September 2018

SEPTEMBER 2018

» FOCUS ON RENEWABLE ENERGY

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Thompson/Okanagan WWW.BUSINESSEXAMINER.CA

KAMLOOPS

Record-Tying Number Of Commercial Building Award Finalists

Riverside Energy Systems puts on innovative solar PV boot camp

37 Finalists Named for 10th Annual Thompson Okanagan Kootenay Commercial Building Awards

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KAMLOOPS

Argo Road Maintenance tackles major government contracts

PAGE 11

INDEX News Update 2 Kelowna 5 Penticton 6 Real Estate 12 Salmon Arm 14 TOTA 15 Movers & Shakers 16 GreenSheet 18 Opinion 19 Contact us: 1-866-758-2684

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ELOWNA – A record-tying 37 finalists have been announced for the 10th Annual Thompson Okanagan Kootenay Commercial Building Awards, set for Thursday, September 20 at the Coast Capri Hotel.

“There are many wonderful projects in this year’s event, which ties last year for the most ever for the Awards, which is fantastic,” says Mark MacDonald of Business Examiner Thompson Okanagan, which coordinates the event, adding that 14 of the finalists are from the city of Kelowna. “Each and every year the building designs are becoming more elaborate, and it reflects well on the quality of commercial and industrial construction in the region.”

Black Press is a Media Sponsor for the event, with Gold Sponsors SEE AWARDS | PAGE 6

The Kelowna Police Services Building was honoured with the Judges’ Choice Award, which recognizes the best overall project of the evening

Penticton Social Media Guru Takes Powerful Message on the Road Small Business Owner Shares Unique Insight Gained from Difficult Life Experience

P

ENTICTON - Mare McHale is telling her story all over the country.

The local social media consultant is a small business owner, YouTuber, mother of a child with special needs, and now, keynote speaker.

The new standard in office technology.

“I have some pretty unique experiences, and have learned so much,” says McHale. “With everything I’ve been through, alongside my background in broadcasting, I’ve been able to travel and help so many people.

It’s been really fulfilling and

encouraging to see the feedback.”

When McHale lost her husband to suicide in mid-2017, she decided to share her story with her online community, which she calls “Mareathoners.”

The Mareathon YouTube channel has now reached well over one

million views, and she continues to post daily blogs, chronicling her journey and encouraging viewers to live authentically.

When she isn’t sharing her story with thousands of followers, SEE MARE MCHALE | PAGE 13

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NEWS UPDATE

KAMLOOPS New Temporary Housing Project Approved The Province and City of Kamloops announce that construction is now underway for 55 new temporary supportive homes at 777 - 817 Mission Flats Road.

The National Point-in-Time Homeless Count, conducted in March 2018, found 201 people experiencing homelessness in Kamloops. Due to the need to provide more shelter and supportive housing, the Province is starting construction now, to ensure people in need have access to safe and secure housing before the cooler weather arrives.

The new homes are expected to be open

by November, and will be in place until permanent housing options are available.

The building will be operated by ASK Wellness, an experienced non-profit, which will be on site 24/7 to provide around-the-clock support services to tenants.

Each of the studios will include a private bathroom. Residents will have access to meals, counselling and health services, as well as life and employment skills programming.

In addition to these 55 homes, the Province is working to provide permanent, supportive housing options to strengthen the overall response to the homelessness and housing challenges in Kamloops, including two projects that are expected to be open in winter 2019: 52 new units of supportive housing at 259 Victoria St. 62 new units of supportive housing at 317 Tranquille Rd.

The Province continues to work with the City of Kamloops to identify more opportunities to increase the supply of shelter, including supportive and affordable housing, in the region.

LAKE COUNTRY District of Lake Country Website Captures Creative Award The new District of Lake Country website was a Gold Winner at the Hermes Creative Awards.

The district launched the new website in January after six months of design and consultation.

The site was designed with a focus on improved communication, ease of navigation, accessibility and search functionality, complete with emergency alerts, maps and email notifications to subscribers.

Emphasis of the design was on creating a positive user experience.

“The Lake Country website is mobileresponsive, fully accessible and offers the opportunity to subscribe to email notification for news, water quality, construction and other public notice alerts, as well as Council meetings and community calendar events and job postings,” says Karen Miller, Communications Officer.

The District contracted eSolutions Group – a Canadian company that specializes in very dynamic, accessible government and community websites – to spearhead the website redesign that started mid-2017.

The Hermes Creative Awards is an international competition administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP).

With over 6,500 entries in 2018, the

SEPTEMBER 2018

District of Lake Country was honoured by the recognitions, which celebrates outstanding work and supports the efforts of creative professionals who contribute their unique talents to public service.

“The goal was to design a refreshed website that was citizen-focused,” says Miller.

“Community members were invited to participate in the site mapping exercise from the very beginning of the project and the website redevelopment team included staff reps from each department.” www.lakecountry.bc.ca

KELOWNA Interior Health Board Names Susan Brown as New CEO Susan Brown has been appointed President and CEO for Interior Health (IH), effective Oct. 29, 2018.

She will replace former President and CEO Chris Mazurkewich, who announced his intention to retire at the end of October.

Brown has been a senior executive at IH since 2011, when she accepted the role of Vice President of Tertiary Services.

Within eight months, her position expanded to leadership of all Acute Services, and in 2015 she became IH’s Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Hospitals and Communities.

In this capacity, Ms. Brown has worked with staff and physician teams across IH, leading clinical services at our 22 hospitals and in communities across the region. In addition to hospital and community care operations, her current portfolio includes Assisted Living, Cardiac Program, Surgical Network, Allied Health, Professional Practice Office, and the Ethics Council.

Additionally, Ms. Brown has built strong relationships with leadership of the seven Interior Region Nations, and will continue to work alongside Aboriginal partners to advance First Nation and Métis health outcomes.

Before coming to IH, Ms. Brown was Executive Director, Medicine Program at Fraser Health, as well as overseeing health-care operations within the Peace Arch Hospital and W hite Rock Community.

She is a Certified Health Executive and holds a Master of Health Studies and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and has worked for over 30 years in health care in Canada and the United Kingdom.

“Susan has the strategic insight and knowledge of health care that we need in our next CEO,” said Board Chair Dr. Doug Cochrane.

“She has led significant initiatives to make team-based care more available to patients, which contributes to improved health outcomes across IH. “What really made an impression on our Board as we proceeded through the executive search, is her strong commitment to relationships with patients, families, staff and physicians, volunteers, local and regional leaders, foundations and auxiliaries, and of course our many system partners.”

PENTICTON Lakeside Resort Proposes City’s Tallest Highrise Penticton’s Lakeside Resort held an open house, presenting its plan for a 15-storey waterfront condominium tower.

On August 2, about 100 people gathered

at the resort’s ballroom to get their first glimpse of plans for what would be the city’s tallest highrise.

The project was designed by local companies HDR CEI Architects and Greyback Construction.

The tower would be constructed on the east side of the property, between the new convention centre and the parkade.

Because the structure would partially sit on top of a three-storey parkade, it will technically include 18 storeys.

The plans propose a 3,000 square foot building with 54 units available for purchase, including penthouses on the fifth, 10th, and 15th floors. Other floors would offer luxury-style one and two-bedroom condos.

Each condo will be privately owned with parking under the convention centre, and won’t be involved in a hotel rental pool.

Mayor Andrew Jakubeit and several other members of city council attended the open house. Penticton’s council will be reviewing the resort’s request for a minor amendment to the Official Community Plan and rezoning.

The Lakeside Resort has been continually upgrading its property since 1999, and have spent a total of about $80 Million in the community to date. www.pentictonlakesideresort.com

VERNON True Leaf Names Founding Chair of Veterinary Advisory Board T r ue L ea f Med ici ne Internationa l Ltd. recently appointed of Dr. Katherine Kramer, DVM, as Founding Chair of it s Ve te r i n a r y A dv i s or y B o a rd .

True Leaf, founded in 2013, is a plantforward wellness brand for people and their pets with two main operating divisions: True Leaf Medicine Inc. and True Leaf Pet Inc. Dr. Kramer, a vocal advocate for the research and therapeutic use of cannabis for animals, is the Medical Director at the VCA-Canada Vancouver Animal Wellness Hospital and has been practicing veterinary medicine for 16 years.

She became interested in alternative treatment early in her career, blending herbs and acupuncture with Western medicine to promote optimal health.

Dr. Kramer’s study of cannabis is driven by the many successes her patients have had over the past six years and she is considered a pioneer in this field.

She has been featured in local and national media in Canada and has become a resource for veterinarians across North America seeking information on the benefits of medicinal cannabis for pets.

“Dr. Kramer is a vital addition to our team and her recognized veterinary knowledge builds on our solid foundation of in-house integrative care, cannabis cultivation, and marketing expertise,” said Darcy Bomford, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of True Leaf.

“Her experience with medicinal cannabis for pets will be integral to our product development process.”

As Chair of True Leaf’s Veterinary Advisory Board, Dr. Kramer will recruit veterinarians from around the world to join True Leaf as the company develops legal and safe medicinal cannabis products for pets.

She and her colleagues will be instrumental in the research and development of SEE NEWS UPDATE | PAGE 3

NEWS UPDATE

SEPTEMBER 2018

NEWS UPDATE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

CBD pet products at True Leaf, including the design and execution of supportive trials and the development of education programs for veterinarians and pet owners on the best use of cannabis products for pets.

KAMLOOPS Council Proposes New Fee for Cannabis Retailers A new ‘Cannabis Retail Store Business License’ fee was proposed by Kamloops City Council on August 14.

The new policy stipulates that any owner of a cannabis shop in Kamloops will have to pay a unique annual $5,000 business licence fee.

The policy mirrors current liquor store fees, but the $5,000 sum dwarfs the lessthan-$200 retail liquor store fee. This will be the highest licensing fee in Kamloops, beating the escort/dating service, body rub studio, or exotic dancing service fee of $2,000.

The report released by council cites education expenses as the primary reason for the fee’s size. City development director Marvin Kwiatkowski stated that the city has already spent up to $100,000 preparing for legalization.

According to the report, other cities are implementing similar fees, with Victoria and Prince George also discussing $5,000 fees, while Vancouver is looking at a $30,000 fee.

The issue will go to a public hearing on Aug. 28 at the Valley First Lounge in the Sandman Centre.

SUMMERLAND Three New Hires for Okanagan Specialty Fruits World-famous Okanagan Specialty Fruits (OSF) welcomes three new members to their growing team.

The Summerland business, famous for developing the non-browning Arctic Apple varieties, recently hired JF Gamelin as director of sales, Joel Yeager as facility operations manager and Andrew Hofer as chief financial officer.

Gamelin is taking on the role of leading sales operations for Arctic apples and the newly introduced ApBitz dried apple snacks. With more than ten years of sales experience in the produce industry, he also has a masters degree in project management.

Yeager, who has 28 years of experience in the food processing industry, has been hired to oversee the company’s new receiving, storage, processing, packing and shipping facility in Washington state once it’s been completed.

Hofer, a CPA with experience living on a BC orchard, will be replacing Louisa Carter, the wife of OSF president Neal Carter. Louisa Carter retired earlier this year after more than two decades with the company. “Starting this company with Louisa has been such an adventure, and I couldn’t have done it without her,� Neal Carter said in a press release. “Her retirement is very well-deserved, and I know I speak for the whole team when I say how much her contributions were valued and will be missed.�

OLIVER Ribbon Cutting at Coast Oliver Hotel The Coast Oliver Hotel held its official ribbon cutting ceremony on August 16.

This comes two months after the hotel’s soft opening, and the establishment has already proved successful, boasting 95 per cent capacity.

According to Oliver Mayor Ron Hovanes, town council had been actively seeking out companies to erect a hotel in the town, helping to boost the region’s tourism sector.

The Coast Oliver’s owner Ron Mundi brings 20 years of experience, and greatly appreciated the support of the mayor, council, and community.

Thanks to the innovative modular construction technique utilized by the hotel’s builder, Horizon North, the project took only nine months to complete.

This is Oliver’s first full-service hotel, and the community is optimistic about its completion.

During the ribbon cutting ceremony, Chief Clarence Louie of the Osoyoos Indian Band stated, “anytime there is new businesses in Oliver, it’s good for the region and it’s good for the Osoyoos Indian Band.�

According to Mayor Hovanes, the project will add great value to the town’s evergrowing tourism industry.

In a recent statement to Black Press, he stated, “There [are] other accommodations here, we have some really highquality inns in wine country as well as bed and breakfasts, but we didn’t have that full-service hotel amenity. This is huge.

We have top Canadian events, incredible wineries, top restaurants, so all that we’ve been missing is this.�

The hotel is located in the downtown core, within walking distance of each shop. It was built along the hike and bike trail that follows the Okanagan River.

KAMLOOPS

doesn’t come to fruition, we got to look at other options. We need infrastructure for sure on there.�

NICOLA VALLEY Lower Nicola Indian Band Invests in Pipeline Business Lower Nicola Site Services (LNSS), the economic wing of the Lower Nicola Indian Band, has purchased a pipeline services company.

The band purchased a 51 per cent share of Ogilvie Mountain Holdings, based in Hope, in a joint venture with Vancouver’s Infracon. Ogilvie provides maintenance support to Kinder Morgan and other clients in the energy sector.

The band has a high unemployment rate and, according to Chief Aaron Sam Sumexheltza, the company will create new jobs and bring revenue to the band.

During the low season, the venture will employ up to 20 of the band’s 1,250 members, reaching as high as 40 jobs in peak season.

Though some BC First Nations have opposed the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, Sumexheltza believes investing in this way will allow First Nations community members to work on the ground and have special insight into project’s proceedings.

According to Sumexheltza, the current pipeline already crosses the traditional territory of the Lower Nicola Indian Band, as does the Spectra/Enbridge gas pipeline.

According to Infracon CEO Dennis Wilson, the new Ogilvie ownership group plans to expand to include new pipeline construction.

3

KELOWNA Pacific Coastal Continues to Connect Cranbrook and Kelowna This August, BC-based Pacific Coastal Airlines announced the addition of a new non-stop flight connecting Cranbrook and Kelowna.

With the addition of the new flight, Pacific Coastal Airlines now operates seven day a week service between the two communities. Pacific Coastal launched the Cranbrook to Kelowna service in November, 2013.

The weekly flight will run every Saturday, beginning Saturday, September 8, 2018, and is scheduled to depart Canadian Rockies International Airport (YXC) at 12:40 P.M. MT arriving at Kelowna International Airport (YLW) at 12:35 PT. “This route has proven to be very successful,� says Pacific Coastal Airlines’ Director of Business Development and Corporate Communications Kevin Boothroyd. “We launched this connection in recognition of the significant business, medical, and student travel that exists between the east Kootenay and Okanagan communities and because there was a need for a quick, convenient, and affordable alternative to the long drive. This new Saturday flight makes it even more convenient.�

The drive through multiple mountain passes takes many hours, and can become particularly challenging for motorists during the winter months. In contrast, the flight with Pacific Coastal takes just fifty-five minutes.

SEE NEWS UPDATE |  PAGE 4

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Largest Hop Farm in Canada Shuts Its Doors Accord i ng to a recent repor t, t he Tk’emlups te Secwepemc 220 acre hops farm is no longer in operation.

Formerly the largest hop farm in Canada, the operation was shut down by the Tk’emlups band for, according to Chief Fred Seymour, no longer making money.

The farm employed about 10 year-round employees along with 15-20 seasonal employees, and was poised to benefit from the recent surge in the craft brewing industry.

Nearly three years ago, Tk’emlups began a partnership with Hops Canada, a brokerage company headed by Joey Bernard. In 2016, Bernard projected a harvest estimated at $3 million worth of hops by the time the plants reached peak production (about three years from that time). As of last year, however, Bernard was no longer with the operation.

Prior to the creation of the hop farm, the 220 acres alongside the North Thompson River was fallow, with no history of agricultural production other than hay.

Sources state that the farm consisted of 170 kilometres of drip tube, two-million feet of wire and more than seven kilometres of underground irrigation.

Chief Seymour told Kamloops This Week, “It’s like any other business. It

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SEPTEMBER 2018

NEWS UPDATE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

OKANAGAN Tourism Continues to Grow in Spite of BC Haze In spite of some last-minute cancellations in Okanagan hotels and motels, tourism measuring indicators in the valley showed signs of positive growth.

Tourism organizations and experts throughout the valley are wanting to send a clear message: the Okanagan Valley is still open for business.

In a recent letter, Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) President and CEO Glenn Mandziuk stated, “We understand these circumstances can bring negative media attention, we encourage you to remain accurate in your messaging, and to use clear and up-to-date messaging from official sources only.

“Our messaging will continue to focus on being open for business and providing information on the many activities and areas to enjoy throughout the Thompson Okanagan.”

Kelowna Tourism ma nager Lisanne Ballantyne told Black Press that smoke and wildfires are a reality that local tourism business operators and visitors are now accustomed to.

According to a monthly survey

Okanagan College celebrates the opening of a new $2.2 million welding training facility conducted by Ballantyne’s organization, about 75 per cent of cancellations this month are due to the smoky conditions, while 80 per cent of respondents reported doing better than last year.

Tourism is booming in Vernon, which boasts a 7.5 per cent increase in the regional hotel sales tax as of May over 2016, which was a record year. So far, initial indications project that June, July and August results won’t alter the growth trend.

PENTICTON Okanagan College Set to Train Welders of the Future Okanagan College officials, students, industry partners a nd com mu n ity members gathered at the Penticton campus to celebrate the opening of the College’s new $2.2-million,

465-squ a re-met re (5,000 square foot), welding facility.

Among them was a class of 16 Welder Foundation students, who, under the tutelage of instructor Mark Stathers, will be the first to train in the facility.

The shop they’ll soon step into is one of the most advanced and sustainable in the province, informed by extensive input from industry.

“In building this facility, we had several goals,” explains Jim Hamilton, President of Okanagan College.

“We set out to provide the highest quality learning environment for our trades students and apprentices in the South Okanagan, to build a space that would help to meet the needs of employers in the reg ion, a nd to f u rther reduce our carbon footprint in Penticton.”

Previous intakes of welding students in Penticton trained in leased facilities off campus.

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A decade of strong demand for welders in the region, along with opportunities to reduce costs and improve the sustainability factor, spurred the College to build its own purpose-built welding facility on campus.

The new facility will also afford the College enhanced space and flexibility to be able to offer other trades programs on campus.

The project was designed and built by Okanagan-based builder Faction Projects Inc.

VERNON New Trades Training Centre Opens at Okanagan College Vernon Campus Early in the morning of August 7, a class of Plumbing and Piping Foundation trades students became the first to step

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SEE NEWS UPDATE | PAGE 6

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through the doors of the newly completed Trades Training Centre at Okanagan College’s Vernon campus.

A few hours later, they helped to officially open the space where they will hone their trade.

Stephen Fuhr, Member of Parliament for Kelowna - Lake Country and The Hon. Melanie Mark, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training joined Okanagan College President Jim Hamilton and other College officials, donors, industry and community members, students and alumni in a ribbon cutting ceremony at noon today, August 7, followed by a BBQ for students and guests.

The new 1,250 square-metre (13,450 square-foot) centre will accommodate about 150 students per year in Carpentry, Welding, Electrical, Plumbing and Piping, and Women in Trades programs.

The Province of BC provided $2.88 million and the Government of Canada provided $2.66 million toward the $6.2 million total project cost. The Okanagan College Foundation has raised nearly $1 million to cover the $673,000 capital construction cost, as well as provide support for students and programming.

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oming to a computer near you: the boost you need to score a spectacular fourth quarter for your business.

Starting in September, Sandler Training will introduce three of the company’s most popular and effective courses online. “September is when businesses ‘rev up’ to ensure they finish strong in the fourth quarter,” says business coach John Glennon. “Kids are back in school and it is the ideal time for business to go ‘back to school’ as well. So we’re making our training even more available by putting some of our courses online.”

The new Sandler Online portal supports both distance and self-paced education. Business people can attend a live workshop via webcast without the cost and inconvenience of travel. Or business leaders can choose selfpaced study in order to complete the chosen course when it fits into their schedule.

The new service expands the

reach of popular programs via live broadcast and/or online self-study.

“Our Sandler Sales Coaching Program teaches owners and managers how to coach their people to achieve better success while our Enterprise Selling Program helps businesses acquire large, complex accounts,” Glennon explained. “Our Customer Care Program is a self-study online course which teaches inside sales people and project managers how to ensure customer satisfaction and repeat business.”

More courses, including sales prospecting and sales negotiation, will be added to the online catalogue in the coming months. The calendar will be updated regularly on the Sandler website.

On October 16 in Kelowna, Glennon will present a half-day workshop on generating, presenting, and closing both formal and informal quotes. Formal quotes are generated in response to invitations to quote, such as RFPs, EOIs, RFQs and RFIs. Informal quotes are more casual and commonly occur when a business responds to a customer enquiry for an estimate, quote, or work proposal.

For information or to register for a Sandler course, visit the website at www.glennon.sandler.com.

KELOWNA

SEPTEMBER 2018

5

FALL 2018 – THE LEGISLATURE SITS, THE CANADIAN CHAMBER MEETS

KELOWNA DAN ROGERS

I

n August, I wrote about how busy we were in Chamber world, even though it was summer. Now, gazing at September-October-November-December, July-August was a stroll in the park. This month, we focus on international trade, among other issues.

On Friday, September 28, we welcome the British ConsulGeneral in Vancouver, Nicole Davison. She’s featured at our inaugural fall Chamber luncheon, and will speak knowledgeably on BREXIT, CETA, and the importance of free trade. Nicole represents the UK in BC, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories and has served in South Africa, Bangladesh, the Ukraine, China and Croatia.

That’s an easy segue to promoting the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s newest initiative, ‘Keep Trade Free’. Perrin Beatty, President & CEO of the CCC tells us that the objectives are simple: “First,” he says, “we are advocating for freer trade within North America and around the world. Second, we are building the case for a modernized NAFTA that will grow Canada’s economies and make us globally competitive.” The coalition website www.keeptradefree. com will keep businesses and partners updated. Our Chamber has joined and is helping spread the word.

Meanwhile, we also remain hyper-focused on interprovincial trade barriers within Canada; our policy resolution demanding action goes to the Canadian Chamber floor in Thunder Bay at the annual policy session on September 23.

Still on the subject of trade, the Chamber hosted TAP workshops earlier in the summer in Kelowna. TAP (Trade Accelerator Program) sponsored by World Trade Centre Vancouver allowed attendees to receive full bursaries, and learn how to navigate the complexities of the global trade ecosystem; how to leverage Canada’s deep trade and investment

resources; and, take advantage of tailored, face-to-face coaching and advice. We’ll offer the TAP program again in the next 12 months, helping Okanagan businesses to expand into this key market area.

The Electoral Reform Referendum is getting closer.

The mail-in ballots will be sent out starting October 22, with a deadline of November 30 for mail-back. Our Chamber is not opposed to the concept of electoral reform, but we remain strongly opposed to the current process as it has been laid out by the Government.

BC’s chambers voted to support a new 2018 policy resolution: “Engaging Business and Community on Electoral Reform” proposed by the Kelowna Chamber and the Kamloops Chamber. It recommended that the BC government appoint a non-partisan panel to determine the likely outcomes of an alternative system prior to holding a referendum, similar to the 2004 Citizens’ Assembly; that they clearly define the system of proportional representation being considered, well in advance of any referendum; and that they confirm that no changes be implemented unless there is a clear majority overall (i.e.

60 per cent in favour) and the referendum is supported in a majority of BC’s 87 ridings.

Attorney General David Eby on May 30 recommended that the referendum include two questions.

The first: choose between the current First Past the Post voting system and a Proportional Representation system. The second: choose among Dual Member Proportional, Mixed Member Proportional, or RuralUrban Proportional. (Not clear on what that second question is? Don’t worry.

You’re not alone.)

This referendum marks the third time the provincial government has asked British Columbians to vote on potential changes to our voting system. BC Chambers want to ensure there is adequate public consultation and education on possible changes to our voting system. Better consultation with British Columbians on the impact of various untried Proportional Representation systems would help ensure voters have a clearer understanding of all options. Unfortunately, thus far details and productive discussions on the topic that have engaged British Columbians have been sadly lacking.

This is particularly concerning when you consider how

important this issue is.

The Kelowna Chamber is hosting a panel discussion next month (October 17) with the two government-appointed “sides” (Yes and No).

We’ll welcome Bill Tieleman, from “No BC Pro Rep”; Bill’s a former journalist and NDP political strategist. We will also welcome a speaker from “Yes to PR”: Maria Dobrinskaya, spokesperson for the “Yes” side, and former cochair of Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson’s Vision Vancouver party. Each side received $500,000 in funding from the provincial government to make their cases to the electorate.

We are looking forward to this Kelowna Chamber luncheon; we see it as an important educational opportunity for all of us. This is a key issue not just for 2018 but for the future of our province for decades to come and could have longresonating effects on business, the rural-urban divide, and the cost-effectiveness of our public institutions.

On the 12th of this month, the Kelowna Chamber takes part in a media event held alongside the UBCM annual convention in Whistler.

We will join with Chamber colleagues from around the province in supporting many mayors and councillors, representing both targeted and not-yet-targeted municipalities for the province’s proposed Speculation tax as they speak out against the tax.

The Kelowna Chamber has been outspoken against this punitive, anti-Canadian tax which is hurting our small businesses, sending “go away” messages to our friends, visitors and fellow Canadians from outside BC. Municipalities don’t have a say in whether or not this tax is applied to their communities – that’s just wrong.

Finally, our run-up to the Chamber’s “Reel Business Excellence Awards 2018” continues. Completed nomination packages roared in throughout August from our 323 nominees in 11 categories. At an October 4 lunchmatinée, we’ll celebrate all our semi-finalists – selected by our independent judging committee – prior to our gala on Wednesday October 24, when old-style Hollywood glam will be front and centre as we take over the Delta Conference Centre celebrating all our guests, semi-finalists, winners, and sponsors. Thanks to our long-standing presenting sponsors BDC and Farris LLP. New members at time

of writing include: Unifirst; Do Some Good; Orbis Sports; Jaxsin Excavating; Pacific Western Brewing Company; Edmonton International Airport; KIDS HELP PHONE; Southern Interior

Construction Association (SICA); IPMC Smart Technologies Inc.; 1007246 BC Ltd.; Madera Millwork; Desrosiers Cook Associates – Century 21; Park Stone & Tile; Kelowna Pool Tables;

The Pluminators Plumbing & Heating. Welcome All! Dan Rogers is Executive Director, Kelowna Chamber of Commerce

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SEPTEMBER 2018

37 Finalists Named for 10th Annual Thompson BACK TO SCHOOL FOR YOUR BUSINESS Okanagan Kootenay Commercial Building Awards AWARDS

“There are many wonderful projects in this

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

year’s event, which ties last year for the

RE/MAX Commercial, MNP LLP and the Southern Interior Construction Association. Category sponsors include Greensheet Construction Review.

Radio personality Tamara Joel of Kelowna’s EZ Rock w ill serve as Master of Ceremonies for the event, which celebrates the best in commercial and industrial buildings completed prior to July 31, 2018 in the Thompson (Kamloops and Salmon Arm), Okanagan (Vernon to Osoyoos) and Kootenay (Nelson to Cranbrook and Golden) regions.

Last year’s Judges’ Choice Best Overall winner was the Kelowna Police Services Building.

A select g roup of i ndependent judges will pore over the submissions from each finalist to determine winners in each category.

Finalists for this year’s award are, by community: Kamloops: Dallas Town Centre, Orchards Walk Pharmasave, The Vistas on Battle, Thompson Rivers University.

most ever for the Awards, which is fantastic.

Each and every year the building designs are becoming more elaborate, and it reflects well on the quality of commercial and industrial construction in the region.”

MARK MACDONALD PUBLISHER OF BUSINESS EXAMINER THOMPSON OKANAGAN,

Sun Pea ks: Burfield Hostel.

Salmon Arm: Lily Manor, Montebello Museum.

Revelstoke: Eagle Pass Heli Skiing.

Nakusp: Shon’s Bike & Ski. Vernon: BC Hydro, Vernon Trades Training.

Lake Country: 50th Parallel Winery.

Kelowna: Bluestar Buslines, Cannery, Castanet, Central Okanagan Food Bank, CRAFT Beer Market, Eagle Creek Studios, Geometrik, Hotel Eldorado Marina, Kelowna Airport Expansion, Kelowna Porsche, School Board 23,

The Strathcona, Tourism Kelowna Visitor Centre, Turner Volkswagen.

West Kelowna: Otter Coop, Truck 59 Ciderhouse.

Penticton: Beechwood, Penticton Nissan, Robinson Lighting and Bath, Time Winery.

Cawston: Twisted Hills Cider Dome.

Oliver: Checkmate Winery Popup, Coast Oliver Hotel.

Osoyoos: PWGSC Point of Entry.

Castlegar: Fortis BC Kootenay Operations Centre.

Tickets to the event are $125, and can be booked t h r o u g h w w w. b u s i nessexaminer.ca/events.

PENTICTON KIM KIRKHAM

W

ith summer behind and the school year loom i ng, m a ny p eople get into planning mode as autumn approaches. September can often feel like a new beginning and it’s a great time to think about upgrading your business or your own skills, and we’ve got some ideas to get you started.

Students need to make sure they have the right tools for the classroom, from kindergarten to university – do you have the right tools for your office?

Take stock of items that may be wearing out, or things you’ve been thinking about adding to your workspace. A better chair,

NEWS UPDATE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

VERNON Soul Studio Owner Ranked Among Top Five Fitness Trainers in Canada

YourYour vision.

Ourpassion. passion. vision. Our

Canfitpro recent ly named Vernon’s Sareena Sharma-Nickoli, owner of Soul Studio, on its list of the top five fitness instructors in Canada.

Sha rma-Nickol i has nearly 20 years of experience as a fitness instructor, starting as a spin class teacher at Fitness West in Vernon while she continued to run her family’s business, City Furniture.

W it h e x p er ienc e i n dancing and choreography, she became one of Canada’s first Zumba instructors, and, at the time, the only Zumba instructor in Western Canada.

Currently, she is a certified fitness instructor with 15 fitness certifications including bar, booty bar, kick, power, ride and more.

The Top 5 Fitness Trainer in Canada recognition awards a Canfitpro

our vision. Our passion.

205-1626 Richter Street, Kelowna,BCBCV1YV1Y 205-1626 Richter StreetKelowna, 2M32M3

250-448-7801 • www.distinctsolutions.ca ���������������������������������������

whiteboard, or maybe a desk organizer.

And of course, it might be time to take a look at your technology. A good clean up of digital files you may no longer need (or that can be filed on a service like Dropbox to save space on your hard drive), and making sure your software is up-to-date is a good step towards digital organization. Computer repair services can help create back up files and give your system a tune up.

One of the best things about this time of year: back to school sales. Take advantage of bargains to upgrade your supplies and equipment.

What about you and your staff? After the summer season when the pace slows down, perhaps it’s time to add to the skill set of you r tea m. Sem i na r season is coming up, keep an eye out or sign up for enews alerts from business organization to get notices of workshops.

The multiple campuses of Okanagan College offer many classes in continuing studies and distance education, so you don’t need

to take too much time away from your business. Evening and weekend options are convenient, and topics ra nge f rom book keeping, to human resources, to marketing, and much more. Certificate courses are longer and take some dedication, but investing in your own education or that of your staff is an investment in your business.

If you have a business plan that has been sitting on a shelf for a while, it’s time to have a look at it and see if you’ve met your sales targets or goals…and then set new goals for the next year, five years, or ten years. Write them down (maybe on that new whiteboard?), as studies show when you put your goals on paper you’re much more likely to meet them.

This fall, set aside some time to take your business back to school and make sure it’s in great shape.

certified and practising professional member who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, motivation, and technical skills and has inspired clients to achieve their goals In order to qualify for the award, a nominee has to be a practising Canfitpro professional in good standing and be certified by the organization in the designation of the nomination. Sharma-Nickoli’s qualifications matched the criteria.

Sharma-Nickoli opened Soul Studio in December 2014, and has since renovated and expanded her space. She recently launched Soul Biz, described as an organization “which is focused on helping others through the entrepreneurial path.”

production line.

OLIVER BC Fruit Trees Launches Paragon Peach Packing Facility As demand for Okan a g a n p ro d u c e c o ntinues to grow, BC Tree F r u its Co op erat ive’s Oliver facility has unvei le d its bra nd new peach and apple packing

Kim Kirkham is Executive Director at the Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at 778-476-3111 ext.

102.

The installation of this multi-million dollar packing line was recently completed and saw the first bins of fruit go across this past weekend.

The launch of this new packing line brings the Okanagan Valley, and more specifically the grower members of BC Tree Fruits Cooperative, the advantage of having some of the most advanced efficient grading technology in Canada.

T he new pack i ng l i ne will deliver accurate and consistent fruit quality to consumers across Western Canada and will support the expectation in the market of high quality, locally grown fruit from the growers of BC Tree Fruits Cooperative.

“We are excited to bring th is tech nolog y to ou r grower members,” says Director of Operations Peter Hoffman. “This new packing line utilizes an optical sorter that has advanced machine-learning capabilities that revolutionizes the sorting process.

“The results will allow us to colour map, grade and defect sort fruit with increased accuracy, all with the focus of delivering consistent, high quality fruit to our consumers.”

SPONSORED CONTENT

SEPTEMBER 2018

7

MORE GREEN ROOFS FOR OKANAGAN BUSINESSES Swiss Solar Tech Clients Happy With New Energy Saving Installations

S

UMMERLAND - Solar technology is a bright idea. More and more Okanagan businesses are choosing Swiss Solar Tech Ltd. to provide sustainable energy solutions.

“Swiss Solar Tech Ltd. was formed for the purpose of offering solar PV for electricity, solar water heating and heat recovery systems to the government, institutional and commercial business sector as well as to the private home owners,” says coowner 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 like seasonally adjustable pole mounts, solar trackers, carports and parking islands including also waterproofed solar patio roofs with bi-facial solar PV modules ” Incorporated in September 2001, Swiss Solar Tech has been creating cost-effective renewable energy and heat recovery solutions for businesses up and down the Okanagan Valley.

“After 17 years, we think of ourselves as pioneers in BC’s solar industry. We are very proud of how far we’ve come and this year we have been named the Best Solar PV Installer in British Columbia and won the award for Innovation in Solar PV Design by CV Magazine.”

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.

Here’s what some of these

Gehringer Estate Winery with bifacial solar panels business owners have to say about their investment in solar technology: Tony Holler, owner of Poplar Grove Winery and Monster Vineyards in Penticton is very happy with the result.

“The reason we opted for solar power really revolves around the Okanagan’s high sunlight hours, the increased efficiency and lower costs of solar panels,” he says.

“This is coupled with our belief that if you can use a renewable energy source like solar rather than fossil fuels, you should do it. Solar also has the lowest environmental footprint of other renewable energy sources like hydro and wind.”

Luke Smith, owner of Howling Bluff Estate Winery in Penticton says, “We live in the same place where we grow grapes and produce wine. That is why it is important for us to do what we can to make our world a better place. That is why we have solar panels and why we farm smart.”

John W. Skinner, proprietor of Painted Rock Estate Winery in Penticton says, “Painted Rock chose solar because it sends the right message to our community about what our priorities are, and it’s simply the right thing to do. The payback has improved dramatically so it makes good economic sense as well.”

Terry P. Feeny, President of Avro Oil Ltd. in Kelowna is already saving money on his hydro bill.

“I first heard of Swiss Solar at my neighbor’s dinner party,” he says. “John Skinner the owner of Painted Rock Winery was talking about the benefits of the solar system he had just installed at the winery, and also about Roger from Swiss Solar.

“The next day, I called Roger and he stopped in and talked to me about his business and the future of solar power. I was familiar with solar, as we have a home in Palm Springs, and it seemed all my neighbors down there were installing a system and telling me about their $6.00 per month hydro bills.

“I was convinced of the benefits and ordered a system for my selfstorage facility in Oliver and also for my warehouses in Kelowna that have meters for security lights etc.

“The first month the storage hydro bill was only $74.00 down from $500.00 and next bill had a credit (thanks to net metering) of $120.00. The Kelowna solar system reduced my total hydro bill to $65.00 down from an average go $600.00.

“One of my motivating factors was the hydro utility bills always go up and never down and who knows how much the charges will be in the near future. The sun hasn’t raised its rates in 4 billion years!

“I would highly recommend Roger and his professional staff at Swiss Solar if you are considering a solar system.”

Jim D’Andrea, owner of Noble Ridge Vineyard and Winery, says, “We decided to install a solar energy system to take advantage of the bright Okanagan sun and produce power which is environmentally friendly. Offsetting the high cost of electricity and reducing our consumption on the public grid made a great deal of sense to us.”

George Marine, General Manager of the Best Western Plus Hotel & Suites says, “The Best Western Plus Kelowna Hotel & Suites motivation to install the solar panels in March 2018 was mainly to align with our existing environmentally sustainable hotel practices and sustainability goals.”

System size: 186-panel (50 kW) grid tied solar PV system which produces about 57,140 kWh per year.

Walter Gehringer, owner of Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery, says, “We are a green province…. If everyone worked with solar, then we might of-set our increasing demand for electricity reducing the need to expand our hydro electrical projects.

Solar power is the beginning of a new wave and is becoming a general part of house construction in the near future. If you have the capital asset, it’s the honorable thing to do for the environment.”

System size: 144-panel (44 kW) grid tied solar PV system which produces about 44,240 kWh per year.

Go solar! You won’t be the first but please don’t be the last!

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to save money and lower your carbon footprint. Find out more at Swiss Solar Tech’s upcoming information session and workshop.

Save the date: October 31, 2018 from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM: Swiss Solar Tech’s SOLAR INFORMATION SESSION & WORKSHOP EVENT FOR BUSINESS OWNERS at the Best Western Plus in Kelow na, RSV P to i n fo@sw isssolartech.com by October 29, 2018 to book your free seat and light lunch.

Your solar expert, serving the Thompson-Okanagan for over 17 years Call or email to book your free on-site solar evaluation!

5811 Giants Head Road, Summerland BC V0H 1Z7 Toll: 1-866-786-4968 (1-866-Sun-4You) Phone: 250-404-0490 Email: info@swisssolartech.com www.swisssolartech.com

Burrowing Owl Winery solar parking island with bifacial solar PV panels

8

SEPTEMBER 2018

RENEWABLE ENERGY Green Energy Makes Business Cents Decreasing Costs in Renewable Energy Tech Make Green Energy More Accessible Than Ever

Solar technology is steadily becoming more affordable, with the price of an array dropping by as much as 50 per cent over the last decade PHOTO CREDIT: OSPREYELECTRIC.COM

I

nnovation abounds in the world of sustainable energy.

As renewable energy technology continually becomes more affordable, BC Hydro’s rates are increasing every year, prompting many businesses and homes to pursue greener options when powering their homes.

As a result, sustainable energy technology, particularly solar PV, are becoming a viable option for many in BC’s in the private sector.

One of Kamloops’ foremost experts on solar PV, Ben Giudici of Riverside Energy Systems, views solar is an “unstoppable technology which works far better in BC than many realize.”

“When we were designing and installing PV systems for the 2010 YMCA Green Dream Home (CMHC Equilibrum Home net-zero project) in 2009, many people saw us as fanatics,» says Giudici. «They told us they might be interested in the unlikely event solar ever reached parity with the grid [when it costs the same, or less, to buy energy from the sun as from the utility].”

According to Giudici, grid parity was reached about two years ago for BC residential solar, which is much sooner than expected. Meanwhile solar PV is being aggressively deployed in other parts of the world where grid parity occurred sooner. “We encourage people to consider up-to-date solar costs

and electrical utility rates which in recent times have significantly fallen and risen respectively,” he says. “The case for grid-connected solar PV is often much better than they’d imagined.

In the Okanagan, companies like Summerland’s Swiss Solar Tech have seen a dramatic increase in business over the past few years.

Though the company has been installing photovoltaic generators since 2001, business has taken off in the past couple of years.

As the products become more affordable, the company’s clientele have grown to include hotels, wineries, manufacturing facilities, restaurants, stores, storage facilities, as well as institutional and government buildings.

“Currently the solar energy market is the most exciting market to be working in,” says Swiss Solar Tech co-owner Susan Huber. “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.”

On Vancouver Island, the solar energy sector is growing rapidly.

Parksville’s Osprey Electric recently expanded its solar energy services division, hiring Brian Pasquill as the new Director of Energy Services.

SEE RENEWABLE ENERGY | PAGE 10

According to Clean Energy BC, BC Hydro has identified 16 prospective geothermal sites in the province PHOTO CREDIT: CLEANENERGYBC.ORG

RENEWABLE ENERGY

SEPTEMBER 2018

9

NEW SOLAR BOOT CAMP HAS LONG-LASTING IMPACT Riverside Energy Systems Now Offering Unique Educational Experiences for First Nations

K

AMLOOPS - Several First Nations Bands in the Fraser Canyon, ThompsonOkanagan, and Nicola Valley regions are now among some of the most solar-savvy communities in BC. For the last two years, Riverside Energy Systems has been putting on one-of-a-kind solar tech boot camps for these communities, educating and inspiring members of all ages with renewable energy technology.

Founded by Paul Fletcher in 1995, Riverside is one of BC’s most experienced renewable energy engineering, design, installation, and maintenance providers.

Fletcher, along with partners Ben Giudici, P.Eng and Greg Lambertus bring over 80 years of combined industry experience to the table, and they have recently expanded their business offerings to include this unique educational experience.

“Two years ago, we were invited to complete a community solar project by Chief Patrick Mitchell of the Kanaka Bar Indian Band as a step toward community energy independence,” says Giudici. “Capacity building was a key project requirement, so we created a project-integrated Solar Boot Camp training experience for interested members.

“It was a four day event, with morning classroom sessions followed by afternoon hands-on project completion work under Greg’s supervision. The concept worked extremely well and the community was very pleased.”

Last fall, Riverside was hired to install a grid-connected solar PV system for the Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc First Nation, and put on an accompanying five day community solar boot camp, which was also well-received.

Riverside instructor Ben Giudici explains how an off-grid system works The Riverside Energy team installs ​solar PV system with Tk’emlúps​team

A fist pump from Kanaka Bar community members

Students work in groups to assemble and test equipment

“Most recently, we completed a solar PV installation in Merritt BC on the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology’s (NVIT) new Centre of Excellence in Sustainability. As a First Nations college with a very forward-looking vision,” Giudici continues, “NVIT is planning future programs in sustainability topics including solar, wind, and geothermal energy.”

Shortly after completion, Riverside used the newly-commissioned state-of-the-art facility to deliver a five day course on grid connected solar PV systems to members of the Upper Nicola, Lower Nicola, Coldwater, and Nooiatch bands.

“Our boot camp approach has several goals,” he says. “First, we’re raising awareness and understanding for those who are

“NVIT’s CoES solar PV Teaching Roof installation proved to be an invaluable teaching resource.

Students were able to view data collected by the system over its lifetime and observe the effects of shading, differing panel orientations, and weather on energy production during course lab exercises.”

Before joining the Riverside Energy Systems team, Giudici spent 12 years as an engineer with BC Hydro, followed by 21 years as a faculty member at Thompson Rivers University (TRU), developing and teaching technology and engineering related courses.

Though he left the university in 2012, Giudici has never lost his passion for teaching.

“As an instructor, I had occasion to work closely with a number of

curious about the technology.

“Additionally, we hope to inspire young people entering the workforce, and older people who want to retrain and retool to prepare for future careers in renewable energy. Hands-on training can be much more engaging than pure classroom delivery. It’s an immersion experience - people learn about the technology by engaging with it directly and considering whether they might have an aptitude for the field.”

In a recent report on the NVIT class, Giudici writes, “A wide range of topics was covered including solar photographic site evaluation, inverter technologies, net-metering in BC, solar PV module electrical characteristics, installation practices, and solar racking systems.

First Nations students, and grew close to some of them,” he says.

“I heard their stories and difficulties they’ve had to deal with. I have always felt anyone showing the initiative to forge a better life for themselves through learning new skills deserves our full encouragement and support.”

Riverside intends to continue delivering project integrated solar training for First Nations and building training partnerships with BC post-secondary institutions.

Giudici hopes these would eventually develop into bridging arrangements, where Riverside Energy solar boot camp students could earn prior learning and/or work experience credits in programs to be offered by NVIT and others. www.riversideenergy.ca

Leveraging the Sun since 1995 969G Laval Crescent, Kamloops BC P: 250-578-0620 info@riversideenergy.ca www.riversideenergy.ca

Consulting, Engineering & Design Systems Installation & Service First Nations Training

10

RENEWABLE ENERGY

RENEWABLE ENERGY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

“When I first started, a typical solar array had about a 20 year payback system,” says Pasquill. “Now it’s closer twelve years, or even less if we’re offsetting diesel generation. It’s a much more accessible technology now.”

In the Comox Valley, Cumberland’s Hakai Energy Solutions has been finding innovative solutions for off-grid communities and research centres, building Canada’s first commercially-scaled hybrid solar/diesel generating systems.

By doing so, they have been able to dramatically decrease fuel consumption at remote sites around BC’s coast.

These companies, and others like them, are growing rapidly in response to the recent price-drops for solar energy arrays (which Pasquill estimates to be as much as 50 per cent of the last 10 years) and innovative applications for the technology.

However, Solar energy isn’t the only way to take a bite out of the hydro bill.

Doug Lockhart, owner of Lockhart Industries, believes he is working with technology that could revolutionize the industry.

Recent research shows that the average BC NetZeroPlus home will produce double its consumed energy every day.

“We’ve been installing NetZeroPlus technology for about 30 years now,” says Lockhart. “It’s

Jae Mather is Executive Director at Clean Energy BC extremely effective, but often falls in the shadow of wind and solar, so few people are aware of how efficient the system is.

“By utilizing indirect solar heat collected from the ground, the system can generate five units of energy for every one unit taken from BC Hydro.”

According to Lockhart, when all financial factors are properly considered (increase in mortgage rate and decrease in hydro bill), a home with a NetZeroPlus system can save as much as $60 dollars per month when compared to an average grid-tied home.

“You’re basically paid to put in geothermal,” he says. “Additionally, this system could work really well with solar and wind energy, especially in off-grid contexts.

In the public sector, the provincial

NEVER MANAGE YOU NUMBERS. MANAGE YOUR BEHAVIOUR

SALES JOHN GLENNON

Y

ou can’t manage what you can’t control!

You can’t manage the number of sales you’re going to make but you can manage the behaviour that will help you make those sales. Obviously you can’t predict who will buy and who won’t because only the prospect knows if they really want what you’re selling, if they have the budget and if they can make the decision to move forward.

Those are all things outside of our control.

What is in our control is strategically developing a plan based on the number of calls we need to make, crafting questions that qualify the prospect for need, budget and decision as well as disqualifying those prospects who won’t or aren’t ready to move forward.

Sometimes salespeople will

let persistence stall their sales development. It can often keep us from disqualifying the prospect. It may be that this is the wrong timing for the prospect.

We need to ask the questions and uncover if there is a better time to approach the topic. That’s a good use of persistence but persistence is of no use if the prospect is not fully engaged in the agreement to regroup at another time.

Controlling your behaviour is about doing the things that will result in gaining business. It’s about taking control of where and with whom you spend your time. It’s about developing a plan and following it. It’s about being part of your plan rather than somebody else’s plan.

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

government has has committed to a 40 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2030 (based on 2007 levels). In order to stay on track with this plan, BC will need to continue to invest in electrification, utilizing sustainable energy sources.

“BC’s power grid is incredibly green, with about 93 per cent of our energy coming from renewable energy sources,” says Jae Mather, Executive Director at Clean Energy BC. “With Site C coming online in the next six to seven years, we’ll add about eight per cent to the total power generated in the province.

“However, if we’re serious about meeting our climate obligations, we’ll need to electrify a lot more.

In order to meet our 2030 targets, we would need to add 50 per cent to our current infrastructure. By 2050, we may need as much as 100 per cent.”

According to Mather, wind and solar power quickly becoming the most affordable way to meet these energy demands. In addition to the decreasing cost of sustainable energy technology, these systems can be built in close proximity to where the energy will be consumed, requiring less distribution infrastructure.

“Decentralizing our power sources also helps spread the economic benefit of these projects evenly throughout the province,” he says. “The benefit for a First Nations band or smaller community is significantly higher in this case.” www.cleanenergybc.org

SEPTEMBER 2018

A solar array is transported via helicopter to be installed in a remote location PHOTO CREDIT: SWISS SOLAR TECH

NetZeroPlus Quick Fact: An average BC NetZeroPlus home will consume about 3,000 kWh of energy in ‘plug load’ (fridge, stove, computers, lights, etc) and the GeoExchange heat pump will consume 4,000 kWh of energy to power itself. Alternately, the GeoExchange loop in the ground outside the house will produce, at no cost, 14,000 kWh of energy or 2X the energy that the house consumes every day. That’s a NetZeroPlus home.

-

Lockhart Industries

Everden Rust Now Penticton’s Last Remaining Family-Owned Funeral Service Provider Purchase of Hansons Gives Park Lawn Corporation 75 Per Cent Market Share in Penticton

P

ENTICTON - “It seemed to come out of nowhere.”

This was the response of Jason Everden, Managing Funeral Director and Partner at Everden Rust Funeral Services & Crematorium, when he realized his company was the only remaining family-owned funeral provider and crematorium in Penticton.

Through Park Lawn Corporation’s purchase of Hansons Arbor Funeral Chapels and Crematorium, the company acquired 75 per cent market share in Penticton’s funeral services industry.

“It’s been good for us in a sense,” says Jason. “We’ve had families calling non-stop over the last three weeks, wanting to transfer their prepaid funerals to a family-owned company.

“As an owner of Everden Rust Funeral Services and Crematorium, I answer to the families I serve, not to shareholders and that makes a huge difference for our clients.”

According to Jason, customization and personal care are crucial in the funeral services industry, and family-owned businesses are able to provide that flexibility.

“A family-owned place treats

“A family-owned place treats people like family. For example, my Dad, Bill, retired four years ago, but he just put on a funeral service last week for a man he knew.”

JASON EVERDEN MANAGING FUNERAL DIRECTOR AND PARTNER AT EVERDEN RUST FUNERAL SERVICES AND CREMATORIUM

people like family,” he says. “For example, my Dad, Bill, retired four years ago, but he just put on a funeral service last week for a man he knew.

“He’s been doing this work since 1969, and we’ve been in the area since 1988, so he’s well known in the area. We have so many family-tofamily connections in the Okanagan because we grew up here.”

This same Park Lawn purchase included a West Kelowna funeral home, which again left Everden Rust as the only remaining family-owned

funeral service provider in the community.

In fact, Park Lawn Corporation has purchased eight family-owned funeral homes and crematoriums since February 2017.

“In Kelowna, where I primarily work, two out of four of our funeral service providers are family owned,” says Jason. “This roughly 50 per cent ratio is fairly typical throughout BC. The speed at which these Penticton institutions were bought seemed to come out of nowhere.”

Everden Rust is currently owned

by Bill’s sons, Jason, Jeff, and Jonathon, who are in the midst of a 15 year plan to purchase Bill’s remaining company shares.

“My son, Brandon, works for us too,” says Jason. “He’s only 18 and just graduated this spring, but he’s really impressive.

“When he walked across the stage, they read a bio which he had written.

It said he was ‘interested in business,’ and that ‘he was going to work for his Dad and take over the family business.”

It appears that Everden Rust Funeral Services & Crematorium may be family-owned for years to come. www.everdenrust.com

SPOTLIGHT

SEPTEMBER 2018

11

ARGO MAINTAINS INTERIOR ROADS FOR OVER 25 YEARS Kamloops Road Maintenance Company Continues to Gain Government Contracts

K

AMLOOPS - From Wells Gray Provincial Park to the US Border, Argo Road Maintenance is keeping drivers safe.

Established in 1991, Argo has been working with the Ministry of Transportation for over a quarter century, delivering over 56 contract years of service to the province.

The company currently holds the province’s highway maintenance contracts for Kamloops (Service Area 15) and Penticton (Service Area 08), and have performed road and bridge maintenance services in five total service areas throughout BC. Company owners Robert Wills and Case Vandiemen have been partners for over 40 years. They began their construction careers together with Fownes Construction on the lower mainland before starting Wills Enterprise, which eventually became Argo Road Maintenance.

“The company played a major role in all three phases of the construction of the Coquihalla, from inception to privatization,” says company President Jeff Wills. “The company was initially involved in utilities, road construction, sewers, and other infrastructure, but has since moved almost exclusively into the road maintenance business.

“All these years later, we have an exceptional staff that know the contracts inside and out, and are experts in this industry. We have many long-term staff members, including our Vice President, Sandy Paulson, who has been with the company since its start in the maintenance industry in 1991.”

Joining the company in early 2013, Wills is a relatively new addition to the team. With a background in trucking and

99 per cent of Argo Road Maintenance work is with the provincial government heavy equipment, he had been self-employed most of his life.

“I had a large trucking company and worked in the Cariboo and Peace Country regions,” he says. “The company eventually morphed into more of an oil and gas company in North Eastern BC before I sold it in late 2012.

“I expected some major adjustments in the transition, but the whole move went a lot better than it otherwise could have. Coming from a 24/7 free market, fastpaced, competitive enterprise, I was used to being on call all day and night.”

For Wills, joining the company meant entering a different world, with a unionized staff and government contracts.

“99 per cent of our work is strictly with the province, doing roads and highways,” he says. “It’s definitely a different type of business than I was used to, but still involved managing people, equipment, and time. In that way, it was a pretty seamless transition.”

The company’s owners are no longer involved in the day-to-day operations, so Wills’ first task was to create a clear succession plan for the future.

“Nothing was really broken here,” he says. “It’s a very well run company, so we didn’t need to make a lot of operational changes. The main change we made was taking some steps to ensure we’d be competitive in the long-term.”

With provincial bidding contracts coming up for renewal on

“All these years later, we have an exceptional staff that know the contracts inside and out, and are experts in this industry. We have many long-term staff members, including our Vice President, Sandy Paulson, who has been with the company since its start in the maintenance industry in 1991.”

JEFF WILLS PRESIDENT OF ARGO ROAD MAINTENANCE

a regular basis, Argo Road Maintenance is always looking at expanding into other regions.

“We’re a lways look i ng for expansion opportunities, but we’re pretty settled in the road maintenance industry,” says

Argo stays involved in its community, sponsoring organizations and sports teams, like this 2017 Kamloops Adult Slo-Pitch League team W i l l s. “O u r b u s i n e s s i s a n all-consuming, 12 month per year industry. We do ditching and grading, and many other m a i nte n a n c e s e r v ic e s t h at come outside of winter, and our equipment is fairly specialized for road maintenance, making it difficult to cross over into more private-sector work.”

For this reason, Argo typically limits private sector work to jobs that fall under the umbrella of road maintenance.

In addition to pursuing more government contracts, the company works to keep up with industry innovation, staying on top of emerging technology.

“One of the latest innovations, which is being implemented industry-wide, is a GPS AVL tracking solution,” Wills says.

Proud supporter of Argo Road Maintenance.

Congratulations on all your success!

“It can monitor exactly where trucks are, what products are being used, and how much substance is going out.

“It also monitors the functions of the trucks, from the spreader or sander being used to the liquid going out. It’s been very helpful for us, and we can make sure we get to everything in a timely manner and helps each of our drivers know exactly where their co-workers are. This has increased workplace safety and made our staff more efficient on the job site.”

This forward thinking, coupled with effective leadership and a commitment to doing the job right is helping to drive Argo Road Maintenance into a bright future. www.argoroads.ca

2072 Falcon Rd. Kamloops Phone: 888.818.8088 www.rjameswsf.ca

REAL ESTATE

12

QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS...

CUSTOMER SERVICE LUCY GLENNON

I

f you’ve ever hu ng up, or walked away from a conversation and not had a clear understanding of what should happen next, you may be a victim of ‘incomplete questions’.

Too often customer care providers have ‘head trash’ around asking all the questions required to really help the customer.

Often they feel their questions may be intrusive, or they a re bot heri ng t he customer with too many questions. Or they may feel that the customer will become defensive, or uncomfortable if they ask more questions. Or that the customer’s time is being wasted.

More of ten t h a n not, t hese thoughts are only in the mind of the customer care provider, not

the customer. As long as customers understand the reasons for the questions (i.e. to save time later on; to ensure we get your order right; so we don’t have to have a follow up conversation) the customer is happy to answer all your questions. In fact, well thought out questions can actually help customers to crystallize their thinking and understand their needs better themselves. If you picture your customers’ needs as buried treasure, we sometimes have to dig a little deeper to really understand those needs.

Questions are the way we engage our customers, explore their needs, get the information we need to meet those needs, and continue to grow strong relationships 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.

SEPTEMBER 2018

Persistent Cooling Trend For Okanagan Housing Market OMREB September Housing Report

K

E L OW NA - A c o ol i n g trend in home sales continues across the region of Revelstoke to Peachland, with 709 sales posted to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS®) in August, a 5 per cent drop from the previous month, yet 20 per cent fewer sales than this time last year reports the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB).

“We are now six months into a cooling trend, with a curb in demand arising from natural market shifts, but intensified by government intervention in the form of tougher mortgage rules, higher interest rates and the threat of a possible speculation tax,” says OMREB President Marv Beer.

Of note is an increase in average days on market, now at 78, up from 65 days the previous month and 69 last August. “While we are not seeing it as yet, downward pressure on price typically tends to occur when days on market lengthen,” says Beer, noting that average price in August was $511,916, an 8 per cent drop from the previous month, but 5 per cent higher than this time last year.

Moderating demand is helping ease a chronic shortage of

WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT OPORTUNITY 2 1/4 ac. SHUSWAP RIVER LOCATION North Okanagan Valley ZONED C2, Highway and Tourist Commercial • Located at the top of the lush North Okanagan Valley's City of Enderby • A unique opportunity to purchase waterfront development property along the Shuswap River.

• Ideally suited for Hotel / Vacation Condos combination with related Retail development.

• Full support by the City of Enderby which offers case managed development services and more for this priority Property

For more information, email: no.columbia@gmail.com

housing supply, with active listings contributing to an inventory of available homes that is now 27 per cent over this time last year.

A pullback in demand coupled with an increase in the number of homes for sale is moving the region’s housing market towards balanced conditions, which typically means more selection for those in the market to buy, less likelihood of competing offers and, if it continues, downward pricing adjustments.

“Unfortunately, government intervention has also had the effect of making homes less affordable, as the new mortgage rules and higher interest rates mean that the buyer’s dollar doesn’t go as far as it used to,” comments Beer, noting that the effect is heightened in certain parts of the region where housing affordability was already challenged.

Keeping in mind the millennial generation, a group that comprises many of today’s firsthome buyers, Beer suggests that housing affordability could be better resolved through measures that help deliver the type of housing that buyers want and need to market more quickly and efficiently rather than

penalizing those hoping to buy.

Pointing to a provincial forecast by the British Columbia Real Estate Association that projects a 21 per cent decline in residential sales this year, Beer suggests that further checks on demand may not be required.

“Clearly, this is not the environment to introduce a soc a l led sp ecu l at ion ta x t h at would have minimal effect on actual real estate speculators and, instead, punish long-time homeowners who are primarily BC residents,” contends Beer, noting that such a tax could have wide-spread unintended consequences.

With the government vote on the speculation tax pending this fall, members of the public are urged to register concerns about the proposed tax with government at www.scrapthespeculationtax.ca.

OMREB serves three diverse markets within the region: the Central Okanagan Zone (Peachland to Lake Country), the North Zone (Predator Ridge to Enderby) and the Shuswap- Revelstoke Zone (Salmon Arm to Revelstoke).

For detailed statistics, by zone, visit www.omreb.com.

ONE-OF-A-KIND WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY OPENS UP City of Enderby Offers Perks for Potential Hotel Developers

E

NDERBY - Lee Starrett believes Enderby could use a premier waterfront hotel, and the city agrees.

Starrett’s company, North Columbia Trading Co., is looking to sell prime waterfront property located along the Shuswap River The lots currently contain three fully serviced buildings, which could be rented out by a developer prior to construction.

“The lots themselves features spectacular views of the iconic Enderby Cliffs, Wild Bird Sanctuary, local wildlife, fall Salmon runs, a nd much more wh ich, would be seen from a hotel window or deck,” says Starrett.

“Access to the popular 1.5 km Heritage River Walk is feet away from the proposed hotel and provide nature walk attractions and sights.

In addition, the Shuswap River offers swimming, kayaking (including fast water), canoeing, paddle boarding, and is a major attraction for river tubing during summer months.”

T he surrounding area features hiking and cycling trails, a public beach, lakes, fishing, golfing, winery tours, and more.

With so much to do in Enderby and the surrounding area, the community is ready for a hotel or vacation condos that would accommodate overnight and weekly vacationers year-round.

“This has been exemplified with the newly constructed Splatsin Community Centre, which is providing space for cultural events, conferences, concerts, banquets weddings and educational/ recreational activities,” says Starrett. “Overnight accommodations for such events are extremely limited at this time.

“These lots are a one-of-akind opportunity for investors, with the only available waterfront location in the community and growing tourism industry.”

To help the process along,

the City of Enderby offers a number of attractive development incentives for new development within the community.

“The City of Enderby provides case-managed development services which involves an in-house planner (myself) working directly with developers, one-onone, throughout the entirety of the development process,” says Kurt Inglis, Planner and Deputy Corporate Officer with the City of Enderby.

“This helps to cut red-tape and significantly streamline the development process.

The City also does not administer Development Cost Charges for commercial or industrial development, and there are no Development Permit Areas within the community, which saves developers significant time and money.”

The City has now initiated an amendment to its Official Community Plan to include a policy statement supporting the property as a potential location for a hotel development.

Fo r m o re i n fo r m ation, contact Starrett at no.columbia@gmail.com

OFF THE COVER

SEPTEMBER 2018

13

Small Business Owner Shares Unique Insight Gained from Difficult Life Experience MARE MCHALE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

McHale is helping businesses navigate the complex world of social media.

Her social media consulting company, RedHead Mare Media, continues to grow, offering social media management to many Okanagan businesses. The firm was recently recognized with several small business awards including Entrepreneur of the Year recognition at the Grant Thornton LLP Business Excellence Awards.

McHale is self taught when it comes to social media outlets, and has deep roots in the Okanagan Valley. For the past few years, she has been using these skills to help other businesses thrive in the online landscape.

“My background is in broadcast journalism,” says McHale.

“I went to BCIT, and have been on the radio for about 14 years now.

I was doing a morning show in Penticton, and noticed that a lot of our clients’ social media was lacking.”

In September 2015, McHale decided to approach one of the radio station’s clients, IGA, offering to help with the company’s social media efforts.

“I asked if I could help them for free for three months, to see if they would eventually

Mare McHale has been running RedHead Mare Media, a local social media consulting company, since 2015

“I’m not just someone who is trying to make advertisements. I’m someone who has been entrenched in the community for a few decades, and that’s why I have personally excelled in this market.”

MARE MCHALE

McHale recently launched a public speaking side of her business, taking her story around Canada be interested in paying for the service,” she says. “Within two weeks, they decided that they wanted to pay.”

This new operation quickly grew into McHale’s full-time career, as she was referred to more and more clients.

Her social media and business operation skills are self-taught, and she credits local mentors including Vanessa Jahnke of PURE

NEW CLASS OFFERED TO REDUCE WORKPLACE STRESS

H

UM AN R ESOURCES The World Health Organization has labelled stress the “health epidemic of the 21st century.”

For many in the workplace, it can be challenging to properly respond to stress, which can take a toll on individuals’ mental, physical, and relational health.

“I spent the last 15 years of my professional career in demanding leadership positions in the healthcare industry,” says Iwona Sienko, RN, BSCN, MBA, owner of Healthy Transitions Consulting. “I had always thought I was living a healthy life, but by my mid-40s, I started to suffer from various health issues. I was on a number of medications, I couldn’t sleep, I was often irritable, and I was on the way to having a stroke or a heart attack.”

Sienko was able to turn her life around, thanks to her discovery of mindfulness practices.

“My favorite def i n ition of mindfulness is: coming back again and again to the present moment, without judgment of what one is thinking, feeling, or experiencing, with an attitude of curiosity and kindness,” she says.

“Mindfulness has been around for almost 40 years, but we’ve only recently beg un to fully understand how important it is in our everyday lives.

“It’s not really about taking stress way from our lives. Healthy

levels of stress are good for us.

Rather, it teaches us how to respond to stressors and events in our lives in a more effective way.”

According to Sienko, mindfulness starts as a practice, but is most effective when it is woven into the fabric of our daily lives.

“You can start your mindfulness journey by just learning to stop and take a big, slow breath,” she continues. “There are some very simple tools that, when applied to our daily lives, can make a big difference.”

Sienko teaches some of these tools in one hour Stress Smart w o rk s h o p s , o n e o f s e v e ra l Healthy Transitions programs.

Also, she is a licensed facilitator of the innovative smartUBC Mindfulness Training program, wh ich was developed i n the US, but is now managed by the University of British Columbia Okanagan.

The training eight two hour sessions and a four hour workshop over the course of eight weeks.

“Through these weeks, we help clients understand the physiology of stress and learn how emotions impact our daily lives,” says Sienko. “We are introducing people to specific mindfulness exercises that will help them develop new neural-pathways. This program is essentially teaching people to rewire their brains.”

To find out more, or to register

for an upcoming program, visit www.healthytransitions.net

Gym and Juicery, Natalie Grant of Grant Media, and Peter Angle of Newcap Radio for her success.

McHale reflects, “I learned a lot from being on the radio. Most of my clients get caught up with content creation, and my training in morning radio has helped me meet these needs.

“In morning radio, we had to come up with content every three or four minutes for a four-hour

Stressed

Upcoming smartUBC Mindfulness Training Events Fresh from the Farm 3790 Casorso Rd Kelowna BC, V1W 4M7 • Tuesdays, October 9th to November 27,2018, 6pm-8pm • Saturday, November 17, 2018, 10am-2pm Okanagan Regional LibraryWestbank Branch #31-2484 Main St (Hwy 97S) Westridge Mall West Kelowna BC, V4T 2G2 • Wednesdays, October 10th to November 28,2018, 12pm-2pm • Saturday, November 17, 2018, 10am-2pm Arion Therapeutic Farm 2457 Saucier Rd Kelowna BC, V1W 4B8 • Thursdays, October 11th to November 29, 6pm-8pm • Saturday, November 17, 2018, 10am-2pm Investment: $10.00 Donated to ENSO Society Teen Wilderness Expedition Registration: www.healthytransitions.net​

Overwhelmed

Unhappy

Depleted

slot, five days a week. I’ve learned to come up with content on demand.”

Raised in Summerland, McHale has a deep knowledge of local demographics and interests, which she uses to provide tailormade social media content to all kinds of businesses.

“I’m not just someone who is trying to make advertisements,” she says. “I’m someone who has been entrenched in the community for a few decades, and that’s why I have personally excelled in this market.”

Thanks to McHale’s work, IGA, has seen a rise in online flyers landing in customers’ inboxes and increased community awareness of the owner’s support of local causes. She has helped clients like The Mule on Martin use social media to hire new staff and market to a larger geographical region.

“T he 2 4/7 natu re of social media can lead to burn-out, and in the last two years we’ve learned from our mistakes and implemented time away from social media,” says McHale. “We have since seen a boost in productivity and focus. Mental health and the importance of taking care of oneself is a pillar of Redhead Mare Media. We take it very seriously as public advocates but also, we practice what we preach.” www.mareathoner.com

Anxious Depressed Exhausted

Irritable

smartUBC Mindfulness is an 8-week training,

with weekly 2-hour sessions and one 4-hour workshop.

To learn more about these community classes, costs and to register, visit www.healthytransitions.net or contact Iwona at iwona@healthytransitions.net or 250-870-4127.

Find relief with the smart rt UBC training

Give yourself the gift of a brief and powerful weekly escape from your everyday reality.

Facilitated by Gain effective tools that will positively impact Iwona Sienko RN, BSCN, MBA your life and the people around you.

KAMLOOPS/SALMON ARM

14

SEPTEMBER 2018

MADE IN BC TRADESHOW OVINO AND CELISTA WIN BIG AT ALL WITH OVER 50 EXHIBITS OF CANADIAN WINE CHAMPIONSHIPS BC SERVICES AND PRODUCTS! Grounds. The Fair Parade starts approximately 2000 meters in strategic planning can make a at 10:45 am on Saturday the 8th elevation gain, rich with prisKAMLOOPS difference in their organization and is a great way to start your tine single track and incredible DEB MCCLELLAND

T

he Made in BC Tradeshow welcomed businesses and organizations across all industries who pride themselves on doing business in our province.

Exhibitors showcased BC-made products, services and experiences at this free-admission show on location at Sandman Centre in Kamloops on Saturday, September 15.

Made in BC Tradeshow also highlighted employment opportunities with the Open Door Group and Work BC Hiring Fair.

Select exhibitors actively recruited and conducted on-thespot interviews at the show.

We invite you to consider exhibiting your BC product or service at our show next year! We know this will grow every year and that you will want to be a part of this exciting initiative!

Check out www.madeinbc.net for more information.

The Kamloops Chamber will be hosting a workshop facilitated

by Thrive Business Strategies on creating a simple but powerful One Page Strategic Plan.

At te n d e e s w i l l l e a r n h ow

and gain hands on experience in creating a one-page business plan. As well as how strategic thinking, planning and implementation of powerful goals, priorities, key initiatives and strategies can change the way your company performs! Take away the road map you need to generation a ‘thriving’ business.

Everyone will leave with a onepage business plan and 90-day action sheet.

The event will take place Friday, September 21st from 9 am to noon at the Chamber Boardroom.

Members pay $50. Call (250) 3727722 to register.

October’s social will be hosted

by Fulton and Company at 300 -350 Lansdowne Street on October 3rd from 5 pm to 7 pm.

Don’t forget to book your ticket for our 2018 Business Excellence Awards. The Gala event will be celebrated at the Coast Kamloops Hotel & Conference Centre on October 27th. It’s never too early to book for our sold-out event.

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

SALMON ARM CORRYN GRAYSTON

C

ongratulations to Ovino Winery and Celista Estates Winery for taking home awards at the 2018 All Canadian Wine Championships. Ovino won silver awards for their 2017 Gewurztraminer, 2017 Pinot Grigio and 2017 Memento. Celista Estates won bronze for their 2016 Ortega.

The Shuswap region has many award-winning wineries that feature wines unique to our climate and altitude. The wines are a delicious compliment to any meal or just to sip on their own. To explore all the amazing “Tastes of the Shuswap” visit www.shuswaptourism.ca ••• Mark your calendars for the Salmon Arm Fair which takes place from September 7 – 9, 2018 at the Salmon Arm Fall Fair

day at the fair.

Exhibitions, animals, mini chuck wagon races, super dogs, dunk tanks, food, midway rides and more, this is a weekend of unlimited fun for families and individuals alike. Don’t forget their “5 for 5” special – Fridays night admission is only $5 per person if you enter before 5 pm.

Go to www.salmonarmfair.com to check out all the fun!

••• The Chamber is very pleased to have Dr. Linda Elmose, Department of Political Science, Okanagan College as our guest speaker at the September 13th member luncheon. Dr. Elmose is sharing her knowledge of the different attributes between first past the post and proportional representation political models and we expect a full crowd for this incredibly important issue which is coming before all individuals in BC. ••• Salmon Arm and Sicamous are unbelievably proud to have the Lewiston Ultra hosted in our communities on Saturday, September 29th. The Lewiston Ultra is a 50km solo & four-person relay ultramarathon mountain trail event where runners experience

viewpoints.

The race starts at Hyde Mountain Golf Course and flows into the switchbacks of the impressive Larch Hills Traverse ending at Klanhani Park in Salmon Arm The finish line will host local vendors & sponsors, a runners reprieve, raffle prizes, music, com mu n ity con nection a nd much more!

Everyone is invited to join the BBQ and cheer on the participants as they make their way to the finish line. The Lewiston Ultra is inspired by Lewiston James Olstad and community. Lewiston was small and mighty and encouraged community to rise up, persevere and run towards your roar. Visit thelewistonultra.com to read more about this amazing event and Lewiston Olstad’s journey.

Special thanks to Kara Leinweber, race coordinator extraordinaire, for working her magic to bring this exceptional event to the Shuswap!

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.

The Coho

AWARD WINNING, ENERGY EFFICIENT, CUSTOM HOME BUILDER Green Emerald Estates in Salmon Arm is a large lot controlled executive development featuring straight entry, energy efficient, custom view homes with walk-out basements and timber details.

On a quiet street four minutes from downtown Salmon Arm. Prices for complete packages from $750,000.

Parkview Estates in Sicamous is an affordable development close to parks, schools and Shuswap Lake.

Lots are currently for sale for $110,000 and highly energy efficient homes are being started ready for sale by Green Emerald Construction. The Coho rendering is an example of the houses we are building.

Prices for complete packages from $320,000. Ideal for first time home buyers and down-sizing retirees.

Salmon Arm, BC | 250-833-5855 | www.greenemeraldinc.com

15

SEPTEMBER 2018

TRY A GUESS BEFORE YOU GOOGLE...

TOTA GLENN MANDZIUK

R

ecently, while attending a workshop, a spontaneous lunch conversation broke out around the eroding

capacity for people to k now how to “guess”. The discussion centred around why it should even matter, when just about anything you could ever want to know can be answered by Google, Wikipedia, and Alexa.

These, and other, AI products are slowly replacing our need and desire to consider a question and try to determine the answer on our own.

On the surface, it seemed a rather innocuous subject, however, over the balance of that day, and those days that have followed, it is a question that

has continued to haunt me. Just how much are we losing as human beings when we allow the many technology-based sources around us replace our own ability to think.

How much intelligence over centuries have we given up to modern devices and is there a resulting long-term and damaging effect? Consider the fact that we already may be less intelligent than those that have come before.

Our indigenous peoples listened and learned from the land, the seasons, the animals and

natu re; ou r ow n forefathers were able to use the stars for navigation and our grandparents could do math equations in their heads. Today, we would rather ask Siri what the weather is doing than to look outside and trust our own senses.

Perhaps it is time to stretch our minds and re-ignite the ideals of wonder, reflection, and contemplation. Before you head for your iPhone or allow those around you to do the same, take the time to think about the answer, to guess the answer, and to challenge others to try as well.

It is still true that while many answers can readily be sourced through our numerous devices there are questions large and small that even the most advanced machines can’t answer.

T r y a Guess before you Google…….

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

CONDITIONS CHANGE. SO SHOULD YOUR SPEED. The safety of your drivers is your responsibility. Help keep them safe in winter conditions by using the free toolkit at ShiftIntoWinter.ca.

ShiftIntoWinter.ca #ShiftIntoWinter DriveBC.ca

16

SEPTEMBER 2018

Business Examiner Gold Event Sponsors

KELOWNA Two apartment buildings, located at 1451 and 1469 Bertram Street, have been sold for $6 million, almost $2 million beyond the asking price. The Gibraltar Apartments sale was brokered by HM Commercial Group – Macdonald Realty Kelowna.

Okanagan College’s Kelowna Trades Training Complex received $1 million, its largest donation to date, from Muriel Jacobsen and her children Shayne and Rhonda, in memory of her late husband, Ron Jacobsen. Ron owned and operated Jacobsen Pontiac Buick for over 40 years and was a supporter of education in the automotive sector. As a result of the donation, Okanagan College has named their new Trades study and corridor space the Ron Jacobsen Pathway to Excellence.

Home Instead Senior Care has welcomed Marjorie Chermishnuk to their team, as she has transitioned from formerly working as a licensed practical nurse to retirement, back into the work force.

Marjorie shares her story of ‘unretirement’ to promote the benefits of staying active in the community throughout the senior years.

The Trophy Den celebrates a century in business this year, making it the Okanagan’s oldest operating awards and promotional products shop.

Jeff Kirkahm, a tech n icia n

18-016.20_Com_Buisness_Examiner_9.8x6.2.indd 1

and installer at Points West, has achieved certification from the Crestron Technical Institute.

MNP Kelowna is pleased to welcome Partner, Jennifer Hollis, CPA, CA to our team. Jennifer is joining the Private Enterprise team in Kelowna to provide a full range of accounting, tax planning and business consulting services to help business owners and professionals achieve their personal and business goals. Contact Jennifer at 250-7638919 or Jennifer.hollis@mnp.ca Geometrik Manufacturing, a company owned and operated by Vladimir Bolshakov – President and CEO, and his wife Nataliya Bolshakova, has moved to a much larger facility across from the airport, at 1449 Velocity Street. The new facility is three times bigger than their last, at 30,000 square feet, and has new equipment. The company hires engineers, designers and project managers to work with their customers sound design reduction and high-quality acoustic needs for different kinds of buildings.

The Kelowna Art Gallery has opened a program that is seeking

volunteer tour guides for this year’s upcoming school tours. The facility, located at 1315 Water Street, sees more than 6,000 kindergarten through high school students each year. Those interested in applying can do so by visiting the Kelowna Art Gallery website.

Mission Hill Family Estate will be offering culinary classes again this fall, with updated class options that include new recipes and even a new French Canadian themed class. Each class features a different flavour combination, theme, and cooking techniques that pair with a wine.

as a manager for the audit and appeals sectors, as well as working with the policy department for the CRA’s national headquarters. Jackson CPA provides financial advising services, financial statement preparation and corporate tax planning services to clients.

Dr. Emily Botting and Dr. Solly Motsiri have joined the physicians and staff at Rutland Medical Associates, located at 200 – 285 Aurora Crescent. New patients are being accepted who do not already have a family doctor in the area.

After 23 years of operation in a small kiosk near the back of the Delta Grand Hotel, Lakefront Sports Centre, owned by Donna and Wayne Dudych, has relocated to a new store front location at 1350A Water Street. The new location also features a small food concession area with soft-serve ice cream.

Kelowna’s John Glennon and Sandler Training celebrate their 10th anniversary in business this year.

Sandler Training, whose Kelowna office is located at 109B-3677 Highway 97N, has been one of the leading global sales, customer training and sales leadership companies for more than 50 years.

Jackson CPA is a brand new practice started by Glen Jackson, and located at #620-1620 Dickson Avenue in Landmark 5. Jackson formerly worked with the CRA for 30 years

Floral Designs by Lee, a business owned and operated by Leanne Barber, has moved from a home location to a new space at 2325 Rutland Road. The business will be

sharing a space with Brown Sugar Tanning, while continuing to offer full-service floral design options for any occasion, and for pick-up or delivery service options.

The Bike Shop Café & Catering Co., owned and operated by Kim and Darren Ansley, and located at 101 – 1357 Ellis Street, celebrates its 20th year in business this year.

After recovering from a flooding incident in March, The Curious Café, owned by Luigi Coccaro, has reopened for business at 1423 Ellis Street. The café serves the same menu, but with additions of vegan and pizza dishes, as well as eight new beer taps.

LAKE COUNTRY MonaVision Optometry and Eyewear, located at 100 – 3121 Hill Road, celebrates their 24th anniversary in business this year.

SEE MOVERS AND SHAKERS | PAGE 17

8/23/2018 2:35:05 PM

17

SEPTEMBER 2018

MOVERS AND SHAKERS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

SALMON ARM The City of Salmon Arm and the Shuswap Recreation Society have made an online survey available to the public, as well as information sessions, to seek public input on planned upgrades to Salmon Arm Recreation Centre facilities. The survey, located on the Salmon Arm Recreation website, will be open until September 30th to help evaluate which services are most sought after or what facilities others think are missing from the community.

The Salmon Arm Home Comfort Centre, located at 1860 10th Avenue, celebrates its 20th anniversary in business this year.

Local resident, Gordon Rouge, was the winner of Integrity Roofing’s 2018 roof replacement contest.

Rouge, who has been in a wheelchair for the past 40 years, was relieved and grateful to be named the recipient of this year’s replacement.

Each year, Integrity Roofing selects one home in the community to do a free roof replacement, accepting nominations that evaluate the state of the roof and the potential recipient, their situation, and how they give back to the community.

The City of Salmon Arm approved a Cannabis Retail Stores policy on August 27th, which will enact regulations for cannabis sales operations within the area. After consultations and careful policy construction, the final regulations feature: location limitations, putting the final decision up to council on approval for a cannabis retail business application, as well as requiring final approval from the provincial government through the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch.

Hyde Mountain Golf Course on Mara Lake has opened their newly renovated clubhouse and restaurant to the public, showcasing a scenic patio, Marina and driving range.

KAMLOOPS Kamloops This Week has chosen this years’ charities to be recipients of their KTW Christmas Cheer campaign funding proceeds, which include: The Mustard Seed New Life Kamloops, the Boys and Girls Club of Kamloops, Out of the Cold, the Y Women’s Emergency Shelter, and the Kamloops Brain Injury Association.

A new public transit route option has come to Tk’emlups te Secwepemc, linking it to the city.

The Mount Paul route, No. 18, travels each hour departing the Lansdowne transit exchange in downtown Kamloops to arrive at the Sun Rivers golf course resort community in Tk’emlups. The reserve has agreed to fund half of the route at $180,000 each year, allowing the route to run on weekdays during daylight hours.

The family practice learning centre at the Columbia Street hospital,

an arm of the Royal Inland Hospital, held its official grand opening. The facility will allow those training to be doctors through the University of British Columbia’s faculty of medicine program to work with supervision, helping patients who do not yet have a family doctor.

EllisDon Infrastructure Healthcare has won a bid to build a $417-million patient care tower for the Royal Inland Hospital. The contract is anticipated to be completed in the fall, featuring two phases: the planning and construction of the tower, and the renovation and expansion of the pediatric ward, emergency department, morgue and post-anesthetic recovery ward.

Also contributing to the project funding are Interior Health and the province with $225 million, $20 million from the Royal Inland Hospital Foundation, and $172 million from the Thompson Regional Hospital District. Tower completion is anticipated for 2022, with the expansion and renovation estimated for 2024.

Kamloops will feature a new trade show this year on September 15th, the Made in BC Tradeshow, at the Sandman Centre. The event focuses on products, experiences, and services that are made and run in-province, as well as providing a recruitment and hiring fair for those seeking employment.

Nightclub, owned by Bill Proznick, has closed its doors in the community after 20 years in business.

Sharon Wiener and Ben Manea, owners of Walla Artisan Bread & Bakery, located at 114 – 1475 Fairview Road, are determined to keep their business open – even after Manea was diagnosed with ALS earlier this year. The owners are searching for a possible protégé to help them run the business, with eventual plans to expand production and distribution.

The winemaking team at Okanagan Crush Pad - Lynzee Schatz, Matt Dumayne, and Steve Latchford

SUMMERLAND

winemaking team at Okanagan Crush Pad, owned by Christine Coletta and Steve Lornie. Schatz will oversee the sparkling wine

Lynzee Schatz a nd Steven (Steve) Latchford have joined the

SEE MOVERS AND SHAKERS | PAGE 18

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PENTICTON The Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) South Okanagan donated $5,000 towards the Little Learners Academy on Okanagan College’s Penticton campus. The CHBA South Okanagan also previously helped with the latest expansion of the Penticton campus in 2011 with a donation to the Jim Pattison Centre of Excellence. Little Learners is the first Passive House child care centre in the country, and has received numerous commendations for its sustainable construction practices.

Chelation Centres of the Okanagan, D. Wittel MD. & Associates, located at 661 Main Street in Penticton, celebrates its 25th year in business in the community.

Jukka Laurio, owner of a cannabis retail operation, plans to move his business back to Penticton from Okanagan Falls after it was raided earlier this year. This time Laurio plans to make his business official, going through proper licensing processes and leasing a space.

Tinhorn Creek Vineyards has made a $15,000 donation on behalf of their Celebrate the Arts charity to be split between a number of schools in Oliver. The money will be dispensed to South Okanagan Secondary School, Tuc-el-Nuit Elementary School, and Oliver Elementary School for their arts programs. The Celebrate the Arts charity was formed in 2015, and this year marks Tinhorn’s fourth donation to School District 53 for arts program purposes.

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SIMONE SUNDERLAND

GREEN SHEET BUILDING BRIEFS

2nd floor, commercial - 3rd floor, 5 residential units and commercial - 3 bedrooms - approx 5,045 sf of residential - approx 9,452 sf of commercial - total approx 14,497 sf - rooftop terraces - surface parking - stucco, cedar look and stone exteriors PROJECT STATUS SIMONE SUNDERLAND Building permit application submission anticipated shortly

ARCHITECT MQN Architects - 100 3313 32 Ave, Vernon V1T 2M7 250-5421199 DEVELOPER Anagram Properties Inc - 33 1818 Peak Pointe Cres, West Kelowna V1Z 4B4 778-583-2470 GENERAL CONTRACTOR Britco Modular Structures 21690 Smith Cr, Langley V2Y 2R1 604-888-2000

PROJECT New Hampton Inn & Suites hotel PROJECT APPLICANT 1 structure - 6 storeys - 140 suites Novation Design Studio - 101 New water - approx 5,630 smtreatment - guest ser-facility - the dis1865 Dilworth Dr, Kelowna V1Y trict is currently testing several methvices, lobby, seating areas, break9T1 250-718-1302 ods pool, including membrane fast area, fitness, meeting technology LOCATION LOCATION rooms, back of house spaces ARCHITECT PROJECT STATUS 175 Kokanee Way - Ramada Hotel 11565 Okanagan Center Rd - surface parking - concrete block, Patrick McCusker Architecture Design - Tender callInc for- 3034 Benvoulin Rd, Kelowna PROJECT TYPE Townhouses masonry, fiberunderway cement exteriors LOCATION General Contractor anticipated V1W 4M5 778-484-0223 commercial new 2734 2736 Lower Glenrosa Rd PROJECT TYPE PROJECT STATUS July/14 - construction completion Multi-family new Construction start anticipated Townhouses PROJECT anticipated late 2015 LOCATION fall/18 development permit New Ramada Hotel in the Campbell PROJECT PROJECT TYPE CONSULTANT approved 2241 Springfield Rd - Mission Creek - 4 storeys Newindustrial townhousepark development Multi-family new Opus Dayton Knight - 255 1715 Crossing Westside - 6 structures - 2 fourplexes, 4 - pool APPLICANT 3,780 sm - 80 rooms - restaurant LOCATION PROJECT Dickson Ave,Inc V1Y 9G6 250-868-4925 threeplexes - 20 units - 2 storeys - Midwest Ventures - 4182 with waterslide - elevators - concrete PROJECT TYPE 573 577 581 589 599 603 New townhouse development - 6 demo of existing and access Grove, Kelowna V1W OWNER construction - roofSFDs articulation with Gallaghers newClement Ave -commercial Condominiums structures, 3 fiveplexes, 2 fourbuildings on -site porte cochere asphalt shingles - 98 3Z9 250-762-8006 District of Sicamous - 1214 Townhouses -PROJECT Clement Avenue plexes, 1 duplex - 3 and 4 storeys surface parking stalls - 25 units - garages - dedicated PROJECT STATUS ARCHITECT Riverside Ave, Sicamous V0E Rentals 2V0 New commercial urbanpark lifestyle RezoningSTATUS Application at final Cities250-836-2477 Edge Architects - 300 103 area - new road - demolition PROJECT PROJECT TYPEcentre - 6 buildings - 2 to 7 storeys reading 15 Ave NW, Willmar 56201 608of existing SFDs - 2.55 ha area Multi-family new PROJECT MANAGER Construction start anticipated late 643-4100 - retail commercial at ground level ARCHITECT STATUS 2014 MHPM - 550 555 W 12th Ave, PROJECT with office units abovePROJECT - underground R-Tistry Home Design - 451 Rezoning application at 2nd readDEVELOPER Vancouver V5Z 3X7 604-714-0988 New rental development - 1 above struc- ground short parkade - 80 ARCHITECT Adams Rd, Kelowna V1X 7R9 778Argus Properties - 300 1060 ing - public hearing anticipated ture - 6 storeys 59 units, 53 conterm parking stalls September/18 DF753-6393 Architecture Inc - 1205 4871 ShellManhattan Dr, Kelowna V1Y 9X9 dominiums and 6 townhouses - 1 250-763-6789 PROJECT STATUS Rd, Richmond V6X 3Z6 604-284-5194 to 3 bedroom condominiums - 4 OWNER APPLICANT Development permit application Gibson Contracting - 13277 Apex bedroom townhouses - approx Protech Consultants - 200 1461 DEVELOPER submitted Cres, Lake Country V4V 2P1 2501,772 sm - modular construction St Paul St, Kelowna V1Y 2E4 250LOCATION Prism Ventures Inc - 3571 Barmond 870-7031 - fiber cement, stucco and wood 860-1771 ARCHITECT Ave, Richmond V7E 1A4 604-338-4656 To Be Determined - Ice Facility element exteriors - ground floor EkisticsofTown PlanningARCHITECT - 1925 Main LOCATION parking - demolition existing OWNER PROJECT TYPE Mazzei Design & St, Vancouver V5T 3C1Shannon 604-739-7526 1975 Union Rd - Commercial SFDs Drafting - 148 Southview Crt, Prism Hotels and Resorts - 800 institutional add/alter Residential DEVELOPER Kelowna V1V 1T6 250-717-1856 PROJECT STATUS 14800 Landmark Blvd, Dallas Texas PROJECT Enterprises LOCATION Demolition ofR366 existing SFDs com-Ltd - 4870B Chute, PROJECT TYPE 75254 214-987-9300 New ice facility for the Greater 1665 & 1697 Innovation Dr Mixed-use development mence August/18 - rezoning and 250-764-8963 Kelowna V1W 4M3 Hampton Inn & Suites OCP amendment at final reading Vernon area to replace the aging GENERAL CONTRACTOR PROJECT - development permit application Civic Arena - 4,000 seats New mixed use development - 1 - may be PROJECT TYPE submitted Lambert and Paul Construction Ltd an addition to-Kal Tire Commercial new structure - 3 storeys main andPlace or the LOCATION 300 2000 Spall Rd, Kelowna V1Y 9P6

LAKE KAMLOOPS COUNTRY

CENTRAL CITY OF WEST OKANAGAN KELOWNA REGIONAL DISTRICT

KELOWNA

VERNON

KELOWNA

KELOWNA

SALMON ARM LOCATION

PEACHLAND

Priest Valley Arena or construction of a new ice facility

451 Shuswap St - SD 83 North OkanaPROJECT STATUS program, hosting students from gan Shuswap Administration MOVERS AND SHAKERS Building preschool to Gradestudy 6. and cost analysis Feasibility CONTINUEDTYPE FROM PAGE 17 PROJECT study anticipated Dirty Laundry Vineyardshortly has hon-- the institutional Vernon Advisory Committee production,new while Latchford will ouredGreater local Olympic gold medalist will athlete, decide Justin in JuneKripps, whether PROJECT manage custom crush client wines. bobsleigh in or not to a referendum Previously, Latchford has worked tribute through twoin ofNovember/14 their New administration building on the payinghold with Jackson-Triggs’ winemaker, wines.

The new chardonnay and to fund a new ice facility - location, old JL Jackson school site - 2,640 sm Marco Piccoli, and winemaker rose are both entitled Victorious to preliminary design and estimated 2 storeys - 75 parking stalls Thomas Bachelder. Schatz for- commemorate Kripps’ big win. Bob cost to be determined

250-860-2331

international competition. She placed first in the World Ski and Snowboard Festival in Whistler, earlier this year.

OKANAGAN SIMILKAMEEN REGIONAL DISTRICT

Justin Coulter has achieved Salesman of the Month for August at the Vernon Hyundai dealership, at 4608 27 Street.

On September 15-16th, Vernon Campbell, President of Dirty LaunLOCATION will be hosting the Ursa Major Gold, OWNER Pyramid Winery, having also ob- dry, also chose to commemorate the Site work underway Silver & Coin roadshow.

Vintage Boulevard, Okanagan Fallsrecycling Citybyofpresenting Vernon - Kripps 1900 48th tained a Bachelor of Wine Science occasion with Ave, David Lind, Director, Fire Rescue The event will take place at the ARCHITECT Vintage Views Vernon V1T 5E6 250-545-1361 from Charles Sturt University in a membership to Dirty Laundry’s Services Vernon Lodge at 3914 – 32 Street, MQN Architects - 100 32with Ave, Bordello Club, in addition to namAustralia.

She has also3313 worked PROJECT TYPE and will be available for clients to Vernon V1T 2E1 250-542-1199 Vancouver Urban Winery and Post- ing a row of grapes in the vineyard and emergency response services. subdivisions bring their gold, silver, coins and mark Brewing. after him.

OWNER September 7th marked the open- Canadian paper money for appraisal PROJECT Parkdale Lodge, construction ing weekend of the new Kal Tire and purchase.

School District 83 - aNorth Okanagan subdivision - 30 SFD lots project overseen

by BC Housing Place North New Arena.

The project Shuswap - 220 Shuswap St NE,and Dr. C. S. Jackson has announced the Parkdale Place Housing Society, began on April 24th and ended on PROJECT STATUS Salmon Arm V1E 4N2 250-832-2157 that he is accepting new patients has completed its upgrades and has time and on budget.

Openingstart week-anticipated Construction to his family practice at the Polson PROJECT reopenedMANAGER to the public. The building end featured a number of events free June/14 David Lind has been appointed by Place Mall, at #225 – 2306 Highreceived updates to its roofing,Ave, winto the public, as well as a Loverboy Stantec - 400 1620 Dickson LOCATION the City of Vernon to the position way 6. dows, balcony doors, exterior siding and PlatinumOWNER Blonde concert.

Kelowna V1Y 9Y2 250-860-3225 of Director, Fire Rescue Services 2425 Orlin Rd Addition to the and deck retrofit replacements.

The team Vintage View Developments c/o at Bannister Honda, (Fire Chief), August 28th. For Elena Gaskell, a ski athlete sponVillageasatofSmith Creek at 6425 Highway 97 North, conRobert Milanovic 250-492-5939 ■ September 4th marked the grand the past 21 months, Lind worked sored by SilverStar Mountain Regratulates Jason Tissington on being PROJECT TYPE opening of Unisus International as the interim fire chief, navigat- sort, will compete in The Junior named the Salesperson of the Month seniorsFire housing School, a new private school in the ing Vernon Rescue Services Freestyle Ski World Championships for August.

Summerland area. Nearly 50 stu- through a difficult time and pro- in New Zealand from August 24 PROJECT LOCATION dents were expected for enrollment posing an 8-Year Strategic Plan for – September 8th. Gaskell will be Two companies from the Splatsin Addition toLind the has Village at Smith Creek in the Slopestyle and Band, near Enderby, received top 524 Dabell St - Mara Water this year. The schoolLake plans to fol- the Department.

25 years competing seniors housing facility- 1,810Big smAir - 4events at the prestigious honours at this year’s 10th Annual Treatment Facility Baccalaureate of prior low the International experience in firefighting

PROJECT STATUS merly worked with Summerhill

DISTRICT OF WEST VERNON KELOWNA

SICAMOUS PROJECT TYPE industrial new

Jeff Boschert

storeys - 23 units - 8 additional u/g parking stalls - fibre cement board exterior - 4th floor stepped back as gables

1-800-667-1939 250-545-5344

SEPTEMBER 2018

5976 Princess St & 6026 Hwy 97 S - Townhouses - Princess Street PROJECT TYPE Multi-family new PROJECT New townhouses - 14 buildings 56 units - beige stucco and plank wood siding exterior - aluminum framed glass railings - roof top terraces PROJECT STATUS Development permit application submitted - applicant working with the City for the works and service requirements - approval anticipated fall/18 APPLICANT New Town Planning Services Inc 1464 St Paul St, Kelowna V1Y 2E6 250-860-8185

PENTICTON LOCATION

602 640 Eckhardt Ave W - Hotel Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott PROJECT TYPE Commercial new PROJECT New hotel development - 1 structure - 4 storeys - 98 rooms - approx 5,200 sm - indoor pool - hot tub - reception area - breakfast area - offices - surface parking - white and silver phenolic board siding & brick exterior - existing SFD and Bingo Hall on sites to be demolished PROJECT STATUS Construction start anticipated fall/18 - development permit approved OWNER Mundi Hotel Enterprises Ltd 1250 Rogers Way, Kamloops V1S 1N5 250-318-5233

BC Indigenous Business Awards (IBA), presented by the BC Achievement Foundation and the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation. The Community-Owned Business of the Year category named Splatsin’s Yucwmenlucwu, Caretakers of the Land LLP business as a finalist, while Quilakwa Investments of Enderby received the Outstanding Business Achievement award.

Bannister GM, located at 4703 27 Street, congratulates Robert McLaren on achieving Salesperson of the Month for August.

Dr. Phillip Carbert is welcomed by the management and staff as he joins the team at Vernon Veterinary Clinic at 805 Kal Lake Road.

Lowe’s Canada has announced the launch of their Lowe’s Canada Heroes campaign, which involves Lowe’s, RONA, and Reno-Depot locations in Canada collecting donations for non-profit organizations or schools in their region. The Vernon Lowe’s will partake in this campaign, raising funds for the North Okanagan Hospice Society for the month of September.

OPINION

SEPTEMBER 2018

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PUBLISHER/EDITOR | PUBLISHER | Mark MacDonald Lise MacDonald, lise@businessexaminer.ca SALES | EDITOR | Joanne RobertIormetti MacDonald – joanne@businessexaminer.ca, Thom Klos –

thom@businessexaminer.ca, Josh Higgins – josh@businessexaminer.ca SALES | Cheryl Lee - cheryl@businessexaminer.ca, John MacDonald - john@ WRITERS | businessexaminer.ca, Julia MacDonald, Josh Higgins John MacDonald, – josh@businessexaminer.ca Beth Hendry-Yim, David Holmes, Linda Wenger, KristinBeth vanHendry-Yim, Vloten WRITERS | John MacDonald, David Holmes, Kristin van Vloten, WEBSITE | Val Lennox John MacDonald WEBSITE | John MacDonald

IF DONALD TRUMP IS SURPRISING PEOPLE, THEY HAVEN’T READ HIS BOOK

MARK MACDONLD “T he Art of the Deal” is the Magna Carta of Donald Trump.

If people are surprised by what they are seeing from this President of the United States, then they haven’t done their home work and read what is probably Trump’s signature piece. The book is an explanation of almost everything he’s done since gaining the White House in terms of foreign and domestic economic policy.

He makes deals. He lives to make them. He has a method, and it obviously works.

Having the most powerful person in the world – not a life-long, slick-talking, non-feather ruffling politician - negotiating in public is uncomfortable. Especially if one is riding the ebbs and flows of the stock market, which rises and falls sharply depending on which Trump’s negotiating

tactic-du-jour is trotted out, and against which country.

Trump did what any effective negotiator would do when negotiati ng h is most recent joint dealings with Canada and Mexico: He divided. By taking Mexico into another room, so to speak, first, and getting a better deal for the U.S., he then had something he could take to Canada with words something like: “Here’s what I have from Mexico.

I want something similar, or even more. . .”

He’s a New York City street fighter, who describes himself in interviews thusly: “I’m a counter puncher. . . I then respond by maybe 10. I respond pretty strongly.”

That echoes what his wife reportedly said, when asked what her husband was like: “If you punch him once, he will punch you 10 times.”

This is the man who is negotiating with Canada on arguably this generation’s most important trade deal. To keep NAFTA or dump NAFTA – that is the question. And he’s supremely overmatching Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

As political wag Newt Gingrich suggested following the completion of U.S. –Mexico negotiations, Trudeau’s backhanded swipe at Trump once the

American President left the G-7 summit wasn’t the best way to handle him. Trump has a good memory, wrote Gingrich.

Is that enough to further tilt the negotiating table and give Trump extra incentive to take Trudeau to task? One would think trade talks that will affect countless companies on both sides of the 49 t h wouldn’t come down to that. But why take that risk in the first place? Oh, of course: The opportunity to score cheap political points with American hating Canadian voters.

Let’s face it, Trudeau hasn’t exactly been sh i n i ng on the international stage of late. Historically speaking, the federal Liberals have not been propellants of free trade, and although they’ve lived with agreements made by Conservative parties led by Brian Mulroney and Stephen Harper, they have not been initiators.

Trudeau’s no-show at Trans Pacific Partnership talks and lectu ring /insisting on nonbusiness “values” have harmed trade relations with China and Saudi Arabia, not to mention his multiple faux pas that angered the Indian government.

Stakes in a trade deal with the U.S. are much, much higher.

Canada has much to lose, and is in a weakened negotiating

stance with the Mexico deal done and Trump on the other side of the table, this country best hope the Americans are feeling benevolent.

Trump’s actions are not surpr i si n g for m a ny. He’s doing pretty much exactly what he said he would do if elected President, and keeping many of his promises. For those whose only media diet is the Democratic Press (CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS) that fans the flames of loathing and distrust, they see Trump as a menace.

But we’d be remiss if we didn’t note that Americans also tune in to Republican favourable FOX and that half of Americans who voted did so for Trump. There are many south of the border that actually like what he’s doing, even though they may not like how he says it.

Is Trump’s near dominance of U.S. media providing a smokescreen for what the Trudeau government is doing here at home? The mishandling of the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion is the latest in a long line of bungling that holds dire, longter m con sequences for t h i s country.

When Trudeau swept to power in 2015, Canada’s economy was posting budget surpluses, provinces were getting along – even

Quebec was happy – and we were enjoying a re-emergence on the worldwide stage.

Today, we have inter-provincial drama, raised eyebrows and shrugging shoulders from nations that have historically been good friends, plus massive deficits.

Why should we be surprised?

This is the son of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, the author of federal deficit financing who, by the time he was finished, infuriated Canadians with ample dollops of arrogance and disdain from coast to coast.

His worst legacy of all? The National Energy Program, which brought Alberta to its collective economic knees overnight. He wanted a weaker West, which he got, but it also resulted in “the West wants in”, and we were.

Many were hoping this Trudeau’s earlier signs signaling a return to a weaker West weren’t mirror images in “Like father, like son” fashion. The pipeline?

Does anyone really believe selfproclaimed ultra-green Trudeau will really be the one to push this project to completion, with Alberta being the beneficiary? It’s NEP II, most likely.

Surprised by Trump? Surprised

by Trudeau? We shouldn’t be.

The signs have been there for all to see.

AVERAGE WORKERS WILL ULTIMATELY PAY BC’S NEW PAYROLL TAX

THE FRASER INSTITUTE

BY CHARLES LAMMAM AND TAYLOR JACKSON

B

C Finance Minister Carole James called Medical Services Plan (MSP) premiums “unfair” and argued in a news release that her government’s replacement Employer Health Tax (EHT) is a “much fairer and progressive approach.”

More broadly, Premier John Horgan government’s rhetoric about the new tax suggests it will push the burden onto employers

and away from workers.

In reality, the EHT, like the MSP premiums it’s supposed to replace, will cost average British Columbians in the form of reduced wages and job opportunities. And it will further erode the province’s investment climate.

Beginning in January 2019, the EHT will be levied on employers with payrolls over $500,000.

The tax, which increases with an employer’s payroll costs, is expected to generate almost $2 billion of annual revenue in 201920. It will replace the revenue from MSP premiums, which are being phased out (although for 2019, both the MSP and EHT will be in force, creating a taxation double whammy).

Just because employers will pay the tax on behalf of their employees, it doesn’t mean that employees won’t pay the tax. They will and here’s why: Employers view payroll taxes as part of the overall compensation paid to workers. As these taxes increase, there’s less money available for the wages and benefits for

employees and investments in innovation, expansion and tools that improve worker productivity. Therefore, over time, wages will not grow as fast as they would without a payroll tax. So workers ultimately bear the cost of payroll taxes through reduced pay.

This logic has considerable empirical support. A recent Fraser Institute study analyzed data on payroll taxes and average wages and found that increasing the employer payroll tax rate reduces the average hourly wage of workers. Based on the results, just a one percentage point increase in the average payroll tax rate would reduce annual wages by between $137 and $605.

This is not the only Canadianbased study to come to such a conclusion. Economists based at HEC Montréal similarly found that “payroll taxes are passed almost entirely to workers in the form of lower wages.”

Moreover, in a review entitled “Payroll taxes: Killers of jobs, killers of wages,” leading labour economist and University of

Toronto professor Morley Gunderson summarized the evidence on payroll taxes as follows: “much of the burden of the payroll tax - evidence suggests approximately 80 per cent - is ultimately shifted to labour in the form of lower wages even if it initially is ‘paid for’ by employers. This is especially true for lower wage workers, who are less skilled and are not sufficiently mobile to ‘escape’ the tax. Thus, the appeal of taxing rich corporations through a payroll tax is based largely on a false image.”

Gunderson also notes that it takes time for employers to shift the tax burden to labour, so in the intervening period, they may respond to higher labour costs induced by the tax by reducing employment and output.

Another problem with the EHT is that it’s yet another tax hike by this government, on top of higher taxes on personal income, corporate income and the carbon tax. So the EHT is another blow to BC’s competitiveness and will send more negative signals to investors and entrepreneurs that

the province is not an attractive place to invest.

Even the government’s MSP task force warned against using a payroll tax to replace MSP premiums, noting that: “A payroll tax would reduce the competitiveness of BC businesses at a time when they are facing several competitiveness challenges, including expected increases to the minimum wage, CPP increases, and recent tax reform in the U.S., which improve the competitive position of many U.S. businesses.”

The bottom line is that when the EHT is implemented in January, BC’s competitiveness will take another hit and ordinary workers will ultimately foot the bill.

Charles Lammam is director of fiscal studies at the Fraser Institute and Taylor Jackson is an independent researcher.

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

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