your accountant is rapidly coming to an end due to Connect Live CPAs. The innovative services offered by Connect Live CPAs have been created for today’s technologically savvy client. Accou nting for the contemporary marketplace, Connect Live CPAs serves individuals and businesses looking for the convenience that leading technology offers and are seeking an edge in the marketplace. “In a connected world Conn e c t L i v e C PA s p r o v i d e s quality accounting, tax and advisory services for individuals and businesses using the latest web-based technology to minimize cost and maximize value and convenience for clients,” explains Colin Haime, one of the partners in Connect Live. Prov id ing professional acc o u n t i n g s e r v i c e s to t h e i r Nanaimo area clients for decades, Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) Denise Barber and Colin Haime opened their original practice Barber & Haime Chartered Accountants in 1991. The pair built their business by focu ssi ng on developi ng relationsh ips a nd prov id i ng good service to their clients. In time they were serving a client base of hundreds of corporate and thousands of individual clients. “While our practice was very successful, it relied on clients expecting the traditional CPA model while the industry was dramatically evolving,” says Barber.

they’ll need to make better business and personal decisions, even on the go through their smartphone.”

“Recognizing that the profession was changing Colin and I decided to change our focus and business model to embrace this new reality. In July 2017 we sold our ‘bricks and mortar’ accounting practice and established our new web based practice - Connect Live CPAs Inc. – an approach that we consider to be the accounting services model of the future.” Combining the latest technology with the time-honoured human touch, Barber, Haime and staff have introduced this leading-edge approach of accou nt i ng, ta x a nd bu si ness advisory services to a new and expanding client base. Described as a ‘Real Time, Real Life Advantage’, by employing the latest techniques in cloud accounting and tax services, document scanning and analysis, web-based bookkeeping and client communication, clients will have access to Connect Live’s services in real time, whenever they need it. “Com mu n ication w ith clients is key and delivered mainly through client portals, web access, smartphones, email and via online conferencing,” says Haime. “Connect Live CPAs continues

(l-r) Denise Barber and Colin Haime are the founding partners of Connect Live CPAs

Accounting and tax services should be as painless as possible, while providing value for you or your business. The ease of the Connect Live business model allows them to reduce your stress in these areas so that you can concentrate on growing and maintaining your business the tradition of providing advice and services built on relationships without the inconvenience of the clients taking time out of their busy day to travel to a formal office - this is truly accounting for the 21st Century.” With the tools and systems available through Connect Live CPAs, clients will have quick

Leveraging cloud technology and automation to simplify your Tax, Accounting and Business experience.

and easy access to everything t hey’l l need to m a ke better business a nd persona l decisions, even on the go through their smartphone. Another plus is that Connect Live’s web-based focus eliminates distance barriers. Clients can be mobile and still maintain access to their data and Connect

Live’s services regardless of location. Equally beneficial for both personal and business clients, Con nect L ive CPA s prov ide client training and assistance as part of the service package. “Personal tax clients have web access and can securely download retu r n s a nd repor ts or upload documents, to or from, their electronic devices seamlessly at any time,” explains Haime. “T h is a l lows Con nect Live to concentrate on being your trusted advisor as well as reducing clerical requirements and providing timely access to information” Business clients are serviced through their secure dedicated business client portal using simple software applications and document uploads. Connect Live CPAs provides thorough, accurate reporting and analysis that allows you to maintain your financial health and realize your business goals. T his innovative client service delivery model fulfills a client’s tax and accounting requirements. This includes tax fi l i ngs, fi na ncia l statement compi l at ion, b o ok ke epi n g, payroll and business advisory services; with the added convenience and reduced cost due to evolving technology. “Connect Live can even customize a client services program for the convenience of utilizing online services such as Quickbooks, Sage One, Xero, Hubdoc and Receipt-Bank to make the administration of your accounting and year-end financial statement / tax reporting needs as efficient and informative as possible,” says Barber. “Accounting and tax services should be as painless as possible, while providing value for you or your business. The ease of the Connect Live business model allows us to reduce your stress in these areas so that you can concentrate on things that are more important to your happiness and success.” www.ConnectLiveCPAs.ca

Learn how Connect Live CPAs can help you: www.ConnectLiveCPAs.com Denise@ConnectLiveCPAs.com Colin@ConnectLiveCPAs.com

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MARCH 2018

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Sponsored By

Professional Services Offer Clearer Path To Success Professional Service Providers: It’s Their Business To Help Your Business BUSINESS EXAMINER STAFF

“Part of being a

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orkplace laws and tax ordinances are consta ntly cha ng i ng. That’s why professional service providers help, with trained specialists who keep up with these changes, allowing businesses to focus on what they do best. Many small to medium-sized enterprises lack the man-power and funds to hire full-time lawyers or financial service providers, and must look elsewhere for help. Professional service providers qualify as one of the most indispensable resources for these companies. Helping other businesses is their business. As someone once said, “If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur.” It’s possible for individuals to represent themselves in legal matters, sell their own home, or do their own taxes. However,

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each of these tasks involves heavy legal and financial risk, especially for those with limited knowledge in the relevant field. Professional service providers offer the expertise needed to minimize this risk. “Currently, passive income in a corporation attracts a very high tax rate of 50.67 per cent,” says Stephen Struthers of Struthers Wealth Management in Nanaimo. SEE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES | PAGE 26

Jim Stewart is President of the British Columbia Real Estate Association

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

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MNP Forestry & Forest Products Services

MARCH 2018

Clients of professional service providers can be assured of an adherence to a set standard of conduct and ethics

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

At MNP, we believe in being your partner in business. That’s why more than 500 clients from all sectors of the forestry industry across B.C. rely on MNP for industry-specific expertise and strategic business advice.

OUR CLIENTS INCLUDE:

FORESTRY • Logging Contractors

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• First Nations

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Contact Chris Duncan, Regional Leader, Forestry and Forest Products Services, at 250.748.3761 or chris.duncan@mnp.ca

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Business owners often lack the intricate knowledge of tax law needed to maximize their passive income, and financial advisors can help. They work with their clients and other professional services to form a plan to shelter income and allow investors to access funds in the most tax-efficient way possible. Struthers points out that many business owners tend to invest so much time in their company’s operations that they may neglect handling their personal finances. “One client came to us who was nearing retirement,” he says. “We helped him form a comprehensive retirement plan, determining how much income he needed throughout their life. “Upon death, lots of those investments are subject to a high tax rate, so we worked with him to restructure investments in a way that sheltered a majority of income from taxation, and converted those investments to a tax free disposition – a benefit paid out of the corporation upon his death.” A financial advisor works to understand the tax laws of the day so their clients don’t have to. Like with most professional services, the cost of hiring a professional pays for itself by freeing up business owners to invest their time in their own areas of expertise. Professional service providers adopt regulated industry standards in order to remain effective in their field. In legal matters, the Law Society of British Columbia has governed the province’s legal practitioners since 1869 with the goal of protecting the public interest in the administration of justice by setting and enforcing standards of professional conduct for lawyers. “The Law Society’s mandate is to protect the public. We do this by setting and upholding standards for the education, professional responsibility and competence of practicing lawyers,” explained Herman Van Ommen, QC, President of the Law Society in the Winter 2017 edition of the Bencher’s Bulletin – the Society’s newsletter.

Herman Van Ommen QC is President of the Law Society of British Columbia “Perhaps the most public-facing way we fulfil our mandate is through our Professional Regulation Department. The department handles complaints against lawyers, investigates possible lawyer misconduct and incompetence, takes custodianship of lawyers’ practices when they are unable to practice, conducts discipline cases and takes action against those engaged in the unauthorized practice of law. All of this work is integral to our status as a self-regulating profession.” Hav i ng t he power a nd t he responsibility to regulate its membership is one of the many roles of the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (CPABC) an organization charged with overseeing the accounting profession in British Columbia. “We regulate our members, we make sure they’re properly educated, we bring students up through the program and ensure they have the appropriate training and once they’re through their training they become subject to our regulatory regime,” explained Lori Mathison the President and CEO of the CPABC. Responsible for more tha n 32,000 Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) and nearly 7,000 students in British Columbia, the CPABC was also created to protect the public through its ethical standards and discipline processes. “The regulatory side is one half of what we do. The SEE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES | PAGE 27

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

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For an individual to be classed as a professional they are typically required to be continually upgrading their skills

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other part of what we do is to provide services to our members and students to help ensure that their professional obligations are being met,� she said. Another factor that separates professionals from workers is the commitment to formal education that practitioners are willing to undertake – often entirely at their own expense. For example to become a medical doctor in Canada an individual must be prepared to complete no less than eight years of undergraduate studies and medical school instruction followed by residency within a medical institution that could last for up to seven years. L i ke w it h m a ny professions accountants are required to maintain predetermined educational levels, with ongoing coursework a required part of their continued accreditation. “There are annual professional continuing education requirements that have to be met,� Mathison said. “But in addition to that CPAs also have to complete a regular four hour ethics requirement every three years – they need to prove that they’ve taken and passed the necessary courses in ethics on a regular basis in addition to their more general continuing professional development.� “What separates a career from a job is that to be a professional you have to continually upgrade your education, and certainly education is a big part of the practice for any professional. Maintaining your educational standing is a big part of it, as is being required to adhere to a predetermined and recognized code of ethics in your dealings is another – whether you’re a doctor, an engineer or selling real estate,� explained

Lori Mathison is the President and CEO of the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia Jim Stewart, the President of the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) Board of Directors. “The courts see REALTORSŽ as professionals in the same lens as they do lawyers, accountants and others. Following the precepts of your profession is essential – if you’re a lawyer and get called before the bar because of an issue you could be in trouble. Essentially any professional that violates their specific code could find themselves stripped of the right to practice their chosen vocation.� So what jobs are considered profession s i n modern society? Those vocations that operate under the auspices of an umbrella organization could be one benchmark, as is the required commitment to a stated code of conduct or ethics. “Part of being a professional is recognizing that you’re going to be viewed as the best that you can be. Because you’re a professional you deal with your clients in a professional manner and you expect your peers to operate in the same way,� Stewart said. “I f you do someth i ng

wrong or in violation then your peers are going to call you out on it. Censure could come from any number of causes. It could be because of unfair advertising, or trademark infringement, or it could even be how you treat other REALTORSŽ. There’s a reason why, in any profession there are really good ones, and those that are not so good.� Fo r t h e p ro v i n c e’s accountants, and for many ot her professiona l vocations, the standards of training and ethics they must maintain have to be comparable not merely to their regional peers, but measurable on an internationa l level. “I n ou r world, in the accounting world, we are trying to always ensure our standards at least equal international accou nti ng sta nd a rds, w h i c h a r e c o n s t a n tly changing,� Mathison explained. “We want to make sure that we are at a minimum at that level – if not superior to that. So those changes are happening constantly. There’s a need, not merely that you know the new standards, but that you’re current on a whole range of things.� Professional services and the practitioners that deliver them are vital components of any economy. By being registered through sector associations, by unflinching adherence to strict codes of conduct and ethics and through ongoing education the province’s professionals are delivering services and products the equal of those provided anywhere in the world. “A lot of it all comes down to how you operate your business. If you don’t act like a professional, and deal with your clients in a professional manner you’re probably not going to have much of an income,� Stewart said.

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MARCH 2018

K’AWAT’SI CONSTRUCTION COMPANY: A BUSINESS SUCCESS STORY “We’re starting to get KEDC’s Construction Division Is Helping To Build Both Careers & Communities

people in place who are in charge, which for me is the secret of running a

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ORT H A R DY – If Derik E we n t h e M a n a g e r o f k’awat’si Construction does his job as well as he intends he could find himself out of work – and he’s okay with that. “The ultimate goal for me is to provide the mentorship, training and experience necessary for those working in the company to take over direct operation of the business themselves. I would then move onto other things. We’re not there yet, but we’re certainly getting closer,” he explained. A division of the k’awat’si Economic Development General Partner Corporation (KEDC), the k’awat’si Construction Company (KCC) is a Gwa’sala-’Nakwaxda’xw -owned entity that was launched about three years ago to provide construction and renovation services for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal customers. A second pivotal function of the firm is to provide employment and training for local First Nation residents, a role Ewen is especially proud of. “ F ro m i t s c o n c e p t io n t h e k’awat’si Construction Company was envisioned as one of the companies that functions under the overall umbrella of the KEDC. We launched it in 2015, initially

successful business.” DERIK EWEN MANAGER, K’AWAT’SI CONSTRUCTION

just with myself and a couple of the employees I brought with me from a previous engagement,” Ewen explained. Working his entire career in the building trades, first as a framer and later as the owner / operator of his own construction company, Ewen has brought a tremendous amount of leadership and hands on experience to his role as the KCC’s manager. “I’ve really been involved in the full gamut of construction over my career, from framing and foundation work right up to building new homes,” he explained. Specializing in wood and steel frame building construction (new build and renovation) k’awat’si Construction has been involved in a large number of different construction assignments since its inception. It has worked on projects ranging from the building of residential properties on Fi rst Nation reserves, to its extensive involvement in the

Rej Michaud (left) provides training for Darrell Walkus and Will George (right) in preparation for going on a job site re-development of the former Port Hardy Inn into today’s exceptional Kwa’lilas Hotel. “I’ve worked in the North Island building for First Nations for about 10 years now, first under my own name and now with the KCC, that experience is what allowed me to take on this role,” Ewen said. “Conrad Browne (the KEDC’s Chief Executive Officer) had a far reaching vision for the group when it was launched, wanting to go big in terms of economic development, which is why he pushed to have a variety of different functions and entities operate under that single umbrella. For

A major assignment for k’awat’si Construction was the extensive amount of work it put into the expansive Kwa’lilas Hotel project

Only launched in 2015 the k’awat’si Construction Company has already completed more than $14 million worth of work him there was a need for a construction company as part of the plan, so he reached out to me and started the wheels turning.” From a standing start three years ago the k’awat’si Construction Company has been directly responsible for more than $14 million worth of construction, all across the North Island. “While we certainly do most of our work in the North Island we’ve just completed some preliminary negotiations with some First Nations in the Courtenay area so we could be involved in some work down there,” he said. Beginning with only a handful of employees three years ago, k’awat’si Construction can now see as many as 50 people

on its payroll at any one time, depending on the season and the amount of work available. Looking toward the future Ewen anticipates his firm will continue to grow both in experience and skills as it takes on different assignments across the region. “We’re starting to get people in place who are in charge, which for me is the secret of running a successful business. Our ultimate goal is to replace myself within the company and to see it run by a member of the Nation. I’ll then be out of it and on to do something else, so yes I’m sort of putting myself out of work but that was the plan right from the beginning,” he said. www.kedc.ca

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OFF THE COVER

MARCH 2018

29

Company Planning To Open Multiple Retail Outlets

Leakey & Lewicki

LTD.

Congratulations Ruth Dougan The partners at Leakey & Lewicki Ltd. are delighted to welcome Ruth Dougan as the newest member of our accounting team. Ruth brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the firm, having practiced in Nanaimo for over 25 years. Her specialty is Canadian tax and accounting services for individuals and small to medium-sized owner-managed businesses. Ruth has a commitment to her community and takes great pride in providing fresh solutions to her clients’ needs.

Cumberland Crate delivery crew PHOTO CREDIT: KAREN MCKINNON

CUMBERLAND CRATE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Cumberland, the firm was founded in 2013 and today produces more than 30 different styles of custom made crates (complete with equally customized branding), made out of select British Columbia wood. Currently CCC produces crates for clients located quite literally all across North America. Describing themselves as the ‘go-to woodshop’ for numerous multi-national brands, such as Lush Cosmetics and Saje Natural Wellness, the firm has produced products for more than 200 different corporations. While its crates are currently distributed to approximately 50 different retailers, the company recently opened a storefront for direct customer sales in Cumberland, and plans to open a second shop in Victoria later this year. “We’re a world of plastic at the moment, which had led to huge problems with garbage and waste. So we’re doing something to counter that, producing products that last, made out of materials that aren’t just natural, but are also beautiful. By doing what we do we’re working to bring back that traditional spirit,” he said. The success the Cumberland Crate Company has enjoyed during the past five years has seen it expand both its workshop space and its staff count which currently sits at about 10, depending on the workload. Since its inception Lane estimates CCC has produced more than 100,000 crates, primarily made out of BC pine, fir and cedar, with the wood locally sourced whenever possible. Long-time friends, Pateman and Lane came up with the idea for the company quite literally in Pateman’s

Ruth Dougan, CPA, CA 250-585-4144

603-5800 Turner Road, Nanaimo, BC V9T 6J4 Cumberland Crate Company produces crates that come in a variety of sizes and for a variety of different uses

“So Archie and I decided that the answer was to get away from plastic, and to make our own crates, but out of wood.” RODERICK LANE CO-OWNER, CUMBERLAND CRATE COMPANY

garage, where they turned their collective love for wood, and abhorrence of plastic, into a venture that today has an impact felt all across the continent. The relationship the company enjoys with Lush Cosmetics is especially far-reaching. “Lush Cosmetics has certainly been our largest customer. They have outfitted their 400 stores in North America with our crates which they use to hold their soaps,” Lane said. “As we grow we‘re looking to expand. We’ve recently opened our first retail store in Cumberland and are expecting to open a couple more in the next few years, starting in Victoria and then in Vancouver just to give us access to a larger marketplace.”

While many customers purchase CCC crates to use them for their intended purpose, to store and haul things, much of the firm’s production ends up as store displays or as distinctive forms of in-store shelving. While capable of producing custom crates, the company manufactures about 15 standard models – designed to house everything from vinyl records to liquor and wine bottles. “There’s a bit of everyt h i ng. Grocer y crates, farm crates, apple crates, essentially if you can name it we’re probably done it, but we do carry a standard line of products. Locally, customers simply come in and buy crates that they take home and use in their homes, an area we’d love to see expand,” he explained. For the future the Cumberland Crate Company is hoping its expanding retail network will help it continue to grow, introduce new products, and re-introduce more consumers to the timeless appeal of wood. “We’re very conscious of what we do, how we treat our workers and really how we treat the Earth. We’re certainly not making something that can ever hurt anybody,” Lane said. www.cumberlandcratecompany.com

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MARCH 2018

SAYWELL CONTRACTING – FROM LEAKY CONDOS TO PASSIVE HOUSING “Our success and our Regional Construction Firm Has Grown By Recognizing Needs In The Marketplace

future have been built on developing a relationship over financial gain.”

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ANAIMO – The growth a n d s u c c e s s e x p e r ienced by Saywell Contracting Ltd. over the past two decades is directly linked to a talent for recognizing a need in the marketplace, and then for satisfying that need. A general contractor specializing in multi-family, commercial and industrial construction, Saywell Contracting was initially created through the opportunity that appeared during the province’s ‘leaky condo’ crisis of the 1990’s. However today the company has evolved to become a leading provider of energy efficient construction and exceptional project management services for clients located across Vancouver Island. “In one way 2018 is our 20 th anniversary year, but in reality I’ve been doing my thing for the past 25 years. What we can say is that Saywell Contracting as an incorporated entity was created in 1998, but I’ve actually been involved in construction for more than 25 years,” explained company president and founder Sheldon Saywell. Every successful company has its own unique origin story and Saywell Contracting is certainly no exception. The company’s founder maintains that he was originally motivated to get into the construction business to allow him to save money, and to satisfy his personal passion for travel. “I wanted to travel and felt that working in the construction business would give me the money I needed to do that. So a couple of years out of school I took on a laboring job. I lived up in Whistler for a couple of years and thought that I proba bly s h o u ld d o s o m e t h i n g, so I thought that working in

SHELDON SAYWELL PRESIDENT & FOUNDER, SAYWELL CONTRACTING LTD.

construction would provide me with the money I would need to go travelling – so I did,” he recalls. “I came home to Vancouver Island and found myself working in construction. Eventually it just sort of took on a life of its own. I worked for a couple of what are today our competitors, learned the craft and eventually went out on my own.” Beginning his construction career as a common labourer, primarily involved with framing, Saywell made his first business SEE SAYWELL CONTRACTING | PAGE 31

A current example of Saywell’s leading edge creativity is its new Nanaimo Aboriginal Centre Passive House, a 25-unit affordable housing development currently under construction on Bowen Road in Nanaimo

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Sheldon Saywell is the President and Founder of Saywell Contracting Ltd., a firm he first launched 20 years ago

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MARCH 2018

Dallas Renney, Saywell Contracting’s Field Superintendent, is directly involved in its innovative passive house project

Dense foam layers serve as part of the systems used in a passive house - slabs of this thickness are used in the foundation

Located on Bowen Road, the passive house project is a 25-unit affordable housing development

SAYWELL CONTRACTING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 30

foray as a framing contractor working all across the Central Vancouver Island region. But

for the youthful entrepreneur the vision of a career in framing soon lost its lustre as other opportunities began to beckon. “I didn’t want to find myself bei ng 40 a nd st i l l f ra m i ng,

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trying to compete with 20 year old s, so I got i nto prop er ty management work, maintenance work. That was somewhere around 1995,” Saywell said. It was then that Serendipity

played a hand in helping to guide the newly formed firm toward its ultimate destiny, in the form of ill-built and often leaky condominium projects. Saywell had chanced upon a segment of the market that he could fully embrace as his own. “In 1999 I received a call to go to a building that needed a roof access put in, this was in an existing building. I phoned the guy back and asked why he wanted a roof access put in and he said that he thinks it might be one of these leaky condos. That was the job that really got us onto the road to where we are today,” he said. T hough still a novice businessman, Saywell had confidence enough to inquire into the possibility of handling the entire remediation effort for the project, not merely to provide roof access. Much to his surprise he was given the owner’s telephone nu mber a nd a fter

putting in a bid he was given the contract. “He gave me the phone number of the guy in Vancouver, I phoned him up and he sent me over all the drawings and everything and away we went. Despite being very intimidated by it all, as I’d never done anything like that before, we did the job,” Saywell said. With little more than a vision, self-confidence and a staff of one labourer, Saywell Contracting had taken on the first of what would ultimately become 30 or more successful condominium remediation projects – a segment of the firm’s workload that continues to be an important part of its overall revenue stream. “Long story short, I bid that job and it was a success. It was down on Stewart Avenue and I had put up two huge signs as we were working. They must SEE SAYWELL CONTRACTING | PAGE 32

Nanaimo Passive House

Congratulations

to Saywell Contracting on 20 years of building excellence and best wishes for continued success.

32 SAYWELL CONTRACTING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31

have worked as the phone didn’t stop ringing,� he said. Being at the right place at the right time, Saywell Contracting had fortuitously discovered a market for its services that allowed it to grow quickly, adding to its staff count and skills levels with each succeeding contract. “The growth happened almost organically, without any real planning – it just sort of took off. In the early days we really built the company around the leaky condo epidemic, working on buildings from Courtenay to Victoria. For years 80 per cent of our revenues came out of Victoria as they simply had more condos to work on,� he said. With his traveller’s eye always peering toward the horizon, Saywell began to look around for creative opportunities and business fulfillment elsewhere in the construction sector, with the development of his own multifamily projects and other new construction challenges offering the appeal he needed. That creative and corporate satisfaction took the form of new construction, both residential and commercial. “We are still the ‘go to guys’ when it comes to remediating condominiums, but since Karl Binder has joined the company, f i rst a s t he Sp eci a l P roject Manager and now as the new Operations Manager we have really focused on new builds and that sort of thing,� Saywell explained. Joining Saywell Contracting about three years ago Binder has ta ken the fi rm i nto new directions, including its first multi-family residential developments. With an emphasis on larger scale construction projects Binder points out the compa ny does occasion a l ly build custom homes, but only for select clients. “For example one of the sub trades that we use wanted us to build his house so we did it. We like to take those tasks on once in a while. It can be fun to work one on one with the clients. We also have a lot more influence

MARCH 2018

when it comes to the development of the property - far more than with a multi-unit project as we are working with architects and designers so there’s less room for individuality with that sort of project,� he said. A current example of Saywell’s leading edge creativity is its new Nanaimo Aboriginal Centre Passive House, a 25-unit affordable housing development currently under construction on Bowen Road in the city. Designed by DYS Architects, the unique project takes the innovative, energy-efficient passive house model, and expands it into a multi-family development of affordable suites intended for youth, elders and families of the local community in Nanaimo. The project is funded in part by BC Housing. I n m a ny ways a mo del for similar future passive multifamily developments, the project consists of three blocks of ground-oriented suites arranged around an open courtyard. This design allows all of the suites to have cross-ventilation and solar access, while creating protected outdoor space shared by all of the future residents. “The passive house concept really looks at the buildings as a whole. The flavor of the month right now is the BC Energy Step Code for energy efficiency, with every government building being at Step 4 energy efficiency levels by 2032. A passive house is essentially Step 4 right now, maybe even a little bit better,� Binder explained. “A passive house has very strict rules and guidelines for the design from a quality standpoint. When this building is done a tenant in one of the units will expect to pay about $30 per year for heat, that’s it. The project has 25 residential units complete with a 1,200 square foot amenity space bringing the whole project up to about 26,000 square feet.� For Dallas Renney, Saywell’s Field Superintendent and the on-site manager of the passive hou se con st r uct ion project the Nanaimo development is

SEE SAYWELL CONTRACTING | PAGE 33

Joining Saywell Contracting three years ago Karl Binder is taking on a new role as its Operations Manager

Typically restricted to single family homes, this project scales the passive house concept to a multi-family development

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MARCH 2018

The Nanaimo passive house project was designed by DYS Architects and is being funded in part by BC Housing

SAYWELL CONTRACTING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 32

A passive house has very strict rules and guidelines for the design from a quality standpoint, including features like air seal foam on the sides of the building

proof that this innovative form of construction is the way of the future. “This isn’t a proof of concept. T he concept has been proven, in Germany for example. But this will be a first for Vancouver Island,” he said. One of the keys to a successful passive house of any size is the care and attention to detail that goes into its construction. As an oyster is safe and comfortable within its hard shell, the occupants of a passive home are warm and energy efficient than ks in part to being su rrounded by layers of dense foam insulation. “The ultimate goal of course is the construction of a true Net-Zero structure - that is a property that in essence produces all of the energy it needs to operate. That’s basically the

Holy Gra i l for passive home builders,” Renney said. “We’re not quite there yet, but with this project we’re coming much closer. The beauty of this is that even older structures such as schools and hospitals can be incrementally retrofitted to make them more energy efficient. That alone is a tremendous market for this type of construction and is something, as a passive house builder, I’d love to see us undertake.” The success of this exceptional project, along with the skills being developed by Saywell’s construction team to bring this unique development to fruition, will provide invaluable experience for its next energy efficient construction project. The Nanaimo project has shown that a passive house can be of any size, so the sky really is the limit for SEE SAYWELL CONTRACTING | PAGE 34

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MARCH 2018

SAYWELL CONTRACTING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33

Saywell’s building team. Beginning its existence as a leaky condo remediation compa ny, Say wel l Cont ra c t i n g is now evolving into a multifa m i ly a nd energ y-efficient builder which is part of its goal of being not only a successful firm, but a good partner in the community. “We try to be very active in the community and regularly donate to the staff’s children’s functions for example. I like to keep it in the family and supporti ng the causes that ou r people believe in,” Saywell said. “We had a super i ntendent whose son wa s on t he Ca nadian BMX team so we helped him with travel costs and things like that. We’ve been a longtime supporter of minor hockey for example and we have two bathtubs in the race every year, so it’s important for us to give back to the community that’s been good to us.” A key part of Saywell Contracting’s success rests with the longevity and spirit of its team such as with Dallas Renney and the company’s Controller Julie Pimentel who was been with the firm practically from its inception. “We really stress the family approach in everything we do,” Binder explained. “That sense of belonging, of knowing that they’re appreciated and valued is really what we want to provide our people. That’s also what Sheldon and I both want, we don’t want to grow so big we become that big monster. We never want to lose that feeling of being a family business. Something important would be lost if we ever did.” With its headquarters located at 2599 McCullough Road in Nanaimo, Saywell Contracting has a staff count of about 20, but can see its ranks swell dramatically with sub trades depending on the size and scale of the project. Being an active part of the regional construction sector for nearly a quarter century, Saywell has an expanding client list of repeat and referral customers, testament to the

One of the unique features of the passive house project is its use of natural materials and cultural design elements quality and care taken with any of its projects. “Our reputation is very important to us because we really do want to leave a legacy behind. When I see a project that we have done in the past, even if it was from years ago, it’s still is a great source of pride to me,” Saywell said. “I don’t want to leave a tarn i shed n a me for my k id s to take over. Doing the job right ever y t i me i s i mp or t a nt to this company. In some of our l iteratu re we h ave u sed t he phrase: People Before Profit – which is something we believe whole-heartedly. Our success and our future have been built on developing a relationship over financial gain. W hen it comes down to it, we’re building relationships every bit as much as we’re building structures.” www.saywellcontracting.com

When this building is done a tenant in one of the units will expect to pay about $30 per year for heat, thanks to innovative structural components like this blue slab on grade foam

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CAMPBELL RIVER

MARCH 2018

35

CITY ADDS TWO AWARDS TO FAST GROWING PORTFOLIO

CAMPBELL RIVER ROSE KLUKAS

C

ampbell River is two for two on recent awards, and our entry into a third competition will make us a winner no matter the outcome! This month, Campbell River will pick up our Smart 50 Award, an international award distinguishing municipal projects that exemplify innovation. The award showcases the City’s investment in a municipal broadband network, CRadvantage. Closer to home, Campbell River just won the Open for Business Award announced at Small Business BC’s Awards gala. Campbell River was recognized in the large community’s category, for cities with populations greater than 25,000 – and up against strong competition from Prince George and Penticton. Our business case, describing CRadvantage and economic development’s Modern Entrepreneur Series, showcased the City’s contemporary approach to economic development. As the first municipally owned, fibre optic network on Vancouver Island, CRadvantage enables affordable internet services to business and residential customers. By providing this

state-of-the-art infrastructure, we are fostering a marketplace in which internet service providers will compete for customers, thereby reducing the cost to the consumer. The Modern Entrepreneur initiative supports business retention and growth through events such as professional development workshops, networking opportunities, and roundtables to encourage mentorship, learning, and collaboration. Why is the City focusing its attention on the small business community? Here are some, perhaps surprising, stats: In 2015 small businesses employed over 8.2 million individuals in Canada, or 70.5 per cent of the total private labour force. In 2013, Canada exported goods totaling $420 billion, of which $106 billion (25.2 per cent) was exported by small-to-mediumsized enterprises. In 2014, small businesses contributed an average of 30 per cent to the gross domestic product (GDP) of their province. British Columbia contributed the highest share to the provincial GDP at 33 per cent. Small businesses are big job creators, accounting for 97.9 per cent of all firms in Canada. Supporting the business

community just makes sense! Building on the momentum Campbell River is experiencing, the City has entered Canada’s Smart Cities Challenge – vying for up to $10 million in federal funding to support community innovation and problem-solving using connected technology. The challenge is an opportunity for the City to engage with its citizens, to talk about local issues and possible technology solutions. Success is dependent on citizen involvement, and we want to make it easy for people to contribute ideas. We’re reaching out to the community in-person, through events and through our engagement platform: https:// connect.campbellriver.ca/ where people can easily register their ideas about what the City could do with $10 million dollars. Participating in this challenge

is a privilege, and what we learn from residents will make for even more of a winning community.

Rose Klukas is the Economic Development Officer for the City of Campbell River.

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CAMPBELL RIVER/COMOX VALLEY

REALIZING THE POTENTIAL OF AQUACULTURE IN BC

CAMPBELL RIVER CHAMBER COLLEEN EVANS

A

highly engaging and sold out Chamber luncheon focusing on the aquaculture sector, included panelists Dallas Smith of the Nanwakolas Council, Dr. Jim Powell, CEO of the BC Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences, Jeremy Dunn, Executive Director of the BC Salmon Farmers Association and Randall Heidt, VP Strategic Initiatives, NIC and moderated by Cheryl O’Connell, Dean of Trades and Technical Programming, NIC. The event provided an opportunity for the panelists to collectively emphasize that science, not emotion, needs to take the lead in aquaculture

discussions and the polarized sides need to realize there’s a middle ground somewhere that is well worth trying to find. The discussions around the table were collaborative and insightful and guests walked away with not only a greater understanding of the industry but a new appreciation that the hard questions were asked and opened up new opportunities to keep the conversation going. Our Chamber is finalizing a policy on aquaculture, Realizing the Potential of Aquaculture in BC that we will be taking forward to the BC Chamber AGM in May with recommendations to both the provincial and federal government. A copy of the draft policy that is out for community consultation is available on the Chamber’s website at www.campbellriverchamber. ca ■■■ A free information night to hear about the Chamber’s next travel destination to China in October is planned for March 14 from 5:30pm to 7:00 pm. A new totally free Chamber member benefit that allows members to share their views and connect in conversations across the province.

NDP ‘speculation tax’ pummels buyers and owners ■■■ Con g rat u l at ion s to Robi n Modesto (RPF) a professional engineer of Campbell River on being acclaimed as president of the Association of BC Forest Professionals. Congratulations to the City of Campbell River on being awarded the provincial Open For Business Award. With Campbell River experiencing the second lowest vacancy rate on Vancouver Island, the recent approvals of major development permits for multi-storey apartment buildings and housing diversity are great news. Our Chamber enjoys the opportunity to work with all the major political parties, elected officials and senior staff at all levels of government to help b u s i ne ss g row a nd a ch ieve economic success. We recently hosted at a Chamber lunch the leader of the NDP Party, Jagmeet Singh and MP Rachel Blaney and had the opportunity to emphasize the significant contributions that busi ness makes to our community and local economy. Colleen Evans is Executive Director at the Campbell River Chamber of Commerce.

UNION BAY DEVELOPMENT READY TO LAUNCH

BUILDING LINKS CLARICE COTY

O

n March 1, Kensington Union Bay Properties L i m ite d h e l d a p r e s s con ference to a n nou nce the launch Union Bay Estates development, a residential and commercial development located on 850 acres i n Un ion Bay. Located 15 minutes south of Courtenay, Union Bay Estates will include many residential options including multi and single-family residential, ret i rement a nd sen ior l iv i ng, work/live homes and affordable housing. As a destination community, the development will also incorporate mixeduse commercial space, along with two new hotels, a marina and amenities such as a pharmacy, medical clinic, movie theater, coffee shop and more.

T h e M a s te r D e v e l o p m e n t Agreement for this project allows up to 2,949 new residential units to be built. Currently, there are approximately 1,200 residents living in Union Bay and the population could increase by an additional 7,500 to 9,000 once the project has been built out. A subdivision application to the Ministry of Transportation and Highways and the Comox Valley Regional District (CV R D) is ex pected to b e s ubm it te d ver y so on. The first phase will include 30 lots for single-family homes, and 9 of the homes are zoned to accommodate a carriage or laneway style of second dwelling. A three-storey commercial building is also planned to begin with the Phase 1 construction. This building will house the developer’s offices a s wel l a s of f ic e s for ot her tenants. A 30-acre park will be created onto the waterfront once the Province and West Fraser Timber complete the coal hill remediation plan. Future plans for the development include a walkway which follows the old Collier Railway corridor, a n outdoor gat her i ng pl ace a n d a go l f c o u r s e i s u n d e r consideration.

MARCH 2018

Kensington Union Bay Properties Li m ited w i l l a lso don ate l a nd for t he fol low i ng pu rposes; 16 per cent of the property for parks and trails, a donation of six serviced building lots to the CVRD to allow for the construction of affordable housi ng, la nd to Un ion Bay Improvement District for the water treatment plant, a fire hall and a new elementary school. The design and planning for this project started almost 20 years ago and is officially moving forward with the Master Development A g reement i n place, a Water Servicing Agreement in place with the Union Bay Improvement District and an Impact Benefit Agreement negotiated with K’omoks First Nation. Work on the water treatment plant, roads and infrastructure is expected to begin in 2018. Con st r uct ion of Ph a se I, to build 30 single family homes is expected to be underway in the summer of 2019. Clarice Coty is the founder of Building Links. Contact: clarice@ buildinglinks.ca or find Building Links on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BuildingLinks

Charlie Parker

Doug Tyce

BY MARK MACDONALD

their only option being to sell.” Tyce believes the tax wasn’t very well-thought out prior to its introduction. “I don’t think they’ve clearly identified what their objectives are with this tax, and it doesn’t look like they’ve done a true economic impact analysis of these changes,” says Tyce. “This tax will not create any new supply of homes for the average person who may want to purchase a house.” Parker concurs, noting “This government interference in the marketplace is going to have very negative impact without achieving their objective of opening more rental units.” Parker provided a couple of scenarios facing local owners. “O n e c l i e n t o w n s a h o m e here and has a condo, but they are in a position now that the B.C. government views them as speculators,” Parker says. “He has checked with his accountant and are going to list, sell and go back to Alberta. “One of my next door neighbours lives in Ottawa, and comes to the Island for several weeks each year because of the weather. Because of his health, they cannot go to the U.S. They have-no intention of renting, and they are now checking with lawyer and contemplating selling, and returning to Ottawa.” Tyce says real estate developers are already “putting projects on hold” because of the taxes and their expected negative impact. “They’re wondering out loud, ‘if these homes and condos are not going to sell, why would I build them?’ This tax will actually decrease the amount of new homes and housing units on the market.” Tyce is calling on the government to introduce a consultation period prior to implementation of the tax in 2019, to hear from affected homeowners. He adds that the high volume of opposition to the federal government’s planned structural tax changes last fall resulted in some significant changes that were reflected in the Trudeau government’s recent federal budget.

BUSINESS EXAMINER

N

ANAIMO – The NDP’s surprise introduction of a 2 per cent real estate “speculation tax” in the recent provincial budget will have dire, unintended consequences, business leaders say. “Although the speculation tax is aimed at foreign buyers, it will also affect Canadian owners,” says Doug Tyce, Partner and Regional Leader for Real Estate and Construction Services for MNP. “These are not foreign buyers, they are people who perhaps have bought a home in B.C. to rent it out and may be forced to sell it now. “We have an Alberta client who has a non-revenue producing $12 million home on Lake Okanagan that will be paying $240,000 in extra property taxes every year starting in 2019 if this speculation tax isn’t corrected. “There are families who have had vacation properties in Kelowna for 50 years,” he notes. “This new government tax would mean that on a $2 million property, they’ll be paying $40,000 a year in extra, new taxes.” Tyce shared a scenario where a client who lives and works in Nanaimo purchased a second home in Victoria, where his wife, a nurse, stays up to four nights per week while working there. With this tax, the couple would be taxed 2 per cent annually on a home valued at $500,000, meaning they’ll pay an extra $10,000 per year. Charlie Parker, who owns RE/ M A X of Nanaimo, says “t he sp ecu l at ion ta x h a s ro cked everyone. Canadians that own these properties will be hurt, and some will have their lifelong plans disrupted. “The people that own those properties put millions of dollars a year into the economy,” Parker adds. “Many Canadians own properties in BC with the ultimate goal of living here and contributing to the economy. That will be lost. A lot of the affected properties do not allow rentals, leaving the owners with

CONSTRUCTION

MARCH 2018

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38

OFF THE COVER

MARCH 2018

Family-Owned & Operated Real Estate Business Has Served Island Since 1887

Pemberton Holmes, which has been serving Vancouver Island since 1887, has now opened a Courtenay office

PEMBERTON HOLMES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

presence there. At some point we might move further north, perhaps to Campbell River, but it’s all a question of time and the right opportunity presenting itself.” Located at 535 6th Street in C o u r te n ay, t h e P e m b e r to n Holmes Comox Valley branch is currently home to a team that includes three realtors (plus Mullin) but offers sufficient space for expansive future growth. “Mike Holmes wanted to move north but he recognized that he already had enough management and oversight responsibilities on the South Island. When he moved north he bought the Parksville branch with Kim Young who later opened the Bowser branch. I was planning on opening a Comox Valley branch next spring but low and behold in October Slegg Realty closed its Courtenay and Parksville offices, opting for the virtual office model,” Mullin explained. “Suddenly local realtors became available. So I called Mike Holmes and said ‘I know we were going to do this next spring but I think we should go now’ - just because of the opportunity Slegg presented. Pemberton Holmes took possession of this building December 21 and we then spent the next six weeks outfitting the branch to convert it from an accountant’s office into a real estate franchise.” Located in an extensively renovated and updated character home dating to the 1930s, the new Pemberton Holmes Comox Valley branch provides an appropriately classic venue for this pioneering Vancouver Island firm to conduct business. “It’s really a gorgeous building and it’s perfectly suited as a real estate office,” he said. “We currently have four realtors but I’m hoping to have 12

R. Mike Mullin the co-owner of Pemberton Holmes Comox Valley helps out by staffing the phones at his new office

Originally an accountant’s office, the new Pemberton Holmes Comox Valley office is ideal for a real estate firm

“It has always been my long term ambition to become an Island-wide company, from one end to the other.” MIKE HOLMES OWNER / MANAGER, PEMBERTON HOLMES LTD.

by the end of this year. We don’t want to grow too fast and we want to find the right mix of individuals. We’re starting from scratch, so we want to do it right, every step of the way.” For Holmes opening of the new office is yet another milestone for the firm his family has been operating since 1887. “I’m really pleased to see us finally branch into that north end of the Island as it has such a promising future,” he said. www.pembertonholmes.com

WHO IS SUING WHOM

MARCH 2018

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 0829952 BC LTD PO Box 138, Qualicum Beach, BC PLAINTIFF Raymer, Monica CLAIM $35,216 DEFENDANT Art Tax 206-15299 68th Ave, Surrey, BC PLAINTIFF Miller, John CLAIM $7,679 DEFENDANT Daigle Welding & Marine Ltd 200-1260 Shoppers Row, Campbell River, BC PLAINTIFF Aitken, Duane CLAIM $35,196

DEFENDANT Depend A Dor Repair & Installation LTD 420-880 Douglas St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Aitken, Duane CLAIM $35,196 DEFENDANT E Y Properties LTD 1212-1175 Douglas St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Bevacqua, Marisa CLAIM $ 35,216 DEFENDANT Eaglecraft Leasing Inc 200-1260 Shoppers Row, Campbell River, BC PLAINTIFF Aitken, Duane CLAIM $35,196 DEFENDANT Economical Mutual Insurance Company 400-725 Granville St, Vancouver, BC PLAINTIFF Broadway, Anna CLAIM $ 8,836 DEFENDANT Finishing Store Millworks LTD 1002 Wharf St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF

Wilson, Denise Marie CLAIM $ 35,196 DEFENDANT Frontiersman Liquor Store PO BOX 138, Qualicum Beach, BC PLAINTIFF Raymer, Monica CLAIM $ 35,216 DEFENDANT Full Impact Enterprises LTD 317-877 Goldstream Ave, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Proline Roofing LTD CLAIM $ 13,606 DEFENDANT Gandhi Holdings LTD 1038 Donwood Dr, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF M E Chartered Accountant LTD CLAIM $ 339,364 DEFENDANT GWG Rentals Vancouver Island 317-877 Goldstream Ave, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Proline Roofing LTD CLAIM $ 13,606 DEFENDANT

Hub International Insurance Brokers 2640 Douglas St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Broadway, Anna CLAIM $ 8,836 DEFENDANT Island View Tree & Stump Grinding Ltd 3RD FLR 26 Bastion Square, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Gilbert, Bradford Roland CLAIM $ 35,216 DEFENDANT Just Bookkeeping 301-129 Burnett Rd, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Nicadian Enterprises INC CLAIM $ 11,386 DEFENDANT Leqwa Enterprises INC 1441A Old Island Hwy, Campbell River, BC PLAINTIFF Simkin, Jodi CLAIM $ 6,956 DEFENDANT Mark Hill Carpentry & Flooring INC 2310 Watkiss Way, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF

Wilson, Denise Marie CLAIM $ 35,196 DEFENDANT Moroni INC 14321 East Bonelli St, City Of Industry, CA PLAINTIFF Scott, Nigel CLAIM $ 11,709 DEFENDANT Nickel Bros House Moving LTD 1990 Balsam Rd, Nanaimo, BC PLAINTIFF May, Leon CLAIM $ 22,576 DEFENDANT One Stop Furniture INC 9819 5TH ST, Sidney, BC PLAINTIFF Scott, Nigel CLAIM $ 11,709 DEFENDANT Profab Energy Services INC 400-725 Granville St, Vancouver, BC PLAINTIFF Fusion Tech Welding Services LTD CLAIM $ 11,947 DEFENDANT Pure Engineering LTD

39 89 Carswell Rd Se, Medicine Hat, AB PLAINTIFF Urban Bee Supplies LTD CLAIM $ 14,029 DEFENDANT Securco Services INC 704 Fitzwilliam St, Nanaimo, BC PLAINTIFF Aitken, Duane CLAIM $ 35,196 DEFENDANT Sherwood Marine Centre Limited 200-7169 West Saanich Rd, Brentwood Bay, BC PLAINTIFF Clarke, Steve CLAIM $ 8,224 DEFENDANT SVP Canada Inc 1212-1175 Douglas St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Coyne, Joan CLAIM $ 35,176

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

40

NORTH ISLAND

MARCH 2018

been renamed Van Island Plastic Factory Ltd. and Scott Winton, a Calgary native, has acquired half of the business from founder Jason Bailey. The new partners are looking forward to growing their business locally and in the North Island.

Business Examiner Gold Event Sponsors

Waypoint Insurance has moved their downtown office up the street to 700 – 1400 Dogwood Street.

Mike DesRochers Mike DesRochers, RFP, received the Jim Rodney Memorial Volunteer of the Year Award at the annual Association of BC Forest Professionals (ABCFP) annual conference recently. Mike is a forester with BC Timber Sales in Port McNeill, and has been a long-time volunteer with ABCFP.

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Port Hardy welcomes Northern Bliss Day Spa, a full-service day spa to the community in the North Island Mall. The new store is located across from Hardy Buoys in a recently renovated space.

Cyber Security

John Tidbury, a Port Hardy councillor, was presented with the Freedom of the District award at a recent ceremony. The award comes with a key to the municipality and recognizes a lifelong commitment to the Port Hardy community.

Protect Your Business From Online Threats Tomorrow’s technology is shaping business today. To stay ahead, contact Ron Borsholm, B.C. Leader Cyber Security at 778.350.3562 or ron.borsholm@mnp.ca

CAMPBELL RIVER

MNP.ca

Bailey’s Plastic Factory Ltd. has

Vancouver Island’s Office Outfitters™

Kyle Needham, CFP, has joined Scotiabank in Campbell River. Kyle has more than nine years in the financial services industry and joins the local team as an Investment Specialist.

The Immigrant Welcome Centre is celebrating their 25th year of serving the Campbell River community at 740 Robron Road. Dr. Nolan Jansen closed his practice at Quinsam Medical Clinic at the end of last month. Dr. Wiaan Bedeker has been hired to replace him at the practice at 280 – 1400 Dogwood Street.

Robin Modesto Robin Modesto, a registered professional forester and professional engineer from Campbell River, has been acclaimed as president of the 71st council of the Association of BC Forest Professionals (ABCFP). Modesto was appointed to the position at the organization’s annual general meeting and conference in Victoria on February 22. He is currently the manager of supply chain and land use, at Interfor’s Coastal Woodlands division.

Bill Howich Chrysler congratulates Ron May and Ryan Howich, for being the top salespeople of the month at the dealership at 2277 North Island Highway.

COMOX VALLEY Presley & Partners, a leading accounting and business advisory firm on Vancouver Island, announces that Mike Bannerman has been promoted to partner in the firm. Mike SEE MOVER’S AND SHAKERS | PAGE 41

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MOVERS AND SHAKERS

MARCH 2018

MOVERS AND SHAKERS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 40

Mike Bannerman is a Vancouver Island native who has been with Presley & Partners since 2012. Presley & Partners is at 951 Fitzgerald Avenue in Courtenay. Kathy MacNeil has been appointed president and chief executive officer for Island Health effective immediately. Ms. MacNeil joined Island Health in 2015 as executive vice-president of quality, safety and experience. Kathy previously served with the Capital Health Region in Halifax where she was vice-president of people beginning in 2008. She holds a Master of Arts in Leadership (Health Specialization) from Royal Roads University, and a Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy from Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS. She is also a Certified Health Executive with the Canadian College of Health Leaders. Van Isle Windows Ltd is celebrating their 40th year in business at #8 – 241 Puntledge Road in Courtenay. Stephen Turple, PFP, FMA, is the

most recent addition to Scotiabank’s team of investment professionals in the Comox Valley. Stephen has over 12 years of experience in financial services and joins the company as an investment specialist. The 2017 Community Action Award was presented to Project Watershed at the Comox Valley Council of Canadians AGM. The award is presented to an individual or organization that demonstrates progressive action in the community and promotes the values endorsed by the Council of Canadians. Claude Bigler & Friends introduces Cole Schiml as their new junior stylist at 442-B Duncan Avenue. Finneron Hyundai introduces Glenice Neal as their top salesperson of the month for the dealership at 250 Old Island Highway in Courtenay. Candice Rawson has opened Forbidden All Star Cheerleading in the Comox Valley. The company is booking school gymnasiums to use for classes. A grand opening was held last month for “The General Store” in The Views at the former St. Joseph’s General Hospital. Rick Sharples was recently named the top salesperson of the month at Sunwest RV Centre at 2800 Cliffe Avenue in Courtenay.

The South Hollow Gallery Leapenhi Paper store has moved to an onlineonly format, after over nine years at 218 – 5th Street in Courtenay. The downtown store is both an art gallery featuring works from Vancouver Island artists and a specialty paper store. Brian McLean Chevrolet Buick GMC announces that Ryan Sykes is their top salesperson of the month at the dealership at 2145 Cliffe Avenue in Courtenay. The Comox Valley Record has moved to a new location at 407D 5th Street.

PARKSVILLEQUALICUM BEACH The Qualicum Beach Chamber of Commerce held their 2017 Community Awards gala in an event on February 21, at the Qualicum Beach Civic Centre. Bodysculptors Fitness took home the Business of the Year award and John McLenahan received the Volunteer of the Year Award. The other winners and categories include Lynne Noble of the Qualicum & District Curling Club in Newsmaker of the Year; Ken Bowerman of Qualicum Foods in Outstanding Customer Service; Oceanside Art Studio in New Business of the Year; Mary Brouilette in Citizen of the Year; Rebekah Anne of Bekah-Anne Accessories in Young

Entrepreneur of the Year; and Brent Johnson took home the Community futures Central Island Lifetime Achievement Award. Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort & Conference Centre is holding a soft-opening on March 12 for their renovated restaurant. The restaurant and spa invested $1.5-million in the facelift which included a redesign of the area in front of the kitchen, expansion to the restaurant’s lounge, new flooring and walls in the kitchen, new lighting, expanded walk-in freezer and the addition of a stone oven. A grand opening for the renovated space has not yet been determined. Mid Island Truck Auto and RV Ltd. held a grand opening celebration at the dealership at 669 Island Highway East in Parksville on March 3. The dealership officially unveiled recently made renovations as well as a new showroom, where they are stocking custom motorcycles and other items for sale. Pharmasave Parksville has expanded to include a cosmetic department at 281 East Island Highway. Anthony MacAulay Notary Corp. has moved just around the corner from their previous location to 127 Alberni Highway in Parksville. The Society of Organized Services is in their 50th year of operation at 245 West Hirst Avenue in Parksville.

41 Revived Vintage, a Qualicum Beach-based furniture restoration business, is celebrating their fifth anniversary at 106 West Second Avenue. The company also provides classes to the public interested in restoration projects of their own.

PORT ALBERNI

Marty Douglas RE/MAX Mid-Island Realty welcomes Marty Douglas to their brokerage at 4213 Princess Road. Douglas grew up in Campbell River, attended the University of Victoria and has been a licensed realtor since 1970. Marty has deep roots in the Comox Valley, where he was involved in ownership of real estate and insurance companies, and he is a Past President of the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board and the B.C. Real Estate Association. Alberni Toyota has been ranked Number 1 out of 248 dealerships across Canada by Toyota for top sales operations in 2017. The SEE MOVER’S AND SHAKERS | PAGE 43

OPINION

42

MARCH 2018 A division of Invest Northwest Publishing Ltd. Vancouver Island Office 25 Cavan Street,Nanaimo, BC V9R 2T9 Toll free: 1.866.758.2684 Fax: 1.778.441.3373 Email: info@businessexaminer.ca Website: www.businessexaminer.ca

PUBLISHER/EDITOR | Lise MacDonald SALES | John MacDonald – john@businessexaminer.ca, Josh Higgins – josh@businessexaminer.ca, Cheryl Lee - cheryl@businessexaminer.ca WRITERS | Julia MacDonald, Beth Hendry-Yim, David Holmes, Kristin Van Vloten, Val Lennox WEBSITE | John MacDonald – john@businessexaminer.ca

NDP’S ‘BOA CONSTRICTOR’ BUDGET BEGINS ASSAULT ON BUSINESS

MARK MACDONLD

S

urprise, surprise. It’s the same old NDP. That’s what this version of the NDP, with the Green Party in tow, demonstrated with their first provincial budget in February that called for almost $6 billion in tax increases in just its first year in government. Not to mention driving the provincial debt up by $4.1 billion to $69.4 billion – the biggest single-year increase in six years. It appears that despite 17 years on the opposition benches after a disastrous decade in power, the NDP hasn’t learned anything about the economy. It’s the same old tax and spend, and the all-too-familiar message to business: Look out. The wolves are back in the proverbial hen house, searching for nest eggs. Particularly for those in the real

estate market. And, gasp, small business – the “sector” the GreeNDP always claims they support. Call this the first flexing of the GreeNDP’s boa constrictor effect on the economy. As they’ve been in power less than a year, it won’t be enough to stop the provincial economy’s momentum, since it will take a lot more than that to undo the progress that’s been made by free enterprise governments since 2000. But the budget is still an indication of where the business community feared this version of the NDP would tread. Let’s look at a couple of areas: Real estate and small business First, real estate, starting with two words: Supply. Demand. These two words explain commerce in its rawest of forms. It’s a very simple concept, worked out in full view, every day in the marketplace. If the amount of supply goes up and demand goes down, there is less competition and the price of supplies goes down, since there are less buyers for more products. If there is a scarcity of supply and abundance of demand, prices rise because there is more competition and demand. It’s the same principle, with the opposite effect, as more purchasers for less goods

means prices climb, because they can. This is the most basic of any economics lesson. In regards to B.C.’s real estate market, arguably THE driver of jobs and revenue over the last decade, there isn’t enough supply, and with increased demand, prices rise. So what does the NDP do in its first budget? Start strangling demand, by introducing a potential $1.3 billion in additional real estate taxes, and hiking the punitive foreign buyers tax on real estate from 15 to 20 per cent. A headline in the Globe and Mail summed it up thusly: “B.C.’s NDP budget takes aim at real estate market”. Former Premier Christy Clark introduced the 15 per cent surcharge during her reign, a wealth tax aimed at the well-heeled outside the country, to score political points with voters concerned about the high cost of housing. By squeezing the market by adding more taxation, the government has narrowed the number of buyers interested in purchasing homes, meaning retirees looking at their primary residences as their largest investment for retirement will now get less. By attacking demand, the NDP is making it less appealing for

foreign buyers to buy B.C. real estate. They think this is a noble pursuit, failing to acknowledge it is punishing our own citizens whose opportunities to sell their homes to fund their retirement for more money will diminish. The real issue with real estate in this province is supply. There isn’t enough. The solution? Build more. Yet that isn’t really something the provincial government can control, because development decisions are made at the civic and regional district levels, which are, more often than not, led by no-development factions and layer upon layer of bureaucrats that set up roadblocks up to stop development, aka “delay, delay, delay”, that limits supply, which drives prices up even further. And this brings us to a segue into Small Business. The NDP’s commitment to raise the minimum wage to $15 is a roundhouse kick to the solar plexus for small business owners more than anyone. It leaves owners with one of two options: Raise prices to cover the new wages which means inflation, or cut staff to keep overhead costs down if the market can’t bear higher rates. Another punch in the gut for compa n ies ca me w it h t hei r

announcement of an MSP payroll tax. One business owner with a $3 million payroll states that the NDP’s new tax will take an additional $60,000 from the firm each year. We haven’t even touched on the extra carbon tax adds “hidden” costs for company vehicles, deliveries, etc. All these tax hikes make the miniscule reduction in the provincial small business tax rate meaningless. H e re a g a i n i s N DP i d e ology-over-reality at work once again. It’s as if they believe by boosting pay to a so-called “living wage”, that minimum wage workers will suddenly be able to buy homes, for example. Minimum wage jobs don’t pay enough to allow workers to purchase homes. They never have been, and never will be. Maybe the GreeNDP deliberately intends to discourage high-end real estate purchasers from investing in B.C., and by lessening demand, they think it will make real estate more affordable. Or perhaps they think that by hiking the minimum wage, those same minimum wage earners will be able to buy homes. Either way, the NDP is wrong. And they’ve now officially begun to squeeze B.C.’s economy.

RAISING MINIMUM WAGES: GOOD INTENTIONS, BAD POLICY Raising The Minimum Wage Is A Flawed Strategy For Achieving The Critically Important Social Objective Of Raising People Out Of

THE FRASER INSTITUTE BY HUGH MACINTYRE AND CHARLES LAMMAM As the old saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. But good intentions alone aren’t enough to justify government policy. Real-world evidence matters. BC P rem ier John Horgan nonet heless re cent ly a nnounced plans to raise the province’s minimum wage by 34 per cent over four years, from its current hourly rate of $11.35 to $15.20 by 2021. Horgan made clear his good intentions when he spoke of lifting “people

Poverty out of poverty.” We certainly applaud this sentiment and share the premier’s goal. Unfortunately, the evidence shows that raising the minimum wage is a flawed strategy for achieving this critically important social objective. For starters, the minimum wage does a poor job of targeting the people we want to help: the working poor. According to data from Statistics Canada, the vast majority of BC’s minimum wage earners don’t live in poverty. In fact, 89 per cent are not part of a low-income household. W hile this may sound counterintuitive, it makes sense once you realize that the

overwhelming majority of minimum wage earners aren’t the primary or sole earner in their households. They are mostly teenagers or young adults working their first jobs or working part-time while in school. In BC, 54 per cent of minimum wage earners are under the age of 25, with the vast majority living at home with parents or other relatives. Another 19 per cent of all minimum-wage earners live with an employed spouse who often earns more than the minimum wage. So even older minimum wage earners tend not to be the sole breadwinners in households. Thankfully, a single parent struggling to get by on minimum wage is pretty rare - only 2.1 per cent of minimum wage earners are single parents. The fact that the minimum wage ineffectively targets the working poor helps to explain why Canadian research finds that past hikes have failed to reduce poverty. To the extent that some people do gain, 70 per cent of the income gains go to non-poor households.

In fact, one study found that raising the minimum wage can increase poverty because job losses associated with a higher minimum wage are disproportionately felt by the poor. Specifically, 47 per cent of job losses are felt by the poor or near-poor (those with incomes less than 50 per cent above the low-income threshold). But the problem is not just that the minimum wage ineffectively targets the working poor. It also makes it harder for lessskilled workers in our society to find work. When employers are forced to pay higher wages to young workers with little work experience and skills, they tend to cut back on the number of people they employ, work hours, and other forms of compensation such as job training and/or fringe benefits. In some cases, they pass along the higher labour costs of the minimum wage to their customers in the form of higher prices, which, perversely, has a disproportionate impact on the poor. Fortunately, there are better

policy options available to help the working poor with fewer negative consequences. The government could help the working poor by topping up their wages. The Working Income Tax Benefit (WITB), a federal program, represents one important example. First implemented in 2007, the WITB provides a cash subsidy to low-income workers. At a certain point, the WITB begins to phase out with additional income, but only gradually. The WITB more efficiently increases the income of the working poor without making it harder for employers to hire less-skilled workers. When it comes to helping the working poor, good intentions aren’t good enough. Evidence should guide policy. Raising the minimum wage doesn’t provide the desired results. Charles Lammam is director of fiscal studies and Hugh MacIntyre is senior policy analyst at the independent non-partisan Fraser Institute (www.fraserinstitute.org)

SUBCRIPTIONS | $45 PER YEAR (12 ISSUES), $80 FOR 2 YEARS (24 ISSUES), SUBSCRIBE ONLINE: BUSINESSEXAMINER.CA. DISTRIBUTION: SECOND WEEK OF EACH MONTH VIA CANADA POST AD MAIL. The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited submissions. The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. Produced and published in British Columbia. All contents copyright Business Examiner Vancouver Island, 2017. Canadian Publications Mail Acct.: 40069240

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

MARCH 2018

MOVERS AND SHAKERS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41

ranking is based on monthly scores in categories that include customer experience, new and used vehicle sales and product knowledge. Ocean Valley Ink and its owner and tattoo artist Rachel Rose is celebrating its first year in business. The business is at 2974 3rd Avenue. The Kingsway Hotel closed for renovations and plans on reopening in mid-April. The hotel is at 3203 Kingsway Avenue. Secluded Wellness Centre recently opened their new building at 6890 Pacific Rim Highway. The building is currently home to a wellness centre and owner, Naomi Nicholson is planning on unveiling a conference room this spring and potentially a bed and breakfast style accommodation in the future. Orest Iwaszko of Alberni Charters has purchased the former kayak rental and ice cream shop on River Road across from Clutesi Haven Marina. Orest is in the process of renovating the space. Craig Sampson has opened a new welding and fabricating shop that offers repairs and custom fabrication work from a shop on Central Road. The Sproat Loggers WinterSpring Derby was recently held at Poet’s Nook Marina; marking the 30th year of holding the competition.

TOFINOUCLUELET Herold Engineering Ltd. has opened an office in Ucluelet at Unit 7 – 1920 Lyche Road. The company specializes in first nation’s single and multifamily residential, building envelope, commercial/ industrial projects and marine facilities. The Raincoast Education Society’s field school program is planning on expanding their field school to include students at Ucluelet Elementary in September. The field school has operated for three years in Tofino and combines BC Science curriculum with outdoor, hands-on, experience and field school instructors that work with teachers to create unique field trips. Mascon Cable will be closing down for business and no longer be providing TV or internet service to Tofino as

of March 28, 2018. Mascon customers are encouraged to contact Telus or to switch their services before that date.

NANAIMO The Cooper McLintock & Associates real estate group has divided up, into the John Cooper Group and Sean McLintock & Associates. Both are with RE/MAX of Nanaimo. The McLintock team consists of Sean McLintock as team leader; James Snider as managing mortgage broker and realtor; Mick Thandi as Victoria-area specialist and realtor; Christi McPhee as office manager; Kayla Lyall as listing and marketing coordinator; and Travis Briggs as client services manager. Roden & Associates, Chartered Professional Accountants welcomes Wayne Ricalton CPA, CA to their team of professionals. Wayne earned his CA designation over 25 years ago and brings diverse experience in finance, tax and business advising to the firm at 348 Wesley Street. The partners at Leakey & Lewicki Ltd. welcome Ruth Dougan as the newest member of their accounting team. Ruth has practiced in Nanaimo for over 25 years and specializes in Canadian tax and accounting services for individuals and small to medium-sized owner managed businesses. Leakey & Lewicki CPA is at 603 – 5800 Turner Road. Royal LePage Nanaimo Realty announces the addition of Nicole Hindman, Robb Ross and Lesley Livingstone-Gray to their royal service group at 4200 Island Highway. Costco Wholesale is celebrating its 25th year of serving Nanaimo and the Central Island. Nanaimo Toyota congratulates Doug McInulty on being their top salesperson of the month for their dealership at 2555 Bowen Road. The Vancouver Island Exhibition (VIEX) recently announced the 2018 board of directors and executive community. The executive is comprised of Brian Cornborough as president; Karen Streeter as vicepresident; Margaret Joyce as secretary; and Stephen Kass as treasurer. The directors are Jim Brown, Shirley Welcher, Sherri McEwen, Don Boyd, Tricia Barnes, Lynn Haley, Christina Carlson and Contessa Abbott.

H&R Block has opened a new location in Nanaimo North Town Centre. Brad Knight and Nick Brown have joined the team at NAI Commercial. Brad is well known in Nanaimo hockey circles, and is currently the President of the Nanaimo Minor Hockey Association. Woodgrove Chrysler congratulates Jamie Skipper on celebrating his 10th year of working with the dealership at 6800 Island Highway North. Tina M. Lloyd Notary Public has moved to a new location at 527 Fifth Street. Harbourview Volkswagen announces that David Price is their top salesperson of the month at their dealership at 4921 Wellington Road.

LADYSMITHCHEMAINUS Shar-Kare Feeds & Pet Supplies is looking to expand its operations on 1st Avenue in Ladysmith. An application has been made to Ladysmith council to rezone sites at 11 and 17 Kitchener Street to commercial from live/ work residential, with the end result becoming a new 8,277 square foot commercial building for Shar-Kare.

Rogers has moved to a new location at Unit 3 in Village Green Centre at 180 Central Road in Duncan. Jim Pattison Toyota Duncan has named Steve Reiffenstein their top salesperson of the year for their dealership at 6529 Trans-Canada Highway. Pemberton Holmes introduces Brock Webber to their team of Duncan realtors at 23 Queens Road. The real estate company also congratulates their top Duncan agents for 2017. They are Ray Little, Grant Scholefield, Catherine Hobbs, Ken Neal, Kelli Anderson, Ken Janicki, Jason Finlayson, Renee Russell, Karrie Brennan, Dan Johnson, Shae Webber, Sandra Carswell, Sarah Doyle and Paul Tedrick. Morgyn Chandler, a partner with Hammerberg Lawyers LLP, has moved from Vancouver to the Cowichan Valley to expand her personal injury practice on the Island. Johns Southward Glazier Walton & Margetts LLP Barristers and Solicitors is moving their Duncan office to a new location at Suite 201 – 64 Station Street. Island Savings Credit Union welcomes Melody Marat to

their team at the Duncan centre branch at 14 – 250 Trunk Road. Melody brings over 30 years of experience in the financial industry in her new role as a senior wealth advisor.

Michael Green RBC welcomes Michael Green to their Cowichan Valley team as a mortgage specialist. ReStore recently celebrated their grand opening at 251 Government Street in Duncan. The Old Fork restaurant located in Duncan’s Ramada Hotel has recently undergone renovations. United Floors has added Emile Charlie as their new warehouse manager and Nate Donald as their new assistant

43 shipper receiver. United Floors is at #101 – 2700 Beverly Street in Duncan. Bowmel Chrysler welcomes Terry Fortner back to their dealership as manager of the service department. Bowmel Chrysler is at 461 Trans-Canada Highway. The dealership announced Eamonn Carter and Danny Johnson are their top salespeople for the month. The BC Schizophrenia Society (BCSS) introduces Tara McCaffery as the Cowichan regional educator. In this position, she provides direct family support, education and services to families affected by schizophrenia and other severe and persistent mental illness. Duncan’s Pots & Paraphernalia has been selected as the recipient of the 2018 Global Innovator Award for housewares merchandising excellence. Sponsored by the International Housewares Association, the Global Innovation Awards were created to encourage innovation and excellence in housewares retailing around the world. Pots & Paraphernalia is at 863 Canada Avenue.

Gary’s Yard Works is a new business at 234 Jamison Road in Ladysmith. Construction on the $2.5 million Chemainus Library on part of the old firehall site is expected to start in June, with a March 2019 completion date. At 5,000 square feet, the Vancouver Island Regional Library branch will be roughly four times the size of the current library.

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COWICHAN VALLEY Jeet Sandhu has opened Island Home Forever in the former Sears location at 2724 Beverly Street in Duncan. The store sells new furniture, appliances and mattresses. The Duncan Chamber of Commerce’s Black Tie Awards have received 155 nominations for this year’s awards. This year’s awards will be the largest in the 21-year history of the event, with the previous record being 144 nominations in 2012. The awards will be held April 7 at Brentwood College.

Macdonald Commercial’s team of outstanding professionals are here to assist you with all of your BQBSUNFOU real estate needs At Macdonald Commercial we‘ve built our reputation by providing our clients with the very best in full service commercial real estate services – Sales, Leasing, Property Management, and Luxury Strata Management.

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