Business Examiner Vancouver Island - October 2018 by Business Examiner Media Group

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OCTOBER 2018

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CHEMAINUS

Nanaimo Franchise Nets Three Major Awards at Texas Conference

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anaimo’s Rainbow Internationa l Restoration, operated by Rebecca and Ryan Hill, is one of the best in the world, given the honours heaped on the business at the company’s annual conference in Texas. T he Na na i mo operation scooped three major awards, standing out among the hundreds of U.S. and Canadian owners present. First, the company was named one of the top 10 franchises. Next, team member Tony Kost, was selected as Service Professional of the Year out of thousands of Rainbow employees. Finally, co-owner Rebecca Hill was chosen as Woman of the Year for the franchise. “It felt really great after only eight years in the business to reach that level of accomplishment and respect among our peers,” Rebecca said. There are

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INDEX News Update

Cowichan Valley

Port Alberni

Nanaimo

Comox Valley

Who is Suing Whom 26 Movers and Shakers 27 Opinion

325 franchise owners in Canada and the U.S. Rainbow International Restorations is the flagship of the Neighbourly group of home service companies. For Ryan and Rebecca Hill, the company’s commitment to quality and ethics drew them to the brand. Eight years ago they moved to Nanaimo to be closer to family. They also loved the west coast lifestyle and they wanted to establish a business that would allow them to support themselves and other families. They were familiar with Rainbow Restorations and also knew there was no franchise in Nanaimo. They opened on October 18, 2010. “We l i ked that there was a code of values by which we run our business – and our lives,” SEE AWARDS | PAGE 22

Tony Kost of Nanaimo was chosen as Service Professional of the Year from among thousands of Rainbow Restoration employees

Business Examiner Owner’s Book Launch Oct. 23

OUR 15TH YEAR

“It Worked For Them, It Will Work For Me” Features Business Success Secrets From Local Owners

a rk M a c D o n a l d h a s interviewed thousands of business owners and managers since becoming Publisher of the Business Examiner in 1990. He’s condensed some of those interviews into his first business book: “It Worked For Them, It Will Work For Me: The 8 Secrets of Small Business I Learned From Successful Friends”, which will be

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officially launched Tuesday, October 23 at 7 p.m. at the Nanaimo Golf Club. The book launch will feature a “fireside chat” as MacDonald will interview some of the business owners in the book: Alex Dugan of the Central Island Distributors trucking company, builder Donna Hais of R.W. (Bob) Wall Contracting Ltd., Certified Professional Accountant Doug Johnston of

Johnston, Johnston & Associates and business coach Ron Berry. The book features stories and tips from a number of successful local business owners, including Bruce Alexander, dealer principal of Parksville Chrysler and former Sales Manager at Wille Dodge Chrysler. “Originally, I set out to create something like a small businessperson’s version of David

Chilton’s classic The Wealthy B a rb e r,” s a y s M a c D o n a l d . “Mr. Chilton’s sharing of common-sense investing wisdom f ro m h i s u n d e r-t h e-ra d a r, regular barber has helped many people in the world of investing. “The book contains tried and true methods and rules I learned by listening to the thousands SEE MARK MACDONALD | PAGE 16

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2 PORT ALBERNI Catalyst Mills Purchased Catalyst Paper Corporation has sold its mills in Port Alberni, Crofton and Powell River to Paper Excellence Canada, based in Richmond. T he deal was announced October 9, a nd is subject to reg u lator y rev iew a nd fi na l approvals. PEC, Canada’s largest pulp producer, has other BC operations in Skookumchuck in the Kootenays, Mackenzie north of Prince George, and Howe Sound, as well as in Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia.

PARKSVILLE Berwick Halts Work on New Complex Berwick Retirement Communities has withdrawn a subdivision application and stopped all work at 180 Jensen Avenue East pending the resolution of a legal challenge to the rezoning of 222 Corfield Street. The Corfield site has been determined by Parksville council to be the home of a new supportive housing and shelter project. The Jensen Avenue site was intended to be home of the new

Berwick Parksville Retirement Complex, a complex housing 250 seniors and a daycare center for their assisted living homes’ 150 employees. Berwick’s project and construction manager notified the building inspector that the company will not accept the approved building permit and engineering fees and the development cost charges of $2.8-million. Work on previously committed site work and the permit application is continuing with the hope that the mayor and council will recognize the incompatibility of the neighboring site with that of a senior’s residence.

NANAIMO Seaspan Reaches Land Deal with City Seaspan Ferries Corporation, the City of Nanaimo and Southern Railway of Vancouver Island Ltd. have reached a land transfer agreement worth nearly $1-million. Under the agreement, Seaspan will remove a perpetual right of way occupying 6.27 hectares of land and water at 1 Port Drive for $991,465. The city has also agreed to transfer 1.45-hectares of waterlot and 2.3 hectares of land to an affiliate of Seaspan and Southern Railway of Vancouver Island. The move comes after Nanaimo councilors endorsed a south

OCTOBER 2018

downtown waterfront draft plan, which proposes different uses for undeveloped land on Front Street, Port Drive and Esplanade. Discussions about purchasing the right-of-way from Seaspan have been ongoing since 2013, when the city purchased 10.8-hectares of downtown waterfront land for $3.4-million. The deal means the city receives land on the northwest side of the railway, closest to Port Place Mall, while the Seaspan affiliated company will receive land on the southeast side, including the barge bridge and water around it. With the right-of-way removed from the property, the city can move forward with its plans to redevelop the area. The right-ofway agreement allowed Seaspan to use the land exclusively, despite the city technically owning all the land involved in the deal. Canadian Pacific Railway originally owned the right-of-way agreement and sold it to Seaspan around 30 years ago.

COWICHAN VALLEY 230-unit Development Earns Approval from Council A proposed 230-home development received unanimous approval from North Cowichan council in a third reading

held near the end of September. Once completed, the development could house up to 575 new residents and increase Crofton’s population by as much as 34 per cent. Developer Ron King is behind the proposal which seeks to offer environmentally conscious homes below $300,000 - targeting empty nesters and first-time home buyers. King proposed developing the project in 12 phases, eventually cover 14.6-hecares within the municipality’s urban containment boundary. The development proposal calls for a mix of single-unit and two-unit strata’s which would also include communal space, a clubhouse and up to seven guest cabins around the clubhouse. As part of the proposal the developer has agreed to dedicate five per cent of the property to parkland, which would include a playground, dog park and biking and pedestrian trails through the property. Additionally, the developer proposed a $500 per lot contribution to the municipality’s affordable housing reserve fund, which would amount to $115,000 over the course of the project. As well, they would provide $300,000 to North Cowichan as infrastructure leverage funding for a new water reservoir for the region. Council is considering givi ng the project a fou rth a nd final reading in a future council meeting.

TOFINO Tofino Plans Wastewater Treatment Plant The District of Tofino has put together a $55-million wastewater treatment plan in order to meet a 2020 deadline to stop pumping untreated sewage into the ocean. The district has applied for a roughly $40-million grant from the federal government to help cover the costs of the project. As part of the application for the grant, Tofino’s municipal council gave their staff the authority to borrow up to $16-million to cover the remaining costs. Under the current plan, Tofino would pay off that loan over 30 years with annual payments of $896,419, which would be collected through an 11 per cent residential property tax increase. Once complete the wastewater facility would have an estimated annual operating cost of $612,182, which would be paid for through a 91 per cent increase in utility bill sewer charges. This would see a rise in the average residence’s sewer charges from around $290 to up to $554. These dollar amounts do not however, account for the financial contributions the district expects to receive from the Tlao-qui-aht First Nation and Parks SEE NEWS UPDATE | PAGE 3

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VANCOUVER ISLAND Housing Market Moving Toward Balance Housing market sales dropped for the month of September. Single-family home sales fell by 32 per cent from one year ago while apartment and townhouse sales sunk by 26 per cent compared to 2017. Last month, 348 single-family homes sold on the Multiple Listing Service System compared to 467 in August and 511 one year ago. The number of apartments and townhouses changing hands last month dropped by 26 per cent and 41 per cent year over year, respectively. Inventory of single-family homes in September rose slightly, up four per cent from last year. Active listings of apartments dipped by six per cent year over year while townhouse inventory posted a modest increase, up by three per cent over September 2017. “We attribute the weaker sales throughout British Columbia to a decrease in demand rather than oversupply,” says Cameron Muir, Chief Economist, British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA). “The mortgage stress test and higher interest rates are taking their toll on housing sales throughout the country.” The benchmark price of a single-family home for the overall board area hit $508,800 in September, a 12 per cent increase from one year ago. In the apartment category, the benchmark price climbed to $319,600, up 18 per cent from September 2017. The benchmark price of a townhouse hit $414,300 last month, up 14 per cent over last year. Last month, the benchmark price of a single-family home in the Campbell River area rose to $402,700, an increase of 12 per cent over September 2017. In the

Comox Valley, the benchmark price reached $495,700, up nine per cent from last year. Duncan reported a benchmark price of $470,400, up 11 per cent from September 2017. Nanaimo’s benchmark price rose 10 per cent to $554,000 while the Parksville-Qualicum area saw its benchmark price increase by 11 per cent to $575,100. The cost of a benchmark home in Port Alberni reached $303,900, up 19 per cent from one year ago.

PORT ALBERNI City Awards Contract for Plant Upgrades The City of Port Alberni has awarded a $17-million contract, the largest in the city’s history, to Tritech Group for wastewater treatment plant upgrades. The project is expected to break ground this fall and will take about two years to complete. The city received three bids on the construction contract, and a review by Associated Engineering recommended they accept the bid from Langley-based Tritech. The city received approximately $18-million in grant funding to date from the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund and the federal government’s gas tax fund for this project. The upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant include building a new aeration system, adding solids screening and ultraviolet light disinfection to the treatment process, constructing a new outfall 800 meters into the harbor and improving effluent dispersal by adding five sub-surface diffusers. The city will also upgrade the former Catalyst lagoon, purchased in 2012. Reusing the existing infrastructure will allow the city to proceed with upgrades at only a fraction of the cost of building a new plant. Once completed, the old city lagoon will be decommissioned and restored as a wetland habitat. The upgrades are anticipated to have a significant positive impact on the health of the harbor and neighboring estuary.

VANCOUVER ISLAND Tourism Vancouver Island Announces New Board Tourism Vancouver Island’s 55th Annual Conference and AGM was held from September 25-27 in Port Hardy. The business meeting concluded the event on September 27 with the announcement of the incoming Board of Directors for the 2018 – 2019 term. At the first meeting of the new Board of Directors, Ian MacPhee of Prince of Whales Whale Watching was re-elected to the position

of Board Chair. Returning to the board and elected by acclamation for twoyear terms are: Andrew Jones of Kingfisher Wilderness Adventures; Corene Inouye of Jamie’s Whaling Station Ltd.; and Lara Greasley of Comox Valley Economic Development & Tourism. Serving out their second year of a two-year term are Ian MacPhee of Prince of Whales Whale Watching, Janet Docherty of Merridale Cidery & Distillery, and Arthur Wong of The Beach Club Resort. Raymond Chan of RCA Consulting and Leif Bogwald of Vancouver Island Expeditions have been re-appointed to the board for a two-year term, while Jim Owens

of JTO Hospitality Group has been re-appointed for a one-year term. Dean Prentice of Mount Washington Alpine Resort and Lillian Hunt of Indigenous Tourism BC will serve out their second year of a two-year term. A vacancy exists for a representative in the Gulf Islands region with the recent resignation of Janet Clouston of the Salt Spring Island Chamber of Commerce as she moves to the east coast to start a new adventure. Janet has served on the board since 2014 and has been a valuable asset. A request for expressions of interest will be distributed in the near future to fill the vacancy. SEE NEWS UPDATE | PAGE 4

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OCTOBER 2018

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The officers include Ian MacPhee as Chair; Arthur Wong as Vice Chair (Chair Elect); Raymond Chan as Governance Chair; Andrew Jones as Marketing Chair; and Leif Bogwald as Secretary-Treasurer. Carol Ann Terreberry continues as Past Chair.

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gates. Once guests have picked up their reloadable MYMW Card, they need only keep it in a pocket by itself somewhere on the left side of their person. While moving to the lifts the new RFID enabled gates will detect a guestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s card on their left side and grant access to the lift. The new RFID enabled MYMW Cards are durable and allow guests to reload their lift tickets and season passes online. The resort is installing the new technology this fall and is anticipating a smooth implementation for their December 7th opening day.

CAMPBELL RIVER City Partners Up on Climate Change T he City of Ca mpbell River has received an offer from the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) Canada to help the city develop a Climate Adaptation Strategy, funded by the Real Estate Foundation of BC. ICLEI was founded in 19 9 0 a n d h a s w o r k e d w ith over 20 Ca nad ia n

communities to develop climate adaptation plans. The organization was recently given funding for the project and is able to offer the City of Campbell River technical support, valued at around $60,000) to develop a climate adaptation strategy for technical support for Campbell River. The strategy ICLEI will be developing is to be centered around a series of workshops that utilize the expertise of local stakeholders including municipal staff, chambers of commerce, regional governments, First Nations, academ ics, emergency response programs and health professionals to plan for local impacts of climate change. The workshops are designed to assess the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vulnerabilities and risks pertaining to increasingly erratic weather, make considerations for infrastructure and explore the economic implications of global warming. Other Vancouver Island communities selected by ICLEI to develop these strategies include Port Alberni, Saanich, Colwood, Esquimalt, Courtenay, the Capital Regional District and the Cowichan Valley Regional District.

OCTOBER 2018

Merridale Cidery: Spirits and the City

OWICHAN VALLEY - Cowichan’s iconic Merridale Cidery & Distillery is bringing the spirits of its Cobble Hill farm to Victoria with a new eco-friendly distillery, Merridale at Dockside. Designed as part restaurant, part visitor attraction, part craft distillery and brewery, and part eco-friendly business model, the 12,000 square foot, $5 million-plus project is expected to open in fall 2019. Features will include: ■ A craft distillery and brewery using BC grains to produce unique, organic spirits; ■ An open-to-the-public experience with an second-floor mezzanine that gives visitors a 360 degree view of the distillery and brewery operation; ■ An environmentally-friendly, Leed Gold compliant structure with a minimal eco-footprint; ■ A convenient in-city outlet for Merridale’s farm-based fresh cider on-tap, and delicious fruit spirits; ■ A roof-top patio with breathtaking views over Point Hope Maritime shipyard and the upper harbour; and ■ A tasting bar, pizzeria, sidewalk patio, and extra bike parking, to encourage patrons to walk or bike to the site. The new outlet is an urban adaptation of Merridale’s successful, multi-faceted, farm-based business in Cobble Hill. Over the past 20 years, Merridale owners Janet Docherty and Rick Pipes have been instrumental in establishing and promoting the craft distillery industry in BC. Their cidery was one of the first to develop a new industry utilizing fruit mash. Pipes was also instrumental in championing legislative changes that launched the province’s fledging craft distilleries. In addition to the cidery, Merridale has a successful fruit-based distillery. Products from both are distributed through retail outlets. The Dockside distillery will add grain-based products. Merridale’s Cobble Hill farm-based operation is already one of the top attractions in the region. The farm holds frequent family-friendly events such as the annual Cider Harvest Festival; Sunday pizza nights with entertainment; and Christmas on the Farm celebrations Fridays and Saturdays from November 23 to December 22 with a full Christmas display available for viewing 7 nights a week. The first Island Craft Distillery Festival will be held November 3. “With our team, we work to create a destination where everyone can have a good time while enjoying the natural setting

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orchard, the quarry pond with waterfall, and/or the entire farmhouse. From April to October, the farm is a favourite for outdoor weddings. The wedding party enjoys a beautiful rural setting while the Merridale team offers a full-service venue from food to planning. The couple can book a private luxury yurt for the pre-wedding preparation, followed by their first night in a ‘honeymoon’ yurt. In winter Merridale continues to host weddings and other celebrations on the farmhouse’s heated, covered deck or inside the farmhouse. Janet notes the success of the multi-faceted Merridale farm operation in Cowichan will be replicated by a multi-faceted Merridale at Dockside. The development will be

Eat, drink and be Merri-dale: the iconic Cowichan Valley destination is now bringing its blend of craft spirits, good food, and fun to Victoria

We’re proud to present the organic, farm to table ethos of Merridale, both on our farm and in the city

of our farm and orchard,” Janet Docherty said. “The orchard was planted in the early 1980s and we bought the property in 1999. Since then we’ve continued to enhance the Merridale experience while supporting our commitment to sustainability.” In addition to craft cider and spirits, there is a farm store, a tasting bar and lounge, a brick oven used for fresh-baked, ciderleavened bread, pastries, and handmade pizza. The Eatery presents a full menu, from appetizers to child portions. Group tours and overnight yurt rentals are available for those who want a closer look or longer stay. Merridale is a popular choice for private parties, with a complete menu of local food choices. Guests can rent the

environmentally friendly and will encourage walk-in and bike-in visitors. Built to Leed Gold standards, the building will exceed the already stringent Dockside Green development standards. One unique feature will be recycling the heat generated by the distilling process back into Dockside Green’s energy grid. Plus the distillery will use a special method of aging via temperature and humidity control which accelerates the benefits. “This showcase working distillery will draw visitors. It will be an addition to Victoria’s tourist industry that showcases the best of BC,” Janet says. “We’re proud to present the organic, farm to table ethos of Merridale, both on our farm and in the city.”

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OCTOBER 2018

COWICHAN MOVES FROM IDEAS TO ACTION

COWICHAN AMY MELMOCK

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owichan organizations involved in finding new housing solutions came into contact with some “friendly dragons” recently, during a two-day housing symposium co-hosted by Cowichan Housing Association, Economic Development Cowichan and Social Planning Cowichan. Diversifying local housing has been a hot topic throughout Vancouver Island in recent months. As a follow-up to a March 2018 forum on Attainable Housing held in Cowichan, acclaimed housing guru Dr. Avi Friedman returned to the region for the September 2018 symposium aimed at moving from “Ideas to Action.” During the event, Avi Friedman previewed a series of concept drawings he created for the Municipality of North Cowichan for innovative and affordable housing in the Chemainus area. He also participated in the Dragon’s Den forum with Lilian Chau of Vancity, John Horn from the City of Nanaimo, Tiffany Duzita from the Community Land Trust and Danielle Deni from M’akola Development Services. The panel heard

Avi Friedman presentations from Providence Village Housing Society, Cowichan Lake Eldercare Society, Hiiye’Lelum (House of Friendship) Society and the Ladysmith Resource Centre Association. For presenters, the event was an opportunity to receive expert advice on how to organize, finance and maintain momentum with their projects. And symposium organizers, the event was a chance to look at where gaps exist in helping not-for-profits realize their goal of creating new housing projects. For more information on the “Ideas to Action” Forum and the resources that were brought to light, visit the Economic Development Cowichan website at www. ecdevcowichan.com Amy Melmock is Manager at Economic Development Cowichan Cowichan Valley Regional District and can be reached at amelmock@cvrd.bc.ca

PORT ALBERNI

OCTOBER 2018

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t’s an exciting time in Port Alberni with tens of millions of dollars being poured into a few housing projects, real estate values increasing steadily, a floating drydock business case mid-way through completion and a large investment in the forest industry on the verge of being announced. However, I think the essence of this community is demonstrated by two very different fundraisers that took place here on Saturday September 29th. The first was a really well-organized, giant ‘loonie-toonie’ sale in the Maht-Mahs Gymnasium on the Tseshaht Reserve. There were a huge number of opportunities to put one- and two-dollar ticket stubs into draws for prizes, some of which were worth hundreds of dollars, all of which had been donated. The gym was full of folks socializing and renewing acquaintances. Over $17,000 was raised that day!

The amount is quite remarkable but what ma kes it even more noteworthy is that it was in honour of a non-Indigenous gentleman by the name of Bob Soderland. Bob had been a volunteer then photographer and editor of HaShilth-Sa, a Nuu-chah-nulth publication, from its inception in 1974 until he retired a few decades later. Bob was also an entrepreneur and very well-known for his clothing lines featuring art from the 14 First Nations that are covered by Ha-Shilth-Sa. Bob died suddenly on September 21st while in the Philippines and the funds will be gifted to his wife who was with him at the time of his passing. Perhaps the greatest measure of respect for Bob is that he was so beloved by the Indigenous community here that the late Hughie and Grace Watts adopted him into their Tseshaht family and gave him the name ‘Haiupinulth’. The second fundraiser was very different. A loud boisterous affair in a building in our sports and academic precinct raised funds for a hockey team. Almost 200 people paid for a ‘beer and a burger’, and participated in a few different fund-raising activities that had the crowd laughing and cheering for a couple of hours. Like most other social gatherings

here, a good time was had by all and a lot of business got done. Although I have singled these out because they took place on the same day, events like these happen frequently here so it’s no accident that Port Alberni has a long-standing reputation as the “community with a heart”.

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OCTOBER 2018

United Floors Nanaimo Thrives Under Third-Generation Leadership Jenna Mayzes Has Nanaimo Covered

ANAIMO - Jenna Mayzes has established a reputation for excellence in the floor covering world. Under her leadership, United Floors Nanaimo is thriving, continuing to offer their trademark excellent service and quality products. The store offers a full scope of floor covering products, including carpet, hardwood, laminate, tile, sheet vinyl, area rugs, window coverings, and more. “We manage all types of work, including residential new construction and renovation, multifamily, property management, and commercial,” says Jenna. “We also handle the majority of insurance related business in Nanaimo. “We’ve been here in the same location for over 30 years, and will hopefully be here for 30 more. We’re pretty well known in the community, and we work really hard to be the best store we possibly can, offering outstanding service.” United Floors emerged in the late 70s, when a group of individual stores decided to unite and form a buying group, then called United Carpet. The company originally started on the Island, but has since

“We’ve been here in the same location for over 30 years, and will hopefully be here for 30 more. We’re pretty well known in the community, and we work really hard to be the best store we possibly can, offering outstanding service.” Jenna Mayzes, General Manager of United Floors Nanaimo, currently sits on the United Floors Member Advisory Council

JENNA MAYZES MANAGER OF UNITED FLOORS NANAIMO

g ro w n to i n c l u d e 2 1 s to re s across Canada with 8 locations throughout Vancouver Island, making it the largest network of independent retailers in Canada. United Floors Nanaimo Owner and President Darrell Mayzes, Jen n a’s fat her, moved f rom Victoria to Nanaimo in 1986,

founding the store which has since become a mainstay in Nanaimo’s construction industry. For the last five years, Jenna h a s ta ken over t he d ay-today operation of the store as manager. “I’m the third generation in our family to work for the United brand, starting with my grandfather, followed by my father, and then myself,” she says. She currently sits on the United Floors Member Advisory Council, helping make decisions for the group at a national Level. She is a big believer in giving back to their community. Her store supports various community initiatives and organizations, including the Nanaimo C h i l d D eve l o p m e n t C e n t r e (CDC). They are one of several United Floors stores on the Island that support the Alzheimer’s Society of BC, and participate in the company’s annual golf tournament that raises funds for the charity. In addition to supporting community organizations, Jenna is personally involved in Young Professionals of Nanaimo (YPN) and the Women in Construction (WiC) network. “It’s challenging being a female

in a male-dominated field,” she says. “It’s more challenging to gain the respect of your peers as a woman in this industry, so it’s been a bit of an uphill battle.” The floor covering sector has seen a growing number of female professionals as home design trends evolve. Today, over half of the staff at United Floors Nanaimo is female. Both Jenna and Darrell have worked hard to build a strong group of mature, experienced employees who can uphold the company’s high standards of service. “T he store has a strong family-oriented environment,” she says. “We have one tenured employee whose son now installs flooring for us. My father and I work together, and we employ a father and daughter sales team. “Though many of the other employees aren’t literally related, we still have a strong family mentality. It allows us to provide better service, and we have a lot of fun on the job.” “ We’re b u s ier t h a n we’ve ever been, and there’s no sign of slowing down,” says Jenna. “ We’re ver y g ratef u l to t he community.” www.unitedfloors.ca

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PORSCHE, SUBARU DEALERSHIPS GET GREEN LIGHT at 477 Wallace Street: Nanda Chicken. Mr. One Hour Cleaners at the corner of Bruce Avenue and 4th Street recently purchased Royal Cleaners of Duncan and will be changing the name to Top

Quality Cleaners. Mark MacDonald writes about business in Nanaimo. Tell him your news by emailing him at mark@ businessexaminer.ca

NANAIMO MARK MACDONALD

he GAIN Group has finally gained approval from city council to build their new Porche and Subaru automobile dealerships at the former Long Lake Nurseries site on the Island Highway near Rutherford Road. Chris Erb’s SupErb Construction will be building the facility. Con g rat u l at ion s to Susa n McInnes on the expansion of her business, S. McInnes & Associates Ltd., which has added a new office in Courtenay. Susan, who had worked in Nanaimo with CPA firms Church Pickard and Johnston Johnston & Associates, purchased Campbell River-based Reynen Business Services Ltd. a few years ago, so the addition of the new Comox Valley office is a big step forward. VMAC (Vehicle Mounted Air Compressors) is pleased to annou nce a nd welcome Barry Fitzgerald as the company’s Engineering Manager. Barry will lead the Engineering, Custom Shop, and Foundry teams at VMAC and collaborate with the management team, notes president Tod Gilbert. Doug Johnston of Golden Oaks Estates advises that they have just registered Phase 2 of Golden Oaks Estates off Hammond Bay Road, consisting of 35 lots. They have already sold 14 of those lots in Phase 2. Construction of homes is already started in Phase 1 and builders have advised that they already have pre-sales after the excavation stage. Talk about a walk on the wild side! Tilray, Inc., based at Du ke Point, has seen its shares catapult upwards after opening on July 19 on the NASDAQ Exchange under TLRY. Class 2 common stock started at $22.45 CAD per share for the medical marijuana company. They jumped to as high as $300 per share, and remains subject to volatility in what has become a hot market for speculators and investors. Congratulations to Nanaimo’s Steve Marshall Ford Lincoln Dealer Principal Ann Marie Clark on the Grand Opening of Family Ford in Parksville, of which she is also Dealer Principal. Joining her and many friends at the event was her father, Campbell River Steve Marshall, founder of Steve Marshall Ford, and Tim Witt, Vice President of

From left: Tim Witt, Vice President of Sales, Ford Motor Company of Canada Ltd., Dealer Principal Ann Marie Clark and her father, Steve Marshall at the Grand Opening of Family Ford in Parksville.

Nanaimo Medical Marijuana Company Sees Stock Market Price Soar

Sales, Ford Motor Company of Canada Ltd. Jimmy Pattison Hyundai is now known as Wheaton Hyundai. The dealership is at 4123 Wellington Road. Gage Malone, most recently from Edmonton, is the new General Manager. There’s a new Executive Director at TheatreOne: Anne Taylor. Planet Fitness is working towards opening its new location on Metral Drive. ACM Fitterer Cha r tered Accountant at 3070 Barons Road is expanding. Rumors persist that a new Tim Horton’s outlet is going to open at the corner of 5 th Street and Bruce Avenue by University Town Centre. Sleep Country is moving into the former Alberni Outfitters

location in Country Club Centre. Speaking of CCC, it will have a new look interior soon, as they’re currently undergoing a renovation that will add a play zone for children, a lounge for new families and nursing, and enhanced food court furniture. Eve Olive is the name of a new restaurant that has opened at 5281 Rutherford Road. Another new eatery is open downtown,

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OCTOBER 2018

AFTER 130 YEARS, MANUFACTURERS KEEP EYES ON THE FUTURE “That’s why plants come NFE Manufacturing Invests in Cutting Edge Technology

to us: expertise, checks and balances and better suggestions. We act as

H E M A I N US - A s NFE Manufacturing Inc. celebrates a staggering 130 years in business, the company is staying future-focussed. NFE began as a steel foundry in 1888, but has grown to offer a diverse set of services including machining, fabrication, engineering, waterjet cutting, painting and sandblasting, and more. “A lot of people are still unaware of the diverse range of services our company is capable of,” says general manager Lee Miah. “There are two main things that set our company apart. Number one is our people, who bring decades of experience and expertise to the table. Number two, we are a one-stop shop. We d o n’ t j u s t w e l d t h i n g s together and sell it to another contractor. We can design and engineer, build, paint, install, and provide after sales services on our installs.” Since 1999, the company has been operating out of a facility located on eight acres of land in Chemainus, employing certified engineers, machinists, fabricators, millwrights, and pipefitter to meet the diverse needs of their clients. In 2016, the growing diversity of services prompted the company to change its name from Nanaimo Foundry to NFE Manufacturing Inc. “Ultimately, we sell solutions,” says Miah. “We have some of the best engineers and designers in the industry, who aren’t afraid to step out of the textbook and get creative with their solutions.” “A s i z e a ble p erc ent a ge of ou r cu stomers w i l l send u s nothing more than a rough idea of what they need and a few measurements. Our engineers and designers will conduct field trips and additional research to

consultants, helping clients discover the most safe and cost-effective solutions for their needs.” LEE MIAH GENERAL MANAGER AT NFE MANUFACTURING INC.

put together the best possible solutions. That’s why plants come to us: expertise, checks and balances, and better suggestions. We act as consultants, helping clients discover the most safe and cost-effective solutions for their needs.” N FE offers these solutions to clients in a diverse range of industries, including oil and gas, mining, aerospace, hydroelectric, forestry, and marine industries, creating innovative solutions for each client’s unique need. Currently, the company is in a long-term partnership with Nicholson Manufacturing Limited, which builds machines for the forestry industry. NFE suppl ies m a ny of t he m ajor c o m p o n e n t s to N i c h ol s o n , designing, painting, and shipping them to the factory in Victoria, where the machines are assembled. “Nicholson has the utmost faith in our quality, and that’s why we have this contract,” says Miah. “It accounts for a great deal of the work we do in Chemainus.” Additionally, NFI, NFE’s field division, has been involved in a retrofitting project that will restart the Nyrstar Mine in Myra Falls, which primarily produces copper and zinc concentrate. Strikers Welding, a division of NFE, serves customers from Campbell River north, allowing the company to serve the whole

Best wishes to NFE Manufacturing on your 130 th Anniversary! Nanaimo - 250-758-5248 Victoria - 250-995-1734 Campbell River - 250-287-7485 www.praxair.com

An aluminum walkway currently in progress in NFE’s Fabrication shop. Jari Mielty (pictured) has been with the company 25 years

Lee Miah is the new General Manager at NFE Manufacturing Inc.

Chris Pilkey (NFE machinist apprentice) working on the line boring machine

Island. A s t he compa ny g row s, it endeavors to attract the highest qua l ity tradespeople a nd engineers, maintaining high workplace standards. “T he average tenu re of a n employee is about 10 yea rs, which speaks volumes for an organization of this kind in our day and age,” comments Miah. In Chemainus, the staff is u n ion ized th roug h the Machinists, Fitters & Helpers Union, with many of the senior

employees offering top-level e x p er t i se to new h i re s a nd apprentices. “Safety in the workplace is also one of our core values as a company,” continues Miah. “We just completed our 2018 COR Audit, and our result was about 94 per cent for the year, which is nearly unheard-of in our industry.” In the coming decades, NFE p l a n s to c o n t i n u e to m e e t needs in growing and emerging industries.

Congratulations to NFE Manufacturing on your 130th Anniversary! 1950 East Wellington Road, Nanaimo P: 250.753.1555 E: nanaimosales@ajforsyth.ca www.ajforsyth.ca

“We’re currently investing in research and development for some of our own green product initiatives,” says Miah. “We have been involved in several related projects so far, and have been developing some cuttingedge environmentally-friendly products, such as a frack water recycling unit.” “I n the f utu re, we wa nt to continue to develop innovative solutions, attract more creative experts, and invest in the future. While we continue to excel in our

Proud partner of NFE Manufacturing, Congratulations on your 130th Anniversary 3 - 802 Esquimalt Road, Victoria P: 250.384.8611 www.machinistslocal3.ca

OCTOBER 2018

START YOUR EMPLOYEES OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT – ONBOARD STRATEGICALLY!

CHEMISTRY CONSULTING CHRISTINE WILLOW

any employers provide their new employees with an orientation to their new job and workspace. Unfortunately, an orientation often lacks the depth and strategic planning that an onboarding process offers. Onboarding is much more than just orientation – it includes the initial welcome, human resources paperwork, job understanding and expectations, and the tools the new employee needs to understand and assimilate themselves into the workplace culture. If this process is not done well, it can certainly contribute to negative productivity from the employee and increased turnover for the company. Here are some suggestions for managers or supervisors to consider when someone new joins their team: Accepting a position is a huge commitment and can cause stress and anxiety. Be thorough and honest in the recruitment process and address questions before you make the job offer. Take the time to make sure the work space is ready – check that the desk area has been cleaned, the phone is working and the computer is ready to go! Notify the team of the new arrival and spend time with the staff who will be training new employees, being clear on what is expected of them. Send a welcome email a few days before the new employee is to start that provides some basic information such as what time they are expected, where to park, who to ask for and a schedule for their first few days. Spend time with your new employee and show them around the company where the washrooms are, where they eat lunch, where to find supplies and areas they will be expected to know. You might even take them outside the company and show them what amenities are nearby. St rateg ica l ly i nt roduce t hem to

colleagues and schedule time with each to learn about the jobs that they do and how they fit in. Give them an org chart and maybe start with the departments they will be working with most closely so they have a better chance of associating names with faces and positions. Be sure not to overload the new employee with information on Day One, or even Week One. Create an onboarding timeline and spread the activities out to provide

the new employee the time to process and retain the information they have learned. Schedule regular check-ins with the new employee. These meetings will help develop an open relationship and assist the employee in understanding the specifics of their role and responsibilities, such as how to properly complete key tasks, who to go to with questions, how to get approval for their work and how to make suggestions. If the fear of going through the search

and recruitment process doesn’t motivate a company to properly onboard a new employee then the long-term cost savings should. It is an ROI that both the employer and employee will appreciate! Christine Willow is a Partner with Chemistry Consulting Group and GT Hiring Solutions. She is a Certified Management Consultant and Registered Professional Recruiter.

We’ll be celebrating the very best in 2018 business on Vancouver Island in January

And we’re now receiving nominations! Self-nominations encouraged!

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OCTOBER 2018

BUILDING LINKS CLARICE COTY

n this column, we look at the ripple effect that the demand for Vancouver Island real estate is having on the oceanside community of Powell River for both rental accommodation, seniors housing and multi-family projects. Working drawings are underway for a proposed 3 4-u n it affordable seniors rental housing facility on Joyce Avenue just south of Duncan Street. Council approved a development permit application from Sunset Homes for the project in June. As proposed, units will range in

size from 420 - 750 sq. ft. This is intended to be a three-phase development and Sunset Homes may be planning two other phases for the property. This building will be designed by architect Jenny Whitten and features a butterfly roof. Sunset Homes has been a leader in providing affordable housing for seniors since the mid-1950s. ■■■ The City of Powell River has issued a development permit to Agius Building Ltd. for a proposed four-storey apartment building with a mix of approximately 21 to 24 units, comprised of two and three-bedroom apartments. The property, located at 4313 Alberta Street is currently being subdivided from the parent parcel and working drawings are underway. The building will be required to be equipped with ‘solar ready’ and ‘electric vehicle ready’ features as part of the initial construction. Final approval for the multi-residential building is conditional upon final subdivision approval. ■■■ A b u i ld i n g p er m it for t he foundation of one building has

been issued for Tyee Landing at 7175 Duncan Street which is a two-building, four-storey condo development with a total of 16 units. Each unit is approximately 1,150 sq ft with two bedrooms and two baths. The city is waiting on additional drawings before moving forward with the building permit process. The development is adjacent to the new Ford dealership below Fernwood on Duncan Street. ■■■ The City of Powell River has approved a development permit for a 12-unit multi-family development at the intersection of Westview and Joyce Avenue. The project will consist of three two-storey four-plexes. All units will be ground-oriented and built around a central driveway corridor accessed from Westview Avenue. Construction is expected to begin once the building permit has been issued. Clarice Coty is the founder of Building Links. Contact: clarice@ buildinglinks.ca or find Building Links on Facebook at www. facebook.com/BuildingLinks

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ctober 14 to 20 is small business week. Started in 1979 by BDC, this annual celebration of small business sees hundreds of courses, workshops, business expos, and online resources offered for entrepreneurs. This year the Chamber is focusing on providing local resources under one roof to local entrepreneurs at the Small Business Expo on Wednesday, October 17 at the Florence Filberg Centre. “Small businesses may not have time to source money and time savings opportunities. Or they are trying to find ways to attract and retain employees or perhaps they want to export their product or secure capital to grow,” states Dianne Hawkins, Chamber CEO. “The Chamber is bringing businesses and organizations together under one roof at the Business Expo whose main purpose is to support small business.” The Chamber of Commerce is bringing together local resources to strengthen small business.

Connect with organizations and businesses that can save you time, save you money, attract & retain employees, and secure capital. There are strategic connections for everyone whether you are an attendee or a valued vendor. Come as part of your work day. It is worth the time and its free to attend. Visit www.comoxvalleychamber. com for details. Thank you to our small business sponsors: Waypoint Insurance, 97.3 The Eagle, The Comox Valley Record, Sure Copy and Blinds Bubbles Boutique. The Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce is the Valley’s largest and most influential business association; supporting local business and advocating with all levels of government. The Comox Valley Chamber is your business champion empowering the people who power the valley and beyond. The Chamber welcomed these new members in the month of September: Mon Dieu Interior Design, Vancouver Island Audio, Apex Plumbing and Heating, Neighbours of Crown Isle, Pascoe Management Consulting, Katrina Roos Health Coach and JD Structural Consulting. Dianne Hawkins is president and CEO of the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce. Reach her at dhawkins@comoxvalleychamber. com or 250-334-3234. www. comoxvalleychamber.com

OCTOBER 2018

COMOX BUILDERS MASTER DREAM HOME CONSTRUCTION Unique Building Software Keeps Griffith Homes’ Clients in the Loop

OMOX VALLEY - For over 25 years, Griffith Homes has been making dream homes come true. The company specializes in creating custom homes uniquely tailored to clients’ wishes, needs and budgets – all while using a hands-on interactive process to ensu re tra nspa rency a nd customer satisfaction. “A f ter work i ng w ith ma ny different clients, we began to observe some patterns developing and saw a need for a service that others don’t provide,” says owner and founder Tavis Griffith. “We wanted to be the first contact in the process of building a home.” “We wanted to help clients with planning and designing their unique projects and establishing what they would like to include in their home and the associated costs.” Each project involves a fivestep planning process designed to help clients strike a balance between their design dreams and budgetary constraints. The team at Griffith Homes begins this process by scheduling a site or office consu ltation with clients, upon the initial inqu iry. T h is meeting ta kes place to discuss the Client’s p ro j e c t i n m o re d e t a i l a n d allows Griffith Homes to provide more information about their distinctive process. If the Client decides to proceed, they will enter into a Planning and Design Pre-Construction agreement and sit down with a building designer to discuss options. Taking into account the Client’s needs and wants, the designer then creates concept drawings of their dream home. The third step in the process is where Griffith Homes creates a comprehensive Feasibility report for the Clients to review before

Owner Tavis Griffith (left) and Ben Webster, a Griffith Homes’ Carpenter (right)

Tavis Griffith and Office Manager Kim Rodriguez

“We wanted to be the first contact in the process of building a home. We wanted to help clients with planning and designing their unique projects and establishing what they would like to include in their home and the associated costs.” TAVIS GRIFFITH OWNER OF GRIFFITH HOMES

The team at Griffith Homes the designer creates a working set of drawings. Once the first three steps have been completed, the project arrives at the budget planning s t a ge. T h i s ph a s e i s wh ere Griffith Homes will provide the clients with a budget estimate, which is a breakdown of the entire project into sub-categories. O nce t he bud get est i m ate is approved, Griffith Homes will prepare the construction documents and proceed with

CONGRATULATIONS TO GRIFFITH HOMES ON 12 YEARS OF FINE HOME BUILDING!

a building permit application. They also begin working with eng i neers a nd a ny on site preparation including blasting, geotech n ica l work, or t he installation of a septic system. From the beg i n n i ng of the process, through to the home’s completion, Griffith and his team keep the clients in the loop with a unique project management program. “We use Buildertrend, a Project Management software, for all of

our jobs,” says Griffith. “We do all our estimating and accounting on there, and manage the entire project through the program.” “Clients are invited to use it at the very beginning of the process, and they can see all the inner workings from an administrative point of view, offering complete transparency.” T he sof twa re i ncludes a messaging service, daily logs with photos and schedules to name just a few of the program’s

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benefits. This allows the clients to be involved in every step of their project, even if they are not able to physically be on-site.” When Griffith Homes builds a project, they use this software to collaborate with designers, engineers, sub-trades, suppliers, work crews and the clients. Once ground is broken at the work site, the builders post daily logs with photos, keeping clients in the

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OCTOBER 2018

The company’s unique consultation process ensures that clients are aware of all costs involved in the project

GRIFFITH HOMES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

loop with the building’s progress. “It’s very reassuring for our Clients,” says Griffith. “Most people are very hands-on, and the software allows for a clear path of communication between the Clients and the Griffith Homes’ team.” “They feel like their project is being looked after with no miscommunication or misunderstandings between trades.” A l l d o c u m e n t s , i n voi c e s , quotes, and requests for information can be tracked in real time, holding everyone accountable to our monthly and weekly schedules. The company describes itself as building “dream homes, not spec

Proud supporter of Griffith Homes, congratulations on all your success! 4616 Cumberland Rd, Cumberland P:

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homes.” Griffith prefers to work on what he calls “forever homes” due to the high level of satisfaction he feels upon completion “The relationship with our clients can be lengthy at times and there’s a ton of pride involved in working with our clients,” he says. “Many of our clients are initially anxious, not knowing how the project is going to go or what to expect, but in a short while, they realize that they are in good hands and that their money will be used very effectively to build their dreams. There’s a great deal of satisfaction in that type of relationship.” Due to the nature of the business, each home presents Tavis and his team with a unique set of challenges. “We don’t shy away from the challenges,” he says. “They are part of what makes our job interesting and engaging.” Recently, Griffith Homes was hired for a waterfront home that appeared to be unbuildable, due to several major setting and geotechnical issues. However, within a year, the company was able to acquire development permits for the property and execute the entire project to completion. “This whole process occurred while the owners were out of town, but they were able to negotiate all the challenges and the consulting process thanks to the Buildertrend software,” says Griffith. Many of the company’s projects

Griffith Homes collaborates with architects, engineers and sub trades through Buildertrend software, ensuring all parties are on schedule

According to Griffith, a carpenter never stops learning their craft are extensive home renovations, which are notorious for their unforeseen expenses. Griffith Homes’ unique process helps clients understand the potential cost of these projects, noting

potential unexpected issues, prior to the construction process. “People often start their renovations, hoping that they won’t find any further issues with their structure,” he says. “We are very

familiar with the challenges and uncertainties of renos, and can help clients to get an accurate picture of what to expect.” SEE GRIFFITH HOMES | PAGE 15

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OCTOBER 2018

Tavis Griffith prefers to work on what he calls “forever homes,” due to the unique process involved and a high level of satisfaction upon completion

Tavis Griffith completed a carpentry apprenticeship under his father, Reg Griffith

Using Buildertrend software, the team at Griffith Homes sends daily progress photos to clients as they complete the project

Each home has its own unique set of challenges, and Griffith and his team enjoy working together to overcome each obstacle In addition to his hands-on method of pre-construction planning, Griffith brings a rare passion for carpentry to every build. His father, Reg Griffith, spend over 40 years as a carpenter and Custom Home Builder. After spending a few months in college, Tavis realized he had a preference for manual labour,

Congratulations to Griffith Home on all your success!

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and joined his father’s construction business. “I quickly went through the carpentry apprenticeship program, learning most of my skills first-hand from my father, one of the best carpenters I’ve worked with in my career,” he says. “It was a great privilege to learn from someone so skilled and so

passionate about the trade. After I moved on, I continued learning the trade. I believe that once you are a carpenter, you can never stop learning.” Moving forward, Tavis sees growth potential in his unique business model, but the task of finding the right employees remains a challenge for him, as it

does for most construction companies on the Island. “It’s a transient industry,” he says. “Carpenters get certification and tend to move on, start their own business, or move to a booming area.” “It’s a struggle to find people who really want to focus on the trade and build quality homes, a nd who a re w i l l i ng to stay grounded in the community, while working with one compa ny. I wou ld be excited to find more employees who are like-minded and want to have a really great career in building these rewarding projects.” According to Tavis, the company will never compromise their value of quality over speed, utilizing the merits of the extensive consultation process. “It’s not about building the most extravagant home, but building the right home,” he

says. “Having the right market and the right employees is key for success in this industry.” www.griffithhomes.ca

Congratulations to Tavis and the team at Griffith Homes on all your success! All the Best for the Future! Wilf & Guy Facey & Staff

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OFF THE COVER

OCTOBER 2018

Business Examiner Publisher’s Book Shares Secrets To Small Business Success The book includes

MARK MACDONALD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“almost everything you

of business people I’ve interviewed over the years, many of whom have become friends and confidants,” he says. “As they told me their tales of success, I could see for myself that what they practised genuinely worked. And my conclusion was straightforward and simple: ‘If it worked for them, it would work for me.’ And it has.” In the book’s Foreword, renowned motivational speaker Dr. Peter Legge, owner of Canada Wide Media Limited, wrote: “Mark has written an excellent book that touches on these business essentials, plus more, that every entrepreneur should have in their back pocket.” MacDonald says his goal was “by weaving the true-life, common sense thinking of successful business people, I could lay out a blueprint for success for entrepreneurs,” he states, adding each of book’s chapters is followed by a “Check List” to provide readers with practical and necessary steps that should be taken in order to be successful. Chapter titles include Image IS Everything (the importance of first impressions), Do What You Do Best (focusing on strengths), Cash Flow IS King (driving and harvesting revenue), Own The

need to know, but were afraid to ask, about running a great small business”.

Business Examiner owner Mark MacDonald has published his first book on business

Dirt (the importance of real estate), Team Building (inside the business), The Power of Partnerships (outside the company), and Triple Bottom Line (profits, people and contributions). Com m u n ic at ion h a s b e en MacDonald’s forte since starting in the newspaper business as a 14-year-old. He has written for a wide variety of periodicals, including daily, weekly and monthly newspapers and annual

publications, winning several awards, including one for a college yearbook from Columbia University in 1987. He has earned two college/university scholarships in the United States and was named to the 1983 National Dean’s List for scholastics and Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities while playing NCAA Division I hockey in San Diego, Calif. He has also served as a Chamber of Commerce President. MacDonald believes his interviews of company owners, plus his own business experience is a conti nu i ng educationa l experience. “These people can be found everywhere,” MacDonald notes. “There are not many shortcuts in life, but being able to pattern yourself after successful people and the wisdom they have gleaned over decades in business will help you find a quicker path to reach your own desired destination. “That’s what this book is all about.” Tickets to the Book Launch, set for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 23 at the Nanaimo Golf Club, are $35, and includes a copy of the book, which retails for $20. Books can be purchased and t icket s to t he event c a n b e booked through: www.businessexaminer.ca/events

Do you own a rental property? As winter (and rainy season) approaches, here's a checklist of things to consider to prepare your property: Gutter cleaning - clear leaves and debris from your gutter system to ensure that they are draining properly. Furnace servicing - ensures your heating system will run smoothly and efficiently throughout the season. Chimney sweep - if you have a wood burning fireplace or stove, it's important to have the chimney swept annually. Exterior water shut-off - turn off the tap and cover with a foam tap protector to prevent the pipes from freezing. Irrigation shut-off - have the water shut-off and the lines cleared to prevent them from freezing in the cold.

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YOU’RE INVITED TO A

BOOK LAUNCH! TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23

Mark MacDonald, Publisher and Owner of Business Examiner, has written his first business book: “It Worked For Them, It Will Work For Me The 8 Secrets of Small Business I Learned From Successful Friends” and will unveil it with a “fire side chat” with four of them at the Nanaimo Golf Club October 23, 2018 at 7 p.m. Hear directly from these business leaders some of what is included in the book, which contains “almost everythng you need to know, but were afraid to ask”, about running a great small business! It features real-life success stories gleaned from thousands of interviews conducted by Mark over the years from these business owners and others, and the tried and true principles that have worked in their companies, and will in yours:

Image IS Everything | Do What You Do Best | Cash Flow IS King | Own The Dirt Team Building | The Power of Partnerships | Triple Bottom Line Each chapter also includes handy Check Lists to help your company achieve success and the Foreword is written by Dr. Peter Legge

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2018

7 p.m. at the NANAIMO GOLF CLUB

Alex Dugan

Central Island Distributors

Doug Johnston

Johnston, Johnston & Associates

Donna Hais

R.W. (Bob) Wall Contracting Ltd.

includes a ticket to the event including appetizers, No Host Bar plus a copy of the book!

Ron Berry Business Coach

SEATING IS LIMITED and WE’RE EXPECTING A SELL-OUT! Visit www.businessexaminer.ca/events to book your seat today!

OCTOBER 2018

MEETING PLACES Meeting Places Boost Economy, Keep Communities Connected BC Conference Centres, Venues, Hotels, Continue to Provide Substantial Economic Impact

The Galiano Inn provides an opportunity for secluded, unplugged corporate getaways

eeting places have a dynamic impact on local economies all around the province. Serving as gathering points for businesses, families, friends, and special interest groups, BCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conference centres, hotels, and other

meeting facilities are a central part of community cohesiveness and growth. Not only do these locations facilitate important gatherings for community members and nonresidents alike, but they have a profound effect on each local

economy. According to Meetings Mean Business Canada (MMB), the industry generates $30 billion annually in direct spending and employs over 341,000 people in well-paying, full-time jobs (figures from 2012), and as much

as $330 Billion annually in the United States. The Victoria Conference Centre (VCC) is BCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second largest convention centre, and its sales and marketing division was recently SEE MEETING PLACES | PAGE 19

MEETING PLACES

OCTOBER 2018

WATERFRONT RESORT UPGRADES TO JOIN ASCEND COLLECTION Bayside Resort To Be First Ascend Property On Island

very event organizer, wedding planner, seminar presenter, business scheduler, or anyone needing a Parksville gathering place needs to add the Bayside Resort to their list. A t r a n s fo r m a t i o n o f t h i s 30-year-old ocean front property is underway to make it part of the prestigious Ascend Collection. It will be the first such property on Vancouver Island and possibly the first on the west coast. To earn the Ascend Collection label, the resort must be unique. For the Bayside Resort, the unique feature is its oceanfront location. Unlike the many Parksville resorts which are near the ocean but not oceanfront, the Bayside Resort is actually on the ocean – a two minute walk from the resort to a secluded beach. Like other hotels in the Ascend Collection, the Bayside Resort is a boutique hotel, with only 59 suites and personalized service. Starting a year ago, the entire hotel has been upgraded. Costing a half-million plus, the renovation has included refurbishing six event rooms. “It was time to give it some

lipstick,” Says Corinna Ludovici, Sales and Marketing Manager for the resort. The property has been hosting guests for 30 years: the last 19 years under the Quality Inn banner. But the current transformation opens a new chapter for the property and its owners, who have owned the resort for two decades. Part of the change is increased focus on providing much-needed meeting spaces for businesses, organizations, and individuals. Three of the six event rooms have been refurbished. These larger spaces are suitable for weddings or large family reunions or birthday/retirement parties or corporate retreats, celebrations, and training programs. The largest upgraded room can hold more than 100 people. The Bayside Resort also offers three board rooms suitable for meetings of 25 to 30 people. These freshly upgraded spaces open a range of possibilities limited only by imagination. Paired with a full commercial kitchen and attentive staff, the Bayside gives a worry-free option for hosts. Potential uses include: ■ Corporate retreats; ■ Sales and training events; ■ Seasonal celebrations for organizations, businesses,

Chuck Loewen is General Manager at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre

MEETING PLACES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

taken over by Destination Greater Victoria. The new agreement has already seen tremendous success with a dramatic increase in traffic for the convention centre.

“Confirmed hotel room nights generated by meetings, events or conferences at the VCC have already surpassed the total for all of 2017 (26,399 i n 2017 to 26,872 as of September 2018),” says Matthew Holme, Manager of Corporate Communications

“It was time to give it some lipstick.” CORINNA LUDOVICI SALES AND MARKETING MANAGER

Ready for a retreat or a party, one of the newly upgraded meeting spaces at the Bayside Resort and individuals; Weddings, reunions, retirements, and birthday parties – plus other life milestones; ■ Award dinners to recognize business and organizational achievements; ■ P ro d u c t a n d b u s i n e s s launches; and ■ Product and service fairs. To b o ok, c a l l t he hotel at 250-248-8333. ■

and Destination Management. “T he nu mber of delegate days in 2018 is 41 per cent higher than at the same time last year (73,667 to 52,144). “T hese nu mbers mea n stable and predictable revenue for our accommodation sector and small- and medium-sized businesses that benefit economically from hosting meetings and conferences in our region.” According to Holme, the success is the result of a strong partnership with com mu n ity sta keholders, including our hotel partners and the City of Victoria. “O u r role s a re re a l ly evolving,” says Destinat ion Gre ater Victor i a CEO Paul Nursey. “This busi ness used to be a l l about quotes, spaces, and catering, but now people want exemplary programs with successful business leaders and speakers from universities. “Meeting places are important, but it’s also important from a business perspective to be able to craft high-quality customized programs. Now, we connect clients with speakers, book bus companies, SEE MEETING PLACES | PAGE 20

Ludovici said word is getting out. “We’re are already booking for Christmas.” Since the Bayside offers suites, out-of-towners can stay on site. The oceanfront Bayside Bistro and Lounge serves west coast dining, with a focus on BC Wines and local produce. There is also an on-site Spa, the Ocean Blue Day Sap, a hair salon, a gym and a pool. Despite the upgrade, the hotel

is still able to offer packages to fit people’s budgets. The hotel will also continue its commitment to the community, such as the recent hosting of the Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock. The official launch of the new brand – with special celebratory pricing - will occur early in 2019 but many of the changes are happening now. To keep up-to-date with the launch, special offers, and new events, Ludovici recommends following the hotel’s Facebook page: www.facebook. com/baysideresortparksville/.

Gather. Connect. Grow. The Vancouver Island Conference Centre is an ideal environment for reflection, networking and decision making. Meetings Conferences/Conventions Trade/Consumer Shows Special Events/Festivals Let us help you plan your next event: 250.244.4050

MEETING PLACES

OCTOBER 2018

MEETING PLACES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

restaurants, off-site venues, and high-quality programs. We are more than just a meeting place.” Destination Greater Victoria recently began to put on its own conferences to fill the space during off-peak season demand times. Last year, VCC was voted among the top 10 rising stars for meetings and conferences by Smart Meetings magazine. A little to the north, the Vancouver Island Conference Centre (VICC) is experiencing its own season of dramatic growth and impressive numbers. “When Spectra Venue Management took over management last year, the strategy was to go more after provincial, national, and international events as opposed to just regional conventions,” says Chuck Loewen, V ICC’s General Manager. “These events provide the biggest return, with visitors staying overnight, filling up hotels and seeing the city, sometimes for the first time. “This past June, we hosted the Science and Spirituality Conference, which was hosted in Tel Aviv the previous year. We had over 1,300 delegates over eight days at the convention, with an economic impact of $3.7 Million. There were visitors from over 50 different countries, and it was a great way to showcase our city and the businesses in the surrounding area.” According to Loewen,

The Victoria Conference Centre hosts hundreds of meetings per year, as the second largest convention centre in BC nearly every hotel from Duncan to Parksville was booked, thanks to the event. Currently, the team at Spect ra i s work i n g on br i n g i n g more high-profile, large-scale

conferences to the VICC, with several hopeful 900-1000 person conferences anticipated for 2020 and 2022. Currently, the VICC hosts between 24 and 30 conferences in a

The Douglas Rispin Room at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre PHOTO FROM VICONFERENCE.COM

given year, with between 430 and 450 events (including single-day or multi-day business meetings, special events, weddings, training sessions, or even celebrations of life). The centre also hosts City Council meetings in the Shaw Auditorium. While these large-scale conference centres host some of the region’s largest events, many hotels are deeply involved in hosting meetings of all sizes, boasting spaces that can facilitate more intimate gatherings or corporate getaways. L ocated on ly a couple of hours away from Swartz Bay, the Galiano Inn on Galiano Island offers an array of luxury accommodations, services and amenities that facilitate many corporate retreats. “The Galiano Inn provides your business the ability to leave all distractions of the city behind so you and your executive team

can focus on the strengths of building your business,” says Ian Phyper, the Inn’s General Manager. Accommodating groups from four to 20, the Inn has begun to offer “Technology Free. Stick-It Note” retreats, where visitors hands in their cell phones, tablets or laptops in exchange for pads of Stick-It Notes. Establishments like Victoria’s Union Club offer high-quality catering and historic spaces for everything from business functions to weddings. The Coast Bastion Hotel in Nanaimo rents out a variety of meetings spaces from boardrooms to halls for host i ng pl ated d i n ners a nd buffets. From intimate executive retreats to high-profile awards nights, hotels and resorts throughout the province give businesses and organizations a plethora of options for each unique need.

OCTOBER 2018

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OCTOBER 2018

FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY: IT TAKES A PRO “A general photographer Specialized Food Photographers Make Good Food Look Great

may do an ‘okay job’ with a food photo shoot, but

NANAIMO - Why hire a professional food photographer? “If I’m having heart issues, I go to a cardiologist,” says Tim McGrath, owner food photography business ITS-Food.ca. “I’m not going to a general practitioner. I want to work with the person who specializes in the treatment I need.” According to McGrath, the same principle applies to food photography. Food photography requires unique considerations that are not involved in portrait, wedding, or construction photography. “Styling is required the world of food photography, and specialists like myself are familiar with the styling techniques that help create excellent photos,” he continues. “A general photographer may do an ‘okay job’ with a food photo shoot, but do you really want your restaurant, your food, your beverages, and your whole marketing campaign based on ‘okay’ photos?” ITS-Food.ca specializes in food photography, taking pictures for

do you really want your restaurant, your food, your beverages, and your whole marketing campaign based on ‘okay photos’?”

In photography, the ‘hero’ of the image needs to be in perfect focus to draw the eye

Tim McGrath has been working as a professional food photographer and marketing consultant for the last ten years

cookbooks, food suppliers, restaurants, and other areas of the food world. “One of the best ways to promote any business is through images, and the quality of the image makes a huge difference,” says McGrath. “Given the choice, is a customer going to go to the place with really good looking food, or the place where the server took a picture with their iPhone? In this industry, the quality of photos can make or break a business.” For the last ten years, McGrath has learned the ins and outs of food industry shoots, styling

dishes, choosing the best angles, and using photos to create a narrative that appeals to the target audience. “When taking a picture, you want to have your ‘hero’ in perfect focus,” he says. “In food photography, your food is the hero. “The rest of the image adds to the story, but it will often be intentionally out of focus, drawing the eye to the central part of the photo.” McGrath uses several high-quality lenses to capture perfect photos of food, and has portable and studio lighting to

control shadows. “As a professional, the type of equipment and type of lighting makes a big difference,” he continues. “If you use a cell phone, everything is in focus all the time and you have no control over the lighting. If you’re dealing with a professional food photographer, they can control every aspect of the shoot.” McGrath pulls on his knowledge of color compatibility, human psychology, and camera equipment to ensure that each photo looks good up close and at a distance.

TIM MCGRATH OWNER OF ITS-FOOD.CA

“If you want a picture of a burger for your full page ad, something taken on a cell phone just won’t do,” he says. “I can take photos that will look great in print, on social media, on TV - anywhere you want to advertise your food. When you are introducing people to your business, you don’t want ‘okay’ photos. You want great photos.” www.ITS-Food.ca

AWARDS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

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Rebecca observed. T he values include respect, integrity, and ensuring client needs are heard and met. Their task is to restore unexpectedly damaged properties, so they a re often dealing with people in stress. At that point, honesty, integrity, and commitment are needed to restore both the properties and their clients’ lives. The code of values is ingrained in the team: it is carried on cards and read at every staff meeting. Values like “treating others as we would like to be treated”; “acknowledging everyone is right from their perspective”; and “making only agreement we are willing, able and intend to keep” are essential. What the team tackles isn’t pretty. Every year the company helps an estimated 250 clients with issues like water and fire damage, asbestos removal, mold remediation, attic and crawl space cleanup, and removing rodent infestation. “A lot of what we do isn’t glamourous – we’re lucky to have the people who will

Woman of the Year for Rainbow International Restoration was Rebecca Hill, co-owner of the Nanaimo franchise do that work,” Ryan said. Among them is award-recipient Kost. He has been with the company for six years and steps up for every task, right down to ensuring the final clean on a project is spotless. “What we’ve always felt is that it is really rewarding to make such a difference in people’s lives at such as difficult time,” Rebecca says. She a l so c a r r ie s t h at philosophy over into community service. One of her initiatives is “Everybody Deserves a Smile.” Held

near Christmas, it invites students and individuals to create and distribute packages of gifts and food to the homeless. “It is a way of letting them know they’re loved during a season when it can be difficult to be poor and alone,” she says. Given their success to date, the company owners a re n o w s e t t i n g t h e i r sights higher. Their next goal is the Pinnacle Award as Franchise of the Year. “We’re hungrier than ever to expand on the island and keep succeeding and keep helping,” Rebecca said.

OCTOBER 2018

HYAS Secures Funding and Industry Visionary

YAS, a leading provider of attribution intelligence solutions for infosec and cybersecurity professionals, recently announced that long-time industry visionary and investor, Ariel Silverstone, has joined as Data Protection Officer. Building on the momentum of its recent $6.2 million Series A round led by M12, Microsoft’s venture fund, the company has also secured additional funding from Susa Ventures, an early stage technology fund based in San Francisco that invests in companies with strong competitive moats. With over 25 years of experience

Chris Davis, Founder and CEO of Hyas delivering comprehensive solutions to the most demanding aspects of information security processes and policies, Silverstone has overseen hundreds of secure networking systems. He has held

leadership positions at Expedia and Symantec and most recently served as Vice President of Security Strategy, Privacy and Trust at GoDaddy. In his role as Data Protection Officer, Silverstone will drive HYAS privacy policies – including GDPR and data protection compliance. “HYAS stands out in an incredibly crowded market and represents a real shift in threat protection for the enterprise,” said Silverstone. “Attribution intelligence - the ability to analyze and action data that is highly customized to specific threat environments - is a game changer.

I’m incredibly excited to invest in HYAS and join Chris Davis and his incredibly talented and innovative team.” S u s a Ve nt u re s i s a n e a rly stage technology fund based in San Francisco that invests i n compa n ies w it h st rong competitive moats. The fund was a seed investor in rapidly growing companies like Flexport, Qadium and Robinhood. Susa’s goal is to help founders build transformational companies. “HYAS is poised to disrupt the industry,” said Seth Berman, General Partner at Susa Ventures. “Cyber attacks are not slowing

down - in fact, hackers are getting more innovative and have found ways to outsmart even the most advanced and robust network protection solutions. HYAS is the only vendor in the market that is able to provide the intelligence needed to track and stop malicious actors.” “We’re thrilled with HYAS’ momentum and both Ariel Silverstone and Susa Ventures have played an instrumental role in our growth,” said Chris Davis, CEO of HYAS. “It’s going to be an exciting year for our company as we build our team, continue development of our products and help the Fortune 100 eliminate cyber threats.”

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OCTOBER 2018

BERK’S INTERTRUCK IS ON THE MOVE Nanaimo Dealership Remains Island-Focussed in the Midst of Expansion

ANAIMO - What is the ‘60 minute rule’? At Berk’s Intertruck, this rule is driving the company’s aggressive expansion, as it strives to ensure every client on Vancouver Island is within 60 minutes of a service provider. Berk’s Intertruck is a truck and trailer sales, all-makes parts and service provider, specializing in commercial Isuzu and Volvo trucks, and Canuck and Felling trailers. With a diverse team of technicians and expanding parts inventory, the company will work on just about anything with wheels, tracks, or a rudder from its locations in Nanaimo, Duke Point, Duncan, Port Alberni, and Langford. “We want to be close to our customers no matter where they are on the Island,” says owner Brian Sabourin. “We have reach from Victoria to Port Hardy, and where we don’t have locations, we have strategic partnerships in place to help our customers anywhere their business takes them on the Island.” According to Sabourin, Berk’s will continue to focus exclusively

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Berk’s Intertruck boasts an ever-expanding parts inventory, allowing the company to service nearly anything with wheels and tracks and anything that floats

Brian Sabourin is the second-generation owner of Berk’s Intertruck on this region. “For today, and for the future, our intent is to have our parts and service available from the bottom to the top, and from the east to the west coast of the Island,” he continues. “We’re getting closer to that as we speak, but we can always improve on what we have and continue to grow.” Last year, the company launched its fifth location at Duke Point, and in August of this year, purchased and moved into a newer facility. With this acquisition they have applied for approval from Transport Canada. When finalized, this approval will allow the team at this facility to install, inspect, and certify fuel tank transport truck and trailers. It will be one of only a few legal inspection certified facilities on the island. As of October, the Duke Point location is open Monday thru Friday until 11:00 p.m.. Upcoming construction on the facility will

result in a 15-foot width increase of the building, adding an additional two full drive throughs. A similar expansion is underway at the Duncan location, which is also adding two drive throughs. As of October this location is now open longer hours, Monday thru Friday until 9:00 p.m.. Sabourin and his team are currently working with a firm to design and draft expansions of both the Duncan and Duke Point locations. He estimates that both projects will be complete within the next 12 to 18 months. “Right now, the Langford location is a parts-only facility, but we intend to expand it to a parts and service facility in the next two years,” says Sabourin. “We’re in discussion with the manager of the building, and we intend to either expand there or relocate to either a existing building or a new facility.” Additionally, the company is looking for commercial transport technicians and parts department employees in all five of their

locations. “We’ve already hired quite a few new employees,” he says. “Over the last three months, we’ve increased our workforce by over 25 per cent, and we’re still looking to hire more people.” Sabourin’s father, Berk, founded the company in 1971, after ascending the ranks at International Harvester. “He was the sales manager for British Columbia, when they offered him an opportunity to move to the U.S. and become the company’s Vice President,” says Sabourin. “But after much thought he decided that he could do so much more as a dealer.” Berk negotiated with International on an opportunity to purchase a company store and bought the existing Nanaimo location. “I was 14 when we moved here and worked part-time washing & cleaning new and used trucks on the sales lot,” Sabourin says. “When I finished high school, I was looking at different opportunities abroad. My father suggested that I should take some time and work for him while I thought about where I wanted to go, so I took on full-time work in shipping and receiving.” Sabourin decided that he wanted to stay in Nanaimo and remain with the family business. “I was young, and there was a

lot happening with the world,” he continues, “But over time, through meeting the love of my life, raising a family, and now having grandchildren, and giving back to or investing in the community, I found that this was for me. This is home.” I’ve seen a lot of businesses and people come and go in the 47 years Berk’s Intertruck has been open and truthfully common sense, family values, hard work, and dedication make a big difference. Look after your people and they’ll look after you, your business and your customers. As the company continues its rapid expansion, Sabourin’s vision remains Island-focussed. Currently, the company is looking for acreage between Nanoose and Cedar to facilitate the next major project. “I’ve always wanted to build a state-of-the-art dealership that would provide facilities for the commercial transport industry,” he says. “I would include a big truck stop with a cafeteria, truck wash facilities, showers, and other amenities. “When you travel across North America, you see these kinds of stops all over the place. We could make it happen at a new location, or at one of our existing facilities, like our Duke Point location. The possibilities are endless!” www.berksintertruck.com

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OCTOBER 2018

BC’s Employment At Capacity; Growth Expected To Ease B C– A c c o r d i n g to t h e B C Check-Up, an annual economic report released by the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (CPABC), in 2017 BC enjoyed the largest job gain in the past decade, pushing the unemployment rate down from 6.0 to 5.1 per cent. A total of 87,300 new jobs were recorded in 2017. The majority of these new jobs were full-time positions in the service sector. And not surprisingly, most of t he prov i nce’s employ ment growth occurred in BC’s most populated regions – Southwest

BC, Vancouver Island/Coast, and Thompson-Okanagan. “O u r prov i nce once a ga i n enjoyed the highest job creation rate when compared to Alberta, Ontario, and Canada as a whole,” said Lori Mathison, FCPA, FCGA, LLB, president and CEO of CPABC. “Improved labour market conditions drew ma ny workers back i nto the labour force. As a result, our labour force participation rate reached 65.3 per cent, the highest level since 2010.” Job creation is ex pected to continue throughout 2018, but

at a slower rate. Unadjusted data from Statistics Canada indicates that between December 2017 and July 2018, BC added 26,500 new jobs, which is substantially less than the 105,300 new jobs created between December 2016 and July 2017. “Two major factors are moderating job creation. Real estate and consumer spending activity are slowing down, which have been the drivers of labour demand in the past few years, mea n i ng fewer new jobs a re required to fulfil market demand,” continued Mathison.

“The other is a tightening of labour supply. Labour demand is outstripping supply, making it challenging for employers to recruit talent. Between the months of April and June, BC’s job vacancy rate was 3.4 per cent, with 62,200 jobs unfilled. Our labour market is near full capacity. While this exerts pressu re on employers, it is usually good news for workers.” L i m i te d s u p p l y o f l a b o u r me a n s employers w i l l h ave to offer competitive wages to attract and retain talent. Between December 2017 and July

2018, BC’s average weekly wage rate increased by 2.7 per cent to $981.87, according to data from BC Stats.

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26 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 1086336 BC Ltd 135 1st St, Duncan, BC PLAINTIFF McPherson Cabinetry Ltd CLAIM $11,918 DEFENDANT B556900 BC Limited 200-1260 Shoppers Row, Campbell River, BC PLAINTIFF Chan Nowosad Boates Inc CLAIM $8,216 DEFENDANT Armac Trucking Ltd 2-6990 Market St, Port Hardy, BC Austin Powder Ltd CLAIM $107,772 DEFENDANT BCIMC Realty Corporation 1600-925 West Georgia St, Vancouver, BC

WHO IS SUING WHOM PLAINTIFF Step By Step Professional Services Inc CLAIM $36,682 DEFENDANT Boulder Mountain Transport Ltd 300-180 Seymour St, Kamloops, BC PLAINTIFF Admiral Merchants Motor Freight Inc CLAIM $ 95,240 DEFENDANT BC Ferry Services Inc 500-1321 Blanshard St, Victoria, BC Gray, Susanna CLAIM $10,901 DEFENDANT CMF Construction Ltd 78 Esplanade, Nanaimo, BC PLAINTIFF Crow Excavating And Trucking Ltd CLAIM $ 7,776 DEFENDANT Cocktails & Dreams Restaurant & Bar Ltd 10074 121A St, Surrey, BC PLAINTIFF Provincial Sales Tax Act CLAIM $ 17,441

DEFENDANT Easy Living Holdings Ltd 201 Selby St, Nanaimo, BC PLAINTIFF Quest Resorts International Inc CLAIM $ 35,156 DEFENDANT Ford Motor Company Of Canada Limited 950-1090 West Georgia St, Vancouver, BC PLAINTIFF Fitzsimmons, Daryl CLAIM $ 35,176

DEFENDANT Hillside Printing Co Ltd 3050 Nanaimo St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Shop Victoria Online Services Ltd CLAIM $ 29,627 DEFENDANT Intermine Supply Inc 1042 Coachwood Pl, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF AJ Mechanical CLAIM $ 9,584

DEFENDANT H Volk Transport Limited 104-6739 West Coast Rd, Sooke, BC PLAINTIFF Chandler, Rob CLAIM $ 35,176

DEFENDANT Lovin Oven ll 200-1260 Shoppers Row, Campbell River, BC PLAINTIFF Chan Nowosad Boates Inc CLAIM $ 8,216

DEFENDANT Habanero Homes Ltd 861 Hayden Pl, Mill Bay, BC PLAINTIFF McPherson Cabinetry Ltd CLAIM $ 18,179

DEFENDANT Old School Metal Works 293 Atkins Ave, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Westshore Towing Ltd CLAIM $ 35,156

DEFENDANT Hilarys Cheese Co Ltd 321 St Julian St, Duncan, BC PLAINTIFF Van Der Haegen, Lauren CLAIM $ 35,196

DEFENDANT Perma Construction Ltd 200-911 Yates St, Victoria, BC Powerhouse Sheet Rock Ltd CLAIM $ 54,369

OCTOBER 2018

DEFENDANT Pro Grade Landscaping 4016 McLellan St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Tabrizi, Parviz Taghipour CLAIM $8,076 DEFENDANT Prodigy Window Solutions 2514 Toth Pl, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Victoria Signs Corporation CLAIM $ 12,828 DEFENDANT Stellar Homes Ltd 1202 Fort St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Barre, Brenda CLAIM $ 26,572 DEFENDANT Stellar Homes Ltd 1202 Fort St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Daoust, Julie Marie Delima Carole CLAIM $ 7,687 DEFENDANT Vinyl X Sundeck Solutions 1163 Natures Gate, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Peninsula Glass & Aluminum Products (2016) Ltd CLAIM $ 6,640

DEFENDANT Westsea Construction Ltd 300-1122 Mainland St, Vancouver, BC PLAINTIFF Wright, Richelle LeeCLAIM $ 35,000 DEFENDANT Westsea Construction Ltd 300-1122 Mainland St, Vancouver, BC PLAINTIFF Hiscocks, Susan CLAIM $ 31,234

MOVERS & SHAKERS

OCTOBER 2018

NORTH ISLAND The Port Hardy Chamber of Com merce h ave a nnounced the winners of their 46th Annual Business Excellence Awards Gala. Hardy Bay Drug Store was the recipient of the Workplace of the Year, Business of the Year and the Customer Service Excellence Awa rds; Fox’s Disposal was Green Business of the Year; Sporty Bar and Grill won out in the Best Food category; Cove Adventure Tours in Micro Business of the Year; Kwa’lilas Hotel in New Business of the Year; Sea Wolf Adventures in Hospitality/Tourism Business of the Year; and Hardy Bay Senior Citizen’s Society in the Non-Profit of the Year category. Red Apple, formerly The Bargain! Shop, held their g ra nd op en i ng i n Por t Hardy at 8775 Granville Street. Red Apple Stores Inc. is a nationwide chain of 150 value stores, that pri ma ri ly ser ves sma l l communities under the Red Apple and The Bargain! Shop banners. Ford Applewood celebrated their grand opening at 7150 Market Street in Port Hardy. The Ford dealership was formerly known as Dave Landon Motors Ltd. Café Guido Two, or G2, is opening a new coffee shop d rive-th r u i n the Home Hardware parking lot at 8945 Granville Street in Port Hardy. The coffee shop, ow ned by Donna Gault and Davida Hudson, had a soft open on September 19th, and are planning a grand opening this month. Island Foods recently completed renovations to their bottle depot and added a computer system to better serve their customers. Island Foods is in Port McNeill at 1979 Nimpkish Crescent.

CAMPBELL RIVER T he Ca mpbell R iver Chamber of Com merce recently held their annual Business Awards of Excellence at the Tidemark Theatre. This year’s winners were Poseidon Ocean Systems Ltd. in the New Business of the Year and Excellence in Innovation and Technology categories;

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Campbell River’s Bonnie Blackhall was one of 40 recipients of the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia’s Sovereign Medal for Volunteers. Blackhall was recog n ized for her 30 years of volunteering with Opportunities Career Services Society and other organizations.

ABC Recycling Ltd Campbell River in International Export Award; Habitat for Humanity Vancouver Island North in the Not-forProfit of the Year and Social E nter pr i se c ategor ies; meanwhile Carly Pisterzi was named Young Professional of the Year; and The Museum at Campbell River received the Arts & Culture Award. McDonald’s Restaurant of Campbell River was named Business of the Year with over 50 Employees; Chan Nowosad Boates Inc. won out in the Diversity Leadership category; The John Howard Society of North Island received the Community Spirit award; SuavAir took home Business of the Year for 1-5 employees; Beach Fire Brewing in Business of the Year for 6-25 employees; and North Island Employment Foundation Society in Business of the Year for 26-49 employees. Bill Alder, president of Sealand Aviation received the 2018 Chamber Board of Governor’s Award; Campbell River Whale Watching and Adventure Tours won in Tourism Excellence; FYiDoctors Campbell River received the Excellence in Workforce Development for under 50 employees category; while The City of Campbell River took home top honors in Excellence in Workforce Development for over 51 employees.

Matt Beckett has been appointed president of the Comox Valley Community Foundation. He succeeds Dr. Ha r r y Pa njer, who

FYidoctors welcomes

SEE MOVER’S AND SHAKERS | PAGE 28

Mark Marcil Sr. Manager, Commercial Banking Nanaimo branch 6475 Metral Drive T. 250.390.0088

Bill Girad Sr. Manager, Commercial Banking Courtenay branch 470 Puntledge Road T. 250.334.8888

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Ron May and Ryan Howich have been na med the top salespeople of the mont h for Bill How ich Chrysler RV & Marine. Dya n Spin k h a s d eveloped a vacation rental course to help those with home-space to spare take advantage of the vacation rental trend. Spink has built, owned and operated three successful vacation rentals both locally and internationally for the past decade and has earned 5-star ratings on TripAdvisor among other awards. The course is intended to provide attendants with everything they need to know to start and run a successful vacation rental business and will be held in Campbell River on October 27th at a cost of $150.

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Sharples are the top salespeople of the month for Sunwest RV Centre at 2800 Cliffe Avenue in Courtenay.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

served as president for the past year. Beckett is a private wealth advisor with Coastal Community and was one of Vancouver Island’s Top 20 Under 40 in 2016. North Island College’s board of governor elected Jane Murphy as their new board chair. Murphy is the former CEO of St. Joseph’s General Hospital and has held senior executive positions at Langley Memorial Hospital, Surrey Memorial Hospital and Community Health Services. The board also elected Eric Mosley, a retired lawyer, as vice-chair. The board also welcomed new board members Barry Minaker and Ross Hunt. Minaker is a former Comox-Strathcona Regional District director, while Hunt is a First Nations support worked for the First Nations Education Committee School District 85 in the north island. Allen & Company has added Kaan D. Alkin as a new associate to their firm at 480 – 10th Street in Courtenay. The Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for their 2018 Chamber Awards until November 5th. L ee Bja rnason h a s ret i re d from her position with the Comox Valley Child Development Association.

BMO Nesbitt Burns in Courtenay celebrated the grand opening of their enhanced capacity branch at 585 England Avenue. Nom i n at ion s for t he 2019 Fa m i ly Busi ness E xcel lence (FBE) Awa rd a nd t he You ng Entrepreneur Award are being accepted until October 12. The celebration gala will take place on February 13, 2019 at Victoria’s Union Club.

Jane Murphy T he Cottage Thrift Shop is moving to a new location at St. Josephs on November 3rd. The Canadian Red Cross has moved from their Puntledge Road lo c at ion to a space at #10 – 2683 Moray Avenue in Courtenay. Nourish Wellness has opened t hei r do ors for b u si ne ss i n downtown Comox at Unit C 1822 Comox Avenue. The new wellness center owned by Jennifer Mansell offers counselling, physiotherapy, reiki and reflexology, yoga, meditation and Qi-gong. Dave Ha mp sh i re a n d R ick

Brian McLean Chevrolet BUICK GMC a n nou nces that Kary Zimmerman is their top salesperson of the month for their dealership at 2145 Cliffe Avenue in Courtenay. L i nd say McGi n n h a s b e e n named the new facilitator for the Comox Valley Community Health Network. Lindsay holds a master’s degree in public and international affairs and has spent the last two years working for United Way Central and Northern Vancouver Island as their community impact officer for the North Island.

OCTOBER 2018

PORT ALBERNI Save On Foods has appointed Cole Fiorito as their new manager. Fiorito comes from Victoria and has been with Save On for 13 years, which includes a stint in Nanaimo. He replaces Paul Anacleto, who managed the store for two years. The West Coast General Hospita l Fou nd at ion h a s h i re d Christian Francey as their new business director. Francey has experience in the private and public sectors and most recently worked as the executive director for a large non-profit organization for six years in Victoria. The Attic Thrift Store recently celebrated their grand re-opening at 4778 Johnston Road. Shauna Laughlin was recently named a sales director with Mary Kay. Laughlin has been with the company for six years and has brought on more than 40 ot her women to joi n t he company. Jamie Morton, the manager of the Alberni Valley Museum, is retiring from his post after serving in the role for 5 years. He was previously involved on the Alberni Valley Heritage Commission during a 10-year tenure

at North Island College from 2000 to 2011, when he taught sociology and history at their Port Alberni campus. From 2011 to 2013, Morton served as the Hudson Bay’s collections curator in Manitoba. Mci ntosh Nor ton Wi lliams Chartered Professional Accountants announces that their senior staff accountant, Carla Neville, has successfully completed her CPA designation. The firm is at 4757 Tebo Avenue. Alberni Valley Dental Centre has added Dr. Oleg Beregovoy to their team at 101 – 4115 Sixth Avenue. Chapel of Memories has added Tylore King as their new apprentice at 4005 6th Avenue. Tali Campbell has rescinded his resignation as director of b u s i n e s s op e rat ion s of t h e Alberni Valley Bulldogs only a week after making the announcement. He is back with the B.C. Hockey League team, busy attracting new sponsors and trying to fill the building for Bulldogs games. Karen Vandermolen has retired from Archie’s Hair Styling and is now serving her customers from home at 2851 Brandon Avenue. SEE MOVER’S AND SHAKERS | PAGE 29

MOVERS & SHAKERS

OCTOBER 2018

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Steve Marshall dealership.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28

TOFINOUCLUELET

Jan Jepson has retired from Beach Acres Resort a f ter 2 2 years of working with the resor t at 1051 Resor t Dr ive i n Parksville.

To f i n o B u s S e r v i c e s h a s launched Box By Bus, to service the shipping needs of Vancouver Island businesses, in a bid to replace Greyhound’s postal services. At the end of this month Greyhound will no longer service Western Canada, but Tofino Bus, a long-time interline partner of Greyhound, has made steps to ensure shipping services are still offered. Tofino Bus has 14 bus depots and freight stations on Vancouver Island.

Let Them Be Little Group Child Care has been opened by Michele Goldfuss and Jody Lee at 2350 Alberni Highway in Qualicum Beach. Goldfuss has over 20 years of experience in childcare while Lee has 10 years of experience doing family child care in her home and more recently spent 10 years working with disabled adults.

MAQ Hotel, Pub & Liquor Store has completed renovations at their space at 120 First Street.

Q u a l it y Fo o d s h a s m o v e d their south Nanaimo location to a new location in Harewood at 867 Bruce Avenue. The new store features a licensed lounge upstairs called Upstairs, a pizza oven and smoke house, a new floral department and more.

PARKSVILLEQUALICUM BEACH Family Ford celebrated the grand opening of their dealership at 410 East Island Highway in Parksville on October 4th. The dealership is part of the Steve Marshall Ford family, which has operations in Campbell R iver and Nanaimo and is led by Owner/Leader Ann Marie Clark, who is also over the Nanaimo

NANAIMO

Community Futures Central Island’s (CFCI) board member Adam Hawryluk and staff member Wanda Zink as well as the CFCI office each won awards a t t h e Com m u n it y F ut u re s BC Provincial Conference in September. Zink received the Don McMillan award, Adam H a w r y l u k w o n t h e A l M cCracken award and the office

took home the Investment Fund Portfolio award for demonstrating a robust Investment Portfolio with significant growth. US-based company PEG Development has submitted an updated building permit appl icat ion for its proposed nine-storey hotel at 100 Gordon Street across from the Vancouver Island Conference Centre. The proposed $23-million hotel wou ld be a Courtyard by Marriott and will now have 172 rooms instead of the originally proposed 155. The city sold the Gordon Street property to PEG for $750,000 last year and is expected to issue a permit this month. The Nanaimo and District Museum Society Board of Directors announces the appointment of Sophia Mayer as general manager. Maher will take over from the retiring Debbie Trueman who has managed the museum since 1989. Sophia has moved w ith her fa m i ly back to Nanaimo from Edmonton where she served as the Ma nag i ng Director of Visitor Experiences at Fort Edmonton Park, one of Canada’s largest living history museums; and most recently held the position of Director of Guest Service and Security at Rogers Place. TheatreOne announced that stage ma nager Anne Taylor,

whose has worked at Vancouver’s Arts Club Theatre, Regina’s Globe Theater and the Chemainus T heatre, w i l l be their new general manager. Lakeside Dental Clinic is celebrating their 30th anniversary at 7 – 4800 Island Highway. Royal LePage Nanaimo Realty announces the addition of Melanie Erickson of the Shannon Marin Team to their team at 4200 Island Highway. BC Seniors and Pensioners Nanaimo is celebrating their 80 th anniversary. The organization is a social club for seniors that hosts events including soup and sandwich lunches and potlucks, craft groups, tai chi, darts and cribbage. Keith Pope is the top salesperson of the month for Nanaimo Toyota at 2555 Bowen Road. Meanwhile, Chris Rigby was the top salesman for Harbourview Volkswagen at 4921 Wellington Road. Harmac Pacific is celebrating their 10 th year as an employee-owned company. The mill had been shut down for months in 2008 when it was rescued by employees who committed $25,000 each, with help from financial backers including Frank and Mike Crucil, Ed and Levi Sampson and Bryan Reid.

Richard Ogden

LADYSMITHCHEMAINUS Royal LePage Nanaimo Realty has added Richard Ogden to their team of real estate professionals in their Ladysmith branch at 410A 1st Avenue. Chemainus Family Dental announces that Dr. Arthur Machner is joining their team at 2849 Oak Street. Dr. Machner previously held an associate position in Kelowna and the Lower Mainland. He has years of experience in dentistry including running his own practice. SEE MOVER’S AND SHAKERS | PAGE 30

HEROLD ENGINEERING LIMITED, with offices in Nanaimo, Victoria, Ucluelet and Fort Nelson is pleased to announce the appointment of four new Principals to our organization. Herold Engineering continues to develop and promote our employees by recognizing effective work performance and significant contributions to ensure that we continue to lead as a reputable and reliable engineering firm in our industry. Our staff is our most valuable asset and we are proud to announce the appointment of our new Principals based across our Nanaimo and Victoria offices. Each of these professional individuals have shown a real commitment to making a difference for our firm, our staff, our community and have worked extremely hard to meet the needs of our clients.

Kate Ulmer, P.Eng., Principal Structural Engineer, Buildings

Jarrod Koster, P.Eng., Principal Structural / Building Enclosure Engineer

Craig Work, P.Eng., Principal Industrial, Bridge & Marine Engineer

From everyone at Herold Engineering, we congratulate you and wish you all the best in this important next step of your careers! www.heroldengineering.com

Patrick Ryan, P.Eng., Principal Civil Engineer

MOVERS & SHAKERS

30 MOVERS AND SHAKERS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29

RX Drug Mart in Coronation Mall congratulates Jen Yon on her new role as manager. Sh a n non B el l a my a n d D r. Anita Voisin were both named Rotarian of the Year for The

Rotary Club of Chemainus. Bellamy and Dr. Voisin are both from Cowichan Eye Care and were recognized for guiding the club through its two biggest events of the year. Ladysmith’s Infrastructure Services staff team received the Public Works Week – Community Celebration Award from

OCTOBER 2018

The Cowichan Valley Regional District and BC Transit are celebrating their 25 th anniversary of transit service in the Cowichan Valley. It has also been 10 years since inter-regional service to Greater Victoria on boa rd t he Cow ich a n Va l ley Commuter began. Today BC Transit operates a f leet of 31 buses on 17 routes that provides approximately 450,000 rides per year.

the Public Works Association of British Columbia at a recent ceremony. The award is given to municipalities/agencies or regions with populations under 100,000 that use the annual public awareness week to educate and inform the public about the role public works plays in communities.

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Cowichan Valley realtor Brian Danyliw is launching Canada’s first franchise of The Agency on Vancouver Island. Danyliw has worked as a realtor in the Valley since 2008 and is partner i ng w it h Victor i a-ba sed realtor Jason Binab, to bring The Agency to the island. The Agency is one of the fastest g row i n g lu x u r y re a l e s t ate brands in North America and was founded in Los Angeles in 2011. Ian Blom, the executive chef a t T h e Old F i rehou s e Wi ne Bar i n Du nca n is mov i ng on to open h is ow n restau ra nt, The Ainslie, w ith h is fa m i ly on Kenneth Street in Duncan next month. Island Savings announced a $150,000 donation to Vancouver Island University over the next five years to support capital

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Bryan Danyliw projects and enhance student ex p er ience. T hese projects include a new health and sciences center, an expanded and redeveloped marine, automotive and trades complex and a district geo-exchange energy system. Island Savings announced their donation at a ceremony at VIU’s Duncan campus. R o ge r K a p i l a h a s o p e n e d Roger’s Furniture & Mattress at #503 – 5301 Chaster Road in Duncan. The new outlet is a 10,0000-square-foot space consisting of living room, bedroom and dining room sets. Discovery Honda announces that Lloyd Jones is their top star of the month for August at 6466 Bell McKinnon Road.

Angela Prince has moved Spa Sanctuary to a new space at 1470 Adelaide Street. Price moved the spa from her home, where she has been operating the business for over 10 years. Spa Sanctuary’s treatments now include everything from facials to foot soaks in a renovated space with an ocean-view. Cowichan Wellness has opened a new yoga studio at #204 – 225 Canada Avenue. The local wellness center added the yoga studio to the third f loor of their center overlooking Duncan City Square. Ian Locke is the new executive director of the Downtown Duncan Business Improvement Area. Locke has a background in digital marketing and multimed i a cre at ion a nd w i l l b e working closely with DDBIA’s board of directors, stakeholders and members to continue improving the area.

Victoria 250-384-7243

Courtenay 250-334-7753

Nanaimo 250-758-7373

Campbell River 250-286-4880

OPINION

OCTOBER 2018

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

DEMOCRACY IS BEING THREATENED BY KRITOCRACY: THE RULE OF JUDGES

MARK MACDONLD

ot Withstanding. Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s threatened use of the rarely used Clause upset the proverbial apple cart for some, but to others, it was about time. One court ruled Ford’s decision to cut the number of city councilors from 47 to 25 for the upcoming civic election wouldn’t be allowed. Ford waived the Not Withstanding Clause, but before he had to actually use it, another court ruled the Premier was indeed within his power to make such a decision. So he never had to use it. But he could have. And he would have. It is just one word, but it is a very important one, which, if needed, ensures that democracy – the rule of the people – remains intact. In every day terms, Not Withstanding basically means “nevertheless”, as in: After considering

all relevant facts and information - including judges and the courts – the government is going to do this. Elected governments are designed to carry out the will of the people, as people vote in which individuals and parties they want to best represent their interests. Democracy, therefore, is the rule of the people. Kritocracy is the rule of the judges and courts, which can overrule the will of the people. The Not Withstanding Clause is there to provide balance between the two. To quote columnist Rex Murphy: “The NWC (Not Withstanding Clause) is an instrument of the Charter of Rights to protect against judicial overreach. There are times judges should say no to legislatures. There are other times legislatures should say no to judges. Seems fair. Very Canadian in fact.” While Canadians expect fairness from the courts, we must also acknowledge that judges are people, too, and therefore, well, people. Their opinions and rulings are expected to be well thought out, and measured, but do they always make the right decision? Is that possible? Add to this the uncomfortable knowledge of how judges becomes judges that must be allowed into our conversations.

The appointment of judges is part of the political process, plain and simple. The federal government of the day makes decisions on which judges will fill which federal court, including the Supreme Court. Provincial governments make the same choices for provincial court. We must ask ourselves: Would liberal-minded governments appoint conservative-minded judges, or vice-versa? How dare we ask? Isn’t it time we did, considering what appears to be an increase in “activist” judges whose decisions can seem to be their own interpretation of the law? In Canada, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is a rather fluid vehicle left wide open for personal interpretation by judges at all levels, and since Canadian law is based on precedence “what did the last guy get?”, shifting sand can be the norm. Unless the appropriate elected government head invokes the Not Withstanding Clause to overrule the judges. That is the balance that ensures that, ultimately, the interests of people in general are kept at the highest value. Whether or not the Ontario court made the ruling after Ford waived the Not Withstanding flag to self-preserve its power and avoid further, widespread use of the

clause to overrule court decisions cannot be proven. But it did show the potential power our political leaders can wield to overturn decisions that undermine the wishes of the majority of the electorate, or what is in the best interests of the country. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau could have used the Not Withstanding Clause to overrule court rulings and drive the twinning of the Kinder Morgan Pipeline forward to completion. He chose not to. B .C .’s N DP P re m i e r J o h n Horgan’s stonewalling of the much-needed pipeline through the courts is a cost borne entirely by taxpayers, but one which, with the use of just one clause - Not Withstanding - could be stopped in its tracks. Polls show most people supported the pipeline expansion, which has not (and many believe will not) proceed as the federal and provincial governments use court decisions as a political shield. They can appease their supporter base by using taxpayer-funded legal bills to stop projects, and at the same time put their hands up and say “we want to, but can’t because of the courts”. How convenient. So, having said all that, and peering past the Not Withstanding Clause, what was Premier

Ford’s real action all about? Smaller government. Less politicians. Savings for beleaguered taxpayers. Governments are paid for by taxes, and Canada has quickly become uncompetitive tax-wise, particularly compared to our U.S. neighbours, which makes us vulnerable for a “brain drain” of higher skilled workers that have been targeted by the Canadian taxman. Governments at all levels should get out of business. Get out of the gas business (Petro Canada), get out of the insurance business (ICBC), and get out of the liquor distribution business (provincial liquor stores). And anything else that the private sector, has proven, time and time again, that it can do much better, and do so competitively. Governments would argue they need to be involved in these sectors, not just from a regulatory standpoint, but also for revenue that helps provide other social services. Nevertheless. Or should we say, Not Withstanding? Premier Ford’s use of the NWC to cut Toronto council almost in half, not only helped balance out the power of the courts, but drive this point home that our governments need to be smaller. And therefore, less expensive for taxpayers.

THERE’S NOTHING ‘AFFORDABLE’ ABOUT BC TAX INCREASES

THE FRASER INSTITUTE NIELS VELDHUIS AND MILAGROS PALACIOS

“M

aking your life more affordable” has been a dominant rhetorical theme of British Columbia’s government - so much so that its 2018 budget uses the word “affordable” 76 times. Finance Minister Carole James mentioned “affordable” 26 times in her latest budget speech. W h i le ma k i ng l i fe more affordable is a terrific goal, the

government of Premier John Horgan has substantially increased taxes on middle-class families. It’s hard to see what’s affordable about that. Before this government’s tax increases, the average BC family’s total tax bill (federal, provincial and local taxes) was $47,868 nearly 42 per cent of its income. This includes income, payroll, sales, property, carbon, health, fuel and alcohol taxes, to name but a few. Given the tremendous tax burden that BC families face, it’s no wonder James said her government’s elimination of Medical Services Plan (MSP) premiums will take “some pressure off people’s pocket books.” That would, of course, be nice. Unfortunately, it’s not the case. Since assuming power in July 2017, this government has enacted or announced several significant tax increases that more than offset its elimination of MSP premiums. The government raised taxes on British Columbians earning more than $150,000 to a rate of 16.8 per

cent from 14.7 per cent under the previous government. It also increased the general business income tax rate from 11 per cent to 12 per cent (while maintaining the previous government’s pledge to reduce the small business tax rate from 2.5 per cent to 2.0 per cent). And substantially increased the carbon tax from $30 per tonne when it took office to $50 per tonne by 2022. What’s more, it has completely abandoned a commitment to making the carbon tax revenue neutral. Then there’s the MSP premiums switch. The previous Liberal government said it would cut MSP premiums in half, a plan the new NDP government adopted and implemented on Jan. 1, 2018, while also planning to eliminate the remaining half on Jan. 1, 2020. To replace the forgone revenue, the government will levy a new Employer Health Tax (EHT) starting in January 2019. While the EHT will be levied on employers, don’t be fooled - it will very quickly be paid by workers. A recent empirical study

of Canada by economists based at HEC Montréal, the graduate business school of the Université de Montréal, found that “payroll taxes are passed almost entirely to workers in the form of lower wages.” All told, these tax increases will add an expected $1.9 billion to the tax burden of British Columbians once fully implemented. But what do these tax hikes mean for average families? As noted in a recent Fraser Institute study, the average BC family will pay $959 more in taxes, led mainly by a $498 increase in fuel and carbon taxes. And while the government has tried to protect lower-income families by increasing the Low Income Climate Action Tax Credit, families with household incomes ranging from $20,000 to $50,000 will, on average, still pay nearly $200 more in taxes. This calculation does not include several tax increases on residential property (increased property transfer taxes, speculation tax and increased school tax), which total more than $500 million.

There’s no question that these tax hikes will hit some middle-income families, including families who experience substantial appreciation in home values, or where property tax hikes result in higher rental prices for renters in an already-tight rental market. Higher carbon, personal income, payroll, business and residential property taxes will not only hit the wallets of BC families, it will also make the province less attractive for business investment and entrepreneurs. And it will make it more difficult to attract and retain top talent, with ripple effects throughout the economy. BC - less affordable for families and less attractive for business,’ is not exactly a slogan for success. Niels Veldhuis and Milagros Palacios are economists with the Fraser Institute.

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