Business Examiner Victoria - August 2015 by Business Examiner Media Group

AUGUST 2015

» AIRPORTS

–PAGE 9

VICTORIA New DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel preparing for launch

Busin ness Advice Servved Strraight Up

Victoria PAGE 16

VICTORIA Totem Towing Emergency roadside towing company wins customer service honour

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The father and son team are p a r t n e rs i n R . E . R e y n o l d s I nve s t ment s, a nd focu s on

PAGE 24

INDEX New Update Esquimalt Cowichan Valley Greater Victoria Sooke Saanich Peninsula Sales Who is Suing Whom Movers & Shakers Technology Opinion Law

2 4 5 6 7 25 27 31 32 33 34 35

OUR 30TH YEAR

Left to right: Rick and Rob Reynolds, Partners with R.E. Reynolds Investments

SEE R.E. REYNOLDS | PAGE 29

People before property propels Stockus to success Residential realtor sees positive market shift

V Canadian Publications Mail Acct.: 40069240

providing investment, insurance and benefit services to companies in Greater Victoria, Duncan and southern Vancouver Island. Their success has come through building strong personal connections with their customers, and identifying a personalized plan to help accomplish their objectives. “Often business owners either have misconceptions about what they can achieve financially, or they are completely focused on growing their company.” says R ick. “T hey don’t h ave t he time to focus on their personal finances or the risks around them.” “We don’t use ‘cookie cutter’ solutions,” says Rob. “Every business is different, each business owner’s needs are unique, and we tailor our approach to fit their specific situation.”

ICTORIA – Despite the turbulence around Canada’s current fiscal clim ate, Victor i a’s rea l estate market has been experiencing growth and interest from buyers across North America. The recent rate reduction by the Bank of Canada, and the value of

the Canadian dollar has created a buyer-friendly environment, which has been keeping realtor Terry Stockus of Century 21 Queenswood Realty, very busy. “We’ve been a little terrified that we’re never going to get a day off,” she laughs. “There has been interest from all-over. I have

clients from Ontario who are just tired of dealing with the intense winters, and now they have access to low interest capital and they’re taking advantage. “There has been a lot of traction with Vancouver homeowners who want to cash-out of the craziness that’s going on over

there. The lower dollar has also brought in a lot of attention from the United States. It’s a pretty attractive investment for a lot of people who enjoy the west coast lifestyle.” Stockus knows first hand just SEE STOCKUS TO SUCCESS | PAGE 30

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NEWS UPDATE

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T he f i n a l i sts for t he 201 5 Construction Achievements and Renovations of Excellence (CARE) Awards of Vancouver Island were announced by the Victoria Residential Builders Association. Canada’s leaders in sustainable West Coast desig n a nd construction are showcased in the new homes, renovations, kitchens, bathrooms and outdoor living spaces. “The CARE Awards finalists demonstrate the wide range of possibilities through innovative and sustainable building practices,” says Bill Patterson, Chair of the 2015 CARE Awards. “Our West Coast lifestyle and seamless transition between indoors and outdoors are captured in these outstanding homes.” CA R E Awa rds fina l ists a re selected by a panel of industry professionals using criteria such as architectural design, qu a l it y work m a n sh ip, creative use of space, and energy efficiency. The categories are Residential Planning, Design & Construction; Interior Design; Commercial Planning & Design; Customer Service;

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Sales & Marketing; Special Ach ievement; a nd Specia l Interest. The Gold winners will be announced at the CARE Awards gala on Saturday, October 17, Fairmont Empress Hotel. The public will select the winner of the People’s Choice Award from finalist photos displayed at Hillside Centre September 4-18 and online at www.careawards.ca from August 24 to September 27. Voters are entered to win a stay at Long Beach Lodge Resort, www.longbeachlodgeresort. com, 2002 CARE Awards Project of the Year. “The People’s Choice Award offers the opportunity to view Canada’s very best in sustainable West Coast living,” says Casey Edge, Executive Director, VRBA. “From affordable family communities to waterfront dream homes, we invite t he p ubl ic to vote for t hei r favourite.” T he Victor ia Resident ia l Builders Association created the CA R E Awa rds i n 1991 to recognize Canada’s finest in sustainable West Coast design and construction.

VICTORIA Government of Canada Investment Strengthens the Advanced Manufacturing and Aerospace T h e M i n i s te r o f S t a te fo r Western Economic Diversification, Michelle Rempel, announced an investment of over $2,084,000 for two projects to support the advanced manufacturing and aerospace sectors in Victoria. With funding of more than $1.5 million from the Government of Canada, Camosun College will create a testing integration lab to support the manufacturing sector. This new facility will provide students with hands-on experience and provide industry with access to state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies. The project will also contribute to the development of a Career Hub, which will help promote student recruitment and supp or t i nteract ion w it h lo c a l employers. Technological services prov ided i n Ca mosu n Col lege’s Interaction Lab will include: 3D scanning and digital modeling, computer-assisted manufacturing, 3D printing, composite-materials mould fabrication a nd l ay-up, m a nu factu r i ng simulation, process monitoring, integrated production, and a manufacturing design studio. A n investment of $527,000 will support the University of Victoria acqu i re equ ipment a nd conduct laboratory upgrades to support the design,

development, commercialization and certification of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Payloads at the Centre for Aerospace Research (CfAR). A UAV is an autonomous aircraft remotely flown and monitored from a mobile ground control station. UAVs can be used for a diverse range of tasks that are repetitive, hazardous or need to be per for med on short-notice. “By investing in state-of-theart technologies at Camosun College and at the University of Victoria, our Government is helping the advanced manufacturing and aerospace sectors grow, while creating a highly-qualified workforce for the future,” says Rempel.

COWICHAN VALLEY Island Return It has Opened New Location in Cobble Hill Duncan based Island Return It has opened a new location in Cobble Hill this June, serving the South Cowichan area. With five locations currently operating, the new facility will become the sixth depot for the company overall and the second in the Cowichan region. Until now, residents of the area had limited options for returning bottles and cans and for other recycling as well. “This is about making recycling easier for an underserved part of the Cowichan region. We are committed to help people do their part,” says Sophy Roberge, Island Return It PR & Marketing Manager. The timing of this announcement coincides nicely with the 20th anniversary of the business. What started as a bottle depot i n D u nca n has g row n i nto a n i n novative compa ny that recycles a diverse list of materials. The South Cowichan location will pay full refunds on all ready-to-drink beverage containers excluding milk, and will also accepts electronics, batteries, light bulbs, grocery ba gs, sm a l l appl i a nces a nd more- all for free. The new location is located at 1350 Fisher Road in Cobble Hill, and will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9-5. Expected opening day is June 16th.

VICTORIA Royal Colwood Golf Club Considered as Possible Wastewater Treatment Site T he Westside Wa stewater Treatment and Resource Recovery Select Committee (Westside Select Commitee) has received

NEWS UPDATE

JULY 2015

a letter from the Royal Colwood Golf Club offering a three-acre parcel of land for consideration as a possible wastewater treatment site. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We wanted to ensure that we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss any opportunities so we asked for private landowners who were interested in providing land for the wastewater treatment project to come forward,â&#x20AC;? said Westside Select Committee Co-Chair Carol Hamilton. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are very pleased with this offer from the Royal Colwood Golf Club and will consider this site along with the 20 others that were previously identified.â&#x20AC;? Members of the public are encouraged to provide feedback on all sites including the Royal Colwood Golf Club. Westside SiteSpeak is an online feedback form which asks members of the public for their input on the sites and solution sets. An addendum to this feedback form will be created to add the Royal Colwood Golf Club as an option. Those who have already completed the feedback form may return and adjust their response if they are interested in providing additional input into the Royal Colwood Golf Club site. â&#x20AC;&#x153; We wa nt to he a r f rom a s many individuals as possible before we make our decision on which sites and treatment scenarios are studied as part of the detailed technical and

costing analysis so we strongly encourage everybody to participate in Westside SiteSpeak,â&#x20AC;? said Co-Chair Barbara Desjardins. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Adding an additional site to the public consultation at this stage has its challenges but it is important that we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t close ourselves off to options if they come forward.â&#x20AC;? The Westside SiteSpeak feedback for m w i l l be ava i l able until July 22 and can be found at http://fluidsurveys.com/s/ WestsideSiteSpeak/. Colwood, Esquimalt, Langford, View Roya l, Song hees NationandEsquimalt Nationwith the support of the CRD,are work i n g to ge t h e r to f i n d a westside solution to wastewater treatment and resource recovery.

MILL BAY Malahat Nation purchases 525 hectares of land, tripling the size of their Nation The Malahat Nation, located next to Mill Bay, has announced the purchase of approximately 525 hectares of land adjacent to their property, the area formerly known as Bamberton and including Oliphant Lake, more than tripling the size of their lands.

The land purchase is unique in British Columbia, with the Malahat Nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chief, Counci l, Ch ief Executive Officer Lawrence Lewis and Chief Legal Officer Nicole Hajash undertaking the negotiations between the sellers and First Nations Finance Authority (FNFA). The purchase negotiations took more than 13 months to complete and is part of a larger Malahat Nation building plan, endorsed by the Nation community, Chief and Council.Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;Today marks a monumental moment for the future of the Malahat Nation as this land purchase helps to restore more of our traditional lands into our stewardship,â&#x20AC;? says Chief Michael Harry, Malahat Nation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are moving forward to develop and protect the long-term viability of our people and our lands, while respecting our relationship with the neighbouring communities of southern Vancouver Island.â&#x20AC;? The Malahat Nation plans to explore long-term opportunities for the newly acquired lands, including marine and terrestrial development, which align directly with its existing zoning and purpose. In consultation with Chief and Council, the Malahat Nation, through its Business Development Corporation plans to pursue a number of possible business development opportunities and joint ventures, including tourism, light

industry, housing, and maritime development opportunities throughout the core of its land holdings. The land expansion oppor tu n ity wa s ident i f ied as part of the Malahat Nation Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP), which was first conceptualized in 2013 and officially came into effect earlier this year. The CDP created a vision for the Nation that focuses on long-term economic goals to improve the well-being of the Nation and its people. Â The land purchase will also help to expand the Malahat Nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relationship with Quantum Murray, an industrial and environmental management services company with operations across Canada. In 2014, the Malahat Nation and Quantum Murray formed a joint venture to help pursue industrial service opportunities. Quantum Murray is currently employing members of the Malahat Nation as part of its development site on Malahat Reserve Lands.

VICTORIA Local Tech Company Neverblue becomes Global Wide Media L os A ngeles-based d ig ita l marketing company, GlobalWide Media a n nou nced that

3 local performance marketing company, Neverblue, will be uniting with its parent company under the GlobalWide Media brand as part of their global unification strategy. As a direct result of the unification, GlobalWide Media is now one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest data-driven digital marketing companies. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Over the past 10 years, GlobalWide Media has developed partnerships with many respected and recognized brands in the digital marketing industry, and together we provide an unparalleled portfolio of solutions to the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading brands and agencies,â&#x20AC;? said Farshad Fardad, Chief Executive Officer of GlobalWide Media. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As one company, GlobalWide Media now provides robust digital marketing services that are focused on proprietary data, real-time optimization, and performance results,â&#x20AC;? added Fardad. Neverblue, a well-known performance marketing leader was founded in 2004 by four local Victorians and became one of the most recognizable names worldwide in digital and performance marketing. In 2012, GlobalWide Media purchased Neverblue as part of a $40 million dollar acquisition. In addition to offices in London, Hong Kong and Los Angeles, GlobalWide Media employs nearly 100 staff in their Victoria office.

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ESQUIMALT

JULY 2015

CHAMBER WORKING TO PROMOTE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY Dust off those family heirlooms and hidden treasures buried away in your attic or basement and bring them to our Art

ESQUIMALT

and Antiques Appraisal at the Inn on September 26

RJ SENKO

ast month I asked the quest ion, “How do we get more econom ic development in Esquimalt?” It app e a rs E squ i m a lt Cou nci l believes the answer lies in its newly adopted report from the Mayor’s Select Committee on Economic Development. Unfortunately, we at the Chamber are far less optimistic about Council’s latest attempt to spur economic activity. Our scepticism is based on the report itself but also Council’s less than stellar track record on t h i s i ssue. For ex a mple, according to our count this is the fourth attempt by Council to put our community on the road to economic vibrancy. All previous efforts ended up generating more dust than business opportunities. While

some will say, “That was another time with another Council”, the record of this and the previous Council are ripe with inertia. Just look at the Public Art Policy, which was reviewed, revised and presented to Council by the Arts, Culture and Special Events Advisory Committee in 2013. The Policy and its accompanying recommendations have languished i n l i mb o for 18 mont h s a nd counting, despite being listed by Council as a priority item. As for the report, it is weak in its wording – with action items to “encourage” and “investigate” rather than “create, develop or i mplement”. T he timeline for accomplishing any of these dubious action items is 18 months in the “short term” to 4 years for “long term”. Not only are these timeframes unacceptably long but to make matters worse there is absolutely no direct accountability assig ned to sta f f a nd no firm reporting criteria. Based on these concerns along with Council’s apparent inability to ensure staff act on priority items the Chamber is pessimistic about any benefit to our members. Despite our misgivings the Chamber is ready and willing to work w it h Cou nci l, sta f f

and other community groups to advance work on this file. We have reached out to the Mayor but as of the writing of this column are still awaiting her reply. On a more positive note, I’m pleased to give you the inside scoop on a very exciting upcoming Chamber event. Dust off those family heirlooms and hidden treasures buried away in your attic or basement and bring them to our Art and Antiques Appraisal at the Inn on September 26. With three nationally renowned appraisers lined up to view your items at the historic English Inn, this prom i ses to b e a t r u ly sp ecia l event w ith a l l proceeds b e n e f it t i n g lo c a l C h a m b e r members. Appraisal times are limited as are viewing tickets so don’t miss out - contact the Chamber Office (#103 – 1249 Esquimalt Road, www.esquimaltchamber.ca, 250-590-2125) to book your spot. Fo r m o r e i n fo r m a t i o n o n business opportunities in Esquimalt visit our website esquimaltchamber.ca or you can give us a call at 250-590-2125.

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RJ Senko, Vice-President Communications and Government Relations of the Esquimalt Chamber of Commerce

LONG-TIME VICTORIA APPRAISER JOINS NEW FIRM

ANNOUCEMENT David Osland joins Cunningham Rivard August 1st 2015

Cunningham Rivard Appraisers welcomes David Osland’s 40 years of experience to their team

David T Osland, AACI, P.App

David is a respected leader in the Real Estate Valuation community on Vancouver Island. He brings a vast amount of experience & knowledge base to the Cunningham Rivard team. David’s direct contact information in Victoria is 250 381 4455 email dosland@crisland.com • www.crisland.com

s one of Vancouver Island’s largest real estate appraisal firms, Cunning ham & Rivard Appraisals Ltd provides comprehensive services to a broad client base in both the private and public sectors. With offices in Victoria, Nanaimo and Duncan, CRA provides carefully researched, reasoned and supported analysis of industrial, commercial and residential real estate. Its 12 appraisers are members in good standing with the Appraisal Institute of Canada and regularly fulfill ongoing continuing education credits to keep current with new issues and regulations. Founded in 1967 in North Vancouver, CRA now has employee-owned branches throughout BC. In 1980 Al Brown joined the Vancouver Island branch and became a partner in 1986. Dave Kirk followed in 1992 and became a partner a year later. As the company’s experience and reputation grew, more appraisers joined its growing roster; Doyle Childs becoming partner in 2003 and Jason Mikes, Greg Rounis and Simon Wainwright joining between

2003 and 2007 and becoming partners in 2012. Each appraiser brings a unique skill set and specialty to the company, creating comprehensive service for fulfilling clients’ needs, from appraisals on unique waterfront property to commercial and income-producing property. Whether it’s services concerning expropriation, development, partial takings, golf courses, private islands and First Nations land claim issues or for on-going-concern properties like pubs, hotels, restaurants or gas bars, valuations on agricultural land, conservation covenants, wetlands, marinas and leasehold interests, CRA has the experienced expert. Both Kirk and Childs are also recognized as expert witnesses before the Supreme Court of BC and the BC Property Assessment Appeal Board, providing an additional level of expertise and service. Rounis said that CRA has seen dramatic growth over the past ten years at their Victoria location. It is looking to continue that growth with a surprise announcement on August 1, when CRA welcomes a new member with over 40 years of experience in appraisal services. The clients and contacts the new appraiser brings will add to CRA’s growing knowledge base and provide extensive mentorship and business acumen. Cunningham Rivard Appraisals is at 771 Vernon Ave. in Victoria. www.crisland.com

COWICHAN VALLEY

JULY 2015

NEW WRITER FOR COWICHAN VALLEY The Chamber’s programming takes on a decidedly summer ambience as we organize tours of local businesses, attractions, wineries and restaurants

COWICHAN VALLEY SONJA NAGEL

h i s i s t h e D u n c a n C ow i c h a n Chamber’s first regular column sh a r i ng news ab out bu si ness i n Cow ich a n. T he colu m n’s for mer author, Kathy Lachman of Economic Development Cowichan has accepted a new position as North Island Representative for the Ministry of Jobs, Tou rism a nd Sk i l ls T ra i n i ng. Cowich a n’s loss i s def i n itely Ca mpbel l River’s gain and we wish Kathy every success in her new position. Like many Chambers in BC, we operate the Cowichan Regional Visitor Centre (CRVC), delivering Visitor Services at t he Cent re, a nd at m ajor events throughout the region. Early numbers at the CRVC are up 20 per cent over last year. Solid spring statistics generally indicate a busy summer season

to come, and Cowichan is ready with festivals, events and attractions. z z z Duncan’s 39 Days of July Cowichan Summer Festival running every day until August 3, offers continuing performances and displays in downtown Duncan. The Cowichan Valley is also home to the Sunfest Country Music Festival every August long weekend – this year Sunfest runs July 30 – Aug. 2 at the Cowichan Exhibition grounds, featuring a stunning backdrop of scenic Mount Prevost. Country superstar Keith Urban is the headline performer along with Lee Brice, Joe Nichols, T h om a s R h et t a n d Sa m Hu nt . T h e event sells out every year, and 45,000 people from all over western Canada and North America attend the Festival. Through direct and indirect economic impact, community partnerships, a nd employ ment, t h i s si ng le event contributes $4 million to the regional economy. CRVC has pa rtnered w ith Sunfest, and will deliver onsite visitor services, promoting all that Cowichan has to offer. z z z Cow icha n w i neries a nd cidery a re open seven days a week for summer, and visitors can sample a wide selection of award-winning wines. Some v i neya rd s of fer f i ne d i n i ng on site, while others encourage guests to enjoy their own picnic lunch on these exquisite countryside estates. Local company Cheers Cowichan offers both guided

w inery a nd fa rm to table tou rs, a nd Vancouver Island Expeditions features a Taste of the Cowichan Valley guided tour from Nanaimo. Cowichan also welcomes a new brewery to Cowichan – the Red Arrow Brewing Company, offering five house brews, with more in development. z z z The Chamber’s programming takes on a decidedly summer ambience as we organize tours of local businesses, attractions, wineries and restaurants. These tours give host businesses the opportunity to share their brand story, extend B2B opportunities, and promote products a nd ser v ices. We fou nded Chamber on Tour in 2012 to offer members a n oppor tu n ity to cont i nue to connect over the summer when formal programming slows down. We’ve had a great start to our Chamber on Tour program visiting eight businesses in July with another twelve in the hopper for August, including Live Edge Design, Unsworth Vineyards, Vancouver Island Salt Company, Enrico Winery, Island Eggs, Cowichan T herapeutic R iding Association and more. We look forward to contributing business news from the Cowichan in the future. Sonja Nagel is Executive Director of the Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at manager@duncancc.bc.ca or 250-748-1111

VICTORIA

JULY 2015

BILLION DOLLAR OPPORTUNITY FOR GREATER VICTORIA? The Victoria Regional Transit Commission has plans for multimillion dollar capital improvements, but they

VICTORIA

are limited to public transit, specifically bus

BRUCE CARTER

transportation

etro Vancouver voters were recently asked, ““Do you support a new 0.5% Metro Vancouver Congestion Improvement Tax, to be dedicated to the Mayors’ Council transportation and transit plan.” According to the results released July 2, the “No” side drew 62 per cent of votes. I f it h a d pa sse d , t he proposed tax increase would have generated $250 million a year, a third of the $7.5 billion price tag for 10 years’ worth of transit improvements throughout Metro Vancouver. As can happen with any general vote by the electorate concerning complex public policy issues, the question simply generated more questions. For example, did the majority of voters vote “No” because they were not supportive of

the Mayors’ Council plan? Were they not supportive of regional sales tax increase? Would they not tolerate any additions to their existing tax burden? Or were voters saying they lacked confidence in Metro Vancouver’s transportation authority, TransLink? With the “No” vote, Metro Vancouver is now back to the drawing board. And they can’t ask voters about this again until the next plebiscite in 2018. So the Mayors’ Council innovative vision for a regionalized transportation and transit plan is — stuck in gridlock. For Greater Victoria, we need to alleviate the stress on our current

transportation system: McKenzie Interchange and bus-only lanes to the West Shore are just two proposed solutions. With our 13 municipalities and the Capital Regional District - and highways running between and through some mu n icipa l a reas - ou r hopes cry out for a regionalized approach. Greater Victoria municipalities are responsible for transportation within their boundaries, t he Capita l Reg ion D i st r ict (CRD) for transportation within unincorporated areas, and the Ministry of Transport for highways and related infrastructure. In July 2014, the CRD developed a Regional Transportation Plan, which requires the implementation of a transportation service authority to succeed – otherwise the CRD is limited to a planning and policy support role. The Victoria Regional Transit Commission has plans for multi-million dollar capital improvements, but they are limited to public transit, specifically bus transportation. We are not without hope. The Province has 2.5 billion on the table a l ready ea rma rked for transportation improvements. Transportation Minister Todd Stone a l re ady h a s ack nowledged McKenzie Avenue and the T ra ns-Ca nada H ighway

intersection as one of B.C.s top “bottlenecks” (second to the George Massey Tunnel). Sure sounds like we have an billion dollar opportunity!

Bruce Carter is CEO of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce. He can be reached at 250.383.7191 or bcarter@victoriachamber.ca. www.victoriachamber.ca

AUGUST CHAMBER EVENTS ■ Thursday, August 13 Prodigy Group Mingle from 5 pm to 7 pm Location: Varsha Sips + Nosh House ■ Wednesday, August 19 Brewmaster’s Dinner from

5 pm to 9 pm Location: English Inn ■ Thursday, August 20 Business Mixer from 5 pm to 7 pm L o c a t io n : Hu nt i ngdon Manor

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SOOKE

JULY 2015

WORK TOGETHER, SUCCEED TOGETHER Smaller communities need to work hard to develop

Visit

S W E

outstanding “marquee” events that bring strong “wordof-mouth” advertising and

SOOKE

BusinessExaminer.ca

help develop a community’s reputation for hospitality

SEAN DYBLE

excellence and being completely

visitor-friendly

ourism is undoubtedly an important economic driver on Vancouver Island as there are an estimated 18,000 island jobs wholly dependent on the tourism industry. Tourism-related activities account for as much as 35 per cent of total sales in the retail, accommodation, food services and transportation sectors. With so many livelihoods relying on tourism and so much of our communities’ financial well-being at stake, I believe it is important to be able these 4 straight-forward questions: How do tourists find out about our communities? What makes them actually visit? What brings them back? And; how do we give them more of what they want? If we can answer these questions, we will be in a great position to respond to market conditions and grow our tourism industries all the while increasing employment and boosting our economy. Certainly, a community’s tourism board or association can go a long way towards answering these questions and they need to be fully engaged. However, from my perspective as the Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce President, these questions need to be specifically addressed by the whole business community. Of course, potential visitors find out about larger destinations through advertising campaigns but the cost of an effective ad campaign generally leaves small communities struggling to be discovered. Smaller communities need to work hard to develop outstanding “marquee” events that bring strong “word-of-mouth” advertising and help develop a community’s reputation for hospitality excellence and being completely visitor-friendly. Marquee events are those events that involve the entire community and bring together volunteers from numerous local organizations. A

truly successful marquee event builds its own excitement as it gains a reputation as something not to be missed. It’s a lot of hard work, but by having one or more of these types of events any community can draw lots of visitors. By making sure that everyone has a great time and feels welcome, these visitors will not only return time and again but they will tell their friends and family about the great time they had. Nothing happens overnight but through dedication and perseverance, reputations grow and spread until wordof-mouth advertising might be all that is needed. Sooke recently had the opportunity to showcase our community in such a way by welcoming over 2500 Scouts along with 500 or so volunteers from around the world for the Pacific Jamboree. The Jamboree is held every 4 years and represented a great opportunity for the whole community to come together and help build Sooke’s reputation as an outstanding adventure destination. This large event, which saw an influx of visitors equal to 25 per cent of Sooke’s population, was extremely successful due to good planning and execution. But perhaps equally importantly, it and other events like it, can be used as springboards for future tourism growth; by working together as a community, we can succeed in further developing our economy to the benefit of all.

Today!

As a consistent producer for Century 21, I believe my success is valuing people over properties, building trust and providing outstanding service. Backed by the power of the Century 21 brand name and reputation, my strong work ethic, drive and simply going that extra mile have allowed me to build long lasting relationships with my clients.

SOLD!

Cotswold Rd. $

4,400,000

Lands End Rd. $

2,850,000

250-588-7933

Sean Dyble is the President of the Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce and the owner of 120 West Management Consulting. He can be reached at 250-642-6112.

Cell: Email: terry.stockus@century21.ca Web: www.terrystockus.com

Queenswood Realty Ltd.

Lands End Rd. $

5,300,000

JULY 2015

CEANESSE KITCHENS AIMING TO BE THE BEST “We have a great work Victoria company is known for fine millwork

ethic here. We’re prompt and we follow the motto that the customer is

ICTORIA - Ceanesse Kitchens Ltd. in Victoria is a true home-grown success story. Starting out working in a shed on a chicken farm in 1992, owner Stephen Pal has grown his company to a modern and thriving enterprise operating out of a 16,000 sq. ft. facility employing almost 30 people. Later this year, Ceanesse Kitchens is also expanding to Nanaimo where it has been experiencing a strong increase in orders. Ceanesse Kitchens does far more than build and install exquisite custom kitchens. The company does every kind of millwork including multi-family developments, commercial work, bathrooms, basement suites and even furniture. “We run the whole gamut, building anything to do with wood,” Pal said, noting that although the company was founded in 1992, his experience in the business goes back long before that. His father was a millworker and before him, his grandfather was also a millworker. Pal recalled that when he was four years old, a contractor built a house on the lot across the street. At lunch time every

(250) 881-4311

www.coastalsignaturehomes.ca Victoria, BC

always right.” STEPHEN PAL OWNER, CEANESSE KITCHENS LTD.

day, young Stephen would bring his lunch to the job site and join the crew. Then he would pick up nails, feeling very much that he was making an important contribution. He was only 13 when he began working in his father’s shop. When he graduated from high school he began his apprenticeship building homes in Prince George while his parents moved to Victoria. After six years, he joined his father. When his father closed the shop in 1989, Pal got a job installing kitchen cabinets. In 1992, two contractors who had worked with Pal’s father, asked him to build their kitchens. “So I ended up renting 400 sq. ft. on a chicken farm in Saanich,” Pal said. “I had no telephone – no computer. Basically, I worked out of the back of a shed.” Two years later, the business had far outgrown the shed and Pal moved into a 2,000 sq. ft. space in Saan ich. His sister, Janet Brend and his brother, Kevin Pal, joined him at that point. Four years later, continued growth forced the business to move to larger quarters in Victoria and then, a few years later, larger still. In July of this year, the company expanded once again, this time separating manufacturing from sales and growing to a total of 16,000 sq. ft. on Alpha Street. Ceanesse Kitchens now employs 28 people. Asked about his recipe for success, Pal said, “When I was 19, I was installing a kitchen in Prince George for an older fellow who told me he had moved from China with nothing but the clothes on his back – now he was a multi-millionaire. He told

Ceanesse Kitchens is known for fine custom millwork

The company builds fine kitchen cabinets in all styles

Ceanesse Kitchens builds quality custom cabinets me the secret was, never charge more than you have to and never do anything for free. That’s been my motto my whole life.” He added that he also prides himself on good work and excellent customer service.

“We have a great work ethic here. We’re prompt and we follow the motto that the customer is always right. We do everything we can to make them happy. We’ve had jobs that have gone south, like

Ceanesse is as well known for its bathrooms as it is for its kitchens everybody has – but in the end, we’ve had referrals from them because we've taken care of them. We always fulfill our promise, no matter what it takes.” Ceanesse Kitchens has built cabi nets for more t h a n one award-winning home. It has also changed and modernized over the years. In 2010, Rick Stack came on as a business partner, bringing his experience in management. Between him and Pal, they have built the company into one that runs efficiently and that has a reputation for outstanding quality work. Pal noted that the employees are closely involved in the day-to-day operations of the company and will see it move successfully into the future. He said that he has no ambitions to see it grow beyond Vancouver Isl a nd, but he h a s done work throughout BC fro clients referred to the compa ny for millwork. He added that he is dedicated to continuing to build Ceanesse’s excellent reputation. “We don't want to be the largest in Victoria, just the best,” he said. “We’re happy with where we are at. We have great employees. We’ll continue to pull in people we trust and who have our strong work ethic. Our way of doing business has worked really well for us and we’ll continue doing it that way.” Ceanesse Kitchens Ltd. is at 661 Alpha Street in Victoria. www.ceanesse.com

Colonial Countertops would like to send our very best wishes to Ceanesse Kitchens.

Thanks for the great service!

Thank you for your support.

Proud to be business partners of

330 Wray Ave, Victoria, BC, V9E 2H5 Main: 250-361-5359 | waynedavis@shaw.ca

www.colonialcountertops.com Victoria, BC

JULY 2015

AIRPORTS Airports play significant role in building community BC’s airports see increase in passenger numbers across the board BETH HENDRY-YIM

irports across BC forecast continued growth and expansion due to increased passenger numbers and demand for services. James Bogusz, vice-president operations and development, Victoria Airport Authority (YYJ) said that the demand for more flights and new routes has put the capital’s airport in growth mode. YYJ is the tenth busiest airport in Canada, sees 1.65 million passengers a year and has annual revenue of $26 million. “Over the past five years passenger numbers grew, with a record in 2014 pushing six per cent year over year growth.” He added that this consistent growth has stimulated several capital projects including increased parking for planes. “Traffic is either a flight of origin or destination. We have no connecting flights. As a result we have aircraft needing to park overnight.” He added that as part of the airport’s capital initiative it is expanding the north apron to add two to three additional parking stalls. YYJ also adding environmental enhancements to the area by upgrading the existing and expanded apron with storm water collection and a glycol treatment pond. In addition to accommodating aircrafts, YYJ is also planning more parking for passengers. “We want to be prepared for the future and to accommodate long term parking,” he said. “Last Christmas parking went beyond capacity with cars parked on the side of the road. It’s a short but busy 15-day window around the holiday season.” Recently, YYJ announced that Delta Airlines will be providing service to Victoria starting April 2016, with three daily flights between Seattle and Victoria. “Currently, the airport has five flights a day to Seattle through Horizon Airlines,” Bogusz said, adding that the additional flights will serve the Delta hub and introduce a new airline to the capital region. “The economic generation of an airport cannot be understated,”

Mike Hooper said Nanaimo airport has already passed 2020 passenger traffic projections CREDIT:MIKE HOOPER

James Bogusz said Victoria Airport Authority is the tenth busiest airport in Canada CREDIT:JAMES BOGUSZ

In December Sunwing adds Cuba to its line up of sunny destinations CREDIT:JENELLE HYNES

he said. “As a result of having an airport and the ability to have air transportation into the city, we can grow tourism, technology and direct and indirect jobs. We have a greater capacity to move cargo and the ability to get business people where they need to go.” Airport authorities receive no funding from the government. Each airport is responsible for its own operating costs. Flight fees alone do not cover the enormous budget. Most airports add to the cash flow coffers through non-aeronautical revenue. “Low fees are attractive to airlines,” Bogusz said, adding that $3 million in revenue comes from renting land to high tech, manufacturing and industrial companies as well as to aviation

Victoria Airport created a 9.3 km bike and walking trail around airport lands CREDIT:JAMES BOGUSZ

related companies like Paciϐic Sky Aviation, Viking Air, and Vancouver Island Helicopters. Additional revenue comes from concessions, restaurants and retail outlets. Mike Hooper, president and chief executive officer, Nanaimo Airport (YCD), said land leases offset the central island’s airport fees. With 500 acres of property 18 km south of Nanaimo and 10 minutes from the ferries, rail and port, it offers highly visible development opportunities to aeronautical and non-aeronautical businesses. With this year already surpassing 2020 projections and every month breaking records in passenger numbers, Hooper said YCD is taking steps to ensure passenger and air carrier

needs are met, noting that several projects from safety equipment to additional destinations are currently in process. “We’re working with aircarriers to secure new service and routes. We’ve improved fire safety with a $850,000 fire truck, 10 trained firefighters, and a fire station that should be completed by early 2016.” YCD has also put in a request for $11 million for a terminal expansion from Build Canada Fund. “YCD is looking to double the size of the terminal,” Hooper said. “A third of the $11 million would be from the province, a third from the federal government and a third from YCD.” He added that when approval SEE ADAMS STORAGE | PAGE 10

JULY 2015

AIRPORTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

for the funding gets a green light expansion of the terminal should be completed within 24 months. Kelowna Airport (YLW) has also seen steady growth, up 79 per cent since 2004. Jenelle Hynes, business development and community relations, YLW, said that in January 2015 the airport had seen 25 consecutive record breaking months. She added that from February to May they saw a 0.4 per cent decrease, citing changes in the oil industry and fewer charter flights as the cause. “We feel a stronger ripple effect at YLW because of the larger number of oil workers who live here and work in the oil fields.”

The eleventh busiest airport in Canada, YLW sees approximately 65 per cent leisure travel and 35 per cent business. Hynes said that Kelowna has an older affluent demographic of seniors with a set income and sufficient disposable income for traveling. She added that YLW also sees Albertans, with second homes in Kelowna, traveling back and forth to visit grandchildren. “At the end of October we’ll have ou r w inter schedu le in place. That’s when we have our flights to Phoenix, Las Vegas, Mexico and Cuba.” Providing strong seasonal service is a draw for airlines looking at creating additional flights to different destinations. “ Y LW re s e a rc he s a nd e stablishes a business case for a

Blue Navigator volunteers at Nanaimo Airport help coach passengers through arriving and departing CREDIT:MIKE HOOPER

Daily flights at Kelowna International Airport take passengers to international and domestic destinations like Seattle and Toronto CREDIT:JENELLE HYNES

destination; so does the airline,” Hynes said. “When the airline sees a lot of connectivity, for instance when a passenger from Kelowna flies to Vancouver and then to another destination, the airline can track it and then determine what destinations are in demand.” Recently, Sunwing, with established service at YLW added a new direct flight to Cuba. “Domestically, with Air North flying from White Horse to Kelowna and back twice a week and Paciϐic Coastal Airlines flying Cranbrook to Kelowna, we are seeing the passengers from these

flights using YLW as the connecting airport to other destinations like Mexico,” Hynes said. “As the third largest airport in BC, only 50,000 passengers separate us from second place Victoria. Our city population is much smaller than the capital city, but, as a hub, we service the Thompson-Okanagan as well as parts of BC’s southern interior.” Growing services means the need for expansion and Hynes said that YLW, between 2010 and 2020, will invest more than $92 million in expansions and upgrades. “Our outbound baggage haul

VICTORIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT www.victoriaairport.com |

Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Best Airport in North America with < 2M Passengers

JULY 2015

Lindsay Cotter said the heaviest travel day during the 2015 Canada Winter Games saw traffic increase up to 325%

Daily flights at Kelowna International Airport take passengers to international and domestic destinations like Seattle and Toronto

YXS receives world’s second largest cargo plane carrying seven helicopters expansion will more than double the processing capability and we’ll be using modern technology for screening and a self-baggage drop.” She added that the large

project would be completed in three years. In addition, the departure area and existing retail outlets will have modern upgrades as well as

SIDNEY PIER HOTEL A ‘HOME AWAY FROM HOME’ Boutique hotel and spa provides intimate experience for guests

IDNEY – The Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa was created to provide guests with a ‘home away from home’ experience. T he i ndependent ly ow ned, 55-guest room, boutique hotel is centrally located in Sidney, 5 minutes from the Victoria International Airport, BC Ferries and right at the heart of adventure, tourism and specialty retail amenities. The property includes 3 floors of guest rooms, and 4 floors of luxury residences, which further contribute to the ‘home away from home’ feel. “Our vision revolves around providing a comfortable and relaxing environment,” says Jackie May, company Sales Manager. “We really want to deliver an authentic seaside escape that embodies the west coast lifestyle. That community-like feel has not only drawn new guests, we are the hub in town, it’s really exciting to be a part of.” “The atmosphere stems from a top-down mentality. One of our owners works on site everyday, he’s been a big part of building our culture. Each staff member thrives on their ability to connect with guests, are passionate about their

community and deliver a highly personalized level of service.” Environmentally sustainable practices play a significant role in the Sidney Pier Hotel’s day-to-day operations. The facility features a custom built geothermal system that heats and cools the building by borrowing and returning excess heat from the ocean. This reduces the location’s energy consumption by 60 per cent. Haven Salon is a designated Green Circle Salon and Haro’s Restaurant & Bar features Ocean Wise fish and seafood. “Haro’s restaurant is an ideal place to bring and impress guests and clients,” says May. “It features beautiful ocean views, menus that focus on local and seasonal ingredients and offers local craft beer and wine.” “We also have 3 meeting rooms with flexible space and meeting packages that can suit small board meetings, seminars, and large corporate events. Our corporate travellers have access to complimentary shuttles, and our personalized meeting and events services ensure the planning process is enjoyable and the events are executed seamlessly.” Guests can also enjoy live music in the bar, bike rentals and complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the hotel. The Sidney Pier is also a 2015 Certificate of Excellence Award winner from TripAdvisor.com. www.sidneypier.com

the addition of food kiosks, duty free shops and a family center. “YLW wanted to be smart with expansion and growth,’ she said. “We didn’t want to build just for the sake of building. Planning and design considers growth, but it also maintains customer satisfaction levels.” Lindsay Cotter, manager of communications, Prince George Airport (YXS), called YXS the Gateway to Northern BC. With healthy, steady growth, its passenger travel is heavier on the business side. She said that YXS, with the third longest runway in Canada, has a fairly aggressive cargo program.

“Any aircraft can land on our runway. We’ve had the third largest operating cargo plane in the world land here, picking up seven helicopters headed to Angola.” E x pa nd i n g t h e r u nway to 11,450 ft. was the first step in the airport’s cargo program. Cotter said that the second was bringing in common storage fuel tanks. “We have the capacity to store 600,000 litres of fuel onsite. Now, we can offer fuel at more competitive prices.” The third phase is the construction of a 25,000 sq ft cargo warehouse. Only announced at the end of June 2015, the project

will be completed by the end of November. The cargo program puts YXS as the closest Canadian airport to the Asian market, not only for refueling, but also for distribution of cargo to and from Northern BC. “Cargo planes can use us as a fuel stop before flying on to places like Chicago,” Cotter said. Airports in BC are strong economic drivers, bringing direct and indirect business and revenue to each region. As each airport authority in BC plans and executes ex pansion and development projects, passengers and businesses will continue to use and enjoy the flight experience.

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JULY 2015

ONE-STOP-SHOP INCREASES REPAIR TURNAROUND We wanted the most BMT Group boasts a combined 60 years experience

efficient, environmentally friendly set up FRASER SIM

our years ago when Fraser Sim and William Whitelaw decided to start their own company, they wondered if theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d made the right decision. The bus company where Sim worked as a maintenance manager and Whitelaw as maintenance foreman had just closed its doors, leaving the two wondering what came next. But as Sim said, once the shop was shut down, it was the bus lineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s customers who tipped the pair over the edge and into business ownership. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had customers calling and asking what to do about repairs and where they should go,â&#x20AC;? he said. Today, Sim and Whitelaw, with

OWNER BMT GROUP SERVICES

their combined 60 years experience in bus, motor coach, truck and RV maintenance and collision repair, are managing partners in BMT Group Services. Located at Victoria International Airport, the company offers an all-inclusive repair facility. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We offer a one-stop-shop,â&#x20AC;? Sim said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We do mechanical and collision repair as well as painting.â&#x20AC;? Landing the perfect location however, was a bit of a fluke, he said. It happened quickly. Thirty days after

closing the bus lineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s doors, Sim and Whitelaw were opening their own. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d tidied up the old bus shop we had to find a very specific building. It needed to be the right size with the right zoning and enough parking to store vehicles waiting for pickup.â&#x20AC;? After striking out in Greater Victoria, Sim and Whitelaw found an ideal building at the airport. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been very happy with the location,â&#x20AC;? Sim said, adding that the airport authority was helpful and positive through the whole process. Setting up shop in the new location required a few renovations, including a large enough paint booth to accommodate motor homes, trucks and aviation support vehicles. He said that the booth was the first thing added to the facility and it served up a bit of a challenge. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We wanted the most efficient, environmentally friendly set up, with a system that recycled air

Technicians are fully trained and experienced in repair and maintenance of commercial vehicles CREDIT:FRASER SIM

from the booth and filtered out the paint.â&#x20AC;? He added that like any renovation, costs were higher than expected. In the end however, it was worth the effort. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our customers rely on us as experts to bring them the best. They trust that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll do all the right things and do them well.â&#x20AC;?

Fraser Sim and William Whitelaw have a combined 60 years experience in bus, coach, truck and motor home repair CREDIT:FRASER SIM

In the 55 ft paint booth BMT uses BASF brand RM paint systems to ensure the perfect colour match and consistent, quality results. Qualified technicians can handle any size commercial vehicle and are trained in decal installation, corporate re-branding, and custom painting.

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JULY 2015

After four years and steady business growth Sim said that he feels a sense of satisfaction being his own boss, working in an industry he knows well and enjoys

Fleet maintenance is one of BMTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s specialties CREDIT:FRASER SIM

Sim said his team is very cognizant that motor coaches are someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home CREDIT:FRASER SIM

Sim said that, since the opening of BMT, business has been growing and seeing more diversity. Presently, BMT is working on a contract with a Singapore company involving three airport crash tenders that will be re-painted and all systems checked before being shipped to the Maldives by the end of July. But they also repair and maintain tour company fleets, municipal vehicles and

airport maintenance and supply vehicles. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Regular maintenance with our customized preventative programs are proven to reduce operating costs and expensive breakdowns,â&#x20AC;? Sim said. The customized programs for large and small fleets, provide pre-purchase, commercial vehicle and government inspections, oil and filter changes, brake overhaul

and relines, engine transmission diagnostics and repair, mechanical refurbishment, roadside assistance and complete HVAC inspections and air conditioning mechanical and electrical repairs. He added that with commercial vehicles a fast repair turnaround is vital to limit losses and he said that the one-stop-repair experience ensures that the vehicle is up and working as quickly as possible.

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He added that what is good for a commercial fleet is also good for individually owned motor coaches. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Maintenance and repair on motor homes and motor coaches requires specialized training and care,â&#x20AC;? he said, adding that there are two aspects in motor home repair to consider: the chassis and engine, and the interior. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are very cognizant of the fact that this is someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home. One doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t walk into a house wearing grubby boots and overalls,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our mechanics wear booties and clean coveralls whenever they work on the interior of a motor home and take special when working on refurbishing or repairing both the interior and exterior.â&#x20AC;? He added that regular maintenance on a motor home ensures brakes, steering, generator and engine are safe and in good working order, especially if the owner is heading south for the winter. He also said that overwintering a motor coach in our temperate environment takes special consideration and BMT has the experience

and expertise to help. In addition, it has a large, secure lot for storing the coaches and ensuring clients property is kept safe while being repaired. Recently, in a partnership with Jasmin Air Conditioning, BMT/ Jasmin is offering monthly motor coach AC training from October to May and complete training in bus HVAC systems at its new on-premise training center. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jasmin offers the best coach air conditioning training in the country,â&#x20AC;? Sim said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When Peter Jasmin, the owner, decided he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to travel as much, we offered our location. The training is so in demand that people are willing to make the trip here.â&#x20AC;? After four years and steady business growth Sim said that he feels a sense of satisfaction being his own boss, working in an industry he knows well and enjoys. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good feeling knowing youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve built your own business, have created employment opportunities, have a good working relationship with your business partner and are contributing to the tax base of Canada.â&#x20AC;? He added that as BMT looks to grow, expanding physically and in the services it provides, it will continue to offer an all-inclusive experience for bus, motor coach and truck repairs with professional, efficient and quality service. BMT Group Services is at 1947 Canso Rd. in Sidney www.bmtgroup.ca

Best Wishes for Continued Success! Two locations to serve you: P & R - Keating T: 1-250-652-9139 TF: 1-888-652-9139 P & R - Duncan T: 1-250-746-1515 TF: 1-866-746-1515 www.prtruckcentre.com

JULY 2015

FRESHNESS THE SECRET TO GOOD FOOD Thai restaurant sources local ingredients for freshest quality

eople were skeptical when Ae Sirimalalak, ow ner, Sabhai Thai Restaurant, first said that he was going to open a Thai restaurant in Sidney. They cited the age demographic and that an older population may not enjoy international food flavours.

My kids eat here. I serve them the same food I serve our customers, so it better be the best. AE SIRIMALALAK OWNER SABHAI THAI RESTUARANT

Ae and brother Ek own two successful Sabhai Thai restaurants in Sidney and Langford

Ae Sirimalalak said that he enjoys working with mom, Noi CREDIT:AE SIRIMALALAK

CREDIT:AE SIRIMALALAK

But a determined Ae did his homework, sitting on a bench on ma i nstreet, watch i ng and talking to people as they walked by. “It was a rea l m i xed g roup of a l l a ges, tou r i sts a s wel l as residents,” he said. “They were well-travelled and willing to experiment with exotic cuisine.”

Of course, Ae also had an ace in his back pocket. “My mom would be doing the cooking, so I knew I couldn’t go wrong.” Ae’s mother brought him and h i s brot hers to Ca n ad a f i fteen years ago. Ae was twelve and enamoured with his new home. At fifteen he started his first job washing dishes and

bussing tables at John’s Place in downtown Victoria. He now owns two very successf u l a nd popu la r restaura nts w ith h is brother Ek Si r i m a l a l a k, i n Sid ney a nd Langford. “Ek is a red seal chef and also worked at Joh n’s as k itchen supervisor before risking it all on the family venture,” he said.

He added that Ek has extraordinary culinary skills and each week creates new feature d ishes they a l l look forwa rd to. “The hardest part is figuring out what to call those dishes.” But the secret to the success of Sabhai isn’t just his mom’s cooki ng, it’s a lso the choice of food.

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109-721 Station Ave | Victoria, BC

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Congratulations Ae and everyone at Sabhai Thai on 9 years in Sidney and 4 years in Langford! We are proud to support you!

723 Pandora Ave | Victoria, BC | 250.389.0711

JULY 2015

Sabhai Thai is known for its fresh and flavourful food

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Guests have plenty of space to enjoy their meals “We buy quality,” he said. “My kids eat here. I serve them the same food I serve our customers, so it better be the best.” Ae’s quest for t he h ig hest qu a l ity i ng red ients w ith consistent resu lts motivated him to import directly from Thailand. He now brings in 26 tons of pure Jasmine rice a year, with each restaurant using about one ton a month. “ W holesa le compa n ies of ten m i x whole rice grains with broken grains or blend in lower grades of rice,” he said. ”It cuts costs and when cooked it might not look any different. But it tastes different. It doesn’t have as full bodied a flavour.” To maintain that consistent quality Ae also sources as many local ingredients as possible. “Fresh food just tastes better,” he sa id . “ We a re con sta nt ly preppi ng food; as soon as it’s cut, it’s cooked.” He added that 95 per cent of ingredients used in both restaurants are made f rom scratch, w ith ma ny herbs a nd spices brought back from Thailand by his mom or brother.

Congratulations Ae, Ek, Noi and Sabhai Thai on your great success and incredible food!

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“Some of t he sau c e s, m ad e u si n g traditional methods, need to be simmered over a low heat for several hours and can be labour intensive.” To get t hose aut hent ic ta stes a nd cooking techniques, Ae brought several five-star chefs direct from Thailand, sponsoring them through provincial immigration programs. “For every chef we bring to Canada, we employ 10 local workers,” he said. A l l chefs a nd sta f f have ex tensive training; not just in the unique cooking methods of Thailand but also in catering to special dietary needs. Most dishes can be made gluten free. Ae said that both Sabhai locations are seeing an increase in people wanting to avoid gluten and the restaurant can easily accommodate their requests. “We have a lot of regulars. They all h ave t hei r favou r ites a nd h ave t he numbered menu items memorized.” Ae, usua l ly work i ng the f ront end a t t h e S i d n e y l o c at io n , k n o w s t h e regulars and enjoys seeing them on a regular basis. But lately he has been working behind the scenes, looking at methods and systems that can improve efficiency. “I miss visiting with our regulars and appreciate their continued and ongoing support.” For those who have never tried Thai food, he said that the best introduction is with two or more people ordering several dishes. That way, everyone gets to try a variety of flavours and textures whether it’s seafood, curry, Pad Thai or stir-fry. He added that he has no favou rite d ish; he g rew up w it h t hem a l l a nd enjoys each one. It wouldn’t be on the menu if he didn’t. He sa id t h at he cou ld n’t i m a g i ne doing any other job. He gets to work with his family every day; his younger brother, sister and of course his mama Noi in the kitchen.

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JULY 2015

EXPERIENCE DIFFERENTIATES DOUBLETREE New Hilton Hotel preparing for launch

ICTOR I A – How often does your hotel check-in include a warm, freshly baked cookie? That’s the first thing guests will receive at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Victoria, opening towards the end of the summer at the former site of the Executive House Hotel on 777 Douglas Street. “You’re going to have a truly unique experience,” says Wendy McNabb, the hotel’s Director of Sales and Marketing. “Our goal is to prov ide a com fortable, individualized stay for every guest, where little things mean everything. “An exceptional team has been put in place to launch this location. Everyone has been going through Hilton’s extensive training programs to establish focus on the DoubleTree by Hilton culture, and to learn how to reflect it back to our guests.” “The priority for us, rooted in DoubleTree by Hilton’s commitment to CARE (Create a Rewarding Experience) is to deliver on these promises”. “This commitment goes above and beyond our guests,” says McNabb. “This is a top-down mentality that stretches across this brand to impact our communities. Every little thing we do contributes towards our culture of CARE.” The project has been designed and will be managed by Mairet Consulting and Management Limited, a hotel management company based in Victoria. “The hotel was a true icon in the city as it was operating since 1964” says Francis Mairet, Principal of the management company. “Given the demand on our market, the hotel has been designed to step up and ideally suit the Hilton corporate and leisure travelers but we have put a lot of

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thought in the design to specifically accommodate families.” “Our location is uniquely ideal and our views are breathtaking” says Mairet. “Our vision was to bring back the hotel to the forefront of hospitality in Victoria as it is truly an exceptional asset. With our owner’s input, we were able to deliver on this vision”. The 181 guestrooms will include an array of single rooms, one and two bedrooms all equipped with a fridge and microwave, ultra-high bandwidth, wireless internet access, 48” HD TVs, large ergonomic work space. 89 spacious suites have a pull out queen sofa bed if you need a little more space. Every suite offers a separate living area with convenience kitchen and dining area. “The devil is in the details and nothing makes for a better day than a good nights sleep. That is exactly why we have selected a bed that is normally only offered in the Luxury Brands of Hilton” says Mairet. “The Sweet Dreams™ by DoubleTree Sleep Experience program offers, down pillows, duvet and plush bedding for extra comfort for our guests to wake up feeling refreshed” Mairet adds. “This brand is focused on providing a relaxing and home-style feeling to our visitors” says McNabb. From the warm greeting at check-in and the Sweet Dreams Sleep Experience at night, to the fresh, healthy breakfasts we serve in the morning, we are here to deliver the best possible experience. “Our three premium suites, Salish, Mt. Baker & Olympic View Suite, will be the most sought after suites in Victoria for social events and small meetings. Located on the top floors of the hotel, they feature magnificent views of the Ocean, Olympic Mountain Range, Legislative Buildings, and downtown Victoria. Floor to ceiling windows allow you to marvel at the spectacular view and two have large patios to let you breathe in the fresh ocean air. The elegant setting with a large fireplace, full kitchens, and bar area is perfect for entertaining your guests. They are ideal for receptions of

An artist’s rendering of the upcoming DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Victoria up to 40 people, a board meeting, or small wedding.” The hotel will feature a new restaurant and health club in addition to the newly renovated and reopen Bartholomew’s English-Style Pub, which has already been celebrated as the “Top Pub in Victoria” on trip advisor. It will be Hilton’s first venture on Vancouver Island, and the team is excited to be a part of the challenging task of launching a new brand. “DoubleTree is going to add so much to the Victoria area,” McNabb says. “Bringing a name like Hilton to town is no small task, it’s been very rewarding to be involved in this process.” “The Hilton development team has been amazing to work with, we’re really excited about what the final product is going to look like and how we will make

our guest feel when they walk through the door.” The project was completed in

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Joinery, Tri-City Finishing, West Bay Mechanical, Rockridge Inc. and Gorge Electrical. “As the City continues to grow into a world-class destination, it’s really important that major hospitality stakeholders continue to build and invest in the Capital Region” says Mairet. “The ownership, by attracting the brand to come here through their investment, made a strong statement of contribution to the greater vision of our community and we are proud to be part of this sector of growth,” adds Mairet. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Victoria is conveniently located downtown steps from the Inner Harbour, Victoria Conference Centre, retail outlets, museums, whale watching tours, arts and cultural activities. It is within 30 minutes of the Victoria International Airport and BC Ferries, and a short distance from Victoria’s Inner Harbour, float plane terminals, and Washington State Ferry ports. Guests will also have access to the Hilton HHonors rewards program, which allows people staying at any Hilton brand hotel to earn points for nights spent at one of their locations. The points can be redeemed for unique vacations and perks during the stay, including complimentary food and beverage items, digital check-ins, late checkouts and room upgrades, among many others. www.doubletreevictoria.com

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JULY 2015

VANCOUVER ISLAND BREWERY VICTORIOUS IN NIAGARA FALLS Craft brewery wins national industry awards ICTORIA – Vancouver Island Brewery cleaned house at the recent ͖͔͕͙ Canadian Brewing Awards. The company took home three separate honours, including Gold in the North American Style Lager category for its Islander Lager, Gold in the North American Style Dark Lager category for Hermann’s Dark Lager, and Silver in the Wheat Beer, German Style category for the Beachcomber Summer Ale. General Manager Murray Langdon accepted the awards at the Niagara Falls-based event, and attributes the success as a reflection of the company’s history and culture. “This business has been built on a foundation of innovation,” he says. “We’re a mature brewery with an experienced team, that has continued to produce high caliber beers for more than 3 decades. Winning awards like this gives everyone involved a real sense of validation, it inspires us to evolve and try to put out even better products next year. “We were the very first craft

Murray Langdon, General Manager at Vancouver Island Brewery with two of the company’s 2015 Canadian Brewing Awards

Va ncouver Isla nd Brew i ng first opened back in 1984, and since then they’ve grown from a staff of 6, to more than 40 today. Langdon credits that to a commitment to across-the-board excellence from his employees. “The level of competition in this industry is staggering,” he says. “There are more than 100 breweries in BC alone, and standing out like we have takes a lot of effort, creativity, passion and drive from people at all levels of operations. In a congested marketplace like ours, the consumer has, and is entitled to have very high expectations. “As a company it’s vital for us to provide the absolute best quality product that we can. Our staff takes a lot of pride in creating our beers; they go beyond what’s required of them because they’re passionate about doing their best. We are defined by the people we employ, from the delivery drivers to the brewers and production team, there is no unimportant job here.”

brewery on Vancouver Island, and have piloted quite a few different products that are now common place. We like to think of ourselves as brewing trailblazers, and receiving the honours that we have remind us that we still have a lot to offer to the industry and consumer.”

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JULY 2015

A Vancouver Island Brewery team member preparing ingredients for production decisions. Maintaining our culture is important, our success is dependent on the people behind the beer.” A key component of the company’s business is its philanthropic efforts. “We’re a terrific supporter of many different events, festivals and organizations,” says Langdon. “It’s a point of pride for us to have a wide variety of vibrant partnerships with these initiatives, and we’ve been able to do it through our charitable giving program. “Our team gets a lot of enjoyment out of supporting the organizations that we do. It’s a further reflection of the company culture. This business isn’t just

An array of Vancouver Island Brewery beer flights Outside of brewing the beer itself, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes that have enabled the company to get to where it is today. “Aside from producing high quality products, we’re committed to providing the best possible customer service,” says Langdon. “One of the most important things for us is to make sure that our merchandise gets to our clients on time. We deal with a lot of companies that operate in competitive fields, whether it’s a licensee or a liquor store owner, and do what it takes to make sure we fill our end of the bargain. “From late night and weekend deliveries, to product guarantees, the team here is dedicated to complete customer satisfaction.

Over time, this approach has developed into a competitive advantage for us, as it’s not always normal for the industry.” The sector has developed significantly over the past decade, and despite the consumer having so many choices now, Langdon feels that the high level of competition has only helped the company. “There has been this snowball effect of late,” he says. “This rapid growth in entrants to the market has put a spotlight on craft brewing, people are voting with their wallets and choosing to support local companies. We see the success of the industry being shared by all of the different producers. “This recent ‘limelight’ has exposed us to segments of the

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market that we haven’t historically had access to. There’s a lot of demand, both domestically and across Canada. The island remains our main focus, but we’ve began distribution outside of BC, in Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick.” As for what the future holds, Langdon is concentrating on driving the company forward. “You really can’t take any days off,” he says. “We’re committed to progressing and giving the consumer the best possible options. The competition has forced us to be very proactive on all fronts. “To ensure that we develop, a priority for us is to keep the happiness and well-being of our staff at the center of our long-term

about producing high quality, great tasting beers, it’s committed to serving the communities that it operates in.” Va ncouver Isla nd Brew i ng supports a number of different organizations and events, including: the Greater Victoria Housing Society, Wear͖Start, local Chambers of Commerce, Victoria HarbourCats, Rotary International, Surfrider Foundation, Comox by the Sea Shellϐish and Seafood Celebration, Vancouver Island Musicfest, VICFEST, Victoria Dragonboat, Western Speedway, Greek Fest, Snow to Surf Adventure Race, Nanaimo Dragonboat Festival, among many others. www.vanislandbrewery.com

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HEALTH & SAFETY Mental and physical health equally important in workplace Putting emphasis on all aspects of workplace health and safety improves production and performance BETH HENDRY-YIM

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orkplace health and safety is a multifaceted issue and one that, according to Stats Canada, can cost employers billions in lost productivity and sick days. Christian Codrington, director, BC Human Resources Association, said that many large corporations have the resources to dedicate staff to safety and wellness programs because they recognize the importance of these initiatives on work performance and for recruiting and retaining employees. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For many years weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve tended to look at occupational health and safety from a physical aspect,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But with the introduction of legislation in 2012 there is a greater recognition of the emotional aspects of safety and wellness.â&#x20AC;? Tracey Newlands, director, occupational health and safety, Vancouver Island Health Authority, said there are two parts to delivering healthcare to employees whether it is a physical or a mental illness: preventing injury and supporting those who are injured or ill. Worksafe BC puts emphasis on preventing injury with ongoing programming, hazard alerts, inspections and monitoring. Its most recent ca mpa ig n, launched in July 2015, focuses on asbestos enforcement programs that target residential demolitions. Al Johnson, vice president, prevention services, WorkSafe BC, said many buildings constructed prior to the late 1980â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contained materials with asbestos such as insulation, floor tiles, cement pipes, drywall, linoleum and spray applied for fire proofing. He added that increased inspections of residential demolition and renovation sites ensure contractors adhere to health and safety laws when identifying and removing asbestos. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Currently, in the lower mainland, including Surrey and Richmond, there are approximately 300 demolitions and 600-800 renovations typically being done a month ,â&#x20AC;? he said. He added that

recognition of the emotional aspect to workplace health Christian Codrington DIRECTOR BC HUMAN RESOURCES ASSOCIATION

Christian Codrington director BC Human Resources Association

Al Johnson said WorkSafe BC will be monitoring demolition and renovation sites for violations in asbestos removal

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Tracey Newlands said psychological health is a multifaceted issue precaution by saying no exposure is the way to go,” Johnson said. “Asbestos does not pose a health risk when left undisturbed, but preventable exposures can cause fatal lung diseases with symptoms developing years later,” Johnson said. He added that the number one way to be exposed to asbestos is by unsafe practices during demolition and renovations. Codrington said that for many years the workplace has looked at occupational health simply from a physical aspect, like slips and falls, backstrain, burns, accidents involving machinery or toxic materials exposure. “Starting around 2009, provinces across Canada began introducing laws requiring employers deal with the emotional aspects

of the workplace, not just the physical,” he said. As a result, WorkSafe BC, in partnership with the BC Building Trades and Construction Labour Relations Association of BC, created a video series focusing on bullying and harassment in construction and its impact on workers in the industry. Newlands said that psychological safety in the workplace is hard to fully articulate because of its multifaceted nature. “It’s about being supported at every level,” she said. “It’s having the tools, equipment and space to do a job successfully, a visible leader who acknowledges a job well done, a reasonable workload, a sense of accomplishment and pride, and the ability to ask for help.” She added that with ongoing projects, foundational strategic themes and principals can be woven into every level and aspect of work. Recently, VIHA asked leaders during focus group exercises what factors make a great place to work. Their preliminary answers involved: being treated with dignity and respect, including all workers in decision-making, and providing clarity and information when needed. “The key to determining if there is a mental health issue or if stress is negatively affecting a worker is to have trusting relationships within the workplace,” she said. She added that having a buddy system or a safe relationship with a colleague allows a worker to feel more comfortable talking about and seeking help. “It’s difficult to disclose the need for help,” she said, adding that talking to a SEE HEALTH & SAFETY | PAGE 22

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HEALTH & SAFETY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

buddy is an easier initial step when sharing information about mental health. Cod ri ng ton sa id that hea lth, both physical and mental, is a joint responsibility between employer and employee that should involve ongoing audits, training and inspections. “Coming up with policies is an important step,” he said. “But it’s equally as important that both parties follow up to ensure that the policies have teeth.” He added that clear communication of expectations and the setting of boundaries help all personnel in a workplace understand when and how it is appropriate to step forward. “Unfortunately, you can’t legislate good behaviour,” he said. “An employer can put all the policy they want in place, but if they aren’t role modeling the desired behaviour they end up sending mixed messages.” Newlands said the best place to start is with the way an organization formulates and implements its values, letting those core ideals guide every aspect of a business from decision making to customer interactions. Robert Jack, owner, Jack Insurance, and administrator, Chamber of Commerce group benefits, said that employers are motivated to create and maintain a healthy workplace because an employee that looks forward to work everyday is not only more productive but does better work. “A stressed employee is a distracted employee,” he said, adding that employers want healthy workers.

Robert Jack said employee assistance programs provide a variety of services Part of ensuring healthy workers is providing employee benefits like medical and dental. He added that employee assistance programs not only provide extended benefit packages for physical health, but also provide help for when mental health issues impact well-being. For companies not large enough to support a separate healthcare department, assistance programs can provide stressed employees t he oppor tu n ity to seek

counseling or other treatment modalities. He said having an employee assistance program helps create a better dialogue between employer and employee around mental health, building a stronger work environment. Newlands said that resolving mental health issues on one’s own is difficult. Having an employer and work colleagues aware of triggers and signs is imperative to getting help when needed. She added that

respect and empathy are simple tools anyone can use when interacting with anyone, whether they are a coworker or employer. Both Codrington and Newlands agree that workplace culture is changing. What used to be okay is no longer acceptable. “We’re not even a decade into this transformation,” Codrington said. “The days of the Mad Men type workplace behaviours are gone and we’re seeing societal and legislative changes paying off.”

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Employees appreciate learning solutions to workplace bullying and harassment ICTORIA - ARETE safety and protection inc. provides unique and practical workplace training for effective and safe choices when facing conflict and violence. Founded in 1992, the company develops and delivers programs for prevention and management of workplace violence and conflict, including bullying and harassment. Hugh Pelmore, president and senior training specialist, said that ARETE’s original focus was on preventing customer violence. But as it saw an increased need for education in responding and managing coworker behaviour, it branched out and developed programming on bullying and personal harassment prevention. “WorkSafeBC Bill 14 legislation recognizes the negative health impact of bullying and harassment in the workplace and requires employers to take steps to address it.” Pel more sa id t hat orga n i zations taking meaningful steps to comply with legislation are

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seeing additional benefits of ARETE training including: enhanced productivity and morale, as well as reductions in disability and claims costs, absenteeism and turnover. Staff training is required by legislation, so Pelmore recommends providing workshops that motivate the majority of employees who do behave respectfully to speak up and address unwanted behaviours from the very few who do not. Pelmore said that the training ARETE provides focuses on practical application rather than theory, adding that information is immediately useful and applicable. “During role play situations, those workers who previously refused to play by the rules may recognize themselves in the scenarios,” he said. “Consequently a paradigm shift happens and they have a greater self-awareness of their behavior and the impact it is having on others.” He added that employers and workers are pleased to find that proactive conflict management can prevent bigger problems. “Everyone at one time or another has had to deal with unwanted co-worker behaviours. Our participants recognize they play a role in the solution.” Kamloops School District has been proactive with ongoing training. Surveys of the workshops

showed a 95 per cent satisfaction rate. Pelmore said that it’s because training has been thoroughly researched and developed for specific situations and workplaces. ARETE training programs are facilitated by full-time employees, and there are no sub-contractors or part time facilitators. Each trainer is fully engaged in the programming, accredited and experienced. He advises employers to create a workplace policy on bullying and harassment because inappropriate behaviour isn’t always clearly understood. He also suggests that managers and supervisors don’t just know the wording of the policy, but also model the behaviour. He said that skills training should be mandatory not voluntary, as it can address unwanted behaviour at its earliest stages. ARETE facilitates thousands of workshops throughout North America. Clients include Mercedes-Benz, Douglas College, Saskatchewan Government Insurance, provincial governments, and several compensation boards. “We stand by our training,” Pelmore said. “We will provide a full refund for any ARETE workshop that isn’t extremely well received by employees and will donate $500 to a charity of the business’s choice.” www.arete.ca

HEALTH & SAFETY

JULY 2015

RISK MANAGEMENT IS THE BEST WAY TO AVOID A SPILL BC Hazmat provides training in hazardous materials management

ICTORIA - BC Hazmat Management Services is in the business of keeping people and the environment safe. It specializes in hazardous materia ls ma nagement, safety training, emergency spill response, and consulting and support services throughout Western Canada. I f there is a tox ic spi l l, BC Hazmat is the one to call. David Rogers, president, said that the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s job is not only to clean up toxic spills after they happen, but to help develop a safer workplace culture so businesses can avoid spills in the first place. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Risk management is the best way of dealing with a spill,â&#x20AC;? he sa id. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Level one tra i n i ng teaches workers how to prevent a spill, what they can clean up and what they shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t.â&#x20AC;? He added that some steps are simple, like storing cleaners where they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fall, spill and mix with other chemicals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a lways i nd iv idua l chem ic a l s t h at re q u i re ou r

Ex-Fire Chief David Rogers offers Level 1-3 training in hazardous materials management emergency response team. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the reaction from mixing two or more. Our training teaches when and how to clean up spills and when to run.â&#x20AC;? Rogers sa id t h at t he compa nyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s re s p on se te a m s c a n identify thousands of unknown chemicals in its portable lab. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like a lab in a suitcase,â&#x20AC;? he sa id . â&#x20AC;&#x153;O r i g i n a l ly it wa s built to analyze 1,100 different chemicals; now it can test over 11,000 in as little as 20 seconds. Once the results are in we can send that information

From its million dollar command centre, BC Hazmat can identify thousands of unknown chemicals w i relessly to a ny of ou r response teams.â&#x20AC;? He sa id t h at f rom its m i llion dollar mobile command center, BC Hazmat monitors teams working in hotzones, determines a plan of action and ensures clean-up is safe and efficient with the lowest negative impact. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were called to the oil spill on the Malahat a few years ago. Our job was to get the fuel out of the truck and to protect fish in the Goldstream river. We got it done quickly and were commended on our efficiency.â&#x20AC;?

Located by Victoria Airport, BC Hazmat sees students coming to its facility from all across Western Ca nada. With specialized equipment and a large training center, the company is able to instruct all three levels of hazardous management. Courses can be half day, one, three or five-day classes as well as a 72 hour in-depth training. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a convenient location for training. Students can f ly in and out and stay at a hotel right by the airport,â&#x20AC;? Rogers said. He added that since creating the company in 1996, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seen

the need for all three levels of hazardous management from illegal drug production and oil spills to the dumping of toxic chemicals into storm drains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Drug related labs have very toxic and f lammable materials,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Trying to speed up the production process by heating some of these chemi c a l s c a n l e a d to e x p l o s i v e situations.â&#x20AC;? W hen he f i rs t op ene d t he doors of the business, almost 20 years ago, his plan was to keep it as a one-man show with a focus on training. But in 2004 demand for his services and expertise in spill response led him to expand his business. Today, h is compa ny employs seven full time staff and any number of part time employees in different centers across Western Canada. He added that with the increase in rail traffic and construction of pipelines, the need for spill assessment, training and removal has increased. BC Hazmat tailors courses to organization and industry needs, whether it is removing toxic clea n i ng products or ta k i ng care of large spills. BC H A Z M AT Ma nagement Services is at #6 10114 McDonald Park Rd. in Sidney www.bchazmat.com

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JULY 2015

TOTEM TOPS PEERS WITH NATIONAL AWARD Emergency roadside towing company wins customer service honour

ICTORIA - Local emergency roadside specialist Totem Towing has been nationally recognized for their customer service. Ea rlier th is yea r they were named as the 2015 Canadian Region AAA/CAA Service Providers of Excellence – Gold winner, at an annual conference in Denver, Colorado. “It was very gratifying to be honoured like that,” says company President Dan Bird. “It felt pretty good to be selected among the other nominees, especially because it’s a national award. We were the sole recipient in Canada and one of only 4 to receive that level of recognition in Canada and the USA. They treated us like royalty at the conference. “Winning has really reinvigorated the staff. My team and I work really hard, sometimes you can get tired, but in this industry you’re never closed, you’re always on alert, and you need to keep pressing through. So to be appreciated by your customers at such a large-scale event was really rewarding and encouraging.” Winners are nominated by the CAA and AAA clubs, who base their choices on metrics like customer satisfaction scores and service response time. A panel of AAA/CAA industry experts makes the final decisions. The award is a ref lection of Totem’s commitment to provide the best possible experience for its clients. “Our goal here is to give the best possible customer service,” says Bird. “We do that by getting to the customer as fast as possible. That’s what really sets us apart from other companies. When someone is calling us, it usually means they’re having a bad day, or their schedule’s been

Dan Bird, President of Totem Towing, and Neil Clarke, former Owner of Totem Towing with the Canadian Region AAA/CAA Service Providers of Excellence – Gold Award

Totem Towing staﬀ in front of one of their head oﬃces

Serving Vancouver Island since 1947

Congratulations Totem Towing on your prestigious Award! 250-385-3481 | wilsonandproctor.com

disrupted. “We make it our mission to improve their situation, and reduce the amount of stress they’re dealing with. People don’t want to be stuck, they want comfort, and their problems solved. The regular feedback we’re getting, in addition to this award, really reinforce that we provide a high level of service.” A key driver behind winning the award was the Totem Towing staff. “Our team takes a lot of pride in what we do,” says Bird. “We respond to approximately 50,000 calls per year, and the average response time for those calls in the past year was 24 minutes. Those are significant numbers in this industry. This honour would not have been possible without the employees and their commitment to excellence. “Working here is not a 9-5 job, there’s a lot of shift work and on-call situations, people work long hours. Despite that, the team

JULY 2015

PARTICIPATE … we have a very real opportunity to influence local decision making, but you must participate

SAANICH PENINSULA CRAIG NORRIS

W A member of the Totem Towing fleet executes at a high level no matter what time of the day it is. The focus here is doing the job right the first time, we don’t do things halfway.” Bird’s mentality of working as efficiently and effectively as possible is rooted in the training he received from former Totem owners Neil & Judy Clarke. “I lea rned a lot from them throughout my career,” says Bird. “Neil taught me a lot about business and how to treat people, while Judy taught the importance of keeping an immaculate set of books in the business. Even after I purchased the company from them in 2002, Neil continued to provide support and feedback on the day-to-day operations and strategy. “One of the most important things he’s taught me is to only worry about the things you can control, and to not sweat the small stuff. That’s really helped me to stay focused throughout my career.” Bird joined Clarke as a driver in 1982 at the age of 21, and worked in that role until 1990, when he

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was promoted to a ma nagement position. The company has grown in that time from 9 trucks and 15 employees, to its current roster of 30 trucks and 40 employees. “I’ve worked my way through every part of the business,” says Bird. “The steady growth we’ve seen has been due to the fact that we want to be the best at what we do. We want to focus on continually improving and being the best that we can be, in every possible way. “Our vehicles are kept clean and organized, the staff are uniformed and look professional, and we’re using state-of-the-art vehicles and equipment. Every little thing we can control contributes to the service we provide. When customers see these things, it builds trust, they know that if we treat our own things with care, we’re going to treat their vehicles with that same care.” Totem’s vision for the future includes steady growth within his current client base, and improving internal systems.

There are no current plans to expand services. Totem’s cl ientele i ncludes BCAA, Allstate Canada, Family Insu ra nce Solutions, Sykes Canada, the Saanich Police Department and the Oak Bay Police Department, among others. Totem does not provide private impound services. www.totemtowing.com

Good Advice from Real People

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hile enjoying an early morning coffee at the Roost Farm bakery in North Saanich recently, lost in a less-than-riveting piece of legal business literature, I was gladly distracted by a lively conversation occurring at the table next to me. The group was recounting their experience at a public meeting of the local mu n icipa l cou nci l the n ight before. Evidently, a proposed development by a loca l la nd owner had been dismissed by council. The group engaged in a healthy debate on the merits of the proposal, each providing what sounded like well thought out personal opinions on the matter. Many years ago, it was part of my reg u l a r job to at tend council meetings and support client development proposals through presentations to mayor and council. I learned a lot in those meetings, but probably the most profound and lasting lesson learned was about the very real power that any community member can have on council decision making. I saw people have measurable influence on council decision making. Real live democracy on a measurable scale. Those experiences have never let me forget that we (any and all of us) have a very real opportunity to influence local decision making, but you must participate. I have recently had the opportunity to meet separately with each of our Saanich Peninsula mayors for an informal discussion on economic development. There was plenty of good discussion, but one common string in all three conversations was that the business community cou ld be better represented to mayor and council – which means, among other things, Show Up! It wou ld seem t h at, as t he business community, we may be falling short on what is our option to participate. Now, I know that there are a consistent group of business owners in the region that “show up” on a reg u l a r ba si s; t he g roup I observed at the Roost is a fine

exa mple, but the nu mber of busi nesses relative to other interest groups showing up, is not high. T h e p r i m a r y rol e o f y o u r Chamber is to be the voice of business in the community. In this capacity, members should expect their chamber to listen to their concerns on local legislation and policy and work to productively voice such concerns to the appropriate level of government. We are very proud of what we have been able to accomplish over the years as a chamber in this regard, but we hear a bigger call for action in recent months. In response, the Chamber will be i ntroduci ng a new Pol icy Committee to its roster of committees. The general mandate of the committee will be to: (1) follow legislative proposals at all levels of government and to offer input thereon in order to ensure that lawmakers recognize and understand the needs a nd v iews of ou r memb ers; (2) convey relevant legislative amendments to our members and monitor issues of local interest; (3) consult with business and other groups to form or influence local, provincial and federal policies in support of businesses; and (4) establish the Peninsula as a destination for existing and emerging businesses by offering access to resources, guidance and support. I am very excited about getting this new committee going a nd I look for wa rd to hea ring from you. Please get out there a nd pa rticipate. Voice your concerns to your Chamber Board and Executive, join a chamber committee, check out cou nci l agendas a nd try your hand at supporting a local business proposal, write to your local political representative on an issue important to you, volunteer in your community… or just start by giving us a call, we’re here to help. Craig Norris is president of the Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and can be reached at craigenorris@eagalus.ca

JULY 2015

EAGLE WING EXPERIENCE ENTERTAINS AND SUSTAINS Whale watching company gives guests an exciting, sustainable and educational experience

ICTORIA – Eagle Wing Tours provides intimate, educationa l a nd eco-friendly encounters with some of the pla net’s la rgest mammals. The locally owned, and family operated business is committed to delivering an enhanced environmental experience to its customers. For company CoOwner, Operator and Captain Brett Soberg, giving that comprehensive experience on a consistent basis has been the key to success. “Seeing the look on the customer’s face when the wildlife surfaces is priceless,” he says. “It’s what gets me and every member of our team out of bed in the morning. We’re truly committed to providing a unique and engaging experience that gives people something they’re going to remember for a long time. “Our ability to deliver regular

Eagle Wing passengers enjoying two Orca whales breaching the surface sightings is due to a combination of our fast boat style, local knowledge, superior staff experience, and a bit of luck. If the whales are around we will know because of our affiliation with an extensive spotting network. We will travel great distances to show the Southern Resident

An Orca whale surfacing alongside an Eagle Wing Tours boat

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Killer Whale Community, and many more beautiful creatures.” Between the months of May and October, Eagle Wing has an industry leading 98 per cent sighting rate. In the event whales are not seen, passengers are covered by a guarantee program, that allows them to come back as many

times as necessary to make a sighting. That commitment to produce unique experiences has been a driver behind the company’s steady growth. “Coming out on one of our tours is like travelling first class,” says Soberg. “The ride is dry, smooth and exhilarating, and if Mother Nature decides to kick it up a notch, the boats we have are capable of keeping the trip enjoyable. Comfort is a primary objective for us; if sea conditions are unsafe or even uncomfortable we’ll cancel the trip. “The dedication to bringing the best possible experience to each guest has really come back to us. We pride ourselves on growing almost exclusively through referrals and word-of-mouth, and the consistent positive reviews that we receive really validate the level of service that we provide.” Eagle Wing’s fleet includes two different versions of an ‘offshore hull design’ or ‘scarab’, and a high performance twin hull catamaran. The vessel styles have the unique ability to blend safety and comfort with stability and speed, and are utilized all over the world

for search and rescue operations, high performance offshore racing and military applications. There are a number of different tours available, depending on the guest’s objectives. The traditional tours are between 3 and 4 hours long, and begin at multiple times throughout the day. Tours with an educational focus include: the Coast Salish Aboriginal Interpretive, Whale Researcher, & Wild Life tour. Customized options and charters are also available, including: Pender Island Wine & Whales, Savoury Salt Spring Island, and Poet’s Cove Retreat. Customers can expect to see: Orca, Humpback whales, Minke whales, Dall’s porpoises, Harbor porpoises, seals and sea lions, eagles and numerous other species of wild and intertidal life. In addition, viewings of lighthou ses, t id a l rapid s, act ive commercial shipping lanes, and obscure, naturally occurring landscapes are also part of the experience. Sustainability practices play a significant role in Eagle Wing’s approach to busi ness. T hey are Canada’s first 100 per cent carbon-neutral whale watching company, and the first tour company in Victoria to become members of 1% for the Planet; meaning that they donate 1 per cent of gross revenue to non-profit groups dedicated to environmental protection and sustainability. To date they’ve donated more than $72,000. “The natural world has massive demands being placed on it,” says Soberg. ”As stewards of the Salish Sea, we actively work to protect the marine ecosystem we love. We are privileged to work in the presence of natural beauty and feel it is our duty to help make sure it will be here for generations to come. “Our tours are fun and educational, which greatly enhances the value of the experience. As compassionate marine stewards, Eagle Wing Tours inspires the conservation of our marine environment, with a thrill!”

Happy and proud supporter of Eagle Wing Tours for ten years.

Congratulations to Eagle Wing Tours for their continual growth, leadership and success! 2077 Amelia Ave, Sidney, BC V8L 3Z8 t: 250.656.4341 e: seapower@seapower.ca www.seapower.ca SPECIALIZING IN COMMERCIAL MARINE INSURANCE SOLUTIONS

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JULY 2015

SIX WAYS TO IMPROVE CUSTOMER SERVICE Customer service has often been called the “frontline” of an organization JOHN GLENNON

Y A Humpback whale pu ng on a show for Eagle Wing passengers

From le to right: Andrew Lind, Tourism Industry Associa on of Canada board chair, Don Stewart, Eagle Wing Tours Co-Owner, Bre Soberg, Eagle Wing Tours Co-Owner, and Murray Rankin, Member of Parliament

Bre Soberg, Co-Owner, Operator and Captain of Eagle Wing Tours

The company includes a Wild Life Sustainability Fee for all passengers, with all proceeds going to support a variety of not-forprofit organizations dedicated to local wildlife research and salmon enhancement. They are the first whale watching business in Victoria to do so. Soberg is also a co-founder of the Victoria Sustainable Tourism Alliance (VISTA), has been a co-chair of the Victoria Earthday Showdown, and an organizer for World Oceans Day at Fisherman’s Wharf. Before starting his company in 2005, his background was in hospitality and tourism management. Eagle Wing has been recognized with the Top Sustainable Tourism Business Award by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, the EcoStar Environmental Leadership Award by the Capital Regional District of Victoria, the Sustainable Tourism Business Award by Tourism Vancouver Island, and the 2013 Gold Award by Green Tourism Canada. “Victoria is one of the most spectacular, awe inspiring places to live,” says Soberg. “Nature does not have a voice, we are ambassadors on behalf of the wildlife around us and it is humbling and validating when industry begins to change as a result of our sustainable leadership. Without healthy competition and without the ongoing support of our peers none of this would be possible. We are Wild 4 Whales!” www.eaglewingtours.com

ou know good customer service when you experience it. It’s hard to explain at times when it’s not so great, but it’s easy to recognize when a customer service agent has gone above and beyond to make sure you’re satisfied. At some p oi nt, ever y d ay, everyone is a customer. A good customer service experience is something that everyone can relate to – so what is it that makes for an exquisite customer service touchpoint? Because of word-of-mouth and social media, companies can’t afford to provide less than stellar customer service. Sandler Training teaches companies how to focus on the fundamentals of customer service due to its direct impact on the bottom line. W het her you’re i n B 2C or B2B sales, the following tips are tried and true and will help your company reap the rewards that come with exceptional customer care. Ask questions upfront. From the very beginning of a customer relationship, it’s crucial to know exactly what’s expected. This allows for you to manage expectations and also gauge what your customer will consider a success. If you’ve heard Sandler mention the “upfront contract” you know it all starts at this step. Listen to your customer. W hen a customer speaks, you should be listening. This is when you’ll discover their pain and identify where you’ll really be able to make an impact and move the needle for their business. Additionally, sometimes a customer just needs an outside opinion to ‘hear them.’ This is when you’ll establish that trusting relationship salespeople long for. Com mu n icate reg u la rly. A good business practice is to always be ahead of your customer. They should never be wondering when they’ll be hearing from you. Make it your practice to establish regular communications. And if there’s a particular situation that needs tending to, make sure you’re on top of the need and communicating accordingly. Remember, you’re there to make their job easier and more efficient. Be si ncere. T h is shou ld go without saying, but your efforts and communications with your customers should be nothing

short of sincere. Take a moment and put yourself in their shoes. If it’s important and pressing to them then make sure they know you understand their concerns and needs. Then, do your best to provide solutions to remedy the problem. Request feedback. A customer likes to be heard – and why shouldn’t they? They’re paying for a service and want to be handled to their liking. Insist that they rate you and give their feedback so that you can better service their needs. This is mutually beneficial as you’ll grow as a professional and they’ll likely continue to do business with you. K e e p a l o n g-t e r m m i n dset. There’s no quick fix when it comes to customer service. Companies that thrive invest in long-term training that the tackles behaviors, attitudes and techniques that are essential to customer service. Customer service has often been called the “frontline” of an organization. When executed properly, a happy customer will share their positive experience which will ultimately lead to referrals and positive wordof-mouth marketing. What are some of your customer service best practices? John Glennon is the owner of Insight Sales Consulting Inc, an authorized Sandler Training Licensee. He can be reached at jglennon@sandler.com, toll free at 1-866-645-2047 or visit www.glennon.sandler.com

JULY 2015

K&T BUILDERS KNOWN FOR QUALITY CUSTOM HOMES “We put out a quality Victoria company is also noted for renovations and additions

product and the house is complete when it’s turned over. There’s nothing

ICTORIA - K&T Builders Ltd. is known in Victoria for building quality custom homes as well as completing residential renovations and additions. Company president Ted Lapshinoff founded his company in 1996, after gaining years of experience in the building trades, particularly in framing houses. In 1996, when the construction business experienced a temporary slowdown in Victoria, Lapshinoff made the decision to start his own framing company. “It was definitely out of my comfort zone,” he said. “But I pushed myself and over the years, I got to know different builders and did work for them on a regular basis.” In fact, Lapshinoff

unfinished.” TED LAPSHINOFF PRESIDENT, K&T BUILDERS LTD.

acquired a reputation as an excellent framer and a reliable worker. One of his customers, Fairwest Construction, headed by Dennis Dale, contracted Lapshinoff to do the framing in his 30-home subdivision in Victoria. But Dale found himself far too busy managing the work site as well as marketing the homes. He asked Lapshinoff to be his project manager. That’s when K&T

Builders moved from framing into construction. “A nd I’ve ca r r ied on f rom there,” Lapshinoff said, noting that he built about 30 homes for Dale while also taking on new clients. K&T Builders’ specialty is custom homes and custom renovations. Over the years he has accumulated satisfied clients and therefore, many referrals. Lapshinoff said that the beginning of any project involves sitting down with the client and finding out what they want and what their budget can afford. “I try to get an idea of what type of house you would like,” he said. “And I try to get a ballpark figure of how much you want to spend. Do you want a modern home or more traditional? I want to get a feel for what you want.” If the client doesn’t have a plan, Lapshinoff will refer them to a designer he works with closely. Once the design is approved, a quotation can be pinned down.

From left to right: Peter Luttmer, Ted Lapshinoff and Sean Lapshinoff are dedicated to building quality homes Clients are welcome to visit the site as often as they wish. Some like to take photos daily while others check in via email or text. Lapshinoff noted that at certain stages of a project the clients or their interior designer get more closely involved: picking out cabinets, flooring, tiles and so on. Style is never a barrier, he said. K&T Builders works with any style or design that the client prefers. “We’ll do anything,” Lapshinoff said, adding that he has a record of making clients happy with the end product. One couple from Victoria wrote, “Jean and I wanted to let you know how pleased we are with our new home in Victoria… your service before, during, and one year after the construction has been excellent and we appreciate having done business with you.” Another couple wrote, “Shirley and I just wanted to say thank you

K&T homes draw praise from customers

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for the excellent job that you did in building our new home. From the beginning to end, you were very easy to work with and provided us with simply outstanding help and service, which made the home building process much easier and less stressful than we ever could have imagined.” Lapshinoff said that the number of years he has been working in the business certainly makes a difference in the quality and service his company provides. “We have the experience. And we use the same trades over and over again – they will be available for me to do the work when it needs to be done, even when it’s very busy. We put out a quality product and the house is complete when it’s turned over. There’s nothing unfinished. The house is clean and ready for the clients to move into.” Lapshinoff has completed the

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OFF THE FRONT

JULY 2015

R.E. REYNOLDS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Ted Lapshinoff says that when he builds a home, he leaves nothing undone

The separation between the needs of a busi ness, a nd its owner, has given R.E. Reynolds an opportunity to deliver unique and somewhat uncommon products with significant results. “We use an ‘outside-the-box’ approach here,” says Rick. “Because we’re not attached to a specific financial institution, we have the ability to use a wide variety of products. Ultimately it creates an environment that enables the customer to have a more diversified portfolio that’s optimized for taxation purposes. There are a number of clients who have implemented things like Collateral Term Insurance. “When a bank loans a business money, they often want the owner to put up collateral in case the owner dies. Rather than assign the family home to the bank, we can use an insurance policy to cover the loan. When set up correctly the premium is a tax deductible business expense. This strategy shields the owner’s home and personal assets from being repossessed by the bank.”

For these snowbird clients they offer specialized services like medically underwritten Global Travel Insurance which covers all pre-existing illnesses

Sean Lapshinoff has joined his father in the family business Canadian Home Builders Association Built Green program and is meticulous about taking energy efficiencies into account from placement of windows to heating systems and even overhanging eaves. He said that the future holds more of the same: quality built houses, custom ized to each client’s needs. His son, Sean Lapshinoff, having completed

his apprenticeship and attained his journeyman carpenter certification, is now taking charge of framing, leaving Ted free for a more supervisory role. “We’ll keep moving forward the way we have been,” he said. “The next seven or eight years are going to be good for construction.” K&T Builders Ltd. is at 276 View Royal Avenue in Victoria. www.kandtbuilders.ca

R.E. Reynolds also extensively uses Segregated Funds to protect client retirement savings. Segregated Funds, or segfunds, allow a business owner to name a preferred beneficiary, such as a spouse or children. Segfunds are kept separate from their company assets and since they fall under the Life Insurance Act, they are protected from creditors. This protects the investment from creditors, and can provide an extra element of security for dependents, families and loved ones. The desired return on segfunds are often between 6 and 10 per cent, after management fees. “One primary goal is to look after the specialized needs of business owners,” says Rob. “Their concerns are different and often go above and beyond the need of

Rick Reynolds, Partner with R.E. Reynolds Investments

Rob Reynolds, Partner with R.E. Reynolds Investments

a regular employee. That being said, their employees are often one of their most valuable assets. We have the ability to provide comprehensive benefit and disability packages that improve coverage, and reduce costs to the employer while keeping employees happy and loyal. “Of late we’ve been seeing a lot of success with Administered Services Only (ASO) employee benefits plans. In the past, ASO coverage has only been accessible to very large companies, but we’re now able to provide those ‘big business’ benefits to organizations with 25-30 employees.” ASO plans are more efficient than traditional benefits packages, offering lower fees and more customization. ASO plans replace an expensive insurance premium with a flat claims processing fee. “The claims your employees submit are your bill,” says Rob. “For benefits like Dental Care where individual claims are inexpensive, and everyone has a predictable six month checkup, you really don’t need insurance, you need a budget. For riskier items like Out of Country claims or large prescription drug claims, we combine ASO with strong but inexpensive Stoploss insurance. “We are able to save customers an average of 30 per cent annually, which in some cases amounts to more than $20,000. It’s important to know that this isn’t a bait and switch where your rates increase dramatically the next year, these reduced costs continue for the life of the plan. My favorite part of ASO plans is that it gets you off the ‘renewal rollercoaster’. You don’t have to market the plans all the time, and you don’t need to worry about getting a lowball quote only to be hit with a huge increase the following year.” R.E. Reynolds understands that many small business owners travel extensively and often spend winters abroad. For these snowbird clients they offer specialized services like medically underwritten Global

Travel Insurance which covers all pre-existing illnesses. “Most travel insurance excludes any pre-existing conditions,” says Rob. “We have a product that after disclosing all pre-existing medical concerns, you are given a personalized rate and these conditions are written into the policy, ensuring you’re protected.” These unique solutions exemplify the company’s approach to serving its clients. “We encourage long term savings, and big picture thinking,” adds Rick. “Keeping the client sa fe i s t he pr i m a r y objective, we’re not after the biggest fee, we’re here to partner with business owners and help them prepare for the future. It’s not uncommon for clients to develop $500,000 savings accounts with us, it takes time, but we do it through balanced and diversified investing tactics.” “Our focus is to simplify things for the client, we want to shed light on areas of improvement, save and protect their money. The reality is that businesses and their owners often require separate financial strategies; the needs are linked but different. Both Rob and I have complimentary skill sets that add a high level of value to the customer. “It’s really rewarding to find that perfect fit, whether it be a benefits package that’s going to save someone thousands of dollars, or an insurance policy that protects an owner and his or her family against unforeseen events.” Clients of note include Tidman Construction, Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub & Guesthouses and innovative tech company Terapeak. Rick is a Certified Financial Planner, Chartered Life Underwriter and Chartered Financial Consultant. Rob has recently passed the Certified Financial Planner exam, and is also a Certified Group Benefits Advisor and Financial Planning Standards Council Level 1 designate. www.rerinvest.ca

JULY 2015

STOCKUS TO SUCCESS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

how attractive that lifestyle can be, moving to the area in 2002 after living in Toronto and Calgary. “My husband and I had visited a few times, and just fell in love with the region,” she says. “Victoria has that ‘just right’ feel to it, it’s not so small that everyone knows who you are and there’s no sense of privacy, but it’s not too big that you end up lost somewhere in the crowd.

Terry Stockus, Realtor with Century 21 Queenswood Realty “The West Coast experience that’s often talked about is so tangible in the Capital Region. My husband and I are located in Peninsula, and we feel like we almost have this elevated existence because of the environment around us. Within a 20-minute walk we have access to different coves and

One of Terry Stockus’ recent sales on Lands A recent sale by Terry Stockus on Lands End Road, valued at $5.3 million End Road, valued at $2.85 million

A Cotswold Road property sold by Terry Stockus for $4.4 million

(PHOTO CREDIT: BOB HEWITT)

inlets, farms and stables, it’s really incredible.” Her passion for the industry began in her 20s, working for a real estate office in Ontario. “I was able to get a sense of the industry at an early age,” she says. “I really liked the fact that the people I worked for were creating tangible positive changes in their client’s lives. That’s something I really pride myself on; this sector is all about people and helping them take the next step in their life. “I’ve had the opportunity to work with many of my clients as their needs have evolved over time. We’ve grown together, and I’ve been able to use my own life experiences to empathize with their situations. I understand the emotions involved with these decisions, and the impact they have on the people making them.” The focus on people, and recognizing that each customer has an individualized need has been a key

(PHOTO CREDIT: BOB HEWITT)

component of Stockus’ success. “My philosophy is to value the person over the property,” she says. “I really believe in providing a personalized level of service. Before we talk about price point or location, I really want to build that personal connection. “Investing into the relationship is important if you’re sincere about helping someone. My goal is to make my customers feel like I’m committed to them throughout the entirety of the process, and that they have my complete attention.” That approach has really helped her to guide people through the dynamic financial environment that Canada has been experiencing. “One of the most important things in the buying or selling process is managing expectations, relative to the current market,” says Stockus. “Clearly communicating with the customer about what’s realistic is vital, it prevents frustration and disappointment,

and ultimately provides a better experience.” “Having those honest conversations builds a lot of trust, especially with the significance of real estate transactions. I have built my reputation on this approach, and have been fortunate enough to have a very high rate of repeat business and referrals because of it.” Long-lasting relationships that stretch over multiple property purchases and sales have given Stockus the opportunity to provide solutions for clients on both ends of the spectrum. “I have customers in every price point,” she says. “I love and cherish first-time buyers, it’s such an exciting time in their life. To be a part of that first decision is a privilege and an honour, the energy is incredible.” “I equally enjoy the challenges that come with high-end projects, there are so many more moving parts and variables to consider.

Each need is unique, the footprints are different, and it’s really exciting to put those deals together.” Stockus has worked in real estate for the past 10 years, and in 2009 moved to Century 21 with her Managing Broker, Chris Markham. He had purchased a franchise and transitioned his existing brokerage, Queenswood Realty, under the Century 21 banner. “Chris made the decision to join because he wanted to give our clients the best exposure possible,” she says. “We still maintain that boutique feel, but have international access and an increased level of resources to handle highend properties.” The brand is made up of approximately 6,900 independently owned and operated franchised broker offices in 75 countries and territories throughout the globe, and is represented by 102,000 real estate professionals. www.terrystockus.com

WHO IS SUING WHOM

JULY 2015

WHO IS SUING WHOM The contents of Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Suing Whom is provided by a third-party resource and is accurate according to public court documents. Some of these cases may have been resolved by publication date. DEFENDANT 4MS Storage & Mini Storage 5352 North Island Hwy, Courtenay, BC PLAINTIFF Arcilla Mariel CLAIM $25,396 DEFENDANT Andron Holdings Ltd 906 Island Hwy, Campbell River, BC PLAINTIFF Tillett, Lyndon CLAIM $25,156

DEFENDANT

Comfort Group Heating Corporation 201 Selby St, Nanaimo, BC PLAINTIFF Manhas, Kulvinder CLAIM $12,297

Evans Bay Contracting Ltd PO Box 596, Heriot Bay, BC PLAINTIFF Northwest Wire Rope Ltd CLAIM $10,996

Little Elf Garden Centre 1062 Goldstream Ave, Langford, BC PLAINTIFF Fisher Farms CLAIM $23,256

Sei Bella Studio 8739 Cordero Cres, North Saanich, BC PLAINTIFF Murgatroyd, Cheryl CLAIM $ 25,156

DEFENDANT Dean Park Plumbing & Heating Ltd 6-7855 East Saanich Road, Saanichton, BC PLAINTIFF Newsome, Richard CLAIM $25,216

DEFENDANT Evergreen Medicinal Supply Inc 4000 Granville Ave, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Prices Alarm Systems (2009) Ltd CLAIM $10,001

DEFENDANT Maximillian Huxley Construction Ltd 7th Floor 1175 Douglas St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Sunflower The Painting Company CLAIM $23,454

DEFENDANT Dynamex Canada Limited 500-8801 Trans Canada Hwy, St Laurent, QC PLAINTIFF Fletcher, Cris CLAIM $9,324

DEFENDANT Canadian Internet Marketing Ltd 240 Dallas Road, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF 602 Courtney Street Ltd CLAIM $145,730

DEFENDANT Easy Living Holdings Ltd. 201 Selby St, Nanaimo, BC PLAINTIFF Mid Island Consumer Services Cooperative CLAIM $43,958

DEFENDANT Coast Realty Group (Campbell River) Ltd 30 Front St, Nanaimo, BC PLAINTIFF Le Fevre & Company Property Agents CLAIM $21,241

DEFENDANT Electrix Ltd 167 Maquinna Ave, Zeballos, BC PLAINTIFF Christenson, Barry Gordon CLAIM $18,449

DEFENDANT Fanny Bay Service Ltd 16749 84a Ave, Surrey, BC PLAINTIFF Mid Island Consumer Services Cooperative CLAIM $ 161,123 DEFENDANT Goodsense Plumbing Inc 202 Crease Ave, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Faust, Carol Ann CLAIM $ 17,682 DEFENDANT Kin Wah Company Limited 4599 Chatterton Way, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Chow, Edward CLAIM $ 376,409

DEFENDANT Richmond Property Group Ltd 4599 Chatterton Way, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Footprints Security Patrol Inc CLAIM $ 9,901 DEFENDANT Ripple Rock Restorations & Renovations 1671 Petersen Rd, Campbell River, BC PLAINTIFF McLellan, James Gordon CLAIM $ 13,216 DEFENDANT Roofco Roofing Corp 201-156 Morison Ave, Parksville BC PLAINTIFF Cedar Grove Building Product Ltd CLAIM $ 144,257

DEFENDANT Shoreline Autobody 10045 McDonald Park Rd, Sidney, BC PLAINTIFF Quiroz Borrero, Eduardo CLAIM $ 7,045 DEFENDANT South Island Inspectech Building Inspections Inc 816 Dalewood Lane, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Cady, George Phillip Douglas CLAIM $ 25,196 DEFENDANT Tech Mechanical Systems Ltd 200-911 Yates St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Swandel, Catherine CLAIM $ 21,248 DEFENDANT Westwood Roofing Inc 2450 Highland Blvd, Nanaimo, BC PLAINTIFF Integrated Solutions Inc CLAIM $ 7, 280

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

JULY 2015

The Railyards residential development in Vic West is currently under construction. First approved 10 years ago, the development is now moving toward its final phase. A new affordable housing complex is being built at 550 Goldstream Avenue in Langford, adding options for First Nations families and others in need. The property, owned jointly by M’akola Housing Society and M’akola Development Services, will provide 36 rental units at affordable rates. Construction is expected to reach completion by February 2016.

To get in Movers and Shakers, call Thom at 250-6612297 or email thom@businessexaminer.net

ReMax Camosun has announced its top producers for the month of June. Those named include: Geoff McLean, Lynne Sager, Darren Day, Ed G. Sing, Marsha Crawford, Blair Veenstra, Dale Sheppard, Deanna Noyce, Amarjeet Gill, Phil Hahn, Mark Lawless, Roy Banner.

SeaFirst Insurance Brokers has announced the addition of two new business partners, Shawn Fehr and Scott Preston. Fehr has been working with the company for over three years as a Commercial Insurance Broker at its Westshore Office, while Preston has been with the company for over four years, and is the current Manager of Personal and Commercial Insurance out of the head office in Brentwood Bay. Kit and Ace – Technical Cashmere celebrated the grand opening of its new location at 118-560 Johnson Street. An entire row of aging buildings along the 1500-block of Douglas Street will be coming down in early August to make way for 1515 Douglas; a nearly 300,000 square-foot mixed-use office and ground floor commercial development by Jawl Properties. The Victoria Academy of Ballet has announced that its post-secondary Bridge Program has been given full Accredited status by PCTIA, Ministry of Advanced Education. The Academy is now the first and only ballet training institution in British Columbia.

Shannon Wilson, Co-founder and Creative Director with JJ Wilson, Cofounder and Brand Director at Kit and Ace

Broadmead Care has welcomed two new members to its Board of Directors. Rebecca Johnson is a lawyer and full professor at the Faculty of Law at UVIC and Robyn Quinn is owner and Principal Consultant of Bing Bang Communications. Returning directors are Paul Morgan, Bob Cronin, Chris Carter, Major General (ret’d) Dr. Wendy Clay, Daphne Goode, Rear Admiral (ret’d) Russell Moore, Cddr (ret’d) Mike MOrres, Bob Pearce and Dr. Judith Vestrup.

South Island Reman, a division of Western Forest Products in Chemainus, has announced a permanent shut down of that operation, effective by the end of July.

The Dog’s Ear Victoria has closed its doors at the Burnside location and has reopened as Bare Arms Media Screenprinting and Embroidery at 8-415 Dunedin St.

Cowichan Bay’s Beate Weber-Schuerholz has been named a recipient of the 2015 Gothenburg Award for Sustainable Development.

Cameron Glazier, a lawyer at Johns, Southward, Glazier Walton & Margetts, and Amy Hinrichs were elected to the Board of the Craigdarroch Castle Historical Museum Society at the Society’s AGM recently. They join previously elected members, Carl Wilkinson, Peter Van Giesen, Jennifer Oaks, Barri A. Marlatt, Stephen Lyons, Margaret Klatt, Moira Dann, Astrid Braunschmidt and Lorne Beally. Margaret Klatt and Arthur Joyce are retiring as board members. Nicholas Wemyss was elected for a second three-year term.

Kinetic Construction Ltd. has surprised employee Rick L’Ecuyer with a donation of $26,000 to the BC Cancer Foundation in his honour.

Five new board members were elected to the Board of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria at the Gallery’s recent AGM; Leslie Hildebrandt, Vice President, Regulatory and Corporate Affairs with Land Title and Survey Authority of BC; Chief Tony Hunt is hereditary chief of the KwaGulth Tribe; Fiona Hunter partner at the law firm Horne Coupar; Patti-Anne Kay, serving as President of the Associates this past year and Lynne MasséDanes, currently a partner in Fernhill Consulting. The newcomers join Ruth Wittenberg President, John Kirby 1st Vice President, Jackie Hamilton 2nd Vice President, Anne Russell, Q.C. Secretary, Bill Camden Treasurer, Silvia Bonet, Christopher H. Jones President of AGGV Foundation, Michael Morris, Fran Willis, Lynne Woodruff, Pieta VanDyke President of the Associates of AGGV and Dave Zaparinuk on the Board. Esquimalt city council has endorsed a new economic development strategy that could be opening the door to commercial operations in parks. Food trucks and kayak rentals have been considered as potential suggestions. North Saanich city council has rejected the plan to turn a portion of the 130-acre Glen Meadows Golf and Country Club into 35 strata-title lots, linked with a community farm.

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BC Hydro will be building a new $30-million Greater Victoria operations centre, which has been designed to remain in service after a disaster. The new centre will replace its 37-yearold building at 4400 Saanich Road, and will be close to 84,000-square-feet. Plans for construction have been set to run from September of this year to June 2017, with employees moving in August 2017.

The Greater Victoria Development Society’s proposal to build about 50 units of workforce housing in Sidney has fallen through, as the town and the rental development society could not reach an agreement on the price of the land, located at 9831 Third Street.

Lori Angelini Royal Roads University has opened the new Eric C. Douglass Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies in Fort Tectoria at 777 Fort Street. Set up in 2007, the Douglass centre aims to engage the community in entrepreneurship. Our Place has announced the appointment of Lori Angelini as its new Senior Development Officer. La Petite Boutique Sooke has renovated its location, and is now under new ownership as of July 10. ReMax Alliance congratulated its top performing sales associates for the month of June. Those named include: Alex Burns, Karen Love, Manpreet Kandola, Ron Neal, Fergus Kyne, Claude Delmaire, Mark Salter, Robyn Wildman, Thaddeus Monckton, Patrick O’Gorman. A 12-storey tower has been proposed for the Northern Junk lands along the harbourfront, which would feature 18,000-square-feet of commercial space and 130 condominium units. The Land Conservancy of BC is going back to the Supreme Court of BC for approval to sell 28 ecologically sensitive properties to the Natural Conservancy of Canada and the Nature Trust of BC. The sale is part of a plan for the Victoriabased non-profit to rid itself of $8 million in debt. Industrial Plankton, located at 3378 Burns Avenue, is getting $156,255 through the Western Innovation Initiative, backed by Western Economic Diversification Canada, to commercialize a 2,500-litre algae reactor and a 1,500-litre zooplankton reactor. Gunter Heinrich and Anthony Sam, owners of Winchester Galleries, are selling their commercial premises on Humboldt Street, which formerly housed Winchester Modern. Gallerist Elizabeth Levinson has relocated to Winchester Galleries in Oak Bay. Steve McKerrell has been elected president of the Foundation for the Victoria Symphony.

JULY 2015

Jonathan Huggett, project director of the Johnson Street Bridge replacement, is seeking another $2.5 million from Victoria council, bringing the cost to $96.8 million. Zipcar has entered the Greater Victoria region with 12 cars in operation, and expects to have 22 cars in operation by the end of summer. The carsharing organization operates out of Vancouver, and is the largest of its kind. Fit For Life Studio in Oak Bay, which specializes in training for people aged 55-plus, has hired Ron Cain as its new principal trainer. The James Bay Market Society has opened the new Breakwater Market at Ogden Point. A White Rock company has taken over the award-winning Abigail’s Hotel, located at 906 McClure Street. Former owner Ellen Cmolik put the property on the market in January for $5.19 million. Ramsay Group, a family-owned metal works and industrial manufacturer, has sold its land and buildings and will be auctioning off its heavy equipment. Ralmax Group owner Ian Maxwell is purchasing the building and land of the Sidney-based Ramsay Group to add more work space for his shipbuilding and industrial businesses.

Royal LePage Real Estate Services has acquired the Coast Realty Group brokerage and property management company in a deal that involves 150 real estate agents and nine offices in Island communities and Powell River. Vancouver-based Omicron has signed an agreement with the airport to be the exclusive developer of the property on Victoria Airport Authority land, pending required approvals. The company is proposing to build a new, 100,000-square-foot Sidney shopping centre anchored by a grocery store on the property, located on the southwest corner of Beacon Avenue and the Patricia Bay Highway. A 62-year lease would be signed for the land. Construction of an $85 million interchange at the McKenzie Avenue and Trans-Canada Highway intersection in Saanich is expected to begin in late 2016. Price’s Alarms has been in business for 120 years making it Canada’s oldest security company. Victoria councilors have decided to close Government Street for a number of days this fall and winter, rather than for one day a month.

LATITUDE GEOGRAPHICS QUIETLY CHANGING THE WORLD OF MAPPING

TECHNOLOGY ROB COOPER

an you name a local company with customer portfolio so diverse it includes the City of Philadelphia, the American Red Cross, Shell and BP? Well, now you can! Latitude Geographics, in business since 1999, is a quiet Victoria company that is doing big things on a global stage. With over 1000 customers, this web-based mapping and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) software development company provides services and software to a worldwide group of organizations. While Latitude has a long history of helping organizations with their mapping and map development, their current focus is on their Geocortex® software product. Geocortex® is a set of products including Geocortex Essentials and Geocortex Optimizer. Both products are aimed at helping users more efficiently create maps and mapping applications

on ESRI's industry standard ArcGIS platform. Geocortex Essentials shortens the time it takes to create mapping projects on the web by providing customizable viewers, administration tools and great built in features. Mapping professionals can simply use these features "out of the box" rather than having to build them from scratch on the ArcGIS platform. The Geocortex Optimizer product helps users gain valuable insights as to how people are using their maps and how they can improve performance of their online maps and map server. This product can also trigger alarms to alert users when certain actions occur with their maps and maps applications, ensuring things are working properly and smoothly. Latitude Geographics has been the recipient of a number of prestigious industry honours, including being named as the Esri 2010 International Business Partner of the year and winner of the VIATeC 2015 Technology Awards Technology Company of the Year. I mpre s s ive ly, L at it u d e i s self-funded and has managed to grow consistently in a debt free manner. Apparently, just like your parents told you, hard work and persistence really can pay off! Rob is a Director at VIATeC and founder of PlusROI Online Marketing, a web development & marketing firm. He can be reached at Rob@PlusROI.com.

Pemberton Holmes congratulated the top 10% of its sales representatives for the month of June, which included: Eli Mavrikos, Rick Couvelier, Daniel Hsu, Bobby Ross, Nancy Vieira, Jim Fields, Wendy Mitton, Catherine Hobbs, Kevin Lee, John Cade, Lew Poulin, Allison Ducluzeau, Jerry Mireau, Ken Neal, Yuan Chen, Andrew Plank, Li Xian Song, Paul King, Paul Whitney, Ivica Kalabric, Jerad Daniels, David Scotney, Shannon Roome, Zamian Parsons, Jens Henderson, Gabrielle Pakos, Phyllis Wakelyn. The Great Victoria Harbour Authority received $250,000 from the Western Economic Diversification and will match the grant to repair and renovate the lower causeway.

Helen and Chris Edley have opened Sharkz Store, Canada’s first geocaching store, on Esquimalt Road. This is in response to their growing online business. The provincial and federal governments are funding the new Admirals-McKenzie Interchange at $85-million. DFH Real Estate Ltd has announced June office leaders: Ann Watley, Amber Simpson, Fiona Phythian, Mike Fowles, Geoff Field, Wendy Herrick, Stephen Postings, Paul Arnold, Joanne Brodersen, Frank Chan, Sandy McManus, Scott Loughton, Philip Illingworth, Alley and Dennis Guevin,

Scott O’Neil, Mike Hartshorne, Peter Miller, Arlin Baillie, Patrick Achtzner, Judy Gerrett, Whitney Garside, John Bruce and Dave Philps. Diamond Eyecare welcome Dr. John Poon at their Foul Bay Professional Building location. Karen Nieuwenhuis joins the mortgage professionals at the The Mortgage Centre. Lifestyle Markets is celebrating 20 years in business and currently have 3 locations serving Victoria and area. Bathfitter Victoria has been in business for 15 years and offers showrooms in Victoria and Parksville.

OPINION

JULY 2015 A division of Invest Northwest Publishing Ltd. Head Office 200-3060 Cedar Hill Road, Victoria V8T 3J5 Ph: 1.250.661.2297 Fax: 1.250.642.2870 Toll free: 1.866.758.2684 WEBSITE - John MacDonald Website: www.businessexaminer.ca

PUBLISHER/EDITOR | Lise MacDonald, lise@businessexaminer.ca SALES | Thom Klos –thom@businessexaminer.ca, Josh Higgins – josh@businessexaminer.ca, Joanne Iormetti – joanne@businessexaminer.ca WRITERS | Goody Niosi, Julia MacDonald, Beth Hendry-Yim, John MacDonald

COUPONS, GROUPONS AND DISCOUNTS: ARE THEY A SLIPPERY SLOPE?

MARK MACDONALD

here are many different ways to attract customers to your place of business. Advertising and marketing options are an obvious place to start, and it is clear that entrepreneurs are adept at putting on their thinking caps to come up with unique ways to bring new clients through the doors. Coupons, groupons and discounts are popular, but are they short-term gain resulting in long-term pain? Do they present eventual problems for business profitability? Yes, these methods do bring people in, but do they on their own get cash registers to ring at amounts that ultimately make sense for the owner? If you’re considering using

coupons/groupons, make sure the offer is substantial enough to entice customers to come your way. 10 per cent off is viewed as paltry. . .a “we pay the tax” offer, a slight increase, is more appealing, because, well, we all hate paying tax. But effective coupons need to promise more than a slight savings in order to work effectively. Generally speaking, if a business receives a 10 per cent redemption rate on coupons, that’s looked at as a “win”. Depending on what discount/offer is being extended, and to how many potential customers, that could prove enormously costly and perhaps not even worth the effort, once the till tapes are tabulated. And even if a coupon works, if a person only buys once, was it worth the effort at all to get them into the business? At best, coupons/groupons/discounts can be likened to “tasters”. Perhaps no-one is better at “tasters” than Costco. There, if a visit is timed right, mom and dad can feed the whole family by walking up and down the aisles around lunch or dinner time. An entire meal isn’t available at every station, but one can get enough nibbles to make

the tummy rumblings seriously subside until reaching the till and beyond. Tasters are effective, and they do work, but the vendors aren’t giving away the farm. They are giving potential buyers a nibble, a try, in hopes that their taste buds are satisfactorily affected, enough to encourage their brains to buy the entire bag or box. Still, they are only samples. By the end of the day, the product presenter has divvied up plenty of product, but it’s only a little bit at a time to a wide number of potential customers. The message is clear: If you like what you’ve tasted, buy the bundle. But, lest we forget, someone, somewhere, needs to pay full price – or a reasonable price - frequently, or there won’t be a company at all. Like most business exercises, the bottom line of the company is the ultimate statement about whether or not any sales method is effective. And if, at the end of the day or sale period, it results in red ink, then what’s the point? Discounting is a slippery slope, and, while being the easy way out for salespeople, it can become a very real problem for the company. If

people become accustomed to buying items at discounted prices and their frequency is based on price alone, how does a store get them to pay higher rates that make sense for the business? Yes, discounting works. But by continuing to do so, are you devaluing your business? And is it making you work harder and longer, with nothing to show for the effort at the end of the day? The answer is one word: Value. Many years ago, a presenter at a sales seminar made a statement – over and over – that has been permanently etched in my mind: “In the absence of value, price becomes an issue.” He urged us to concentrate on value when making sales pitches. He encouraged us to equip our staff to make skilled sales presentations and help buyers make purchases knowing they are making an investment in quality. It takes research, product knowledge and confidence in order for a salesperson to be confident to sell on value, rather than price, but the investment is always worth it. If the sales team is educated about what they’re selling, they’ll be able to present an understanding of value to customers prior to purchase.

Commission-based salespeople need to be reminded that their longevity with the company depends on their ability to sell goods and services at healthy margins that make sense for the owners, as well as the customers. Not everyone buys based solely on price. Of course there are many who do, but there is always a segment of the market that buys products and services based on long-lasting value. It is these who are more apt become loyal, longterm, valuable customers, and likely word-of-mouth advertisers for the company if they’re happy. If selling your products at or near your cost has become the long-term standard of conducting business, perhaps the next major discount the regular “customers” will get from the business is from the “going out of business” sale as you sell the remainder of your assets. It all comes down to the issue of value. Do you believe in your company, your products, and your people? Then it’s worth holding the line on the prices you’re asking. The results are much better than the alternative.

ALBERTA’S NOTLEY CREW SWIFTLY BECOMING BOB RAE 2.0 It’s becoming clear that the Notley NDP is intent on following the disaster policies set by the Rae government

JASON CLEMENS AND BEN EISEN

here are many parallels between Alberta’s first NDP premier, Rachel Notley, and Ontario’s only NDP premier, Bob Rae. Some similarities, like the fact neither was expected to even contest the election let alone form a majority government, are interesting for conversation but not necessarily impactful on the lives of average Albertans. There are, unfortunately, other similarities that will adversely affect the Alberta economy and the prosperity of Albertans now and for the foreseeable future. The first worrying similarity is that Notley, like Rae before her,

seems totally unconcerned with controlling government spending in the face of large deficits. Rae inherited a $3.0 billion deficit when he was elected in late 1990. His government increased spending by over $5.3 billion (or 13 per cent) in one year, resulting in a deficit of $10.9 billion. These increases came on top of the large increases introduced by Liberal Premier David Peterson. In the three years the Peterson Liberals governed as a majority, they increased program spending by 35 per cent. The early actions of the Notley government suggest it is following the same course. Despite an expected deficit of almost $5.0 billion, the government has announced over $600 million in new spending, including $39 million for social assistance and housing, over $100 million for education, and a whopping $500 million for healthcare. The second worrying parallel between Rae and Notley is their proclivity to increase taxes without understanding (or worrying about) how such increases affect competitiveness and economic incentives.

The Rae NDP aggressively increased personal income taxes and raised a host of other taxes including business taxes. These tax hikes came after large increases to the same taxes introduced by the Peterson government. The result was that Ontario was markedly uncompetitive with respect to many key taxes and the incentives for work effort, savings, investment, and entrepreneurship were eroded. The result was predictable: a sluggish economy throughout Rae’s tenure. Alberta’s NDP government appears determined to repeat the tax and competitiveness mistakes of the Rae government. In the Throne Speech, the Notley government confirmed it will proceed with a 20 per cent increase in the province’s general corporate tax rate and introduce two new personal income tax brackets, eliminating the country’s only single-rate tax. These changes mean all that remains of Alberta’s once meaningful tax advantage is the absence of a provincial sales tax. However, most economists agree that this is in fact not an advantage, since

consumption taxes are among the least economically harmful taxes. In fact, Alberta would be better served economically with a low sales tax that allowed for even lower personal and business income taxes. Surprisingly, unlike the Rae government that unsuccessfully tried to promote manufacturing, the Notley government seems uncompromisingly committed to reigning in what has been an anchor of the provincial economy: the oil and gas sector. There have been a slew of announcements that undermine investment and development in the oil patch including the review of the province’s royalty regime with a clear eye towards collecting greater revenues and new environmental regulation including a doubling of the carbon levy. And the government has mused about replicating the disastrous energy policies of Ontario which have caused electricity prices to skyrocket and competitiveness to plummet. The new government’s punitive approach to the province’s energy sector will have immediate,

tangible effects. The marked decline in Alberta’s competitiveness make investment in neighbouring Saskatchewan and British Columbia as well as the Dakotas that much more attractive. It’s reminiscent of a comment by former Alberta Premier Ralph Klein when he joked that the most productive cabinet minister in Alberta was B.C.’s premier because his policies made Alberta so attractive for investment. As our recent analysis demonstrates, there was nothing inherent about the election of the NDP in Alberta that predetermined bad policies. Saskatchewan’s NDP demonstrated in the 1990s and early 2000s that good policies are non-partisan. Unfortunately, it’s becoming clear that the Notley NDP will walk the same road travelled by the Bob Rae NDP of Ontario, with predictably similar results. Jason Clemens and Ben Eisen are economists with the Fraser Institute and co-authors of Fiscal Policy Lessons for Alberta’s New Government from Other NDP Governments.

SUBCRIPTIONS | $45 PER YEAR (12 ISSUES), $80 FOR 2 YEARS (24 ISSUES), SUBSCRIBE ONLINE: WWW.BUSINESSEXAMINER.NET. 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 Victoria, 2014. Canadian Publications Mail Acct.: 40069240

JULY 2015

SHOULD YOUR BUSINESS GO PAPERLESS?

PATENTING A COMPUTER IMPLEMENTED INVENTION LAW

Patent Eligible Claims

In order for a claim to be patent eligible, it must clearly convey that the

F GOING GREEN JILL DOUCETTE

o you prefer your entire business world to exist on a 2.2 pound MacBook air and an iPhone, or do you prefer to keep it analog, with paper notes and physical project files? There is a broad spectrum in the divide between digital and analog business management, and different people enjoy different combinations of old school and new school. The average North American office worker is said to use 10,000 sheets of paper every year. That is equivalent to consuming more than an entire tree of paper. Many offices are looking for ways to go paperless, not just to save the forests, but to become modern, efficient, lean companies. As a part of the research for a new title by Self-Counsel Press called “Greening Your Office: Strategies That Work” I explored the concept of a paperless office. I was curious about the environmental impacts of switching to an entirely cloud-based, electronic office. Is it really that much greener? After all, the cloud still has an impact. There are barges of servers floating in the pacific housing information for corporate giants such as Google. It turns out, the impact of an email, or a stored file, does have a carbon footprint, but it is a fraction of the carbon footprint of a paper document. Though I am an environmental ambassador, I admit, I love paper. I like the pace of physical writing, the texture of paper and there is nothing like a great stationary set. However, I couldn’t ignore the cost savings and efficiencies of the digital world. Using cloud based storage (Dropbox) and digital time tracking and invoicing (Freshbooks) has saved us hundreds of hours. What used to take us 10 hours every two weeks to complete invoicing now takes us 1 hour. If you do use some paper systems at your office, switching to post-consumer recycled products will reduce your carbon footprint. Making recycled paper instead of new paper uses less energy and water, and it keeps our forests alive. While the best choice for your office may be a combination of both digital and paper, reducing excessive paper consumption and switching to post-consumer products will minimize your environmental impact and transition your business to a modern, greener operation. Jill Doucette is the author and founder of Synergy Enterprises.

or a number of years, many US patents relating to computer implemented inventions and the internet were granted. Then, on June 19, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its unanimous decision in Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank International. It had long been established that one cannot patent an “abstract idea”, but for many years, it was possible to obtain a patent for a business method (essentially an abstract idea) as implemented on a computer. However, in Alice Corp., the U.S. Supreme Court held that merely implementing an abstract idea on a “generic computer” does not make it patent eligible. The Court further held that claims describi ng i mplementation of a method “using a handful of generic computer components” are not patentable either. The Alice Corp. decision severely weakened, if not destroyed, any business method patent that claims a demonstrably old and fundamental method with nothing more specific or “innovative” in the claims than implementation of that method on a computer. A series of cases then followed in which the Alice Corp. decision was

computer is programmed to perform the steps of the method

applied. For example, in Ultramercial Inc v Hulu LLC, a claimed method of offering free streaming video in exchange for viewing an advertisement was held to be not patent eligible. A year has passed since the Alice Corp. decision and it is now time to revisit what is and is not patentable regarding computer implemented inventions. The U.S. Patent Office acknowledges that a general purpose computer, when programmed by program software to perform a series of steps, creates a new machine because a general purpose computer becomes a special purpose computer once it is programmed to perform particular functions pursuant to instructions from the program software. In order for a claim to be patent eligible, it must clearly convey that the

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computer is programmed to perform the steps of the method. There must be integral use of the computer to achieve performance of the method, as compared to the computer being merely being an object on which the method operates. The computer must impose meaningful limits on the execution of the claimed method steps, as compared to the computer contributing only nominally to the execution of the method steps (e.g., in a data gathering). By following the method claimed, one should produce an observable and verifiable result. The foregoing can be used as a guide in determining whether a com puter implemented invention is patent eligible. It is important to understand that what is being considered is the invention “as claimed” (the claims are the part of a patent application that define the exclusive rights that the applicant hopes to obtain) and that care should be taken in the claiming strategy. When preparing an application for subject matter that could be characterized as a mere abstract idea, it is important to emphasize in the claims, and fully describe, features that differentiate the claimed subject matter from a mere abstract idea, for example, specific technical details that are only possible or practical when implemented on a computer.

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