Business Examiner Vancouver Island - May 2015

» WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION

MAY 2015

–PAGE 35

BC Ed Fast, announced funding for two initiatives at presentations in Nanaimo and Victoria

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Broadstreet Properties & Seymour Pacific Developments named Judges’ Choice winner

DUNCAN 360 Comfort Systems offers a new showroom where people can see and experience the product

Campbell River building earns top 2015 Commercial Building Award

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INDEX News Update 2 Cowichan Valley 7 Nanaimo 10 Comox Valley 34 Campbell River 38 Port Alberni 43 West Coast 44 Who is Suing 46 Movers and Shakers 48 Opinion 50 Law 51 Contact us: 1-866-758-2684

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ANAIMO – The Broadstreet Properties & Seymour Pacific Developments bu ild ing in Ca mpb el l R iver e a r ne d t he Judges’ Choice honor for Best Overall Entry in the 8th Annual Vancouver Island Real Estate Boa rd Com mercia l Bu i ld i ng Awards April 23 at the Coast Bastion Hotel.

B ro a d s t re e t P ro p e r t i e s & Seymour Pacific Developments also won the Excellence Award in the Office category of the g a l a . T h e re we re a tot a l of 3 4 ent r ies f rom t he Cow ichan Valley to Campbell R iver represented at the gala. A tea m of i ndependent judges h ave completed t hei r work, assessing each of the projects i n 1 1 c a t e go r i e s t h a t w e r e completed Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2014.

“It was such an honour to be recognized as Office Building of

the year at the VIREB awards, says Amanda Raleigh, Culture a nd Com mu n ity Ma nager fo r B ro a d s t re e t P ro p e r t i e s Ltd. a nd Sey mou r Paci f ic Developments Ltd. “There was some great competition in our category. I was so proud of our team!

“Then when they announced that we had won the Judges Choice Awa rd as wel l, I was speechless. To have the judges recognize the dedication, attention to detail and pride that went in to our building was such an amazing feeling. Thank you so much to VIREB and all of the event sponsors.”

Re/MAX Commercial was the Platinum Sponsor for the event, with Colliers International and C o a s t a l C o m m u n it y C re dit Union in as Gold Sponsors.

Category sponsors i ncluded SEE COMMERCIAL BUILDING AWARD | PAGE 16

Amanda Raleigh of Broadstreet Properties & Seymour Pacific Developments of Campbell River receives the Judges’ Choice best overall entry award from Ian Lindsay of Platinum Title Sponsor Re/MAX Commercial at the 8th Annual Vancouver Island Real Estate Board Commercial Building Awards April 23 at the Coast Bastion Hotel in Nanaimo JOSH PATIENCE PHOTO

Redfish, Shellfish, Bluefish, Unite at Festival

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OMOX – The BC Shellfish and Seafood Festival has evolved from its local beginnings in Comox to a provincially recognized industry-leading event.

Originally started by the BC Shellfish Grower’s Association (BCSGA) nine years ago, the festival grew in popularity at such a significant rate that the board of directors and staff members were challenged to keep up with it.

Enter Invest Comox Valley, who

partnered with the BCSGA three years ago to expand the event beyond its original focus, incorporating the aquaculture industry and surrounding region into what is now a 10-day showcase.

“The festival has grown to be more of a ‘promote the BC shellfish and seafood industry’ affair, with the idea of it being a major event in BC that brings people i nto the Comox Va l ley from across Canada, the US and Asia,” says Richard Hardy, President

of the Comox Valley Economic Development Society and aquaculture manager for the K’omoks First Nation.

Hardy is also the general manager for Pentlach Seafoods, and has been with the organization since 2004.

The K’omoks First Nation own Pentlach, Salish Sea Foods and Salish Sea Farms, a joint venture with Manatee Holdings.

This year’s event takes place from June 12-21 across a number

of different venues in the Comox Valley.

New to the festiva l i ndustry-wise will be the BC Seafood E x po a nd Workshop Series, headlined by keynote speaker Dr. John Nightingale, CEO of the Vancouver Aquarium.

Ned Bell, celebrity chef, from the Vancouver Four Seasons Hotel and Chefs for Oceans will also be featured at the Expo.

SEE REDFISH, SHELLFISH | PAGE 47

2 VANCOUVER ISLAND Vancouver Island Students invited to discover a career in the trades

students experience in construction, mechanical, transportation and oil and gas sectors over 10-12 weeks. Following the program, students can choose to enrol in a trades foundation program or pursue an apprenticeship in a trade of their choice.

The provincial government launched BC’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint in April 2014 to re-engineer education and training for in-demand jobs. The Blueprint uses data to drive decisions and shift training and education to better match labour market needs and priorities.

Earlier this week, government announced $6.1 million for 1,429 additional critical trades seats in 14 public post-secondary institutions throughout the province to reduce wait times for students entering trades that are in demand by a range of industries. This includes more than $1.5 million for 372 critical trades seats in 2015/16 and more than $1.4 million for 238 critical trades seats and $939,044 for trades equipment in 2014/15 for the three Vancouver Island post-secondary institutions. There is also a new trades training facility currently under construction for Camosun College.

BC expects one million job openings by 2022. More than 78 per cent of jobs will require some form of post-secondary education, and 44 per cent of jobs will be in skilled trades and technical occupations.

Approximately 13 per cent of the one million projected job openings are for in-demand trade occupations in BC.

AGS

T he Government of British Columbia is investing $216,000 to create 96 seats at three public post-secondary institutions on Vancouver Island so students can get hands-on experience in a variety of trade occupations that support the diverse, strong and growing economy of BC Camosun College is receiving $153,000 in funding for 68 seats, North Island College will collect $27,000 for 12 seats, and Vancouver Island University will get $36,000 for 16 seats. This allocation is part of $727,500 to create 326 Trades Discovery seats at 12 public colleges, universities and institutes.

The funds support BC’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint that government launched one year ago today.

“Are you interested in learning about a trade, but can’t decide which one or even if it’s for you?

Taking part in a Trades Discovery program could be your ticket,” said Parksville-Qualicum MLA Michelle Stilwell. “These practical programs give students access to a variety of trades and technical training, helping them make their choice and preparing them for a full-time program or even an apprenticeship.”

T rades Discovery provides

NEWS UPDATE

MAY 2015

COMOX VALLEY Comox Valley Airport welcomes first Air Canada flight at YQQ The Comox Valley community welcomed the first Air Canada flight into the Comox Valley Airport, marking the commencement of a twice-daily, non-stop service from Comox to Vancouver.

“This new service provides access to destinations around the world starting right from Comox,” said Comox Valley Airport CEO, Fred Bigelow. “Passengers can enjoy the convenience of checking in for their flight at our airport and then seamlessly connect to destinations in Asia, Australia, Europe and across North America, all on the same ticket.”

Mayors and community leaders were on the ramp to greet the arriving plane and later celebrated with a reception following the departure of the flight enroute to YVR. Passengers on board were travelling to Vancouver or making connections at YVR into Air Canada’s expansive network, which includes 180 destinations around the world.

The Comox schedule has been carefully planned to provide comprehensive connection options within the Air Canada route network. Possible same-day connections from Comox with Air Canada include: all points within BC, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto,

Natural Pastures Master Cheesemaker Paul Sutter Montreal, Ottawa, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo-Narita, Osaka, Beijing, Shanghai, Honolulu, Maui, Sydney Australia and London Heathrow.

“We foresee numerous positive results for our region as a result of Air Canada operating in the Comox Valley. New air service provides local economic benefits in terms of job creation at the airport, as well as spin-off effects for a wide range of local businesses and service providers,” said Comox Valley Economic Development Society Executive Director, John Watson.

“Better access to international markets can bring more visitors to the region and increase length of stay, both of which drive economic impacts. Importantly, there is also

the opportunity for local businesses to make connections with partners and suppliers in overseas markets.”

The Comox/Vancouver route will be operated by Jazz Aviation LP under the Air Canada Express brand using a 50-seat, made-in-Canada Bombardier Dash 8-300 aircraft.

COMOX VALLEY Two Trophies Captured by Local Cheese Company Comox Valley’s own Natural Pastures Cheese Company captured two category wins at this year’s Canadian Cheese Grand Prix for their Cherry Cow Bocconcini and their Comox Brie.

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NEWS UPDATE

MAY 2015

“This is one of the premier awards for cow’s milk cheese in Canada,” said Natural Pastures Operations Manager Doug Smith, “and our teams’ hard work has paid off. There’s recognition that the cheese we consistently produce is top quality and showcases the unique westcoast terroir of Vancouver Island.”

The Canadian Cheese Grand Prix began in 1998 as a way of showcasing high quality, versatile, and world-class calibre Canadian cheese. Judged by Canadian Food Industry experts, this year’s 2015 Grand Prix had over 268 entries submitted by cheesemakers from Prince Edward Island to British Columbia.

Natural Pastures Master Cheesemaker Paul Sutter flew out east to attend the Gala of Champions awards ceremony in Toronto on April 22nd to accept the trophies.

“It was a big honour to receive this recognition and it’s always great to reconnect with colleagues and compare notes,” said Sutter.

Sutter was particularly happy the cherry bocconcini received a win. “It’s one of our newer products and hasn’t yet received a big award. The cherry bocconcini is a very tasty cheese that has a delicate flavour and light salting that lets the freshness of the milk come through. It melts on your tongue.”

He said that while the Comox Brie also showcases the flavour of our local milk, the cheese changes over time. “A young brie will have a light, clean tangy flavour.

As it ages, the flavour becomes more robust and it develops the rich, mushroom flavour and creamy, soft texture that signals a true bloomy rind cheese.”

While each Grand Prix category yields only one trophy winner, Natural Pastures also had other serious contenders - boasting five nominations in four categories: Cherry Bocconcini in the Fresh Pasta Filata; Comox Camembert and Comox Brie in the Soft Cheese with bloomy rind; Amsterdammer in the Semi-soft cheese; and Naturally Smoked Boerenkaas in the Smoked Cheese category.

Smith attributes a growing artisanal cheese movement in Canada to helping contribute to the continued success of Natural Pastures Cheese. “We have to constantly be upping our game and working diligently to continue to improve the quality of our cheese,” he said.

NANAIMO Timberwest Spring Planting 5.35 Million New Trees

TimberWest’s spring 2015 planting season concluded during Earth Week (April 20-24) with a final total of 5.35 million native species planted on Vancouver Island. On TimberWest lands the efforts of hundreds of tree planters added Douglas fir, yellow and red cedar, grand fir, hemlock, white pine and Sitka spruce to Vancouver Island forests.

TimberWest’s tree seedlings are grown

by Vancouver Island contracted nurseries, and many are from seed produced

by TimberWest’s own Mt. Newton Seed Orchard in Saanich, B.C. In conju nction w ith T imberWest’s spring planting efforts, Dave Kral, the company’s Timber Purchasing Manager, celebrated forty-two years by replanting 42 trees on a recently-harvested block near Sooke, where he had originally planted seedlings in 1973 on his first day of work with TimberWest’s predecessor company, Pacific Forest Products.

Today, tree-farming – logging as it is commonly known – employs a broad range of sustainability techniques and practices.

For TimberWest, the science of protecti ng the env i ron ment a nd forest assets is as critical as the actual logging itself, and the company invests heavily in people and knowledge to ensure that the land is protected. W hile conventional farming is based on annual crops, tree-farming on Vancouver Island uses native species with crop rotations between 40 and 100 years and requires a great commitment in the science of sustainability.

Kral was joined by his former Planting Forema n, Gary Haut a nd h is former Chief Forester, Bruce Devitt. Both men are retired, but noted the significant changes in tree-farming techniques and technologies.

T hrough the planting program and various Earth Week activities, TimberWest has been able to continue to support a replanting ratio of three trees for each tree harvested. This ratio ensures the value and sustainability of Vancouver Island forests, and by replanting native species the company ensures a healthy and diverse forest environment. P rotection of biodiversity is a key element of sustainable forest management and TimberWest continually strives to improve efforts to sustain key habitat for plants and wildlife.

TimberWest is Western Canada’s largest private timberland company with 325,400 hectares / 804,200 acres on Vancouver Island. The Company also owns renewable Crown harvest rights to 700,000 m3 per year.

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MAY 2015

Fast brings money and opportunity from Feds

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ANAIMO – 20 per cent of Canadian Jobs are dependent on exports, with international trade representing 60 per cent of the economy.

The federal government recently announced support for this component of the economy through investment in Vancouver Island’s business community.

Minister of International Trade, the Honorable Ed Fast, announced funding for two initiatives at presentations in Nanaimo and Victoria.

The announcement in Nanaimo came at an export workshop hosted in partnership with the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) association.

The workshops are part of the cross-country Go Global tour held in collaboration with the CME, focused on providing small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) with tools and practical information to take advantage of international business opportunities.

Marcus Ewert-Johns, V ic e President of CME British Columbia joined Minister Fast for the announcement.

“Our government is committed to working shoulder-to-shoulder with Canadian small and mediumsized enterprises in British Columbia and across the country to seize export opportunities and create jobs,” said Minister Fast.

He added, “we are breaking down the silos between our export

Minister of International Trade, Ed Fast, speaks at a Go Global event.

PHOTO CREDIT: FOREIGN AFFAIRS, TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT CANADA

agencies, taking a whole-of-government approach to exporting and providing the tools, services and information that you and your businesses need to succeed.”

The workshop tour began in November 2014, and has had 17 different stops to date, attracting more than 1400 business representatives.

Nanaimo’s funding announcement was regarding Marine Renewables Canada, who received $60,275, as part of the Global Opportunities for Associations program.

This program is focused on enabling Canadian associations to help their members abroad.

In Victoria, Minister Fast addressed the Greater Victoria

Chamber of Commerce, where he discussed Canada’s Economic Action Plan 2015.

He also announced Invest Canada - Community Initiatives (ICCI) program funding of $11,000 for the Chamber, in support of attracting job creating investment.

Minister Fast invited participants in both the Nanaimo and Victoria events to join him on his upcoming trade mission to the Philippines, which will takes place this month.

The Go Global presentations focused on four different government initiatives for SMEs. The first being Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) provides businesses with ‘groundlevel’ intelligence and practical advice on foreign markets.

TCS recently received additional funding of $42 million over five years to expand its services. It has opened four new trade offices in China within the past few months, brining the total to 15, housing more than 100 trade commissioners.

TCS has a presence in 161 cities worldwide, 15,000 clients, with 14,250 of them being SMEs. The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) is dedicated exclusively to entrepreneurs, and offers growth, transition and venture capital, financing and consulting services to SMEs across the country.

BDC works with 30,000 clients Canada-wide, 4,800 of which are

SMEs. Export Development Canada (EDC) is Canada’s export credit agency, its role is to develop and support export trade.

The crown corporation provides insurance and financial services, bonding products and small business solutions to export businesses, investors and their international buyers.

EDC has 7,100 clients, including 5,500 exporting SMEs. The Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) acts on behalf of businesses to procure international government contracts, existing as a ‘sovereign guarantee’.

It provides contract negotiation and execution services in areas where there is a clear role for government.

Examples would be: a) emerging and developing markets where governments may require additional capacity to undertake complex procurements and projects. b) in sectors such as aerospace and defense, which are outside of World Trade Organization agreements.

CCC has 210 clients, 63 of which would be considered SMEs. The government also leads and organizes trade missions to other countries and regions, providing businesses the opportunity to showcase their products and services to key international stakeholders.

As a whole, the export

industry represents a significant opportunity for businesses. T he past few yea rs have marked a monumental increase in international trade potential, most recently with the signing of the Canada-European Trade Agreement.

During his presentations Minister Fast talked about ongoing negotiations with India, alluding to the potential of a new free-trade agreement.

Canada will soon have free trade access to 43 countries, complimenting the existing 28 Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements.

The government remains committed to expanding on its current trade efforts, with the recent announcement of $50 million over five years to directly support between 500 and 1000 SMEs with market research and trade mission participation.

“This government’s priority is jobs and economic growth. By ensuring that Canada is a top destination for business investment and opening up new market opportunities around the world, we are creating jobs and prosperity here in British Columbia and across Canada,” said Minister Fast.

To learn more about these announcements please visit: www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca www.marinerenewables.ca www.victoriachamber.ca

TAX

MAY 2015

Back to Back Pinnacle Awards for Courtenay Toyota Comox Valley Car Dealership wins prestigious award for 2nd time in 2 years

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OMOX VA LLEY A f ter celebrati ng their 32nd birthday, Courtenay Toyota received the Pinnacle Award from Toyota Canada for the 2nd year in a row. The Pinnacle award is given to the dealership that achieves the highest score for Overall Customer Service and Satisfaction in both Sales and Service. An individual award was also presented to Glenice Neal, who was one of the top product advisors for Customer Satisfaction in all of Canada. Customer Satisfaction Surveys are collected through JD Power & Associates measuring the Sales and Service experience and Courtenay Toyota has consistently achieved a very high score on both sides of business operations.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the staff at Courtenay Toyota, winning this award for the second year in a row really reflects the culture we have created in our dealership. We treat each customer with the nothing but the

Steve Watkins, National Mgr, Toyota Canada – Glenice Neal – George Hrvacanin, Field Consultant, Toyota Canada utmost respect and with the informative low pressure approach to sales and service we make sure they are a Toyota customer for life” says Brian Rice, Dealer Principal of Courtenay Toyota.

T he sentiment echoes down through the staff who takes great pride in making the sales and service experience unique to each customer. “Our success is based on how well we can serve our customers, the great people of the Comox Valley. We live here, play here and want to make sure every single customer leaves the dealership with a positive experience, one that they will be proud

to tell friends and family” adds General Manager Andrew Rice.

Courtenay Toyota is very active in giving back to the Comox Valley community with a variety of charitable initiatives including the Comox Valley Christmas Drive Thru for Charity as well as supporting Sports Leagues, Arts and Culture, and various charitable initiatives.

Courtenay Toyota has been family owned and operated in the Comox Valley for over 32 years, come by and see what makes Courtenay Toyota stand alone when it comes to sales and service of your next vehicle.

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COWICHAN VALLEY

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MAY 2015

COWICHAN PASTA COMPANY OPENS NEW PROCESSING FACILITY Dakova Square project receives The Malahat Nation is participants through the plan- tourism businesses such as a café, approval ning process to start a food pro- gift shop, eco-tourism operators developing new marine

infrastructure in the Mill Bay waterfront area

COWICHAN VALLEY KATHY LACHMAN

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owichan Pasta Company has opened a new processi ng faci l ity i nside Cure Artisan Meat and Cheese deli at 5-1400 Cowichan Bay Rd in Cowichan Bay. They are the first pasta company in Canada to make stone ground pasta from ancient grains such as Spelt, Emmer and Red Fife. www.cowichanpasta.com. n n n

Agri-Food Business Planning Workshop The food processing industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in British Columbia and the demand is high for locally processed food.

There is a two day business planning workshop that takes

cessing business. This workshop is gea red for food processor start-ups, farms entering into value-added products and established food businesses looking to streamline operations.

Workshop topics include business planning process, market access and analysis, product development, quality assurance, financial planning, labeling and packaging, production economics and logistics.

The workshops will be held at 135 Third Street in Duncan on May 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and May 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The cost to participate is $50 plus GST per day or $85 plus GST for both days. The fee includes refreshments and lunch. www.ssfpa.net. n n n

Malahat Nation Revitalizes Mill Bay Waterfront The Malahat Nation is developing new marine infrastructure in the Mill Bay waterfront area.

The project will include construction of a new boat launch, parking area, waterfront boardwalk and waterfront recreation areas. The project will also be a catalyst for new aquaculture business development by the Malahat Nation and will provide waterfront opportunities for new

and a Malahat walking museum.

T he boat lau nch a nd other amenities are expected to generate approximately $1.7M in local spending and create a dozen new jobs in three to five years.

Island Coastal Economic Trust is contributing $400,000 to the project and the CVRD and Mill Bay Marine Group is also providing some funding to this project.

A joint venture aquaculture operation, initially focused on farmer scallops, is also part of the longterm vision for the project.

The total budget for the project is $1.85M and is expected to be completed by December 2015.

Kathy Lachman is the acting Economic Development Manager for Economic Development Cowichan, a division of the Cowichan Valley Regional District. She can be reached at 250-746-7880 ext 248.

T

he Dakova Square project located in downtown D u nca n has received development permit approval from city council following a 4-3 vote. It’s a 5-story, 36-unit mixed residential and commercial structure that will be built at the intersection of Government Street and Canada Avenue. The project is focused on retired individuals interested in access to outdoor activities and amenities such as golfing, fishing and boating. It’s also pet friendly, and rental friendly.

T he developer, The Dakova Group, is in the process of seeking a building permit from city staff.

They are a privately owned western Canadian real estate service company with more than 30 years of industry experience.

Vlado Brcic is the president and founder of the company, which had its head office located in St. Albert, Alberta.

Their portfolio includes projects in Edmonton, Fort Sask a tc h e w a n , S t. A l b e r t a n d Vancouver Island. They also have planned projects in Fort McMurray.

Alex Robertson of Royal LePage Duncan Realty is the sales agent.

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LADYSMITH

MAY 2015

7

Sunhame plans on a tidal wave of bikes Ladysmith manufacturer builds a different kind of electric bike

BY GOODY NIOSI

“We add the biggest

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batteries that have ever

ADYSMITH - Don Suhan believes that he builds the best electric bikes on the market.

“We try to build a different kind of electric bike,” he said. “Of course, electric bikes are just in their infancy, but we try to build something that nobody else is building.” The CEO of Sunhame Bikes Ltd. in Ladysmith said that when he set out to build his first electric bike he refused to compromise even a tiny bit on quality.

“I wanted it to be tough as nails. We have a very strong chrome-moly steel frame and we add the biggest batteries that have ever been put into an electric bike – the biggest motors, the biggest controllers, the biggest brakes, the best wheels – I build the best bike I can possibly build.”

Building and engineering have been Suhan’s passion since he was a teen. He has spent a lifetime in the mechanical industry working with a variety of machines including excavators and graders and doing his own fabrication.

“You name it, I’ve built it,” he said. But doing that as a living

been put into an electric bike – the biggest motors, the biggest controllers, the biggest brakes, the best wheels – I build the best bike I can possibly build.”

DON SUHAN CEO, SUNHAME BIKES LTD.

Don Suhan says that his electric bikes are the best on the market

was never enough for him. About six years ago, he decided to take on a new hobby. His first choice was building an electric car – maybe an electric hot rod. But when he priced out the cost of just the batteries, he turned instead to the idea of an electric bike. He bought a bicycle frame, built an aluminum box to house the batteries, and attached it to the bike.

“So I went for a ride,” he said.

“It was a lot of fun and it was really fast – and then I got pulled over by the cops.” Understandably so

– he was doing 100 KPH on the Ladysmith section of the Island Highway.

He didn’t get a ticket; what he got was the kick-start he needed for his new business. The policeman wanted to know about the bike. The police force could put them to good use. So Suhan went off to his garage to build the prototype of a tough bike called the Interceptor that would be suitable for police and security work. The Interceptor has a top speed of 100KPH and a range up

to 400 kilometres. By the time the Interceptor was ready, his police contact had retired, but Suhan was not deterred. He went to work on the Raptor, a retail model that he now sells on his website.

However, the Interceptor is rolling forward to an exciting future. Two are being used as demonstrators in the security department at the West Edmonton Mall and the Edmonton police force has expressed strong interest in using them.

At the same time Suhan is negotiating with a number of First Nations in both Canada and the United States to form a partnership to build the Sunahme line of electric bikes.

Electric bikes are no longer a hobby for Suhan. Sales are growing and buyers are delighted with the product. When they finish a ride, they simply plug them in and within a couple of hours they are recharged and ready to go.

Suhan has big plans for the future of his bikes. He wants to sell up to 400,000 per year – and that may well turn out to be an attainable goal. He has a banking investor in Triple Five Investments, the owner of West E d monton M a l l a nd Mall of America. Even more important than the investor, is the contacts the investor brings, Suhan said.

Those contacts include teams in the National Football League and the owners of Casinos and NASCAR teams. One of the bikes is also going to be used in a new HBO series.

“Our marketing plan is to get these bikes out there,” Suhan said.

S u n a h m e B i k e s L td . i s i n Ladysmith. www.sunahmebikes.com

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Left to Right: Jamie Kungel, CPA, CA • Mike Hughes, CPA, CA • Alanna McLennan, CPA, CA • Alladin Versi, CPA, FCMA, CFP

INVENTING

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MAY 2015

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INVENTING ANNE FLANAGAN

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here is a misconception that it costs millions to defend a patent, and on that basis, some companies decide to not patent. I have observed how not patenting can cost companies their competitive edge.

But what about the impact of patenting on the economy as a whole?

T here a re some that argue that the patent system stifles innovation, and therefore holds back economic growth. There are some that argue the polar opposite.

If we look back in history, we can find naysayers that seem to present some pretty comp el l i n g a rg u ments against patenting. On such

person was Michel Chevalier. He was a French economist during the second half of the nineteenth century.

What is so interesting about Chevalier is that the arguments he presented back then are very similar to the arguments of today.

Probably his most significant argument was that “every industrial discovery is the product of the general ferment of ideas, the result of an internal work which was accomplished with the support of a large number of successive or simultaneous collaborators in society, often for centuries.”

His interpretation of this argument is that without the successive or simultaneous collaborators in society, these discoveries would not be made. I think we can agree in principle on that, however, that argument does not speak to patenting.

Patents do not preclude collaboration, nor do they stop the improvements and innovations arising from a seminal invention. Each innovation and each improvement can be patented by the inventor of that innovation or improvement, assuming that

the requirements for patentability are met.

Where Chevalier was probably bang on in his arguments is that the patent system can lead to insecurity for an innovator – the fear being that they will be sued for infringement. The patent trolls have heightened this concern.

This could lead to a stifling of innovation.

Note, however, that this insecurity can be minimized by detailed searches of the patent and published patent application databases, before a product is marketed or better still, when it is in the development stages.

Whether we agree or disagree with Chevalier and other naysayers, it is a wellknown fact that companies that continue to innovate to improve their product offering and to stay ahead of the competition are the most successful companies.

Without patents in place, that competitive advantage can be lost.

Anne Flanagan is the principal at Alliance Patents. She can be reached at anne.flanagan@ alliancepatents.com

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SALES

MAY 2015

9

AVOID JUDGMENTAL MESSAGES Consider framing your advice as a helpful, neutral partner, someone who avoids judgmental messages

SALES JOHN GLENNON

D

id you ever have a conversation with a prospect who suddenly, and for no apparent reason, became unreceptive to perfectly good advice?

It h appen s to m a ny sa lespeople. Shortly a fter we offer advice or insights rooted f rom deep person a l a nd organizational experience, to be tech n ica lly correct, we find ourselves in a conversation that loses momentu m … or stops altogether. In some cases, the prospect even stops returning phone calls or e-mail messages.

W hat happened in these exchanges?

T y p i c a l l y, t h e “go o d a dvice” we offer in such situations sounds something like this: “The problem is, Jim, you aren’t conducting assessment surveys on your new hires. You

should incorporate a simple online questionnaire into your hiring process. Then I bet your turnover numbers would start to go down.”

Jim may not respond well to a message like that. Why not?

Because we’re telling Jim what he “should” do – and that message is not likely to be a welcome one, no matter how much experience we have that backs it up. We’re telling Jim that what he’s doing right now isn’t what he “shou ld” be doi ng. Even though our advice is sound and well-intentioned, it’s likely Jim will interpret what we’ve put forward as an unwelcome message of judgment. That’s one of the big reasons why prospects shut down and decide to keep salespeople at arm’s length … or even further away!

Messages that communicate judgment or bias (see the list on the left below) about what is right or wrong, good or bad, what one should or shouldn’t do, and what is acceptable and what isn’t, are likely to trigger emotional responses from the listener. Those responses can range from compliance (which may carry with it some degree of resentment) to rebellion, neither of which are desirable or conducive to the rapport and trust you are working to establish in a sales discussion.

R a t h e r t h a n te l l s o m e o n e what to do or how to act, you can frame the message around a helpful suggestion or a point for consideration. (See the list on the right below.)

Judgmental

Helpful

You should…

You may find more value in…

You should have…

Had you considered…?

You shouldn’t…

It might not help to…

Don’t do…

You may want to consider…

You’re wrong about…

Your perspective might change if…

You missed the point.

Have you considered…?

You just don’t get it.

Perhaps you should think about…

Listen to me.

May I suggest…?

Consu lti ng I nc. A l l rights reserved.

John Glennon is the owner of Insight Sales Consulting Inc, the authorized Sandler Training Licensee for the Interior of British Columbia. He can be reached at jglennon@sandler. com, toll free at 1-866-645-2047 or visit www.glennon.sandler. com

So, using our example, if you were to say to Jim, “In addition to what you’re doing now, Jim, you might find value in conducting some basic assessment surveys on your new hires. If you were to incorporate a simple online questionnaire into your hiring process, those high turnover numbers might start to go down.”

Consider framing your advice as a helpful, neutral partner, someone who avoids judgmenta l messages. Usi ng th is approach, you may well find that it’s easier to keep the conversation moving forward, easier to make your advice accessible, easier to keep the prospect engaged as a peer, and, ultimately, easier to close the sale.

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MAY 2015

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE CATALYST FINALISTS ANNOUNCED The mission of Nanaimo’s NS3 is to inspire children

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‘S

oci a l E nter pr ise’ is a growing business movement, and on May 20 at the Port Theatre, an event called ‘Catalyst’ will offer $50,000 in cash and technical services to a social enterprise in a ‘Dragon’s Den’-style event.

We are pleased to announce that Nanaimo Science & Sustainability Centre (NS3), Skookum Café and Tofino Ucluelet Culinary Guild (TUCG) are the finalists presenting at the Catalyst.

TUCG’s goal is to assist restaurants, residents and grocery stores of the west coast to access healthy and affordable food from the region’s independent producers. Skookum Café offers high quality, locally focused food and beverages and provides youth in the West Shore communities the opportunity to gain employment and life skills in a safe and

supportive environment. The mission of Nanaimo’s NS3 is to inspire children and develop their interest in science and sustainability through hands-on learning.

Social enterprises are business organizations – mainly not-forprofits -- whose mission, conduct and revenue stream address a cultural, social and/or environmental need. Profits are targeted to a common good through the sales of products and services and many also focus on employing people with barriers. Local examples include Code Brew: the coffee kiosk at NRGH, Coco’s Café in Cedar and some of our

local thrift shops. Catalyst is an event created to celebrate this movement.

The Catalyst ‘Dragon’s Den’ stage show is preceded by an ‘Offer-tunity Fair’ in the lobby of the Port Theatre. Many Catalyst applicants, as well as resource services and community supports, will have information tables open at 5:30 pm, with the gala starting at 6:30.

Keynote speaker will be Vickie Cammack, founder of Tyze Personal and a ground-breaking pioneer in the world of social enterprise and innovation. Vickie recently received the Order of Canada for her work, and was recognized by the Globe and Mail as one of Canada’s Top 100 most powerful women.

The day after the Catalyst Gala, Vancouver Island University is hosti ng a ‘Day of L ea rn i ng’ focused on social enterprise.

Keynote speakers, panels and presentations will address more in-depth subject areas relating to this business movement.

For more information, to reser ve you r seats at the Por t Theatre, or register for Day of Learning go to www.secatalyst.ca.

Kim Smythe is CEO of the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce.

He can be reached at ceo@ nanaimochamber.bc.ca

Nanaimo sees tourism jump

“N

a na i mo’s accomm o d a t i o n o c c up a n c y, A v e r a g e Room Rates (ARR) and Revenue Per Available Room (REVPAR) rates were a l l up notably i n March 2015 compared to March 2014. For the properties that participate in the Tourism Bulletin, the increases represent an estimated increase in monthly revenue of almost $428,000,” said Frank Bourree, CMC Principal of Chemistry Consulting Group. ARR increased by $5.84

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year over year, and R EV PA R increased by $11.13 during the same period.

Accord i ng to Tourism-Review.com, travel from India is expected to grow by 6.5% in 2015 and surpass the growth rate for China of 6.3% (which has been slow i ng) w ith th is trend expected to continue in subsequent years. Currently, only about 5% of India’s popul at ion l ive s a m id d le-c l a ss l i festyle but t he si ze of t he middle-class is predicted to

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increase dramatically reaching an estimated 475m by 2030.

Countries that eliminate travel-related red tape and improve visa policies will benefit from this trend.

This month marks the Tourism Industry Association of British Columbia’s (T I A BC) 2015 AGM and tourism industry event being held in Richmond.

TIABC has invited first-time/ non-sitting MP candidates from the four main national political parties to speak on their party’s position on tourism.

O n e y e a r a g o , A b o r i g i nal Tourism BC (ATBC) started Aboriginal Travel Services (ATS), a full-service Aboriginal-owned travel agency that, to date, has built relationships with more than 70 Aboriginal communities, businesses and operators throughout BC. ATS offers extensive knowledge of local, authentic Aboriginal experiences as well as a full range of booking a nd meeting a nd event planning services. As a social enterprise, ATS reinvests in the communities it serves by offering Tourism & Hospitality scholarships to Aboriginal youth and reinvesting in Aboriginal tourism development and seasonal internships.

REAL ESTATE

MAY 2015

11

Healthy April housing market boosts spring sales activity

S

ales in the VIREB coverage area rose once again in April, reflecting a buoyant spring housing market. A total of 450 single-family homes sold last month compared to 420 in March 2015, with yearover-year sales up 25 per cent. Inventory levels continue to decline, with active listings down 12 per cent from April 2014.

BCREA Chief Economist Cameron Muir stated that housing sales are up throughout British Columbia, most notably in the southern half of the province.

“We’re seeing above-average sales throughout British Columbia for the first time in many years,” said Muir. “Home buyers are taking advantage of low interest rates and returning to the housing market, which is excellent news for the provincial economy.”

VIREB President Jason Finlayson noted that lower inventory levels on Vancouver Island are translating into reduced options for buyers in some markets. Although active listings have not dropped enough to raise prices significantly, supply and demand are shifting, which could begin to place upward pressure on house prices. Vancouver Island is also seeing an influx of buyers from outside British Columbia, attracted by our housing affordability, available amenities, and mild climate.

“The Vancouver Island market continues to be very affordably priced for buyers in comparison to some of the larger urban markets across the country,” said Finlayson. “In terms of overall value for your dollar, our market is very attractive and it’s an excellent time to buy or sell a home.”

VIREB President Jason Finlayson noted that lower inventory levels on Vancouver Island are translating into reduced options for buyers in some markets Finlayson added that although our overall housing market remains in balanced territory, individual markets do vary, so it is best to consult a local REALTOR® for the most accurate pricing information.

In April 2015, the benchmark price for a single-family home in the VIREB coverage area was $328,500, up 3.41 per cent from 2014. Benchmark pricing tracks the value of a typical home in the reported area. The average price of a single-family home was $362,702 compared to $343,353 in April 2014, an increase of six per cent.

The April 2015 benchmark price of a single-family home in the Campbell River area was $273,100, up just under two per cent from April 2014. In the Comox Valley, the benchmark price was $324,200, up slightly over last year. Duncan reported a benchmark price of $294,000, an increase of 3.97 per cent over the same month in 2014. Nanaimo’s benchmark price rose 3.60 per cent to $347,500, while the Parksville-Qualicum area saw its benchmark price increase by 2.69 per cent to $357,100. The price for a benchmark home in Port Alberni was $188,900, virtually unchanged from this time last year.

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12

MAY 2015

HVAC COMPANY STRESSES COMFORT AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY 360 Comfort Systems offers a new showroom where people can see and experience the product

D

UNCAN - People in the Cowichan Valley who are looking for an energy efficient heating, air conditioning and ventilation system for their home or business, whether a new build or a renovation, now have the opportunity to “test drive” before they buy.

In September of last year, 360 Comfort Systems opened its new showroom on Canada Avenue.

“We noticed a need in the Cowichan Valley for a place to showcase these products,” said company president Reed Gary. “We have a lot of clients who are interested in the products we have, but it’s hard to get an idea of the size they are and what they sound like. It’s difficult to get a feel for the product without actually being able to see it, touch it and listen to it.” In the new showroom, people can actually experience how the systems perform.

“Most people aren’t overly concerned with what goes outside the house or what’s in the crawl space, but if it’s hanging on the living room wall, they’re very concerned.” And ductless systems are a feature, he said – and that was a big motive toward opening up the showroom.

The showroom is divided into two sides. One side features outdoor units from the smallest heat pump right up to units large enough to handle light commercial buildings. The second side of the showroom features indoor units.

One staging area showcases a ductless wall mounted head in a simulated living room area. The second area features a concealed ducted system with a cutaway view that allows the viewer to see how the unit is placed and how the ductwork is installed.

The third area has working units where people can actually try them out. A system with a remote

Reed Gary (far right) and his team are trained in all HVAC products control allows people to operate the automated louvers and run the unit up to full capacity.

“And people can see that they are extremely quiet,” Gary said, adding that the showroom has proved to be very popular.

“We felt it was something that could offer really good value to the customer and alleviate a lot of their concerns.”

Before opening the showroom, Gary worked out of his shop behind his residence. With experience in a production environment, Gary started working in the business in 2004 when he was offered a job in an HVAC company.

“I just fell in love with the business,” he said. “I really like dealing with the people. It gives me huge satisfaction to talk to a person, find out their needs, and then install a product for them and then see their reaction after the fact. I’ve had customers with tears in their eyes, telling me they’ve never felt so comfortable in the house until we put the system in.”

In fact, 360 Comfort Systems gets testimonials that are glowing reviews of the company, the products and the staff: “After purchasing a home in Cowichan Valley that needed much done to improve the efficiency of

360 Comfort Systems installed a welding fume extraction system for Vancouver Island University

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MAY 2015

“It gives me huge satisfaction to talk to a person, find out their needs, and then install a product for them and then see their reaction after the fact. I’ve had customers with tears in their eyes, telling me they’ve never felt

360 Comfort Systems recently opened its new showroom in Duncan

so comfortable in the house until we put the system in.”

REED GARY PRESIDENT, 360 COMFORT SYSTEMS

Reed Gary anticipates more growth for his company in the future

A retrofit heating system 360 Comfort Sytems did for a museum shows part of six heat pumps that replaced the old oil furnaces

heating it, and various other ventilation deficiencies in bathrooms, and the kitchen, we contacted 360 Comfort Systems. Reed Gary was able to deliver a variety of solutions to meet all of our needs within our budget, and his depth of knowledge on the products used, including a Daikin VRV split system, Venmar ventilator, and Navien hot water on demand, was excellent… The quality of work provided was high, he delivered on time, on budget, and stood behind the work and products used. We would highly recommend Reed to anyone needing quality work done.” – Ian and Pat Sharp “360 Comfort Systems...what I can say is that I really appreciated your prompt courteous service, expertise and the fact that you showed up when you said you would. You were easy to work with and the job was done correctly the first time. Thanks again. I can certainly recommend your company!” – Sieglinde “My wife and I value Reed and 360’s in depth knowledge and trouble shooting skills, we trust Reed and wouldn’t hesitate recommending 360 Comfort Systems to our friends and family.” – Peter and Sandi Griffiths Gary founded 360 Comfort Systems in late 2011; through recommendations it grew quickly. In the past year, business has really exploded. With a staff of eight, 360 is taking on more jobs and looking toward a future of continued growth. Gary noted that all his technicians are TECA certified

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and experts at what they do. The company specializes in Daikin manufactured ductless mini split heat pumps.

“My crew and I have done a lot of training both here and in the United States in order to be able to sell, install and service these products properly,” Gary said.

“Even for houses that don’t have adequate ductwork, these can still go in – and the cost of operation is incredibly low. They’re a rock solid product and they come with the best warranty on the market.

This is really our prime product.”

He added that with all HVAC products it sells, his team does a quality install every time and it backs its products.

“We make sure that the customer is 100 per cent satisfied at the end of the job. And we offer 0 per cent interest financing – and the warranty is really what sets us apart from the other ductless heat pump installers. We offer up to a 12-year warranty that includes labour as well.”

He said that the future is definitely about more growth – growth that builds on the company’s already enviable reputation. 360 Comfort Systems services an area that extends from Shawnigan Lake to Nanaimo and has even travelled farther afield in the past.

“I see a very bright future,” Gary said. “We’re very busy in the Cowichan Valley and we see nothing but more of the same.”

360 Comfort Systems is at 1059 Canada Avenue in Duncan. www.360comfortsystems.com

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14

MAY 2015

INVESTMENT

Financial planners provide risk management and retirement tools Financial planners stay with the client for the long term, working through the process of ensuring their dreams and goals are reached

BY BETH HENDRY-YIM

A

sk a small business owner what their greatest asset is and most will say their hom e, b u i ld i n g or ve h ic l e.

They’d be wrong! Their most valuable asset is their ability to make money. Take that away and the effect on the business can be catastrophic.

Jared Webb, President of the British Columbia Branch of Advocis, the National Financial Advisors Association of Canada, said if a small business owner (SBO) is the key person and unable to produce income there is a ripple effect on the business, lifestyle and future earnings.

“It can be illness or death, related or unrelated to work, but without the proper risk management tools in place, the owner may face complete dissolution of the business.”

A s a f i n a nci a l adv i sor for Fernhill Financial, Victoria, Webb works with small business owners to put strategies and tools in place that minimize interruption and disruption of cash flow and lifestyle by providing risk management tools.

“Specific insurance tools like living benefits, life insurance, disability and critical illness policies are invaluable and most well known. But they aren’t the only tools the financial advisor offers.”

Webb explained that in the case of a partnership, a buysell arrangement with insurance products removes the questions

“Helping owners plan with an end in mind. What do they want to achieve?

What are the steps needed to get there?”

TODD PETERS INVESTMENT PLANNING COUNSEL, KAMLOOPS

Todd Peters said that over the past twenty years the complexity of financial planning has increased CREDIT: TODD PETERS

and concerns around how the business gets bought out and who does the buying. And when the SBO isn’t the key person in the company, a product to insure that major player can save the employer from scrambling to fill the void and keep a steady income.

Sma l l busi ness ow ners a re experts in their field, working hard, being innovative and bringing valuable services to the public. With 98 per cent of

all businesses in BC classified as a small business with fewer than five employees, they make up a viable and integral part of the province’s economy. Unfortunately, many do not have a retirement or risk strategy plan in place.

“Statistically, the odds that an individual will use their household insurance in a given year is 1 in 1200, the chance of using auto insurance is 1 in 240, but the chance of an individual using

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INVESTMENT

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critical illness insurance or long term care insurance in a year is 1 in 3, and 1 in 2, respectively,” Webb said.

Todd Peters, of Investment Planning Counsel, with offices in Kamloops, Kelowna and Williams Lake said, “After being a certified financial planner for more than 20 years, I’ve seen an increase in the complexity of financial planning. The rules and regulations and government oversight have increased dramatically, all for the protection of the client.” But, as he reiterates, it can be intimidating, which is why making a financial planner part of your business team can save and make money.

Peters likens what he and his team do to coaching: helping with accountability, determining long and short term goals and creating and implementing a plan that makes sense within the client’s time horizon.

“We look at financial planning holistically,” Peters said.

“Helping owners plan with an end in mind. What do they want to achieve? What are the steps needed to get there?”

As a business develops and grows, begins to turn a profit and increases in value, protecti ng its assets becomes a priority, but nav igati ng the labyrinth of issues can be bewildering and time consuming.

Just as the business owner is an expert in his field, so is the financial planner in his.

Jared Webb works with small business owners to put strategies and tools in place to minimize risk

Mark Roberts said that financial security means having a guaranteed income for life CREDIT:MARK ROBERTS

CREDIT: JARED WEBB

“A certified financial planner requires a high level of education,” Peters said. “And then ongoing upgrades and continuing education hours,” adding that with an understanding of the business process and knowhow in managing the intricacies of a long-term plan, a financial planner can help steer the client through financial decisions, like whether to use tax free shelter growth over a registered retirement plan, drawing dividends over wages, and so on.

“I work with accountants and lawyers, but whereas they are concerned with the here and now, I look at the whole picture,

i nclud i ng prepa ri ng a n ex it strategy and succession plan.”

Most business owners hope for the day when they can enjoy the fruits of their hard labour.

After all, owning a company is supposed to pay off in the long run. But that means being clear on how and when you want to exit the business and what life looks like afterwards.

“Exiting a business isn’t always straight forward, “ Peters sa id. “Questions need to be asked: will the company be sold or dissolved? Is it going to be passed on to the kids, a key person, partner or stranger? Will you need to stay con nected

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C

OMOX - Investing in real estate may help buffer investors from the aggressive ups and downs of the stock market, but according to Richard DeLuca, partner in DeLuca Veale Investment Counsel, it isn’t for everyone to go it alone. That’s why the investment team of DeLuca and Jonathan Veale joined forces with real estate expert Jim Stewart, to create a locally managed portfolio.

RealStream Income Properties LP is the result: a trademarked, professionally managed portfolio of income producing real estate.

“We created the legal framework for syndication first,” DeLuca said.

“But it wasn’t until we met Jim Stewart that we were in a position to launch the portfolio.”

DeLuca is a commerce program graduate from the University of Victoria and is a designated Canadian investment manager. Veale is also a designated Canadian investment manager as well as a holder of the Chartered financial analyst

designation. Veale began his career in 1993 and DeLuca in 2001 and have a combined 36 years of experience as investment advisors.

Stewart, a real estate appraiser and former Vancouver Island deputy assessor left a 20-year position with BC Assessment to join DeLuca and Veale in operating RealStream.

In August 2014, RealStream acquired its first property in Campbell River. Timberline Village, a 30,000 square foot shopping centre anchored by Shoppers Drug Mart and TD Bank with Quinsam Medical Clinic and Fresh Dental as well as Papa Murphy’s Pizza, Subway and Taco Del Mar rounding out the lineup.

Recently, they added a high profile 10,000 square foot facility to the portfolio. This latest property is tenanted by Van Isle Veterinary Hospital, which has been serving North Island communities from this location for eight years.

“RealStream offers conservative investors a professionally-managed portfolio of income-producing real estate,” DeLuca said. He added that it pools funds from investors, which allows them to access the management team’s expertise and higher quality Vancouver Island income-producing properties.

“Jonathan, Jim Stewart and I

manage the general partnership on behalf of the limited partners, who are the investors,” he said. “The general partners are in charge of the day to day operations, including making good decisions on behalf of the limited partners.”

The target of RealStream is to provide its investors with a seven to nine per cent rate of return from property that is fully developed, has long-term leases, high occupancy, quality tenants and a steady stream of income.

“Many of our clients need to generate cash flow and not knowing how long interest rates will stay depressed, we needed another class of asset to achieve a respectable rate of return,” DeLuca said. “RealStream allows investors to enjoy the benefit of owning real estate without the responsibilities of managing it.”

Investors in RealStream can elect to receive cash distributions as a source of income or they can choose to reinvest the distributions back into the fund and buy more units.

The minimum investment was originally $100,000, but DeLuca said they have lowered the minimum for clients who hold other investments with the firm.

DeLuca Veale Investment Counsel is at 1829 Beaufort Avenue Harbour Centre in Comox. www.delucaveale.com

du ri ng a tra i n i ng phase a nd how long will that last? Is it a ‘clean’ business with no personal assets attached or will it need to be purged before the sale? These are all questions a financial planner can walk an SBO through, taking into consideration tax implications and long term personal cash flow.”

Mark Roberts, Certified Financial Planner and Director of Business Development for the Nanaimo office of Freedom 55 Financial, a division of London Life, said “When we look at the landscape of the financial industry today, a lot of information is available, but there still exists a problem with financial literacy.”

He added that statistics show when businesses, individuals and families take the time to sit down with a financial planner, they achieve greater financial security and are able to retire earlier.

But every person is d i fferent. Age and the individual’s time horizon influence investment allocation, so too the risk tolerance.

“The population is living a lot longer, meaning there’s more risk of health issues,” Roberts said. “Financial security means having a guaranteed income for life. You don’t want to outlive your money.”

Roberts said he looks at four areas of an individual’s financial plan: liquidity, or access to cash; when retirement will be

15 and what it will look like; financial security at death; and living benefits should you be unable to work due to illness or injury.

Products can include: annuities that offer guaranteed income, segregated funds with the performance potential of a mutual fund tied to the security of an insurance product, mutual funds which are professionally managed investments with each one fitting individual needs and values and living benefits insurance policies.

“A financial security planner helps you work through the different financial life stages, helping you adapt to changes and staying focused on your goals.

There is tangible value in financial advice,” Roberts said.

When looking for a financial planner, Peters stressed getting referrals from friends and family who have experienced a positive and successful relationship.

Webb encouraged interviewing several different professionals, while Roberts suggested working with a financial advisor who makes the planning process less bewildering.

“Owning a business is a dream while you own it,” said Peters.

“It’s not the complete dream though; when you retire it may change.” He added that a financial advisor stays with the client for the long term, working through the process of ensuring those dreams and goals are reached.

Introducing

RealStream’s Newest Real Estate Acquisition TM

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16

VIREB WRAP UP

MAY 2015

COMMERCIAL BUILDING AWARD | PAGE 20 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

the Busi ness Development B a n k of Ca n a d a , Ca n a d i a n Western Bank, DTZ Barnicke, R BC Roya l Ba n k, M N P L L P, a nd t he Na n a i mo E c onomic Development Corporation, InvestComox Va lley a nd the Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA). Business Exa m i ner Va ncouver Isla nd coordinated the event.

“Once again it was an excellent event that showcases the best new commercial projects on Va ncouver Isl a nd,” says Derek Constantino, who chaired the event, and co-emceed with Dave Hammond. “The VIREB Commercial Building Awards in its 8th year has become a showcase event.”

The state-of-the-art Broadstreet-Seymour Pacific building enhances the downtown core of Campbell River and can be viewed as an inspiring model for future downtown development. Innovative design with extensive use of glass brings a big city feel to our community.

Green space, natural timbers a n d w a te r f a l l fe a t u re s e nhance the exterior of this West Coast building, and the interior boasts open workspaces with an abundance of natural light.

“It is such a privilege to be able to come to work every day in such an amazing building,”

Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) was the Award of Excellence recipient for Community Instituational-Renovation. Pictured from left to right: Judy Moore, VIRL; Elisa Balderson, VIRL; Paul Hammond, Low Hammond Rowe Architects; Rosemary Bonanno, VIRL; Bruce Jolliffe, Chair, VIRL Board of Trustees; Lee Lively, VIRL; Stephen R. Warren, VIRL and Harold Kamikawaji, VIRL Raleigh adds. “The open work spaces and natural light brings so much positive energy.”

By category, the Excellence Award winners were: Community Institutional: Uplands Walk Supportive Housing

building in Nanaimo.

Community Institutional – Renovation: Vancouver Island Regional Library, Nanaimo.

Multi-Family: Berwick by the Sea, Campbell River.

Retail: Island Optimal Health/

Moksha Yoga, Nanaimo.

Commercial Renovation: Real Estate Webmasters, Nanaimo.

I ndust ria l: McGregor & T h o m p s o n H a rd w a re L td ., Nanaimo.

Industrial Renovation: Trojan

Collision Centre, Nanaimo.

Community Recreational: Comox Valley Child Development, Courtenay.

Hospitality: Qualicum Beach SEE COMMERCIAL BUILDING AWARD | PAGE 20

Get the Power.

With connections in more than 85 countries worldwide put the power of the RE/MAX brand to work for your commercial, industrial, agricultural, investment or international real estate needs.

To view commercial properties or find a RE/MAX Commercial practitioner near you, visit commercial.remax-western.ca

Each office is independently owned and operated.

VIREB WRAP UP

MAY 2015

Real Estate Webmasters building at 223 Commercial won the Commercial Renovation Award of Excellence which was presented by Joel Scobie of Coastal Community Credit Union

17

Proud recipient of the 2015 VIREB Commercial Building Award At Berwick by the Sea, you will enjoy an unparalleled standard of living at a superior value. Berwick by the Sea oīers all the comforts of home with the ameni es and hospitality you come to expect from resort style living.

Come tour our award winning re rement community.

Proud to be BC Owned & Operated.

Find out more about The Berwick Way. Ask our Senior Living Experts today.

Visit BerwickRe rement.com Trojan Collision owners, Brenda Houle, daughter Desiree Houle and Emile Houle winners of the Industrial Renovation Award

RBC OFFERS REAL ESTATE FOCUSED ADVICE

C

ongratulations to all nominees and winners of this year’s VIREB Commercial Building Awards.

RBC Royal Bank is proud to honour all those who were nominated for making a difference in their industry and communities.

At RBC our focus is to have the best client relationships in the market, offering the right financial advice and capabilities to enhance our clients’ success.

RBC strives to support real estate development on Vancouver Island, regardless of the size of the construction project. With Commercial Account Managers in communities throughout Vancouver Island, RBC has local experts that are well connected and active in supporting new development.

Ron Sawyer, a Senior Commercial Account Manager located in Nanaimo, brings a unique passion to financing real extate construction and is actively involved in supporting the industry. Ron’s 30 years of experience in financial services, combined with active participation in the Vancouver Island Home Builders Association and Vancouver Island Construction Association, enables him to provide personalized advice and financial solutions to the many businesses that he works with.

Ron has worked closely with a broad range of business clients, and can appreciate the challenges they may face.

With access to a wealth of resources, Ron connects clients to RBC specialists in leasing, cash management, and commercial mortgages, to find the right customized solutions.

Ron has become a well known financial partner for all businesses connected to real estate in the central and north area of Vancouver Island. He is dedicated to putting his clients first, earning their trust, and helping them achieve their goals.

Ron is available to meet in person or by phone, at his clients’ convenience.

Specialized financial advice to help your Real Estate business succeed.

With account managers focused on the Real Estate industry, we are committed to providing effective financial advice and solutions to meet your needs.

To start a conversation, visit rbcroyalbank.com/commercial or contact your local RBC Real Estate specialist today.

Ron Sawyer — Real Estate Specialist Telephone: 250-741-3515 ron.sawyer@rbc.com

® / ™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. RBC and Royal Bank are registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada.

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4/16/15 12:37 PM

18

VIREB WRAP UP

MAY 2015

BDC: ENTREPRENEURS FIRST

T ÉÛ ÝÑÒÙÎßÌËÔßÌÛ ßÔÔ ÌØÛ ÒÑÓ×ÒÛÛÍ ßÒÜ É×ÒÒÛÎÍ ÚÑÎ ÌØÛ×Î ÑËÌÍÌßÒÜ×ÒÙ ÝÑÒÌÎ×ÞËÌ×ÑÒÍ ßÒÜ ßÝØ×ÛÊÛÓÛÒÌÍò

Ò¿²¿·³± Þ«­·²»­­ Ý»²¬®» Ö±¸¿²² Ê¿² λ²­¾«®¹ Þ«­·²»­­ Ý»²¬®» Ó¿²¿¹»® îëð óíçð óëéëì

ÞÜÝ ×Í ÌØÛ ÑÒÔÇ ÞßÒÕ ÜÛÜ×ÝßÌÛÜ ÛÈÝÔËÍ×ÊÛÔÇ ÌÑ ÛÒÌÎÛÐÎÛÒÛËÎÍò

he Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) puts entrepreneurs first. We are the only bank dedicated exclusively to entrepreneurs and have been helping build strong, profitable companies for 70 years.

With almost 2,000 employees and more than 100 business centres across the country, we offer loans, consulting services, growth and business transition capital, securitization, as well as venture capital to more than 30,000 small and mediumsized companies. Their success is vital to Canada’s economic prosperity.

A different kind of bank At BDC, we understand that a business is more than dollars and cents.

This is why we look at it as a whole, including its potential for growth and the owner’s vision for the future.

BDC offers business loans designed to protect cash flow and help entrepreneurs grow their businesses over the long-term. We lend money to purchase commercial real estate, buy new or used equipment, invest in technology and a variety of other business needs.

We do this by complementing the role played by private-sector financial institutions and we work in partnership with them to find the best solution for each business.

Through our subsidiary—BDC Capital, we offer a full spectrum of specialized financing, including venture capital, equity as well as growth and business transition capital.

Entrepreneurs need more than financing. They also need specialized

BDC offers business loans designed to protect cash flow and help entrepreneurs grow their businesses over the long-term

advice, adapted to their unique needs.

This is why we offer consulting services to help business owners accelerate growth, improve productivity and build organizational capabilities.

Our experienced consultants advise entrepreneurs in key business areas including financial planning, human resources, market development, technology, business transition, global expansion, operational efficiency and innovation.

At BDC, we believe that ambitious and innovative entrepreneurs are the engine of our economy and it is our role, as Canada’s development bank, to help them succeed.

COASTAL COMMUNITY – TOGETHER, LET’S DO GREAT THINGS!

C If you are a business owner looking to purchase, manage or grow a business, or you are looking to start your own business, let’s talk. We offer a full range of banking, borrowing, investing and insurance products and services. Our experts will work closely with you to find the best solution for your business.

Visit us at any location, online at cccu.ca or call 1.888.741.1010.

CREDIT UNION | INSURANCE | INVESTMENTS | BUSINESS SERVICES

oastal Community Credit Union is the largest financial services organi zation based on Va ncouver Island and the Gulf Islands—a position held since 2005. As the 8 th largest credit union in BC, Coastal Community also has more than 20 branches, 15 insurance locations and three business service centres.

Past recipient of the Corporate Responsibility Award for the Vancouver Island region a nd a 2015 Top E mployer i n BC, Coastal Community was the first to bring cutting-edge I nteract ive Tel ler M ach i ne technology to the Island. Our experts offer caring and helpful service integrated across our business lines to meet the financial and protection needs of those we serve.

As an islands-based organization, we are proud to deliver financial solutions that go beyond the traditional, and draw upon our helpful, integrated approach that is unique to us.

We a r e p a s s i o n a t e a b o u t building stronger relationships w it h ou r memb ers, cl ients, employees and communities to improve financial health, enrich people’s lives and build he a lt h ier c om mu n it ie s. To

learn more about Coastal Community, please visit cccu.ca.

On beha l f of everyone at Coasta l Com mu n ity - Cong ratu lations to a l l of the Nominees!

VIREB WRAP UP

MAY 2015

Recognition Goes Beyond Nominees for VIREB Commercial Building Awards

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othing makes business profession a l s h appier than seeing their clients r ise to t he top. T h is is especially true for MNP’s R e a l E s t a t e a n d C o nstruction Services team, who had the opportunity to congratulate several of t hei r cl ients at t h i s year’s VIR EB Commercial Building Awards.

“I c a n’t help but feel proud to see ideas that sta rted i n a meeti ng room come to f r u it ion l i k e t h i s ,” s a i d D o u g Tyce, CPA, CA, M N P’s Leader in Real Estate & Constr uction Ser v ices for Va nc ouver I s l a nd .

B e i n g i n vol v e d i n t h e event i s a lways a huge honour for Tyce and his tea m, especi a l ly si nce they know the recognition extends far beyond the awa rd nom i nees themselves.

“We’ve had the chance to work with several of t he se proje cts’ s ta keholders over the last few years, and it’s given us a huge a mou nt of perspect ive i nto how

Doug Tyce interconnected our business community is here on Va ncouver Isla nd,” ex pla i ns T yce. “T hese awards belong to all the parties involved – from the business owners all the way to the sub-trade contractors who helped t u r n t he i n it i a l v i sion into a reality.”

As a veteran business advisor and partner with MNP, Tyce knows what it takes to develop award winning commercial development projects from

t h e g ro u n d u p. “S u ccess in th is industry is h e a v i ly d e p e n d e n t o n t he st rateg ic pla n n i ng we do w ith these businesses f rom d ay one.

Determining how to effectively structure and f i n a nce t hese k i nd s of proje c t s a re of te n t h e biggest challenges, and that’s where we excel.”

D e s pite b ei n g one of the la rgest a nd fastest g row i ng accou nti ng and business consulting f i r m s i n Ca nad a, T yce is adamant that M NP’s focus rem a i ns loca l.

From assisti ng ow ners in gaining financing and investment, to optimizing tax strategies for long term growth, to planning for business succession when the time is right, M N P ’s Va n c o u v e r I sland team is dedicated to helping businesses capitalize on opportunities and realize their goals.

To l e a r n m o re a b o u t wh at m a ke s M N P d i fferent, contact Doug T yce, CPA, CA at 250734-4368 or doug.tyce@ mnp.ca.

19

MID ISLAND CO-OP

Mid Island Co-op Oceanside Gas Bar Thank you to the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board & the Vancouver Island Construction Association for the 2015 Commercial Building Award of Excellence.

Mid Island Co-op would also like to thank the General Contractor DOL Construction, Architect and Design

by Dialog Design and Federated Co-op and all the local trades & contractors that helped make this a success.

“For All Your Petroleum & Convenience Store Needs” MID ISLAND CO-OP T: 250.729.8400 F: 250.729.8426 103 - 2517 Bowen Road, Nanaimo, BC V9T 3L2 www.midisland.coop

EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNER

FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED FOR OVER 30 YEARS

INDUSTRIAL RENOVATION

ICBC accredited Express Repair shop

Complete repairs & refinishing on both foreign & domestic cars, trucks & SUV’s Minor & major auto body repair work • Full frame and uni-body repairs Accident-related mechanical work • Hybrid vehicle repairs

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS AND FINALISTS! 3601 Shenton Road, Nanaimo, BC V9T 2H1 • 250-756-1266 • Open Monday-Friday 8am-5pm • www.trojancollision.com

VIREB WRAP UP

20

MAY 2015

COMMERCIAL BUILDING AWARD | PAGE 22 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

Inn, Qualicum Beach.

M i x e d Us e: C o-o p P a rk sville Gas Bar, Parksville.

Mer it Awa rd s (r u n ner-up) went to: Com mu n ity I nst itut iona l: DFO Sea rch & Rescue, Por t Hardy; K’omoks First Nation Ad m i n ist rat ion Bu i ld i ng of Courtenay.

O f f ice: M i l l stone Med ic a l Centre, Nanaimo; Portsmouth

Parksville Gas Bar Co-op won in the Mixed Use category. Left, Ian Anderson receiving the award from Robynn Quinn of Vancouver Island Construction Association, category sponsor

Lorraine Aitken of the Comox Valley Child Development Sensory Room receiving the Award of Excellence for Community Recreational from Josh Higgins of Invest Northwest Publishing Ltd

Congratulationstotoall all the 2014 Congratulations 2015Vancouver Vancouver Island IslandBuilding Building Awards Nominees!

Nominees!

Colliers International Mid Island is proud to once again be a gold sponsor of this event highlighting the best in commercial building throughout the Mid Island.

Colliers International’s commercial real estate professionals are committed to accelerating your success. With 480 offices in 62 countries, we work in partnership with our clients to deliver commercial real estate services with exceptional results. We are a full-service commercial real estate firm servicing the Mid Island and qualified to provide services including brokerage, consulting, real estate management, and research. We add value through our specialization, service excellence, and local expertise within a global platform.

Colliers International Mid Island Brokerage Platform includes: > Investment Sales > Retail Sales & Leasing > Office Sales & Leasing > Industrial Sales & Leasing DAVE GANONG Managing Director Vancouver Island

JASON WINTON Vice President & Managing Broker Mid Vancouver Island

> Land Sales and Development Sites > Tenant Representation > Apartment Sales

In addition, we offer the following Real Estate Management and Valuation Services: > Property Management > Appraisal > Commercial Financing

BRAD BAILEY BRAD ARCHIBALD Associate Vice Associate Broker Mid Vancouver Island President Mid Vancouver Island

COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL 335 Wesley Street, Suite 105 Nanaimo, BC V9R 2T5 MAIN +1 250 740 1060 FAX +1 250 740 1067 www.collierscanada.com

Tanya Hannen of BDC presented the Award of Excellence in Hospitality to Noel Hayward of Qualicum Beach Inn Professional Centre, Nanaimo.

Multi-Family: Oak Manor of Campbell River.

Reta il: Oyster Bay Quay of Ladysmith.

Com mercia l Renovation: C o m m u n i t y Fa r m S to re o f Duncan.

Industrial: Port Posh Wash of Port Alberni.

Industrial Renovation: Tilray of Nanaimo.

Com mu n ity Recreat ion a l: Alberni Athletic Hall of Port Alberni.

H o s p i t a l i t y : M c D o n a l d ’s Bowen Road of Nanaimo.

Mixed Use: Hilltop Professional Building of Duncan.

Real Estate Webmasters at 223 Commercial Street in downtow n Na na i mo won t he E xcellence Award in Commercial Renovation. Ow ner Morga n Carey lauded the efforts ofGeneral Contractor R B (Bob) Wall Ltd. and sub-trades at the event.

T he project took a h istoric landmark building and totally renovated it, adding a third storey to the top a nd a l l the time, keeping the facing of the character streetscape. It features a rooftop patio with harbour views, and includes a top end, new restau ra nt called Brewsters. “ We a r e t h r i l l e d t o h a v e o u r w o r k e d a c k n o w l e d ge d b y t h e V I R E B C o m m e rc i a l Bu i ld i ng Awa rds prog ra m,” says Donna Hais of RW (Bob) Wa l l L t d . “ T h i s a w a r d i f valued by our dedicated team of tradespeople, who appreciate being acknowledged for their fine workmanship and dedication to the project.”

McGregor & Thompson Hardware Ltd. was the Excellence Award winner in the Industrial category. General Contractor for the project was Island West Coast Developments Ltd. “Our design team should be ver y proud, a long w it h ou r d e s i g n d e v e l o p m e n t m a nager Jordan Almond, who did SEE COMMERCIAL BUILDING AWARD | PAGE 22

VIREB WRAP UP

MAY 2015

21

Congratulations to all the Vancouver Island Building Awards Nominees!

DTZ Nanaimo Real Estate is proud to be Central Vancouver Island’s most comprehensive commercial real estate brokerage.

DTZ’s presence is strategically placed all over the world.

We are committed to serving the changing and individual needs of our clients, current and future.

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CONSULTING LEASING SALES Trojan Collision was Excellence Award winner in the Industrial Renovation Category, receiving the award is Desiree Houle. The award was presented by Ian Lindsay of Remax Commercial, event sponsor

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2015 AWARD RECIPIENTS! The voice of the construccon industry

LEADERSHIP SERVICE REPRESENTATION vicabc.ca

800 769 5757

DTZnanaimo.com

22

VIREB WRAP UP

MAY 2015

William Bomhof, VP of construction for Berwick by the Sea, receiving the Award of Excellence in Multi Family from Doug Tyce of MNP, award sponsor

Sublime scenery may be the biggest draw for newcomers to Nanaimo, but pair it with affordability and you have a match made in heaven. Whether a first time buyer or seasoned investor Nanaimo has the inventory to appeal to any tastes and pocket book, from high end waterfront property to comfortable family homes.

Kristen Butler of Island Optimal Health and Moksha Yoga, winner of the Award of Excellence in Retail and Randall Taylor of DTZ, sponsor of the award

COMMERCIAL BUILDING AWARD | PAGE 22 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

www.investnanaimo.com

a f a n t a s t i c jo b a t te n d i n g to a l l of our customers’ expectations,” says Greg Constable of Island West Coast Developments.

Berwick by the Sea in Campbell River topped the Multi-Family category.

Berwick by the Sea is a unique retirement community providing full services specifically tailored to the community that it is built in, understanding the history and the culture provides for a special place to call home. This facility offers seniors living options, including independent living and assisted living, and is designed as a six-storey wood framebuilding which is situated along the Campbell River downtown waterfront.

The team of independent judges for the event based their decisions on the following criteria: Does it complement the surrounding properties and area? Is it esthetically pleasing? Are there unique architectural features? What is the level of finish (choice in construction materials)? Does it answer a specific development need within the community? Does

Ken Newcombe of McGergor Thompson receiving the Award of Excellence in the Industrial category from Jason Winton of Colliers, award sponsor it contribute to a healthy, sustainable community? Does it have any environmentally friendly or green elements for possible consideration?

The official Souvenir book listing all the winners and projects is available at http://issuu.com/markmacdonald7/ docs/vireb_2015_book_a

MERIT AWARD INDUSTRIAL

4508 Gertrude St. Port Alberni, BC • 778-421-5570

7 Days/Week

8 Self Serve Bays • 2 Automatics • Soft Touch & Touchless 11 Wash Options • Vacuums & Carpet Extraction

VIREB WRAP UP

MAY 2015

23

STRONG INDUSTRY EXPERTISE “At Canadian Western Bank our focus has always been to build solid relationships with our clients by offering great service and reliable knowledge. Canadian Western Bank has been a constant lender in real estate development and has provided strong industry expertise in this field. Being Western based we understand the western economy. Our turn-around time is among the fastest in the banking industry, supported by local decision-making, which best serves the client.

This philosophy allows us to maintain the values of honesty, openness and respect upon which we were built.

In addition to a full array of traditional personal banking services, CWB specializes in commercial financing, commercial real estate and construction financing, equipment financing and leasing, and energy lending.

Our account managers recognize the busy corporate world and are available to meet with clients at their place of business.

With no voice mail or call centres your call will be answered at the branch office.

We would be delighted to give a no cost, second opinion on your banking needs.

Left, Anton Nikl and Morgan Carey of Real Estate Webmasters along with Donna Hais and Bob Wall of RW Wall Contracting winners of the Award of Excellence in Commercial Renovation

Canadian Western Bank Nanaimo 101-6475 Metral Drive Ph. 250-390-0088 Courtenay 470 Puntledge Road Ph. 250-334-8888 www.theworkingbank.ca Member CDIC

Full service personal & business banking

Courtenay commercial team: Jean-Marc Jaquier and Bill Girard

Nanaimo commercial team: Kevin Wilson, Roy McNair, Jeremy Jones and Mark Marcil

Mortgages • Investments • Accounts • Loans Whether you have personal or business banking needs, Canadian Western Bank offers competitive rates and personal service you won’t find anywhere else. Drop by our branch, meet our staff and learn how we work hard to be efficient, down-to-earth and responsive in everything we do.

Courtenay branch / 470 Puntledge Road / P: 250.334.8888 Nanaimo branch / 6475 Metral Drive / P: 250.860.0088 cwbank.com A CWB Group Company

24

MAY 2015

WENNER ELECTRIC CELEBRATES 70 YEARS ON VANCOUVER ISLAND “We saw the demand for Different skillset of Wenner family helps company grow

N

electrical installations and integrated monitoring systems increasing, so

ANAIMO - Since 1945, when Orville Wenner flipped his first switch, his company has been keeping the lights burning bright on Vancouver Island. Seventy years later, his sons and grandson continue to build on that legacy with a clear vision of the future and a strong connection to their founder’s core values of service and reliability.

Wenner came to Nanaimo with a skill set honed by the war. As a marine electrician working on different types of ships, Wenner brought a valued tradecraft to a growing island community.

Success led him to create Wenner Electric.

Fou r son s a nd a g ra nd son have taken over Orville’s legacy, with Ken and Norm acting as CEO and director and Ryan, the 28-year-old grandson, taking the reins as chief operating officer.

“Each of us has a d ifferent skill set and focus within the business,” Ryan said. “As a collective it helps us move forward with growing each part of the company.”

He added that his knowledge and enjoyment in building the busi ness helps w ith genera l operations and client care, but being a journeyman electrician with specialized technical skills gives him an edge on site, with installations.

It doesn’t hurt that Wenner has the same work ethic and dedication to the company as his grandfather. At 18 he joined the business by starting at the bottom, sorting screws. From t here he attended Camosun College in Victoria and became an electrical apprentice working with his father and uncles.

Within 10 years he had worked h is way to ma nagement a nd has found his niche in business

creating the group of companies was a natural progression,” RYAN WENNER CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, WENNER GROUP OF COMPANIES

Orville Wenner’s two sons and grandson each bring a different skill set and focus to the business CREDIT: RYAN WENNER

development.

“Since my grandfather first sta r ted the compa ny, we’ve added two more components,” Wenner said. “Wenner Group of Companies is now the umbrella for Wenner Electric, Wenner Sound and Vision and Wenner Security.”

Both home security and automation services have seen major gains in popularity, especially with high-end estate properties and homes where the owners travel. Wenner said a fully automated home allows the homeowner to control all systems within the house remotely.

“They just logon from their tablet or phone, from anywhere in the world. They can check su r vei l l a nce v ideo, cont rol lighting and temperature, set alarms or open and close window coverings.”

For commercial and industria l faci l ities, secu rity a nd surveillance and access control systems have become standard requirements. “ Wen ner Secu r ity h a s i nstalled systems in homes, off ice bu i ld i ngs, st r ip m a l l s, industrial facilities and other

com merci a l appl icat ion s, ” Wenner said, adding that in keeping with its complete care philosophy, the company also provides home and business monitoring with 24 hour service and six redundant stations across Canada that are accessible through cellular or internet monitoring.

One of the keys to the Wenner Group of Companies’ success is its ability to adapt and expand its knowledge base. Flexibility and keeping tabs on current market wants and needs is vital to ongoing success. So is rem a i n i ng up-to-d ate on the latest technologies and installation protocols. Acting on both keeps the company true to the principles Orville followed seventy years ago: that of providing superior workmanship, reliability and customer satisfaction.

Keeping careful tabs on the market and anticipating future trends allowed the company to earn a strong position in a specialized field. “ We s a w t h e d e m a n d f o r electrical installations and integrated monitoring systems

Congratulations on your “Congratulations on 70 Years & 3 Generations of success!”

102 - 4430 Chatterton Way, Victoria, BC V8X 5J2 T: 250.744.3543 F: 250.744.3546 E: admin@wisemanco.ca

Congratulations Wenner Electric on your 70th year in business!

70 year anniversary.

i ncre a si n g, so cre at i n g t he group of companies was a natural progression,” Ken said.

Whether it’s running a cable, building a home theatre, monitoring an alarm panel or ins t a l l i n g re m o te c o n t rol l e d blinds, providing a complete a nd comprehen sive ser v ice creates an environment where clients’ needs are better heard and addressed.

Rya n added t h at t he company’s expertise and experience in these types of installations allows it to provide seamless installations from beginning to end.

“K nowing you have a credible and professional service working on your electrical from putting in lights to installing a security system, gives clients peace of mind that their business, homes and family, are safe and protected.”

Though the company is family run, Norm stressed that building a successful business is a team effort that includes all their staff, some of whom have been with the company for more than 10 years.

He said that each staff member plays a vital role in the company’s success, whether they are answering phones, setting up a monitoring system or installing automation systems in a yacht. They work together as a team.

“We teach, support and rely on each other for all aspects of every job. The goal of doing the very best by our customers is central to every job.”

If time were the ultimate judge of a job well done, then Orville, who passed away more than 30 years ago, would be proud. His boys have demonstrated that success can be handed down and shared and that core values passed from father to son to grandson leave the most powerful and brightly lit legacy.

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MAY 2015

ABLE RECOGNITION: MUCH MORE THAN A TROPHY STORE “We have done awards As a technology leader, store does business around the world

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ANAIMO - Almost everyone i n Na na i mo knows about Able Trophies, now renamed Able Recognition Ltd. The store has been a fixture on Bowen Road since 1975.

In fact, most people still think it’s the local shop where they can walk in and order nametags for an office event or trophies for a little league game. But what most people don’t know is that the technology in the back of the business allows it to be a global leader in corporate recognition.

In 2002, the new owner, Bruce Munro, took the business to the next level by being one of the first companies of its kind to offer crystal awards online. In 2012, the physical transformation started and has not stopped since. With a new building storefront completed and ongoing renovations to the showroom, Able is tackling the addition of a new larger space off the back to make room for more heights it is about to scale.

“And the next thing you know, we were doing all these corporate awards all over North America, because when you’re online, it’s a small world,” said vice president of sales and marketing Greg Trudelle, who was brought on in 2012 to help launch the company’s promotional products division. Able Recognition is able to source over one million branded logoed products and apparel. “Pretty much anything you want to put your logo on, we can access,” Trudelle said.

Close to 70 per cent of Able Recognition’s award business is on the East Coast of the United States with Fortune 500 companies. The company handles all the retirement awards for NASA. It just completed an order for promotional products for McDonald’s University. It has created

and projects for celebrities, political and religious leaders, professional sports teams and even kings and queens around the world.”

GREG TRUDELLE VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES AND MARKETING, ABLE RECOGNITION LTD.

awards for presidents and stars like Bono.

“It’s quite exciting,” Trudelle said. “Some of the requests we get are very interesting. We have done awards and projects for celebrities, political and religious leaders, professional sports teams and even kings and queens around the world.” He noted that he answered the phone one day to a caller who identified himself as representing Homeland Security.

After Trudelle’s first shocked internal response of “What have we done?” he helped the new client select an award.

“Some of our projects are very interesting,” he said. “And it’s great to work with all these different people.” He added that it’s still just as important to serve local clients.

“Obviously it’s nice to namedrop, but our bread and butter are the smaller to medium sized clients. They’re loyal; we let

Proud to be the accountants for Able Recognition

Bradley & Jacoby Certified General Accountants

250-370-2191 www.bradleyandjacoby.biz

Greg Trudelle says that Able’s investment in technology has allowed it to source and deliver product around the world them know we are here to help and that we are an extension of their marketing department or HR department. Nowadays, it’s so important to make sure that you’re recognizing your employees. If you’re not creating that kind of reward culture in your organization, you’re just going to end up losing your employees.”

Able Recognition also works with non-profit organizations, many of whom are struggling to retain sponsors in a market where they are competing for the same charity dollar. Recognition of sponsors and volunteers is essential, Trudelle said.

He also noted that Able Recognition can save a company time and money. He cited one example where a local company with 13 branches tasked a manager in each branch with looking after promotional products and apparel, often with less than desirable results.

“We can make sure that they are protecting their brand and making correct decisions. By letting us handle all 13 of their locations, they now have brand standards that are maintained, they’re getting consistent product and they have lower pricing because of their volume discount.”

For Able Recognition, being near or at the top of the Google

Able Recognition was one of the first companies of its kind to offer crystal awards online

The team at Able Recognition – serve local businesses on Vancouver Island and around the world search engine drives business, but more important, Trudelle said, is to keep that business. The company does that by building relationships and being much more than just an order taker.

Staff members have a conversation with the client to make sure they’re getting it right and that the award fits into the culture.

“We’re the experts in our field,” Trudelle said. “We’re the ones who should be making the recommendations and guiding our clients on how to motivate, how to reward and how to brand. If we’re not doing that, we’re not going to get a repeat client.”

Happily for Able Recognition, it does have many, many repeat clients – and the number of new

clients is poised to grow. With Google now giving priority to companies with mobile friendly websites, Able Recognition has launched its new “responsive” website for awards and is poised to roll out new websites for promotional products in the US and Canada “Some people still think of us as the local little trophy store,” Trudelle said. “But in reality, our investment in technology has allowed us to source and deliver product around the world. The projects we take on are just unbelievable. There’s something new and fun every day.”

Able Recognition Ltd. is at 1609 Bowen Road in Nanaimo. www.ablerecognition.com

26

MAY 2015

ESC AUTOMATION IS A LEADER IN BUILDING AUTOMATION “We’re the top of our field.

Most of our technicians

Company is well established on Vancouver Island

can do anything on a control system – they can

N

ANAIMO - For more than thirty years in Canada and 25 years on Vancouver Island, ESC Automation has worked to establish itself as the premier building automation and energy management company serving British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Washington, Oregon and, most recently, New Jersey. ESC Automation is a service-based company that serves its customers from project conception to completion. It installs HVAC controls, lighting controls, security-access and CCTV systems.

ESC Automation has grown tremendously since its incorporation in 1980. Today it boasts seven branches in Canada and the United States with more than 450 employees. It began working on Vancouver Island in 1990 and opened a branch office in Nanaimo in 2007 to service an area stretching from Mill Bay to Port Hardy.

“We have a very well established market area on the island,” said branch manager Mike Seselja.

“We work closely with many local mechanical and general contractors. We have a huge base in both government facilities and private facilities.” He added that along

wire it, design it, program it and demo it.”

MIKE SESELJA BRANCH MANAGER, ESC AUTOMATION

with building controls, ESC also recently created process controls working with the company that built the tunnel for the Cambie Street Skytrain in Vancouver.

The controls were used to cure the concrete on Vancouver Island and shipped to Vancouver.

ESC Automation’s main competitors are global companies like Honeywell. Siemens and Johnson Controls. If ESC has an edge, it is attributed to its partnership with Delta Controls Inc. ESC Automation is the oldest partner of Delta Controls, a leading independent BACnet manufacturer of DDC building automation products and software, with over 300 distributors in over 80 countries.

Through Delta’s adoption of the BACnet protocol, ESC Automation can integrate an entire facility’s HVAC, lighting and access controls, and closed circuit television (CCTV)

Mike Seselja (Branch Manager) and Gord Brown (Project Management/Sales) have a combined experience of 48 years with ESC Automation into one single building management system. An entire building can be monitored and controlled through a single user friendly, webbased interface, giving a company full control of its facility from any workstation in the office or from any remote location in real time.

Seselja said there are benefits to having a direct relationship with the product manufacturer: if projects call for special requirements and something needs to be tweaked or modified the Delta Controls research and development team is readily available to create the product needed to solve the problem. He noted that on a world scale, Delta Controls probably ranks fifth as a manufacturer of building automation equipment.

“ESC & Delta Controls has the largest DDC control footprint on the island, “ he said, noting that the company also does service work including mechanical HVAC systems and refrigeration work.

“We’re the top of our field,” he said. “Most of our technicians can do anything on a control system – they can wire it, design it, program it and demo it. A lot of companies have to subcontract their wiring and they have a different person to do the graphics or programming.

We’ve trained our people to be able to do everything.”

Seselja pointed out that the control system is the brains of a building. Many school districts have used ESC Automation exclusively because they like the product, they

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like working with a local company, and they like the savings in money and energy.

“The reason they put these systems in is to maintain the quality of the environment of the building and to save energy,” Seselja said.

“The environment is a big thing. If people are healthier in your building, fewer have health issues and they’re more productive.”

The philosophy of ESC Automation centres on the idea of “doing it right.” Seselja said that the company believes in giving its clients trouble-free installation. Service and maintenance are also top priorities, partly because automation systems have become so sophisticated and widespread, and partly because the budgets for maintenance staff in public and private facilities are increasingly strained.

Thankfully, today’s building m a n agement system s m a ke it easier to manage sites. ESC installs Delta’s enteliWEB building operating systems, which allows the system to be adjusted directly from the software, giving clients the freedom to act quickly and control a facility’s operations costs.

In 1986, ESC founders Brian Goodchild and Raymond Rae created Delta Controls Inc. Alt hou g h hou sed i n t he sa me headquarters, the two companies operate separately. Over the years, Delta has evolved into a powerful firm in its own right, with 300 partners in 70 different countries. Delta Controls has an office in China and its products were used in Olympic sites in Beijing. Delta controls were also installed in two new stadiums in Brazil.

Seselja said that ESC is poised for further growth. The Nanaimo branch saw its best year ever in 2014 and Seselja predicted that, while 2015 may not hit the same dizzying heights, steady growth is definitely a future trend.

“We’re a large company but we’re also family-oriented. We have a lot of long-term employees. We’re growing and it’s a good company to work for.”

ESC Automation is at 3057 Barons Road in Nanaimo. www.escautomation.com

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27

MAY 2015

CALAIS SPAS & BILLIARDS: AHEAD OF THE CURVE “We can give you the Company has a history of innovation and service

N

ANAIMO - “Some Stores Have all the Fun.” That’s the line Calais Spas & Billiards uses in its advertising. And customers who walk into the showroom will very likely say that for once, there is definitely truth in advertising. Not only is this the place to shop for spas, billiard tables, game room supplies, saunas and pools, it’s also the place to bring your bathing suit if you would like to try out the newest rage: swim spas, where people actually swim against a current.

Murray Renner, who owns the store with business partner Gary Barber, said that the story of Calais Spas and Billiards has been unique and fun right from the start. It all started over a rum and coke one New Year’s Eve in Vancouver. At the time, Barber was working for CN Rail and Renner for a commercial vehicle leasing company.

“We said we should find something to do where we’re our own bosses,” Renner recalled, adding that he happened to have a friend in Parksville who had a business for sale manufacturing cultured marble vanities and baths for

service you need and react quickly. We take care of our customers.

And we are also involved in the community.”

MURRAY RENNER OWNER, CALAIS SPAS & BILLIARDS

motels and hotels. They no sooner began looking into the business than another friend suggested that hot tubs were an up-andcoming demand product and they should look into them as an adjunct.

“In the process of doing our marketing plan, we discovered that it was probably a better idea just to buy hot tubs manufactured by somebody else than building these marble items,” Renner said.

“So we quickly made a marketing decision because the demographic information we had married very well with hot tubs.”

He credited Nanaimo’s economic development officer at the time with providing useful information, much of which convinced the partners to locate in Nanaimo rather than Parksville.

In 1994, Renner and Barber took

Gary Barber and Murray Renner founded the company in 1994 the plunge and moved their families to Nanaimo. They opened their showroom and experienced almost immediate success.

“We had marketing programs,” Renner said. “We did lots of events and did radio ads. We did volunteer work and quickly dialed into the community.” He stressed that the business didn’t take off like a rocket, but it grew well.

“The secret with most business isn’t rocket science – it’s just hard work and don’t give up.”

He said that they were also smart in their offerings. From the beginning, Calais Spas & Billiards offered both product lines because both are seasonal at different times of the year. Over the years, Calais added saunas and pools to also cover the shoulder seasons.

Renner and Barber also educated themselves about their products attending every conference and seminar that was offered.

Today, Calais offers Coast Spas, made in BC and reputed to be one of the best in the world. Other brand names include the madein-Canada Canada Billiards and Trendium above ground pools, as well as Finnleo Saunas.

Renner said that business grew extraordinarily well until the economic downturn of 2008/2009.

He credited a solid business plan with getting the company through those years. Since 2010, Calais has once again seen excellent growth year over year. He gives credit to an excellent long-term staff.

He also said that being a local, family-owned company gives

Calais an edge.

“Coast spas are BC-made and Coast has a very large lineup of spas. Your spa buying experience may take two or three hours.

You’re not going to get any pressure. We can also take the various model lines, go through the list of options and customize it for you. We have the ability to design a package to fit each customer’s needs and budget.” He added that unlike buying a spa from a box store, that requires people to call an 800 number if there is an issue, people who purchase from Calais, know exactly where to go for help.

“We have the knowledgeable staff to answer your questions,” Renner said. “And we can give you the service you need and react quickly. We take care of our customers. And we are also involved in the community. We care.”

He said that he expects to see continued growth in the future after an excellent start to 2015. He and Barber have a succession plan in place and dedicated employees to carry on for years to come.

“We’re big on education for the staff and for ourselves,” he said.

“We constantly stay ahead of the curve. We even now carry a demonstration swim spa in our showroom. Come on down and bring your bathing suit.”

Calais Spas & Billiards is at 4000 Corunna Avenue in Nanaimo. www.calaisspas-billiards.com

Congratulations on your 21st Anniversary!

We’ve had the pleasure to work with you for half of that time!

Calais Spas & Billiards sells Coast Spas, made in BC

Calais Spas & Billiards also sales game room supplies, saunas and pools

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TRUTH IN ADVERTISING ...BBB’s Code of Ethics BBB's mission is to advance trust in the marketplace. One of the ways that we do this is by monitoring advertising.

BBB has been advocating for truthful advertising since 1917, long before many of the regulations and laws releating to advertising were ever even considered. Every business that advertises in the U.S. and Canada is expected to follow BBB's Code Of Advertising. Compliance with BBB's Code of Advertising is voluntary, as our organization supports industry self-regulation. That said, BBB does document and report on Rosalind Scott, BBBVI President & CEO businesses and instances of unethical advertising. If you are a business owner, advertising agency or media outlet that cares about your reputation, about being ethical and being deemed trustworthy, it is important that you understand, review and implement BBB's Code Advertising.

a special thanks to our

Community Partners

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BBB isn't the only organization that monitors advertising in Canada. The Advertising Standards of Canada similarly is a non-profit advertising self-regulatory body. The CRTC and Competition Bureau are also examples of government agencies that monitor advertising to some degree. Each province also has organizations that review and monitor advertising claims for specific industries.

BBB's Code of Advertising and approach to monitoring advertising differs from these organizations in that our Code applies to all businesses, in all industries and it clearly identifies specific phrasings, claims and statements that BBB considers unethical. We expect businesses to at a minimum be in compliance with local, provincial and national laws governing advertising, but we also know that you can often abide by the law and still be unethical. The purpose of our Code of Advertising is to ensure that all advertising is being interpreted accurately by all consumers. Our standards apply to advertising placed in all forms of media including print, broadcast, online and mobile formats. And because we have a comprehensive database of company Business Reviews, we report on and link advertising review information on individual company reports.

Business must be truthful in what they say, what they infer and what the omit from their advertising. The primary responsibility for truthful and non-deceptive advertising rests with the advertiser. All advertisers should be prepared to substantiate any objective claims or offers made before publication or broadcast.

We’ve recently updated our Code to more clearly address some contemporary trends in advertising. The updated Code of Advertising specifies that ads that make claims about environmental benefits should be backed up with solid evidence and should be specific about how the product is beneficial to the environment. This should dis-incentivize” greenwashing” and help consumers to understand their impact on the environment more clearly. Similarly, advertising claims that products are “Made in Canada” are also required to be precise and to be backed up by evidence. The updated code also addresses the trend of hiring celebrities to endorse products on social media. The new Code specifies that these new kinds of ads have to genuinely represent endorsers’ opinions, just like any other endorsement.

Overall, the BBB's Code of Advertising is really intended to help businesses and consumers to communicate more clearly with one another. Whether you are a BBB Accredited Business or not, the BBB Code of Advertising provides a framework to ensure your advertising and market materials remain concise, honest and effective.

To find out more about BBB’s Code of Advertising visit the “For Businesses” section of our website at: bbb.org/vancouver-island.

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29

MAY 2015

DEALERSHIP RIDES CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE TO MILESTONE Technicians are BRP and Yamaha certified

L

A DYSM I T H – A h ig h ly qualified staff and a customer focused service model have been the keys to success for Courtenay and Ladysmith Motorsports.

The award-winning motorsport industry dealerships have celebrated milestone anniversaries this year, with Courtenay reaching the 26-year mark, and Ladysmith reaching its first.

“Our goal is to be customer focused. That focus, combined with an extremely qualified staff have made us into who we are today,” said Ladysmith Dealer Principal Christine Copeland.

Those qualities have enabled the Ladysmith location to prosper since it opened.

Its origins lie in a gap in the motorsport industry marketplace, identified by market research from Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), the producer of Can-Am Off-Road products.

Approximately three years ago BRP identified an opening in the market and took their research findings to Stewart Graham, Dealer Principal of the Courtenay location, asking him to consider opening shop in Ladysmith.

After a time of deliberation the decision was made to expand, a location was then selected, renovated and eventually opened on May 30, 2014.

“Ladysmith is the center point of the island, it’s conveniently located between Victoria and Nanaimo, and has a high amount of traffic passing through, says Ladysmith General Manager Sebastien Asselin.

“Our product diversity allows us to sell to clients in both areas with very different needs. The location is strategic, and we’ve seen success from the beginning,” he added.

“During last year’s third quarter we were certified as a Platinum dealer for exceeding dealership

IT’S THE

Sebastien Asselin, General Manager of Ladysmith Motorsports

Building exterior of Ladysmith Motorsports

standards through strong brand representation, customer follow up and a fast lead response time.

“We’ve been firing on all cylinders, and have been rewarded for doing so.”

BRP’s Platinum label is the highest dealer designation that can be achieved.

The success of the Ladysmith location has been a continuation of the overall company’s strengths, with the Courtenay location winnings national, regional and district dealer awards from BRP. “We treat our customers well, and do what we say we will do. We have amazing service technicians, they are BRP and Yamaha certified, and have extensive industry experience,” says Asselin.

He’s been in the motorsport business for just over a year, and joined the company following a

lengthy tenure in management at Future Shop, where he managed one of their largest personal computer operations in the country.

His transition from information technology to motorsport retail came through family ties. He is married to parts and accessories manager Sarah Copeland, who has been in the industry for years.

“Sebastien has a strong sales skillset and is very driven, he has adapted to the industry quickly and we were after him to join the business a while before the new location opened.

“We’re very pleased at the success he’s seen,” says Copeland.

Another component of the company’s success has been advisor Chris Brown from Lifeline Business Solutions.

They brought on his strategic planning expertise four years ago to strengthen the company’s internal financials, and to be

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proactive about the longevity of the company.

Both locations sell BRP and Yamaha products, while only Courtenay offers Honda and Husqvarna motorcycles.

These include ATVs, Spyder three wheel motorcycles, SeaDoo products, side-by-side utility vehicles, dirt and street bikes, scooters, generators and pressure washers.

The Ladysmith location is the southernmost Sea-Doo dealer on the island.

This range gives the company access to a large spectrum of consumers, with everyday hunters, farmers and outdoorsmen purchasing ATVs, while side-by-side vehicles and Sea-Doo products are enjoyed by young families and adrenaline seekers alike.

Currently, one of the most interesting products is BRP’s 3-wheel motorcycle.

“The Spyder has the big ‘wow’ factor, it’s paradigm shifting technology that allows new segments of the population access to motorcycles,” says Asselin.

“You can have someone who’s never ridden a cycle, and not have to worry about being overpowered, it’s a safer and more stable product, “Anyone can ride them, the limitations are minimal,” he added.

To date the Spyders represent 2% of the total motorcycles on the road, a significant achievement for a relatively new vehicle.

Outside of day-to-day business, both locations are heavily involved in the communities they operate in.

“We host and sponsor community events, we like to give back to those who have supported us throughout the years,” said Copeland.

This includes sponsorship of racing events and teams like Ten Four Racing, the Cowichan ATV Club, the Defenders Motorcycle Club, ATV BC, Cops for Cancer, Ride for Dad and Comox Minor Hockey.

T hey a lso supported the Mesachie Lake Volunteer Fire Department through a recent record-breaking fundraising program.

For more information please visit: www.ladysmithmotorsports.com www.courtenay-motorsports. com

Congratulations from all of us at EPR

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Saturday, May 30th 10AM - 6PM Our success wouldn’t be possible without you. So to celebrate, we’re hosting an anniversary event with the biggest savings and best deals of the year!

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30

MAY 2015

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of demand by 9,800 gigawatt hours

KIM BURDEN

T

he topic of power supply, cost and reliability is not a new topic for the Parksville & District Chamber of Commerce. We have been beating this drum for some time. Why is it important? Power is a business cost and while BC boasts the cheapest power in Canada, it is still a cost. Availability is a key determinant to attracting new business.

Currently BC Hydro produces about 58,000 gigawatt hours annually and is meeting consumption needs. It is anticipated that the addition of power from Site C (if this needed project goes forward) will add 5,100 gigawatt hours and there is an expectation that there will be some Independent Power projects that will help to fill the gap between projected demand and projected supply.

The most relevant piece of information provided by BC Hydro is the expectation that conservation efforts will result in a reduction of demand by 9,800 gigawatt hours. This is more than the additional production from Site C and the independent power producers combined and means that business especially must prepare to conserve or produce.

There are a number of options, the most obvious being solar power through the installation of rooftop photovoltaic panels. The price on these units continues to drop, although be cautious about purchasing internationally, as there is the possibility of huge tariffs to combat dumping.

Installation is easier also as the increase in popularity increases the availability of qualified tradespeople.

T h e Pa rk s v i l le & D i s t r ic t Ch a mb er of Com merce h a s been generating a portion of our power needs through solar panels for two years now. We produce enough power from our eight panels to run our computers and offset the cost of air conditioning in the summer. On a sunny spring day like today we will produce eight kilowatt hours, not enough to get us off the grid, but enough to say it’s possible.

Solar options and other green energ y solut ion s w i l l be on

display at the Qualicum Beach Civic Centre on April 26th at Flourishing in a Green Economy, a trade show sponsored

by Communities to Protect our Coast, The Parksville Qualicum Beach News, the Mid Island Co-op and the Parksville and District Chamber of Commerce.

Kim Burden is Executive Director of the Parksville & District Chamber of Commerce. He can be reached at 250.248.3613

31

MAY 2015

COMOX VALLEY FARMERS MARKET IS MARKET OF THE YEAR “We are not just about Province-wide, the market stands out

getting people to buy local, we are about cultivating more farmers and producers and

BY GOODY NIOSI

T

he Comox Valley Farmers Market is unique. In fact, the local population that frequents the market believes it is so special that they recently nominated it for the Farmers Market of the Year title for 2014, handed out by the BC Association of Farmers Markets. As it turned out, what the locals had suspected all along was true. The market won in the large market category (50 plus vendors) where it competed with markets in cities like Kelowna and Penticton.

“Winning was awesome,” said the market’s executive director Vicky Brown. “What we hear from our customers and what I see on the field, is that we have an incredible diversity of vendors.

We have a local yogurt producer, local honey producers, water buffalo, bison, lamb – every meat and vegetable you could possibly want and all local.” And that, she said, is one of the things that sets the Comox Valley Farmers Market apart. Many markets, especially urban markets, bring in their food and produce from around the province. Not so in the Comox Valley where everything is closer to home.

“We only allow vendors from Comox a nd t he S t rat hc on a Regional Districts,” Brown said.

“We are not just about getting people to buy local, we are about cultivating more farmers and producers and increasing the capacity of existing farmers right

increasing the capacity of existing farmers right here in the valley.”

VICKY BROWN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COMOX VALLEY FARMERS MARKET

here in the valley.”

T he Comox Va l ley Fa mers Market has no craft sales: it’s all about edibles with almost 40 primary producers including local meat, fish and poultry, along with fruits and vegetables.

The other vendors sell processed foods like gelato, cheese, soups, sauces and preserves. The market is also home to local bakers and, more recently with the advent of new legislation, local distillers and vintners. The market also features hot food to eat on site and complete meals to take home.

“We have everything,” Brown said. “Plus, we’re year-round.

We hardly ever go without fresh vegetables. We probably didn’t go w ithout vegetables at a l l this year. We have greens yearround. We had eggplant, baby cucumbers and cherry tomatoes in March.”

Year-round the market takes place at the Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds from 9 a.m. – noon. During the summer, the market is also open in downtown Courtenay on Wednesday

The Comox Valley Farmers Market hosts about 70 local farmers and producers

The Comox Valley Farmers Market attracts big crowds of locals

The Comox Valley Farmers Market sells every kind of local meat, fruit and vegeatble

Vicky Brown says that winning Farmers Market of the Year for 2014 was “awesome.” mornings. The market is also in talks with the City to open Thursday evenings.

During the winter the market hosts about 44 vendors and sees traffic of up to 1,000 people.

T h at nu mber sk y rockets to about 3,000 during the summer months and vendors increase to about 70.

“We’ve continued to grow,” Brown said. “We’ve grown consistently during the last four years, far beyond the general economic growth in the region.

And we are still only capturing

.62 of the grocery dollars in the region so we still have tons of capacity for growth.” She noted that because the market is open only one day a week during the winter, that limits the number of people who attend – but that is also something the market plans to change.

The BC Association of Farmers Markets is actively raising awareness of the importance of the markets and of their benefits. Those who attend farmers markets love them, and not just because they get fresh local

food. They meet their neighbours there, and sometimes even long lost friends. Farmers markets are a genuine social venue.

T his year, T he Comox Valley Farmers Market is calling on businesses to help make the market even better. The market partners with the Comox Valley Family Services to deliver the Nutrition coupon program during the summer. Families in need receive $15 coupons to spend at the market. Brown said that the goal is to offer these coupons to families year round: $500 covers the other 34 weeks of the year and allows families to eat healthy food they might not otherwise receive.

“We want to make sure that families have access to fresh, local whole foods,” Brown said.

“We want businesses to partner with us to sponsor a family or chip in to the program. It’s just amazing how good this is for both the families and the local farmers.”

T he Comox Valley Farmers Market is at the Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds. www.cvfm.ca

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32

MAY 2015

MEICOR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT MAKES PROPERTY OWNERSHIP STRESS-FREE “Investors simply get Investors trust Meicor to do the job right

C

their direct deposit and financial statement every month. We think it works

OU RT E N AY - Meicor Property Management in Courtenay provides an invaluable service to owners of multi-family rental units.

W hether those units are in a building owned solely by one person or are part of a strata building with multiple owners, Meicor completely takes the worry out of renti ng a nd upkeep. “Basically, all we do is property management,� said compa ny ow ner a nd ma nag i ng broker, Laurie Sims. “And we sp eci a l i ze i n renta l pool s.�

Rental pools mean the buildings are strata-titled; within that building a group of owners has come together to form a pool, which means that Meicor operates the rentals as though they were owned by one person. The owners share the revenues and expenses. “It’s a formula that works well for a lot of people,� Sims said, noting that an owner renting their unit out themselves, may f a c e a m u lt i pl e-m o n t h v acancy. In a pool, that vacancy is shared by everyone and costs are largely ameliorated. “The owners receive income e v e r y m o n t h ,� S i m s s a i d . “They share the burdens and they share the wealth.�

In add ition, Meicor does strata management in most of the buildings were it has rental pools. It looks after renting the units, reporting financials to the owners, and looking after employees including the building managers who look after the day-to-day dealings at the property. Meicor provides financial statements designed by an accountant for easy to comprehend strata and rental property reporting.

Investors are given a monthl y s n a p s h o t o f t h e i r p ro perty’s finances that includes

well for them.�

LAURIE SIMS OWNER AND MANAGING BROKER, MEICOR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

Hollyridge Manor in Port Alberni PHOTO CREDIT: VIREB

House situated in Courtenay PHOTO CREDIT: VIREB

current month, year-to-date and budget projections for revenue and expenses. Attention to detail is the Meicor standard that has resulted in successful renta l a nd strata properties that are able to deal with dayto-day and emergency expenses as well as long term planning for future projects.

Based in Courtenay, Meicor looks a f ter 26 proper t ies i n Duncan, Chemainus, Port Alberni, Campbell River and the Comox Valley. Sims noted that she or her assistant, Mary Jo Purvis, visit the sites once a month for a first-hand look and assessment of each property. “The owners of the

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p ro p e r t i e s a re b a s i c a l ly a t a r m s-l e n g t h ,� S i m s s a i d . “ T h e y d o n’t h ave to wo r r y ab out a ny of t he h a ssle s of dealing with their property.

We lo ok a f ter a l l t he property upkeep and maintenance.

We put people in place where necessary to take care of the property.� Meicor also looks after renting, advertising the properties and screening tenants. Essentially, an investor can purchase one or more units, or an entire building, and turn it over to Meicor. “Investors simply get their d i rect deposit a nd fi na ncia l statement every month,� Sims said. “We think it works well for them.�

Meicor also works with strata councils in scheduling annual meeti ngs, budget pla n n i ng, recording and distribution of meeting minutes and advising on Strata Property Act procedu re a nd requ i rements. It oversees renovations and repairs and ensures that work is completed to contract obligations. Meicor is also mindful of

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MAY 2015

Crystal Creek located in Duncan the day-to-day expenses and obtains competitive quotes for review by investors as necessary for larger projects.

Meicor hires quality building managers personally trained and supervised by Meicor staff. The company takes care of a l l pay rol l a nd WorkSa fe BC reporting and remittance obl igat ion s as wel l as compl i a n c e w it h c u r re nt l a b o r laws and residential tenancy regulations.

For the most part, owners of units managed by Meicor are i nvestors who ow n mu ltiple u n it s. W it h to d ay ’s s t ron g rental market and low vacancy rate of 2 – 3 per cent, the odds are that the units are a sound i nvestment. However, Si ms p oi nte d out t h at prof its on the properties are not for her to determ i ne a nd a re heav ily influenced by an investor’s mortgage or lack thereof.

Arran House situated in Courtenay “We look at the buildings as successful if the vacancy rates are low and if we’re achieving market rents or better,” Sims said.

Meicor began working with rental pool and strata buildings in 1996, a year after Sims joi ned the compa ny. Meicor has been working on Vancouver Island for 30 years. When Sims started, she looked after the company books for the founder. As Meicor expanded, she took on a larger and larger role, eventua l ly pu rchasi ng t he f i r m i n 201 2. Si m s sa id that Meicor has a n env iable reputation and strives to give i mpeccable ser v ice to t he owners. The company has had tremendous success taking on buildings that were in financial distress and turning them around, both financially and physically. Sims and Purvis are both licensed to provide rental

property and strata management services.

“We honestly care about our c l ient s a nd wa nt t h em a nd their real estate investment to succeed and thrive regardless of market conditions,” Sims said. “Our philosophy has always been ver y much about hands-on property management. Physically being at the properties is important to us.

If you’re not local or visiting a property frequently, it’s very difficult to deal with any kind of emergency or for dea l i ng with tenants.” She added that t h e k nowl e d ge s h e a nd h e r tea m have acqu i red over 30 years is an invaluable asset to the firm’s clients.

Meicor currently looks after about 700 u n its. It does not ma nage si ngle fa m i ly u n its.

Its specia lty is strata a nd ow ner pools. Si ms sa id that t he compa ny h a s worked to

have the right people in place, p a r t i c u l a rl y o n-s i t e m a nagers. To a certain degree, the rental business has a monthly rhythm but there are always u nex pected cha l lenges. T he measure of how well a property management company does is in how effectively it handles the unexpected. Meicor does it exceptionally well, Sims said.

In the future, the company may grow, but Sims is also discerning about that growth.

“We carefully consider what we’re getting into,” she said.

“We like to work with people who like to follow the rules. We will take on properties where we can make sure that everything functions properly and everything is appropriately repaired and looked after. We’re always interested in taking on new busi ness but the status quo is also good. This is a successful business.”

Meicor Property Management is at unit B – 917 Fitzgerald Avenue in Courtenay. www.meicorproperty.com

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COMOX VALLEY

34

MAY 2015

CONSTRUCTION VALUES RISE A PHENOMENAL 533 PER CENT

BUILDING LINKS CLARICE COTY

O

ver all construction values were up by 533% during the first quarter of 2015

in the Comox Valley and Campbell River, compared to the first quarter of 2014, due to the construction of the new hospitals in Campbell River and Courtenay.

Total values this quarter were $188 million, compared to $29 million last year. In total, there were 52 permits issued for new single family dwellings (SFD) in the Comox Valley and Campbell River regions compared to the 71 units that we reported last year.

Overall, residential construction values have decreased by 26% or $14,230,412. Cumberland’s permits are up slightly this quarter compared to last year, and Courtenay issued the same number of SFD permits

this quarter as compared to last year. Comox, CVRD and Campbell River’s SFD permits have declined slightly.

We expect to see an increase of single family home construction during the second quarter.

Building Links, the only local source of up-to-date construction news for the construction industry on the North Island, celebrates its 22nd anniversary May 17.

Building Links founder Clarice Coty realized there was a demand on the North Island for local, upto-date news about development permits, building permits, tenders, and quarterly and annual construction statistics 22 years

ago, so she established a homebased business, publishing a weekly newsletter.

In 2010, Coty moved her business to an office at 2459 Cousins Road in Courtenay, across from Tin Town. Since then, the business has grown into the “go-to” source for online information for the North Island construction industry, including a weekly newsletter, blog updates, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts.

Building Links is produced 50 times a year by a team of six, and there are updates throughout the week on the blog and social media channels.

“Producing a trusted, local

source of information for the construction industry is a true passion,” says Coty. “A lot has changed since starting the business 22 years ago, but the important things stay the same: we are successful today because of our loyal clients, our dedicated team, and the many government organizations, businesses and consultants that supply us with information.”

Building Links has published 1,100 issues since its inception in 1993.

Clarice Coty can be reached at clarice@buildinglinks.ca, and through www.buildinglinks.ca

COMOX VALLEY CHAMBER CELEBRATES A VERY PRODUCTIVE YEAR

COMOX VALLEY DIANNE HAWKINS

T

he Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce held its Annual General Meeting

at the W hite W hale Apri l 16 to swea r in th ree new boa rd members and review and celebrate the accomplishments the Chamber has seen over the last year.

The Chamber had an eventful 2014/2015 fiscal year.

In April, 2014, the Governance Review Task Force, supported by the Chamber, began working to collect 5,000 signatures for the Governance Review petition. This task force has since gone on door-to-door visits, pre sente d to orga n i z at ion s

Plans for this year’s Great Valley Rally in July are currently underway and will be announced in May

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and businesses, met with local municipal councils and attended local community events.

Their efforts have been instrumental in collecting over 2,500 signatures.

T h e s u m m e r of 201 4 p rem iere d t he Ch a m b er’s new event, The Great Valley Rally.

This successful event, modelled after The Amazing Race, raised $7,000, with all proceeds benefitting the Cumberland Forest Society. Plans for this year’s Great Valley Rally in July are currently underway and will be announced in May. For the second time since its

inception two years ago, the Chamber honoured individuals from the Comox Valley with its bi-annual Top 40 Under 40 Awards October 30, 2014. This evening event recognized the p erson a l ach ievements a nd business success of local individuals under the age of 40.

In support of municipal elect ion s i n Novemb er, t he Ch a mber hosted a n a l l new Speed Ca mpa ig n i ng event w it h Cou r ten ay ca nd id ates that replaced the traditional All Candidates Forum. This allowed smaller, breakout groups to spend time with Courtenay Council candidates.

As pa rt of ou r i n itiative to support Municipal elections in the Comox Valley, we created a Call to Action with a Facebook Profile Image and #ComoxValleyVotes hashtag. This image and hashtag were shared by other organizations in the com mu n ity a nd encou raged community members to vote on November 15.

Also in November, the Chamber announced the launch of the pilot program, Global Leaders of Tomorrow, in partnership with North Island Community College. This program partnered N IC students with Chamber members, based on skills and knowledge to provide insight into specialized industries. The Chamber looks forward to participating in this program again in 2015.

I n Ja n u a r y, t h e C h a m b e r celebrated the 40th A n nua l Community Awards with another l i neup of outsta nd i ng nominees. Eleven recipients,

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a long w ith th is yea r’s nominees, were celebrated at the Midnight in Gotham Gala at the Filberg Centre. The Chamber donated $1,800 from the event to the Comox Valley Transition Society.

Some of the Valley’s best, local businesses took part in the sixth annual Business Showcase in February at Crown Isle. Over 20 local vendors showcased products and services to over 200 individuals who attended.

T he Chamber’s year end in March saw new additions to its team and a new look. Adil Amlani, Chrissie Bowker and Randall Heidt joined the Chamber’s Board of Directors. These Directors were sworn in by Comox Mayor Paul Ives at the Chamber’s AGM. Also presented at the AGM was the reveal of the Chamber’s new logo, which features some familiar elements and a refreshed look.

The events listed above are only some of the highlights the Ch a mber h as accompl ished during the last fiscal year. Plans have been made and are already being implemented into programming for this year. T he Chamber is committed to supporti ng the com mu n ity a nd is attentive to the needs of its membership.

Many of the plans made for this year are based on an evident need for support in specific sectors. We look forward to another exciting and impactful 2015 with lots in store to help support the future success of our community.

Welcome to new members A warm welcome goes to our new Chamber members joining as of the end of March: CFB 19 Wing Comox, Meaghan Cursons and CV Collective – Roam Media Inc. Dianne Hawkins is president and CEO of the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce. Reach her at dhawkins@ comoxvalleychamber.com

35

MAY 2015

INDUSTRY IN

WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION Women Bring Collaborative and Communication Skills to Construction Industry Job shortfall in construction industry open up opportunities for women

Sue Zacharias of United Concrete and Gravel said getting a class 1 driving license can move a woman from an $11-$15 an hour job to one making $20-$30

V

ICTORIA - Women bring opportunity to employers in construction said Manley McLachlan, president of the BC Construction Association (BCCA) adding that at 50 per cent of the population they bring an untapped resource to an industry facing a dramatic shortfall of skilled workers.

Over the next ten years, according to BCCA BuildForce c a lc u l at ion s, B C w i l l n e e d 58,000 new construction workers, many of these will have to be drawn from non-traditional markets. With the forecast showing BC as the fastest growing province in Canada, training and employment opportunities abound.

“If we don’t have a proportional representation of our society, the industry will miss out on having a well-functioning and productive job site,” McLachlan said, adding that with changes in technology, tools SEE WOMEN BRING | PAGE 36

”We need women to be part of the skilled trades.

With one million job openings projected by 2022, we need to tap into the full potential of our workforce.”

SHIRLEY BOND MINISTER JOBS, SKILLS TRAINING AND LABOUR

Shirley Bond said one million job openings in skilled trades are projected for 2022

36 WOMEN BRING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35

and equipment there is a greater need for diversity at all levels.

Katy Fairley, owner of Kinetic Construction, Victoria and president of Women in Construction (WIC), said women br i n g a s t ron ge r c or p orate culture to a traditionally male dominated industry.

“Women offer a different perspective, taking a collaborative, personal approach by adding strong communication skills,” Fairley said, adding that jobs in the construction industry offer viable career options for women.

“T here a re ma ny d i fferent facets to the construction industry,” she said. “From administrative jobs to technical, eng i neeri ng, desig n i ng a nd trades. And in each type of job there is a diversity that has each day being new and exciting.”

Carla Smith, president of CWL Construction in Nanaimo, grew up in construction and though she knew she wanted to join the company from an early age, she also wanted to get her education first.

“After graduating from BCIT with my civil structural engineering degree I wanted site experience so I sent my resume in to a company constructing the biggest bridge in Nanaimo on the new inland highway. It was invaluable experience,” Smith said.

WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION Now a s ow ner of her ow n company she’s worked as project manager on more than 100 bridges in the past four years, made improvements to the Wild Pacific Trail and West Coast T ra i ls on the West Coast of the island and managed construction on industrial mills.

Her compa ny a lso bu i lt t he new emergency center in the Na n a i m o R eg ion a l G e n e ra l Hospital.

“There have been obstacles, “she said. “But honesty and integrity create relationships of trust. Combined with a strong work ethic, and those obstacles turn into opportunities.”

Sue Zacharias, chair of BCCA and owner of United Concrete & Gravel Ltd in Williams Lake, said there are good paying jobs in construction and the education doesn’t necessarily leave a huge student loan debt.

“Getting a class one driving license can move a woman from an $11-$15 an hour job to one making $20-$30 an hour. “ Mc L a ch l a n a nd B CC A a re strong proponents of training for women i n constr uction.

Since 2006, the association, in conjunction with the federal government and industry leaders has operated WITT, Women in Trades Training, through its STEP, Skilled Trades Employment Program.

“After nine years we’ve seen SEE WOMEN BRING | PAGE 37

Emilie Patstone, Cayley McCandless with Patti Faulconbridge of Knappett Projects Inc. and Camosun students

WEST BEAUFORT CONSTRUCTION BUILDS RELATIONSHIPS

Your Project is Our Business Tanya Swann General Manager Lead Painter

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ORT ALBERNI - If Tanya Swan n, ow ner of West Beaufort Construction Ltd. in Port Alberni has her way, the city is going to look better and better as the years go buy. For her, it’s more than a pipe dream to see new life in the city. Her company has been actively involved in creating beautiful and functional commercial buildings for some years.

Twice the company has been a finalist for a prestigious Commercial Building Award. Last year, it won the merit award for the first building in the multiphased Sproat Lake Landing project. Phase two project is now nearing completion.

“It’s absolutely fabu lous,” Swann said. “We’re quite proud to put our name on that building. It’s definitely going to be a landmark for Port Alberni.” She added that she is also proud that the company is now bonded.

“That’s a big step for us,” she said.

C u r re n t l y We s t B e a u fo r t

Tanya Swann says the company is proud to keep and serve its clients long term Constr uction is work i ng on tenant improvements to the Huu-ay-aht band office. It has also recently completed tenant improvements for Life Labs in Saanich and Campbell River.

Swann said that the company has been doing work for Life Labs for the past four years.

“We have a very good reputation with Life Labs. Basically, all of our clients are return clients.

We definitely take a lot of pride in our work. We also maintain everything that we build, which makes a big difference.” It also makes a difference that the company does almost everything inhouse when it comes to tenant improvements. Swann does all the painting and wood finishing for the business.

“We’re a from-the-ground-up contractor,” Swann said adding that the company also prides itself on using local suppliers like Nagaard Sawmills for rough-cut cedar used for trim.

Swann founded West Beaufort Construction in 2006 with her husband, Matthew Swann. Their first project was for the Carrington Group in Edmonton to provide subcontract site supervision for Nanaimo’s Texada condominium project, which it still maintains today.

“We always want our clients to come back to us,” Swann said.

“We want to keep a relationship with everyone we’ve worked with. We also want to stick with the commercial aspect of the business – that’s what we specialize in.” And because that’s their strength, they want to make a difference in Port Alberni.

“We want to see all the old buildings come down and be replaced with new commercial buildings,” Swann said. “We want to make Port Alberni look good and be more desirable. We hope business people in the city will see that and want to work with us.”

West Beaufort Construction Ltd. is at 7347 Hector Rd. in Port Alberni.

MAY 2015

WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION

WOMEN BRING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 36

10,000 placements with 85 per cent stay i ng w ith thei r employer,” McLachlan said. “The program works because of our relationships with all stakeholders. We connect with BC employment centres and employers to find appropriate employment opportunities for our participants.”

Provincially, 16 per cent of STEP placements are women, compa red to 4% n at ion a l ly with top occupations being in carpentry, welding, electrical and painting. And 10.5% of all registered apprentices today are women-up from 8.5 per cent in 2009.

Minister of Jobs, Skills Training and Labour, Shirley Bond said, “Through BC’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint, we’re working closely with the Industry Training Authority to deliver programs like WITT so women have access to training opportunities, financial assistance, and childcare while they complete their education.”

S h e s t re s s e d t h a t w o m e n ne e d to b e a pa r t of sk i l le d trades. With one million job openings projected by 2022, she said, it’s an opportunity to tap in to the full potential of the workforce.

Federal and provincial programs are encouraging women to seek training and employment

Sheryl Staub-French said coop programs help students find and get jobs after graduating

Katy Fairley encourages women to pursue a career in construction

in all aspects of construction improving the possibilities for a well-paying, satisfying job.

“A career in skills trades and con s t r uct ion c a n me a n i ndependence, job satisfaction and great pay. Barriers for women entering the trades are coming down, and women are pursuing careers as welders, carpenters, heavy equipment operators and plumbers – to name a few,” Bond said.

Sheryl Staub-French, associate professor of civil engineering at the University of British Columbia, said new technologies are creating dynamic opportunities for new learning and with the number of women entering the engineering program it creates a variety of diverse specialties.

She added that being happy at work is a strong motivator, explaining that witnessing the evolution of a building from raw land to a used facility is extraordinary, “It’s gratifying to know you are part of something people will be living and/or working in far into the future.”

Over the next five years engineering will also see a shortfall of workers. According to the Engineering Labour Market in Canada 2012 report, with ongoing and new resource and infrastructure projects, 2020 will see the demand for engineers reach 100,000.

Coop engineering programs that place third year students in a work environment prepare

participants for graduation and finding and getting a job.

“You’re getting paid, earning great experience and opening doors for yourself so when you graduate you have connections, maybe even getting hired by the same company,” Staub-French said.

Colleges like Camosun in Victoria also encourage exploration in the trades through a partnership with Habitat for Humanity, an organization that helps build homes for families in need. Currently the organization is working on a four-unit townhome at 4000 Cedar Hill Cross Rd and students from the pre-apprentice program are helping out.

Yolanda Meijer, executive director of Habitat for Humanity in Victoria said, “Instead of building and then taking apart a shed on the grounds of the college, students get real life experience building a house.”

Of the 28-entry level students in the carpentry foundation class, Meijer said at least three were young women.

“As most of our homes are for local hardworking single moms and their families, it’s exciting to see women working beside women to create a house with so much meaning,” Meijer said.

Under the supervision of instructors from the college, and volu nteers students get t he opportunity to wield a tool, give back to the community, build somet h i n g wor t hwh i le a nd

37 make a more informed choice about entering the trades.

“For this project the students helped with footings and framing,” Meijer said. ”Now they get to drive by the house and know they helped build something important.”

Greg Baynton, chief executive officer of the Vancouver Island Construction Association, said women are an excellent fit in the industry.

“We currently have our second woman on our Board of Directors,” Baynton said. He feels it’s a reflection of what’s happening in the industry and an indication of a transition towards more equality and a better, stronger workforce.

“Women ask questions,” Fairley said. “And that improves communication, reducing the risk of misunderstandings and conflict.”

Women like Fairly and Smith, who are advocating for women entering the construction indust r y, a re lead i ng t he way through their work with WIC a nd th roug h h i ri ng pol icies that are inclusive and focused on skills and attributes rather than gender.

“Women offer a different perspective to any job in construction at any level,” Fairley said.

“Combined with a strong desire to collaborate and communicate they improve the well being of a workplace and bring positive change to a growing industry.

Herold engineering limited is proudly represented by women as a valued part of our team in technical, business, and leadership roles.

Herold engineering limited is a Vancouver island based consulting civil and structural engineering company with offices in nanaimo, Fort nelson, and Victoria, BC. We are a dynamic and diverse company with over 60 employees involved in a wide variety of public and private sector building, transportation, marine and civil/municipal infrastructure projects throughout British Columbia and beyond. We are proud members of our communities; supporting local businesses, organizations and charities.

Heroldengineering.com

CAMPBELL RIVER

38

MAY 2015

NEW BOARD TAKES HELM AT CAMPBELL RIVER CHAMBER AGM The Chamber’s Major Projects Portal continues to be a significant tool and resource for major

CAMPBELL RIVER

constructions projects, to connect our members, suppliers and workforce to contracts and jobs

COLLEEN EVANS

M

embers of the Campbell River Chamber of Commerce elected their Board of Directors for 2015-16 at their Annual General Meeting.

The Chamber Executive consists of Board Chair Corby Lamb of Capacity Forest Management; 2nd Vice-Chair Kim Jarvis of Shadoe Intimates; Secretary/ Treasurer Charlene Brown of Moeller and Company; and Past Board Chair Mike Boulet of CR Lawyers. Directors include Debra Cunningham of Quay West; Keith Davidson of ScotiaBank; David Minato of the BC Salmon Farmers Association; Cheryl O’Connell of North Island College; and Curtis Wilson of Nanwakolas Council.

The Chamber welcomes returning board members Cunningham, Davidson, Minato, O’Connell and Curtis Wilson.

Newly elected board members are

The Chamber Board of Directors for 2015/2016. From top left:David Hamilton, Corby Lamb, Charlene Brown, Mike Boulet, Gary Forsgren, Deb Cunningham, Keith Davidson, David Minato; Front row: Gina Forsyth, Kim Jarvis. Missing from the photo are: Cheryl O’Connell, Dustin Raleigh and Curtis Wilson.

Gary Forsgren of Berwick by the Sea; Gina Forsyth; David Hamilton of Black Press and Dustin Raleigh of Broadstreet Properties & Seymour Pacific Developments.

The Annual General Meeting was led off by Colleen Evans, Chamber President & CEO, who spoke of the Chamber’s success and highlights over the past year including: Creating a positive business climate through initiatives like Think Local. This campaign promotes Campbell River as a great place to live, work and do business, highlighting local business and community leader’s success.

The Chamber’s Major Projects

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Portal continues to be a significant tool and resource for major constructions projects, to connect our members, suppliers and workforce to contracts and jobs.

Through our advocacy efforts, new local contracts were awarded that might otherwise have been awarded outside our region.

Therefore, a higher percentage of the jobs being created by the John Hart and North Island Hospital projects are going to local hires.

The BC Ferries rally in Victoria was attended by Board Chair Mike Boulet, advocating on behalf of our members to ensure their voice was heard on issues that directly impact their business and bottom line.

Members voted to approve a new tiered dues model. T he model enables members to each ‘choose’ the benefits and services that best represent their specific needs and interests. Based on members’ response and renewals, the decision our members made to approve this new model is being well received.

Advocating on behalf of our members to address “access to a skilled workforce that meets the needs of employers” was addressed at a local level through partnerships with North Island College, North Island Employment Foundation Society and Immigrant Welcome Centre. New tools, supports and resources

were developed for local employers to build their HR expertise and skills to better recruit, retain and integrate newcomers into their workplace. The Immigrant Employment Council of BC (IECBC) awarded the Campbell River Chamber an inaugural leadership award, in recognition of their support for employers.

In 2014, the Chamber held over 30 events and welcomed more than 1,000 people to mixers, workshops, special events and meetings, providing members and local businesses with timely and topical information as well as the opportunity to network and make important connections.

The Chamber’s 2014 Business Awards of Distinction was a sold out event that celebrated a record number of 103 nominees who exemplify business success, leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship in Campbell River in 12 different award categories.

Chamber Chair Boulet warmly thanked Board members and staff for their com m itment, ma k i ng t he Ca mpbel l R iver Chamber a leader in the province.

A special presentation was made to retiring board members Gary Thulin of Home Hardware and Andy Leitch of Mackie Research Corporation.

T he Ch a mb er’s new B u siness Showcase and Afterhours

Networking event May 28 at the Maritime Heritage Centre is one of the most affordable and effective ways for local businesses to promote their products and services to other businesses and the public. The Showcase takes place from 2-6 p.m., immediately followed by the Afterhours Mix and Mingle.

T he B u si ness Showca se i s a great opportunity for local businesses and organizations to introduce themselves and reconnect with other local retailers and business operators in a cost effective Business- to-business event.

To add greater value and benefit for our exhibitors, we’ve replaced the fall Business Expo with this spring event and added a new format, venue, pricing structure and mix and mingle networking event.

Exhibitors will have the opportunity to participate in a speed networking session to kick off the day and then the Showcase opens to the public.

E x h ibitor appl ications a re available through www.campbellriverchamber.ca Colleen Evans is CEO of the Campbell River Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at colleen.evans@ campbellriverchamber.ca

Vision for mixed-use development identified

C

OMOX VALLEY — Comox residents and c it y c o u nc i l re c eive d a n updated proposa l for the former site of the Lorne Hotel. Shaw n Vincent, of Simba Inves t ment s Lt d ., made a presentation to the Comox Com m ittee of the whole, following pushback from the community for the company’s initial plans for the property.

T he rev i sed pl a n for f ives to r y m i x e d-u s e p roj e c t

showed a n effort by the developer to accommodate input g iven at a n open house held back i n Decemb er. A pr iority that a rose from the open house was the need to maint a i n t h e fe e l of t h e m a r i n e heritage, aesthetic and character that the community has long associated with the area.

T h e c h a n ge s m a d e to t h e i n it i a l pl a n were wel l received by city council. T hey i ncluded: a m i n i mu m two

meter clea ra nce negot i ated for the side wa l k i n f ront of the pla n ned pub a nd bistro, a si ze meter ded ication so the tow n ca n i nsta ll seati ng on the street corner, assu rances that a specific tree will be preserved, i n add ition to other design considerations.

Also included in the updated design is a 20x10 foot mural, and accompany ing plaque t h at w i l l d et a i l t he h i s tor y of the area.

39

MAY 2015

THE LITTLE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP THAT COULD New dealership is one of first in Canada to adopt Hyundai’s new design

C

AMPBELL RIVER - Campbell River Hyundai’s new building is one of the first in Canada sporting the Korean automaker’s new colours and look. But, according to Scott Kilby, owner of the Hyundai dealership, the new design for his Campbell River location almost didn’t happen.

Hy u nda i Auto Ca nada a nnounced a design switch for its dealerships from the blue and white concept to the premium image of brown, white, black and silver in May 2014. They said it better reflected the refined, sophisticated new vehicles the company has been introducing, adding that the distinctive blue would remain as accent colours throughout the dealership.

For Kilby, the announcement came after Hyundai Canada, architects and engineers signed off on drawings using the old design format; the building company had the blueprints and foundation at the new location on Meredith Road had already been poured.

“Everything was going smoothly,” he said. “We had the plans.

The site prepwork had started.

And then I get a call from my zone manager saying that everything but the structure would be different.”

The nine-acre property purchased by Kilby, his father-inlaw, Gary Thullin, and other family members in June of 2012, is in a prime location with excellent visibility and easy access.

Two of the acres are being used by the new Hyundai dealership.

T hough the announcement might seem like a setback, for Kilby it was not so much obstacle as opportunity. Making a choice to stick with his original plans or make the change ended up being SEE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP | PAGE 40

At the open house 80 people attended.

CREDIT: ERIN WALLIS

“A friend’s dad was just opening a new dealership so I went and asked him if I could have a job. He said no.”

SCOTT KILBY OWNER, CAMPBELL RIVER HYUNDAI

Hyundai’s Steve Millete, Scott Kilby, Ted Troughton and Mayor Andy Adams help cut the ribbon CREDIT: ERIN WALLIS

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MAY 2015

HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP CONTINUED FROM PAGE 39

an easy decision.

“I want to be a leader, not a follower,” he said. “If we went with the new design we would be one of the first dealerships in the country to have the new look.”

After meeting with his family and getting their approval, Kilby approached the architect and construction company about going ahead with the new plans to fit the budget.

“In the end, the changes we needed to make were mostly cosmetic focused on the interior finishing and signage,” he said.

“Now Hyundai uses us as an example of moving forward, they actually call us the little Hyundai dealership that could.”

He said that he was lucky enough to find the right people to make it happen, that all the players, from construction workers to designers, came together with the same mindset to see it through.

“We were able to work with Hyundai Canada so well that the project finished a month early,” he said. “Without the hard work of Kinetic Construction and my architect Tom DishIevoy I don’t think it would have happened.”

The finished building is 8,500 square feet with a five-car showroom, six-bay service centre and customer lounge.

“We’ve got more space for more vehicles,” Kilby said. “And amenities like comfortable seating, premium coffee and free

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Scott Kilby is grateful that Hyundai took a chance on a young, ambitious man CREDIT: ERIN WALLIS

Wi-Fi to help keep our clients happy.”

Kilby knows satisfied customers and the auto industry. He has been involved with cars since he was 15 years old and scrubbing cars at the local Ford dealer in Campbell River.

“After I finished high school I headed to BCIT,” he said, but it wasn’t what he wanted to do, so he returned to Campbell River hoping to find a career path.

“A friend’s dad was just opening a new used dealership so I went and asked him if I could have a job. He said no.”

Def lated, K ilby decided he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. The next morning, wearing a new pair of dress slacks, dress shirt and tie, he arrived at the dealership and told the owner that he was there to sell cars.

As Kilby explained, the doors of the dealership hadn’t even been officially opened. But his friend’s dad said that if Kilby sold one car that week, he could have the job.

“I sold three,” he said.

After selling cars for a few years, Kilby decided to learn the financial side of the industry and attended finance school. Seeing a business opportunity he created his own finance company, Best AutoLoans, which provided different dealers and individuals with financial services as well as pre owned cars.

But Kilby wasn’t finished moving up the ladder or refusing to take no for an answer. In 2009 he heard that the local Hyundai dealership was struggling so he did his homework, took the

The six-bay service department provides maintenance, repair and general servicing for all makes of vehicle owner out to lunch and made him an offer.

“It was in a really bad location, hidden behind other dealerships,” he said. “People just couldn’t see it. So we settled on a price and I applied to Hyundai to take over the dealership.”

K ilby said that on paper he shouldn’t have qualified. He was young and had no previous experience running a dealership. But partnering with Thullin added stability and business experience so Kilby bought 51 per cent and Thullin 49 per cent. Kilby stressed that Hyundai still took a chance.

“For that I am eternally grateful,” he said.

Understanding that the location was not the greatest, Kilby and Thullin bought just the dealership not the land.

“We didn’t want to get stuck in that location,” he said. “Part of the application to Hyundai was a commitment on my part to upgrade and move. So right from the beginning of taking ownership we were motivated to find the right piece of land.”

SEE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP | PAGE 41

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MAY 2015

Canadian AutoDealer showcased the dealership, putting the building on the frontpage of the magazine CREDIT: ERIN WALLIS

HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP CONTINUED FROM PAGE 40

After buying out his father-inin-law, Kilby now owns 100 per

cent of the Hyundai dealership and he said the new location is making a difference, with sales and service increasing by more than 20 per cent since opening

the doors in January 2015.

The building is state-of-the art and houses the brand new line up of Hy undai vehicles, including its top-of-the-line

fully loaded, Genesis, winner of the 2015 AJAC award for best new luxury sedan, the popular Santa Fe and one of Canada’s top selling compact cars, the award winning Elantra.

Kilby said the six-bay service department provides maintenance, repair and general servicing for all makes of vehicle adding that the service, parts and sales people receive ongoing training

sessions online and throughout the year in Vancouver to keep current with rapidly evolving technology and tools.

Although the original plan fixed the service bays at four, with two more to be added at a later date, the new plans and new direction facilitated the addition of two more.

“It didn’t make sense to wait,” he said. “With the changes needed for the new look, we decided it would save money and avoid the challenges of renovating down the road, if we made it a six-bay.”

For Kilby the wait was worth it.

He owns a successful and growing dealership, nine acres of prime property with room to grow and develop and his business is held up by Hyundai Canada as an example of what can be done with determination and ingenuity.

The dealership has been showcased in Canadian Auto dealer magazine, with the new building splashed across the front page and in April of this year it received an honourable mention at the 2015 Commercial Building Awards from the commercial division of the Vancouver Island Real Estate board.

At the open house on March 2015, 80 people attended, including Mayor Andy Adams, Hyundai Canada’s national director of sales, Steve Millete and Ted Troughton, dealer development of Hyundai’s western zone.

Campbell River Hyundai is at 1853 Meredith Road/North Island Highway in Campbell River www.campbellriverhyundai.com

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42

MAY 2015

RECORD MANAGEMENT AND DESTRUCTION

A

s you may know, Canada Revenue Agency requires you to keep any tax and business-related records for a minimum of six years. For many small business owners, old documents and records are stashed away and forgotten about and end up simply taking up space and collecting dust. It is important to keep your records up to date, organized, and accessible in order to be able to find such records with ease in the event of an audit.

Record destruction is an important part of keeping your financial records organized.

Step 1- Create a schedule The first step in record destruction is to create a regular schedule to sort through your documents.

Depending on the amount of financial records and the size of your business, you may choose to do this monthly, quarterly, or annually. Ensure that the time period you choose is short enough to allow you to get the job done efficiently- if there are too many documents to sort through, you may get bogged down in paperwork and spend more time than is necessary.

Step 2- Review all documents and records If you have a large amount of documents to review, it helps to tackle a small amount at a time. For example, if you are rev iew i n g you r d o c u ment s annually, you could start with

Record destruction is an important part of keeping your financial records organized

Joyce Smith, President and CEO of JA Smith & Associates

the first month’s records, then move on to the next month’s records. This will allow you to get a better estimate of how much progress you have made. Be sure to read over every document before you destroy it to make sure it isn’t important- when in doubt, keep it. Here are some examples of important records to keep: • Contractual agreements • Documentation of debt obligations • Receipts for capital asset purchases • Legal documents I f you h ave a m a nu a l record-keepi ng system usi ng a

filing cabinet or loose files, it is a good idea to scan important documents onto an online server.

This will protect your important files in the event of a disaster such as a fire or a flood, and can allow you quicker access to your files. When you are scanning

documents onto your server ensure to organize files by month or year to easily find them and add password protection to ensure that they are secure.

Step 3- Destroy unnecessary records Now that you have removed any unnecessary records from your record keeping system it is time to destroy them. Throwing these documents in the recycling bin is not recommended, as any confidential information within these documents is available to anyone who finds it. Shredding your documents is a great way to make sure that your records are properly destroyed. You can buy a shredder to keep in your home or office or, if you have a large amount of documents, you can use a qualified shredding service to destroy all of your unwanted

documents for you. If you choose to hire a shredding service, be sure to check the reliability and legitimacy of the company before turning your records over to them for shredding.

A good record management system that includes cleaning out files and disposing of unwanted or outdated information should help you keep your business running smoothly. If you would like more information on business records management, contact your professional accountant today.

J.A. Smith & Associates Inc. is a team of dedicated professionals who provide reliable accounting, financial management and tax services to businesses and individuals. They can be reached at 1-800-343-6133.

Coming next month: Industry in Focus

Commercial Real Estate

Toll Free: 1-866-758-2684 Contact Shawn Bishop Contact Josh Higgins shawn@businessvi.ca josh@businessvi.ca

Vancouver Island

PORT ALBERNI

MAY 2015

GONE FISHIN’ HOOKS BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARD AT CHAMBER GALA Daniel Tsai, at 16 years of ag7e, opened his shop on Argyle Street known as Tailor Me

PORT ALBERNI BILL COLLETTE

T

he Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Excellence Awards Ceremony April 24 to much fanfare.

Winners for the evening included: Eco-Dry Cleaners for the Green category; The Funk Trunk for Social Media; Slammer’s Gym for Welcoming Workplace; Alberni Natural Health Group for Health and Wellness; Lance Lapointe for Spirit of Music; Swept Away Inn for Tourism and Hospitality; Aaron Vissia Financial for Image Enhancement; Van Isle Ford for Rising Star; Valley Vision Optometry for Customer Service; Eric Gill for Youth of the Year; Bob Cole for Volunteer of the Year; Gayle’s Fashions for the Chamber Award; Gone Fishin’ for Business Excellence, and Theresa

Kingston was named Citizen of the Year.

It was the biggest event we’ve ever held, and it was sold out a month in advance of the ceremony, with more than 200 people in attendance at the newly refurbished Italian Hall in Port Alberni.

One attendee who has travelled

the world with his financial business said this event was the best catered sit-down he’s ever been to. “The service was exceptional, the food was amazing, the content of the evening was fantastic and we simply loved it, start to finish,” he said.

T he event was catered a nd primarily sponsored by Drinkwater’s Social House, a new restaurant about to open at Sproat Lake Landing on the shores of Sproat Lake.

We also recognized another incredible youth in our community.

Daniel Tsai, at 16 years of age, opened his shop on Argyle Street known as Tailor Me. Daniel is already donating profits from his business back to his school as he works toward his long-term career goal of high-end fashion design for men.

Daniel was presented with a beautiful new sign for his business cou rtesy of West Coast Home Hardware. The Chamber of Commerce extends its thanks to our many sponsors for the wonderful event.

Bill Collette is executive director of the Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce. Reach him at 250-7246535 or bill@albernichamber.ca

ALBERNI HOSTS IMPORTANT INFORMATION SERVICES GATHERING

PORT ALBERNI ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PAT DEAKIN

C

onference delegates from communities around BC attended the Spring Municipal Information Services Association conference in Port Alberni recently.

The opening reception was held at the Ocean Networks Canada Shore Station. ONC scientist Adrian Round had the crowd (including volunteers from Port Alberni) fully spellbound with his explanation and demonstration of their work with the NEPTUNE 900-kilometre electro-fiber optic cable and their other networks. Emerald Coast Winery and Tofino Brewery provided libations while the Starboard Grill served up their award winning seafood chowder and appetizers.

The conference’s first day sessions were oriented around design thinking.

Facilitator Theresa Kingston, the city’s Human Resources & Community Development

Manager, was literally just back from attending a “big data” conference in China with Port Alberni Mayor Mike Ruttan, so she had some great content to draw from. Theresa and host Jeff Pelech, the city’s Information Services Manager, brought in a staff person from every city department to act as technology users with a challenge for the group.

Service providers and users all learned from the day’s work.

Following the sessions, a Steam Train ride courtesy of the Industrial Heritage Society took the delegates and their partners out to the McLean Mill National Historic Site. After the steam sawmill tour, passengers boarded the train again for a trip back to the Chase & Warren winery, where wines were paired with food from Tseshaht First Nation caterer Margaret Robinson.

The second day’s learning was centered on ‘risk’. From summary comments provided by delegates, the conference was enjoyed by all.

Some delegates stayed on at the Best Western Plus Barclay Hotel or the Hospitality Inn while others travelled out to destinations in Tofino and Ucluelet.

This conference followed another for seafood processors held in late January, organized by the National Seafood Sector Council and the city of Port Alberni. A conference in May for 250 Salmon Enhancement Program volunteers around BC is being hosted by West Coast Aquatics.

Pat Deakin is Economic Development Officer for Port Alberni.

43

Port Alberni looks to rebrand

“B

ear tracks and lumberjacks” was the last tagline used to promote Port Alberni, and according to residents and City staff, it’s time for a change.

A re-branding is on this year’s agenda for the city’s economic development office, which has been undergoing a consultation process to determine potential slogans to help sell the community.

Some of these include: ‘Vancouver Island’s Most Affordable Community’, ‘S’Port Alberni’,

S W E N

‘Port to Peak’, ‘Ultimate Fishing Town’, ‘Steam & Steel’, ‘A Little Bit of Redneck & a Whole Lot of Fun’, and ‘Port Alberni: The Place where the Island Smiles’.

The City’s economic development ma nager Pat Deakin is spearheading the initiative and plans to engage members of the community, the Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce and Alberni Valley Tourism.

The emphasis for the rebrand is that it will have to be authentic, unique, believable and realistic.

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44

MAY 2015

INDICATORS POINTING TO VERY BUSY TOURIST SEASONS IN TOFINO In Tofino, challenges have been compounded over the years by fast growth and lagging infrastructure

TOFINO JEN DART

A

ll indicators, including a h i g h US d ol l a r, a re pointing towards what could possibly one of the busiest tou rist seasons i n ma ny years for Tofino and Vancouver Island in 2015.

Despite this favourable outlook, challenges exist for Island communities, such as transportation—especially increasing ferry costs—and infrastructure.

I n Tofi no, cha l lenges have b e en comp ou nded over t he years by fast growth and lagging infrastructure. While we welcome the world here during the tourist season, the local community can find itself struggling to keep up with the demand.

This is obviously a wonderful problem to have, but it does mean the community has some

work to do.

In its role as advocate for this vibrant community of entrepreneurs, the Chamber does a lot behind the scenes to help address those challenges. Being a small organization in a small town, our focus is mainly on individual member and municipal issues, though we do have broader interests.

T he Ch a mber is a member of the Community Economic Development Advisory Committee, a committee of Tofino council tasked with many recommendations around the district’s economic development future. One of the main focuses is to expand the season by attracting more visitors during off-peak times.

A f ford able a nd atta i n able housing is also an issue Tofino grapples with. This year, the popularity of rental websites such as AirBnB and VRBO have added to the pressure as many residents see an opportunity for extra income by shifting from long-term to short-term rentals.

Many other resort municipalities are dealing with this issue as well. Ba n ff, W h istler and Canmore are all looking at proactive approaches.

The District of Tofino is also undertaking a housing needs

Intraworks RɝFLDOO\ ODXQFKHV

study, with results coming at the end of the month. With updated information in hand we are hopeful that the business community through the Chamber, the District and the broader community can come together to examine solutions to housing in Tofino.

We see the housing issue as two-fold: t here is a need to add ress tempora r y hou si ng for seasonal staff, and it will also be vital to provide attainable hou si n g for lon g-ter m residents. W h i le ma ny factors will help solve this issue, one important aspect will be add ressi ng Tof i no’s byl aws around zon ing and enforcement thereof.

We feel the continued vibrancy of our unique business community depends on addressing the housing issue as soon as possible.

In other news, we sincerely appreciate Long Beach Lodge Resort’s sponsorsh ip of ou r April 23 luncheon. A delicious Mediterranean feast was provided by Chef Ian Riddick, and members had the opportunity to hear from a news media panel of speakers that included Kendall Hanson of CHEK TV News, Janice Leclerc, a volunteer with We Vote CBC/Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, Cameron

Dennison of Tuff City Radio 90.1FM, and Jackie Carmichael of Westerly News.

Feast Tofino kicks off summer in style w ith events, d i ne-a rou nd menus a nd accommodation specials running from May 8-24. See www.feasttofino.com for a complete listing of events.

We welcome the fol low i ng new members to the Chamber for 2015: Clodagh O’Connell Law, Custom Construction, Pacific Rim Leadership Centre, Resolve Planning Services, Sandy Rantz Realtor®, Sea Wench Naturals, Sprindrift by the Sea, Tofino Yoga, and Tuff City Radio 90.1FM. Jen Dart is Executive Director of the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce.

NEW BUSINESSES TRANSFORMING UCLUELET Visitor numbers for March were almost double over 2014, with 4,185 people in the door, compared to 2,147 in 2014

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hese are exciting times for the little Village of Ucluelet.

On the North end of the Village, much work has gone into some amazing renovations that will house a wood-fired pizza place, a children’s clothing and toy store, and a wedding café.

Next door, the old Smiley’s bowling alley is being transformed into Howlers Family Restaurant. Congratulations to these entrepreneurs!

The land around the Raven Lady statue has had some lovely upgrades and now includes an oyster truck! There’s an incredible selection of all things oysters.

If you like oysters, this is a must stop.

The Pacific Rim Whale Festival and ArtsSplash Art Show were held in March, and both were very successful. We now put our minds to hosting the Porsche Club later in May, and the Edge to Edge Marathon and the Van Isle 360 yacht

race in June.

Visitor numbers for March were almost double over 2014, with 4,185 people in the door, compared to 2,147 in 2014.

It feels like we can expect a very busy season coming up Sally Mole is Executive Director of the Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce at 1604 Peninsula Rd.

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Information contained herein has been obtained from the owners or sources deemed reliable by DTZ Nanaimo Real Estate Ltd. While we have no reason to doubt its accuracy, we regret we cannot guarantee such information. All measurements and other information herein should be independently verified by the reader or prospective user and is subject to the user’s own inspection of the premises and due diligence work and to the user’s satisfaction with the results of such review.

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WHO IS SUING WHOM

46 WHO IS SUING WHOM The contents of Who’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 Bill Howich Chrysler Ltd 2777 N Island Hwy, Campbell River, BC PLAINTIFF Michalko, Myron CLAIM $5,473 DEFENDANT Heritage Business Park Ltd 430 Wentworth St, Nanaimo, BC PLAINTIFF Cowichan Valley Mortgages Ltd CLAIM $67,919 DEFENDANT Strata Vis 457 1615 Belcher Ave, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Sidlichenko, Elena CLAIM $14,233 DEFENDANT McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Limited 1300-777 Dunsmuir St, Vancouver, BC PLAINTIFF Samson, Bertha CLAIM $25,156

DEFENDANT Nasib Services Inc 6345-197th, Langley, BC PLAINTIFF Samson, Bertha CLAIM $25,156 DEFENDANT Tender Care Nannies & Manpower Services Ltd 104-9717 3rd St, Sidney, BC PLAINTIFF Samson, Bertha CLAIM $25,156 DEFENDANT Eagle Aircraft Services Ltd 7635 Blossom Park Pl, Saanichton, BC PLAINTIFF Victoria Air Maintenance Ltd CLAIM $25,216 DEFENDANT Don Mann Excavating Ltd. 4098 Lochside Dr, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Western Traffic Ltd CLAIM $8,597 DEFENDANT Melinda’s Biscotti Company Inc 104-9717 3rd St, Sidney, BC PLAINTIFF Peggy Yelland & Associates Inc CLAIM $12,878 DEFENDANT Condor Properties Ltd. 6589 Sooke Rd, Sooke, BC

PLAINTIFF Lumberwood Operations Ltd CLAIM $25,000 DEFENDANT 0865357 BC LTD 744 Cliff Road, Quathiaski Cove, BC PLAINTIFF Westpoint Capital Corporation CLAIM $63,409 DEFENDANT Nova Pacific Care Inc 901-1788 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC PLAINTIFF Dares, Dianne Elizabeth CLAIM $32,015 DEFENDANT Owners Strata Plan VIS4686 455 Kingston St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Dares, Dianne Elizabeth CLAIM $32,015 DEFENDANT RBM Financial Inc PLAINTIFF 681596 BC LTD CLAIM $20,000 DEFENDANT Spark Street Enterprises Inc PLAINTIFF Saltspring Island Excavating Ltd CLAIM $50,276

MAY 2015

DEFENDANT Black Diamond Excavating & Trucking 2013 Ltd 6189 Dennie Lane, Nanaimo, BC PLAINTIFF Ramsay Lampman Rhodes CLAIM $10,190 DEFENDANT Unisol Engineering Ltd 1186 Bewdley Ave, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Fawcett Taylor Investments Inc CLAIM $25,216

DEFENDANT Chongo Foods Ltd 6699 Mark Lane, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Business Development Bank of Canada CLAIM $34,511 DEFENDANT Jafic Holdings Ltd 505 Fisgard St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Wilson, Denise Marie CLAIM $21,978

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DEFENDANT 0877319 BC LTD 4th Floor 844 Courtney St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Scansa Construction Ltd CLAIM $698,007

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DEFENDANT Island View Construction Ltd 402-707 Fort St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Business Development Bank of Canada CLAIM $32,119

DEFENDANT Tung Nguyen Watchmaker 4244 Carey Road, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Guillen, Ricardo CLAIM $19,716

DEFENDANT Jafic Holdings Ltd 505 Fisgard St, Victoria, BC

ACREAGES STARTING AT $239,000

DEFENDANT 0503050 BC LTD 301-1321 Blanshard St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Victoria Powder Coating Ltd CLAIM $10,948 DEFENDANT Doma Design Group Ltd 443 Chadwick Pl, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Raven Metal Products Ltd CLAIM $25,216

DEFENDANT RSP Properties Ltd. 200-931 Fort St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Sutherland, Ian CLAIM $142,141

Pratt Road, Coombs

PLAINTIFF Bruce, John Ross CLAIM $21,978

SOLD

ROAD

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47

MAY 2015

REDFISH, SHELLFISH CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Another new event this year is Fresh Fest in the Marina, featuring live concert and salmon chef stations, presented by the BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA) and North Island Chefs Association.

Other components premiering for 2015 include: the Flying Lobster Extravaganza and Expo Opening Reception by Flying Fresh Freight at the Old House Hotel and Spa, and new family beach tours with Macs Oysters.

T hese new events w ill join popular elements from 2014, like the BCSGA Chefs Gala Dinner, Fanny Bay Oyster plant tours, Seafood Feast & Casino Royal at the Old House Hotel, a long table dinner at the Best Western, and Comox Harbour Charters tours.

The public will also have access to The Comox by the Sea Celebration, and oyster shucking competitions and showcases.

Despite the consumer-focus of many of the festival’s components, there is a strong business focus, providing networking, professional development and educational opportunities.

Topics to be covered include Wild Fisheries Trends, ‘How to Get Your Product from Here to There: Cross Border Trade and Distribution Channels to Grow Business, and Exploring the Business of Closed-Containment Aquaculture.

One of the panelists for the Closed-Containment session is Dr. Stephen Cross, an associate professor at the University of Victoria, industrial research chair of sustainable aquaculture at North Island College, and founder and CEO of the SEA Vision Group.

His company focuses on developing sustainable aquaculture systems, which integrate multiple species into one self-sustaining ecosystem.

The unique offerings of the company have been featured in National Geographic.

Dr. Cross is also a long-time board member with the BCSGA. “This festival brings aquaculture industry and academia together,” he said.

“Typically industry engages with the academic community for things like the development of new products, production methods and technologies.

“Especially now with climate change and its effects on the future of the industry, these kinds of events and forums are becoming more important. “ T he B CSG A c re ate d t h i s festival, and we’ve watched it evolve.

“It’s now a platform where the industry showcases its products and interacts with the public, and has the opportunity to educate them on internal processes and increase transparency,” he added.

“The highlight of this event is the Annual Gala, now we have

Dr. Stephen Cross, Professor, Founder at the SEA Vision Group, Director at the BC Shellfish Grower’s Association chefs competing from throughout the region to be included in the event.

“It’s also an opportunity for us as producers to see the full lifecycle of our products.”

Richard Hardy echoed these statements, “so often many of us in the aquaculture industry have our heads down in the trenches growing and producing great seafood products, “T he gala dinner is a great way for us to see how well our products can be presented and of course the consumption of those great products speak for themselves.”

T h e e ve nt fe at u re s a s i xcourse themed dinner and wine pairings.

The festival has also become a c ata lys t for p ol it ic a l a nd

Richard Hardy, Aquaculture Manager for the K’omoks First Nation, with one of his staff PHOTO CREDIT: MIKE LEBLANC / AGRIFOODCOMOXVALLEY.COM

legislative changes.

“The interesting thing now is the recognition by the Province of British Columbia on how important the aquaculture industry is to local communities such as the Comox Valley and Campbell River,” says Hardy.

“Last year the festival was fortunate enough to have our local MLA Don McRae and Minister Teresa Wat from BC’s Ministry of International Trade moderate a round table discussion with the BCSGA and the BCSFA about how BC could assist aquaculturalists in advancing an industry that had been stagnant for nearly 1213 years.”

“The subsequent impacts from that round table resulted in both

associations meeting with the Premier’s Chief Secretary in September of 2014.

“That particular meeting resulted in additional staff and resources being directed towards the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources to address the back log of aquaculture applications.”

An even more recent indication of the value of those meetings was the introduction of BC’s Modern Fish and Seafood Act this past March, which included input from both associations.

For more information please visit: www.discovercomoxvalley.com/ shellfish-festival-info www.agrifoodcomoxvalley.com

NEW LOCATION PROVIDES VALUE ADDED SERVICES “It’s all about safety Forklifts save time, money and back breaking labour

F

orklifts may not seem to be the most exciting piece of equipment but as Jeff Gallimore owner of Pacific West Forklift Ltd said, it’s not so much what they are as what they do.

Pacific West sells, rents and maintains a wide range of forklifts. The machines are used for lifting heavy items, thus saving time, money and back breaking labour.

In fact, it was saving backs that led Gallimore, in 2012, to donate a forklift for use at the Vancouver Island Exhibition and to Loaves and Fishes, a Nanaimo based community food bank.

“I was working near the Loaves and Fishes warehouse on Farquhar Street and saw how hard the volunteers were working,” he said. “I figured they could use help so we donated a rental forklift. We still own the forklift and provide any maintenance it needs.”

Gallimore, who has owned the business for more than 20 years, said that many of his clients have been with him since he first opened the doors.

“We have long standing relationships with BC Ferries, BC

and understanding how the machine works in different settings, and keeping operators safe.”

JEFF GALLIMORE PACIFIC WEST FORKLIFT LTD.

Hydro, Midland Tools and Coca Cola, tile and carpet retailers like City Tile, ABBA and Wingren and transportation and freight companies. The machines lift rolls of carpet, boxes of heavy tile, bottles, building supplies, large food and freight containers.”

Serving the mid-island, Pacific West provides a full service forklift operation, from sales and rentals to parts and service. His original location in the industrial area of McCoullough Rd., had only 1,000 square feet so when a property and building a few doors down came up for sale, the company bought it.

With three and a half times more space, a showroom and parts department, plus an exterior compound, Gallimore said the extra 3,500 square feet of space has allowed Pacific West to maintain a larger inventory. It carries new and rental forklifts with both electric

and internal combustion engines and a variety of tire types for different working environments. But the key to the purchase was its close proximity to the original location and long-time valued customers.

“Many of our clients work in the same area. We didn’t want to leave them.”

Finding the right forklift for clients is a vital part of Gallimore’s business.

“Understanding what kind of terrain the machine will be working in, the size and weight of the product, where items will be placed and how different machines behave in our wet West Coast environment is important,” he said. “It’s all about keeping operators safe.”

A s a c e r t i f i e d i n s t r u c to r Gallimore also provides training and certification for those looking to improve, upgrade, or learn the operation of a forklift.

“I will travel to the customer’s location, as the operators may need to learn how to handle a forklift in their own environment.”

Whether it’s teaching forklift safety, giving back to his community or finding the right part for his client, Gallimore believes that the secret to his company’s longevity is treating his customers fairly.

Pacific West Forklift Ltd is at 2310 McCou l lough Rd. i n Nanaimo. www.pacificwestforklift.com

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

48 NANAIMO

and Volunteer Relations, Don Hubbard, Ducks Unlimited Canada, BC Senior Director, Rocky Ostaffy, President, Knappett Industries, and Todd Wood, Partner, Knappett Industries.

Hagar’s Boutique is celebrating their 26th Anniversary this year. They are located at 309A Wesley Street.

Ducks Unlimited Canada received a donation of $25,000 from Knappett Industries, in the photo from left to right: Chris Clarkson, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Provincial Manager, Events

Fred and Rose Kolodrubsky were also presented with an award for 10 years of contributions to the program. In the photo from left to right: Rose Kolodrubsky, Don Hubbard, Fred Kolodrubsky and Chris Clarkson.

Two new businesses have opened up shop in Nanaimo. Andy Capadouca has purchased a Pro Works Painting franchise, located at 103 Timberview Road, and Leona Ping Fang has opened the Port Place Hair Spa, located at unit 103 – 648 Terminal Avenue.

Nanaimo’s Cole Renner has taken a new position with the BC Lions an Account Executive.

Previously he worked for CIBC and HSBC, the Nanaimo Clippers and Vancouver Island Raiders.

The Nanaimo Amateur Radio Association recently celebrated its 67th anniversary.

Steve Marshall Ford has been awarded the 2014 Diamond Club Presidents Award for outstanding achievement in sales and customer service.

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Babak’s Oriental Carpets will be closing its doors; they are located at the North Town Centre Mall.

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The Nanaimo Community Hospice Society has added Karyn French as their new Executive Director. Previously she was involved with the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness, the Pacifica Housing Advisory Association, the BC Non Profit Housing Association and the Greater Victoria Police Victims Service Society.

She replaces Wendy Pratt, who was elected to city council this past November.

The Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce recently held their Business Achievement Awards at the Coast Bastion Hotel. The winners included: both finalists in the Youth Initiatives category: Kenton Dick and Gina Mowatt. The Natural Environment Tourism category winner was Harbour Air Ltd., the other finalists were Greater Nanaimo Cycling Coalition and Nanaimo Hospitality Association, M.C. Wright Associates Ltd. beat finalists Inuktun Services Ltd. and Taste of BC Aquafarms Inc. to take the Natural

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Environment Sciences award. The Wellington Jazz Academy won the Cultural Vitality - The Arts category. L’Association des Francophones and Theatre One were other finalists.

The Cultural Vitality and Innovation category was won by Dog n’ Suds, over finalists Makerspace Nanaimo and Thriving Locally.

Woodgrove Centre took Economic Development РStalwart, over finalists Johnston, Johnston Associates Ltd. and Mount Benson Mechanical Ltd. Tilray won the Economic Development Startup category, over Nesvog Meats and Pye Design Marketing. Code Brew at the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital won the Social Considerations - Social Enterprise category, over Coco Caf̩ Cedar Opportunities Co-operation and the SquareOne Tech Incubator. The Nanaimo Community Hospice Society won the Social Considerations - Institutional category, edging out the Nanaimo Child Development Centre, Nanaimo Unique Kids Organization and VIU Deep Bay Marine Field Station. R.W. (Bob) Wall Ltd. won the Built Environment Design, Architecture, Engineering award, over semifinalists Herold Engineering and Pheasant Hill Homes Ltd. Westmark Construction Ltd. received the Built Environment Construction Development award, over Canadian Tire and Real Estate WebMasters.

West Coast Factory Direct Hot Tubs is celebrating their 25th year in business.

The Nanaimo Intermediate A Timberman have added Pat O’Dwyer as their new head coach.

Marcela Leus has joined Vancouver Island University as their new International Marketing and Recruitment Assistant.

Ashley Maids Inc. is in the process of planning to move its headquarters from Saskatoon to Nanaimo. Owner Jessica Bennett plans to locate the business somewhere in the downtown area.

Angie Barnard will be acting as the primary organizer for this year’s Heritage Days festival, happening May long weekend.

More than 130 Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce members witnessed David Littlejohn named as the organization’s new chairman for 2015-2016.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

MAY 2015

Littlejohn works for the Living Forest Campground and RV Park. The new board of directors consists of Chris Beaton, Don Bonner, Meryl Chahley, Warren Cook, Adam Hawryluk, Sean Herold, Dan Hurley, Sarah Lane, Greg Phillips, Andrea Rosato-Taylor, Justin Schley, Hilde Schlosar, Marianne Turley, and Kelly Whitton.

Ted Carson has made the decision to sell the Carson Denture Clinic to a yet undisclosed Island-based denturist.

The pet supply store Bark and Fitz franchise has changed its name to Fetch for Dogs and is no longer a franchise.

What a Bargain Thrift Store has opened up on Metral Drive.

Sabrina Yeudall has moved her legal practice from Warsh Law to 201 – 321 Wallace Street.

There is a new New Balance Store located on Bowen Road beside Frontrunners. Both businesses are owned by the same company.

Dennis Campbell, of Budget Brake and Muffler, is the new owner of Mackenzie Storage.

Kris Dubolva is the new Manager of Brand Marketing for Thrifty Foods.

Columbia Ice has purchased VI Phresh Water, there will not be a name change.

Crafts Canada, located on Commercial Street, will soon be closing its doors.

The British Columbia Real Estate Association has announced its Board of Directors for 2015/2016. Jim Stewart of Nanaimo joins David Kearney from Port Coquitlam, Gary McInnis from Victoria, Dick Pemberton from Kamloops, James Palanio from Penticton, and Rosario Setticasi from North Vancouver.

Anthony Ariganello and Sharon Bryan are the Association’s Public Directors.

Mark Fenwick, general manager of Woodgrove Centre since 2008, has left his position to join Tsawwassen Mills Mall as their new general manager.

The 1.2 million square-foot facility is located on land owned by the Tsawwassen First Nation, and will open in May 2016. Both retail centers are owned by Ivanhoe Cambridge.

Coast Industrial Machining is planning on moving to a new location in the south end of town at the corner of Harold and Balsam road.

TOFINO/ UCLUELET Trevor Bowers is pleased to announce the successful transfer of ownership of The Tree House Gift Company to Marcel Zobel.

The 29th annual Pacific Rim Whale Festival wrapped up with its Chowder Chowdown culinary competition. First place in both the People’s Choice and Judge’s Choice went to the Black Rock Resort, Port Alberni’s Starboard Grill came in second in both categories, the Wildside Grill came in third in the judge’s choice, while the Long Beach

Lodge took home third the people’s choice.

OCEANSIDE Shannon and Tonya Papineaus are the new owners of The Little Star Children’s Centre. They purchased the MontessoriWaldorf business from Elidah Jewer.

The Parksville and District Chamber of Commerce elected its board of directors for 2015/2016 at the group’s Annual General Meeting. The event took place at the Quality Resort Bayside.

The new President is Robynne Shaw, General Manager at the Sunrise Ridge Waterfront Resort. President Elect is Bonnie Wallis, an accountant, while the Vice President is Bill McKinney, owner of a local advertising agency. Terry Kerr joins the executive as Treasurer.

Newly elected directors for the year include Sue Battle, Dee McKinney, Al McLean and Jeannie Maltesen.

Directors with one year remaining in their term include: Donna Andres, Garry Bentham, Andy Lankester and Beth Ross. Leaving the board was Ashley Henry, Lisa Leger and Crystal McMillan.

GABRIOLA Arbutus Building Supplies has made the decision to join the Home Hardware Group and become a Home Building Centre. They were formerly with the IRLY distributors buying group. The new brand will be called Arbutus Home Building Centre.

The Gabriola Commons Foundation celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

CAMPBELL RIVER North Island College has named Chris Udy as the interim director of trades, technology and industry training. He is Red Seal certified, a journeyman metal fabricator and a Level-A welder.

The Western Financial Group has opened a new location in Merecroft Village.

Ron May was named as the Top Salesman for the month of February at Bill Howich Chrysler, RV and Marine.

Maverick Trailer & Marine Ltd., which sells cargo and flatdeck trailers, and Traeger grills, is now open at 1811 Island Highway.

Taco Del Mar has opened a new location at Timberline Village in Willow Point.

Visit them at #201, 801 Hilchey Road.

97.3 The Eagle Radio Station recently hosted their 7th Annual Variety Club Radiothon and raised $43,578 for children with health challenges.

COMOX VALLEY John Harnden celebrated his 25th anniversary with Brian McLean Chevrolet-Buick-GMC Ltd this year.

He works for the company as a sales

associate.

The Courtenay Pharmacy has opened up at their new location at 2599B Cliffe Street.

COWICHAN VALLEY

Andrew Rice joins Rice Toyota Courtenay as their new Sales and Marketing Coordinator.

Jason Adelborg, Sales Manager at Discovery Honda, has named Trevor Sheck as the Salesperson of the Month for March 2015.

Island Home Furniture opened their new showroom at 2966 Kilpatrick Avenue.

Peter Baljet GM congratulates their 3 Stars of the Month: Steve Aydon, Mike Iorio and Brodie Harris.

A new, first of its kind, youth focused, sports medicine eventy is coming to Vancouver Island.

Registration is now open for the Dave Battison Pediatric Sports Medicine Symposium will be happening on June 13th at Mount Washington Alpine Resort.

CORRECTION - Dr. Karen McIntyre has transferred her practice to Dr. Glaude and Dr. Pighin. They are not accepting new patients, and will continue to operate as a full service family practice, and provide hospital work.

The Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Black

49 Tie Awards last month at Brentwood College. Winners included: Ashley Mulholland with London Drugs taking the Customer Service Award, Colleen Marsel with the Heart & Stroke Foundation taking the Volunteer of the Year Award, Robin Round with Botanical Bliss taking the Green Business Award, Paul King with Hangaar taking the 2015 Young Entrepreneur Award, John Lore with Live Edge Design taking the Art in Business Award, David and Sandra Beggs with Cycle Therapy taking the Business Achievement Award (1 to 10 employees), Jennifer and Ian Woike with Farmer Ben’s Eggs taking the Business Achievement Award (11 to 19 employees), and Randall Huber of the Chemainus Theatre Festival winning the Business Achievement Award (20 or more employees).

OPINION

50

MAY 2015 A division of Invest Northwest Publishing Ltd. Vancouver Island Office 25 Cavan Street,Nanaimo, BC V9R 2T9 Toll free: 1.866.758.2684 Fax: 1.778.441.3373 Email: info@businessexaminer.ca Website: www.businessexaminer.ca

PUBLISHER/EDITOR | Lise MacDonald, lise@businessexaminer.ca SALES | Shawn Bishop – shawn@businessexaminer.ca, Josh Higgins – josh@businessexaminer.ca, Joanne Iormetti – joanne@businessexaminer.ca WRITERS | Goody Niosi, Julia MacDonald, John MacDonald, Beth Hendry-Yim WEBSITE | John MacDonald – john@businessexaminer.ca

ENTREPRENEURSHIP, DEMOGRAPHICS AND CAPITAL GAINS TAX REFORM IN CANADA One likely explanation for the decline, which has to-date been almost totally ignored, is the relationship between demographics and entrepreneurship

A

nu mb er of prom i nent Ca n ad i a n s, i nclud i ng Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz, have raised concerns about the state of business start-ups and entrepreneurship in Canada. There is no question that entrepreneurship is critical to a well-functioning, prosperous economy. New firms are the lifeblood of innovation, creativity, and economic progress. While the decline in business start-ups is a worrying sign for future economic dynamism and progress, the concern has not been met with practical solutions. Capital gains tax reform is one practical possibility.

Consider first the worrying trend in Canada that the rate of business start-ups, a key measure of entrepreneurship, is declining.

Since peaking in 2004, the rate

of business start-ups, as a share of existing firms, has declined by 16.2 per cent. Specifically, in 2004 there were 17.9 business start-ups (all firm sizes) per 100 existing firms. The rate has since declined to 15.0 business startups per 100 existing firms.

The rate of decline in business

start-ups is more pronounced for larger firms (measured by employment). For instance, the rate of decline in business startups between 2004 and 2012 for firms with 50 to 100 employees was -68.0 per cent.

Some of the explanation for this decline is not particular to Canada. That is, declines in business start-ups are also observed in other industrialized countries.

For instance, over the last decade of available data (2003-2012), the United States has experienced a decline in the rate of business start-ups of 8.0 per cent.

One likely explanation for the decline, which has to-date been almost totally ignored, is the relationship between demographics and entrepreneurship.

Younger people, for example, are less risk averse and more prone to question the status quo and experiment. Such characteristics are key to the entrepreneu ria l process. In older populations, not only are there prop or t ion ately less you n g workers with these characteristics but they are typically not in positions of influence within firms.

Canada, like all industrialized countries, is experiencing an aging of the population where

a larger and larger share of the population is over the age of 65.

Statistics Canada expects the portion of those over the age of 65 as a share of the population to increase by 74.1 per cent between 2008 and 2035.

Given the importance of entrepreneurship to the economy and the absence of any serious policy options available to governments with respect to demographics, it’s critical that governments enact policies supportive of entrepreneurship.

One such policy lever is capital gains tax reform. Capital gains taxes are applied to the sale of an asset when its sales price is nominally (not adjusted for inflation) above its original purchase price. The sale price is based on the present value expected by the purchaser from the future stream of income received by the asset. However, that stream of income is subject to annual taxes. The application of a capital gains tax after the sale is a type of double taxation and worse still, it creates disincentives for entrepreneurs and firms that finance entrepreneurs.

Currently, Canada has the 14th highest capital gains tax rate among the OECD countries despite two reductions in the tax

rate implemented by the Chretien Liberals. A number of options for capital gains tax reform exist, but one that holds great policy and practical promise is the replication of a Clinton-era reform from the U.S. Specifically, the Clinton Administration created a rollover provision whereby the proceeds of a sale of an asset are exempt from capital gains if they are re-invested within a specific time period, perhaps six months.

Such a reform frees up capital today that could boost entrepreneurship while deferring the eventual capital gains taxes.

Improving the incentives for, and the environment within which entrepreneurship occurs, can help mitigate the demographic headwinds currently impeding entrepreneurship, which has clear and serious implications for the economy as a whole.

Capital gains tax relief offers an opportunity for Canada to supercharge entrepreneurship, and it’s worth considering.

which can be achieved through the power of partnerships.

Partnerships in a business sense can be very rewarding, although there are some caveats. If you’re thinking about entering into a partnership, always try to make sure you begin negotiations from a position of strength. You probably don’t want to be partners with someone who has decided to join forces with you simply because they smell blood in the water, and they know you need their help more than they need you.

It’s always best to choose to go the partnership route when positive opportunity looms. Contrast that with being in a position where you need a helping hand or bailout, because that will make it difficult for you to make a good deal.

Really, the only good partnerships are where both - or all – sides win. So choose partners carefully. Conduct proper risk and vision analyses to determine if you’re even going down the same path. Weigh expectations and capabilities to make

sure this really is a good fit before proceeding, because once the ink is dried on the contract, you’re joined at the hip. Separation after that point could become a very painful exercise.

When people ask for my advice about partnerships, I always seem to offer this: Pick a winner.

If you have a choice in partnership opportunities, it’s always best and safest to sign on with those who have a proven track record.

That goes for organizations as well. One very successful friend shared her steps forward, noting that she joined Rotary for this reason: “I wanted to meet people that had something to teach me, and they have,” she said. “I went there to be a sponge and absorb information from them.”

There are a number of other worthwhile groups to become a ‘partner’ in like these, all for different, good reasons. The Chamber of Commerce, for example, is an excellent place to start, because while they offer networking opportunities and chances to meet other, like-minded business

people, the Chamber’s strongest suit is advocacy.

Speaking up for its members is something the Chamber can do like no other group. Raising issues that may be a problem for one or two companies who dare not address government policy or decisions in fear of retribution, is something that the Chamber is perfectly positioned to do.

When one or two concerned individuals speak up, they may not be heard and can often be ignored on the wrongful assertion that it’s just a few people. However, when the Chamber – with hundreds of members – raises an issue, it must be considered. Any level of government would be unwise to close its ear to the city’s main voice for business. And while doing so, if necessary, the Chamber can protect the identity of the member who raised the complaint.

Partnerships enable us to do bigger and better things, faster, than we can do ourselves. Get the right partners, and you can use your collective power to everyone’s benefit.

Jason Clemens and Niels Veldhuis are economists with the Fraser Institute and co-authors of Entrepreneurship, Demographics and Capital Gains Tax Relief, which is available at www.fraserinstitute.org.

THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIPS

MARK MACDONALD

M

any years ago, a clever leader provided a list of three things that are exceedingly wise in the earth.

Included within that was a rock badger.

He explained that this particularly small animal was wise because it made its home in the rocks. Simply put, it surrounded itsel f w ith th i ngs that were stronger than itself.

That principal, I believe, is one of the secrets of success, particularly in business: Surrounding ourselves with people who are smarter and stronger than we are, and complement us.

Even the most successful business owner has to realize that they need people – and customers – in order to emerge triumphant. So, as much as we may like to believe independence is the pinnacle, once we make it to the top – if we do – we’d be remiss in failing to acknowledge the people who have helped us get there in the first place.

We’re probably all aware that T E A M sta nds for: Together Everyone Achieves More. That’s a good rallying cry for staff, but it also extends out into the communities we serve through organizations that draw people together to work for the common good.

One of the benefits of being a small business owner is that, technically, we don’t have a boss to answer to. (Of course we do: it’s our customers.) But sometimes our strengths can actually become our weaknesses. While our independence and ‘smallness’ allows us to maneuver quickly and change direction on a dime, it also might mean that we won’t have as much success on a larger scale,

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LAW

MAY 2015

51

FINANCING VENTURES THROUGH CROWDFUNDING LAW

Each contribution is akin to a donation

A

nu mber of ou r cl ients have been asking about crowdfunding as a possible way to finance their new ventures. Here is what we have learned. Crowdfunding is a form of funding made possible by social media, in which a large number of people contribute small amounts toward a venture. In order to avoid onerous securities regulations directed to public share offerings, in crowdfunding campaigns, the contributors do not obtain an ownership interest in the venture. Each contribution is akin to a donation and typically, in exchange for a contribution, each contributor is given some form of thank you “perk”, depending on the amount of the contribution. Most contributions in a crowdfunding campaign will be under $25 and the average contribution will likely be in the $75 range. For contributions under $10 the contributor may just receive a thank you message, for contributions of $25 the contributor may receive a key

The party seeking crowdfunding should have a website, a 3 minute video that tells a compelling story, 7-9 levels of attractive perks, over 900 Facebook friends and a full-blown publicity campaign to get the word out as the launch Michael Cooper and Doug Thompson of ThompsonCooper LLP date approaches 5 times the value of the perk. for the low success rate is that in-

chain, and for contributions of $75 the contributor may receive a t-shirt. In addition, there are usually product discounts and early purchase incentives.

Generally, the amount contributed represents approximately

Crowdfunding was initially used for “arts” funding, relating to music, theater, art, film/video, dance, etc. Statistics released by one crowdfunding platform indicate there have been 49,000 campaigns relating to music, of which 40% reached their target goal and 84,000 campaigns relating to film/video projects, of which 24% reached their target goal. The use of crowdfunding by small business is relatively new, with only 20,000 campaigns, of which a relatively dismal 3% reached their goal. The reason

itial campaigns were ill prepared.

Successful campaigns tend to set forth a very specific project with a targeted appeal to contributors that have personal reasons to support it. The target should be a relatively small and reasonably attainable goal.

The average campaign is conducted over a period of 35 days.

It is critical that 30% of the target be obtained within the first 3 days of the campaign (presumably through existing contacts) in order to create a “momentum” that will encourage members of

the public to get on board. There is much to do in advance of a crowdfunding campaign.

The party seeking crowdfunding should have a website, a 3 minute video that tells a compelling story, 7-9 levels of attractive perks, over 900 Facebook friends and a full-blown publicity campaign to get the word out as the launch date approaches. In order to raise just $25,000 at an average contribution of $75, will require 334 contributors of which a third will typically be Facebook friends. There must be something about the new venture that spurs to action members of the public who were not previously aware of the venture. Perhaps the new venture sells a safety product and the campaign is targeted toward friends and family of workers who are frequently exposed to the very danger the safety product addresses.

In summary, if the project is one that inspires the target audience to proudly wear t-shirts to demonstrate their support, crowdfunding may be suitable. If the project is more difficult for the public to relate to, we recommend against crowdfunding, as most of us really do not need another t-shirt and, if we did, could purchase one for less than $75.

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