Business Examiner Thompson Okanagan - July 2018

JULY 2018

» FOCUS ON VERNON

– PAGE 7

PENTICTON

The Nest & Nectar Recognized for Giving Back to Their Community

Thompson/Okanagan WWW.BUSINESSEXAMINER.CA

Yeti Farm Creative Named Business Of The Year

PAGE 10

KAMLOOPS

Main Street Clothing Brings Home Much Deserved Retail Award

PAGE 20

INDEX News Update 2 Kamloops 3 TOTA 4 Kelowna 5 Lake Country 8 Salmon Arm 9 Women in Construction 22 Green Sheet 23 Movers & Shakers 24 Sales 25 Opinion 26 Contact us: 1-866-758-2684

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1st Annual Grant Thornton LLP Thompson Okanagan BE Awards An Enormous Success

K

E L OW NA – Yeti Farm Creative was named Business of the Yea r at the First Annual Grant Thornton LLP Thompson Okanagan Business Excellence Awards at the Coast Capri Hotel in Kelowna on June 14.

GetInTheLoop of Kelowna was named the Small Business of the Year (Under 50 Employees). The Business of the Year category was for companies with more than 30 employees.

Grant Thornton LLP was the Title Platinum Sponsor for the event, and Innov8 Digital Solutions was a Gold Sponsor. Category sponsors included RBC Royal Bank, Sandler Training, Business Development Bank of Canada, Diversified Rehabilitation Group, Liquid Capital West

Coast Financing and 101.5 EZ Rock Bell Media. Black Press is the Print Media Sponsor for the event, coordinated by Business Examiner Thompson Okanagan newspaper.

The morning after the event, winners in each category were i nv ited to a “Bre a k fa st For Champions”, hosted by Grant Thornton LLP and Business Examiner Thompson Okanagan at the Kelowna Yacht Club.

The independent judges were Jim Anderson, Executive Director of Venture Kamloops; Glenn Mandziuk, President and CEO of Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association; and Anthony Haddad of Penticton’s Economic Development Office.

SEE BE AWARDS | PAGE 14

Ashley Ramsay of Yeti Farm Creative receives the Business of the Year Award, presented by Tyler Krenz of Grant Thornton LLP PHOTOS BY ETHAN DELICHTE OF PRIME LIGHT MEDIA

Provincial Award for Innovative Venture Kamloops Event LinkUp 2017 Recognized by Industry Peers

BY ROBERT MACDONALD

K

AMLOOPS - It was a day to remember.

Venture Kamloops took home top prize for their innovative single day LinkUp 2017 event, which earned an Economic Development Marketing Innovation Award for a Community More than 20,000 Population from the British Columbia Economic Development Association (BCEDA) on June 12 in Kelowna.

Ventu re K a m loops E xecutive Director Jim Anderson received the award on behalf of his organization.

“Recognition like this helps to

validate that the things we think are a good idea are regarded as such by our peers,” says Anderson. “We pride ourselves on being innovative, and it’s great to be innovative, but the new idea has to have some value. If others recognize the value, it’s very gratifying, and we know that we’re on the right track.”

Venture Kamloops held their first LinkUp event in 2016.

“In the Interior, we have access to the same resources and services as the rest of the province, but quite often, we don’t get face to face contact with those organizations,” says Anderson.

LinkUp 2016 launched as a one

day event that would bring as many of these organizations to Kamloops as possible, inviting local business owners to meet faceto-face with representatives.

“We had organizations - usually government or non-profits - that offered programs or resources that would aid business development and growth,” says Anderson. “In addition, we opened up a trade show portion of the event, so other service providers, including for-profit services, could talk directly to the business people in attendance.”

Anderson notes that many of the business owners in Kamloops are extremely busy with the day to

day demands of their enterprise.

“These business owners often don’t have the time to think about a lot of these things or do extensive research on the resources available to them,” he says.

The goal of the event was to condense the available information, allowing business people of the community to get familiar with programs that could significantly help their business.

LinkUp 2017 connected these organizations with as many as 250 Kamloops business people.

Venture Kamloops employed a software package that facilitated SEE VENTURE KAMLOOPS | PAGE 23

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NEWS UPDATE

OKANAGAN

VERNON

New Board Members for Okanagan College Foundation

Wayside Welcomes Lakeside

The Okanagan College Foundation welcomed five new directors to its board.

They bring a diverse set of experiences from across a wide array of sectors, including health care, technology, entrepreneurship, human resources, and finance.

The new directors are: • Paulo Araujo, Vice President of Retail and Business Banking at Valley First (South Okanagan) • Sheri Hamilton, Associate Vice President of Human Resources at Salmon Arm Savings and Credit Union (Shuswap-Revelstoke) • Dr. Gerry Karr, a former Penticton doctor and cofounder of the Okanagan Similkameen Healthy Living Coalition (South Okanagan) • Christine Petkau, former Executive Director of the Summerland Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Summerland (South Okanagan) • Brea Retzlaff, Director of Operations at Accelerate Okanagan (Central Okanagan) “It’s wonderful to welcome committed industry leaders from up and down the valley to our board,” says Kathy Butler, Executive Director, Okanagan College Foundation.

“Our new directors join us at an exciting time and will have the opportunity to make a big impact for students. We have a growing student population that continues to need financial aid and we’re embarking on future development that will continue to transform our campuses.”

The new board members join current board directors Chris Derickson, Surej Dhillon, Bob Eby, Colin Edstrom, Gladys Fraser, Kimberly White Gilhooly, Jim Hamilton, Rob Phare, Alan Sanderson, Sharron Simpson, and Tom Styffe.

Lakeside Printing has been purchased by Wayside, the North Okanagan’s oldest printing and marketing firm. They are now able to provide their services to clients in Vernon, Revelstoke, and Salmon Arm. Wayside, formerly known as Wayside Press, was established in Vernon in 1921 as a commercial printer. Over the years, its services have evolved to meet the changing needs of customers. Today the company’s services include digital marketing solutions and signage and display services, in addition to traditional printing services.

Lakeside Printing, owned by Susan and Dan Renaud, has offered printing services of everything from rack and business cards to brochures and flyers since 1975.

The Renauds live in Salmon Arm and have run all three locations from there. The couple and their 10 Interior staff members will stay on and continue serving Lakeside clients as they always have.

“We’ve had clients in these communities for years, and we’re looking forward to having a local presence so we can be all that much more responsive to their needs,” says Neil Perry, coowner, Wayside. “We’re also excited that we can offer that much more to Lakeside’s clients in the areas of signage and digital marketing.”

Lakeside Printing will continue to operate under its existing name, as a Wayside company. The change took effect June 29, 2018.

KELOWNA Mayor and Council Support $95

JULY 2018

Million Capri-Landmark Plan Kelowna’s mayor and council voted in support of a plan to transform the Capri-Landmark neighbourhood The Capri-Landmark Urban Centre Plan will revamp the area with utility and infrastructure upgrades, road realignments, and several new parks.

The area is in need of new infrastructure, as it is expected to grow by 9,500 people in the next 20 years.

The plan is projected to cost $95,250,000, of which $32 Million will come from the taxpayers. These funds will cover an array of projects, including a $10 million purchase of parkland and road construction that will reduce the area’s problematic traffic congestion.

Council was somewhat divided on the allocation of funds for parks, with Coun.

Maxine Dehart noting that the city is already far behind on the completion of several park projects.

After the proposal was discussed, all but Coun. Brad Sieben voted in favour.

This vote means staff will now begin consultation with landowners in the Capri Landmark area regarding proposed fundinging, plan direction, and the potential of exploring area funding tools.

Council consideration for the final plan is anticipated for late 2018.

OSOYOOS Osoyoos Desert Model Railroad Joins TripAdvisor Hall of Fame The Osoyoos Desert Model Railroad has been entered into the TripAdvisor Hall of fame and received the Certificate of Excellence for 2018.

Now in its eighth year, the Certificate of Excellence celebrates businesses that have earned great traveler reviews on TripAdvisor over the past year.

Certificate of Excellence recipients include attractions, restaurants and accommodations located all over the world that have continually delivered a quality customer experience.

The certificate accounts for the quality, quantity and recency of reviews submitted by travelers on TripAdvisor over a 12-month period. To qualify, a business must maintain an overall TripAdvisor bubble rating of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months.

“What started out as a model train hobby in Denmark in the early seventies, led to opening up our train display in 2003 in Osoyoos, which is now a world class attraction,” says Poul Pedersen, owner and lead train engineer. “We are a family owned and operated business.

The entire family is very excited to receive this honour. It is truly amazing we are among the top 30 Things to Do in all of Canada according to TripAdvisor and we want to sincerely thank all our visitors for all their thoughtful and wonderful comments.”

The Osoyoos Desert Model Railroad is Canada’s largest Marklin lay-out, with up to 45 computer controlled trains running through very detailed landscaping with European style towns and houses.

BC go2HR Announces New Board Members BC’s tourism human resource association, go2HR, welcomed four tourism industry professionals to its board of directors on June 19, joining eleven directors who were re-appointed or continuing their terms.

The new directors include: Craig Blize, VP of Operations, Earls Restaurants Jeff Guignard, Executive Director, Alliance of Beverage Licensees (ABLE BC) Sarah McCullough, Director, Community & Government Relations, Whistler Blackcomb Jacqueline Simpson, Director, Global Marketing Channels, Destination British Columbia Directors re-appointed or continuing their terms: J.J. Belanger, General Manager, Crystal Cove Resort Daniel Bibby, Executive Director & General Manager, Spirit Ridge at Nk’Mip Resort Harley Elias, Tidal Angling Guide and Faculty of Tourism and Business Department, North Island College Eoin Foley, Co-owner/Operator, Nancy O’s Restaurant & Betulla Burning Arlene Hall, Regional Director of Talent & Culture (Pacific Northwest Region), Fairmont Hotels Eda Koot, General Manager, Pacific Gateway Hotel at Vancouver Airport Glenn Mandziuk, President & CEO, Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association Ian Powell, Managing Director, Paul’s Restaurants Ltd. and GM, Inn at Laurel Point Heidi Romich, Owner/Operator, The Heid Out Restaurant and Brewhouse Jonathan Rouse, Director of Food, Wine and Tourism, Okanagan College David Sheedy, Manager of Human Resources, Fairmont Hot Springs Resort Belanger has been elected as the new Chair of the board, and Koot as Vice Chair.

BC Industry Celebrates All-Time High for BC Wine Sales The BC Wine Institute reported that BC Wine sales reached an all time high this April. Following BC Wine Month, BC Wine sales comprised 18.3 per cent in total provincial market share for the rolling twelvemonth period ending in April.

On March 13, the government proclaimed April as British Columbia’s official provincewide wine month encouraging British Columbians to discover, share and choose 100 per cent BC wines.

Through a partnership between the BC Wine Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Destination BC, BC Wine Month offered an opportunity for British Columbians to show their local support and experience the quality and diversity of BC’s world-class wine products during a month-long celebration of wine events, tastings and learning.

On April 24, Ministers, MLAs and members of the Press Gallery gathered to celebrate BC Wine Month and vote on the first annual Speakers Choice wine in the categories of BC red table wine and BC white table wine. The 2013 Invictus from Perseus Winery was the winning red wine and Upper Bench Winery Riesling won the white wine category. These two wines will become the first BC Speakers Choice wines for 2018.

KAMLOOPS Direct Flights to Toronto Now Leaving Kamloops Airport On June 21, Kamloops Airport welcomed Air Canada Rouge’s inaugural flight from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport.

Passengers disembarking from the first SEE NEWS UPDATE | PAGE 3

KAMLOOPS

JULY 2018

New Online Distribution For Business Examiner Thompson Okanagan

K

ELOW NA – Business Examiner T h o m p s o n O k anagan is upping its game with its online distribution to businesses throughout the region.

Since starting in 2006, Business Examiner Thompson Okangan has been distributed mainly through Canada Post AdMail, but starting with the August, 2018 issue, the monthly business publication will also be distributed through a new, exciting partnership with participating Chambers of Commerce. “We are excited about t h i s new ph a se of ou r d e v e l o p m e n t , a s i t ’s something we’ve been considering for awhile now,� says Mark MacDonald,

Publisher of Business Examiner Thompson Okanagan. “Canada Post AdMail has served us well over the years, but we’ve partnered with Chambers of Commerce to reach their entire membership and mailing lists with online versions of the paper. “Not only are we looking forward to having Business Examiner exposed to new readers with our monthly digest of news and information this way,� says MacDonald. “This is expected to add several thousand new businesses to our readership roll. It’s a great value-added reason for companies to join the Chamber of Commerce, as they will also be able to receive an online version each month with their

membership.

Studies conducted over the years indicate that each copy of the Business Examiner is read by three-plus people. With over 10,000 distribution, that means over 30,000 readers for each issue, and with the exciting new online options through the Chambers, it is expected that the number of people reading the Business Examiner will jump significantly. “That’s good news for our advertisers, and for the businesses we write about,� says MacDonald.

For more information on B u si ness E x a m i ner Thompson Okanagan distribution, email mark@ businessexaminer.ca, and for subscriptions, visit www.businessexaminer.ca

KAMLOOPS CHAMBER LOVES LEARNING

KAMLOOPS DEB MCCLELLAND

A

t t he Kamloops Chamber of Commerce, we believe in continuous learning.

For instance, this week one of our staff, Acacia, is down in Atlanta developing her skills on marketing and event management with our Leadercast team.

Not only will she be learning some new things, but she has been asked to share her expertise with the team

NEWS UPDATE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

flight were met with fanfare, including a welcome arch composed of golf clubs, fishing rods and ski poles emblematic of the broad range of outdoor activities awaiting visitors to the Kamloops region.

I n a u g u ra l fe s t iv it i e s continued with a celebration for passengers travelling on the first outbound flight to Toronto, which to o k o f f a t 1 2 : 25 p. m . “Today’s inaugural marks a tremendous milestone in the growth of our airport and region,� said Heather

there as well. We are very proud of our teammate! ••• We also met with the Vernon and Kelowna Chambers of Commerce recently to develop our skills with our peers. A great day of exploring and mapping out our customer experiences! ••• Leadership Kamloops is ramping up for our fall k ick-off. T h is a ffordable, eight-month course is for managers who want to develop their soft skills with respect to their work teams. Check out kamloopschamber.ca/leadershipkamloops for details.

Only ten seats are left! ••• We are excited to introduce our newest members for June (at point of publication):

• • • •

Kamloops Matters Spotless & Sorted Graydon Security PA & J M Gagla rd i Seniors Society • Noremac Group • P a n o r a m a I n n & Suites • Taj Janitorial • C h e q u e i t Bookkeeping • Flight Centre • Wells Fargo Equipment Finance Company If you are curious about bei ng a pa rt of ou r v ibrant Chamber of Commerce, give us a call at 250.372.7722.

McCarley, Managing Director of Kamloops Airport. “We are so delighted that Air Canada has chosen to invest in this non-stop service, which offers travellers from across Canada opportunities to explore our beautiful community, which in turn boosts our economy through tourism and job creation.�

Air Canada Rouge’s Kamloops services will operate u s i n g A i rb u s A3 19 aircraft with capacity for 136 passengers. From June 2 1 t h rou g h O c tob er 9, flights will operate every Tuesday, T hursday and Saturday, timed to connect w ith A ir Canada’s

domestic and international network out of Toronto.

The new service is a result of concentrated efforts to grow connectivity to the region, in partnership with the City of Kamloops, Tourism Kamloops and Tourism Sun Peaks.

Local residents, tourism partners and regional businesses stand to benefit from access to new markets for business or leisure.

According to its most recent economic impact study, Kamloops Airport generates and supports more than 850 jobs in the community, generating $72.2 million in total economic output annually.

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Deb McClelland is Executive Director at the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at deb@ kamloopschamber.ca.

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TOTA

4

JULY 2018

LEARN, BUILD, OPEN UP, SET AN EXAMPLE – TOGETHER

TOTA GLENN MANDZIUK

T

h rou g hout Ca n ad a we celebrated National Indigenous Peoples. The day weaved together ceremony with celebration, festivity with sombre reflection, timeless rituals with modern adaptations and all were accompanied by various traditional foods, music, artistry and dance. These events, large and small were joyful, poignant, at times solemn reminders of a history that has been anything but picture perfect.

Indigenous Peoples Day has many meanings for many people.

For some, it is a celebration of culture, a proud moment to claim or reclaim their identity. For others, it is a time of reflection, a time to remember tremendous loss as well as an opportunity to recognize some of the positive gains that have and are being achieved. Notwithstanding the fact that there continues to be

a sense of uncertainty and mistrust it is also true that this is mixed together with a renewed suggestion of hope and cautious optimism. Without question Indigenous Peoples Day carries an ever-growing importance that reflects the significance of the Indigenous role in this lands’ past as well as its future.

For the non-Indigenous, we have an opportunity now, more than ever before, to engage, to listen, to learn and to start a renewed relationship. These communities are rich with stories, anchored by spirituality, connected and respectful of mother earth, and driven by a resilience that has helped them endure a long history of struggle. Taking the time to discover and understand this culture and how it has survived will continue to bring us closer together as people and as a country. Theirs is a heritage that is centuries, not decades old, and has deep and meaningful roots.

Across our country and indeed throughout this region, Indigenous Peoples share many similarities, but more importantly, many unique differences. Each nation is distinct and over centuries this has played a major part in the individual community’s ability to find ways to preserve themselves, adapt and move forward. The Thompson Okanagan region is home to three such separate Indigenous nations: The Syilx, The Secwepemc, and The Nlaka’pamux. All three offer a timeless history that create a picture of this region in thoughtful and meaningful ways. And as in the past, all three are crucial to the ongoing success and future of this region.

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The relationship we, as TOTA, share with these nations continues to grow and deepen. In 2017 our first Indigenous Board Chair was elected, Frank Antoine, a member of the Secwepemc, and the Cultural Co-ordinator at Quaaout Lodge in Chase. Frank has played an instrumental role in guiding and mentoring our organization. Through his mindfulness and thoughtful approach to life, those around him begin to look at things differently, alter their actions and find themselves positively transformed.

A s I ref lect on I nd igenous Peoples Day I am reminded of the tireless work that has been done by so many to bring us to where we are today and yet how much work there is still to be done.

The foundation is being laid for a strong, vibrant and healthy Indigenous culture and each one of us can play a role in helping to move this vision forward. This can be achieved through education, engagement, support, participation and understanding. By taking the time to get to know your Indigenous neighbours through all of those avenues, you will find that not only are you helping to make positive change occur, but your own life will be greatly enriched.

Our Syilx people have an incredible Nk’Mip Desert Cultural

Centre in Osoyoos, and an amazing Sncewips Heritage Museum in West Kelowna. The Secwepemc people have the awe-inspiring Quaaout Lodge in Chase and the historic Secwepemc Museum in Kamloops. The Nlaka’pamux people have both the delicious Kekuli Café and the inspiring Nlaka’pamux Creations next door to one another in Merritt.

No matter where you call home in our region, there is Indigenous culture for you to explore.

When we share and understand the things that are important to each of us, we begin to truly understand who each of us are.

We are all better together, succeed together and can set an example for the world together.

L E A R N a b o u t I n d i ge n o u s culture BUILD new & better relationships OPEN UP to new opportunities.

Glenn Mandziuk is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Region. He can be reached at ceo@ totabc.com

THIS SUMMER’S BEACH READ CAN BOOST YOUR BUSINESS Sandler’s new book available now: The Road to Excellence

P

ick the right book for your summer reading and you’ll get a boost for your business while relaxing in the sun.

Sa nd ler T ra i n i ng has just released its 28th book on busi ness: T he Road to Excellence: 6 Leadership Strategies to Build a Bulletproof Business.

Written by Sandler CEO and President Dave Mattson, the book identifies six potential ‘blind spots’ that can take a business off-track, and then outlines strategies to combat those issues.

“Like all Sandler training books, this is an engaging read that contains sound business advice,” says John Glennon, Sandler Trainer for the B.C. Interior. The new book is hot off the press and quickly

moving up the list of best business books for 2018.

For ow ners a nd ma nagers of small and medium businesses, the book provides invaluable advice on building an effective company team.

Topics include: • Management strateg ies to develop a con si stent h i r i ng process; • Fostering a culture o f a c c o u n t a b i lity a mongst tea m members; • Development of a common language and approach; • Giving new employees a good onboarding experience; and • Systems for effective tra i n i ng a nd coaching.

Copies of the book are av a i l a bl e at S a n d l e r’s Kelowna office. A sample ch ap ter c a n b e dow nloaded free from the website.

Glennon has some addit ion a l adv ice for sa les p eople who m ay t h i n k t here i s l it t le p oi nt i n

calling businesses over t h e s u m m e r. “ N o w i s when sales people should call, when many people are thinking the opposite.

If everyone in sales believes ‘summer is slow’, then nobody is dialing.” “ We f i n d h u ge v a lu e in being contrarian and doing the unexpected,” Glen non sa id. “W hen others zig, we zag. This is often the best time to prospect and to set yourself up for a great fall.”

Have some free time this summer and want to learn more? Take advantage of Sandler Training’s Crash a Class offer this summer: pre-register for any Sandler training class and experience a sample of the Sandler Difference.

To register to Crash a Class, visit the website at glennon.sandler.com or call 250-765-2047.

KELOWNA

JULY 2018

5

JUNE: A MONTH TO BE INSPIRED BY OUR GRADS ACROSS THE VALLEY, AND OUR TOP FORTY UNDER 40 HONOUREES

KELOWNA DAN ROGERS

I

’m particularly lucky this summer as I mark my oneyear anniversary as Executive Director of the Kelowna Chamber. I am so honoured to work with such a strong and committed Board and with a talented team of professionals who are passionate about serving the interests of our members and the business community in the Okanagan. I hit the ground running last June as Kelowna was prepping to host the Prime Minister and the Liberal caucus with proposed federal tax changes looming.

T he Kelowna Chamber was extremely active in working with our national colleagues and partners in ensuring the federal govern ment stepped back from many of their proposed changes that would have h a r med t hou sa nd s of sm a l l businesses across the country.

Now we are busy dealing with tax policies at the Provincial level ranging from the heath pay rol l ta x to t he proposed speculation tax, both of which will have a negative impact on small businesses and the local economy. And, we’re helping educate our business community on the pros and cons of the upcoming questions on electoral reform. There appears to be no end to the need for the Chamber to be active in defending the interests of our members and the economic well-being of our community but being strong advocates for our members isn’t the only thing we are focused on.

Among the most enjoyable aspects of our operations are the partnerships we have created to celebrate the success stories in our city and region. In that regard, the Kelowna Chamber recently celebrated forty very specia l you ng people i n ou r BDO Canada-sponsored 20172018 Top Forty Under 40 Program. The stories of each and every one of these outstanding individuals really resonated throughout the theatre at Kelowna’s Innovation Centre on June 13. It was a perfect location to highlight change, hope, accomplishment, and a connection to the future.

I feel so strongly about the

importance of sharing some of these stories, I wanted to give my column over this month to these outstanding individuals, to feature four of our 40 special honourees.

I’ll start with Michael Buffett, Chef and Founder of the Sta rt Fresh P roject Society, kitchen events coordinator and life partner Sarah Martin. I’ve started with Michael since he also catered our Top 40 celebration party. Lobster popcorn.

Who knew? The Society works with marginalized individuals, teach i ng l i fe sk i l ls t h roug h cooking classes. After a highoctane career as a chef across Ca n ad a, M ich ael h a s rea l ly found a work-life balance niche.

And then, there’s Kyle Blanleil. Now working for dad Andre Blanleil, Jr. at Andre’s Electronic Experts, Kyle had a somewhat ha rrow i ng sta rt to h is adult life, living through cancer contracted at age 19, which ended his junior hockey career in Campbell River. Now 32, Kyle is stronger than ever, with his “refuse to lose” mentality, and destined for a live-every-dayto-the-fullest mentality.

I’m struck how many include someone else in the frame: a work partner, a life partner, a parent or a child. Clearly our honourees themselves value honouring significant people in their lives.

Here’s Jemma Allen, Vicepresident of Kelow na-based Fi reside M i nera l s. She wa s nom i n ated by her husba nd, Andrew, also in the photo. The compa ny m i nes ba r ite nea r Fireside, BC. Barite is used in drilling mud. She describes herself as a woman in a man’s world – but one who knows exactly what she’s doing. And gets the respect for her knowledge that she deserves.

Danielle Scheven is co-owner and operator of Carolily Fine Jewellery with her mom, Donna, pictured here. Danielle “loves working with my mom” – Mom is the designer. Danielle handles the business end of things, including marketing, especially on social platforms. They make a great team, and the business not only is succeeding on the retail front, but they both find the time and funding to spend on social program support.

That’s typical of all of our Top 40 Honourees. Every single one of them spends time in his or her community, giving back, giving of time, gathering together people to work for com mon goals to improve the common good. Just being in a room with them for two hours was inspiring to me, and I am the better for it. We’re grateful to our Top 40 sponsors this year: The Kelowna Daily Courier; Okanagan Edge at Castanet; Bell Media and AM

1150, and especially BDO Canada, our presenting sponsor of the program for its four years.

We’re looking forward to finding out who we will meet in our next Top 40 year ahead.

And, to close out my remarks this month, I welcome our newest Chamber members. They will benefit from our wide range of programs, educational offerings, advocacy at all levels of government, and our plethora of networking events, designed to i ntroduce them to f utu re

customers and potential employees. For June: All Seasons Pool & Spa; Valley Safety Ltd.; Haven Business Services; AUL Systems Inc.; Complete Mortgage; Joanna St. Marie Painting; Grant Waidman Group Realty; Sue CO; T rek Developments Ltd.; Tundra Site Services; Real Property Management Executives; Okanagan Office Systems/ Andre Roman; Myra Canyon Trestle Restoration Society; Trevor Walker Photography; Pacific Western Fire Protection

Ltd.; SellOff Vacations, Kelowna; Dyck’s Mobile Shrink Wrap; Thai Terrace Restaurant & Lounge; Snowdogz Group of Companies; Mucho Burrito.

Welcome, all, and kudos to our Business Development Team of Brett, Heather and Nick who brought us these new, exciting businesses.

Dan Rogers is Executive Director at the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce.

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SPOTLIGHT

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JULY 2018

COAST DISTRIBUTORS’ GROWTH AND SUCCESS GENERATED BY THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIPS Family Owned And Operated Firm Is Canada’s Largest Independent Hardware And Building Distributor

K

ELOWNA – On the road aga i n. Brad McCluskie can’t wait to get on the road again.

That’s the way he and his partners have built Coast Distributors into one of Canada’s largest i nd ep end ent h a rdwa re a nd building supply distributors.

The family owned and operated business, with locations i n N a n a i m o, K e l o w n a a n d Vancouver, prides itself on its relationships with customers, and McCluskie is setting out to work with his salespeople and thank the company’s many loyal customers.

“From the very beginning, Coast has built its reputation by listening to what our customers need and finding ways to deliver,” says McCluskie. “Making a sale is important, but creating a relationship with our customers is what Coast has built our business on.”

Coast Distributors serves a broad range of industries and businesses that include hardware stores, building supplies, garden centres, paint stores, rental yards, gas station convenience stores and commercial and industrial customers of all sorts.

“As a wholesaler, Coast Distributors creates partnerships with quality manufacturers so our customers are able to access great brand name products at solid pricing, right in their own back yard,” says McCluskie, noting the brands they carry include Irwin, Gorilla, Krylon, LePage, Lenox, Reliable, Swan, TUFX, Sashco and more.

Coast also has its own brand of products, called TerraTuff and TerraPro. McClu sk ie i s t he m ajor ity partner in the Nanaimo operation, and is a minority partner

Members of Coast Distributors’ team: From left, Chris McCluskie, Surrey warehouse supervisor; Anthony Snell, newly appointed General Manager of the Nanaimo Branch; Charles Cho, outside sales rep for the Lower Mainland; Mat Brunt, Assistant Sales Manager in Nanaimo; Geoff Staller, outside sales rep for the Lower Mainland; Brad McCluskie, owner/operator and Kevin Staller, outside sales rep for the Lower Mainland in the Kelowna operation, where Scott Guy and Ken Andrew hold the majority interest. Guy and Andrew are also partners in Nanaimo, and they’re all partners in the Vancouver location.

It was Scott Guy’s brother, Alex Guy – who is also Ken’s brother-in-law, who started Coast Distributors in his back yard garage in Nanaimo 32 years ago.

“A lex stead ily bu ilt a solid team who shared his solution for excellence and passion for business,” says McCluskie, noting Alex coaxed him into joining the company in 1998. “Alex’ vision was to become the first choice hardware and building supply distributor on Vancouver Island and eventually all of BC.” 25 years ago, Scott and Ken started the Kelowna operation out of their garages.

“We ran out of my basement for three years before we moved into a decent-sized warehouse, and 14 years ago we built our o w n b u i l d i n g ,” s a y s K e n .

“We’ve had the same growing pains.

“Scott and I started everything from scratch as well, and we cover the lion’s share of the BC interior, from one end of the province to the other,” he adds.

Guy started Coast Distributors around the same time three

other friends started their companies on Vancouver Island: George Thomson at Paradise Island Cheese, Bill Jackson of Shar-Kare, and Gerard St. Jean of St. Jean’s Cannery, and they all helped each other. They are all still successful businesses today.

McCluskie says it wasn’t out of the ordinary for Coast to deliver goods to Port Hardy, and while there, pick up a crate of fish and take it back to St. Jean’s, for example.

McCluskie had started a hardware store in Sidney called McLeod’s Hardware, which he sold in 1993.

“I came to work for Alex, and had no idea that I would eventually buy him out, but that’s the way it went,” he says, recalling his decision to join Coast 20 years ago, and purchase Alex’ shares outright 7 years ago. “ W hen I joi ned Coa st, we pounded the pavement really hard,” he says. “I’d be phoning in orders at 11:30 at night, and Alex would say ‘What are you doing up?’ I’d say ‘Trying to keep up with you. What are you doing up?’”

In 1993, Scott and Ken opened the Coast Distributors Kelowna branch, “so they could truly offer our superior service to all businesses in BC,” McCluskie

recalls.

Today, Coast has 43 people on staff, and a team of 10 outside salespeople to cover BC and Alberta, including two agents who serve Prince George and Alberta/Saskatchewan out of the Kelowna operation.

Their warehouses total over 70,000 square feet and contain over 20,000 SKU’s, ready to be delivered by their own fleet of trucks.

“The ability to take orders and deliver them within a few days is pretty fine service and that has been a key to our success,” says McCluskie. “We do that throughout BC, with the exception of northern BC, which we deliver through other services.”

Coast Distributors is an active member of the Building Supply Industry Association of BC, as McCluskie has served on the Board of Directors for over 10 years, including two years as Chairman.

Coast was named BSIA’s winner of the Top Supplier of the Year Orion Award in 2016, with Geoff Staller named top outside salesperson of the year, and Mat Brunt inside sales/customer service award winner.

“Where I come from, that’s c a l l e d a h a t t r i c k ,” s a y s McCluskie.

Scot t p oi nts out t h at “we u ndersta nd you ca n not sel l from empty hooks, and we also understand too much inventory is not the answer. That’s why we have our trained and knowledgeable sales reps working hard to get to know our customers, their stores, and their needs, so that we can help them define their own individual recipe for success.”

Scott adds: “Coast Distributors has gained a widespread reputation for fairness, with service, with delivery and with pricing. As such, our customers receive competitive pricing, excellent fill rates and regular sales rep calls.”

McCluskie believes in giving back not only to the industry, but to the communities they live and work in. McCluskie

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notes the Nanaimo and Kelowna branches have donated over $30,000 to local worthy charitable and community causes in the last year alone.

“From the very beginning, Coast has built its reputation by listening to what our customers need and finding ways to deliver,” says Scott. “Coast continues to develop processes and systems to better serve our customers, and we are willing to go beyond normal expectations to make sure our customers are satisfied each and every time we do business together.”

Coast Distributors adds value to their clients’ business through technical and marketing support, new and innovative products, trademark quality a ssu ra nce, vendor-speci f ic change-out programs, incentive programs, personal sales representatives, interactive website services, monthly f lyers and specials, seasonal bookings and a service guarantee.

T heir customers are all ind ep end ent op erat ion s, a nd McCluskie is proud that Coast Distributors is an all-Canadian compa ny, add i ng “we pride ourselves on that. We have Canadian flags on the sleeves of our salespeople’s shirts, and our customers know we don’t have to call down south or somewhere else to make a decision.

We make it here, now.

“There’s still lots of potential for us out there,” he says.

“We’re still going through a growth period. 83 per cent of our customers are still Mom and Pop operations,” Ken A nd rew notes Coast has equipped their sales team with the latest technology, and “they pack I-Pads on their calls so they can order on-site and scan online, providing instant confirmation to our customers.

With our online catalogue, we can show our customers what is available right there, right now, and it’s always up to date.”

McCluskie has just promoted Anthony Snell to replace himself as General Manager in the Nanaimo branch. McCluskie and Snell will work together to build upon the success in the Nanaimo branch and better manage the growth in the future.

“I’m going back out on the road, to spend time with our sales people and thank our customers. I’ll be doing calls with our sales people, and also on my own, as we continue to build our brand. We have a couple of guys that are lighting the world on fire, and we’re excited about it.” “ We’ve bu i lt t he bu si ness based on personal relationships and service. Our customers are our friends,” he says.

6855 Mart Road, Lantzville 181 Tilley Road, Kelowna 9775-188th Street, Surrey www.coastdistributors.com

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JULY 2018

VERNON Vernon Becoming an Attractive Place to Live and Do Business New Poll Shows Vernon Businesses Optimistic About the Future

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ndustry leaders like Kal Tire, Tolko Industries, and Natures Fare call Vernon home, and for good reason. Vernon is a great place to live and a great place to do business.

T he com mu n ity ser v ices a population of about 100,000, including surrounding commu n ities l i ke A rmstrong, Lumby, or Coldstream.

Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce General Manager Dione Chambers has been living in the area for about a year, moving to Vernon to take on her current position.

“Vernon is an incredible place to live and to work,” she says.

“We have a lot of a men ities that attract businesses to our area with good transportation corridors and a major regional airport just down the road.”

These amenities are attracting business growth in the area.

“Over the six years I’ve been in the community, there are two main sectors where I’ve seen significant growth,” says Ch a mber P resident M a rk u s Sch rott. “Tou rism has seen

Dione Chambers has been General Manager at the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce for about one year

Markus Schrott is President of the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce

substantial growth, thanks to the tourism advisory program from the city.

“I’ve a lso seen sig n i fica nt growth in the real estate and development sector. When we moved here in 2012, Vernon was a buyer’s market. The industry has done a 180 since then, and we have a lot more development happening.”

O p t i m i s m i s h i g h fo r t h e

broader Vernon business community as well.

In the recent M N P Greater Vernon Business Leaders Survey, over half of local business leaders in the Greater Vernon area indicated expectations of improved financial performance in 2018, with nearly 40 per cent planning to hire new employees.

T h e s u r ve y, org a n i z e d b y

the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce and M NP LLP, polled 200 local business leaders this spring. Respondents were comprised of busi ness ow n ers, C E O s, pre s id ent s, and designated senior corporate officers across all industry sectors.

In the midst of this optimism, many respondents expressed concerns regarding the future of the economy, with 44 per cent indicating uncertainty about the local economy, and 36 per cent citing government regulations as a significant challenge to their business.

A staggeri ng 51 per cent of businesses believed the newly announced payroll tax will have a negative impact on their business, while 48 per cent feel they will be negatively impacted by the proposed minimum wage increase.

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FOCUS ON VERNON

8 VERNON CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

seasonal workers for agricultural production,” says Chambers.

“Everybody’s hiring, which is advantageous, but we need to match up the workers with their employers.”

In spite of these challenges, Chambers believes the survey shows a lot to be excited about. “ Mos t of t he b u si ne sse s I spea k w ith say they’re ver y busy and ready to grow,” says Chambers. “We were pleasantly surprised by the optimism we saw from the survey. They’re seeing good things, even with some of the policy changes that are coming through.”

Ver non i s home to severa l high profile businesses, housing corporate offices for Kal Tire, Tolko, Nature’s Fare, and others.

“Our leading employers include Sparkling Hill Resort, Silver Star, and Predator Ridge,” says Cha mbers. “We’re a lso home to ma nu factu rers l i ke Kingfisher Boats and national distribution hubs like Pickleball Depot. We are also excited about Quebec-Based VegPro com i ng to Vernon. T he new facility will hopefully start up in late fall and create over 150 positions.”

Large companies like these aren’t the only ones thriving in the community’s economic cl i mate. Entrepreneu rs a nd

sta r tups across a va riety of sectors are finding their place in Vernon’s diverse business community.

“E nt repreneu rs a nd sm a l l businesses are the backbone of our business community,” says Schrott. “We have a really resilient and innovative small busi ness com mu n ity, especially in the category of one to four employees. As I get to know these business owners, I’m impressed by how they’ve done such a good job of running their companies. There are a lot of new ideas, and it’s very exciting.”

Vernon is home to some businesses that are breaking new ground in their fields.

Pickleball Depot, Canada’s on ly on l i ne d i s t r i b utor for pick leba l l gea r, wa s recognized with a win in the Retail category at the Grant Thornton LLP Business Excellence Awards this June.

Vernon’s Paradigm Naturopathy is standing at the frontl i n e s o f i n te g ra t i v e h e a lt h care, performing clinical trials and tests that are pushing the boundaries of their field.

Nature’s Fare Markets is expanding across the province, ma k i ng natu ra l a nd orga n ic groceries more available than ever.

With so much innovation and growth, it’s no wonder the community is optimistic about their future.

JULY 2018

NEW MEMBERS, AWARDS, AND BUSINESS AFTER HOURS

LAKE COUNTRY KIMBERLEY KRISTIANSEN

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elcome! The Lake Country Chamber of Commerce added 8 new members in the month of June.

We are excited to welcome Tourism Kelowna, Peak Solar, Beach Bum Wine Tours, Tracy Gray, VIP Home Away Services, CannaWorks Inc., Creative Cuisine and Roger Ferneyhough – Small Business Tax Accountants.

••• Thank you to Tom and Lyndon Dyas of the Chamber of Commerce Group Insurance Plan for hosting our June Business After Hours event! This was an exciting evening for members, with over $600 in door prize giveaways. Thank you to our many sponsors that helped make the evening such a huge success: Lake Country Ace Hardware, Olive Us Oil and Vinegar

Tasting Room, Turtle Bay Pub, Profile Marketing, Intrigue Wines and the Chamber of Commerce Group Insurance Plan. Over 40 members and guests attended the event to learn more about the many benefits of joining the Chamber of Commerce Group Insurance Plan. During the evening guests gained valuable information on the benefits of the Chamber’s pooled plan, the many areas of coverage available, as well as the flexibility to create a plan that works to meet each persons individual needs.

For more information on joining the Chamber of Commerce Group Insurance Plan please contact Tom Dyas at 250-861-8834 or visit www.tdbenefits.ca ••• Congratulations to TBC Liquor Merchants who celebrated their 1st year anniversary on June 17th along with Oyama Zipline Adventure Park who celebrated their 7th Anniversary on June 24th. Customers enjoyed the celebration as TBC Liquor Merchants offered an array of gifts throughout the day!

Oyama Zipline celebrated their anniversary in style offering lunch with cake and family activities all day long.

••• Another award for Sip Happens Wine Tours! Congratulations to Liz McKinney of Sip Happens

Wine Tours who received the Grant Thornton Tourism Business of the Year 2018 Award on June 14, 2018. The Gala was held at the Capri Hotel in Kelowna with over 200 guests in attendance. This is the second award this year for Sip Happens Wine Tours, as they also received the Lake Country Business Excellence Award in February 2018. For more information on Sip Happens Wine Tours, please visit www.siptours.ca or call Liz directly at 778-214-4118 ••• Garth Donhauser, President of The Lake Country Chamber of Commerce presented three bursary awards totalling $2,000.00 on June 22, 2018 at George Elliott Senior Secondary in Lake Country. The Lake Country Chamber of Commerce proudly raises money throughout the year at events such as the Lake Country Customs and Classics Car Show and Business After Hours to offer these annual bursaries. Thanks you to our membership for your support throughout the year, and congratulations to the lucky recipients!

Kimberly Kristiansen is Executive Director at the Lake Country Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at manager@ lakecountrychamber.com.

PARADIGM PROPELS HEALTH CARE INTO THE FUTURE Naturopathic Clinic Offers Personalized, EvidenceInformed Health Solutions

Building a bridge between modern and traditional medicine

Paradigm Naturopathic Medicine #104 - 2802 30th Street Vernon BC V1T 8G7

T: 778.475.3822

www.paradigmnaturopathic.com

V

ERNON - Paradigm Naturopathic Medicine and Yoga Studio is sitting on the cutting edge of modern integrative health care.

Now i n t hei r fou r t h ye a r, Paradigm is at the forefront of scientific healthcare innovation, col laborati ng w ith resea rch organizations from around the world.

In addition to their emphasis on personalized medicine, Paradigm is heavily involved in clinical trials and testing. They recently created a clinical trial centre where they exchange scientific data with researchers from all over the world.

“We’re doing a lot of work with Crohn’s disease and medical cannabis research right now,” says Owner/Operator Dr. Chris Spooner. “We’re collaborating with several research groups including groups affiliated with UBC, the University of Lethbridge, and Universidad CES in Colombia.

We have just submitted for ethic approval for a Crohn’s disease trial with Qu Biologics and will be recruiting patients until August. Future trials will involve

work with researchers at the University of Lethbridge focussed on personalized medicine and medical cannabis utilizing cutting edge DNA and metabolic testing and artificial intelligence and deep machine learning algorithms.”

Spooner completed his B.Sc. in Biology at the University of Victoria a nd Doctor of Natu ropath ic Medicine from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto.

He then moved to Phoenix, AZ to complete his post-doctorate in Environmental medicine.

D r. Spooner a nd h i s w i fe, Melissa, moved back to Canada in 2006 to work in their respective disciplines.

“Melissa and I are Canadian, and were born and bred on the coast,” says Spooner. “We have family history in Vernon and Armstrong, which is why we decided to move back here.”

After working for several years in various clinics, the Spooners launched Paradigm in 2014.

“The practice is oriented around integrative health care with a multi-disciplinary approach,” says Spooner. “We wanted to build a strong team that is focussed on patient-centered ca re. T h is underlies everything that we do.”

The team at Paradigm includes two naturopathic physicians (Dr. Spooner and Dr. Kristen Read), two registered massage therapists

(Kelsey Switzer a nd Richard Hoglund), a physiotherapist (Brittany Erdman), a nutritionist (Melissa Spooner), an IV nurse (Evelyn Vehlow), a clinical trial co-ordinator (Cathy Bilton), four yoga instructors (Melissa Spooner, Matt McDowell, Kate Tooke and Jessica Dean) and patient care coordinators (Sherry Klem, Cindy Elliott and Rhonda Giesbrecht).

“Right now, the health care system is under extreme pressure.

Access to a health professional is difficult, and there’s not a lot of time to explore different options or get a complete picture of what’s involved,” says Spooner. “We sit down with our patients and have a conversation, helping them to understand the broad range of therapies and to be more proactive with medical interventions.”

Pa rad ig m Natu ropat h ic i s dedicated to both a personalized approach to medicine and rigorous scientific innovation.

“Naturopathic medicine isn’t what most people think it is,” says Spooner. “ W h at we’re trying to do involves integrating complementary and traditional medicine and proactive health care with the advanced aspects of western medicine.”

“We have an evidence-informed approach, and we want to be leaders in demonstrating the scientific merit of these methods.” www.paradigmnaturopathic.com

SALMON ARM

JULY 2018

9

26-YEAR-OLD BUSINESSMAN MAKES EVERGREEN GROW Building Maintenance Company Sees Nation-Wide Possibilities

K

ELOW NA - UBCO grad Ranjit Takhar has a green thumb when it comes to growing businesses.

Evergreen Building Maintenance is rooted in Kelowna, but has recently grown into a company that services communities all across BC. For the past seven years, Evergreen has been managed full time by 26-year-old Ranjit, who is largely responsible for the company’s recent province-wide expansion.

Evergreen is a maintenance company that offers a wide variety of services. This includes: office cleaning, floor stripping and waxing, entrance mat supply and maintenance, sanitary product supply, landscaping, snow removal, public washroom cleaning, garbage and recycling removal, and post construction cleanup.

The company was founded just over 30 years ago in Calgary by Ranjit’s father, Gurmit Takhar.

“He started as a door to door steam extraction carpet cleaning salesman, and slowly moved into the commercial market as the business grew,” says Ranjit.

“He eventually realized that clients and business owners were asking for additional services, including various types of maintenance, landscaping, floor cleaning, and washroom stocking.”

Gurmit kept expanding his services until he was running a full-scale building maintenance company, operating in both the Calgary and Washington areas.

Evergreen Building Maintenance Owner/Operator Ranjit Takhar is the face of this fastgrowing Kelowna business After a few years, Gurmit saw Kelowna as an ideal location for starting a family, and uprooted his established business in Calgary to break into the Okanagan market.

“He had a crew of about 10 in Calgary and five in Washington State, but when he moved to Kelowna, he had to start at zero,” says Ranjit.

Now, a few decades later, Gurmit is semi-retired, and Ranjit is running the company, which maintains over 7,500,000 square feet of commercial building space across BC. Ranjit has been involved in the family business from as early as grade 3. “I would go to work with my parents, doing odd jobs like vacuuming, sweeping, or washing floors,” he says. “However, I’ve been professionally involved for about 10 years.”

When his father became ill, 16-year-old Ranjit found himself skipping high school classes to attend meetings and work with complex business proposals.

While attending UBCO, he continued to work three-quarters time for the family business.

Upon graduating, Ranjit dove into the family business, regularly putting in 80+ hour weeks

The New City Park Washroom is one of many public spaces maintained by Evergreen to ensure the company’s success.

At the helm of his father’s company, Ranjit has made many significant changes.

“First, I wanted to make sure our brand was forward-focussed and green, so we changed the logos and branding, and updated our website,” he says.

He also ensured that he was adequately trained in all levels of the maintenance business by attending a six-month school for building service workers.

“I wanted to be hands-on in order to know what I was doing, and I learned all the necessary health and safety procedures as well,” says Ranjit.

His accomplishments have not gone unnoticed. In 2016, Ranjit was named one of Kelowna’s Top Forty Under 40.

Most notably, Ranjit brought fresh vision to Evergreen. He developed a new service formula that would be easier to teach and repeat, and implemented a more professional, forward-focused vision.

“I learned early on that if you’re always on the front lines, you’re always going to remain a small

business,” he says. “I decided to lift myself up from the day-today, and hired a new manager, Michael Amouei, and business sales executive, Louis Stephen.”

Ranjit holds these core team members in high regard.

“I try to hire people who are better than me,” he says. “Both of them bring a lot of relevant experience to the table and they have a lot of skills that have been key in the company’s success.”

The company now has regional supervisors in Abbotsford, Vancouver, Kamloops, Kootenays, Prince George and Vancouver Island or Victoria.

Evergreen’s future is looking bright, thanks to Ranjit’s goal of constantly improving and expanding his business.

“Initially, I wanted to expand, expand, expand,” he says. “I had to learn through experience that I need to pace myself. Now I’m working on developing and sustaining more infrastructure in the company. I’ve found that quality is more important than expansion, and we will only be successful if customers are coming back to us.”

Ranjit has decided on a threeyear plan that involves hiring new staff developing company infrastructure, and working toward offering nation-wide services.

The company already services provincial brands such as BC Hydro, BC Liquor Distribution, Canadian Tire, Shoppers Drug Mart, and offers their product to businesses ranging from small tire shops to prominent shopping centres.

While his father focused on building a strong reputation in Kelowna, Ranjit’s fresh vision has seen the company grow to operate province-wide. Now, over 30 years after its beginning, Evergreen Building Maintenance employs over 230 staff.

Even though Ranjit has demonstrated exceptional business acumen, he still believes he has a lot to learn.

“Con sta nt ly le a r n i n g a nd expanding your outlook is for success in business,” he says.

“I do th is by read i ng books and investing my time in self-improvement.” www.evergreenmaintenance.ca

RCMP’S ‘THE MUSICAL RIDE’ COMING TO SALMON ARM

SALMON ARM CORRYN GRAYSTON

S

huswap Theatre is proud to present their fourth annual Theatre on the Edge Festival. They are sticking with their winning combination of a one hour show followed by one hour of live music.

• T he Particulars - Friday July 20th 5:00pm and Saturday July 21st 11:00 am • At War - Friday July 20th

9:00 pm and Saturday July 21st 5:00 pm • Hullaboo and the End of Everything - Saturday July 21 3:00 pm, and Sunday July 22nd 3:00 pm • Adrift- Saturday July 21 1:00 pm and Sunday July 22nd at 1:00 • Saucy Fops - Friday July 20t h 7:00 pm a nd Satu rd ay 7:00 pm • Fl ight- Friday Ju ly 20th 3:00 pm and Sunday 7:00 pm Tickets and passes are availa b l e o n l i n e a t w w w. s h u swaptheatre.com or at Intwined Fibre Arts (161 Hudson Ave). *** O n e o f t h e R C M P ’s m o s t storied traditions will be coming to the Shuswap this summer “The Musical Ride”, performing in Salmon Arm on July 16 (Salmon Arm Fairgrounds) and in Sica mous (Eag le R iver Secondary School fields) on July

17. The RCMP Musical Ride is performed by a full troop of 32 riders and their horses performing intricate figures and drills choreographed to music.

T he Mu sica l R ide p er for m s across Ca n ad a a nd helps to raise thousands of dollars for local charities and non-profit organizations.

For more details go to www. shuswaptourism.com – Festivals and Events section. Tickets available online at www. ourrotary.com or at all Askews Food Stores.

••• 2018 is a dominant year for the Sockeye Salmon Run which takes place at Tsutswecw Provincial Park (former Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park) in October. As part of the celebrat ion s, T he Adam’s R iver Salmon Society is very pleased to ho s t I nter pre t ive Wa l k s

e v e r y We d n e s d a y s t a r t i n g June through to mid-October.

Walks take place from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm and include an environmental education program presented by the T he Adams River Salmon Society Volunteers and Partners. The Society will also host the Salute to the Sockeye celebration during the first 3 weeks of October. Visit www.salmonsociety.com for more details.

••• We are excited to have a new event rental and catering company in Salmon Arm – Jester Event Solutions. Owner David Allard has been busy ordering marquee tents and getting orga n i z ed for a bu sy su m mer season. Jester Event Solutions is also pleased to include mobile catering as well as event planning services. For rental and event planning information

email David at info@panzudo. com or call (250) 503-7879.

••• Intwined Fibre Arts has made a location change to 161 Hudson Avenue NE in downtown Salmon Arm. Intwined Fibre Arts is a community based, fibre arts retail store with a focus on yarn, fibre and education. Owner Althea Mongerson prides herself on offering a welcoming gathering place, where her customers feel comfortable to spend time working on their crafts and finding supplies for their next creative project. Check out her amazing products at www. intwinedfibrearts.ca.

Corryn Grayston is the General Manager at the Salmon Arm Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at (250) 832-6247 or admin@sachamber.bc.ca.

SPOTLIGHT

10

JULY 2018

BIG AWARD FOR COMMUNITY-ORIENTED RESTAURANT The Nest & Nectar Wins Restaurant of the Year

P

ENTICTON: They gave to their community, and their community gave back.

Opening just under two years ago, The Nest & Nectar celebrated a big win on June 14, being named Restaurant of the Year at the Grant Thornton LLP Business Excellence Awards at Kelowna’s Coast Capri Hotel.

The restaurant offers wholesome, local food, and has established itself as a community centre and gathering place.

C o - o w n e r s R a n d y Fo s te r and Kristen (Fergy) Ferguson fulfilled one of their life-long dreams when they opened the establishment in the historical Cannery Trade Centre in October 2016.

“Our vision was to open a restaurant that was more about community involvement than it was about food and beverage,” says Foster.

Throughout the last year, the restau ra nt has offered thei r space at no charge to various community groups from artists to musicians to non-profit organizations.

I n add it ion to t he Gra nt Thornton LLP Business Excellence Award, The Nest & Nectar has received awards from the Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce and been recognized in Okanagan Life Magazine.

“The awards are shocking to us,” says Foster. “I imagine it feels like when an artist sells their first work for a significant amount of money. We are literally living our dream out here which pays back ten-fold in our happiness.

“We felt most overwhelmed when our whole team stood up to receive ‘The Best New Business’ award at The Chamber of Commerce Awards last year.

Our team was so excited. Some were moved to tears. This group

Randy Foster and Kristen (Fergy) Ferguson opened The Nest & Nectar in 2016. From day one, they focussed on community involvement, opening their space to non-profits and community groups of incredible individuals are helping to make our dream come true and they are just as excited as we are.”

Foster and Ferguson arrived at t he Gra nt T hor nton L L P Business Excellence Awards on a rented school bus along with a large group of Penticton businesses.

“Everyone met at The Nest & Nectar for some appetizers and cocktails and we all piled on the school bus in our finest attire,” says Foster.

“Penticton is a very community minded city and we were all there for each other. Some of us were competing in the same category but there was nothing

but a feeling of support.”

The couple brings decades of experience in the food service, customer service, and hospitality industries to the table.

Ferguson got her start 25 years ago as a busser in a fine dining restaurant. Since then, she has helped to open several restaurants, managed a catering operation, and helped open the food services division of the Taylor Centre of Performing Arts.

“She is a pastry chef and holds her dear grandmother’s recipes close to her heart,” says Foster.

Foster has extensive experience in restaurant customer service roles in the Calgary area, and has a passion for crafting

cocktails and bartending.

“O ne of ou r most popu l a r dishes is the BBQ Board, which is a build-your-own wild game board that starts off with grilled salad, corn bread, mustards and bbq’d local veggies. I personally love the nachos and wild mushroom risotto,” says Ferguson.

Foster is enamoured with the restaurant’s homemade waffles, made using a recipe passed down from Ferguson’s grandmother.

“They are so fluffy, and meltin-your-mouth delicious,” he says.

According to Foster, local, simple food that is “made with love” SEE FITZPATRICK | PAGE 11

One of their most popular dishes is the BBQ Board, which is a build-your-own wild game board that starts off with grilled salad, corn bread, mustards and bbq’d local veggies

ME

A Big Congratulations to The Nest and Nectar for Winning Restaurant of the Year!

(2018 Business Excellence Awards – Thompson Okanagan)

TOTALLY WICKED BEER Try it at the Nest and Nectar!

#112 - 1475 Fairview Rd, Penticton, BC

250-770-1122 | www.thetinwhistlebrewery.rocks

Call Ed Schneider

25 years with Revenue Canada

Specializing in Difficult Small Business & Personal Tax Situations Great references. Reasonable Rates.

778.476.1355

TheOkanaganTaxGuy.com 120-1475 Fairview Ave. (The Cannery)

SPOTLIGHT

JULY 2018

NORTHSIDE INDUSTRIES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

The Nest & Nectar serves local food as much as possible

“We make everything from scratch and we do not cut corners,” says Foster

Chef Kendra Carlson and Alyssa Gobiel are encouraged to get creative with their craft

has been key to their success.

“We make everything from scratch and we do not cut corners,” he says. “Careful thought is put into absolutely everything, right down to our complimentary kids plates. If we cannot execute it onsite then we reach out to local suppliers.“ The culinary team, led by Chef Kendra Carlson and Alyssa Gobiel, are encouraged to get creative with their craft.

“They work collaboratively on the framework, recipes, plating and execution, with both having come from creative culinary backgrounds,” says Foster.

Giving back to the community is one of the Nest & Nectar’s chief values.

“We source our ingredients loca l ly as much as we ca n,” says Foster. “We started working with Valley Produce Plus, which is a local food supplier that buys locally.

“We are also connected with What the Fungus mushrooms in Summerland, local honey supplier Okanagan Wild Brush Honey, Pioneer Gourmet Coffee in Kelowna, which roasts incredible organic coffee, Big Al’s Bakery, which provides us with incredible preservative free sandwich bread, and two organic farmers, who give us the freshest fruits and vegetables.”

Throughout 2017, the restaurant’s growth far exceeded Foster and Ferguson’s expectations.

They attribute this growth to t h e ove r wh e l m i n g s up p or t they have received from their community.

“Everyday our guests are coming by for many various reasons - to purchase theatre tickets, to catch up with a friend for a coffee or a delicious homemade treat, a meal with a co-worker or friend, a craft cocktail on the patio, etc,” says Foster.

“All of these reasons lead to the restaurant having a greater impact on people’s’ lives. We put in the effort to ensure that the guests coming to the restaurant make this one of the best parts of their day.” www.thenestandnectar.ca

Congratulations to the Nest and Nectar!

We're proud to be your goods supplier! baked g oods sup pplier!

Big Al’s Bakery & Deli is one of the Okanagan’s only ‘Baked from Scratch’ bakeries.

6030 Main St. Oliver, BC T: 250-498-0380 E: info@BigAlsBakery.com www.bigalsbakery.com

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Nominations Sought For Thompson Okanagan Kootenay Commercial Building Awards August 11 Deadline For 10th Annual Celebration Of The Best Of The Best In Commercial Construction

Kelowna Police Services building was the 2017 Judges’ Choice Best Overall entry in the Commercial Building Awards

K

ELOWNA - The nomination deadline for the 10th Annual Thompson Okanagan Kootenay Commercial Building Awards competition is fast approaching, and organizers are anticipating the number of entries this year to exceed those of last year’s event.

New institutional, commercial, industrial building, multi/single family, recreational or renovation projects located within these regions and completed between July 31, 2017 and July 31, 2018 are eligible for a Commercial Building Award, with the Gala Celebration set for September 20 at the Coast Capri Hotel in Kelowna.

This event recognizes the winning efforts of the Thompson, Okanagan and Kootenay regions’ new institutional, commercial, i ndu st r i a l bu i ld i ng, mu lt ifamily, recreational or renovation projects located from Kamloops to Osoyoos, and from Revelstoke to Fernie.

T he deadline for accepting nominations is August 11, providing the project was completed

by July 31 this year.

The Kelowna Police Services building was the 2017 Judges’

Choice best overall entry.

“This has been a busy year for commercial and industrial construction in the region,” notes Mark MacDonald, President of Business Examiner Thompson Okanagan newspaper, which coordinates the event. “We’re expecting to have a large pool of entries, from which our team of judges will determine the winners. There are always some extra intriguing and fascinating projects that are entered.”

Bl a c k P re s s i s a Pl at i nu m Media Sponsor of the event, MNP LLP, RE/MAX Commercial and the Southern Interior Construction Association are Gold Sponsors.

Each submission will now be judged by a team of independent judges on the categories noted below, using the following criteria: • Does it complement the surrounding properties and area?

• Is it esthetically pleasing?

• Are there unique architectural features?

• W hat is the level of fini sh (choice i n con st r uct ion materials)?

• Does it answer a specific development need within the

community?

• Does it contribute t o a h e a l t h y, s u s t a i n a b l e community?

• D o e s it h ave a ny e nv i ron menta l ly f r iend ly or g reen elements for possible consideration?

The categories for this year’s awards are: • Mixed use (commercial / residential) • Community Institutional includes Church/ Schools/Government Facilities • Retail/Shopping Centres • Office • Community Recreational • Senior’s Housing • Industrial • Multi Family / Single Family • Hospitality-Hotels/Motels • Recreational/Resort • Commercial renovation/ Restoration • Green • Civil (roads, bridges and infrastructure) • Wood Construction For Nomination Forms, or for further information about the event or sponsorship, contact Mark MacDonald at Business Examiner Thompson Okanagan at mark@businessexaminer.ca

12

SPOTLIGHT

JULY 2018

NORTHSIDE INDUSTRIES INC. ALWAYS EXPANDING PRODUCT LINE Local Metals Fabrication Firm Sub Contracts To Many Of Canada’s Industrial Giants

K

ELOWNA – Resiliency is defined as: the ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like.

Resiliency could also serve as one of the core strengths of West Kelowna’s Northside Industries Inc. Founded more than 50 years ago, Northside Industries has through determined effort weathered economic hardship and corporate upheaval to emerge stronger, more diversified and more technologically advanced than ever, thanks to the vision and dedication of its President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Steve McKay. “There definitely was a shake-up in 2009 that could have spelled the end for the company when some of the members of the ownership group decided that this was the end, but Steve had confidence that we could still do something with the business. He stayed the course and as a result the company’s never been stronger,” explained Northside’s Operations Manager Rob Estok.

Founded in 1967 Northside Industries (originally known as Northside Steel Fabricators Ltd.) is a multi-tiered metal fabrication business serving clients in a variety of sectors, including oil and gas, forestry and mining. Northside also routinely produces sub assembly components for other firms including those in the truck and heavy equipment industry.

The company has produced an expansive range of products over the years including truck and automotive components, fuelhydraulic fluid tanks, j-brackets and straps, bumpers, truck chassis components, cab panels, tanks, architectural components, tool and battery boxes, waste management components, steel underdecking and much more.

“Last year was an exciting year for us; as we not only celebrated

Northside Industries President Steve McKay had the vision and the drive to helm the company through adversity

More than a metal fabrication shop, Northside Industries Inc. is equipped with some of the industry’s most modern systems

“We are a fully capable metal fabrication facility where we regularly deal with materials such as steel, stainless steel, and aluminum.”

ROB ESTOK OPERATIONS MANAGER, NORTHSIDE INDUSTRIES INC.

our 50th year in business but we were able to cap it off with the Large Business of the Year Award through the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce. We were able to share the 50th year in business milestone with our employees and their families as we held an event at the plant with food, entertainment and plant tours,” Estok explained.

Less than a decade ago no one expected the firm to reach its half century milestone when members of the firm’s ownership group wanted to shutter the company.

But McKay and a solid core of believers in the first future of the enterprise held on, discovering

Welding and sub-assemblies are just some of the services provided by Kelowna’s Northside Industries Inc. new markets, introducing new products a nd re-energ i zi ng Northside Industries to meet the challenges and opportunities the

We are proud to congratulate Northside on more than 50 years of success! It’s an honour to work with Steve, his family and the team of professional and skilled workers that make Northside the reputable and successful business it is.

McFadden Buttar and Associates CPAs Inc. 206-1353 Ellis Street, Kelowna, BC V1Y 1Z9

250-763-4660

new century provided it.

“It continues to be a time of growth for the company, we’re continually getting busier which

is excellent news and we’re seeing our employee numbers gradually climb to the point where we have about 85 employees today. By

Northside Industries would like to thank our customers, vendors and staff for our continued success.

Bank Canada

Congratulations on 50+ years in business.

A true community leader and a built in the Okanagan success story.

HSBC Bank Canada

384 Bernard Ave, Kelowna, BC 1400 Industrial Road West Kelowna, B.C. V1Z 1G5 P: (250) 769-4001 F: (250) 769-3979 www.northsideind.ca

Evan Sears T: 250.712.6743 F: 250.763.5038

www.hsbc.ca

SPOTLIGHT

JULY 2018

13

Since opening in 1967 Northside Industries Inc. has always been willing to embrace the latest in production technology

Located at 1400 Industrial Road in West Kelowna Northside Industries Inc. is housed in a 60,000 square foot shop facility

Northside Industries Inc. works for a number of leading industrial companies such as John Deere and Daimler bringing more work into the shop and by locating additional customers I’m very confident about the future of the company,” Estok said.

A full service metal fabrication firm, Northside Industries can provide its expanding client base with an expansive range of services, from concept right through to finished product. Northside’s service include all aspects of product design, metal cutting and forming, welding and fabrication services, to the final coating, finishing, assembly and installation of all of its products.

“We are a fully capable metal fabrication facility where we regularly deal with materials such as steel, stainless steel, and aluminum. We have a variety of equipment on-site where we can cut, form, weld and powder coat as needed. Aside from the steel fabrications we specialize in, we also offer a wide range of fuel and hydraulic tanks for the Class 8 and oil and gas industries,” Estok said.

Working from its 60,000 square foot production facility at 1400 Industrial Road in West Kelowna, Northside regularly works with customers from an equally diverse range of industries, from the oil and gas sector to the military, agriculture and the forest industry.

A s t ate of t he a r t fa c i l it y

equipped with the latest technology such as laser cutters, waterjets and powder coating capabilities, Northside has also become an industry leader through the skills and expertise of its staff. “We have a great group of folks at Northside who remain positive and motivated despite the stresses manufacturing can at times present,” he said.

A partial list of the major companies Northside Industries provides sub assembly work for includes industry giants such as John Deere and Daimler among other industry leaders. While capable of handling smaller scale design and fabrication tasks the core of the firm’s production is devoted to its expanding range of commercial and industrial clients.

“I would say that those sectors provide the bulk of our work, but if something was to come in and it made sense we’d probably do it. We do deal with smaller individual customers as well, so we don’t work exclusively with major companies,” Estok said.

Part of the firm’s successful ongoing corporate re-imagining has involved the development of new product lines and the cultivation of fresh markets for its skills and technologies. One of its most successful recent additions to Northside’s product line is its production of the innovative

Hydrau-Flo® valve system, a fastfill fueling system for commercial fleet owners.

The Hydrau-Flo® system is an after-market add-on for users of heavy equipment that consists of specialized valves and plumbing that can provide faster fuelling rates that improve overall efficiencies for the operator while delivering safer and cleaner refuelling options.

“In some cases we have provided a solution where a customer can fill at a rate five times faster compared to their standard process, which drastically reduced downtime and increased daily throughput. Our largest systems allow fuel filling rates up to 1,500 litres per minute! We are quite excited to see this part of the business gain momentum and allow us to add diversity to our current offerings,” Estok explained.

Another key part of Northside Industries Renaissance is its introduction of the IronFeather™ line of products for the commercial trucking industry.

IronFeather™ is an extended cab system that provides extra flexibility and expandability to Class 8 Western Star trucks. As with the Hydrau-Flo® system, IronFeather™ can be adapted during the manufacturing stage of a new vehicle or it can be installed as an

Congratulations Northside on 50+ years in business Samuel, Son & Co. Unit 300-9087C 198th Street, Langley, BC V1M 3B1

after-market addition to an existing vehicle.

“We have several sizes and options available that span smaller 12” storage cabs to larger 36” sleeper cabs. The lightweight design integrates with the cab of the truck and offers customization to suit a wide range of customer needs,” he said.

IronFeather’s socket mounting system takes advantage of existing cutaway offerings. IronFeather™ units mounted to Western Star cutaway cabs are fully integrated with the cab structure for maximum durability and functionality. The NSI IronFeather™ line is so customizable that it can be configured to the needs of a wide range of potential customers.

The system offers multiple space expanding solutions ranging from 12” to 36”. In addition to added space, IronFeather™ also offers its users with a rest cab sleepers and three-person crew bench seating complete with certified seat belts.

Despite the range of the products and services provided by Northside the firm’s present facility is considered more than adequate to keep up with the company’s current production demands. “No physical expansion is needed right now. We do run several shifts a day in certain areas but there is certainly capacity to further manup those shifts as needed,” he said.

Serving clients across Western Canada for more than half a century, Northside Industries has endured a potentially disastrous corporate shake up and has

emerged as an award winning provider of some of the most innovative and sought after products in the commercial marketplace.

“Since 2009 the business has evolved and grown to the level it has today, despite the challenges which is something we’re very proud of. Capping off our 50th anniversary last year by winning the Large Business of the Year Award was especially satisfying and a great accomplishment for everyone here at the plant,” he said.

For the future Estok anticipates continued grow th as it adds staff, technologies and distinctive products. “We’re much more than a welding shop. Northside is constantly gaining additional assignments through our existing customers in addition to quoting on projects from new clients,” he said.

He also maintains that the key to the firm’s future, aside from its innate resiliency and ability to identify and properly service new markets, rests with the skills and dedication of its employees.

“We have a really good group here, many long term employees.

We’ve had some recent retirements of people who had been with us 20 plus years. We also have lots of new workers who bring a new perspective and experience to the job,” he said.

“We’re always expanding our customer base year by year, a trend we expect to see continue as we identify new markets and introduce new products, which for us is very exciting.” www.northsideind.ca

BE AWARDS

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JULY 2018

1st Annual Grant Thornton LLP Thompson Okanagan BE Awards an enormous success BE AWARDS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Yeti Farm Creative is a locally founded, owned and operated mid-size animation studio that services renowned and coveted broadcasters like CORUS MEDIA, NETFLIX, and AMAZON while also creating and exploiting original intellectual property; properties that are then

turned into multi-pronged franchises with revenue streams derived from license fees as well as royalties from consumer product, toy, game and literary revenue pursuits.

GetintheLoop is an intelligent mobile marketing platform that connects businesses with local consumers. Their online offers platform allows businesses to deliver real-time experiences and

exclusive offers directly to the mobile phones of engaged consumers, enabling businesses to attract new customers, develop meaningful relationships and obtain immediate in-depth data on their behaviour.

Winners in the other Categories are (17 in total): Automotive Business of the Year Current Taxi of Kelowna.

Current Taxi introduced itself

in 2017 as BC’s first and only fully electric taxi provider, serving the Regional District of the Central Okanagan. Locally owned and operated, their desire to offer a highly-elevated transportation option is only equaled by their desire to do so in the most environmentally friendly manner possible using their fleet of battery electric Teslas.

Community Builder of the Year

Excellence always deserves recognition.

Hearty congratulations to all of the finalists of this year’s Business Excellence Awards. Your hard work and perseverance are exemplary, and you’re an inspiration to everyone in the Okanagan business community.

At Grant Thornton LLP, we’re proud to sponsor this prestigious event. We firmly believe that when private businesses succeed, we succeed. That’s why our dedicated team of professionals is committed to finding solutions that help private business unlock their potential for growth.

Get Bent Yoga and Dance of Penticton.

Get Bent is a dance school and a yoga studio providing yoga and dance classes, and their dancers have performed internationally in Thailand and Greece, and across Canada. Get Bent is a safe and supportive centre where dancers SEE BE AWARDS | PAGE 15

Pino Mancuso of Highstreet Ventures, left, receives the Construction, Development and Real Estate Business of the Year award from Andre Brosseau of Innov8 Digital Solutions

Mike Miltmore of Riversong Guitars, left, with the Manufacturing Business of the Year award, presented by Tyler Krenz of Grant Thornton LLP. Riversong tied with Vitalis Extraction of Kelowna in the category

Kelowna | Penticton | Trail | Castlegar T +1 250 712 6800

grantthornton.ca

Accounting | Tax | Advisory © 2018 Grant Thornton LLP. A Canadian Member of Grant Thornton International Ltd

Derek Sienko of Diversified Rehabilitation Group, left, presents the Health Care Business of the Year Award to Dr. Gary Powell of Carrington Dental

BE AWARDS

JULY 2018

Nicki James of Main Street Clothing, left, shared the Retail Business of the Year Award with Pickleball Depot of Vernon. Shown here with Nicki is presenter Martine Hickman of BDC

BE AWARDS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

of all ages, sizes, and abilities can learn to dance, perform and be a positive and involved member of their community.

Wendy Goudie of Get Bent says “It was an honour to be recognized throughout the whole region. The confirmation that small businesses from Kamloops

John Glennon of Sandler Training, left, presented the Small Business of the Year Award to Jesse Schimmel of Getintheloop

to Penticton are quite connected, regardless of industry, time in business or size, was inspiring and honestly, quite refreshing.”

Construction & Development Business of the Year H i g h s t r e e t Ve n t u r e s o f Kelowna.

Highstreet Ventures is a real estate development company that primarily develops, builds, and operates condo quality market

rental apartments. They have completed over 2,900 apartments and townhomes as well as a hotel since 2005. They’ve developed in 15 different cities, mostly in Western Canada, based in Kelowna.

“We are very grateful for receiving the award. It is a reflection of the dedication and te a mwork of ever yone who works with Highstreet, and we

15

Ray Warren of RBC Royal Bank presents Jacquie Carlson of Poplar Grove Winery with the Winery Business of the Year Award

would like to take this opportunity to thank them for being recognized,” says President Scott Butler.

Entrepreneur of the Year Redhead Mare of Penticton.

Redhead Mare Media is a social media consulting firm assisting businesses reach a wider demographic and client base with online marketing. Mare also utilizes her broadcasting background

to help clients with video content, news releases, garnering media attention and interview coaching. In addition, Mare has a growing YouTube channel with more than one million views where she posts daily videos.

Food Production Business of the Year True Grain Bread of SEE BE AWARDS | PAGE 16

Swiss Solar Tech is honoured to receive The Thompson Okanagan Business Examiner’s First Annual Green Business of the Year Award (2018).

We thank you for this award, which we share with our entire installation and office team.

We are proud of our accomplishments over the past 17 years of business, and are humbled to be recognized for our hard work and devotion to providing innovative and “green” solar energy solutions to our customers throughout Western Canada.

A big thank you to our hardworking employees who give us and our clients their best every day. We also want to thank all our loyal customers for helping to make our business a leading solar installer in the Okanagan!

5811 Giants Head Rd. Summerland, BC

Toll Free: 1-866-786-4968 Phone: 250-404-0490

www.swisssolartech.com

16

BE AWARDS

JULY 2018

BE AWARDS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

Summerland.

True Grain is a familyowned Old World-inspired European bakery where the craft of the miller and baker are honed and cherished.

Their passion is creating organic and handcrafted bread and pastries. They purchase organic ancient grain kernels like Einkorn, Emmer, Khorasan, Spelt, Rye, & Red Fife from local BC organic grain farmers.

They then stone mill the kernels into fresh, nutrient rich flour. All their flour, every tiny speck, is organic BC farmed and BC milled.

Todd Laidlaw says “We’re driven by our passion for authentic craft baking, using exclusively BC grown a nd BC m i l led orga n ic flour. This award confirms that our customers share ou r va lues of rea l food made by hand, in direct support of local organic farmers.”

Green Business of the Year Swiss Solar Tech Ltd. of Summerland.

Swiss Solar Tech Ltd is a leading solar firm that was formed for the purpose of offering solar PV for electricity and to the government, institutional and commercial business sector as well as to private

Struggling with absenteeism, high disability and injury claims, high turnover, or unclear policies and procedures?

We have effective and affordable solutions for you.

Rebekah Hutchison of Liquid Capital West Coast Financing, left, presented the Restaurant Business of the Year Award to Randy and Fergie Foster of The Nest and Nectar of Penticton home owners. Their clients range from businesses like hotels, wineries, manufacturing as well as restaurants, stores and storage facilities, but also to institutional and government buildings.

“We are proud of our accomplishments over the past 17 years of business, and are humbled to be recognized for our hard work and devotion to providing innovative and ‘green’ solar energy solutions to

our customers throughout Western Canada,” says Susan Huber.

Health Care Business of the Year Carrington Dental Centre of West Kelowna.

Carrington Dental Centre is a large group dental practice combining the skills of 5 dentists to provide the most comprehensive care for patients under one roof. Dr. Gary Powell, SEE BE AWARDS | PAGE 18

BE AWARDS

JULY 2018

17

‘Let Me Compete’ Seeks Small Business Access to Federal Government Procurement​

BY MARK MACDONALD BUSINESS EXAMINER

K

Andre Brosseau of Innov8 Digital Solutions

ELOWNA – On the surface, the federal government’s recent announcement that it is trying to change the way it purchases business equipment and services directly from manufacturers sounds harmless.

Dig a little deeper, though, and the move appears to shut the door on small businesses that want to be involved in Service Canada’s procurement of services, most notably office equipment, and deal only with multi-­‐ national manufacturers. In other words, not small businesses.

A website (www.letmecompete.ca) has been created to help small companies voice their objection to these measu res and urges to keep the current system where firms of all size can compete for federal government contracts. It encourages affected firms to contact their Members of Parliament and voice their concerns. Andre Brosseau, President of Innov8 Digital Solutions, is one of many ringing the alarm bells about the heavy-­‐handed decision, noting

that prior to deciding to introduce the policy, Service Canada spoke only to manufacturers and one very large equipment dealer in Greater Toronto. SC failed to consult with small office equipment businesses from across the country,.

“As part to the RFP (Request For Proposal) qualification process, they outlined that you must have a minimum of 15,000 devices in the public service in order to be able to bid,” Brosseau says. “This would eliminate all but 2 multi-­‐national vendors from having the ability bid from the current number of 12.

“When companies such as Canon, Sharp and HP called foul, Service Canada told them they could join forces in a joint venture to meet the size requirement. They are essentially saying that in order to compete for federal business you have to have a big fleet currently. Nothing about what is right for the end user or service levels.”

“Price has not even been brought up in this process, which is shocking,” Brosseau says. “This whole process in mysterious, and where there is mystery, there is margin.”

Hundreds of small businesses

across Canada provide service for copiers and printers for the federal government, which manufacturers often supply directly.

“This income is an important component to being able to provide service in many remote areas that otherwise would be unprofitable,” Brosseau notes.

“Service Canada wants to eliminate this method to one or two large foreign multinationals whose service model is different, in that they will first try to use their phone support services to resolve issues, then use their own employees to service if necessary.” Brosseau believes this type of policy could affect other small business sectors, not just the office machine industry.

“Our government says it stands up for small business in Canada, but this is a glaring example of taking profits and jobs away from small business,” he adds. “Companies like ours provide stable m idd le i ncome employ ment positions in the communities we serve, and policies like these could put some of these jobs at risk in favor of offshore call centers.

For further information, visit www.letmecompete.ca

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18 BE AWARDS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

dentist and wife, Sharmaine Powell, dental hygienist, opened their first dental practice in Sept.

1998 in West Kelowna. This has become the largest group dental practice in West Kelowna.

“We feel very honoured to be chosen as the BE Health Care Business of the year,” says Gary Powell. “The calibre and range of the other businesses nomi nated were i ncred ible. T he energy, camaraderie and support of the Thompson Okanagan business community could be felt in the room.”

Manufacturing Business of the Year (Tie) Riversong Guitars of Ka mloops and Vitalis Extraction of Kelowna.

Riversong Guitars started in the back room of Lee’s Music in the back of the family music store in 2006. They originally built traditional guitars whilst designing a new build system that was launched in Canada 6 years later in 2012. Now in 2018 their products can be found in nearly 30 countries around the world.

Vita l is Ex traction is a privately-owned, Kelowna-based engineering and manufacturing company, producing the highest-flowing industrial scale supercritical CO2 extraction system for the ca n nabis i ndustry, with systems on three

cont i nents ( Nor t h & Sout h America, Europe).

Professional Services Business of the Year Refresh Financial of Kelowna.

Refresh Financial has a whole suite of guaranteed approval solutions to help their clients build a better financial future, including their cash secured credit building loan, as well as their newly launched secured credit card. Since their Kelowna beginnings in 2013, Refresh Financial has helped over 65,000 clients across Canada, becoming one of the fastest growing companies in North America.

Restaurant of the Year The Nest & Nectar of Penticton.

Randy Foster’s and business partner Fergy’s life long dream was to move to Penticton and open a restaurant and their vision was to open a restaurant that was more about community involvement than it was about food and beverage. In the past year the space has been home to not for profit , donating over $12,000 for t he com mu n ity through fundraising efforts.

Retail Business of the Year (Tie) Main Street Clothing of Kamloops and Pickle Ball Depot of Vernon.

Main Street Clothing Compa ny Ltd. ca rries men’s a nd ladies high end fashion, footwear and accessories, as well as home decor gift items such as candles, creams, soaps, etc.

T hroughout the years, Main

The bank of rising to the occasion

JULY 2018

Street Clothing has been recognized and awarded as one of the best clothing stores in Kamloops.

“We are honoured to be recognized for our hard work and dedication for what we are so passionate about,” says Nicki James. ”This has been a very humbling experience as there are so many amazing businesses in our region. I have to be honest, I got a little choked up when I heard our name.”

Pickleball Depot has become Canada’s largest dedicated online pickleball retailer, and the largest multi-brand wholesaler of pickleball equipment in the cou ntry. I n 2012, P ick leba l l Depot launched their first ecommerce website and entered the world of online retail, servicing all of Canada. In 2017, Pickleball Depot expanded into a full service commercial space, and launched Canada’s first ever brick and mortar pickleball-only shop.

Technology Business of the Year B ig B e a r S of t wa re Ltd . o f Penticton.

Big Bea r Softwa re Inc. is a Software Design and Development company that has operated in Penticton since 2010. They now currently specialize in servicing clients located in western North America. They operate primarily in this geographic niche in order to maintain their commitment to Near Sourcing.

“As one company of many in

the $1.3 billion rapidly growing Okanagan tech industry, we are humbled to be recognized as the top tech business in the region,” says Keith MacIntyre. “Big Bear Software has been located in Penticton for eight years and we have been working hard to grow not just our business, but the tech ecosystem throughout the Okanagan.”

Tourism Business of the Year (Tie) Glow SUP Adventures of Penticton and Sip Happens Wine Tours of Lake Country.

Glow SU P Adventu res i s a family operated small business and is an awesome place for all families and individuals to explore adventure on the water both day and night. They can specifically try out Stand Up Paddleboarding and Kayaking under the guidance of certified instructors and staff.

Sip Happens wine tours specializes in the Scenic Sip group of wineries in Lake Country, offering a unique experience for our guests due in part to the amazing relationships they have developed with this group of vineyards. They operate with 3 new Mercedes 11 passenger Sprinter vans and Cadillac Escalade touring vehicles only and specialize in attention to detail.

Liz McK inney says “It was a hu ge h on o u r to w i n s u c h an award up against so many tourism operators here. It’s one thing to be recognized in our

community of Lake Country but a whole other thing to be recognized throughout the Thompson Okanagan as one of the best!”

Trades Business of the Year Duffy Baker Construction of Penticton.

D u f f y Ba ker Const r uct ion has two departments, and they contract services and sub-contracting services where they sub-contract out 4 crews to other companies/contractors.

They service the entire Okanagan, typically from Kelowna to Osoyoos.

“As most entrepreneurs, we pour our heart and soul into our business, and it means so much to us that our hard work is recognized by the community,” says Koa Hughes.!

Winery Business of the Year Poplar Grove of Penticton.

Poplar Grove Winery is one of the original five wineries on the Naramata Bench, and was founded in 1993. Tony Holler purchased Poplar Grove and became the winery president in 2007. Tony’s wife, Barbara Holler, owns and operates the Hollers’ 100 acres of estate vineyards allowing Poplar Grove wines to be made from 100 per cent estate grown grapes.

The Official Program for the event, which includes information on each finalist, is available online at: https://issuu. com/markmacdonald7/docs/ tobe_2018_book_for_website

BDC is proud to support and recognize the achievements of the nominees and finalists of the 2018 Business Examiner Business Excellence Awards.

These entrepreneurs certainly rise to the occasion and shine in their field and community.

As Canada’s business development bank, BDC is the only financial institution devoted exclusively to entrepreneurs, taking great pride in helping create and develop strong Canadian businesses through financing, advisory services and capital.

BDC is the only bank exclusively devoted to entrepreneurs.

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SPOTLIGHT

JULY 2018

19

SWISS SOLAR TECH SHINES AT BE AWARDS BC Solar Pioneers Net Green Award at Inaugural Event

S

U M M E R L A N D - Sw iss Solar Tech Ltd. took home the Green Business of the Year Award at the first annual Gra nt T hor nton T h om p s o n Okanagan Business Excellence Awards on June 14.

Swiss Solar Tech was one of two Summerland businesses to take home an award at the celebration, held at the Coast Capri Hotel in Kelowna.

Incorporated in September 2001, Swiss Solar Tech creates cost-effective renewable energy and heat recovery solutions.

“Swiss Solar Tech Ltd. was formed for the purpose of offering solar water heating including solar pool heating, solar PV for electricity and heat recovery systems to the government, institutional and commercial business sector as well as to the private home owners,” says co-owner Susan Huber.

“Our special area of expertise revolves around offering clients the newest technologies available on the market to custom design the most efficient solar systems possible for each project.”

When Swiss Solar Tech started, it was a challenge to sell their product.

“Most of the time, we were just educating home and business owners about Solar,” says Huber.

“After 17 years, we think of ourselves as pioneers in BC’s solar industry. We are very proud of how far we’ve come.”

T h a n k s to t hei r tech n ic a l knowledge and management skills, the team at Swiss Solar Tech can oversee entire projects, from planning and design to supplying and installing the equipment.

Today, their clients include hotels, wineries, manufacturing facilities, restaurants, stores, storage faci l ities, as wel l as institutional and government buildings.

“Supporting this range of clients means that we have to offer a flexible approach,” says Huber.

“We w i l l ta ke on a ny sitespecific obstacles like shading, rough terrain or small budgets and will turn it into viable options for solar energy production in the most cost efficient way possible.

“We also have an experienced roofer on staff that can handle any kind of roof from metal roof to asphalt shingles and from flat roof to very steep roofs including building a solar roof for parking lots and restaurant patios.”

Swiss Solar Tech has extensive experience working with wineries throughout the Okanagan, installing design-built solar systems for establishments such

“After 17 years, we think of ourselves as pioneers in BC’s solar industry. We are very proud of how far we’ve come.”

SUSAN HUBER CO-OWNER OF SWISS SOLAR TECH

Roger Huber is Founder and CEO of Swiss Solar Tech Ltd. as Burrowing Owl, Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery, Monster Vineyards, Howling Bluff, Noble Ridge and Painted Rock Estate Winery.

“In July 2017 we designed and installed a 50 kW solar panel system covering the carport for the Burrowing Owl Winery in Oliver,” says Huber.

“In the centre of the parking area is a landscaped ‘island’ where 12 cars can park. We designed and installed a protective cover over these 12 parking spaces that consists of a roof that provides shade and protection from rain, and will support 108 solar panels.

“These panels will generate 50,300 kWh/year and will offset CO2 emissions of 27 tons.”

The team is currently working on a bi-facial solar patio roof for Vanilla Pot, a boutique restaurant at the Poplar Grove Estate Winery in Penticton. This project will be installed in July of this year.

Last year also saw growth in Swiss Solar Tech’s private sector work, with a growing demand for roof-mounted solar panels.

The company introduced a new reward system for clients who brought new customers, helping them achieve significant sales

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growth throughout the 2017 calendar year.

With so many exciting developments in the solar energy market, Huber foresees a bright future for Swiss Solar Tech.

“Currently the solar energy market is the most exciting market to be working in,” she says.

“Energy prices will only go up and solar power is a non-pollution energy source we can install on most buildings or properties as long as it is not shaded.”

Huber believes that net zero construction will come to dominate the commercial and residential building industry.

“With solar technology, we can produce the energy on demand at the site, where no transportation of the energy is needed and there is no middleman to mark up the energy costs,” she says.

“We all will be travelling in electric vehicles that leave no carbon footprint and we can charge them with solar electricity we produce at home. Moving forward, we will need to implement many more solar installation teams in our company, and therefore we are training our current crew, with the hope of enhancing this over the years to come.” www.swisssolartech.com

Their clients include hotels, wineries, manufacturing facilities, restaurants, stores, storage facilities, institutional buildings, and government buildings

Stellar performances deserve more than just applause Performing well is a given at Grant Thornton LLP. It’s one of the reasons we’re proud to recognize Swiss Solar Tech as the Best Green Company of the Year at the First Annual Grant Thornton LLP Thompson Okanagan Business Excellence Awards.

Penticton 201-99 Padmore Ave E T + 1 250 493 0600

grantthornton.ca Accounting | Tax | Advisory

Visit our website for a location near you!

www.jmins.com

© 2018 Grant Thornton LLP. A Canadian Member of Grant Thornton International Ltd

20

SPOTLIGHT

JULY 2018

MAINSTREET CLOTHING CO WINS TOP BUSINESS AWARD Distinctive Clothing Store Now A Multi-Generational Family Business

K

AMLOOPS– Something wonderf u l ca n happen when you take an individual with an instinctive sense of style and you add to that an unquenchable love of community – if you’re very lucky you end up with Kamloops’ MainStreet Clothing Co. The store was just voted the winner of the 2018 Business of the Year Award at the Okanagan Business Excellence Awards.

Opened nearly 20 years ago the MainStreet Clothing Co. is a wholly family-owned and operated clothing business offering a diverse and eclectic range of products and fashions for men and women of discerning tastes.

Founded by Nicki James in 1999 MainStreet Clothing has over the years been recognized and awarded as one of the best clothing stores in the region.

For James a key to the downtown store’s success has always been the willingness of her and her staff to listen and respond to their customers’ needs. By always striving to source out the latest fashions, and by delivering an experience for their customers that is as fun as it is creative, MainStreet Clothing has become the clothing destination of choice for clients from across the region and beyond – with the outlet regularly attracting customers from as far afield as the Lower Mainland.

“All my life, ever since I was a child I always loved fashion. Back then my Mom always made all of our clothes and once in a while we’d get to go to the ‘Big City’ and shop, but my interest in clothing and how things go together has always been important to me,” explained James.

Having grown up in a rural area of the Shuswap she learned to appreciate, to delight in the pleasure and familiarity that comes

A true family business, store owner Nicki James (middle) works alongside her daughters Meagan (left) and Jen from living in a small community – a love that she continues to foster through her life and her business in Kamloops.

“Despite being a ‘rural kid’ I had a heart for big city fashion. I really wanted to set myself apart from everybody else when I wore things. By my early teens I got a job so I could spend my own money, to be independent and make my own fashion choices,” she recalled.

When she left home to be out on her own she quickly moved to Vancouver to experience the lessons the major centre could provide, and with her nose for fashion quickly found a job working in a local Bootlegger outlet.

“That was a terrific experience but eventually I moved back home, with the dream of opening my own clothing store.

I was especially lucky as I had some great mentors along the way, people who really helped to put me on this path,” James explained.

“I think I’m just wired for fashion, I’m just naturally talented in fashion, probably because I have such a passion for it. I love how things work together it’s something that comes to me easily, and something that I in turn have passed onto others as I have mentored many others because they like how the store is, how it feels, the whole experience.”

Located at 221 Victoria Street in downtown Kamloops, MainStreet Clothing is in every sense a fa m i ly busi ness. Work i ng with her daughters Jen James and Meagan James, and with the support of her husband and business partner Bryan James,

she carefully sources clothing and accessories for customers of every taste, gender or budget – but all with a comfortable elegance that suits every setting from boardroom to dance floor.

Having fashion sense doesn’t automatically mean you have business sense, so James learned through trial and error about the successes and pitfalls of being a store owner – insights she freely supplies to those youthful startups she has mentored over the years.

“I always tell people to do their homework, it’s vital to know what you’re doing. Gaining experience, knowing how to cross all the ts when running a business is important and that’s why the lessons I’ve learned from amazing people along the way is so important. I had a natural ability,

“I think I’m just wired for fashion, I’m just naturally talented in fashion, probably because I have such a passion for it.”

NICKI JAMES FOUNDER / OWNER, MAINSTREET CLOTHING CO.

but they taught me a great many of the skills I’ve needed to successfully run my own business,” she said.

With a natural gift for fashion, and through the practical experience she gained working in

To many more years of continued Success - From the team at Chaussures Ferra-Giacomo Inc -

SPOTLIGHT

JULY 2018

21

The MainStreet Clothing Co store is located at 221 Victoria Street in the heart of downtown Kamloops

MainStreet Clothing Co was the winner of the Business of the Year Award at the Okanagan Business Excellence Awards other clothing stores (in addition to the lessons she learned from her mentors) James took the leap of faith in 1999, opening MainStreet Clothing at its current location.

“Preparation is a key for just about everything in life, including opening a business. When I finally did I was ready, and that preparation helped to make the process easy, and fun,” James explained.

In addition to having a great central location and a quality inventory of product, for James the real reason for the success of the MainStreet Clothing Co. is the quality of the staff, as she says, it’s not about the quantity of the staff a store employs, but the quality of the individuals charged with being a ventures ambassadors.

“I’m blessed to have such a great staff. Along the way I’ve been lucky enough to work with some amazing people, including my daughters. I’m not running a one-woman show, it’s in every sense a collaborate effort.

My daughters literally grew up with this business and now that we’re working together it brings a special pleasure to going to work as I now get to work and mentor them, carrying this business into

its second generation,” she said.

An iconic part of the Kamloops business community with an eye for big city fashion while serving a smaller local centre, MainStreet Clothing is the living embodiment of Okanagan business success. Despite, or perhaps because of her achievements, store owner Nicki James has never lost sight of the reason her enterprise has flourished – her customers.

“We bring in brand names and we also carry the unique, the things that we like. Couple that

Thank you to all our loyal and amazing customers.

This award is for you!

with limited sizing, they’ll know that when they buy something from us there won’t be dozens of the same thing out there, that’s part of our uniqueness,” she said.

“Over the years I have built great relationships with my customers. Every time they come into the store I want them to have the best experience possible. I have never taken my customers for granted as customer service is my passion and is something I instill in my employees daily.” www.mainstreetclothing.ca

Congratula�ons on winning Retailer of the Year!

Kamloops: (250) 372-8811 Chase: (250) 679-3180 BC Toll Free: 1 (800) 949-3362

221 Victoria St, Kamloops, BC www.mainstreetclothing.ca

Email: ccates@cfelaw.ca Website: cfelaw.ca #300 - 125 Fourth Avenue, Kamloops, BC V2C 3N3

Funky and fun, the MainStreet Clothing Co. offers its expanding client base with a wide range of clothing options

“IF YOU WANT TO GO FAST, GO ALONE. IF YOU WANT TO GO FAR, YOU NEED A TEAM.” – John Wooden

Congratulations to Main Street Clothing Co. on their continued success in business.

900 - 235 1st Avenue T: 250.374.5577 • daleyllp.ca

22

WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION

JULY 2018

VICKI TOPPING HELPS LEAD MAJOR ARCHITECTURE FIRM MQN Partner is a Vernon Native With Years of Industry Experience

V

E R NON - W hen Vicki Topping decided to pursue architecture, she never looked back.

After almost two decades in the industry, she boasts seven years as a partner at MQN Architecture, and has established herself as an industry and community leader who is involved with Kalamalka Lake Rotary and the Southern Interior Construction Association (SICA).

MQN was founded in 1987. The business has since evolved into two companies.

MQN Architects serves a wide variety of sectors with their professional services, and is run by three partners, CEO Brian Quiring, Vicki Topping, and Roger Green.

MQN Interiors is an interior design company, which is directed

by Quiring and Topping, as well as Dora Anderson, a Registered Interior Designer.

Topping was born and raised in Vernon, and has been involved in the Architecture industry since

2000.

“I have a lot of contractors, graphic designers, and photographers in my family,” says Topping. “My parents renovated our house at least four times, and I was fascinated with how we can transform a space. I eventually decided to pursue architecture school.”

Topping applied to the University of British Columbia and moved to Vancouver three weeks later, where she would eventually complete her Masters in Architecture.

After five years of working in Vancouver, Topping decided to move back home to Vernon to join the MQN team in 2005.

“I was offered partnership in 2011, and I haven’t looked back since,” she says.

MQN thrives because they take on a wide variety of residential and commercial projects, including homes, schools, arenas, car dealerships, hospitality and recreational projects.

They are also leading the charge in offering clients building models and virtual reality walkthroughs.

“There are huge benefits in being able to explore builds in 3-D prior to construction and solve challenges in advance, so we are keen to offer these advantages to our clients,” says Topping.

MQN believes in building into the future of their industry, by hiring and training students each summer. Through internships and scholarships, they mentor the next generation.

“We want to be contributing back to the industry, guiding people in the right direction so we can keep the industry healthy,” says Topping.

About 50 per cent of MQN’s staff are women, including interior design partner Dora Anderson, who has been involved with the company since 2007.

“There are more architects who are women now,” says Topping.

“I went to a celebration for one of my UBC professors, and when he first started, he had only one female student. Now, over 50 per cent of architecture students are women.

Topping was able to find significant success in her field thanks to hard work and some significant mentor figures.

“Women who want to get into the industry need to set goals, find a really good mentor, and have a good support team. If your dream is to become an Architect, there is nothing stopping you. You can achieve your dreams.” www.mqn.ca

Sue Connors Named Head Of BC’s Biggest Bidding Platform

V

ICTORIA - Sue Connors is the new CEO of the BC Construction Association (BCCA) hi-tech bidding platform, BidCentral.

BidCentra l faci l itates tendering services for public construction projects using a secure online system for document and bid management.

With access to thousands of public, private and early stage pre-bid projects, BidCentral houses BC’s largest construction bidding directory. The organization has been operating for 20 years, tendering $24.65 Billion with over 10,000 different contractors.

Based i n Victor ia w it h i n the BCCA offices, BidCentral operates in partnership with the reg iona l constr uction associations.

It is supported locally by project services staff, project experts who serve the needs of association members.

“BidCentral is ready to grow,” says Connors. “It’s got a solid foundation of 20 years of project data, an established brand, expert staff, and thousands of contractors, manufacturers and suppliers accessing it.

“With 50,000 projects and $24.65 Billion tendered through BidCentral to date, I’m looking forward to expanding our services and reach, further solidifying BidCentral as BC’s largest Construction bidding marketplace.”

Chris Atchison, President and CEO of BCCA announced the appointment of Connors to the position June 14.

Con nors h a s a d e ep backg rou nd i n developi ng a nd

implementing growth strategies for global ecommerce marketplaces and B2B platforms.

W it h o ve r 25 ye a rs i n t h e tech industry, Connors brings a wealth of experience to the table.

She worked as a network administrator and systems analyst at the City of Victoria through most of the 1990s, introducing over 1,200 city staff to new personal computer technology.

She helped create a web presence for the city, and promoted their Smart City concept with public presentations on a plan to make Victoria a technology hub.

E v e n t u a l l y, s h e h o s t e d a shaw@hom weekly TV series, focussed on introducing hom owners to the internet.

P r i o r to h e r a p p oi n t m e n t at BidCentra l, she was Vice

President of Business Development at RevenueWire, where she was responsible for revenue growth, global expansion and strategic channel development.

During her almost decadel o n g t e n u r e , R e v e n u eW i r e became an award winning industry leader in performance marketing and online payment processing.

Prior to her position at RevenueWire, Sue was VP of Sales a nd Sel ler M a n a gement for global bookselling giant Abebooks.com, which was acquired

by Amazon in a deal estimated at $120 Million USD. She was contracted by ActNow BC, where she used online marketing and partnership strategies to promote BC’s healthy living initiative tied to Vancouver’s hosting of the 2010

Winter Olympic Games. During this time, she facilitated and promoted over 100 Olympicthemed offline events.

In her new role at BidCentral Con nors w ill be responsible for aggressively expanding the public and private industrial, commercial, and institutional pre-bid and project content in the platform, with additional focus on developing services and partnerships to improve the user experience.

I n t h e p a s t y e a r B i d C e ntral made a significant business model change, opening premium project access to all companies working in BC’s construction sector regardless of Association membership status – a first in twenty years of platform operations. www.bidcentral.ca

GREEN SHEET / OFF THE 15COVER

JULY 2018

ment SIMONE SUNDERLAND

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ment

n to poser to lone last ish a oals the and om-

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KAMLOOPS KAMLOOPS LOCATION LOCATION

3201 Valleyview Dr - Rental

175 Kokanee Way - Ramada Hotel Condominiums - Hillside Walk

PROJECT TYPE PROJECT TYPE

commercial new Multi-family new

LAKE COUNTRY LOCATION

10618 Powley Crt - Townhouses Habitat for Humanity PROJECT TYPE Multi-family newSUNDERLAND SIMONE

PROJECT New townhouse development - 5 OWNER structures - 3 storeys - 1 fourplex, PROJECT Valleyview Landstreatment Limited facility 2- triplexes, New water the dis- 1 duplex - 12 units - 3 Partnership - 3775 Trans bedrooms trict is currently testing several meth- - double car garages Canada Hwy E, Kamloops V2C ods including membrane technology PROJECT STATUS 4S2 250-314-0030 Rezoning and OCP amendment PROJECT STATUS application at 3rd reading Design underway - Tender call for

SICAMOUS General Contractor anticipated APPLICANT

ARCHITECT Hugh J Bitz Architect - 4583 Anhalt Rd, Kelowna V1W 1P7 250-8785744 OWNER Necessary Home Ltd - 2548 Lakeshore Rd, Kelowna V1W3L5 250-859-2947

CENTRAL KELOWNA OKANAGAN LOCATION REGIONAL DISTRICT

July/14 - construction completion Habitat for Humanity Kelowna anticipated late 2015 LOCATION 1793 Ross Rd,LOCATION West Kelowna V1Z

PROJECT PROJECT

APPLICANT Brett Sichello Design - 203 251 Lawrence Ave, Kelowna V1Y 6L2 250-448-4307

1471 St Paul St - Retail Residential Tower PROJECT TYPE

Mixed-use dev New Hotel in the Campbell 01 Sicamous NewRamada rental condominium Creek Frontage 3E7 778-755-4346 CONSULTANT 2241 Springfield Rd - Mission Creek industrial- park - 4 storeys - Rd - Resort Hotel - Mara Lake development 2 structures PROJECT Dayton Crossing Westside New Phased multi-use develop- 144 sm units A, 5 sto- - pool ResortOpus - Phase 1 Knight - 255 1715 3,780 - 80- Building rooms - restaurant Dickson Ave, V1Y 9G6 250-868-4925 reys, 69 units,- approx 13,908 with waterslide elevators - concretePROJECT PROJECT TYPE ment - 3 structures - Tower 1, 24 TYPE sf Building B, 6 storeys, 72 OWNER construction - roof articulation with Mixed-use storey condominium and comcommercial new dev units,cochere approx- 12,475 - 1 to - 98 mercial tower - 178 residential porte asphalt sf shingles District of Sicamous - 1214 LOCATION PROJECT 3 bedrooms - u/g and surface PROJECT units - 1 and 2 bedrooms - approx surface parking stalls Riverside Ave, Sicamous V0E 2V0 1155 Pacific Ave - Rental New resort hotel - 73 units parking - bike parking and New commercial urban151,495 lifestyle sf - ground level retail, 250-836-2477 PROJECT conference facility - restaurant Condominiumscentre - 6 buildings - 2approx storage -STATUS outdoor amenity, to 7 storeys 6,000 sf - 4 levels u/g MANAGER and concrete construcwith pergolastart and anticipated dog run - late - woodPROJECT Construction parking -level Towers 2 and 3 details PROJECT TYPE- retail commercial at ground tion - MHPM u/g parkade indoor amenity, with club and 2014 - 550 555 W 12th Ave,Multi-family new with office units aboveTBD - underground fitness rooms - fiber cement, Vancouver parkade - 80 above ground short PROJECT STATUS V5Z 3X7 604-714-0988 ARCHITECT PROJECT STATUS timber beam, cultured stone PROJECT Foundations commenced term parking stalls Rezoning, subdivision application exterior DF Architecture Inc - 1205 4871 Shell New rental condominium developJune/1 and development permit applicaPROJECT STATUS Rd, Richmond V6X 3Z6 604-284-5194 ment 1 structure 3 storeys 14 PROJECT STATUS tion submitted ARCHITECT Development permit application units - bachelor, 1 and 2 bedrooms Site servicing and retainDEVELOPER Matrix Architecture & Planning - 413 sf to 997submitted sf units - approx ARCHITECT ing wall underway as of mid 2695 Granville St, Prism Ventures Inc - 3571 Barmond - 400 LOCATION Maurice Pez Architect Ltd - 28 16,682 sf totalARCHITECT - access building June/18 Vancouver 3H4 604-688Ave, Richmond V7E 1A4 604-338-4656 To BeV6H Determined - Ice Facility 1020 Mainland, Vancouver u/g parking - wood and concrete 0333 Ekistics Town PlanningV6B2T4 - 1925604-240-2025 Main ARCHITECT construction stucco and metal OWNER PROJECT TYPE Abele Architecture - 2001 1755 St, Vancouver V5T 3C1 604-739-7526 GENERAL CONTRACTOR siding - asphalt shingles Prism and Resorts - 800 Haro Hotels St, Vancouver V6G 1H2 institutional add/alter DEVELOPER Vic Van Isle Construction - 730 14800 Landmark 604 682 6818 Blvd, Dallas Texas PROJECT Glenmore Dr, Kelowna V1Y 4W8 PROJECT STATUS R366 Enterprises Ltd - 4870B Chute, 75254 214-987-9300 Rezoning application at final read250-763-1804 GENERAL CONTRACTOR New ice facility for the Greater Kelowna V1W 4M3 250-764-8963 ing - development permit applicaSeymour Pacific Developments LOCATION Vernon area to replace the aging tion submittedGENERAL - approval CONTRACTOR antici500 Fleming Rd - Townhouses - 100 St Anns Rd, Campbell Civic Arena - 4,000 seats - may be pated summer/18 Urban ParkLtd River V9W 4C4 250-286-8045 Lambert and Paul Construction an addition to Kal Tire Place or the 300 2000 Spall Rd, Kelowna V1Y 9P6 Priest Valley Arena or construction of 250-860-2331 LOCATION a new ice facility VENTURE KAMLOOPS 451 Shuswap St SD 83 North OkanaCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 PROJECT STATUS gan Shuswap Administration Building Feasibility study and cost analysis a real-time question and answer PROJECT TYPE study anticipated shortly - the period. institutional new Greater Vernon Advisory Committee “The questions made a huge will decide in June whether or not to PROJECT difference for the flow of the day, hold a referendum in November/14 andadministration we were left with dozens New building onofthe to fund a new ice facility - location, questions that we needed to cataold JL Jackson school site - 2,640 sm preliminary design and estimated logue and respond to afterward 2 storeys - 75 parking stalls cost to be determined due to time,” says Anderson.

KELOWNA

VERNON

KELOWNA

SALMON ARM

23 PROJECT TYPE Multi-family new PROJECT New townhouse complex - 5 structures - 3 storeys - 3 eightplexes - 2 sixplexes - 36 units total - 3 bedrooms - 1,273 sf to 1,367 sf units - approx 48,059 sf - acrylic stucco, brick veneer and fiber cement exterior - asphalt shingles PROJECT STATUS Construction start of Phase 1 anticipated summer/18 ARCHITECT New Town Planning Services Inc 1464 St Paul St, Kelowna V1Y 2E6 250-860-8185 CONSULTANT Bearland Development Services 4117 Hughes Rd, Kelowna V1W4S3 250-863-9253

OSOYOOS LOCATION

8010 Valiant Lane - Super 8 Motel Addition PROJECT TYPE Commercial add/alter PROJECT Addition to the Super 8 Motel - 3 storeys - 26 units - approx 13,371 sf - 66 new parking spaces - similar exterior finishing as existing motel - orange and beige Durock marble coat finish exterior - roof to have parapets PROJECT STATUS Development permit application submitted OWNER Plaza Royale Courtyard Inn Ltd 8010 Valiant Lane, Osoyoos V0H 1V2 250-495-2633

HOW WELL DO YOU READ?

OKANAGAN SIMILKAMEEN REGIONAL DISTRICT

PROJECT STATUS The success of the event ex-

OWNER

ture Kamloops, and the impact ARCHITECT

City of Vernon - 1900 48th Ave, Vernon V1T 5E6 250-545-1361

Site workthe underway ceeded expectations of Venwas significant.

MQN 100 3313we32will Ave, “InArchitects the course-of a year, Vernon V1T 2E1 250-542-1199 connect with around 200 entre-

LOCATION

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Vintage Boulevard, Okanagan Falls Vintage Views

PROJECT TYPE

subdivisions Hon. Bruce Ralston, Minister of Jobs, Trade and Technology, Jim LUCY GLENNON PROJECT Anderson, Executive Director of Venture Kamloops, and Sue our area.

This event effectively School District 83 - North Okanagan New subdivision - 30 SFD lots ver been hit by a situaallowed us to talk to another 200 Kenny, BCEDA Board Chair Shuswap - 220 Shuswap St NE, tion completely out of ‘left on top of what we already do,” PROJECT STATUS Salmon Arm V1E“We 4N2got 250-832-2157 field’? Yes, there is a lot of says Anderson. to do it en model, the business comes to significant Venture Kamloops Construction PROJECT repetition in customer care, but mass andMANAGER in bulk, dispensing a lot an organization’s location, has efforts to make their local start busi-anticipated June/14 thrive for years there are also situations that are of information to a lot of people.” to services that help the ness community Stantec - 400 1620 Dickson Ave, accessLOCATION to come. so completely ‘out there’ that The same innovative approach business grow, then leaves the OWNER Kelowna V1Y 9Y2 250-860-3225 2425 Orlinthey’ve Rd - Addition leadership, we have that resu lted i n the success location when grownto theUnder Anderson’s Vintage View Developments c/oto touch our fingers Village nt at iSmith has won two to our chins of the LinkUp program can be to a substa a l si zCreek e,” says Venture Kamloops Robert Milanovic 250-492-5939 ■ to close our own preneurs and business owners in OWNER

SICAMOUS

seen in other Venture Kamloops initiatives.

They recently launched VK Accelerate, a new alternative incuLOCATION bating program thatLake allows new 524 Dabell St - Mara Water enterprises to test their business Treatment Facility plans in a 6 month custom lease PROJECT TYPE at a reduced rate.

“In a traditional incubator industrial new

7YL IPK

DISTRICT OF WEST KELOWNA

E

other significant EDO awards, Anderson.

PROJECT TYPE “VK Accelerate works to put including a 2015 BCEDA award seniors housing new businesses in a storefront, for their VK Venture Advisors b u t gPROJECT ive s t h e s e c o m p a n i e s program and an Economic Development the resources of the an incubator Addition to Village at Smith Creek Association of Canada (EDAC) program, including business seniors housinga facility1,810 sm - 4award recognizing their coach,storeys marketing agency, and website - 23 units - 8 additional u/g resources. www.venturekamloops.com an interior designer.” parking stalls - fibre cement board This program is one of many

mouths.

One of the most important skills a customer care provider can have is the ability to read, evaluate and act on a situation.

And we must do this as if it’s a normal occurrence quickly, and with confidence and grace.

Customer care providers use

Jeff Boschert 1-800-667-1939

exterior - 4th floor stepped back as gables

PROJECT STATUS

250-545-5344

their understanding of people and psychology to size up things l i ke si ncer ity, honesty, a nd seriousness to first assess the people involved. Next they use their broad knowledge of the company’s guidelines, products and services to see if and how they can address the issue. And finally, they read the overall situation and clearly communicate a solution to a customer.

That’s a lot of reading.

If your ‘reading’ skills can use some sharpening, the first step may be to become a keen observer of human nature, a great listener and an empathetic help to people… no matter what the situation, or how strange and different it may sound.

Lucy Glennon specializes in customer service training and recruitment and hiring. She can be reached at 866.645.2047 or lucyg@ hireguru.com or at the HireGuru.

24

JULY 2018

KELOWNA Mission Group has unveiled plans to build the highest rooftop lounge and outdoor terrace space in Kelowna. The rooftop lounge and space, named ‘Okanagan Oasis,’ will be located at the top of Brooklyn at Bernard Block, sitting at more than 200 feet. The Brooklyn at Bernard Block, located at 1471 St. Paul Street, will feature a 25-storey development with the rooftop area on top. A sunbathing patio, outdoor dining area with a barbecue, raised fire pits, wooden deck and 360-degree view.

The Okanagan College Foundation has named five new directors to their board: Brea Retzlaff, Director of Operations at Accelerate Okanagan – representing the Central Okanagan; Christine Petkau, previously the Executive Director of the Summerland Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Summerland – representing the South Okanagan; Dr. Gerry Karr, previously a Penticton doctor and co-founder of the Okanagan Similkameen Healthy Living Coalition – representing the South Okanagan; Sheri Hamilton, the Associate Vice President of Human Resources at Salmon Arm Savings and Credit Union – representing Shuswap-Revelstoke; and Paulo Araujo, Vice President of Retail and Business Banking at Valley First – representing the South Okanagan.

The Vibrant Vine wine shop will hold a grand re-opening for their new space at 3240 Pooley Road, on July 12th. The event is being held as a Commerce ConneX, with the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce.

Another Commerce ConneX event will be held at the Tourism Kelowna Visitor Centre on August 16th to celebrate the grand opening of Tourism Kelowna’s new location.

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Kelowna will opened a new location on June 28th at 2429 Highway 97 North.

Mills – NGF Nutrition Golf Fitness, together with Valley First – A Division of First West Credit Union and Mission Group, sponsored a successful charity golf

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tournament for Agur Lake Camp Society that raised over $25,000.

The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce welcomed 15 new members during the month of May: Okanagan Sun Junior Football Club, Valley Safety Ltd., The Tailored Shave, SueCO, Next Level Window Cleaning, All Seasons Pool & Spa, Artech Machine & Fabrication, AUL Systems Inc, Complete Mortgage, DL Transport Inc, L&M Metcalfe Enterprises Ltd., Joanna St. Marie Painting, Haven Business Services, Grospurt Enterprises Inc., and Grant Waidman Group Realty.

Flynn Canada Ltd. celebrated 40 years of business in the community this year.

The Thompson Okanagan Business Excellence Awards, sponsored by Grant Thornton LLP, were a great success this year. A number of Kelowna businesses took home top honours, including: Refresh Financial – Professional Services Business of the Year, Vitalis Extraction (tied with Riversong Guitars of Kamloops) – Manufacturing Business of the Year, Carrington Dental Care of West Kelowna – Health Care Business of the Year, High Street Ventures – Construction and Development Business of the Year, and Current Taxi – Automotive Business of the Year.

Bruce Irving of Bell Media celebrated his 30th year doing sales and advertising in radio. He began his career at SILK FM with Nick Frost.

NAI Commercial Okanagan has brokered a $2.9 million sale of a downtown corner development lot at 1620 Water Street. The property is zoned for high-rise, mixed-use development and has central commercial zoning. NAI also brokered another sale of an industrial property for $1.97 million. The building is located at 1340 St. Paul Street, and formerly housed Canada Safety Equipment.

Craft Beer Market has finally opened its doors for business at 257 Bernard Avenue, after seven months of construction. The market is founded by PJ L’Heureux and Scott Frank, with Mike Green as the general manager and Chef Robert Jewel developing the menu.

After having served with Sears in Kelowna as general manager for six years, Dave Clark has begun work as an advisor at Sun Life

Financial.

Pacific Western Fire Protection has been acquired by Brad Westen of Bradley Fire Protection Ltd. The company is one of the most expansive independent local fire alarm companies, servicing the Thompson Okanagan area through to the Kootenays.

The Downtown Kelowna Association has undergone some changes in staffing as they welcome on Pawan Dandhu for web and data coordination. Christian Bell, who previously held that position, now works with the City of Kelowna. Cory Rozon, who formerly worked part-time with events, will now work full time overseeing the association’s promotions and membership department. Lacy Molyneaux, the former membership and events manager, has moved on to work with Reitman’s.

Laura Thurnheer, formerly the Chair of the Okanagan School of Business, has been named as the new Associate Dean of Science, Technology, Health and Social Development for Okanagan College.

She is also serving in her second term on the college’s Board of Directors.

A new location for family-owned Action Car and Truck Accessories is now open at 1541 Keehn Road, near BCAA. The chain now has 37 locations across the country and is run by John Chamberlaine and his son Sean Chamberlaine. Jeremy Fry is the local store manager.

EmbroidMe Kelowna, owned

by Grant Cox and Ted Moug, has changed locations and undergone a change in name. The shop is now called Fully Promoted Branded – Products & Marketing Services and is located at 102-2106 Harvey Avenue.

LAKE COUNTRY Lake Country’s Olive Us Oil & Vinegar Tasting Room location celebrates the franchise’s fifth anniversary, and the third anniversary of their location this year.

The Lake Country Chamber of Commerce welcomed six new members: Creative Cuisine, VIP Home Away Services, Tracy Gray – Gray Group of Companies, Beach Bum Wine Tours, Peak Solar, and Tourism Kelowna.

Oyama Zipline Adventure Park celebrated their 7th anniversary in business on June 24th.

On August 19th, the Lake Country Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the annual Lake Country Customs and Classics Car Show in Swalwell Park. There will be a Car Show Cruise and Dinner on August 18th followed by a dinner.

Local business, Sip Happens Wine Tours, tied with Penticton’s Glow SUP Adventures for this year’s Tourism Business of the Year award at the Thompson Okanagan Business Excellence Awards.

SALMON ARM A new Olive Us Oil & Vinegar Tasting Room location has opened up at 112 – 2090 10th Avenue SW, in the Westgate Public Market. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the franchise, which also has locations in Vernon and Lake Country as well as an online store.

The Adam’s River Salmon Society received a $1,000 grant from the MRDT to fund their Shuswap Salmon Symposium, which is taking place from September 30 – October 1st. The event, cohosted by the Little Shuswap Lake Indian Band, will focus on salmon conservation and will feature an opportunity to share knowledge and attend workshops.

Vera Chomyshen has acquired Sapori Oils and Vinegars at 122 Lakeshore Drive NE. The business will stay open from 10am-6pm Monday to Saturday during the summer months.

The City of Salmon Arm has provided initial approval for plans for a multi-family development spanning 97 units. Canzea Developments submitted the proposal which would see the construction of three separate four-storey buildings with underground parking. There will be 35 units in the first two buildings, and 27 units in the third building. The building site is located at the corner of Third Street SW and Fifth Avenue.

Martina’s Classic Barber Shoppe, located at 141 Hudson Street, celebrates its 25th year in business in the community.

Dolce’s Bistro and Cappuccino Bar has undergone a change in ownership as Carla Ward has purchased the business. Ward is from

Business Examiner Gold Event Sponsors Red Deer, Alberta, and brings with her extensive experience in the food and beverage industry.

Abigail May, head coach of the Larch Hills Nordic Ski Team, was named Volunteer of the Year by Cross-Country Canada.

The City of Salmon Arm has revealed that they will purchase the SASCU Indoor Memorial Arena from the Salmon Arm and Shuswap Lake Agricultural Association (SASLAA). The property, located at 351 Third Street SW, is valued at $420,000.

T wo new b u si nesses h ave opened for the summer in Salmon Arm – Farmer John’s Market in Grindrod offers delicious fresh fare, as well as ice cream and gelato; and Ecotreats is now open in Scotch Creek.

Intertwined Fibre Arts has moved for the third time to a different location on Hudson Street.

The studio, owned by Althea Mongerson, is now located at 161 Hudson between Deb’s Style Loft and the Candy Vault.

Mark Jones and Julian Hudson have joined the appraisal staff at Quality Appraisals, located at #203-40 Lakeshore Drive NE, and owned by Jonathan and Laurin Sobottka.

The team at Hilltop Toyota, at 2350 Trans-Canada Highway NE, congratulates Robert MacDermott on being named Product Advisor for the month of May.

KAMLOOPS The Association of Consulting Engineering Companies, British Columbia (ACEC-BC) released their new board of directors list for 2018-19. This year, Derek Drummond of Stantec was named as a director. The remainder of the board features members from BC’s lower mainland and Vancouver Island. For this year’s executive, Kevin Savage of Tetra Tech Inc. will serve as Chair of the Board, Gurjit Sangha of WSP is Vice-Chair/Treasurer, Selena Wilson of McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd. is Secretary/Designated Director, and Jeannine SEE MOVERS AND SHAKERS | PAGE 25

MOVERS & SHAKERS

JULY 2018

MOVERS AND SHAKERS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24

Martin of COWI North America as Past Chair (Ex Officio Director).

The Kamloops Airport has announced that a Toronto – Kamloops Air Canada Rouge flight path is now available, running Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays until October 9th.

Jasmine Russett has joined the legal team at Fulton & Company LLP, located at 300350 Lansdowne Street. Russett will be working as an Associate in their Business Law and Wills & Estates practice groups.

A new Dairy Queen DQ Grill & Chill location recently celebrated their grand opening at 1789 Trans-Canada Highway.

The Kamloops Regional Farmers Market Society celebrates the 40th anniversary of their Kamloops Farmers’ Market this year.

The market happens each Wednesday at 400 Block Victoria Street, and each Saturday at 200 Block St. Paul.

Penny Pinchers hosted their grand reopening and customer appreciation day in their location on the corner of 8th and Tranquille Road, North Shore.

Rivercity Cycle, at 1794C Kelly Douglas Road, has recognized Tammy Leary as their Employee of the Month for June 2018 for her excellent work in the sales department.

Local wineries won big at the 37th annual All Canadian Wine Championships this year in Ontario. Monte Creek Ranch Winery received double gold medals for their 2016 sparkling reserve and 2016 chardonnay under $20, and a gold medal for their 2015 cabernet merlot. Privato Winery received double gold for their 2015 Tesor pinor noir over $30, as well as their 2014 Grand Reserve pinot noir. Harper’s Trail Winery received double gold for their 2016 cabernet franc under $30, while Celista Estate Winery received double gold for their Celista Cuvee white wine.

Mortgage Intelligence has changed locations to 101-310 Nicola Street.

John Hull, an associate professor in the adventure, culinary arts and tourism department of Thompson Rivers University, was named to the provincial government’s Tourism Engagement Council.

The provincial tourism board advises the government’s tourism policy, decisions and implementation of programs and initiatives.

Kamloops is now the first of ten new urgent primary care centers to open up in the province as an initiative of the provincial government. The facility is located in the Clinical Services Building at Royal Inland Hospital on the ground floor.

Lensmakers Optical, in the Aberdeen Mall, celebrates their 23rd anniversary in business.

Dino Bernardo, co-owner of the Commodore Grand Café is the new head of the Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association board of directors.

PENTICTON Valley First – a division of First West Credit Union, was named as the winner

of the Best of the South Okanagan Overall Customer Service award.

businesses, farmers, crafters, cideries and wineries, and will run until the beginning of September.

June 8-9th marked the grand opening of a brand new Nature’s Fare Markets – Penticton location, at 1770 Main Street.

The team at GLE Plumbing and Heating welcomes Brian Forth as their newest employ- Christine Coletta of ee. Forth is a local Journeyman Okanagan Crush Pad sheet metal fabricator and will serve as the full time shop fabricator for GLE. The Syilx Language House marked its third year in operation of an intensive indigenous language program. The program helps students to become fluent in Nsyilxen, the language of the Syilx nation, and its goal is to equip students to become fluent so that they can return to their communities and help others learn the language. At this point, students have finished 1200 of the program’s 1600 hours.

A fundraising run for the OSNS Child and Youth Development Centre successfully raised $17,115 this year. More than 800 participants signed up for the Wildstone Colours4Kids Run, up from last year’s 710 participants.

Pro Builders Supply Ltd., operators of Home Hardware Building Centres in the Okanagan, congratulate Joe Chwachka in their Penticton office on being promoted to Vice President of Operations. Pro Builders also congratulates Travis Loudon on his promotion to General Manager of the Penticton Home Hardware Building Centre.

The Downtown Penticton Association hosted a block party this month to commemorate the revamped 300-block of Main Street. The We’re Open For You block party featured a number of local businesses, entertainment, music and activities, and celebrated the end of a three-month construction period that closed down that block for upgrades. The upgrade project’s total cost was $2.185 million, replacing old storm sewers, underground electrical, and old water main infrastructure. Improvements were also made at the street-level and provided some added beautification elements to the block.

SUMMERLAND The Summerland municipality will soon hold an open house to unveil draft plans for a new arts facility, located at 9545 Wharton Street in the old library building. The facility has been used as an arts centre since 2016, and this January a contract was awarded to Sahuri and Associates Architecture Inc. to revamp the facility to serve the area better as an arts and cultural facility.

New Line Skateparks Inc. has been awarded a $561,395 to construct the Summerland Skatepark project. Work on the project is scheduled to commence at the end of August, with the completion date eyed for November 30th. The municipality has contributed $485,000 towards the overall $595,000 project, which will be at the old skatepark location close to the Summerland Arena.

T he Summerland Rotary Club Sunday Market is now up and running each Sunday from 9am – 1pm, taking up two blocks of Main Street from Kelly Avenue to Victoria Road. The market features local

Christine Coletta, owner of Okanagan Crush Pad, was recognized among Western Living’s Top 10 Foodies of the Year for 2018. Last year Matt Dumayne, winemaker for Okanagan Crush Pad, was on the list.

VERNON June 23rd marked the grand opening of SilverStar Mountain Resort’s summer bike park with First Chair Festivities. SilverStar’s hiking, downhill and cross-country bike trails are now open for the season.

This year, a new eight-passenger Doppelmayr gondola will open on July 14th, the Look Out Café is open offering specialty cheese sandwiches and other fare, a new hiking trail – the Attridge Scenic Loop is now open beginning at the top of the gondola, the Little Ripper beginner bike trail is open from the bottom of Comet Chair to the village, and the Eurobungy trampolines are now available to try out.

Bob Spiers, a City of Vernon Councillor since 2008, passed away at the age of 71. He will be greatly missed and leaves behind a celebrated professional legacy of public service that included involvement on numerous committees, in addition to writing and publishing the Vernon Blog.

The City of Vernon recently opened a new bike park after adding tracks and trails to

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Becker Park, near the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre and the Vernon Curling Club. The park features a climbing trail, flow trail, a tot track, intermediate pump track, and beginner pump track.

Plans for the Okanagan Eco Park in Coldstream were discussed and celebrated at a recent Business After 5 event. The industrial/commercial subdivision, a project headed by Restoration Lands, features plans for a 7.5-acre roof, newly renovated office, and about 1,000 LED lights.

On June 15-17, local Save-On-Foods grocery store locations participated in a Share It Forward event that raised $3,200 for the Salvation Army Food Bank. The event allocated 25 per cent of net proceeds from each Western Family item sold at both the PriceSmart Foods and Save-On-Foods locations towards local food banks. Across western Canada, the event raised $250,000 total between 160 store locations.

City Furniture and Appliances Ltd., a company owned by Ted Sandhu, Ray Kandola, and Ruby Sharma, has been recognized as the Western Canadian Retailer of the Year by the Canadian Home Furnishings Alliance. The award was presented at the 2018 Awards Gala, which was held on May 25th.

June 30th marks the grand opening of a Red Apple Stores Inc. location at 507 Cliff Avenue in Enderby. The store is one of 150 small community value store locations nationwide.

Sunshine Autobody (Vernon) Ltd., located at 4609 29th Street, celebrates its 10th year in business this year.

THREE SUMMERTIME MISCONCEPTIONS SALES MANAGERS MUST OVERCOME

SALES JOHN GLENNON #1 “Most of my team’s most important prospects for new business are on vacation during the summer months.”

Salespeople say this so often that lots of managers who ought to know better sometimes come to believe it. Actually, summer is a great time for your salespeople to reach out to decision makers. Many top executives are in the office while their staff is away.

Find a case that proves this (it won’t take long) and then share the results with your team. A side note: My own best month has consistently been July… because in June I start calling top-level decision makers directly, knowing that the rank-and-file players are more likely to be

out camping or having fun at the beach during the summer months. Guess who’s more likely to be minding the store? The senior people! #2 “New business comes from new accounts.”

Most of the salespeople we work with are content to have just one or two active contacts at even their most important accounts.

Summer is the perfect time to remedy this state of affairs, broaden the contact network, and, ultimately increase your wallet share.

Ask your team, “W ho’s three deep and three wide at (insert company name here)?” If you get a blank stare in response – and you probably will – explain that “three deep” means having a professional relationship with one person above and one person below their current primary contact on the organizational chart, and “three wide” means having such a relationship with at least two of that contact’s peers. The stronger the relationships, the more likely you are to generate new business from that account.

Some of these folks are going to be receptive to meeting with members of your

team. (After all, it may be their “slow season” too.) Use the summer months to go “three deep and three wide” at all your current accounts! #3 “No one buys anything during the summer.”

Head trash alert! This is a self-limiting belief. If even one of your salespeople operates on this assumption, or says it out loud, your whole team is susceptible to taking it on. If you start to operate on this assumption, the situation is even more serious! Worrying about the time of year isn’t going to help your team hit its Q3 quota. We can help your team to transform something they can control: their behavior.

Copyright 2018 Sandler Training and Insight Sales Consulting Inc. All rights reserved.

John Glennon is the owner of Insight Sales Consulting Inc, the authorized Sandler Training Licensee for the Interior of British Columbia.

He can be reached at jglennon@sandler.com, toll free at 1-866-645-2047 or visit www.glennon.sandler. com

OPINION

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JULY 2018 A division of Invest Northwest Publishing Ltd. Thompson Okanagan Office #210-347 Leon Avenue, Kelowna, BC V1Y 8C7 Toll free: 1.866.758.2684 Fax: 1.778.441.3373 Email: info@businessexaminer.ca Website: www.businessexaminer.ca

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

WHEN CARBON TAXES AND ANTI-RESOURCE THINKING AND ECONOMICS COLLIDE

MARK MACDONLD

T

here have been rumblings and hints of a push to rid Canada Pension funds of so-called “unethical” funds, i.e. anything tarsands or oil/petroleum related.

That day has come, as the University of Victoria has released a report titled “Canada’s FossilFuelled Pensions: the case of the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation”.

UVIC political ecologist James Rowe states that BC Investment (BCI) has a duty to “act in the best financial interests of plan members.

Its carbon-heavy holdings, however, raise questions about BCI’s management of these interlinked climactic and financial risks.”

I thought the people behind Canada Pension were doing just that: By investing in companies that provide the best possible returns for their customers, in this case,

pensioners across Canada.

There’s a very good reason why Canadian pension portfolios include oil and gas holdings: Because they yield better returns than other stocks. How do we know that? Because oil and gas stocks wouldn’t be included if they didn’t produce solid yields.

This is yet another demonstration of how climate change advocates believe they can push markets and bend them to their will. There is, however, something greater at work here. It’s called the law of supply and demand. And there is plenty of demand for oil and gas globally, even though Canada’s supply of the resource is being restrained.

If anybody is watching, while the Canadian government believes it is setting an example in regards to global warming/climate change/ the weather policy, it might want to look around and notice that fewer countries are following their lead.

The economic surge in the U.S. is due in no small part to its expansion of the energy sector, most notably oil and gas. Demand is increasing.

Demand is on the increase for the foreseeable future, throughout the world.

That’s why oil and gas stocks are valuable members of any portfolio, particularly Canada’s pensions.

Most people, directly or indirectly through mutual funds or pension funds, are invested in that sector. Take oil and gas out, and watch what happens to the fund.

Another way of looking at it is how the finance industry declares by its actions how they view global warming/climate change/the weather. Many scientists maintain that one of the by-products of rising temperatures could be higher ocean levels.

However, if bankers or others in mortgage-related finance – and insurers - truly believed that, one would think they would automatically deny applications for ocean waterfront properties, right?

Since they’re likely to be covered by salt water in the not too distant future, financiers would be, literally, “under water”.

Yet they don’t stop approving oceanfront mortgages. And are there more cautious people than lenders? They don’t hand out financing unless they’re assured the investment is solid, and they can get their money back, with interest, of course. Interesting, isn’t it?

Carbon Tax Expensive The Fraser Institute has released information from a report to the Senate Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources by University of Calgary economics professor Jennifer Winter that revealed the

bottom line of the Trudeau Carbon price. If implemented, it will cost Alberta taxpayers in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia over $1,000 per year to comply with the self-imposed $50 per tonne carbon tax mandated for 2022. BC residents will pay $603 – but we can’t forget that we already have a carbon tax.

If the goal jumps to $100 per tonne, the average price per home would rocket far above $1,000 per household per year. More taxes for life’s essentials translates into less spending on other retail/lifestyle items by Canadians.

Tax Revolt Last month’s column testing the waters about a possible Tax Revolt by business owners produced some interesting responses and commentary in support of the idea.

None against.

A couple of ideas that came up were withholding the payment of business property taxes, which would undoubtedly get the attention of civic governments. Then there was the thought of charging federal and/or provincial governments a fee for collecting taxes on their behalf. The latter is particularly interesting, as business owners know well how much staff time is taken up calculating and remitting taxes to Victoria and Ottawa.

Just think about how much time

– at how much per hour – someone on the company payroll has to put in, collecting from customers, employees and the business itself.

It isn’t free. Since governments already charge companies for various licenses and imposes fees for the right to start and operate a business, wouldn’t it be fair to send them a bill for the time its staff members spend on tax remittance?

And then there’s this: Seattle city council recently unanimously imposed a $275 head tax per employee which would be paid by companies.

After backroom protests by Starbucks and Amazon, with strong suggestions that further expansion in Seattle would be thwarted by the extra levy, the tax was unanimously withdrawn. Most businesses would have been against the tax, and there was loud vocal opposition to it, but it was the two heavyweights that tipped the scales. The objections included this: That Seattle already collected enough tax revenue to solve the homeless problem and others – so stop siphoning off more.

It was a vivid, recent lesson that when businesses band together, they can get government to back up.

There may be no other way to stop tax inhalation. As Seattle has just demonstrated, unified, coordinated objections to objectionable taxes can still work.

Let us know if you have any other ideas: info@businessexaminer.ca

Unfortunately, this federal government’s misunderstanding of the role and importance of incentives is not limited to differences between the government sector and private businesses. Since coming to office, it has introduced a number of policies it believed would not adversely affect the economy because the incentive effects were weak or non-existent.

For instance, the federal income tax increase, which affects entrepreneurs, professionals and business-owners, combined with similar policies by many provinces, means that the top combined income tax rate now exceeds 50 per cent in seven provinces, with the remaining provinces just below 50 per cent. And because Canada’s capital gains tax is linked to personal income taxes, these rate changes have also increased our capital gains taxes.

Ottawa doesn’t believe that a tax rate near or above 50 per cent changes the willingness of entrepreneurs, professionals or business people to invest and start businesses.

These tax changes are on top of

other tax increases, new regulations and a distinctly anti-business rhetoric from Ottawa and several provinces. These policies - and the incentive changes they produce - have had adverse consequences for the economy.

There’s a general consensus, including in the federal Department of Finance, that economic growth will slow starting this year and continuing into the future. In addition, rates of entrepreneurship are declining and investment, particularly by foreigners, is collapsing. This is not the basis for long-term prosperity.

The foundation for a better economy and higher living standards relies on improving incentives for entrepreneurship, investment and work effort. That would require a wholesale reversal of many, if not most, of the economic policies enacted by this federal government and a recognition that incentives do indeed matter.

ECONOMIC INCENTIVES PAY DIVIDENDS

FRASER INSTITUTE JASON CLEMENS, ELMIRA ALIAKBARI AND ASHLEY STEDMAN

T

here have been many assessments, mostly critical, of the federal government’s decision to purchase the Trans Mountain pipeline. And yet, a key aspect of the decision - this government’s dismissive view of the importance of incentives - has been almost entirely ignored.

The government doesn’t believe incentives matter all that much in the economic decision-making of individuals, families, entrepreneurs and businesses.

Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced the government’s decision on May 29, two days before Kinder Morgan’s self-imposed May 31 deadline. The minister revealed the government’s confidence in the public sector to undertake and complete activities as well, if not better, than the private sector.

While avoiding the specific question of how much the government expects to pay for the construction and ongoing operation of the pipeline, Morneau repeatedly assured Canadians that the value of the pipeline would be secured.

This belies Canada’s experience and international research. Oxford University scholar Bent Flyvbjerg co-authored a study examining major government projects in 20 countries and found that nine out of 10 public infrastructure projects incurred cost overruns. Flyvbjerg concluded that large projects done in the public sector are inefficient in minimizing costs. His findings support a large review completed in the early 2000s on the benefits of transferring publicly-owned assets to the private sector.

That’s not to say the public sector is not staffed by well-intentioned, skilled bureaucrats. Indeed, Canada can be quite proud of having one of the best, most professional bureaucracies in the industrialized world.

The problem - and what the federal government seems oblivious to - is that bureaucrats face markedly different incentives than people in the private sector. If Kinder Morgan (or any private company) goes over budget on infrastructure projects, their owners and employees pay the price through lower rates of return, lower share prices and/or reduced compensation. The costs of missteps are borne directly by those responsible, which imposes a real discipline on financial and economic decisions.

This discipline is wholly absent in the public sector. If the construction of the pipeline is over budget or if it sells in the future at a price below market, no politician or bureaucrat will lose their own money. It’s a basic economic axiom that people are far more careful with their money than with other people’s money.

Jason Clemens, Elmira Aliakbari and Ashley Stedman are analysts with the Fraser Institute

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