» LANDSCAPING
MAY 2018
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SOOKE Sooke Brewing Company was launched in 2017 by five partners who wanted to give back to the region they grew up in
Victoria
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Houle Electric Partner Lights Up National Stage Ross McLean Recognized With Prestigious Canadian Construction Association Award BY ROBERT MACDONALD
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VICTORIA Big Wheel Burger specializes in producing fast food – not junk food
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INDEX News Update 2 West Shore 5 Greater Victoria 6 Saanich Peninsula 16 Esquimalt 19 Who is Suing Whom 33 Movers and Shakers 34 Editorial 38
ICTORIA - Nobody was shocked when Houle Electric’s Ross McLean won the 2017 CCA Trade Contractor Award. On Ma rch 14, McL ea n was standing on a stage in front of industry leaders from across Canada, being honoured as one of the most distinguished trade contractors in the country. It was the 100th annual conference for the Canadian Construction Association (CCA), which recognizes companies, associations, and individuals across Canada that promote and enhance the nation’s construction industry. McLean, partner and Southern Vancouver Island Regional Manager for Houle Electric, was recognized due to his many years of volunteering in various capacities. The event, held at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, hosted over SEE HOULE ELECTRIC | PAGE 18
Ross McLean, partner and Southern Vancouver Island Regional Manager for Houle Electric
Options Available For Small Businesses Facing New Tax Hikes
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Accounting Firms Weigh In On Possible Solutions To MSP And CPP Increases
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BY MARK MACDONALD BUSINESS EXAMINER
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hen the NDP government announced its onerous Medical Services Plan tax in the provincial budget, it caught many businesses by surprise. W h i le t he N DP fol lowed t h rou g h on for mer P rem ier Christy Clark’s plan to eliminate
MSP payments, Finance Minister Carole James unveiled her plan to make business pay for the loss in revenue. Companies with payrolls over $500,000 are expected to pay a 1 per cent tax on payroll, with the rate rising to 1.95 per cent annually for companies over $1,5 million. In real dollars, that means businesses at the lowest threshold would pay $5,000 per year, while a company with a $3
million in wages would face a $60,000 increase. On January 1, 2019, BC will implement the employee payroll tax — but residents’ MSP premiums won’t be eliminated until January 1, 2020. This means that the province will collect MSP premiums from both employers and individuals next year a move that will dramatically impact small business owners,
particularly considering the federal government intends to hike CPP premiums during the same timeframe. It’s double tax-hit for companies in the first year. Employers who currently cover the cost of MSP premiums for employees will continue to pay that, plus the new tax. SEE MEDICAL SERVICES PLAN| PAGE 30
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