Business Examiner Victoria - August 2016

AUGUST 2016

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VICTORIA As one of the 2016 Top 20 Under 40, Andy Spurling of Proline Management Ltd. is very happy to move back and join the family business

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INDEX News Update 2 Esquimalt 3 West Shore 4 Saanich Peninsula 4 Greater Victoria 6 Who is Suing Whom 27 Movers and Shakers 28 Opinion 30 Law 31 Tourism 31

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World Class PGA Event Coming To Bear Mountain Pacific Links Championship To Be Telecast On The Golf Channel

BY DAVID HOLMES

V

ICTOR I A – For lovers of professional golf the place to be this September will be Victoria’s Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa as the world class venue hosts the 2016 Pacific Links Championship. “The Pacific Links is an official PGA (Professional Golf Association) Event featuring the best golfers aged 50 and over in the world. The tournament is slated to be the biggest and highest profile golf tournament ever held on Vancouver Island,” explained Tournament Director David Skitt.

Running from September 19th to 25th the tournament will showcase the talents of some of the world’s best professional golfers and will be telecast globally by the Golf Channel. “There will be a $2.5 million (US) prize purse up for grabs and the event will be broadcast around the world on the Golf Channel which will offer some unparalleled exposure

Many members of the local media were on hand June 27, especially to meet professional golfer Paul Goydos

SEE PACIFIC LINKS | PAGE 20

Long Anticipated Marina Project Finally Getting Underway Victoria International Marina Schedule To Open Next March

BY DAVID HOLMES

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ICTORIA – What’s going to be taking shape in Victoria’s Inner Harbour in the next few months is so much more than a marina. What’s actually taking shape is another key piece of the city’s ongoing effort to become a world-class

tourist destination. Decades in the dreaming and designing stage, the $24 million Victoria International Marina will consist of a pair of buildings (approximately 6,000 square feet each) which will house amenities and marina related services designed to cater to visitors and to the community. The 28 slip

BUSINESS SYSTEMS

marina has been designed to accommodate yachts of 65’ to 150’.

“In reality this project was originally conceived more than 30 years ago. Back then Robert Evans purchased 16 acres of the Songhees land from the province and the city, essentially old industrial land on the north side of the Blue Bridge,” explained Craig Norris,

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Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Community Marine Concepts, the owner and developer of the Victoria International Marina project.

“In about 1985 they conceived a plan for the land that included a marina and a bit of a town centre.

SEE MARINA PROJECT | PAGE 21

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NEWS UPDATE

AUGUST 2016

Hans Van de Kamp

VICTORIA

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Fewer Greater Victoria houses were sold in June than in May, but it was a result of tight inventory rather than a cooling of demand, the Victoria Real Estate Board said in its monthly report.

The number of sales, at 1,174, was down nine per cent in June versus May, likely because so few houses were available for sale, said real estate board president Mike Nugent.

The issue of housing inventory and having options after selling a home has affected a number of people, Nugent said.

“To a certain degree what’s helped to feed a lot of this is we’ve had a lot of new product built, particularly in the West Shore. So you’ve got Bear Mountain, Happy Valley, Westhills, Sooke. They’re all building like crazy, but now we’re out of the inventory they had.”

He noted that despite the current situation, properties occasionally remain unsold, sometimes when owners try to test the limits of the asking price in a hot market.

Inventory at the end of June stood at 2,289 active listings, down 42.8 per cent from 4,003 at the end of June 2015.

VICTORIA Washington Foundation donates to trade programs Camosun College’s initiative to attract more women into trades has received an additional $300,000. The money from the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation was announced recently in North Vancouver.

It will go toward the college’s $5-million Trademark of Excellence Campaign, which includes a program for women. This donation increased the campaign total to $3.7 million.

In addition, the Canadian Welding Association Foundation is receiving $300,000 from the Washington Foundation to support trade programs in high schools in Greater Victoria and North Vancouver.

The BC Institute of Technology is receiving $300,000 for aboriginal students in trades.

The $900,000 total donation will be rolled out over three years.

Camosun’s Trademark of Excellence Campaign includes the Step Up for Women initiative, with a goal of increasing the number of women studying trades at Camosun from the 144 enrolled now to 500 by 2020. Currently, Camosun has 2,700 students in trades and is aiming to reach 3,700 in four or five years.

VICTORIA Victoria transit gets new funding Greater Victoria transit riders will see major improvements earlier than expected thanks to $158 million for public transit announced by the federal government and the province.

BC’s Transportation Minister Todd Stone cited more Handy-Dart buses, replacement of diesel buses with those powered by greener fuel, maintenance buildings and technology to let riders with smartphones see real-time estimates of when buses will arrive.

“Greater Victoria will get a significant share of $90 million in grants from the federal government and $68 million from BC because it’s the largest service in the BC Transit system, which also includes Prince George, Nanaimo,

Kelowna, Kamloops and Abbotsford,” Stone said.

He suggested projects with anticipated wait times of five to ten years may only take two to three years instead.

BC BC Ferries sees jump in traffic Improved revenue as a result of a weak Canadian dollar and increased traffic drove BC Ferries well into profitability during the 2016 fiscal year, according to financial results.

BC Ferries reported net earnings of $69.6 million during its fiscal year which ended March 31st. This is up from the $49.1 million earned in 2015.

Revenue jumped to $869.8 million from $841.1 million the previous year as a result of higher traffic volume. BC Ferries experienced a 4.9 per cent increase in vehicle traffic and a 4.5 per cent increase in passenger traffic compared with 2015.

The corporation attributed the bump in traffic to lower fuel prices, the lower Canadian dollar and promotional fare incentives. The level of traffic was a return to the kind of volume last seen in 2009 prior to the turbulence in the Canadian and world economies.

Operating expenses increased from $722.5 million in 2015 to $744.2 million in fiscal 2016.

BC Ferries said that the $21.7 million increase is primarily due to higher costs in labour, maintenance, goods sold and amortization, offset by lower fuel costs.

Capital expenditures in the 12 months ended March 31st and totalled $181.2 million, $114.2 million of which was allocated towards vessel upgrades and modifications, with the remainder for terminal marine structures, terminal and building upgrades and equipment, and information technology.

VICTORIA TLC pursues leaving creditor protection The Land Conservancy of BC is earnest to leave creditor protection but still has more than $4 million in outstanding debt.

Negotiations are also continuing for the transfer of some properties, including the Wildwood ecoforest near Cedar. TLC is currently working on paying off four remaining mortgages.

The Land Conservancy has been operating under a court approved plan or arrangement to manage its debt since February 2015. This far, the organization has knocked down close to half its debt, initially at about $7.5 million. It entered creditor protection in October 2013 and has since been working with a court-appointed monitor.

In the latest monitor report, Wolrige Mahon Ltd., said that the TLC should seek a two-year extension to its plan of arrangement to run to June 2018, and obtain creditor approval for this initiative.

A new administration, lead by John Shields, took over as the Land Conservancy embarked on a restructuring program dedicated to set up a sustainable business model and rebuild public trust.

The Victoria-based non-profit organization protects and maintains heritage properties, agricultural land and natural sites around BC.

VANCOUVER ISLAND Victoria construction leads

NEWS UPDATE

AUGUST 2016

Island building boom New home construction in the capital region has risen nearly 70 per cent so far this year compared with 2015, playing a major role in Vancouver Island’s construction industry boom.

Vancouver Island Construction Association President, Greg Baynton said he has never seen all sectors in the construction industry so busy.

Construction is forecasted to intensify until peaking in 2018 and then level out for a few years. Greater Victoria’s hot housing market is pushing developers to put up all types of homes.

Demand is strong for rental units in Greater Victoria, which has had a vacancy rate of just 0.6 per cent as of October 2015. The Greater Victoria Rental Development Society is trying to address that shortage.

A $10-million building permit has been issued by the Town of Sidney for the society’s latest project at Fourth and Fifth streets. The Aranza, a five-storey, 56-unit development, will include commercial space on the ground floor.

The society also has the five-storey Azzurro under construction. It will feature one floor of commercial space and four floors with 54 rental units and is expected to be completed in late 2017.

In the first six months of this year 1,588 homes were started in the Capital Region, up 68 per cent from 984 in the first half of 2015 according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.

In June, 479 homes got underway

as compared with 139 in the same month last year.

INTEGRATION IN THE WORKS

COLWOOD Development proposed for Capital City Centre Plans have been officially revealed for Colwood’s Capital City Centre development.

Vancouver-based Onni Group has submitted a development application to city staff for a mixed-use complex on the 12.5-acre lot. The project would include around 150,000 square feet of retail and commercial space, as well as about 284 rental housing units for students and families.

The Colwood lot, bordered by Jerome, Sooke and Belmont roads, near the junction with Goldstream Avenue, was to be the site of a $1.2-billion project with 16 high-rises and a number of other buildings. Construction was halted in spring 2013 after the developer ran out of money.

Ownership of the property (now a large hole in the ground with concrete foundation work) was transferred to Onni from a League Assets subsidiary for $17.5 million in a deal approved

by BC Supreme Court.

Onni’s submitted plans show buildings ranging from one to five storeys.

City staff will review the development application for the property and council will vote on rezoning or other density changes if required.

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ESQUIMALT RJ SENKO

D

espite the absence of this column from these pages over the past few months, it has been a busy time for the Esquimalt Chamber Board.

By now most will be aware that your Board has been working closely with counterparts at the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce on an integration strategy. The time has come to put aside parochial views in favour of a more holistic approach to business development in our area. As Esquimalt Mayor, Barb Desjardins, stated in our June 21, 2016 news release on this issue, “Local businesses are not bound by municipal boundaries so this process toward integration of our local Chambers will help provide a more cohesive approach to economic development and voice for business.” In the same release Victoria Mayor, Lisa Helps, added, “This

integration proposal is consistent with the decision made last year by all regional Councils to combine our efforts on economic development”.

Your Board thanks both Mayors for their support and commits to continue to work with the local Councils to build on our already strong economic ties. But like every initiative undertaken by your Board the proposed integration of our two Chambers is not about politics but rather improving services to our members.

In that regard we believe that by integrating administrative services we can offer more and better services to our members, including: access to regular professional development opportunities; expanded connections and networking opportunities with business owners and leaders throughout Greater Victoria; and even greater influence on the local, regional, provincial and national level governments’ decision-making on business issues.

During the summer the Chamber Integration Committee will meet to develop specifics of the plan and hope to be in a position by the fall to hold detailed consultations with members in both Esquimalt and Victoria. In the meantime, members are encouraged to provide their comments through the Feedback section of the Esquimalt Chamber website (www.esquimaltchamber. ca) or by contacting the office (250590-2125) or myself directly.

The integration proposal was also a highlight of our 2016 Annual General Meeting held June 29. In addition to that discussion, the members assembled also elected three new directors to the Board. Your Board welcomes newly elected directors Murray Boyce of Entertainment Unlimited, Kelly Darwin - Seriously Creative and Willow Thompson of Balanced Bookkeeping. These three energetic and committed newcomers replace retiring directors Heather Greenlees of English Inn, Don Linge of Don Linge Law Group and Luis Abriz-Castillo of The Office. On behalf of all our members we thank Heather, Don and Luis for their hard work and commitment to business in Esquimalt and wish them all the very best.

While the AGM did see some changes to the Board, the core remains the same with Bill Lang of Apple Tree Restaurant returning as President, Barry Hobbis of Victoria Harbour Ferries and RJ Senko of BCLP/RJStrategies continuing as Vice-Presidents along with incumbent directors Meghan Major of Royal Bank and Stephanie Ritchie of Cooper Financial.

RJ Senko is a Vice-President at the Esquimalt Chamber and President of RJStrategies. He can be reached at 250-888-3534.

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WEST SHORE / SAANICH PENINSULA

FROM NO TO YES (NIMBY TO YIMBY)

SAANICH PENINSULA DENNY WARNER

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n e ra t h e r u northodox metric of the real estate market in a particula r a rea looks at the concentration of coffee shops. It is a crude measure of gentrification but typically, communities with higher concentrations of cafés selling espresso will also have higher real estate prices. You can d raw you r ow n conclusions in relation to Sidney.

Those of us who live on the Saanich Peninsula know it is a jewel – one that is not accessible to all. There are residents, and those who would like to live here, whose

vision is of a community that is more welcoming, affordable and diverse.

One strategy to see that vision realized is to increase the density and inventory of market-rate and subsidized housing.

The anti-development activists don’t share this vision and have publicly characterized developers and architects as ignorant, greedy and opportunistic. Proponents of development have borne lawsuits, heckling, email campaigns initiated by protestors and more.

There is a ray of sunshine in this fractious arena. A YIMBY (Yes in My Back Yard) movement is gaining traction in some of the more supply-constrained markets. Voices that have not traditionally been heard are rallying. Often younger and self-employed, the YIMBYs seek family-friendly rentals in neighbourhoods that offer safety, social networks, and access to healthcare and public transportation. Their

view points are important to this conversation and more generally, to our community. Diverse neighbourhoods with high levels of cultural engagement can spark economic revitalization.

I m a g i n e a pro c e s s where projects a re lau nched w ith a user-pa rticipation approach so t he of ten leg it i m ate i ssues of existing homeowners can be addressed at the planning and design stages. We would like to see a balanced range of voices from opponents and supporters speaking at Council meetings.

We champion a movement that encourages and incorporates the views of a diverse group of people who establish what will be built in our backyards.

Denny Warner is Executive Director of the Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at 250656-3616 or execdir@ peninsulachamber.ca

AUGUST 2016

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE: VISION WESTSHORE

WEST SHORE JULIE LAWLOR

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n August, the WestShore Chamber of Commerce is partnering with the Rotary Club of West Shore to support their 12th Annual Chili Cook-Off. This foundational food-focused event will take place on August 27th, attracting over 500 people to the Millstream Village in Langford. Up to 15 teams, largely drawn from local businesses, will prepare pots of chili and compete for the coveted Chili Cup. Winners are chosen by the public and a panel of celebrity judges in an atmosphere of good-natured rivalry. While this is the Rotary Club’s twelfth CookOff, it is the Chamber’s first in a cooperative role, and we appreciate the opportunity to extend the WestShore Chamber’s reputation and reach by partnering with the West Shore Rotary on this event.

Rotary Clubs are made up of people who want to help others,

and the Rotary Club of West Shore is no exception. It raises funds each year to support community, locally and internationally.

This year the Rotary Club of West Shore is supporting the Pacific Centre Family Services Association new Centre for Well-Being to be built on Goldstream Avenue in Colwood. Pacific Centre Family Services has been helping children and families in the West Shore since 1968, serving 1600 individuals last year alone. The new Centre for Well-Being will provide 15,000 square feet of program space. The Chili Cook-Off will assist through providing an equipped therapy room for the children.

Rotary Clubs are not unique in the good works they do for the community and every established business I connect to supports non-profits or charities, very often so quietly that you don’t even know this is happening. Stillpoint Community Acupuncture has just wrapped up its 4th Annual “Christmas in July” Food Drive event, encouraging donations of food and toiletries at their locations in Langford and Vic West. Both Highland Pacific Golf and our West Shore McDonald’s franchises are supporters of Jeneece Place, a home away from home for families travelling to Victoria for their child’s medical

care. Bitez provides the coffee at cost for the Chamber’s monthly breakfast mixers. The list really does go on and on.

If you’re a business owner or manager and you’re reading this, my first question to you is: do you support your community? As I’m pretty sure the answer is yes, my next question to you is: do your customers or clients know about this? If not, why not? Banks and credit unions are quite good at promoting their community support because they recognize it is an opportunity to increase customer engagement and loyalty with their brand. The same is true for any size of business, and being able to grow customer loyalty side by side with your altruism is a win for all involved.

As a consumer, I encourage you while you are out and about to ask what non-profits your business of choice supports. The length and the breadth of the list may surprise you!

For more information on the WestShore Chamber of Commerce and the Chili Cook-Off, please go to westshore.bc.ca Julie Lawlor is the Executive Director at the WestShore Chamber of Commerce. You can reach her at 250-478-1130 or jlawlor@westshore.bc.ca

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AUGUST 2016

NICHE SHIPPING COMPANY OFFERS DIRECT ROUTES BETWEEN NANAIMO AND ASIA “We want local Service tailored for growing economy and transportation needs of Vancouver Island

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businesses to know that there is an opportunity to have their shipping needs

ANAIMO - A new direct shipping route from Nanaimo’s Port Authority (NPA) to destinations throughout Asia is opening up greater opportunities for Vancouver Island businesses and manufacturers.

Westwood Shipping, a niche carrier with a long history and presence in British Columbia, created the direct service in response to increased demand and to DP World’s additional developments at NPA, such as the load-on/load-off (LOLO) shorebased crane and the BC Marine Electronic Highway monitoring system.

“We took a survey of our local customers and found an interest in the benefits of a direct service,” said Guy Stephenson, president Westwood Shipping.

“Logistically it makes sense as it gets cargo on the ship sooner, avoiding the need to transfer.”

With its extensive experience in North Pacific waters, specialized cargo holds and high sensitivity to cargo care, Westwood provides its customers’ a variety of shipping options from the central

tailor-made.”

GUY STEPHENSON PRESIDENT, WESTWOOD SHIPPING

DP World’s LOLO shore-based crane increases efficiencies for direct service to Asia island’s largest deep sea port.

NPA provides anchorage for up to six ships, up to 300 metres in length and in depths of 40 to 80 metres.

“Our vessels are flexible and can transport a wide range of cargo including refrigerated goods, heavy lift and oversize cargo, bottled water, breakbulk forest products, transformers, airplane assemblies and products that demand extra care,” said Stephenson.

The benefits ripple down the transportation line from manufacturers and producers to the consumer.

“It prov ides ou r va r ious

clientele with a fixed service to over 20 destinations in Asia, and a reliable timetable.”

Created in 2014, the direct link is tailored for the growing economy and transportation needs of Vancouver Island Stephenson explained. He said it’s a logistic solution that saves both time and money.

Westwood built its reputation and experience moving raw, processed and manufactured wood products. Today, they also customize logistics with Conbulk (container/bulk) vessels that have both containerized and non-containerized cargo space.

The vessels have flexible carrying

capacity with dedicated underdeck space for weather protection of sensitive cargo and state-ofthe-art gantry cranes to handle cargo up to 85 feet.

“Using the direct service is straightforward and can be personalized by one of our customer service representatives.”

He added that, an online system provides instant access to shipment status and documentation that is delivered within 24 hours.

Combined with DP World’s facilities and efficiencies it makes logistical adjustments easy.

Stephenson said that the large storage yard at the NPA Duke Point Terminal means Westwood

clients can book their order and have a container ready and waiting for the scheduled pick up.

From there, stevedores load the ship and get the cargo on its way.

“With the direct service there are significant benefits for local businesses,” said Stephenson.

“We pick it up from the island and head direct to Asia.”

Stephenson added that the majority of their exports and imports are to and from Korea, but they also make stops at ports in Japan and China by utilizing the Pacific Northwest gateway.

“We have an extensive history navigating the Pacific waters dating back to when Weyerhauser towed and transported logs to the Asian market,” Stephenson said. “For the past 30 years we’ve developed a service to bring cargo back.”

It’s the type of service the island market is ready for, impacting the direct and indirect market place by stimulating the growth of local jobs and in bringing more affordable transportation options to businesses across the island.

“We want local businesses to know that there is an opportunity to have their shipping needs tailor-made,” Stephenson said adding that, Westwood Shipping has played an important role in Vancouver Island’s past and wants to continue that service into the future.

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AUGUST 2016

POLICING OUR EXPECTATIONS – OF POLICE Greater Victoria’s cadre of highly-trained and professional police officers have a role to play in building safe

GREATER VICTORIA PEGGY KULMALA

A

communities by enforcing our laws, protecting our property, and keeping civil order

s Tent City is being dismantled and its residents relocated, it is perhaps time to reflect whether our expectations of our police forces are realistic.

We expect our police to be on patrol in our community, investigating crimes, enforcing the law and keeping the peace. But we also expect – even demand – that our police keep the downtown clear of panhandlers, the homeless, the mentally ill, or any such individual or situation that might otherwise lead to citizens and visitors feeling uncomfortable or unsafe. These people are not – more often than not – breaking any laws, harming property, or causing civil unrest. But police still “sweep the streets” because

we (through our municipal councils) want our downtown to be welcoming.

Certainly, that potential clients and customers might feel uncomfortable or unsafe is an issue for businesses. People naturally avoid uncomfortable situations.

But expecting teams of police officers to wake those sleeping in public spaces, wait until they pack up their belongings and move elsewhere – is that a justified use of trained police officers?

Ideally, we can help street-entrenched population transition to fully-functioning members of society through the provision of housing, drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs, as well as life skills and employment counseling. Police could remain a key element of the transition using the existing relationships they have with the hard-to-reach street community.

But – we don’t have the supports to fully enable that transition. So we expect police to act as de facto front-line social workers.

Greater Victoria’s cadre of highly-trained and professional police officers have a role to play in building safe communities by enforcing our laws, protecting our property, and keeping civil order. Police give back to our community in so many ways: their time, effort, and sadly too

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AUGUST CHAMBER EVENTS • Thursday, August 4 Summer Social Series: Beer on the Barge 5:30 pm to 8 pm - Ogden Point Pier A • Thursday, August 11 Prodigy Group Mingle often their lives. We have much to thank them for, and they are richly deserving of our respect.

Instead of expecting police to be the “catch-all” guardians of our communities, perhaps we should be asking our governments – at all levels – what are they doing to enable our police forces to keep focus on core police services, namely crime prevention, law enforcement, and keeping the peace.

There is no question that we need safe communities and a vibrant economy. There is also no question that there is a gap between what policing actually is and what we expect our police forces to do. But it is time to close the gap.

Just because police answer the phone around the clock, doesn’t mean they are always the answer.

5 pm to 7 pm - Passion and Performance • Thursday, August 18 Business Mixer - Robert Bateman Centre (470 Belleville St.)

Peggy Kulmala is the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce’s manager of policy and public affairs. 250-383-7191, policy@ victoriachamber.ca, www. victoriachamber.ca

7

AUGUST 2016

ENGINEERING FIRM ONE OF THE LARGEST ON THE ISLAND Avalon Mechanical Consultants Has Worked Across North America

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ICTORIA – For more than 30 years Avalon Mechanical Consultants Ltd. has aided thousands of clients across Vancouver Island and beyond. Avalon provides a full range of engineering services, designing systems for clients as varied as governments, residential building developers and institutions. While currently having a reach and client base that extends across the country and even into the United States, Avalon Mechanical began on a much smaller scale.

“I started the company as a sole proprietorship in 1984 and in 1989 we merged with Michael Edwards Consulting Engineers, which began our expansion,” explained company founder Bob Landell.

“Mirek Demidow myself and Mike Edwards were the principals at that time. Shortly thereafter Mike moved back to England, while staying on as a principal with the company. Mirek and I then went on to run the company together for many years. Mike eventually decided to stay in England, selling us his shares.”

Within the last few years a group of the firm’s younger engineers became principals with the firm, which now has five individual principal / partners in its joint ownership. The move was part of Landell’s eventual corporate succession plan.

Avalon Mechanical Consultants is an engineering firm specializing in the design of a variety of building systems including HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), plumbing, fire suppression and through its separate Avalon Energy Management division, energy management.

“Our focus is building services engineering, providing the designs for commercial, institutional and residential projects. We do quite a bit of Green Building work.

Over the years we’ve worked on more than 50 LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) projects. We also do energy consulting which would involve such services as energy accounting, energy modeling, energy studies and implementations.”

Headquartered at 300-1245 Esquimalt Road the firm currently has a staff of 19. Avalon Mechanical Consultants also operates a satellite office in Nanaimo which is the home base for two full time staff members.

If you can imagine a major structure to be like a living creature, Avalon Mechanical’s job is to design and oversee the installation of many of the systems needed to keep that creature healthy – while having the skills and technologies

Avalon Mechanical with its team of engineers and experienced support staff has operated since 1984

“Very often they are very much greater than what we had projected, and that’s a really good feeling.”

BOB LANDELL FOUNDER, AVALON MECHANICAL CONSULTANTS

to continually monitor the ongoing health of its patient. “Energy management is certainly a big part of what we do. We have been contracted to be the Energy Managers for the Royal BC Museum, something we’ve been doing for many years for example.”

Other key energy management clients for the company include the City of Victoria, Camosun College (for five years), Royal Roads University and Island Health just to name a few. Through its Avalon Energy SEE AVALON MECHANICAL | PAGE 8

The company has been involved in numerous institutional projects including at Royal Roads University

EST. 1971

534 DAVID STREET, VICTORIA, BC V8T 2C8 EMAIL: jerry@apexsteel.ca

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AUGUST 2016

AVALON MECHANICAL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

Management division the company develops ways for its clients to reduce their energy consumption (and reduce energy costs) while giving the structures a smaller environmental footprint.

“Usually what we do is we start by benchmarking the energy performance of their portfolio, looking for opportunities to save energy in a cost effective way. It also saves the client money and money usually is the main motivator for undertaking this sort of work,” he explained.

To reduce energy consumption bills and to limit emissions into the environment, Avalon will look at a variety of different systems that can be improved, replaced or finetuned. These could include heating systems, ventilation, refrigeration, air conditioning, domestic hot water, lighting, all forms of electrical systems and more.

“We look through them for inefficiencies or for equipment that is nearing the end of its service life that could be upgraded with better equipment. New technologies are always coming online,” he stated. “We do a fair bit of renewable energy work as well, study, design and implementation on behalf of our clients.”

The engineers at Avalon Mechanical Consultants are not installers like plumbers or electricians, but are the designers who locate the technologies, envision the application and create the plans to put those systems into place.

The bulk of the work carried out by the company involves basic engineering. A typical client (a building owner or developer) would have a need for a structure so they in turn will hire a team that includes architects, mechanical, electrical and civil engineers, landscape architects and others to produce the contract documents that the eventual builders would bid on.

“A lot of our work is fairly standard mechanical engineering where we provide the mechanical drawings for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, natural gas, refrigeration, plumbing, drainage, fire suppression – the list could go on. We produce and provide all of the drawings for the sub trades to

The company has handled many government projects over the years including at the provincial legislature bid on,” Landell explained.

Developing the plans and bringing the construction (or renovation) project to the contract stage represents the bulk of Avalon’s activities.

The Green Building services offered

by Avalon Energy Management are increasingly important components of the range of services the firm offers its clients.

“As part of our LEED Commissioning Authority services, we are working on the UVic (University of Victoria) CARSA Building, the Capital Park Development behind the Legislature, FMF (Fleet Maintenance Facility) Cape Breton at CFB Esquimalt, the trades building at Camosun College and others.”

While it’s good to design a structure to be efficient and environmentally benign right from the start, the reality is many of the projects undertaken by Avalon Mechanical involve the renovation and updating of existing structures, some of which were constructed decades ago. The company has been SEE AVALON MECHANICAL | PAGE 9

The Royal BC Museum is just one of the many institutional clients the company has worked for EMERGENCY SERVICE

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involved in the upgrades of a number of large buildings in Victoria over the years such as office buildings, municipal buildings, schools, hospitals and other government structures.

“In some cases we’ve reduced their energy consumption by more than half. It’s hard to say what percentage of our work involves renovations and what represents new builds, but we do a fair mix of both.

It all really depends on the market,” he said.

Landell expects that thanks to an increased interest in energy-saving programs on the part of the federal government, coupled with the global impact of such SEE AVALON MECHANICAL | PAGE 9

9

AUGUST 2016

Avalon Mechanical has a great deal of experience in designing the placement of large solar panel systems The company also designs and oversees the installation of industrial sized heating and air conditioning systems

AVALON MECHANICAL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

UVic’s CARSA (Centre for Athletics, Recreation & Special Abilities) Building is another Avalon project

environmental initiatives as the recent Paris Accord, the work of the firm’s energy management services division will become an increasingly important part of the firm’s workload. “I think that the energy work is going to come back much like it was a few years ago and we’re going to get much busier in that area.”

While much of the design and energy management work undertaken by the firm involves commercial and institutional projects, Avalon has also played a large role in designing services for numerous large scale multi-family residences (and the occasional high end single family home).

For the future the company expects to continue growing only if the need presents itself. “We have grown from one to 19 in a fairly linear way and it seems to be working out organically. There certainly are no plans in the works to expand dramatically, that’s for sure,” he said.

Landell expects to continue with the company for some time yet. “I don’t really have any retirement plans I still enjoy what I do and enjoy learning new things. There is a real satisfaction in helping with environmental issues, but there’s an excitement with the innovation as well. That’s why I enjoy it and I

would miss it if I stopped,” he said.

Proving that energy savings designed and instituted by the company actually produce positive results is another personal hot button for Landell. “It’s important for us to follow up on our projects and to verify savings. Very often they are very much greater than what we had projected, and that’s a really good feeling,” he said.

“When updating an older building where there is always a pre-existing benchmark or history of consumption. You can monitor the energy in the following year to see if you

were right or not. That’s when it really feels good, to know that you have made a difference, made an improvement.”

Among the oldest mechanical engineering firms on Vancouver Island, Avalon Mechanical Consultants has a presence felt across Western Canada. “I think we have a real passion for sustainability and for quality engineering, I think that sums us up in a nutshell,” Landell stated.

For more information visit the company’s website at: www. avalonmechanical.com

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AUGUST 2016

AIRPORTS BC Air Traffic Numbers Stimulate Growth And Expansion Marketplace optimism, increased capacity and reliability are key to increased use of air travel BETH HENDRY-YIM

V

ICTOR I A – Su rg i ng numbers of airline passenger traffic in BC has stimulated growth and expansion in major airports across the province.

The reason for the increased use according to Lindsay Cotter, manager of marketing and communication at Prince George Airport (YXS), could be stronger marketplace optimism, while Mike Hooper of Nanaimo’s YCD

believes that part of it could be due to major improvements in capacity, reliability and safety.

Though fluctuations in numb e rs f ro m m o n t h to m o n t h occur, the general consensus across BC’s larger airports is that more people are taking to the air as a fast and easy alternative for traveling across the country and to international destinations.

Fred Legace, general manager of Kamloops Airport (Y K A), said that air travel got more affordable in his community

with the introduction of New Leaf Travel, a low cost carrier with biweekly flights between K a m loops, E d monton a nd Victoria.

“We are seeing retirees from across Canada, settling in Kamloops and regularly flying back to visit family as well as family coming to visit Kamloops.”

He added that being able to offer New Leaf as an alternative opens up opportunities for those that may not have considered flying.

Although he explained that

traffic numbers showed a 3 per cent increase, the number was skewed by what he called the ‘Fort McMurray Effect’.

“We have quite a few people who live in Kamloops and work up north. We’re just starting to see that traffic growing again.

Those lower numbers were balanced by our incredible winter snow season. We saw people flying in from places like Australia, New Zealand and the United States, taking advantage SEE BC AIR TRAFFIC | PAGE 11

VICTORIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT www.victoriaairport.com |

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

AIRPORTS

AUGUST 2016

A 20-year plan will see Nanaimo Airport investing approximately $43 million in improvements and expansion CREDIT:NANAIMO AIRPORT

BC AIR TRAFFIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

of the low dollar and ski cond it ion s. Su n Pea ks had its best season ever.”

He added that because of projected increases in passenger numbers the airport is concentrating its efforts on efficiencies and an improved customer experience.

“We’re putting $3.5 million into reconstructing an apron, currently out

of service, to allow larger aircraft, like the Q400, more space for parking.”

In addition, he said that YKA has added more food services, modernized the waiting area and redid the front entry landscaping.

At YXS, Cotter said its focus, after last year’s record breaking numbers, is through community outreach and finding ways to connect with its community as a great corporate citizen. It recently,

launched a new website with better tracking options and a virtual tour of the airport.

It a lso saw the i ntroduction of a marketing campaign unique to airports in North America b y c re at i n g a m a s c o t, Amelia Bearheart. Celebrating the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and an iconic animal symbol

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of the north, Bearheart, the brain child of Cotter, is part of YXS’ desire to i mprove passenger experience and build brand awareness in a unique, engaging, energetic way.

The results far exceeded expectations.

“We wanted to increase our exposure in the public eye by having Bearheart attend special events and greeting passengers on a regular basis. She has become so popular that we are getting requests for her to appear at events.”

On Vancouver Island, Victor ia Internationa l Airport (YYJ) and (YCD) are continuing to see passenger numbers climb and are marking out long term goals to accommodate its steady growth.

“A f t e r 3 2 m o n t h s o f consecut ive g row t h at the Y YJ we are working hard to meet the demand for expanded facilities.” said James Bogusz, vice president operations and development.

Last year, the Victoria Airport Authority (VAA) announced its plans for a 10 year, $160M phased capital program to expand

“After 32 months of consecutive growth at the YYJ we are working hard to meet the demand for expanded facilities.”

JAMES BOGUSZ VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT, VICTORIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

its facilities and meet the growing demands of the community. The VAA is currently expanding its main apron, that serves over 1.7 million passengers, to provide additiona l a i rcra ft pa rki ng a nd allow for expansion of its lower passenger departure lounge. Sensitive to environmental matters, and the apron expansion, VA A will also include a new glycol (aircraft deicing fluid) capture area.

In addition, enhancements to the main custo m e r p a rk i n g l o t a re u nder way a nd i nclude the addition of electric vehicle charging stations and 325 new spots being paved in the long term lot.

Y Y J is also celebrating new air service. In April, Delta Air Lines began service to Seattle 3 times per day and NewLeaf Travel will be welcomed on July 30 when they commence

non-stop service to Kamloops and Winnipeg.

Hooper said that, Nanaimo airport’s 20-year plan is also a ref lection of its substantial growth a nd i ncludes a n approximately $43 million expansion that will see a larger boarding lounge, i mproved secu rity l i ne fo r c h e c k i n g b a g g a ge and carryon luggage, increased car rental space and paid parking lot area and a larger apron. “ We a re st i l l get t i n g record breaking passenger numbers month after month,” he pointed out, adding that in three years, numbers went from 1 million passengers to 2 million.

“Our demographic includes a significant amount of international students attending Vancouver Island University, and business people who live here while working elsewhere.”

13

AUGUST 2016

In three years Nanaimo airport doubles its passenger numbers CREDIT:NANAIMO AIRPORT

BC AIR TRAFFIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

Rick Reed, general mana ge r o f P r i n c e R up er t Airport (YPR) said that although passenger numbers have consistently sat at approximately 65,000 for the past decade, those numbers will change when an announcement is made in September concerning LNG.

“When the LNG plants go in our passenger numbers could increase to over 300,000,” he said.

YPR is ready for the increased traffic, it’s just invested $19 million into restructuring the airfield, asphalt apron and taxi way, as well as completely revamping the air terminal.

“The original termina l w a s b u i l t i n 19 61 ,” Reed said. “It needed a

makeover. We saved the post and beam structure, but redid everything else, including electrical and plumbing.”

As the gateway to BC’s northwest, YPR has direct and connecting flights to Va ncouver a nd l i ke airports across BC and is prepared to continue helping its passengers see the world and serve the business community.

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AUGUST 2016

ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION FIRM HAS GROWN WITH THE CITY “We are all about Mega Power Installations has been serving Victoria for more than 40 years

V

ICTORIA – In 1976, when Mega Power Installations Ltd. was fou nded, the Greater Victoria area had a population of about 200,000 people and a politician named Pierre Trudeau was Canada’s Prime Minister. Today the Victoria area’s population has eclipsed 360,000 and once again a Trudeau is Prime Minister - a new generation of leadership has clearly taken charge in Canada.

The same degree of change, evolution and growth has occurred with Mega Power Installations with a new generation of leaders having transformed the company beyond the imaginings of its original founder. Mega Power was launched by company founder Harry Kuiack 40 years ago and has grown during that time into one of the Greater Victoria and Vancouver Island’s most successful electrical design and installation firms.

That transformational effort began in earnest 14 years ago, when Harry’s daughter, Echo, along with her husband Jon Michiel, purchased the firm from its

Congratulations on 40 years in business!

481 Cecelia Rd Victoria, BC

250.382.7265 www.wesco.com

the team and the relationships we build.”

ECHO MICHIEL CO-OWNER, MEGA POWER INSTALLATIONS

founder. Echo, who has been with the company for 22 years, said the shift to a ‘New Mega’ began when Jon (who started his training as an electrician in 1993) joined the company in 1998 as a Journeyman Electrician. His presence proved to be the ideal match for her dynamic management style, which revolves around a sophisticated accounting and cost control system.

The two later solidified their match through marriage. Romance aside, Mega Power is all about business - and has been since the couple first bought the company. During the intervening 14 years its staff has grown from eight to 18, its fleet of service vehicles has expanded from three vans to eight while the firm’s sales have quadrupled.

Since joining the company Jon has proven himself as a natural leader and innovator in the electrical trade. He has earned a prestigious Field Safety Representative (FSA) A Class certificate, which he can affix to his contractor’s license, as well as multiple Data Networking certificates. Echo says the firm was essentially reborn after she and her husband took over ownership.

“In essence we refocused the company,” she explained. “In the past we were spread too thinly, trying to offer full service in too many different areas, such as building security, home theatre, telecommunications, electrical contracting and cabling. Today we have shifted the SEE MEGA POWER | PAGE 15

The Mega Power team is experienced in all aspects of commercial / industrial electrical installation

Planning for tomorrow, the company also has a team of Apprentice Electricians learning their craft

RBC Dominion Securities Inc.

Congratulations on 40 “Mega” years I am pleased to congratulate Mega Power Installations on the 40th anniversary of their business. I am proud to have worked closely with Jonathan Michiel and Echo Kuiack—your work ethic and integrity continually impress me. Best wishes for the future and your continued success!

Michael Lockhart, MBA Investment Advisor | RBC Dominion Securities 604-257-2519 | michael.lockhart@rbc.com | www.michaellockhart.ca RBC Dominion Securities Inc.* and Royal Bank of Canada are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. *Member-Canadian Investor Protection Fund. RBC Dominion Securities Inc. is a member company of RBC Wealth Management, a business segment of Royal Bank of Canada. ®Registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. ©2016 RBC Dominion Securities Inc. All rights reserved. 16_90803_S9X_001

We are pleased to wish Jon, We are and pleased wish Jon, Echo thetoteam at Echo and the teamPower at Mega Power Mega aa happy happy 40th 40th anniversary anniversary (250) 528 St. 744-8618 Charles St dev@devwood.com Victoria BC V8S 3N7 @devwood Phone: (250)744-8618 www.devwood.com Email: dev@devwood.com

15

AUGUST 2016

Mega Power Installations has been serving the region’s electrical installation needs since 1976

MEGA POWER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

The multi generational electrical service provider has a solid core of Journeymen electricians on staff

focus to concentrate on what we do best, electrical contracting and cabling. We took what we were good at and expanded it.

We were already good, now we’re even better.”

Meanwhile, the newly re-focused Mega Power Installations was able to maintain contracts with its many established clients, such as the Department of National Defense, multiple provincial government clients (including post-secondary institutions) and an array of commercial clients.

Some long-term commercial clients include Lifestyles Markets, Lumberworld, Century Group, Bernhardt Contracting and McDonald’s. “We have serviced all of the major corporations, including the major Canadian banks,” explained Jon. Mega Power also provides third party service to large national firms throughout Vancouver Island. “The majority of what we do is the design and installation of commercial and industrial electrical equipment. This would include HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) SEE MEGA POWER | PAGE 16

Congratulations Mega Power....the exclusive electrical contractor to Peninsula McDonald's.

Thanks for all your great work over the years. Congratulations on 40 years in business!

Visit us today!

Mega Power worked with Bernhardt Contracting on its state of the art North Park housing project

EST. 1971

A proud partner in the success of Mega Power Dan Hall, CRM CAIB 101-5180 Dublin Way Nanaimo, BC V9T 0H2 Victoria Tel: 250-999-9879 Nanaimo Tel: 250-412-5286 Email: dan@brokerbc.ca www.centralagenciesbc.com

to all at

Mega Power Installations on 40 years of business

Richard Silver & Jen Cooley 2727 Quadra St. Suite 4 Victoria, BC V8T 4E5 Ph: 250-360-1088 Fax: 250-360-1066

Congratulations on 40 years.

We are proud to be your broker.

534 DAVID STREET, VICTORIA, BC V8T 2C8 EMAIL: jerry@apexsteel.ca

“CongratulaƟons on this achievement.

It has been great working together on numerous projects over the years” - Jerry Tel: 250-386-2929 Fax: 250-386-1612 24 Hour Emergency: 250-388-1827

16

AUGUST 2016

Another recent unique assignment saw the company rewire the historic Fisgard Lighthouse

MEGA POWER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

equipment, wiring, data transmission systems and other large capacity services,” he said.

Happy anniversary to the Mega Power family.

Thank you Jon and Echo for a great relationship which spans many years.

You have been great neighbors as well as customers.

We look forward to many more years and wish you all the best in the future.

P: 250-383-0911 F: 250-383-5421 edpautomotive@shaw.ca 400 Burnside Road East, Victoria, BC

“Our main jobs involve the maintenance, design and installation of commercial services that are generally over 200 amps and generally over 208 volts, which are not your typical residential wiring jobs.”

But Echo is also quick to point out the company’s commercial, institutional and industrial focus does not prevent it from working on residential projects, far from it. “We’re involved in electrical installations of all types. We’ll service industrial, commercial and residential clients,” she said.

While much of the design and installation work Mega Power Installations carries out involves new construction, the emergence of new energy efficiency-focused technologies as well as changing building codes, has seen a great deal of the work performed by its on-site technicians revolving around upgrading aging electrical and lighting systems.

“We do a lot of lighting upgrades, in cooperation with BC Hydro for our commercial customers. It’s important to bring older structures up to the present code to allow them to meet the general criteria for green-friendly installations, to help clients cash in on some rebates BC Hydro offers to the private sector,” Jon said.

While the company is based in Victoria, in its 1,800-squarefoot head office at 3277 Whittier Ave., Mega Power views itself as a cross-Vancouver Island electrical contracting and services firm. Jon and Echo describe Mega Power as a ‘third hand’ provider of services for national specialty companies lacking a physical presence on the island, but needing to service customer fire alarm or communications needs. These companies use Mega Power as their official agent.

Establishing, installing and

upgrading data networks has become an important part of Mega Power’s service offerings, accounting for about 35 per cent of its business. The company has been involved in installing cabling systems in medical facilities and offices, as well as in various long term care facilities in the Victoria area.

While she and her husband have played a large role in the success of the company, Echo stresses that all of its employees, at both the administrative and field level, have been the key to that progress. “The secret to our success is our staff,” she said.

“We provide ongoing training for all of our staff, as the industry is constantly changing. We offer our staff benefits, pensions, bonuses and other incentives which have resulted in very little staff turnover.”

Its administrative and financial staff typifies that longevity, with

key employees, including a controller with 40 years of accounting experience, having been with the company since Echo and Jon became the owners, while an office manager that has ample knowledge in the construction industry and has worked with Mega Power for over 12 years.

On the technical side of operations, Mega Power has been able to continuously employ some of its electricians for more than a decade. And its newer staffers pave a path to the future. “We’ve got some great younger guys that are Journeymen who will be terrific leaders later on,” said Jon. “We manage to keep a nice mixture of technicians, experienced and new to the profession. We strive to run an environment where we want everyone to come to work and enjoy being here. We spend so much time together we SEE MEGA POWER | PAGE 17

Congratulations to Mega Power Installations for their 40 year anniversary. ’’Your TELUS Mobility Provider’’

250.475.2425 www.vicmobile.com Victoria, BC

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AUGUST 2016

Another project the company was involved in was the renovation of the Century Group office

To better service its clients from across the region Mega power operates a fleet of service vehicles

MEGA POWER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

essentially become like a family.”

Having been part of the local

construction industry for more than 40 years, Mega Power Installations has become an iconic part of the local electrical sector.

An accredited Better Business

Bureau company, it has played a large role in training and mentoring industry leaders working all across the region. “Having been in the business so long we

are now enjoying being mentors to the industry itself,” Jon explained.

While as an electrical install at ion compa ny it m ig ht be preferable to be involved in new construction, ensuring systems are properly selected and installed, the realities of the Victoria market sees Mega Power regularly involved in the task of upgrading and updating older structures and systems.

“That’s where the company’s 40 years of experience really comes in. Over the years we’ve been involved in countless projects, giving us the experience and information to handle major upgrades. That experience pays off when it allows us to add value to complicated electrical systems that need upgrading,” Jon stated.

The new (and greener technologies) coupled with expanded and updated electrical codes, requires Mega Power’s Installations team to be continually updating their collective skills, to keep the firm at the forefront of the local industry.

“One of the great things that has come out of the electrical business is that the electrical inspection agencies; while they do draft a new code book every four years, have now taken those changes and created classes that help the technicians receive education as these new changes occur,” Jon said.

Over the past decade there have been myriad changes to the electrical code, incorporating emerging technologies such as solar electric, improved awareness of energy saving techniques and other contemporary improvements. With the company’s extensive experience it can help its clients develop the right plan, and incorporate the appropriate technologies and systems to maximize its electrical upgrade efforts, saving clients both money and reducing actual energy consumption levels.

“Upgrading an older building to modern standards is a long term investment. Basically whatever system is put in place has to last a client 25 years to pay it back, there’s a long payoff period but the end results are worth it,” said

Jon. Although the company may have transformed and remade itself since its birth 40 years ago, Mega Power’s long-term focus on exemplary customer service and its stress on upgrading its employees with the latest in technical skills remains a key.

“I th i n k the futu re sees us enjoying the maturity the corporation has reached. Another nice part of it is that we were the kids coming into it 20 years ago, and now we have new kids coming through the door. We’re growing these people to be positive, contributing members of the industry,” he said.

“We are all about the team and the relationships we build,” said Echo “We have worked with some of our suppliers, clients and business associates for well over 20 years, helping build the solid foundation of Mega Power.”

For Jon, Mega Power Installation’s success has always been linked to the level of customer service it provides, a policy not likely to change in the future.

“Knowing your customers, being dependable, and doing what you say, those are business truisms that we’ve always followed,” he said. “Ensuring customers have the right systems, the right tools and the right service, that’s what Mega Power is all about.”

For more information visit the company’s website at: www. megapower.ca

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AUGUST 2016

CUSTOM HOMEBUILDER FOUNDED ON CREATIVE PASSION “The customers of Rayn Properties Began Building Custom Homes In 2007

V

ICTOR I A – Born from a passion for carpentry and home building, inspired by a career of working to support the community, multiple award winning Rayn Properties Ltd. has been involved in the construction of exceptional new and custom built homes since 2007. Founded by Rov Dosanjh, the company was created on the premise that a home that is high end doesn’t necessarily have to be one that is also high cost. A core business philosophy of the firm is providing the client with exactly what they need and want, in the most cost efficient way possible.

“Home building has been a passion for me ever since I got out of high school, it wasn’t like it was a family business or anything it’s just something t h at c a me to me,” D o sa nj h explained.

The dream of creating his own home building business began to take shape in 1983 when he was involved in the construction of his family’s home, at age 17. “In high school I did take

Congratulations to Rov and all the team at Rayn Properties

250.514.1233 www.prolinesystems.ca

today are much better informed, more aware of the technologies that are available.”

ROV DOSANJH OWNER, RAYN PROPERTIES LTD.

carpentry where we were involved in constructing homes.

We would go in a school bus in the morning to a work site and frame houses on site. I got the home building bug right then, it became a big passion for me,” he remembers.

But for Dosa njh ca r pentr y wasn’t his only passion, he also had one for law enforcement – a drive that saw him become a member of the Victoria Police Department (V PD) for more than 14 years. Joining the force in 1990 he served until 2004, but even during his years as a police officer he never lost his love for and enthusiasm about home building.

“Even when I was a policeman I was still building the odd personal home here and there.

We worked a four on and four off shift so it allowed the time to work on the occasional construction project. I kept doing that until I retired from the police department,” he said.

Once leav i ng the pol ice he to ok on home bu i ld i ng a s a full time profession forming a company called Dosam Developments, a company operated with his partner Joe Samra.

Learning the intricacies of running a construction company the pair operated for more than three years and were involved in more than 20 different building projects during that time. By 2006 the company’s time was beginning to come to an end as the two partners had different

Every custom built Rayn home is created with extensive input and consultation from the clients

Modern and designed to benefit from a maximum of natural light, the Fairfield project is an exceptional home visions for the future.

“My forte was building custom homes, projects tailored to t he speci f ic need s of t he clients. I’m good at that, I’m a people person, maybe being a police officer has helped in that regard, learning how to effectively deal with people. I learned from other officers how

to diffuse situations without them escalating, a good skill for someone in business.”

Branching off on his own Dosanjh launched Rayn Properties Ltd. in March 2007. “I derived the name from my family’s initials, as I wanted something catchy, original and personal. As our names are Ravinder,

Satnam (my wife), Simryn (my daughter) and Arjin (my son) I decided to use our initials to create the compa ny’s na me.

My first initial is R, my wife’s second initial is A, my daughter’s second to last initial is Y and my son’s last initial is N, so if you put them together you get RAYN.” From the outset Rayn Properties’ focus has always been on producing the best product possible, one that accurately reflects the client’s wishes, while keeping a practiced eye on costs, materials and other factors. A Built Green™ Certified Builder, Rayn Properties also puts a huge amount of effort i nto ma ke homes both comfortable and energy efficient.

“To build a green home takes more effort, more education on my part but maybe that’s why I’m different from a lot of other people, I do take courses, I have the education, I do pay attention to the different options out there,” he said.

SEE RAYN PROPERTIES | PAGE 19

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Rayn Properties homes are Green Built employing the very latest techniques and systems

The living room at the Fairfield project is as open and inviting as the rest of this energy efficient home

RAYN PROPERTIES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

“T he Green I n itiative i n building is not a fad it’s something that’s very important to me. Why not take advantage of the systems and technologies

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to quality and energy efficient construction has not gone unnoticed as the compa ny has won numerous (both Gold and Silver) Construction Achievements and Renovations of Excellence (CARE) Awards from the Victoria Residential Builders Association over the years.

First launched in 1991 the CARE awards were created to recognize the west coast’s creative design and craftsmanship, and to celebrate excellence in the industry. Award finalists are selected by a panel of industry professionals using criteria such as architectural design, qu a l it y work m a n sh ip, creative use of space, and energy efficiency.

“Understanding technology, re c o g n i z i n g t h e n e e d s a n d available budget of the client are big parts of our process. The customers of today are much better informed, more aware of the technologies that are available and really that makes it much better for me,” Dosanjh said.

Part of the successful Rayn P rop er t ies bu si ness pl a n i s encouraging the client to ask questions before and throughout the design and construction process. By welcoming and incorporating customer input at every stage of the project the client ends up with the home they expected, tailored to their individual requirements. “It may take a lot more time but I encourage that. It helps keep me on the ball and sometimes the client will come up with ideas I hadn’t thought of, in a way it’s all part of my learning process to,” he said.

The core of Rayn Properties business is the construction of custom-designed new homes, with renovations of existing properties a smaller portion of the regular company workload. “I still do a lot of renos and small jobs, I even do the odd spec home, something that I build myself and then sell, but in reality 90 per cent of what we do is new home construction,” Dosanjh explained.

With a small team of company employees (one in the office and

We are proud to continue our successful partnership with Rayn Properties and wish Rov and his team continued success for future projects. #206 3400 Douglas Street Victoria, BC V8Z 3L5 M-F 8am- 4:30pm, Sat 9am-4pm Phone: (250) 380-1570 pdandrea@emcoltd.com

three in the field), Rayn Properties serving as a general contractor routinely works with a trusted core of sub trades on its numerous projects. At any one time the company could be involved in five or six individual projects, which requires Dosanjh to devote the majority of his time to serving as a general manager, rather than as an onsite carpenter.

Another key part of the compa ny’s g row t h a nd ongoi ng success is the word of mouth advertising that has been inst r u menta l i n t he compa ny landing many of its projects.

Having been in the home buildi ng i ndustry for ma ny yea rs much of the firm’s current assignments stems from repeat and referral business. “We have done some advertising and of course I put the signs up but really a majority of our business comes from word of mouth advertising,” he said.

Serving the Greater Victoria area the region’s buoyant constr uction ma rket is keepi ng Dosanjh and his company very busy. “The local market is really busy right now, I could easily have 10 more employees right now, but I’m more concerned about maintaining a consistent level of quality and personal attention than I am with growing the company,” he said.

“While I’m not on the tools so much anymore I generally am dealing with the paperwork, interacting with the clients, the sub trades, the suppliers and all the rest. Looking after the management aspects of the job is the bulk of what I do.”

While predominantly focusing on the single family home ma rket R ay n P roperties has completed a few duplex projects in the past, so taking on additional multi-family housing projects, or even potentially becoming involved in smaller scale subdivision development could all be part of the company’s future. “In the future we might become involved in a 22 unit townhouse project that’s coming up, so I’m certainly not saying I won’t be undertaking larger projects, we’ll just have

to see what the future brings,” he said.

With a love of home building that goes back to his youth, w ith ex perience operating a successful construction company and with a wealth of repeat and referral business (the company currently has about five projects at the permit stage) Dosanjh and Rayn Properties anticipate a future that is both bright and never dull.

“The key to everything we do is spending the time with the clients. I’ll literally go with the client to the store and be with them when they’re picking the flooring they like or deciding on the fixtures. What it all comes down to is that they’ve hired me to build them their home I can’t send them off with someone else, it’s important that I get to work with them at every stage,” he said.

“There are a lot of good home builders in Victoria and I have a lot of respect for them. But I think the level of customer service we provide is one of our strongest benefits. For the future I just want to keep doing what I’m doing as I really enjoy it. I’m not doing it because I need to work but because I still enjoy it. If I didn’t it would end and I don’t see that happening any time soon.”

For more information visit the company’s website at: www. raynproperties.com

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OFF THE COVER

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AUGUST 2016

PACIFIC LINKS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

for the golf course itself of course, but also for the entire region,” he said.

To help tee up the tournament Bear Mountain Golf Resort and event organizers Sport Box Entertainment Group, staged a Media Day at the facility on June 27th. During the day-long session a press conference with 2014 Champion Paul Goydos, a round of golf, updates and other details about this high profile event were shared. In addition to tournament organizers and Bear Mountain management, Paul Goydos was also on hand to offer his professional insights on this important PGA stopover.

“The Golf Channel broadcasts around the world to more than 200 million homes in 84 different countries and in 11 different languages, so this tournament provides a massive advertising opportunity for participants,” Skitt said.

“Of course there are bigger golf tournaments, but it’s far and away the biggest one ever held on Vancouver Island. It’s a great opportunity to project not only the golf course and the hotel that’s here but while the Golf Channel is on site we expect them to go into the city and produce a number of encapsulated segments that will be integrated into the overall broadcast. People will

David Skitt is the Tournament Director of the 2016 Pacific Links Championship

“It’s far and away the biggest one ever held on Vancouver Island.”

DAVID SKITT TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR, PACIFIC LINKS CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Bear Mountain golf course will host the 2016 Pacific Links Championship in September be hearing the words: Victoria and Vancouver Island hundreds of times throughout the broadcast. People all over the world will likely be getting their first exposure of the region – you can’t buy that kind of authentic advertising.”

The Bear Mountain Golf Course (located at 1999 Country Club Way in Victoria) is an 18-hole,

par 71 course located in a pristine 102 acre setting, strategically sited across a 1,100 foot high mountain top. Designed by the Nicklaus Design group (Jack and Steve Nicklaus are co-designers) the venue is surrounded by more than 3,000 acres of rustic mountain trails and other distinctly Vancouver Island natural wonders.

Paul Goydos had an opportunity during the media day to try out the course at Bear Mountain

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Organizers of the event held a special media day on June 27 to help promote the upcoming event “Pacific Links, the main sponsor of the tournament have hired Sport Box Entertainment Group, where I’m Vice President, to manage, conduct and execute the championship on their behalf,” Skitt explained. “T he media event was an opportunity for us to tee-off our ticket sales and to help get the promotional activities rolling.”

Based on the history of similar tournaments, organizers are anticipating the 2016 Pacific Links Championship to represent a $15 to $20 million economic windfall for the greater Victoria region. “That’s a pretty standard

economic injection for the region, based on other PGA Champion’s events where organizers, us in this case, will work with as many local suppliers as possible for any of our operational or tournament management needs,” he said.

Airline services, hotel and other hospitality industry service providers, restaurants, vehicle rental firms and many other individuals and firms will benefit from the tournament’s presence. “For Bear Mountain it’s a fantastic way to show off the resort and the golf course to a global audience. It’s a way to showcase what living life on Vancouver Island, and specifically as a property owner at Bear Mountain is all about.”

For Skitt, the Pacific Links Championship will be an exceptional opportunity for the entire region to show the world what a unique and gorgeous part of the planet southern Vancouver Island really is. “Once people come to the golf course or even see it on TV, I’m sure they’re going to want to come here. That definitely could be a lasting legacy of this tournament,” he said.

For more i n formation v isit the event’s website at: www. pacificlinkschampionship.com

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AUGUST 2016

“In reality this project

MARINA PROJECT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

It has literally taken this long to get shovels into the ground on this project, so we’re very excited to see it finally start to take shape.”

Having faced an epic amount of regulatory roadblocks over the years the project’s current developers (Evans has now left the project) are confident the first yachts will be tying their multi-million dollar hulls to the marina’s slips by next spring.

Over time segments of the original property were sold off to other developers, land that today is home primarily to various high rise condominium towers.

In its original form the Victoria International Marina would have involved 52 slips, a scale of project that failed to receive City Hall approval. The re-imagined and redesigned concept involves two buildings with a total of just over 12,000 square feet of rentable space and a pared down 28 slip marina. “The slips will range

was originally conceived more than 30 years ago.”

CRAIG NORRIS CEO, COMMUNITY MARINE CONCEPTS

The Victoria International Marina will consist of a 28 slip marina and a pair of matching business centres in size from 65 feet to 150 feet, the reason being that under our Transport Canada permit we’re only allowed to bring vessels larger than 65 feet across the harbor runway,” Norris explained.

“We’d gladly take smaller boats but we can’t. We’ve essentially been forced to use the over 65 foot boats as our market as that’s what the marina was built to accommodate and service.”

Currently under construction at Blue Water Systems Limited’s facility in Delta the marina slips

will be towed into place in stages and should be installed over the summer months. Prior to the beginning of the construction phase of the project some 23,000 cubic meters of material were dredged from the seafloor to facilitate the transformation of an industrial site into a world class moorage.

“This is a prime location in the middle of Victoria harbor so we expect to see a mixture of local yachts and transient vessels make use of the facility. We don’t want

to become a boat parking lot. We expect it to be used by vessels that come and go,” he said.

Concerning the land based elements of the project major construction of the two buildings is expected to begin this summer. Geotechnical testing for the outer breakwater was completed in early July, so development of the marina portion can also now commence. Final construction of the project is scheduled for March 31, 2017. The east building is already fully leased out, including with an as yet unnamed local restaurant, while tenants for the west building are currently being sought.

Fo r N o r r i s t h e V i c to r i a

International Marina will be yet another world class tourist destination for visitors, much like the Bear Mountain Golf Course and Butchart Gardens. Projects of this caliber elevate the entire city’s status as a destination and help to put the Greater Victoria area more solidly on the world’s stage.

“We want people to come in and experience Victoria. That’s when they’re coming in and spending money. That’s what brings vibrancy to the city. That’s what brings economic development to the locality, that’s what we want,” Norris said.

“There are a lot of people who want to come here but they don’t know the West Coast. They’ve heard about its beauty but there’s no infrastructure for them. Our purpose statement is all about creating remarkable experiences, that’s what this facility is all about for marina guests, visitors to Victoria, and for the local community.”

To learn more please visit the group’s website at www.vimarina.ca

COMPANY FOUNDED TO SUPPORT THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY Restaurant Supply / Service Provider Has Operated For 25 Years

V

ICTORIA – The next time you’re at your favourite restaurant and the dish you’ve been dying for comes to your table, hot and delectable, there’s a good chance Mark’s Restaurant Service has played a role in bringing that delight to you. Founded in 1991, Mark’s Restaurant Service is one of Vancouver Island’s premier providers of commercial grade restaurant equipment.

“We service restaurants, hotels, institutions such as universities and even correctional centres, providing equipment as well as maintenance services for a full range of restaurant equipment,” explained Mark Schoor, President and Founder of the company.

One of Victoria’s most iconic hotels, The Fairmont Empress, is just one of the many clients the company serves “We service all of the major hotels downtown, The Empress, Delta Ocean Point, Chateau Victoria, Laurel Point Inn, Hotel Grand Pacific, Harbour Tower, the Merriott, the new Hilton and others.

We look after the kitchens in a lot

of the major local hotels.”

Founded 25 years ago, Mark’s Restaurant Service is a full service installer and maintenance provider of virtually any commercial equipment used by restaurants, bakeries, laundries and even grocery

stores. Based in a 2,000 square foot customer friendly combination office and warehouse at #3-515 Dupplin Road, the company is certified to provide factory authorized warranty work on systems produced by more than 45 different commercial manufacturers.

A member in good standing with the Commercial Food Equipment Service Association (CFESA) since 2003, Mark’s Restaurant Service has a team of six factory trained technicians qualified to complete on-site repairs and maintenance 24 hours per day.

Mark’s Restaurant Service is the service centre for a ‘Who’s Who’ of the best commercial grade equipment produced from around the world. The company services and has parts available for products manufactured by Bunn, American Metal Ware, Fisher, Vita-Mix and dozens of others. It’s also not all about the kitchen. Mark’s has a pair of technicians specially trained to deal with the demanding needs of Vancouver Island’s

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commercial laundry industry. The company’s motto: Combining high tech service with old fashion values is reflected in the work the Mark’s team provides for all of its clients.

“It’s not just the grills and stove tops. We look after all of the food preparation equipment, the wearwash equipment such as a dishwasher or pots and pan washer.

Basically we look after every system in the kitchen excluding refrigeration and the rooftop unit,” Schoor explained.

While based in the Capital Region Mark’s Restaurant Service routinely attends to clients across Vancouver Island and beyond.

Looking after specific clients the company has sent technicians as far afield as Seattle, Hawaii and even remote industrial sites. “I’ve flown into logging camps myself with their company helicopter to fix a dishwasher or other piece of equipment. We used to do a lot of cruise ship work back in the day when they first started coming to Victoria but it got so big they had to start bringing their own crews in,” he explained.

Over the course of a year about 25 or 30 per cent of the company’s workload is taken up with installing new equipment. The lion’s share of the firm’s assignments involve the repair and maintenance of equipment for existing clients some 400 at present and growing.

While not intending to retire any time soon, Schoor has created a few optional succession plans for when he eventually makes the move. “In the future I could either co-op it out to the employees or find someone wanting to take it over. But I certainly intend to continue to be here for a while yet.”

For more information visit the company’s website at: www. marksrestaurantservice.com

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AUGUST 2016

WORKING WITH FAMILY A WIN WIN FOR LOCAL BUSINESS Making community service a priority at work and in efforts to better its community helps boost Andy Spurling to be one of twenty winners.

V

ITORIa - As one of Vanc o u v e r I s l a n d’s 2 016 Top 20 Under 40, Andy Spurling of Proline Management Ltd. is very happy that nine years ago he chose to leave corporate law on Bay Street in Toronto and Wall Street in New York, to move back home to Victoria and join the family business.

“Being a part of a company where I could positively impact the business and community was a welcome change.”

But working with family isn’t always easy or straightforward, so before he joined the company, he and his father Eric sat down and wrote out what working together would look like.

It tu r ns out t hey bot h had si m i la r v isions a nd ideas of how it would work, and both were motivated to make sure it continued doing so.

When Spurling returned to the

Lighting problems?

Andy Spurling feels privileged to work beside his father CREDIT:DEREK FORD STUDIOS

“In 2006, the industry became very regulationdriven with legislation dictating the licensing

Proud Suppliers to Proline Management

of strata managers. That created a strong need for legal understanding in this industry.”

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t 250.388.6688

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83 Burnside Rd. W

ANDY SPURLING PRESIDENT, PROLINE MANAGEMENT LTD.

Andy Spurling, B.A., LL.B. is president of the company his father created 31 years ago.

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island, the company joined the Family Business Association, where, through peer groups, education sessions and monthly meetings, they received the suppor t a nd i n format ion to maintain that successful focus.

O ver t he i nter ven i ng ye a rs they both participated in the non-profit’s advisory groups and Spurling sat on the board of directors.

“I feel privileged to be working with my father, seeing him every day and growing with the company. We strive to keep a good balance between work and family and have the same goals and visions for the future of the business.”

Of course, Spurling isn’t new to t he bu si ness of proper ty

management. He started in the business at the age of 12, helping out with cleaning buildings and mowing lawns.

“In my twenties I moved to Toronto to attend law school a nd a f ter g radu at i ng bega n working in corporate law. A few years later in a conversation with my mother she suggested I join the family business.”

It was a great move for both Spurling and the company.

Proline, which manages residential and small commercial mixed use complexes, gained the lega l ex pertise Spu rl i ng brought to the table at a time when reg ulations governing rentals and strata complexes SEE PROLINE MANAGEMENT | PAGE 23

Congratulations Proline Management for your many successful years in Business 432 William St Victoria www.macsheating.ca 250 384 9263 dean@macsheating.ca

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AUGUST 2016

PROLINE MANAGEMENT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22

were changing.

“In 2006, the industry became very regulation-driven with legislation dictating the licensing of strata managers.

That created a strong need for lega l u ndersta nd i ng i n t h is industry.”

The company manages more than 9700 units, including individual condos, houses, apartments a nd strata complexes while overseeing administrative affairs, helping delegate monies and resolving conflicts.

“Every day we provide solutions to problems with people’s homes, whether it’s a strata complex, renta l u n it, condo or apartment,” said Spurling, “When there are issues with a home, it can be an emotionally charged and high stress situation. Dealing with it is what we are trained for and do very well.”

He said that developing strong relationships and having the ability to troubleshoot effectively is why Proline has clients it still manages after 30 years.

“There’s an historical understanding when managing prop er t y,” he sa id . “ We’ve d e v e lo p e d lo n g-te r m re l ationships with owners, understanding their needs and wants

Our Place Breakfast served by Proline Management Ltd. staff CREDIT:PROLINE MANAGEMENT LTD.

SEE PROLINE MANAGEMENT | PAGE 24

Proud Supporter Of Proline Property Management

Proline manages residential and small commercial mixed use complexes CREDIT:DEREK FORD STUDIOS

Delco

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Delco is a Proud Supplier to Proline Property Management 250 383-0331

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Congratulations Proline Management Ltd.

on over three very successful decades of business!

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We look forward to our continued partnership over the next few decades!

VICTORIA BRANCH NANAIMO BRANCH DUNCAN BRANCH

600A Frances Avenue 250.479.7075 690B Comox Road 250.753.1088 Unit 1, 2935 Sprott Road 250.701.9002

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AUGUST 2016

Proline Management Inc. manages over 9700 units including Port Royale CREDIT:DEREK FORD STUDIOS

PROLINE MANAGEMENT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

Congratulations from your Friends at Hourigan’s 250 475 2401 www.hourigans.com joel@hourigans.ca

for the property. There’s real value in that longevity.”

Picking good tenants is the right starting point. Spurling said that it is a major reason why t he compa ny h a s continued to thrive through the years, even during real estate downturns.

“In 2008 the rental market softened and prices went down, affecting our bottom line, but there were also people who were trying to dump their investment and sell their property but couldn’t find buyers. They became new clients as we helped them find the right long-term

renters and then managed the property for them.”

It was also important for the company to focus its energy on one main interest: clients and the management of their property.

“We don’t sell insurance and are not real estate brokers,” Spurling emphasized. “It’s not the sexy side of a big brokeage firm, but it’s made us specialists in negotiating and problem solving for our clients.We manage properties for our clients so they don’t have to deal with the conflicts or demands that arise from rentals or strata communities.”

Rather than diluting their expertise and employee pool with services requiring their own

Congratulations Proline and Andy on your well-deserved recognition. RJC is proud to work with such an engaged member of our community.

rjc.ca

level of knowledge and acumen, Proline maintains that strong focus only working for their clients’ best interests.

Education plays a vital role, especially in strata complexes, where the elected executive regularly liase with Proline. To keep the directors informed, Spurling said that the company holds client education sessions on a variety of topics, such as em a i l et iquette, byl aw do’s and don’ts, depreciation report regulations, and the impact of new requirements.

“We educate people on how to manage their investment,” said Spurling. “There is a lot of information about running and living in a strata complex,

including the rules and regulations that need to be understood and followed.”

He added that Proline’s goal is to guide people in making the best decision for their community. The Proline Advantage c on s i s t s of a d d it ion a l fe atures as part of its full service management. It includes information bulletins, newsletters, automatic email notifications, and standardized website, in addition to seminars.

“It can be a complex web to manage a strata. We have 43 employees who bring a wide va riety of backg rou nds a nd experience.”

SEE PROLINE MANAGEMENT | PAGE 25

Congratulations to Proline on more than 30 years of setting the gold standard in property management!

VICTORIA 250 479 1110 COURTENAY 250 703 4753 RDH.COM

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AUGUST 2016

Proline has developed long-term relationships with owners, understanding their needs and wants for their property CREDIT:DEREK FORD STUDIOS

PROLINE MANAGEMENT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24

In 2011, Proline expanded its reach to manage several large complexes in Nanaimo. In 2012 it opened a branch office in the city and in 2015 it opened another office in the Westshore area.

As the company continues to grow it doesn’t use its problem solving expertise just for clients-it is also using it to find and keep the right employees.

“One of our biggest challenges is finding property managers,” Spurling noted. “When we find someone, we groom them to excel, providing the tools they need to succeed.”

Congratulations Proline Management 250 383 4225 depend-a-dor.ca

It a lso prov ides i ncentives such as R RSP matching programs, health benefits trust and life insurance, monthly pizza lu nches, seasona l sta ff pa rties and community volunteer opportunities.

Giving back to the community is important for Spurling a nd to P rol i ne. I n fact, b efore he retu rned to Victoria a nd the fa m i ly busi ness, he ensu red the compa ny’s corporate responsibility fit with his own vision of community involvement.

“My father a nd my g ra ndfat her were big bel ievers i n giving back to the community,” he said. “We have always made sure to give a portion of

our revenue back and that has resonated not only with community but also with our staff.”

Sp u rl i n g p oi nted out t h at P rol i ne’s sta f f get i nvolved i n e v e n t s l i k e t h e S p onsor-A-Brea k fa st at t h e O u r Place Society or in an employee matching program where a certain portion of their paycheck goes to t he ch a r ity of t hei r choice and is then matched by the company.

It also has a jean fund for casual Fridays and at the end of the year the staff decides where the money goes. Over the past few years it has been collecting recyclables, donations and items like socks, clothes and blankets to donate to Sandy Merriman

CHRISTIE-PHOENIX ( VICTORIA )

Proud to Support Proline Management

250 361 7567

House, a safe place for vulnerable women to find shelter in Victoria.

“We’re also involved in larger charities. My mom and wife are on the Jingle Mingle committee for the BC Cancer Foundation.

Our family has been touched by ca ncer over the yea rs, so we give to a charity that keeps funds in Victoria, supporting research and families dealing with the disease.”

For Spurling, who enjoys long runs in the woods, Runners of Compassion in Nanaimo and Craig Bay Steppin Out are two favourite charities. They raise funds for local families in need and for food banks as well as providing funds for bursaries.

Eric Spurling, Andy’s father, is also involved with charitable work, sitting on various boards like CFAX Santas Anonymous.

Working in the family business has been one of the most interesting things Spurling has ever done. He said that having someone to roll ideas off of who really cares and has a vested interest in your success can’t be beat. The key, he said, is honesty and openness with family and coworkers.

“One of my best friends f rom when I wa s k id joi ned ou r tea m about seven yea rs a go. T he compa ny u ses t he sa me approach it does w it h me and with any other employee. We set salary reviews, the right expectations and most importantly, the same rules.

From there it’s a matter of taking the time to continuously check in and keep communication lines open.”

For Spurling, winning the Top 20 award was a culmination of his involvement with FBA and the connections he made, as board president, with other great leaders in the family business community, as well as his and the company’s involvement in community and charitable work.

“The Top 20 really rewards you ng busi ness leaders that m a ke g iv i ng back to t hei r communites a priority in their work, in the money they donate and in the efforts they expend to ma ke those com mu n ities better.”

Spurling isn’t the only one who feels luck y to be working with his family. Although his parents chose to miss the evening gala and stay home to babysit Spu rl i ngs two boys, they heard about the announcement through family friends in attendance.

“By the time I got back to the table and had a moment to catch my breath, my phone had already lit up with messages from my parents and other family members.”

Proline Management Ltd. is at 201-20 Burnside Road West in Victoria www.prolinemanagement.com

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THE LEGENDS. THE CHAMPIONS. THE SPIRIT. Tickets On Sale Now!

The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa

September 19-25, 2016

For tickets, volunteer and sponsorship opportunities, visit:

PacificLinksChampionship.com

WHO IS SUING WHOM

AUGUST 2016

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 A1 Marine Services Ltd 409-4885 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC PLAINTIFF Walco Industries Ltd CLAIM $31,556 DEFENDANT AIA Associated Independent Adjusters 21-4800 Island Hwy North, Nanaimo, BC PLAINTIFF Rossetto, Cecilia CLAIM $ 21,116 DEFENDANT All Canadian Construction Ltd 129-883 Van Isle Way, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Cameron, Jim CLAIM $ 10,560 DEFENDANT Appleford Building Company Ltd 2740 Forbes St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Lund, Marketa

CLAIM $ 9,859 DEFENDANT BC Jade Designs 1-33 Manzanita Rd, Galiano Island, BC PLAINTIFF Yang, Ze Bing CLAIM $ 25,210 DEFENDANT Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre 2657 Quadra St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Itsazoo Productions Society CLAIM $ 11,667 DEFENDANT Blue Bridge Theatre Society 2657 Quadra St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Itsazoo Productions Society CLAIM $ 11,667 DEFENDANT BWD Construction Ltd 1618 Government St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Cooper, John CLAIM $ 16,058 DEFENDANT Carel Properties Ltd 30 Front St, Nanaimo, BC Kirk Bros Holdings Ltd CLAIM $ 7,631,341

Tilray - Concrete Prep & Polishing

DEFENDANT

DEFENDANT

CC Coastal Construction Ltd 1986 Mills Rd, North Saanich, BC PLAINTIFF Brock White Construction Materials CLAIM $ 5,264

Impact Visual Communications Ltd 104 Chelan Pl, Nanaimo, BC PLAINTIFF Al Sott (Nanaimo) Inc CLAIM $ 25,266

DEFENDANT Cedar Vista Stables 4060 Happy Valley Rd, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF HHS Drilling & Blasting Ltd CLAIM $ 18,987

DEFENDANT Motive RV Manufacturers 45724B Yale Rd, Chilliwack, BC PLAINTIFF Saunders, Shelly Marie CLAIM $ 21,859

DEFENDANT CHEK Media Group 201-19 Dallas Rd, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF First Island Armoured Transport (1993) Ltd CLAIM $ 8,102

DEFENDANT Mountain West Properties Inc 102-645 Tyee Rd, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF TC Publication Limited Partnership CLAIM $ 11,755

DEFENDANT Compass Group Canada Ltd 2353-13353 Commerce Parkway, Richmond, BC PLAINTIFF Kresse, Cheryl CLAIM $ 25,156 DEFENDANT Goldstream Ventures LLP 1626 Garnet Rd, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Boorman Investment Co Ltd CLAIM $ 25,025

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DEFENDANT Owners Strata Plan Vis 1974 200-1931 Mt Newton Cross Rd, Saanichton, BC PLAINTIFF Jones, Christopher CLAIM $ 5,225 DEFENDANT Pacific Bulldog Construction Ltd PO Box 424, Sooke, BC PLAINTIFF Pacific Coast Land Company Inc CLAIM $ 10,046 DEFENDANT

27 Starlitt Auto Centre Ltd 10906 Island Hwy, Campbell River, BC PLAINTIFF Cres (Campbell River Equipment Sales) 1986 Ltd CLAIM $ 13,250 DEFENDANT Petes Homeworks Ltd 141 Engles Rd, Campbell River, BC PLAINTIFF Pioneer Home Hardware CLAIM $ 20,905 DEFENDANT Island Viking Holdings Ltd 1290 Ruffels Rd, Parksville, BC PLAINTIFF Sprinter Delivery Ltd CLAIM $ 2,420 DEFENDANT Equilibrium Massage Therapy 101-1121 Yates St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF David J Howes RMT CLAIM $ 25,176 DEEFENDANT Sand Dollar Enterprises Ltd 101-990 Cedar St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF DC Jensen Enterprises Ltd CLAIM $ 349,299

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

28

Dinning Hunter Jackson Law are celebrating their 40th anniversary. They are a full service law firm with a team of lawyers and over 15 support staff, with locations in both Greater Victoria and Westshore.

Victoria Mitsubishi has moved to a new location at 3342 Oak Street, Victoria.

Go Time Electric celebrated the opening of their new location in Uptown Mall on August 1st. Go Time Electric is a retailer of electric motorsports vehicles that has been serving the south island for over eight years.

Bruce Alexander is joining Capital Iron as of August as sales manager on the lower level of the store at 1900 Store Street. Alexander is also bringing his fencing, gates, gazebos and trellis business with him. He has been offering those products through his Design Source Warehouse at 553 Hillside Avenue. Owned by Alexander and his wife, Robyn, since 2009, Design Source will close this month.

Hot House Marketing has won a number of major industry marketing awards. The local agency won a gold Hermes Award in the Integrated Marketing Category for its product launch of the DC Tag, an innovative wearable Visa wristband the agency helped launch across Canada and in Australia. The agency also won a silver in the category of Local Consumer Marketing Campaign from the Summit International Awards for its “We’ve got the locals smiling” campaign for client Urban Smiles Victoria.

A Mr. Pet’s store is coming to Tillicum shopping centre. The North Vancouver-based firm will be opening its first Victoria-area outlet in the location where Petcetera was located.

The Northwest Aboriginal Canadian Entrepreneurs Program; a partnership between the Tribal Resources Investment Corporation, regional and provincial governments and the Peter B. Gustavson School of Government at UVIC, has been honoured with the 2016 Alan Blizzard Award from the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.

Local cruise specialist Expedia CruiseShipCenters was recently recognized

with a President’s Circle Platinum Award for annual booked sales exceeding $5 million.

They are located at 911 Yates Street.

North Saanich-based Viking Air is diversifying by taking over the rights for Bombardier’s amphibious water bombers.

Short-term, Viking will focus on repair and product support, not on building new water bombers. Montreal-based Bombardier halted production of its 415 water bomber in December 2015. The aircraft had been launched in 1994.

Foundry Spatial, a six-year-old Victoriabased environmental consulting firm, has just launched the Alberta Water Tool, which provides real-time information on the quantity of water available in any location where exploration may take place. The tool draws water information from 30,600 surface and groundwater allocation points and 185 hydrometric stations for 181,000 unique watersheds in Alberta.

St. Anthony’s Clinic Pharmacy is celebrating their 40th anniversary. They are located at 582 Goldstream Avenue.

A local ownership group led by Nick Blasko and Dimitri Demers of concert promotion company Atomique Productions has purchased the nightclub Sugar. Sugar nightclub at 858 Yates Street, holds about 600 people and has operated under various names for four decades.

Camosun College South Island Partnership student Jake Schutinga won gold recently in carpentry at the 2016 Skills Canada National Competition in Moncton, NB. Colin Hosakawa, a plumbing and pipe trades apprentice, won silver in the national sprinkler systems category.

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Six Victorians were re-elected to the board of the Craigdarroch Castle Historical Museum Society - lawyer Maureen Abraham; City of Victoria planner Lorne Beally; CTV Vancouver Island weather forecaster Astrid Braunschmidt; Moira Dann, communications officer at the Gustavson School of Business at UVIC; Barri Marlatt, partner at Hutchinson, OssCech, Marlatt; and City of Victoria civil engineer Carl Wilkinson. They will join current board members Nicholas Wemyss, president Peter Van Giesen, Jennifer Oakes, treasurer Stephen Lyons, Cameron Glazier and Amy Hinrichs.

Mike Geric Construction has broken ground on the third phase at Travino, the new development on the former Royal Oak Middle School property, with a buildout that’s a year ahead of schedule. Sales for Travino Landing’s 46 condos are underway, and half of the building has been sold to buyers who had significant input into the design of their home.

Vector Yacht Services Ltd. has expanded as of the first of July. They have taken over as the operators of the marine chandlery and mechanical shop at Canoe Cove Marina, 2300 Canoe Cove Road, North Saanich.

United Way’s Board of Directors would like to congratulate Barb McVagh on her Honorary Life Membership. Barb is a red feather giving to United Way for 46 years, and has served for more than 32 years with United Way’s Leaders’ Committee and Individual Giving Cabinet, helping to secure legacy and annual gifts at the leader level and mentoring others to join the movement.

Party Crashers recently opened a second location at 2642 Quadra Street, Victoria.

The Capital Park development near the legislature in James Bay is starting to take shape with the announcement of the first commercial tenant and a new library branch for the site. Red Barn Market will open a 6,000-square-foot grocery store and deli in the new development. The store is expected to open in January 2018.

Ontario businessman Bob MacDonald has taken over as the new owner of Vancouver Island Brewery. Bob will take over from longtime owner Barry Fisher.

The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria has added four members to its board of directors: Paul Barron, Lynda Gammon, Lawrence Graham and Christopher Jones. The newcomers join president Ruth Wittenberg, John Kirby, Jackie Hamilton, Anne Russell, Bill Camden, Silvia Bonet, Leslie Hildebrandt, Fiona Hunter, Patti-Anne Kay, Lynne Masse-Danes, Michael Morris, Peita Vandyke, Fran Willis, Lynne Woodruff and David Zaparinuk.

The Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour has appointed Neil Antolin as Executive Chef.

With more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Antolin has held positions in restaurants and hotels in Vancouver, Bermuda and Vancouver Island.

He was most recently the restaurant chef of the Victorian Fine Dining Room at the Delta Ocean Pointe Resort.

Veronica Carroll is the new CEO of the Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island. She will start in September. Carroll has an MBA in management consulting and nearly two decades of experience as a certified fundraising executive.

Victoria-native Val Litwin will take over as the new president and CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerce on September 7th. He will be replacing John Winter, who retired after 18 years at the helm. Litwin has served as chief executive officer of the Whistler Chamber of Commerce since 2013.

Cooper Pacific’s CEO, Morley Cooper is pleased to announce that Jordan Fairlie has joined the company as Sales and Marketing Manager and will be working alongside their team of professionals. Jordan brings over 7 years of experience with exempt market products and in particular, the mortgage investment industry.

Patrick Corrigan, the CEO of Pacific Opera Victoria has accepted a position as general director of Opera de Montreal. He will begin his new position in September.

Victoria lawyer Frank Carson is the new government-appointed chairman of BC Transit. BC Transit oversees the public SEE MOVERS & SHAKERS | PAGE 29

MOVERS & SHAKERS

AUGUST 2016

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28

transportation bus system in most of the province (excluding Greater Vancouver).

Victoria has won the contest to host a second casino in the capital region, beating out Saanich. The existing casino in View Royal, which is to be expanded, will remain the primary gaming facility in the region, the BC Lottery Corp has decided.

The Great Canadian Oil Change has opened a location in Duncan at 2752 Beverly Street.

Nelson Chan, former director of finance for Canada Post, has been appointed chief financial officer of the Capital Regional District. Chan, who begins the new job in August has experience in both the private and public sectors.

Academy Dental is celebrating the opening of their new location at 130 - 31 Helmcken Road, Victoria.

ViVi Therapy Massage and Acupuncture Clinic and Vancouver Island’s only Professional Massage Supply Store has moved to 1976 Oak Bay Avenue.

The Union Club of British Columbia, founded in 1879 in a room over a butcher shop at Yates and Government streets, has gained national historic site status for its landmark Gordon Street building. The designation was one of 13 designations for sites, events and individuals announced as part of Canada History Week, which runs July 1 to 7.

Imax Victoria theatre in the Royal BC Museum welcomed its seven-millionth visitor this month.

Prices Lock and Safe is celebrating their grand opening at 4 - 601 Boleskine Road.

Victoria-based Jusu Bar which has two locations in the Victoria area and one at the Tsawwassen ferry terminal is set to expand to San Francisco, California by the fall. Founder Bruce Mullen said the company has signed a joint-partnership agreement with a California firm that will establish Jusu in the San Francisco area.

A newly incorporated Vancouver-based company has control of 110 acres on the south side of Skirt Mountain after the BC Supreme Court approved a $17.5-sale this week. The company, 1083103 BC Ltd. incorporated for the transaction - lists Philip George and Jeff Irving as directors. It was selected as the best bid for a property that has been subject to foreclosure proceedings for more than two years.

Sooke Harbour Transport is under new ownership and is hiring taxi drivers who have a positive attitude with working knowledge of the Sooke region with a minimum Class 4 Driver’s License.

Annette Quan is joining the Viola VandeRuyt Wealth Management Group at National Bank Financial in Sidney. Quan brings with her a wealth of experience in responsible investing to assist clients. VandeRuyt is building a team focused on serving the wealth-management needs of women in Greater Victoria.

Origin Gluten-Free Bakery is relocating their Colwood location to 713A Goldstream Avenue in Langford. The Colwood store will remain open until July 30th, while the new store will open on August 2nd.

Pacific Island Gourmet Publishing has launched a new magazine called The EAT Journal. It is available at select bookstores, grocers, specialty food stores and cafes.

Pacific Island Gourmet has been publishing EAT Magazine in Victoria since 1999.

Queen Margaret’s School in Duncan welcomes Kevin Mennie to their team as Associate Director of Admissions. Kevin comes from St. Andrew’s School in Victoria. Congratulations to Leanne Schultz who has been promoted to Human Resources Manager and Hayley Picard to Communications Manager.

Thirty-six Aboriginal families are settling into their new affordable homes at 550

T N E C -S D R A

The Sooke Chamber of Commerce welcomes new members: Building Bridges Community Support Ltd., The Uncommon Carrot and Coded Pixel Development and Design.

W

Ramada Duncan is the new name of the former Travelodge Silver Bridge Inn at 140 Trans-Canada Highway. The 34-room hotel, rebranded late last month and has been undergoing extensive renovations.

SEAPARC Leisure Centre in Sooke had their grand opening and community barbecue on July 5th announcing the official opening of DeMamiel Creek Golf Course for this summer.

A

Standard Furniture is celebrating their grand opening at 1652 Old Island Highway.

E

D

The Sidney office of RBC Dominion Securities is pleased to welcome Investment Advisor Mike Verran and his Administrative Assistant Joanne Burton to their team.

Goldstream Avenue, a recently completed mixed-use development in Langford, which officially opened today on National Aboriginal Day. The building provides 30 twobedroom and six three-bedroom homes and includes energy star rated appliances and windows, water-efficient landscaping, lowflow fixtures and high-efficiency maintenance systems. Families have nearby access to health services, a number of schools and parks and a community centre and recreation centre.

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

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The capital region will soon have its seventh brewery open and running when Sooke Oceanside Brewery opens its doors. The brewery, tucked into about 1,200 square feet beside the Shell gas station just outside of Sooke, is expected to open in August as the first craft brewery in the Sooke area. ™

A Quebec-based chocolatier has officially open its first West Coast store in Victoria to establish a beachhead on this side of the country. Les Chocolats Favoris’s store on Government Street is the company’s first push into the region.

Congratulations are in order for May’s salespeople of the month throughout Victoria.

They are: Cam McFarlane of Harris Auto, Jay Dick of Jim Pattison Toyota, Jamie Elmhirst of Pacific Mazda, Frank Obrien of Wheaton, David Vollet of Audi Autohaus, Josh Driver of Volkswagen Victoria, Matt Kennard of Porsche Centre, David Bercovitz of Three PT Motors, Richard Meng of BMW Victoria, Dustin Hofer of Volvo, Frank Burgaretta of Wille Dodge, Connie Wilde of Jenner, Blake Horman of Campus Honda, Ian Lang of Campus Infiniti, Nelson Chan of Graham KIA, Frank Pecorelli of Campus Nissan, Mike Delmaire of Saunders and Trevor Haigh of Campus Acura.

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AUGUST 2016 A division of Invest Northwest Publishing Ltd. Head Office 200-3060 Cedar Hill Road, Victoria V8T 3J5 Ph: 1.250.204.7678 Fax: 1.250.642.2870 Toll free: 1.866.758.2684 Website: www.businessexaminer.ca

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BUSINESS DEMONIZATION CONSISTENT IN THE MEDIA AND THE CLASSROOM It’s just an acknowledgement that the general naïveté about business and what it takes to operate a successful one is so MARK MACDONALD

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hen was the last time we saw a positive depiction of a business or corporation on television or film – other than through a paid-for advertisement?

T h e re’s c e r t a i n ly a lo t to choose from in terms of movies about “big business” being exposed for a problem, scandal, or both. That’s entertainment, one supposes, because good news is a tough sell to the marketplace.

It would be a stretch to envision a lineup at the local theatre to watch a film “exposing” a company lending a helping hand, or reaching out to make a difference in the lives of the downtrodden.

Roll through the Rolodex of your mind, and you could easily come up with at least a handful of scenes from movies about sma l l g roups of determ i ned

widespread individuals digging in to oppose a development of some size or shape. The classic David vs.

Goliath scenario is played out over and over again: It’s up to regular citizens to stand up to corporate behemoths whose sole goal is to, as Joni Mitchell put it: “Pave paradise and put up a parking lot.”

It’s not much different in many schools, either pre- or post-secondary. That’s not surprising, either, as many teachers are, by and large, either union members or lack business experience. It would be more surprising if they could keep their personal views out of classes about business, or refrain from painting business as much of what is wrong with society. Corporate greed

is the obvious villain, students are often told.

A good business education is worth its weight in gold, and young people today must have some type of post-high school degree in order to make a comfortable living for themselves.

Students will learn important principles that can help them chart a clear path for the future.

But students need to filter some of the perspectives they a re presented in the classroom, as pervasive, anti-business ideals can still be clenched and disseminated by well-meaning, but ill-informed teachers. Just because they teach about business doesn’t mean they’re successful operators themselves, or even understand all that is required to succeed in the business world.

Even in the political sphere, there’s nary a politician who will run on a real “pro-business” platform, knowing that business owner/operators comprise a small fraction of those who actually cast votes. It’s much more politically palpable to espouse job creation under the banner of economic development than to suggest that incentives to encourage people to invest and build companies are necessary to spur growth in the economy.

It’s also interesting to watch

pol iticia ns a nd the med ia demonize certain businesses to make them look “evil”. Think “sin taxes” like alcohol, cigarettes and now, anything oil and gas-related. It’s like a mini-war, where the worst of the opponent is magnified to justify financial attacks on a particular sector.

While it may just be a clever way of extracting more revenue from companies, these levies can come across as punishment, and therefore necessary, helping the collective good.

The standard political mindset is something like this: Business is a “necessary evil”, but should be supported only because it creates jobs. But they sure should be taxed, because, after all, anyone in business is rolling in dough and can simply pluck fifties and hundreds off the money tree in their backyard.

Successful businesses spend a lot of money on advertising and promotion to craft and sustain their image. They must, as the mainstream media isn’t going to offer them any freebies in case they appear like they’re being “bought”, other than to note they’ve opened their doors or offer some type of out-of-theordinary, story-worthy product or service. This is certainly not to suggest that the media’s

mandate is to primp business.

It’s just an acknowledgement that the general naïveté about business and what it takes to operate a successful one is so widespread.

Recently, I attended a Fraser Institute forum aimed at educating journalists from across the country about how to report on economics. It was interesting, compelling and invigorating.

And at the same time, it was shocking. It was easy to tell that most of those attending held strong opinions like those expressed above, and clearly were hearing some important economic truths for perhaps the first time. Even though they had undoubtedly written about the economy many times prior to the seminar. The purpose of the event was to educate writers in hopes of having more accurate depictions of economic principles, trends and analyses in the media, and one hopes it is successful in that regard.

That would be a good starting point. Maybe that would get the attention of the movie industry.

But maybe they don’t want to tell the other side of the story.

That is, that business is a vital, integral, important part of our society, and there are plenty of good stories to tell, if one wants to.

VANCOUVER OVERPRICED HOUSING MARKET BRINGS BENEFITS TO VANCOUVER ISLAND A number of Vancouver tech companies are opening offices here and relocating their staff

CPABC CHUCK CHANDLER

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ancouver’s super-charged real estate market has been having ripple effects on Vancouver Island’s economy, as Lower Mainland homeowners cash out and relocate to the region. The BC Real Estate Association’s latest projections estimate that Greater Victoria’s home prices will rise by 15.4 per cent this year and by another 6.2 per cent in 2017. According to the CPABC Regional Check-Up report, a surplus of home buyers

equates to population growth, increased housing starts, and overall job creation.

Eric Erikson, CPA, CA, CFO of Redlen Technologies, attended the CPABC Victoria Economic Roundtable held in June. He noted that “The impact of Vancouver’s real estate market on Victoria is massive. As people relocate to our region we’re starting to see bidding wars that we’ve only heard of in Vancouver. For example, a home, listed at $800,000, in my neighbourhood was sold recently and offers were presented on a specified evening. Cars were lined up around the cul-de-sac and not one of the potential buyers was from Victoria. The house sold that same night for $100,000

over asking with no subjects to a couple from Vancouver.”

High real estate prices in Vancouver are also driving talent to Victoria, and the $4 billion tech industry has benefited from this trend. Another roundtable participant, Mark Mawhinney, CPA, CMA, investment advisor at Odlum Brown Limited, noted that technology is a big opportunity for the region. “Victoria is the city that has amenities and culture that are most similar to Vancouver. You can have a very fulfilling professional life here and I think we’ll see Vancouverites starting to figure that out.

Certainly, the tech industry is seeing that. A number of Vancouver tech companies are opening offices here and relocating their staff.”

Indeed, our region is increasingly attracting skilled professional workers. In 2015, our labour force saw an increase of 7,700 workers with post-secondary credentials. In particular, those with university education accounted for 96.1 per cent

of new workers last year. This reflects a shift towards a more k nowledge-based economy, which is generating a growing demand for skilled workers.

Sonterra Ross, CPA, CMA, COO of the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority, noted at the June economic roundtable that the salary level matched against the housing and living costs is what’s driving young talent to Victoria. “Debt levels are a huge concern for Canadians right now. For young professionals and their families, if they can get a good paying job here in Victoria and enjoy a lower cost of living, they’ll relocate here. It’s an opportunity for them to minimize debt and save.”

This influx of young professionals should address a common issue experienced by businesses in Victoria. Simon Philp, FCPA, FCMA, director and team leader at CIBC, indicated at the roundtable that finding qualified people has been particularly challenging, but the inf lux of these young professionals could help fill the void. “These people would

probably make more money if they moved to another jurisdiction, but this is where they want to live and this is where they want to raise their children. But if we only rely on the quality of life to retain this skilled talent, then we are going to run into issues.”

It is important for the sustainability of our regional economy to take advantage of the growing in-migration and subsequent real estate market boom. Growth in population means that businesses will benefit from a bigger pool of skilled talent. However, as a region, we must work to retain incoming talent by offering greater incentives beyond paying higher wages to individuals and not rely solely on quality of life to retain them.

Chuck Chandler, FCPA, FCA, is a resident partner at Hayes Stewart Little & Co in Victoria. The CPABC Regional Check-Up – Vancouver Island/Coast is published by CPABC and is available online at: www. bccheckup.com.

SUBCRIPTIONS | $45 PER YEAR (12 ISSUES), $80 FOR 2 YEARS (24 ISSUES), SUBSCRIBE ONLINE: WWW.BUSINESSEXAMINER.NET. DISTRIBUTION: FOURTH WEEK OF EACH MONTH VIA CANADA POST AD MAIL. The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited submissions. The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. Produced and published in British Columbia. All contents copyright Business Examiner Victoria, 2016. Canadian Publications Mail Acct.: 40069240

LAW

AUGUST 2016

31

BALANCING OF INTERESTS UNDER COPYRIGHT LAW Courts have long held that

LAW

copyright does not apply

New issues in copyright law

to historical facts, such as

C

opyright law often includes a consideration of a “balancing the rights”, usually balancing the rights of content users and the rights of content creators. Some recent court decisions illustrate how this “balancing” takes place and explore some new issues in copyright law.

Maltz v. Witterick (a decision issued by the Federal Court of Canada in May 2016) relates to balancing rights as between two competing content creators. A writer by the name of Jennifer Witterick was “inspired” to write a fictional novel after viewing a documentary produced by Maltz and some others regarding the life of Francizska Halamajowa and her daughter Helena, who hid three Jewish families when the German army occupied Poland during the Second World War. Upon becoming aware of the novel, Maltz noted a number of factual similarities between the documentary and the novel, and commenced an action for copyright infringement against the

the German occupation of Poland during the Second World War

Michael Cooper and Doug Thompson of ThompsonCooper LLP author Witterick and the author’s publisher.

By way of background, the Courts have long held that copyright does not apply to historical facts, such as the German occupation of Poland during the Second World War. The Judge in Maltz v. Witterick noted that the novel was a fictional story aimed at young readers and had a much different “feel” than the documentary.

The only thing that had been taken were some factual underpinnings for the story. Counsel for Maltz argued that there was a difference between historical

facts in which no one can own copyright and “small facts” drawn from diary entries relating to events on a particular date.

In concluding that the writer Witterick’s use of some actual facts from the life of Halamajowa did not amount to infringement, the Judge made a finding that facts are facts and no one owns copyright in them no matter what their relative size or significance.

A second case, Geophysical Services Incorporated v. Encana et al (a decision of the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench in April 2016) relates to balancing rights

as between content creators and public authorities. Geophysical Services Incorporated (GSI) was in the business of selling seismic data.

This seismic data was filed w it h a gover n ment boa rd pursuant to a regulatory reg i me establ i shed u nder t he Canada Petroleum Resources Act (CPR A). After a period of 5 years, the seismic data was made available to the public by the board. GSI commenced a legal action for copyright infringement against Encana and ma ny other compa n ies that were making use of the seismic data without GSI’s permission.

The Judge confirmed that GSI owned copyright in its seismic data, but held that to the extent that the regulatory regime of the CPRA conflicts with the Copyright Act, the CPRA regulatory regime prevails. The wording of the CPRA, properly interpreted, allows for disclosure without restriction after a defined period of time. It is a complete and specific code that applies to all oil and gas information in the offshore and frontier lands, including seismic data. Its provisions supplant any more general pieces of legislation, such as the Copyright Act.

HOW BUILDING STRONGER DEMAND BENEFITS THE ENTIRE REGION

TOURISM VICTORIA PAUL NURSEY

T

ourism Victoria and the City of Victoria made headlines e a rl i e r t h i s m o n t h a f t e r reach i ng a n h istoric ag reement that ensures a solid footing for the Island’s tourism economy. It was a complex deal, but I want to draw your attention to one key element.

Hav i ng Tou rism Victoria ta ke on the leadership of the sales and marketing for the Victoria Conference Centre is just smart business. For 28 years, there were two distinct teams working to bring meet i ngs a nd con ferences to Greater Victoria.

City of Victoria staff led efforts to sell space for major conferences in the Victoria Conference Centre, while Tourism Victoria worked to secure meetings and conference bu si ness i n hotel s a nd of f-site

venues.

T h is i nev itably led to resou rce-suck i ng squabbles over who got what share of Victoria’s accommodation taxes.

T ha n kfu l ly, th is territoria l ity h a s b e en p ut b eh i nd u s w it h a new focus squa rely on bu i ld i ng the business. It took leadership, collaboration and the parking of egos, but I am proud that we have made it happen.

We can now continue to integrate sales and marketing efforts into one cohesive unit, which is what we h ave been work i ng towa rds si nce reach i ng a n ag reement i n principle in November 2015.

T he private sector firmly supports this. First of all, our synergized efforts will create more leverage in the marketplace and, ultimately, more city-wide conventions of a size that can only be held in the Victoria Con ference Centre.

T h is i ncrease i n busi ness w i l l create what t he tou r ism sector calls “compression.” In this incidence it means that, if we are able to fully book the Victoria Conference Centre, opportunities will open for others, such as meetings venues or hotels, to pick up any spillover business.

Compression is a central concept in the meetings and accommodation i ndustries. T he sooner big

hotels and venues downtown are full, the sooner hotels and venues in the suburbs benefit. All sophisticated operators understand the principle of compression.

Greater Victoria is already benefitting from sold out conference centres in Seattle and nearly sold out venues i n Greater Va ncouver. T he sa me appl ies on south Vancouver Island. As the Victoria Conference Centre fills up, venues and hotels from Sooke through to Bear Mountain and out to Sidney will benefit from stronger compression throughout our overall region.

A not her b enef it i s t h at bu sinesses who service conferences — motor coach companies, meeting planners, caterers, excursion prov iders — ca n work w ith one integrated team going forward, as opposed to two separate teams as they needed to in the past.

Less energy spent on politics and protection of turf, and more getting down to the business of our core competencies of sa les a nd marketing in order to grow tourism business and create stronger underlying demand in a sustainable way for the entire region.

Now that’s a great idea.

GOT AN IDEA? GOT AN IDEA? Let us help you protect it.

Let us help you protect it.

Thompson Cooper is Victoria’s leading source for legal advice Thompson Cooper is Victoria’s focused intellectual property. leading on source for legal advice focused on intellectual property.

DTHOMPSON@TCLLP.CA | 250 389 0387 | WWW.TCLLP.CA DTHOMPSON@TCLLP.CA | 250 389 0387 | WWW.TCLLP.CA

Paul Nursey is the President and CEO of Tourism Victoria.

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