Business Examiner Thompson/Okanagan - June 2015 by Business Examiner Media Group

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JUNE 2015 VERNON

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Thompson/Okanagan

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INDEX News Update

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Vernon 7 Tourism 12 Kamloops 13 Penticton 13 Movers & Shakers 20 Opinion 22 Sales 23 Greensheet 23 Contact us: 1-866-758-2684

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Vernon law firms combine forces following lengthy proceedings BY JOHN MACDONALD

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Davidson Pringle LLP merges to enhance service offerings ERNON – What happens when two of the city’s premier law firms join forces? The clients of Allan Francis Pringle LLP and Davidson Lawyers LLP found out this year, as the two firms merged to become full-service law firm Davidson Pringle LLP. “We’re complimentary, our sizes were similar and we practiced in similar areas,” says Ian Hawes, Partner with Davidson Pringle. “Coming together has allowed us to offer a comprehensive service. We’re able to help clients at almost all stages of their lives.” Their services range from business law and civil litigation to criminal law and estate planning. The decision to merge didn’t just happen overnight. “Before doing this we went through a process that examined if there was a strong business case to be made,” said Hawes. “Over the years, partners from both firms had a number of informal conversations that didn’t amount to much, and no definite

The newly formed Davidson Pringle LLP, from left to right: Nick Jacob, Jeffrey Boschert, Ian Hawes, David Schaefer, Jay Hack, Kevin Cherkowski, Courtenay Simmons, Brett Kirkpatrick, Nick Vlahos and Richard Barton steps had ever been taken.” The discussions turned serious about a year and a half ago. “Kevin Cherkowski was with Allan Francis Pringle then,” says

Hawes. “He and I knew each other quite well, and started having a serious discussion about a merger. “The more we talked about it,

the more it made sense. When we brought the idea to our own partner groups, the idea struck a SEE DAVIDSON PRINGLE | PAGE 5

BC Chamber AGM developes recipe for economic growth

A M LOOPS – T he BC Chamber of Commerce Annual General Meeting is a rallying point for the provincial business community to establish its priorities. “Every year the discussions trend in a certain direction,” said Brant Hasanen, the incoming Chair of the BC Chamber Board of Directors, following the recent AGM in Prince George. “The direction this year was the tall list

of major resource projects, and what Chambers can do to help them move forward. “This has become a priority because it’s our feeling that if the project proponents and government wait too long, the province and the rest of the country are going to miss out on a big opportunity.” Hasanen and the board are prepared for the upcoming year, and have four clearly defined points

of focus for their term, one of which speaks specifically to the potential to miss out on these opportunities. “One of our primary goals - and while this may seem cliché - is that we’re interested in building a better future here,” he says. “We have a habit of being complacent in BC, and not collectively focusing on what it is that we’re capable of doing as a province. “During the next year, we’ll be

focused on identifying who the movers and shakers and leaders are. We want to gather and align them to enable other businesses and communities to take advantage of the potential here.” Complementing the visionary focus of the board is its advocacy strategy. “We’re continuing to work hard to discover issues that are SEE AGM DEVELOPES RECIPE | PAGE 18

Canada’s Leading Group Benefit Plan For Firms with 1-50 Employees. Kevin Flynn

Salmon Arm Financial

Tel: 250-832-1088

www.salmonarmfinancial.com

For more information contact us, or your local Chamber office.

NEWS UPDATE

2 KELOWNA Kelowna Tourism launches new promotional pieces

The Central Okanagan’s place in BC’s tourism landscape is anchored by some key attractions including its wine industry and farm to table experiences. Tourism Kelowna’s extensive national advertising entices readers to visit the area; and once here, two self-guided touring brochures encourage visitation to participating agri-tourism, wine, and dining businesses, enriching the tourist experience in the sectors of wine and farm to table. Tourism Kelowna is pleased to announce that these two promotional pieces are out for 2015. To ensure they are widely available, 200,000 Kelowna Wine Trails and 95,000 Farm to Table guides are produced for distribution at participating wineries, farms, and restaurants, and throughout the Okanagan Valley at Visitor Centres and accommodations. Additionally, the Kelowna Wine Trails guide will be available at specialty wine stores in Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton throughout the spring. The objective here is to get them into the hands of Kelowna, West Kelowna, and Lake Country residents so that they be kept on hand to use when hosting visiting friends and relatives this summer. “We are proud of both of these guides, and how they have been received by area visitors and our program participants,” says Nancy Cameron, President & CEO of Tourism Kelowna. “They have both been used as marketing tools for our local tourism operators, and make winery

and farm touring approachable and convenient for the traveler. In a sense, they are like a private concierge service that provides background information while encouraging visitors to go to more of the participating attractions.”

VERNON Recent Funding Announcements made T h e Ve r n o n-b a s e d S o ut h e r n I nterior Development Initiative Trust has made a number of recent funding announcements. AAA Internet Publishing, Inc. dba WTFast in Kelowna, BC will be receiving a financial infusion. The company’s vision is to be the “Global ISP for Gaming”. Launched in late 2009, WTFast offers a global data network for multiplayer online games. The additional SIDIT funds will maintain existing employees and help to create an additional 5-10 jobs in 2015. Jupiter Avionics Corporation (JAC) in Kelowna has been an existing client of SIDIT since 2013. JAC is a Canadian company bringing together a team of internationally respected avionics professionals, each with more than 25 years of experience in the design, development and manufacture of airborne audio communication equipment. Their mission is to become the industry standard for audio avionics. The additional funding will allow the company to retain current and new employees that are required to further develop products and services that contribute to the success of JAC. Nor-Val Rentals Ltd. was founded in

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Armstrong in 1994, and is a locally owned equipment and event rental company proudly serving the Thompson Okanagan and Kootenays from locations in Armstrong, Vernon, and Lake Country. They offer a large selection of equipment, tools and supplies for rent to the construction, industrial and residential market. In 2007, Nor-Val Rentals identified unmet demand in the events industry in the Thompson Okanagan and expanded to include Nor-Val Event Rentals to service this growing market.

manufacturers are already experiencing, the optimism around employee growth underscores the economic potential for manufacturing in the Region and the need to continually support this sector,” says Corie Griffiths, Manager of Central Okanagan Economic Development.

KELOWNA

BC showcased some of the world’s most spectacular scenery to the filmmakers creating the world of Tomorrowland, a movie directed and produced by two-time Oscar winner Brad Bird. The film was shot in several communities throughout BC and is currently in theaters. The government recently joined Walt Disney Studios Canada, Tomorrowland crew, vendors, and BC’s creative industry to celebrate the release of Tomorrowland. Over the past three weeks, outdoor ads promoting the film were tagged with “Proudly Filmed in Beautiful BC” messaging. The custom creative appears on map stands, bus signs and transit shelters in various locations across the Greater Vancouver area. Tomorrowland was shot in eight different BC cities, including Enderby, Armstrong, R ichmond, Surrey, Burnaby, Delta and Langley, with principal photography kicking off in Vancouver in August 2013. UBC, the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, Museum of Vancouver and the Vancouver Academy of Music are just a few of the landmarks that served as locations for the film. BC’s dynamic creative sector is a key contributor to its economy and represents an opportunity for British Columbia to succeed on the global stage and to participate in a rapidly growing sophisticated, knowledge based industry. The filming of Tomorrowland supported over 1,800 full time jobs (FTE’s) and was responsible for $91.9 million in direct production expenditure in the province. Between August 2013 and January 2014, the production engaged over 1,100 vendors in 67 communities across BC. The production received approximately $21.8 million in support through provincial tax incentives.

Business Walk questions manufacturers The 4th Central Okanagan Business Walk conducted April 27 to May 1 took a different approach from previous Business Walks with questioning focused on the human resources needs of Central Okanagan manufacturers. Of the 50 manufacturers interviewed, 96 percent were optimistic about their growth with expectations of maintaining or increasing their number of employees over the next 3 years. The Human Resources Business Walk was created in follow up to the significant HR issues Okanagan businesses in all sectors are expected to face as identified in the 2014 study, “Growing in the Okanagan - 2020 Labour Market Outlook.” The manufacturing sector reported a number of issues from difficulty finding workers to training and succession planning. The Central Okanagan Business Walk program provided an opportunity to look at the HR needs of manufacturers throughout the Central Okanagan. Diverse ma nu factu rers produci ng products from baked goods and wine to composite plastics with employee sizes ranging from two to hundreds of employees were interviewed. Other highlights from the Business Walk included the fact that 90 percent of manufacturers said they are already challenged in their efforts to recruit and retain workers and/or by HR related issues. 80 percent of the manufacturers said they were having difficulty finding employees with specific skill sets. The most needed trades workers included fabricators, millwrights, electricians, break press operators, cabinet makers and finishers. Management and administrations positions that are reportedly difficult to fill include plant managers/supervisors, accountants, engineers and sales representatives. The need for “soft skills” such as a “positive attitude,” “the ability to relate to people” and “punctuality” were also mentioned. Despite increased challenges around recruitment and retention, less than half (46 percent) of the manufacturers said they had a formal succession plan for their business. Asked what they felt could help them overcome issues with employee recruitment, 10% of the manufacturers said they would benefit from assistance related to employee training. Almost 50% said they had participated in a formal apprenticeship program and/or would consider participating in such a program. Information from the HR Business Walk is communicated to civic and business stakeholders for consideration in the development of programs and services that can assist manufacturers. “Despite the HR challenges many of our

ENDERBY BC film industry boasts big screen feature

KAMLOOPS Kamloops Airport Update The Kamloops Airport announced traveler numbers for the month of April and year-to-date as compared to the same period in the previous year. Monthly Travelers increased from 23,609 in 2014, to 24,492 in 2015, and improvement of 3.61 percent. Year-To-Date Travelers increased from 110,756 in 2014 to 109,376 in 2015 a decrease of -1.26 percent.

KELOWNA Independent school offers innovative initiative The Aberdeen Hall Preparatory School has reached another milestone in offering students from the surrounding areas of the Okanagan Valley the opportunity to attend one of British Columbia’s top independent schools.

SUMMERLAND/NEWS UPDATE

JUNE 2015

Beginning in September 2015, students from communities in the Kamloops, PentIcton, Merritt a nd Vernon reg ions ca n now study and live with a local family from Monday to Friday, returning to their homes and communities on the weekend. Head of School, Christopher Grieve, feels that this opportunity offers the best of both worlds. “Parents who want to give their children an academically challenging environment, but are 100 – 200 kilometers away from a world class university preparatory school, now have an option. Accessing exceptional academic, athletic and arts programming in a world class facility is now attainable and provides a tremendous opportunity for students wishing to prepare for university, and life beyond.” Adjacent to the UBCO campus, Aberdeen Hall’s 40-acre campus offers state-of–the-art facilities including the Great Hall with sky labs, a robotics lab, digital recording studio, science labs, and athletic and arts facilities. The school was also recently named as the Number 1 among Okanagan schools in the Fraser Institute’s annual secondary school rankings.

WESTBANK Westbank First Nation

wins prestigious award Westbank First Nation (WFN) was honoured at an event in Edmonton, at the 3rd Annual National Congress on Culture. Tracy Satin and Jordan Coble, representatives from WFN and the Sncəwips Heritage Museum, accepted the Culture Days 2014 Cities For People Award. The awa rd honou rs except ion a l leadership and innovation in implementing a collaborative arts or cultural activity/project that aims to transform the livability of a community or fellow citizens. “The Sncəwips Heritage Museum opened to the public in June 2014 and when presented with the opportunity to participate in Culture Days, the answer was YES. This was an event that we could fully participate in, as Culture Days is about giving everyone a voice through artistic expression, whatever it may be. This was the perfect national venue for highlighting Westbank First Nation language, art and culture in an inclusive, open and respectful way, “ says Satin. With a r ts a nd cu ltu re as a bridge, Westbank First Nation and the District of West Kelowna collaborated towards a successful Culture Days 2014. First Nation and non-First Nation artist works and workshops were held throughout the intertwining communities of Westbank and West Kelowna and WFN lead

the way by proclaiming Sept. 26-28th Culture Days on reserve lands. As a direct result of this groundbreaking initiative, the Suk’ʷtəmsqilxʷ West Kelowna Arts Council (SWAC) was officially launched in February 2015, with representatives from Westba n k Fi rst Nat ion a nd West Kelowna. “Culture Days was and will continue to be a weekend of learning, sharing and participating for WFN and it is the Museum’s hope that more national events will share this same focus,” says Satin.

KAMLOOPS Okanagan region wins big at economic development event Venture Kamloops, the economic development arm of the City of Kamloops, has just been awarded the Marketing Initiative Award at the BC Economic Development Association’s annual awards for its VK Venture Advisors program. T he V K Vent u re A dv i sors program has existed in its current form for four years. Each mont h , a n ent reprene u r or business is chosen to participate and pitch their business idea to the VK Venture Advisors panel. These experts provide constructive feedback, insight,

SUPPORT TOURISM IN THE COMMUNITY

SUMMERLAND CHRISTINE PETKAU

n Summerland, one of the roles of the Chamber of Commerce is to promote and support tourism in the community. In 2014 we launched a comprehensive new website, tourismsummerland.com that engages viewers with more than 80 pages of beautiful images and exciting experiences that can be found here. We also launched a stunning new tourism video which can be found on the main page of the site. This year we’ve introduced a digital quarterly tourism newsletter that reaches out to more than 15,000 people in BC and Alberta. We’re hoping that these initiatives are contributing to our rising numbers – both hard stats in the visitor centre and anecdotally from our tourism and hospitality member businesses. Last year the Summerland Visitor Centre welcomed more than 12,000 visitors, up more than 30 percent since 2013, and one of only 3 communities in the Okanagan region to show increased numbers. There’s no denying that tourism acts as a juggernaut in our local economy. TOTA estimates that Summerland receives approx. 3 percent of

the annual 1.7 Billion dollars of tourism income in our region. And the fact is that tourism and economic development are not two separate areas. Communities now recognize that people who move to the Okanagan and invest likely came here first as tourists. Two weeks ago we had the opportunity to attend TOTA’s 3rd year update of the 10 year strategy they launched in 2012. A couple of the exciting initiatives they are working on at the Thomson Okanagan level are bike path development and developing our region as a winter destination. These parallel initiatives that that South Okanagan Economic Development Consortium are also working on – initiatives that recognize that what’s great for tourism is also great for economic development. And if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that working together on these projects benefits everyone. ••• You can ride your bike to a new tourism and economic development initiative that’s coming specifically to Summerland this summer. The brainchild of the local Rotary organization, a new Sunday market will showcase Summerland producers, farmers, wineries and merchants and will also provide live entertainment. The Chamber is supporting the market with promotion as well as summer student support. This great new market will kick off Sunday, June 21 (10 am – 2 pm) and run through September. We hope to see you in Summerland this summer! Christine Petkau is Executive Director of the Summerland Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at cpetkau@ summerlandchamber.com

and connections regarding the business idea. The Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission (COEDC) won the Community Project of the Year Award for its Okanagan Young Professionals (OYP) Collective program. Established in February 2012, the OYP Collective, the first program of its kind facilitated by an Economic Development Organization in Canada, has become the umbrella that fosters and supports the existing community groups by opening the lines of communication, helping cross-pollinate memberships, as well as hosting its own outstanding events and activities, all with a focus and shared vision of creating a dynamic, vibrant and engaged culture that attracts and retains talented professionals in their 20’s and 30’s to the Okanagan Region. To date the OYP has raised over $260,000 in funds and services for non-profits and charities. Over 3000 volunteer hours of b u s i n e s s s e r v i c e v a lu e d a t $150,000 (accounting, web development, business planning, HR, etc.) have been provided to local not-for-profit agencies.

SUMMERLAND Wind power projects

3 approved by BC Hydro BC Hydro is adding new clean wind power to the provincial electricity grid, including two new wind farms in the Okanagan – the first ever for the region. T hree agreements were recently announced for new developments near West Kelowna, Summerland and Taylor that will provide enough electricity to power 14,000 homes a year. The agreements, with White Ro ck-ba se d d evelop er Zero Emission Energy Developments Inc., were sig ned u nder BC Hydro’s Standing Offer program – which offers a simplified, streamlined procurement process for small clean energy projects in BC. T he three projects will add about 45 megawatts of clean wind capacity to BC Hydro’s system. Once built, the projects will bring BC Hydro’s total capacity of wind power to more than 700 megawatts. Construction is scheduled to start late spring or early summer and will take about 18 months. Construction for each project will create between 25 and 50 job opportunities. BC Hydro now has energy purchase agreements for 20 projects under the Standing Offer program that include solar, wind, biom a ss, biog a s a nd hyd ro power. To be eligible, projects must be 15 megawatts or less in size.

%RQDSDUWH ,QGLDQ %DQG HOUSING MANAGER

Bonaparte Indian Band is seeking an experienced professional to fulfill the role of Housing Manager. The Housing Manager will be expected to carry out and/or oversee a wide variety of housing related tasks. As Housing Manager, you may be a planner, a technician, an administrator, a supervisor, a communicator, a financial officer all rolled into one position and will require a skill set in all these areas.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES: • Administration and management of the housing units and governing programs. • Administration of the CMHC Social Housing phases, Band-Owned Housing, Capital Housing, and RRAP. • Administration and management of capital projects including new construction and renovations. • Administration and management of the First Nations Market Housing Fund agreement. • Rent collections. • Property maintenance, unit inspections, and asset management of rental units. • Develop and review annual budgets, financial statements, work plans, and reports.

CLOSING DATE: June 11, 2015 at 12:00pm Salary commensurate with experience. Requirements, qualifications, and additional information on how to apply at www.bonaparteindianband.com/careers Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Preference will be given to First Nations applicants.

KELOWNA

JUNE 2015

KELOWNA – WE’RE IN THE RIGHT PLACE, AT THE RIGHT TIME In fact, Kelowna and Guelph, Ontario have the lowest unemployment rates among ALL Canadian cities,

KELOWNA

according to Stats Can

CAROLINE GROVER

s spring races into summer, Kelowna’s economic numbers continue to reflect a sturdiness that makes us all feel optimistic. Our Chamber members a re cautiously confident – not all businesses are enjoying growth, but optim i sm a nd ex p e ct at ion s for good times ahead are a theme we hea r repeated severa l times every week from business members: both those with new businesses, and those who are long established players in our market. In terms of tracking spending and purchasing, it’s always instructive and often entertaining, to look at what Millennials are doing. Earlier this week, I heard that Millennials not only are entering their peak buying years, but that they are expected to soon surpass Boomers in total

population. [NAR Generational Survey, Washington, DC, 2015] Good news for tech, general retail (more than 50 percent of Millennial households already have children) and real estate. Millennials are 2.5 times more likely to be “early adopters” of

technology than any other generation. [2015 Millennial Marketing]. This means lots more buying and upgrading. Other interesting news for Kelowna this month included the Employment Insurance stats released May 21st. It’s no secret that Alberta saw a significant increase in EI numbers – in March EI recipients went up 24.7 percent. Large centres weren’t immune – Calgary’s EI numbers jumped, too. By comparison, Kelowna shines in this regard: there were slight EI increases in BC outside of the province’s CMAs (census metropolitan areas of 100,000+ population). Again, Kelowna demonstrated immunity. In fact, Kelowna and Guelph, Ontario have the lowest unemployment rates among ALL Canadian cities, according to Stats Can. Our two cities’ jobless rates are tied at 4.1 percent. Of course, that means a challenge for companies looking to expand and hire and acquire talent. That can place constraints on in-migrating companies which may look to establish elsewhere. However, as we look ahead, we see the Central Okanagan Economic Development forecast of a population of 250,000 for our Kelowna CMA. The steady growth that COEDC predicts of 1.9 percent per year ensures that

goods, services, real estate and our local industries will continue to expand. Of BC’s three top industries, lumber, mining and real estate, real estate is a star in the Okanagan. In the central Okanagan (Peachland to Lake Country) residential sales were up 21.5 percent January-April over 2014. The estimated spin-off economic impact of those $651 million in sales was an additional $99.5 million (renovations, appliances, taxes, etc.) [Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board] And let’s not forget the growth in international awareness of the Okanagan as we continue to take a world-leading role in the ‘farm to table’ travel experience. These travel experiences helped the BCwide tourism industry generate revenues of $13.5 billion in 2012. Awareness is growing by mega leaps every year – dollars are sure to follow as our agri-businesses mature. [Destination BC] Of course, the volatility of the Canadian dollar continues to concern many of our businesspeople, i nclud i ng those i mporting, exporting, and paying for travel expenses in the US or paying for any goods and services in US dollars. Pundits and economists continue to prognosticate, but the ride to a more stable dollar isn’t one that is ending any time soon.

Still, the next two decades in Kelowna and in BC (“We’ll carry the country with our strength,” said a lecturer from Investors Group earlier this month) are going to put smiles on a lot of business people’s faces as expansion continues. Ea rl ier th is week, BC P remier Christy Clark announced an agreement in principle with Pacific NorthWest LNG, owned in majority by Malaysia’s Petronas, for a liquefied natural gas development on the province’s northwest coast. Clark said the LNG framework will result in stable, long-term revenue for BC and $36 billion in investment, including a proposal for an LNG facility near Prince Rupert, with spin-off employment throughout BC. So what does all this mean for Kelowna? We are in the right place, at the right time, with the right product. We’re the fastest growing city in BC, ahead of Vancouver, and have great business and social ties to the top cities on the national list in Alberta and Saskatchewan. It’s a good time to be a part of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce. Caroline Grover is the CEO of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached by email at caroline@kelownachamber.org

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

Congratulations Blair Gronlund We know our business solutions are as strong as the team behind them. That’s why we are committed to having the right professionals in place to meet your business needs. MNP is pleased to congratulate Blair Gronlund on his promotion to Associate Partner. An integral member of our Vernon office’s Assurance team, Blair is focused on providing effective tax and business strategies to his health care, professionals, real estate, construction and private enterprise clients. As a leading national accounting and business consulting firm, MNP continues to deliver the industry-leading people and the results you need to be successful. Contact Blair Gronlund, CPA, CA at 778.475.5678 or blair.gronlund@mnp.ca

SALMON ARM/OFF THE COVER

JUNE 2015

DAVIDSON PRINGLE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

nerve with enough people to get the process going.â&#x20AC;? The first major step towards joining forces came with the development of a work i ng group made up of members of both firms that oversaw the o p e ra t i o n a l a s p e c t s o f t h e move. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of work had to be done to make this happen,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The working group met every Thursday morning to work through the issues and determine who was going to handle what part of the merger. â&#x20AC;&#x153;T here were five of us who worked on the project, it was a big effort from both sides, especially because we still had to run our practices while making the merger happenâ&#x20AC;? The working group consisted of partners Ian, Kevin, Jeffrey Boschert and Richard Barton, and another staff member. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A key piece of this move was Davidson Lawâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s need for a new location,â&#x20AC;? said Hawes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It had been a struggle for a number of years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were looking for a new office, and Allan Francis Pringle owned the Justice Park Place building where weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re now located. They had space available, and ended up moving a tenant out to be able to accommodate everyone.â&#x20AC;?

Ian Hawes, Partner at Davidson Pringle LLP, in his volunteer role as a ringette coach Allan Francis Pringle developed the building in the early 2000s. It underwent renovations and upgrades prior to the official move-in date. â&#x20AC;&#x153;T he move happened over Easter. A lot of planning was done to make sure it was a seamless transition,â&#x20AC;? he added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our information technology team and the rest of the staff really came through for us. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There was an element of risk when we started this process, in a professional setting there are going to be a lot of strong personalities. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s taken time to blend the culture and systems of the two companies, but weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve managed well so far.â&#x20AC;? Outside of the business benefits of the merger, it also provided the firms a chance to experience things their clients go through. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We deal with business sales and moves all the time, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the transactional and paperw o rk s i d e o f t h i n g s ,â&#x20AC;? s a y s

Davidson Pringle LLPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office at Justice Park Place Hawes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were only getting one perspective. â&#x20AC;&#x153;After going through the merger, we thought â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;wowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of work that goes into this, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s given us a chance to empathize with situations our clients go through, and serve them better.â&#x20AC;? When asked about advice to other companies preparing for a merger, acquisition or location change, he said â&#x20AC;&#x153;planning is the most important thing. When you assign a task make sure it gets done. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In these situations itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very difficult to predict what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to be dealing with, you have to make decisions and not wait for the perfect timing or situation. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not going to

SAPORI OLIVE OILS & VINEGARS EXPANDS TO SALMON ARM The downtown Edward Jones in Salmon Arm will see some changes in staff come September

SALMON ARM CORRYN GRAYSTON

almon Armâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own Sunnybrae B&B was rated 7 out of 10 of all bed and breakfasts in North America and the Caribbean currently listed on Booking.com, a website which accounts for hundreds of this type of accommodation. Owner Leanne Jansen-Hagenaars is thrilled at the news that her B&B is now considered one Booking.comâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Booking Bestâ&#x20AC;?. Leanneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beautiful B&B offers private entrances and bathrooms, beautiful lake and mountain views, free wi-fi, and much more. For more information on her bed and breakfast, please visit w w w.sunnybraebb.com or call Leanne to congratulate her on the award at 250-835-8545. â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘ This June, the Salmon Arm location of Sapori Olive Oils & Vinegars will be celebrating their one year anniversary and owner Donna Harms could not be more

pleased. Sapori Olive Oils & Vinegars originated in Armstrong and expanded in June of last year to include a convenient downtown Salmon Arm location. Since then, Donna prides herself on consistently importing quality specialty oils and vinegars for our community. You can find their Salmon Arm location at 122 Lakeshore Drive N.E. or for more information on all their products, visit their website www.saporioilsandvinegars.com. â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘ The downtown Edward Jones in Salmon Arm will see some changes in staff come September. Jim Kimmerly, the current financial advisor will be retiring at the end of August and moving into his position is Rob Hislop, also of Salmon Arm. Rob is a certified financial advisor and is looking forward to offering financial solutions tailored to your individual needs. With a range of services provided, Rob invites you to contact him to learn about how he can help you reach your financial goals. For more information, call (250) 833-0623 or e-mail robert.hislop@edwardjones.com. Corryn Grayston is the General Manager at the Salmon Arm Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at (250) 832-6247 or admin@ sachamber.bc.ca

come across that kind of decision very often.â&#x20AC;? Now that the move is over, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business as usual. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a matter of settling now, there are still things to deal with, but we just want to get our law work done now,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to work through the summer and see how things are going, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll review whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worked and what hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a business youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re always needing to evolve.â&#x20AC;? That evolution is very important to the legal profession. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The question weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re dealing with is, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;How do you keep legal services affordable?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Lawyers can be expensive, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re always trying to become more efficient.

5 â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have to start moving in the direction of taking advantage of technology as much a possible. Using software and different digital tools increases efficiency, and those efficiencies ultimately save clients money.â&#x20AC;? Clients are the first priority for Hawes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What gets me out of bed in the morning is the chance to meet with my clients, I really enjoy the relationships and personal interactions that come with the job. We pride ourselves on being approachable and friendly,â&#x20AC;? he adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no ivory tower mentality here. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Legal problems are challenging, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re focused on seeing legal issues from the perspective of the clients, because quite often weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been in their shoes before.â&#x20AC;? The firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s partners are very active in the community. David Schaefer has been involved with the BC Easter Seals â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Camp Winfield for a number of years. Brett Kirkpatrick is the president of the Funtastic Sports Society, which puts on an annual slo-pitch tournament. Hawes was also instrumental in Vernon hosting the ringette provincials, and currently coaches his daughter in the sport. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everyone here is involved in something, whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Chamber of Commerce, Scouts or Community Futures,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to be giving back.â&#x20AC;? www.davidsonpringle.com

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JUNE 2015

COMMUNITY IN

VERNON Vernon is a lifestyle community

The city sees an increase in the number of remote workers BY BETH HENDRY-YIM

anked as the third best city in BC by MoneySense magazine, Vernon sits at the head of Kalamalka, Okanagan and Swan Lakes. Surrounded by grassland hills, it boasts 1,903 hours of sunshine annually, a July mean temperature of 19.1 C, and a growing season from late April to early October. Incorporated December 30, 1892, it will celebrate its 125th anniversary in 2017. A four and a half hour drive from Vancouver and six hour drive from Calgary, Vernon is home to approximately 40,000 people with a mean age slightly above the provincial average of 46.5 years. Employment has historically been focused on tourism, forestry, and agriculture. However, Kevin Poole, Vernon’s economic development manager, said the city is seeing an increase in the number of remote workers from the tech industry and oil and gas. “People choose to live in Vernon because of the lifestyle,” he said. “It has a small town feel, you’re 10 minutes from downtown and outdoor activities, 20 minutes from an international airport, and there’s little traffic or congestion.” Technology lends itself well to mobility and remote work, so part of the city’s recent strategic plan involves working with Community Futures to create incubator and co-working space for the tech community. Poole added that the city hosts a number of one or two person operations and the city wants to support growth in this area. But it isn’t just technology that’s bringing workers to Vernon. Poole said the city is also seeing an increase in the number of workers from the oil and gas industry who chose to live and raise their families in Vernon while working elsewhere. “They visit us in the summer; they like the weather, facilities, events and people and decide to move here,” he said, adding that with improved transportation and easy access to northern BC and Alberta, mobility is no longer an issue. Dan Rogers, Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce general manager, said the business community in Vernon is extremely active, with one of the largest memberships per capita basis in the province.

Overlooking Okanagan Lake, Predator Ridge has 600 residents, two golf courses, swimming pool, gym, and spa facilities CREDIT:KEVIN POOLE

“The majority of members continue to represent small businesses that have one to five employees,” Rogers said. But there are several companies with long-standing history of corporate offices located in the region. KalTire, a Vernon original, reaches a global market and employs 350 in its local corporate office, and according to Mayor Akbal Mund, it is planning a $4 million expansion this year. And Tolko Industries, a family owned company operating in the Greater Vernon Regional District, has been supplying jobs in forestry for almost 60 years. Rogers added that KalTire is a big economic driver in the region and a strong corporate member of the association. Vernon Jubilee Hospital is also an important source of employment with more than 19,000 workers. In 2015 it saw the completion of upgrades to its imaging department, the opening of new medical student space; in 2011it added an $81 million tower, housing emergency, maternity, pediatric, surgery, ICU, cardiac and ambulatory care departments. But according to Poole, tourism is still the bread and butter of the region bringing approximately $26 million in accommodation revenues and $80 million in revenue from food and beverage outlets,

Kevin Poole said people visit Vernon, like the weather, facilities, events, and people, and decide to call the town home transportation, recreation, entertainment, and retail annually. Angela Chew, Vernon’s tourism manager, said visitors love the small city charm, abundance of outdoor activities from summer to winter, and the world-class resorts and golf courses. “BC and Alberta are Vernon’s top two visitor origin markets,” Chew said adding that global interest in Okanagan spirits is attracting tourist dollars from Japan, China, Korea, Europe and Australia. Poole said Okanagan Spring Brewery is the largest of its kind in Canada and has a 30-year history of producing craft beer in SEE VERNON IS A LIFESTYLE | PAGE 7

Mayor Mund said the door to business is open

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CHAMBER SUPPORTS IMMIGRATION AND MULTICULTURAL INITIATIVES

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he Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce knows how important immigration and multiculturalism is to ensuring the future prosperity of the region and that why it was so pleased to welcome the Minister Jason Kenney to Vernon in late May. His responsibilities include being the Minister for Multiculturalism and as such the Chamber organized a round table discussion on the subject. Minister Kenney heard from many local agencies about the importance of federal initiatives that encourage immigration and the need for public investment in resources that serve new immigrants that may have language challenges, may be unaware of Canada`s employment standards or who are entrepreneurs looking to investment in a small business. With an aging demographic, new immigrants will play a key role in filling the labour shortages that are predicted for the region. Public investment in programs and services that also help communities become more welcoming to immigrants and understanding of different cultures has never been more important for the North Okanagan and

elsewhere for that matter. It is why the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce continues to participate on the Local Immigration Partnership Council which is developing strategies that would ensure the North Okanagan is a welcoming community for new immigrants. The website welcomevernon.ca is an example of the outcome of that effort. The Minister’s visit capped what was an extremely busy month for the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce. May began with our monthly networking event at the Match Eatery and Public House in the Lake City Casino. A big tip of the hat goes out to our hosts who put on a great show sampling their fantastic menu and enjoying the ambiance of their outdoor patio. June’s business networking event is scheduled for Wayside Printers. Also in May, GVCC and some of its members participate in the annual Valley Wide Chamber Trade Show. This year it was staged in Penticton and the weather was fantastic for the event as it was held at Centennial Park on the shores of Okanagan Lake. It draws nearly 100 different vendors from throughout the valley and crowds of close to 400. Call us if you’re interested in participating next year. The next big event in Vernon is the Annual Local Government Leadership Breakfast on June 20th with Vernon’s new Mayor Akbal Mund giving his first major public address since winning the Mayor’s chair last November. He will be joined by Coldstream Mayor Jim Garlick and North Okanagan Regional District Chair Rick Fairbairn in updating the community on the region’s priorities from a local government perspective.

VERNON IS A LIFESTYLE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

downtown Vernon. This year the brewery began a large expansion. Meanwhile, a new distillery, Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery, producers of whisky, gin, vodka and Canada’s first absinthe, opened its doors in the spring. Well-established vineyards and winery estates, with more than 40 years of history in the region, also offer a taste of the region’s bounty, providing tours, wine tasting and a selection of award winning wines, brandies, liqueurs, grappa, and specialty spirits. But a key draw to Vernon for tourists and potential residents is the recreational opportunities. Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre offers world-class cross-country skiing with 50 km of manicured trails, 14 km of snowshoe trails, a large full service lodge, rental, night skiing, and biathlon range. Adjacent to the Nordic centre is BC’s third largest ski area, Silver Star Ski Resort, offering ski-in, skiout access, four distinct mountain faces, 128 runs, and a reputation for champagne powder. In the summer, watersports are a popular draw at two provincial parks, Kalamalka Lake and Ellison on Okanagan Lake. They offer camping, kayaking, paddleboarding,

In other news, the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce offered its support of the referendum in Lake Country that will allow that municipality to borrow funds to support the region`s Rail to Trail Initiative. “Our Chamber has long supported this initiative because of the regional economic development opportunities that it presents,” says Jaron Chasca, GVCC president. An economic impact study competed for the Okanagan Rail Trail Initiative indicated that the proposed trail which would stretch from Kelowna to the north end of Kalamalka Lake along the old CN line, would generate tens of millions of dollars every year in additional tourism spending in the Okanagan. GVCC continues to call on all local governments in the region to engage the communities along the corridor as operating models are examined. It is interesting to note that more people came out for the referendum than usually turn out during an actual municipal election which is an indication of how important citizens see this initiative. The result ultimately provides the municipality with the authority to borrow up to $2.6 million to purchase the rail corridor within their municipality. The total acquisition of the corridor is being financed by local governments in combination with funding from other levels of government, private organizations and fund raising. And, finally, a big Chamber welcome to our newest members Okanagan Real Estate Investments, DW F Gallery Hardwood

canoeing, or relaxing on the beach. Poole said one of the most unique attractions and resort draws has to be Sparkling Hill. In 2010, the Swarovski crystal patriarch opened the doors on this wellness and health retreat centre that boasts over 3,500,000 crystals, a crytherapy cold sauna, and more than 100 different spa treatments. Predator Ridge, a golf resort community with over 600 homes, 36-holes of championship golf, holiday villas and cottages, health and spa facilities, and fine dining, draws tourists and short or long term residents. Poole said it is one of the fastest growing residential areas in the city and district. And this year, Mund said, it will host the National Hockey League PA Golf tournament. He added that Vernon plays host to several charitable and community events, including weekly farm markets, family events, 30-year-old Funtastic, Canada’s biggest slo-pitch tournament and music festival, Old Timers Soccer Tournament, Winter Carnival, plus for thrill seekers the Great Canadian Free Fall Festival. Mund stressed that giving back to the community is important to Vernon’s residents and that they have a special affinity for supporting the Special Olympics. “We have a great community of volunteers and corporate sponsors. The citizens of Vernon really believe in helping those that can’t help themselves.”

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Ltd., and Ultimate Social Club. Dan Rogers is the General Manager at the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce and can be reached at manager@vernonchamber.ca

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JUNE 2015

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE Commercial Real Estate is viable option for investment dollars Commercial Real Estate varies across BC BY BETH HENDRY-YIM

nvestors looking for better returns on their investment dollars are turning to commercial real estate as a viable place to put their money. T he attraction, sa id Tim Down, commercial real estate agent a nd pa st president of t he BC Com mercial Council and current director with the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board in Kelow na, is a combination of capital preservation and return on investment. “Investors are looking for a

‘retu rn on’ a nd a ‘retu rn of’ their investment,” he said. In other words they want to be able to get their money back, but they also want a rate of return that pays more than bank rates and has a lower risk than the stock market. Dow n ex pla ined that commercial real estate is defined as non-residentia l proper ty z o n e d fo r c o m m e rc i a l , i nvestment and industrial uses as well as hotels/motels and large-scale residential rental complexes. T here a re a va riety of proper ty ty pes f rom

o f f i c e b u i l d i n g s to i n d u strial warehouses that can be either owned and occupied or leased out to a tenant who pays rent as well as the entire annua l operati ng costs for the property. “It ca n a lso include mu ltipurpose and mixed use multif a m i ly d w e l l i n g s ,” h e s a i d adding that trends in lifestyle, urban planning, environmental factors and building costs are driving how commercial space is developed, especially in centralized locations and specific regions in BC.

“Pla n n i ng depa r t ments of mu n icipa l ities a nd reg iona l districts prefer mixed use development because it enhances the living experience. Vertical building creates a community where people ca n l ive, work a nd shop, c ut t i n g dow n on the land footprint and traffic congestion.” Jason Kahl, Chair of the Commercia l Cou nci l of Victor ia Real Estate Board, said “Municipalities like Langford in the Greater Victoria Regional SEE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE | PAGE 9

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JUNE 2015

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

District a re encou rag i ng h igher density development through comprehensive zoning regulations and a streamlined amendment process because it encourages better development that results in a stronger tax core.” He added that a municipality’s attitude around zoning leads ever y th i ng to do w ith developi ng or i nvesti ng i n a property. “Some cities will look at zoning as a way of controlling development, while others use it as a way of inviting development,” he said. D e m o g ra p h i c s h a v e a b i g s ay i n c om m e rc i a l re a l e state trends. Accord i ng to Ron Rodgers, Chair of the BC Northern Commercial Council, Fort St. John has the highest bi rth rate i n Ca nada a nd the you n ge s t p op u l at ion i n B C with a large majority of residents working in trades within the oil and gas industry. Workers’ needs a nd wa nts a nd where they spend their dollars a re d i f ferent f rom a n older, more established population like Kelowna or Victoria. He said people living in the nor thern com mu n ity a ren’t necessarily looking for variety in retail and shopping, or multi f a m i l y d w e l l i n g s . T h e y ’r e looking for space.

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Jay Cousins said the mid-island region is slated for sustained and future growth.

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“Our demographic, weather and topography play a factor.” Rodgers said. “With 40 below weat her a nd severa l feet of snow, the ty pica l, ‘city ca r’ do esn’t cut it. T rades need A T V ’s i n t h e s u m m e r a n d s now mobi le s i n t he w i nter just to get into job sites. So the need for additional parking, warehouse and shop space is a necessity with most families.” He added that with northern BC’s rapid growth in the natural gas industry, commercial real estate is skewed towards light industrial. P ri nce G eorge com mercia l realtor David Black, President of the BC Northern Real Estate Board and Vice Chair of the BC Northern Commercial Council, said his city’s economy has been fairly stable for the past 25 years, especially with the addition of the university. He added that there is some speculation and waiting to see what LNG will bring to the community and the impact it w i l l have on the economy and growth, but with the city’s stability comes a better rate of return on investment dollars. He said that part of that return is based on the future value of a property. “In Va ncouver you ca n expect a sizeable appreciation on the value of the building,” he said. ”In Prince George the value of a property will appreciate at a slower rate then the larger city, so the CAP rate or

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rate of return is higher here.” Nanaimo commercial real estate specialist Jay Cousins said the mid-island region is one of two areas that he feels will be a source of sustained and future growth. The other area is the Okanagan. Both regions, he said, host a population wanting lifestyle a m en it ie s t h at a re c lo s e at h a nd, wh ich m a kes m i xeduse bu i ld i ngs, where reta i l, office and residential spaces are combined, ideal for living and investing. “Historically it was a slower paced lifestyle region up until 20 ye a rs a go, i n t he l a s t 10 years Kelowna and area have seen dramatic growth,” Down said. “The University of British Columbia Okanagan h a s sign ifica ntly ex pa nded. Kelowna International Airport is the tenth busiest i n Ca nada, and we’ve got improved, state-of-the-a r t hea lthca re centers.” The result, he said, is a community where people m ay h ave t hei r se c ond a nd third homes, including those

in high-end multi-use buildings and resorts. Down said that the Okanagan is seeing an increase in investment dollars from across Canada and as a result of the Alberta oil economy, Cousins said the mid-island region is seeing investors from Vancouver, Alberta and Asia. He added that when investors look to invest in commerci a l rea l estate t hey choose either a passive or a n active investment depending on the i n v e s to r s ’ d e s i re d l e v e l o f involvement. “Some i nvestors wa nt a strictly passive investment. T hey buy a prop er ty w it h a good tenant and a long term lease. T he only involvement they have is cashing a monthly rent check.” A n active i nvestment, he said, is more hands-on and in many cases involves the purchase of a business. He used the exa mple of a 20-su ite bu ild ing where the SEE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE | PAGE 10

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manager takes care of day-today maintenance and the investor enjoys a passive income. A mini-storage facility, on the other hand, where the investor opens and closes the gates and mans the front desk, would be more active and hands on. Cousins added that the type of i nvestment chosen is determined by the required and expected rate of return. In his com mu n ity of Na n a i mo, he sa id, the mu lti-su ite bu i lding could potentially bring in a five per cent rate of return whereas industrial property could bring in as much as seven per cent. W hether the investment in commercial real estate is for creating a location for a business or a s a n i nvest ment, a qualified real estate specialist can help at every stage. Black sa id aski ng the right questions creates a clear picture of the clients’ short and long-term goals and will determine the best fit for their needs. He added that knowing and understanding market trends, demog raph ics and the com munity are part of how a com mercial realtor helps an investor find the right property. “K now i ng wh at i s com i ng u p i n t h e m a rk e t h e l p s ge t SEE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE | PAGE 11

ARGUS PROVIDES ONE-STOP SHOP FOR DEVELOPMENT NEEDS Community connection helps determine future development opportunities

ELOWNA - Argus Properties doesn’t just develop land into award winning hotels, office buildings, and malls. The 46-year-old company, owned by Ted Callahan, envisions potential growth opportunities, and creates spaces that fit client needs. An integrated development operations company, Argus provides construction, build to suit developments, leasing, and property management services with a commitment to building the best for the best. “We can take a project from bare dirt to a fully operational facility,” said Peter Downward, vice president of construction. “It’s like a one-stop shop for development needs.” Based in Kelowna, Argus serves an international and national clientele with developments throughout BC and northern Canada, including projects in Fort St. John and Whitehorse. Its goal is always to provide premium properties with the emphasis on quality and value. A l a rge cont r ibutor to t he

business entrepreneurial program at the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus, its donations support programming that train new business developers and entrepreneurs. “The city is an excellent base for business and the company is very connected to the community,” Downward said. Argus’ corporate headquarters is a perfect example of this forward thinking. Called the Manhattan, the location of the class “A” office building, was once considered an industrial area, but is now a trendy, growing section of town boasting a mix of residential homes, condos, townhomes and walking/bicycling nature trails. The building even won the 2009 Communities in Bloom, Best Small Commercial Landscaping award for integrating its landscape design with the adjacent creek and park. But it isn’t the only award-winning building Argus has created. In 2013, its Four Points by Sheraton Hotel was awarded the prestigious Canadian Home Builders’ Association, Tommie Award for Best Mixed Use development. With a clear vision of a community’s growth and expansion potential Argus has amassed an Argus Properties is at 1060 Manhattan Drive in Kelowna. www.argusproperties.ca

JUNE 2015

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

the client the right place at the right price,” he said. Dow n sa id pa rt of what he does is help clients through the negotiation process whether it is for the purchase of a property for a n i nvestment return, starting or expanding business operations, or negotiating the right lease space with appropriate leasehold improvements or free rent and annual operating expenses. He said that for business owners, purchasing a building may not be a desired or financially feasible option. L easi ng a l lows the busi ness ow ner to rent at a desi red location without having the added cost and hassle of managing the building; a qualified commercial realtor can help determine which is the best fit. When looking for a commercial realtor, Down suggested the investor look at the experience level and background of the professiona l. He a lso sa id to ask questions about loca l trends to determine the realtor’s understanding of the market. Kahl said to look at the industry criteria on the association’s websites and find out the depth of their knowledge of the market inventory. Rodgers stressed that any realtor who is part of a real estate board’s commercial membership, has to pass a criteria that is skewed to commercial experience and education. “Seeking out a realtor who is a commercial member of the local real estate board is a good way to find a qualified commercial realtor,” he said. Black added that the investor should take the time to interview potential re a ltors a nd cre ate a rel at ion sh ip;

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ERNON – “In our commercial division we specialize in the business of making our customers money,” says Bill Hubbard, Real Estate broker and owner of Century 21 Executives Realty. Hubbard is a commercial, development and industrial Real Estate specialist, and brings his clients knowledge and industry expertise developed over 26 years in the business. “Commercial and development Real Estate is complicated. It takes expertise and experience beyond residential skills to do this kind of Real Estate properly. I use my years in this business to bring a high return on investment to my clients and create an advantage for them for their business and investment ventures,” says Hubbard. “The goal for our team, whether dealing with a buyer or seller, is to increase our client’s return on investment. It’s a reality that commercial real Estate is about money.” “Our brokerage has a designation from Century 21 as a Commercial Real Estate office. This is one of our specialties.” To date, the brokerage has been a part of a number of unique projects in the area, including Wesbild’s Turtle Mountain property, and the 34-unit Okanagan Ridge residential development.

“Our offices provide commercial and development real estate services from Salmon Arm to Kelowna. Century 21 offers Vision Based Marketing with the cutting edge of Real Estate advertising and marketing techniques.” “We have 2 full time photographers. We do aerial photography, virtual tours and full social media advertising. Our marketing syndicates to over 8,000 websites across the country including the number one Real Estate Website in Canada. Our Global site stretches around the world with Inter-language communication built in. This allows us to easily communicate with other cultures around the world in their language about your property.” Century 21 Executives is one of the most awarded Century 21 franchises in Canada including the prestigious Franchisee of the Year award in 2012. They are also a significant community contributor. They focus on annually supporting the Easter Seals Send a Kid to Camp program, NOYFSS, and the Cancer society. Each year they have been in the top 10 of fundraisers for this Easter Seals in Canada. If you are interested in selling or buying or developing investment Real Estate, Century 21 is one of the most recognized brands today. www.century21executives.com

Bill Hubbard

Commercial/Development Specialist

250-550-4221

• 26 years of commercial experience to work for you • Specializing in Commercial Development, Business Sales, Industrial, Multi Family or Investment Real Estate Get an updated list of all investment properties each week:

bill@billhubbard.com

www.okanagancommercialrealestate.com CENTURY 21 Executives Realty Ltd. | 2907 32 Street | Vernon, BCV1T 5M2

TOURISM

JUNE 2015

THE FUTURE OF RECRUITING

nyone who fol lows me on LinkedIn will see that I’m pretty pumped about social recruiting. And for good reason. By 2016 the number of mobile devices will surpass the world population! Not yet convinced? Here are 15 more (some truly gob-smacking) statistics I’ve gathered to make my point about social - ergo mobile - recruiting: • 60% of North Americans use a Smart Phone. • 1 Billion job searches are done per month on a mobile phone • 9 in 12 job seekers say they will use their mobile device to job search in the next 12 months • 10% of job board visitors do so using a mobile device AND they spend four times longer reading the ad than non-mobile visitors • 7 2% of website viewers do so using a mobile device • 6 4% use mobile devices to browse career, social and professional website • 45% apply for jobs using mobile devices • 61% of social media visitors and 95% of social media applicants arrive in the first 7 days. • 33% of job views come from a

Personalize your message to be sure your brand is clearly conveyed and that you are speaking the same language as the audience you want to hire Barbara Ashton of Ashton & Associates mobile device • 23% of job applications come from a mobile device • 5 8% of job applicants come from social media vs website • 81% of youth say they’d rather spend their last $10 on their phone than on food. Are we surprised? • 60% of youth sleep with their mobile phone. • 72% use a mobile device while in the office • 350 million mobile Facebook users are twice as engaged as regular users There are 200 million YouTube views on mobile devices every day

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And now, drum roll, here are my top 5 Do’s for making the most out of your social media / mobile recruiting campaigns: #1 Slow down to speed things up. Use data to target the right job Seekers. Take some time to research most likely geography, key words, behaviours, technologies and online activities to help you hone your ad and target your ideal candidates #2 Info-tain! W hen you see that jobs are being viewed but there is little uptake, it’s time to re-script your message. Personalize your message to be sure your brand is clearly conveyed and that you are speaking the same language as the audience you want to hire.

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keeping up (and lots of them aren’t). So be sure to test your site regularly on iPhones, SmartPhones and a variety of tablets to ensure you’re not missing out on any of these mobile prospects. #5 Engage with Individuals Social media isn’t just about broadcasting to reach the highest number of people as frequently as possible, although it certainly can look that way. It’s about having two-way conversations. This means responding to and messaging with people individually, and keeping those conversations going. Social media recruiting takes far more time and effort than most people realize. You don’t have to do it all but by incorporating just one or two of these tips will give you pay-offs well worth the investment of your time and money. Barbara Ashton is a leading executive search consultant and social recruiter with close to 11,000 followers on LinkedIn. To learn more about what Ashton & Associates can do for your company visit www. ashtonassociates.com or call us at 800-432-6983.

TOTA LAYS OUT ITS NEW DIRECTION IN A SERIES OF “ROADSHOWS” AROUND THE REGION

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Put other employees on video (ideally those who typify the demographic and cultural fit you’re after) to share their story and experiences around working for your company. #3 Engagement T r u mps Click-Thru’s Don’t get caught up in counting click-thru rates as they are only telling one part of the story. Click-throughs generate traffic, but these number don’t translate to effective messaging. Relevant content is what engages users. Develop not just your ad, but your ongoing follow-up conversations, using the same target data above. Then, even if you can’t hire them all, you will keep them on the “I’m interested in futures” warming tray for the next time you’re hiring. #4 Test, Test, and Test Again. Are your career page and web site truly mobile responsive? With 1/3 of career site traffic coming from mobile, job seekers will want to experience the same across all their devices – desktop, tablet, phone - and it needs to be fast, clear and extremely user friendly. Getting there poses a whole new set of challenges for traditional website designers who aren’t

oin us with your local tou r i sm orga n i zat ion for t he Grow i ng Tou r i sm Together Tour 2015! Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) President & CEO Glenn Mandziuk, TOTA team members and your local to u r i s m o r g a n i z a t i o n l o o k for wa rd to seei ng a nd sha ri ng d i rectly w ith tou rism op e rators h i g h l i g ht i n g t h e significant changes and new d i rection that TOTA w i l l be m o v i n g i n fo r 2 015 / 16 a n d b eyond . T he new d i rect ion h a s a lready been presented to

CITY

LOCATION

DATE

Kamloops

Hotel 540

Wed, June 3

Cache

Creek Community Hall

Wed, June 3

Sun Peaks

Hearthstone Lodge

Thrs, June 4

Clearwater

Dutch Lake Comm Ctr

Thrs, June 4

Osoyoos

location pending

Tues, June 9

Midway

Community Centre

Wed, June 10

Christina Lake

Welcome Centre

Wed, June 10

Big White

location pending

Wed, June 17

n e a rl y 25 0 to u r i s m i n d u st r y sta keholders i n Sa l mon A r m , P e n t i c to n , K e re m e o s a nd K elow n a a re a s w it h a n add it ion a l ten presentat ion locations planned for the first two weeks of June. These are exciting times for TOTA and our tourism industry as we embark together on a bold, new strateg ic d i rect ion to l au nch Yea r 3 of t he Thompson Okanagan Regiona l S t rateg y, E mbraci n g ou r Potential. Key topics will include: •TOTA’s new Industry Advisory Committees •D e s t i n a t i o n d e v e l o p ment – more pa rtnersh ip opportu n ities a nd sector collaboratives •Showcase Thompson Okanagan Marketing Events •Creating a Sustainability

C h a r te r fo r to u r i s m i n o u r region •P l u s i n f o r m a t i o n from you r local tou rism organization •And much more…. Fo r a f u l l s c h e d u l e o f t h e road show locations and dates to R S V P.or for more i n formation, please ema i l csaa@ totabc.com. Dates and locations subject to change. Save the dates! TOTA Golf Tournament, in partnership with the BC Hospitality Foundation, Aug 26, 2015 Talking Rock Golf Course T O TA AGM & Su m m it, O ct 28-29, 2015 Manteo Resort Glenn Mandziuk is President & Chief Executive Officer of Thompson Okanagan Tourism Region. He can be reached at community@totabc.com

KAMLOOPS

JUNE 2015

CHAMBER & TD CALL FOR KAMLOOPS CITIZENS TO NOMINATE THEIR FAVOURITES

KAMLOOPS DEB MCLELLAND

ou know that it will be worth it. You’ll enjoy it and make great connections. You know that your business can only but benefit from it. But at 4:55 on Chamber social night, you’re tired. You don’t feel like it. You haven’t gotten as far down your “to-do” list as you planned. Something suddenly becomes more important - takes precedent. There are a million reasons you can find to not make it to an event that the day before you told yourself both you and your business couldn’t miss. Next time you’re coming up to an important networking event, keep these 7 things in mind to give you the push you need to finish up with email for the day, step outside your comfort zone and walk through the doors of the next chamber social event to your more successful business.

It’s all about relationships “It wasn’t until I started getting more involved with groups such as chamber, rotary, and BNI that people remembered who I was and were more open to doing business with me.” – Chris Wilson Building strategic relationships can often be the key to success. Are complementary businesses thinking about you first for referrals? Does your name/business come up all the time in general conversations? Building lasting impressions and having genuine conversations with fellow business people on a regular business will grow your network, your relationships and your business. Mentorship Many business owners experience the same struggles and what better place to ask advice and discuss strategies than at a networking event. Next time you are chatting with someone who is also finding it hard to fill that bookkeeping role in their business, ask them to meet for a coffee; mentor each other to greater success, and strengthen your business relationship so that next time they need your service, your name comes to mind. Great Locations Chamber Socials are hosted by different businesses in your community every month. What better way to visit some of those

CHAMBERBRINGSFORPOLICYATAGM

PENTICTON JASON COX

he Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce called for the Next Phase of Regulatory Reform at the BC Chamber of Commerce Annual General Meeting and Conference on May 24-26 in Prince George. The policy calls on government to reduce regulations which impede business. Many regulations demand a level of compliance that far exceeds the risk they are intending to prevent, leading to significant costs of time and dollars for a small business owner. The policy seeks to reduce spending, while also increasing access to information about regulations The Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce authored this policy. Recently at the AGM, Chamber delegates from across BC

voted unanimously in support of this policy, among others put forward. It is now official BC Chamber policy, and the BC Chamber will advocate it to appropriate tiers of government. The Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce is proud to have brought this policy forward to our peers from across the province. Our Chamber is committed to creating a more business-friendly Penticton and a more businessfriendly B.C. The BC Chamber of Commerce Annual General Meeting and Conference is held in a different BC community each year. The event is the largest annual business policybuilding forum in the province. Every year, member Chambers of the BC Chamber develop and submit policies for the consideration of their peers. This year, over 40 policies were put forward and voted. The policy development and advocacy role of the Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce is of significant value to its membership. The Chamber is consistently active at the local, provincial and national levels; working to advance solution oriented policy to government in support of our members. Jason Cox is President of Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce.

great locations you have been trying to get to for months! Food & Wine Some of the best caterers in town get to showcase their tasty delights at chamber socials. Go and enjoy the local cuisine and the latest of local award winning wine! Friendships Are you new to a community? Or new to your business? Attend a chamber event and you are guaranteed to meet a few friendly faces and build connections that will last many years. Staying top of mind When it comes to referrals, you always want to be top of mind. A regular visit at a chamber social ensures that people have you and your business rolling off their tongue when someone says they are looking for the type of service you provide. Be in the know Often the latest business changes, acquisitions, growth and more are discussed at chamber events. Stay in the know of what key things are happening that may impact you and your local economy. A nd remember, businesses aren’t built only by email. ••• We look forward to seeing you at your next Chamber event! Join the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce at Privato Vineyard

and Winery’s brand new patio for a wonderful evening of wine, appetizers by Terra Restaurant, networking and socializing. Wednesday, June 10 from 5 – 7pm Wi ne w i l l be ava i l able for purchase (cash, credit & debit accepted). ••• New award announced for Business Excellence Awards T he Kam loops Chamber of Commerce and TD announced that the call for nominations has officially begun for the 2015 Business Excellence Awards. T he complete l ist of the 17 award categories and their sponsors was unveiled at the kickoff event, attended by past winners, sponsors and award committee members. ••• This year, the Awards Committee is pleased to announce a new award category for Employer of the Year. Employees are encouraged to nominate their employer for this one. “This new category is sure to be a popular one”, stated Earl. “There are so many businesses that go beyond the norm in their treatment of employees and we want to make sure that they are recognized.” Nomination Info: • A n y o n e c a n m a k e a nomination

• Any for profit, non-gove r n m e n t o w n e d b u s iness or individual may be nominated • Nominations will be accepted until June 30, 2015 • B u s i n e s s e s mu s t h ave a valid business license where required • Nominee must have been in business for a minimum of one year • Organizations, businesses or individuals may not nominate themselves for any award • Kamloops-area is defined as within 35km of downtown Kamloops, also including Sun Peaks • Award winners may not be nominated in the same category for three years following their win, but can be nominated and win in other categories TD Kamloops locations and Awards Timeline 2015: June 30 – Nominations Close, September 9 – Finalist Announcement (Media Conference), September 9 – Awards Gala Tickets go on sale October 24 – Business Excellence Awards Gala Deb McClelland is the executive director of the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached by email at deb@kamloopschamber.ca

Gallagher’s Canyon celebrates 35 years

Hole #6 of The Canyon Course at Gallagher’s Canyon

n May 31st, 1980, Gallagher’s Canyon Golf Club opened its doors to the public with the stunning par 72, 18-hole Championsh ip Ca nyon cou rse. Fra med by forested mou nta i ns, rock y blu ffs, ta l l p o n d e ro s a p i n e t re e s a n d overlooking Gallagher’s Canyon, this Les Furber and Bill Robinson desig ned cou rse is sure to challenge golfers of a l l a b i l it i e s. K n ow n to be r ugged yet ref i ned, t he Ca nyo n c o u rs e of fe rs t h e q u i n te s s e n t i a l O k a n a g a n experience and consistently

proves why so many call this region ‘home’. Fa s t fo r w a r d 35 y e a r s where Ga l lag her’s Ca nyon G ol f Club has evolved i nto a n a l l-encompa ssi ng destination, offering the 18-hole Canyon Course, 9-hole Pinnacle course, double-ended practice facility, Canyon Bar & Grill and outdoor Wedding Ceremony Site w it h stu nning views of the picturesque Canyon. The 2015 season will serve up a variety of 35th Ann iversa r y P romotions, i nclud i ng: G ol f for $35 a nd a 35 minute lesson with a GBC

Academy Pro for $35. For full details on the current promotions or to book a tee time, visit w w w.GallaghersGolf. com or phone the Golf Shop at 250-861-4240. For M e m b e rs h ip i nq u i ri e s , p l e a s e c o n t a c t P e te r Hopley, G e n e ra l M a n a ge r at phopley@golfbc.com and for Wedding, Event and Golf Tournament inquiries, please contact Melina Moran, Sales, Marketing & Event Manager, at mmoran@golfbc.com. Gallagher’s Canyon: Minu t e s f r o m t h e c i t y, s u rrounded by nature.

JUNE 2015

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

omen br i ng 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 calculations, BC will need 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 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 bring a stronger corporate 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

”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

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. Now a s ow ner of her ow n

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

Katy Fairley encourages women to pursue a career in construction

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

company she’s worked as project m a n a ger on more t h a n 100 bridges i n the past fou r ye a rs, m ad e i mprovements to the Wild Pacific Trail and West Coast Trails on the West Coast of the island and managed construction on industrial mills. Her company also built the new emergency center in the Nanaimo Regional General 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 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 f i nd appropr i ate

employment opportunities for our participants.” Provincially, 16 per cent of STEP placements are women, compared to 4 percent nationally with top occupations being in carpentry, welding, electrical and painting. And 10.5 percent 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 Bluepri nt, 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.” She stressed that women need to be a part of skilled 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 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,

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SEE WOMEN BRING | PAGE 15

JUNE 2015

WOMEN BRING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

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. Co-op 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 encou rage ex ploration i n 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 preapprentice 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 volunteers, students get the opportunity to wield a tool, give back to the community, build something worthwhile and 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 industry, are leading the way through their work with WIC and through hiring policies 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.

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Right On Target Promotions hits a bullseye in marketing

ight On Target Promotions has come up with a number of ways to help bu si nesses h it t he bu l l seye with their marketing. “We’re a dea ler of promotional products, branded appa rel, tents, a nd f lags of a l l n at ions,” says Joshua Laye, who owns the company with his wife, Karen. It is the only licensed dealer in British Columbia of LPTENT, a distinctive brand of pop up canopy tents, in f latable airtent canopies, and inflatable event arches. RT Promo is a fam ily business, and began in 2014 following the Laye’s relocation from the Lower Mainland to Kamloops. They moved after completing their post-secondary education at the University of British Columbia. Mr. Laye’s degree is in engineering. He had the idea to start the busi ness when he was looking for a tent to help with an event he was involved in. An on l i ne sea rch broug ht them to the LPTEN T website, and Joshua and his wife discovered the brand was looking for dealers in BC. “I’ve always been interested in working for myself, the independence and f lexibility

always appealed to me,” he says. “Right now it’s just Karen and I involved with the company. We’re able to handle a pretty large workload on our own.” They primarily service Kamloops and the Okanagan Valley. Being a small business means being able to give their customers advantages they might not see with a larger company. “The fact that we’re a small, lo c a l , fa m i ly-r u n b u s i n e s s g ives u s t he oppor tu n ity to provide a high level of customer service,” he says. “Whether our clients are making a $100 o r $10,0 0 0 o rd e r, w e t re a t them the same.” To d ate, t h e b u s i n e s s h a s been growing steadily. “Our feedback from clients has been very positive, we have a number of reoccurring customers, and the goal is to keep bu i ld i ng on t h at,” he add s. “As we’re a young company, the focus is on bu i ld i ng the bra nd a nd getti ng ou r na me out there. “My advice to other entrepreneu rs or people th in king about starting their own business is to build a really strong professional network, that’s wh at h a s helped u s g row to where we are now.” Despite the company’s young

age, RT Promo has attracted high profile clients from the Oka naga n, w ith K a m loopsbased specialty running store Ru n ner’s Sole, a nd Fresh is Best Salsa amongst their list of customers. Recently they’ve beg u n work with the City of Penticton, which has contracted RT to help t hem develop a new por table v isitor i n fo booth. The booth will be inf latable, and will travel with the city’s tourism team throughout the Valley. This product concept is just one example of how RT is able to prov ide u n ique solutions for their clients. The LPTENT airtent is highly customizable, and is targeted towards business uses. “We see the LPTENT products used for retail sales and outdoor events. T he i n f latable aspect is what ma kes it so unique, they’re high quality and don’t require a constant air supply,” he states. LPTENT also offers different models of the i n f latable A i r A rch, of ten u sed a s t he starting and ending point of outdoor races. Pop Up Ca nopies and StarTents are also available. www.rtpromo.ca

Right On Target Promotions owners Karen and Joshua Laye.

RT Promo products at a ski event in Nakiska. The airtents stayed inflated for 8 consecutive days.

JUNE 2015

ACUTRUSS IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH SPOTLIGHT

Engineered building components and services delivered by Vernon-based company.

ER NON – AcuTruss punches well above their weight, competing headto-head with the ‘big guys’ in their industry. The company was started by Dave Marcoux in 1971, and delivers high quality engineered and manufactured roof truss, and floor support systems to customers throughout Western Canada, United States and Asia. As the construction industry has evolved they have expanded services to adapt to the changing needs of their clients. “We truly work on trying to service the needs of our customers, over the years those needs have changed, that’s why we’ve changed as a company.” “Growth over the years has been driven by different situations,” says General Manager Barry Schick. “We’ve tried to be a progressive company and get ahead of client needs by bringing new products to market.” Originally started as a truss manufacturer, AcuTruss has grown to offer a number of different construction related products and services. “In the early 1980’s we introduced I-joists to the Okanagan, bringing them in from Calgary,” he said. “In 1997, we became a franchisee for Nascor, and began manufacturing our own I-joists in our facility in North Kelowna. “At the time, we were one of 12 Nascor I Joist producers in North America. We continue to build our products here in the Okanagan, and are quite proud to be the only Nascor I Joist manufacturer in Western Canada.” Being the only Nascor I-joist manufacturer on this side of the country means that AcuTruss contends with some big companies. Weyerhaeuser, Boise Cascade, and Louisiana-Pacific – all US companies.

ICF house in Lake Country that is currently under construction “We go head-on with the big guys,” says Schick. “We do it on a regional basis, and provide a lot of service, we’re quite a force for a small company.” In 2009 they acquired the Okanagan Valley distribution rights for Nudura insulated concrete form (ICF) products. “ICF has become an increasingly viable option for developers, especially with the recent changes to the energy codes.” Last year the BC Building Code increased the standards of Energy Efficiency Requirements. 2011 marked the addition of a number of new products, including: pre-fabricated walls, and the

expansion of their engineering services. “Our goal is to be a supplier of every engineered structural component that goes into a building,” says Schick. “Expansion into offering engineered columns and footing design are examples of recent steps we’ve taken to develop this comprehensive offering.” “We’re closing in on adding stairs to the product mix as well.” AcuTruss also has an engineering team on staff. “It’s a pretty unique part of the business,” he says. “As the building code has grown increasingly complex, it can be challenging for developers and builders to know exactly how to

keep their projects within the legal framework of building legislation. We fill the gaps that the building code doesn’t specify.” “This service has been offered since 1976, and not many other truss companies offer it. There’s no requirement to offer it, but when you’re working with a unique project, sometimes there can be uncertainty about what to do.” When Schick joined the company in 1975, they ware manufacturing trusses in one plant. Since then it’s grown into as many as five at one time, with locations in Vernon, Penticton, West Kelowna, Winfield, Kamloops and Langley. “Over time consolidation has

Ron Kushneryk, VP of Design and Sales, and manager of the West Kelowna office

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Rob Voros, VP of Sales and Marketing

JUNE 2015

A new home in Vernon featuring AcuTruss manufactured products occurred, the company has been through a number of challenging economic times. Through those times we’ve adapted and made investments to become a better organization.” “Currently we have the two manufacturing facilities in Vernon and Winfield (North Kelowna), which have more output than when we had five separate ones,” he adds. “We have spent money on improving the technology and efficiency of the company.” “When clients choose us for their products, they can be assured they’re using a local company. The wages are going to people who live right here in communities in the southern Interior of BC, and they’re going to support families.” The company’s employees have been vital to its longevity. “One of the most important aspects of our business is our people.” “We have some of the very best designers in the industry working with us,” he said. “On the technical side, we have been instrumental in advancing the ‘whole house’ design software that our industry uses today.” This software gives their staff the ability to show clients a 3D demo of their project from a structural point of view. Their design and sales staff is spread across four offices. Ron Kushneryk manages a team of three in West Kelowna; their Kent Road Kelowna location is run by

Dave Marcoux, President of AcuTruss Rob Voros, who has a staff of five. Rick Spring and Brian Greenslade, who manage a team of five, run their Winfield team. Luba Probier, takes care of their Vernon site and its three design staff. Between the five sales and design offices, and the two plants, they employ about 80 staff. Over the next few years the company will be going through a leadership change. Dave Marcoux will be retiring in the near future, and Schick will take over the helm. “Rob Voros, our VP of Sales and Marketing and Ron Kushneryk, VP of Design and Sales, both new shareholders, are also taking on leadership roles moving forward. They are a big part of the future of our company.” As for where it’s headed in the long-term, Schick is optimistic about where the Province’s economy seems to be heading.

“We’re pleased with the announcements and growth prospects in Northern BC and Alberta,” he said. “These are major projects, and are great for the industry. The US is just about ripe for us, we need a little more help from their economy.” “In the past the company has grown through purchasing other operations, but we feel better about growing services and capacity internally,” says Schick. “Finding the right people to do the job is most important. Focusing internally means you’re not going to lose control of the quality of your work.” Along with thousands of commercial, residential and farm

Congratulations AcuTruss on your success! 250-542-1177 www.DavidsonPringle.com 3009 - 28th Street, Vernon, BC

projects here in BC, the company has contributed to some unique projects, including a US Army Base in Idaho, a 75 home subdivision and two schools in China, and Kelowna’s William R. Bennett Bridge. “We provided a lot of trusses for form work on the bridge, it was a really nice job to be a part of,” states Schick. “It’s not what people might think about when looking at a company like ours, but it was a lot of fun.” Outside of day-to-day business, both Schick and Marcoux have been long time contributors to their industry. “Dave is one of the founding members of the BC Wood Truss Association, we’ve both served

terms as president,” said Schick. “He was also a founding member of Vernon chapter of HUDAC (Housing and Urban Development Association of Canada), which has now become the Canadian Homebuilders Association.” “Rob Voros is a past president of the Okanagan Homebuilders Association, and is currently chairman of their Tommie Awards program. Ultimately, we believe in giving back to the industry and we’re always working to improve it.” Through their volunteer commitments, they have had the opportunity to have input in and ultimately shape provincial and national building codes.

www.acutruss.com

Congratulations on your continued success, we look forward to working with you in the future! www.mearlsmachine.com | 250.763.0109 Kelowna, BC

OFF THE COVER

JUNE 2015

AGM DEVELOPES RECIPE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

important to our membership and effectively bring them to government,” he said. Leading up to the AGM, member chambers prepare policies and advocacy points to debate and promote. “This year we noticed that a high number of really good policies were brought forward,” says Hasanen. “The chambers are becoming very advanced in their policy preparation, in that they’re doing the proper lobbying and collaboration work amongst themselves before they get to open debate. “ M a n y p o l i c i e s a re w e l lprepared and viable for us as a board to work with. Each year this event gets better, and so does the content.” After the AGM, the BC Chamber Board and staff refine and amend the policies that have been passed, and begin their advocacy efforts. “Advocacy and lobbying isn’t a science, it’s an art,” says BC Chamber President and CEO John Winter, who will retire after 18 years at the

Brent Hasanen, Chair of the BC Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors

John Winter, President & CEO, Director at the BC Chamber of Commerce

Patrick Giesbrecht, Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors

helm on June 30. “It becomes effective when a number of interested stakeholders come together and agree on common ground.” Winter’s tenure at the Chamber began in the late 90s during challenging economic times, and he knows first hand about the power of a unified voice. “When we were going through a difficult time as a province, businesses from 66 different associations, totaling 800 businessman, came together for the

BC Business Summit,” he says. “The Chamber was able to market the recommendations that came out of that event, and ultimately we developed a recipe for economic growth. That’s the power of collaboration, and that’s what happens at events like our AGM.” While there’s little doubt about the role the Chamber played in positively impacting the economic output of BC after the iconic Summit. Today, some

regional chambers face competition for membership dues and revenue from networking groups and industry associations. Hasa nen a nd h is boa rd a re working to address this. “One of our four focus points is on enhancing the Chamber brand,” he says. “We want to build on the similarities and strengths of our members, and help them to remain successful and effective.” Patrick Giesbrecht, incoming

Vice-Chair, added, “Northern BC chambers have been growing at a rapid pace, the high value projects up there have really increased business interest. “It’s exciting for us at the board level to look at how those chambers are being successful, and use some of those same strategies to help other areas of the province.” Giving its members the ability to engage with the major infrastructure and resource project proponents will be a focus for the board as well. “Right now we’re in a business environment that we’ve never seen before,” says Hasanen. “In order to take advantage of the upcoming economic activity that we expect here, businesses need be educated about how to grow their companies.” Some of the professional development topics covered will include leadership and business development training. “We want to be able to go to these big businesses who are investing in the province, and let them know that there are capable companies here that can support and add value to their projects.” www.bcchamber.org

Voykin Boys driving up industry standards Drywall installer celebrates milestone and strong industry reputation

E L OW NA – Doi ng it right the first time allows Brandon Voykin, owner of Voykin Boys Drywall to say: “We don’t get called back to the job site.” “Our success has come because of our attention to detail, and the reputation of the business has been built on doing perfect work,” he adds. The company specializes in drywall, T-bar and stud framing for both commercial and residential projects throughout the Thompson Okanagan region, and is currently in its eighth year in business. “Walls and ceilings are our business,” he says. “We’ll build, insulate and board them, and take them ready to paint.” “I’ve known this industry my whole life, I u ndersta nd the

business, the tools and the installation process, all of it.” Voykin credits his employees as part of the success of the company. “When it comes to running a business in this industry, you need a strong team,” he says. “My employees give great service, they’re very polite, and whether we’re working on a high or low margin job, they’re putting in their best effort.” “It’s taken a long time to build the staff to where it is today, that’s been one of the biggest challenges with the business. The industry is diluted with a lot of people who do marginal work, it’s quite often that we’re called in to touch up someone else’s work.” Over the years, Voykin’s reputation has become sought-after

Always a pleasure working with Brandon and his team!

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throughout the Okanagan Valley’s construction industry. “We really want to do the best homes, the most difficult jobs,” he says. “That desire has paid off in the long run, some major players in the development market consistently choose us for their projects.” On the residential side they work with Fawdry Homes, Rykon Construction, MS Budd Construction and other highend developers. They also do a lot of custom homes, including projects in Gallagher’s Canyon, and the Logan, Lakeshore and Hobson Road areas. “MS Budd has been a big supporter of ours, and I really enjoy working with their team,” says Voykin. “Their company has won a Tommie for Renovator of the Year, Mike Budd is a great guy, he’s very intelligent and experienced and knows the industry.” Voykin is also the preferred drywall provider for Wilden, the largest master-planned community between Vancouver and Calgary. “Currently there are four companies who are allowed to build up there, we work for two of them. We’ve also done the drywall work for two of the show homes in that development,” he added. 75 percent of Voykin’s business comes from residential construction, while the other 25 percent comes from commercial. Most recently they’ve done work on the Capri Mall, Anthony’s Subaru, Don Folk Chevrolet and Harmony Acura. L&S

Contracting bu i lt the Acura dealership. “Delnor Construction uses us for a lot of their commercial work as well, including UBC Okanagan,” he says. “I’ve been working on pushing the company more into commercial projects, there’s just more money to be made there.” “That’s not to say we don’t enjoy resident ia l, h ig h-end custom homes have become something we’re known for,” he added. “Those have been our bread and butter over the years.” D e s pite t h e c omp a ny ’s steady success and growth in the Oka naga n, its roots actually stem back to the Lower Mainland. “I’m from Port Moody originally, born and raised,” he says. “Growing up my dad had his own drywall outfit, I grew up going to work with him, I worked weekends and learned the industry at a young age.” After graduating from high school, he completed a four-year glazing apprenticeship through BCIT, and worked in that industry for a few years. “I came to a point in my life where I decided that I wanted to go out on my own, I needed a change in scenery. My dad and I made a trip up to Kelowna, made a plan and moved up.” “I sold my house, gave up my journeyman career and moved, both my dad and I started with nothing up here except our tool pouches.” The Voykin’s high standard for work became well known, and

they have had a steady stream of projects to work on since the company started. After two years, Voykin Sr. made the decision to retire, since then Brandon has been managing the company. His advice to other businesses owners is to stay consistent. “Having a plan is big part of long-term success,” he says. “Sticking with it is very important. When I came to Kelowna it was at the beginning of the recession, when everyone was moving away, I stayed here and did the best possible work I knew how to do.” “That’s paid off in the long run, we’ve been consistently recommended and referred for our high quality of work.” As for the future of his company, Voykin is staying steady. “My goal is not to get too big, we want to keep up the high standard of work. We’re always looking to bring on new talent; it’s a challenge to find out there.” “In the near future I will be completing a new office, and one of my staff is getting ready to take the next step in his career and handle some of the business operations,” he added. Currently he employs ten staff, including players from the Okanagan Sun football team through an apprenticing program. The company is also a member of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce. Outside of day-to-day business, Voykin is an avid fly fisherman. He also has a family with three children. www.voykinboysdrywall.com

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

20 KELOWNA

JUNE 2015

Alexandra Little of The Art of Fine Catering is celebrating 10 years in business.

The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce was named as the Chamber of the Year at the BC Chamber of Commerce AGM.

The Central Okanagan Zone Executive of the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) announced that its members have raised close to $14,000 to benefit two local charities -- the Kelowna Women’s Shelter and Habitat for Humanity. $6,925 going to the Shelter and another $6,925 to Habitat – proceeds from the Zone’s Christmas Silent Auction in December 2014.

Littco Enterprises Ltd. has moved their offices to 101 – 171 Commercial Drive. Valley First, a division of First West Credit Union, has recently reopened their newly renovated location in the Orchard Plaza Shopping Centre at 1860 Cooper Road. Bird Design-Build Construction Inc. has been awarded a $39 million contract to design and build the new 100,000-square-foot Kelowna Police Services project. The total budget for the project is $48 million, which will include operation enhancement, necessary technology installations and accommodation for future expansion. Cryo Care has opened as the city’s first cold sauna at 1561 Sutherland Avenue. The business is co-owned by Taylor Saukarookoff.

Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery has won Distillery of the Year and Spirit of the Year along with retaining its World Class Distillery designation at the 2015 World Spirits Awards.

Antico Pizza Napoletana has opened its doors at 347 Bernard Avenue. Tony Katsabanis is the business’s chef.

Okanagan Staffing Services celebrates 20 years in business this year.

The BC Parks and Recreation Association has awarded the 2015 Parks and Open Spaces Award to the Gellatly Nut Farm Regional Park. Eric Blais has been named as one of two assistant coaches for the Male Under 16 Team BC hockey program for the 2015 Western Branch Challenge Cup. Greg Robson is the temporary replacement for the position of Fire Chief at the Joe Rich Community Hall. He replaces Curtis Nyuli, who has been Chief since 2003.

Ernie and Jeanette Pawluk of Okanapure Water are celebrating their 25th anniversary. They are located at #21 – 284 Main Street in West Kelowna.

The Starkhund Brewing Company has been awarded a development permit and variance permit to construct a new 5,387 square-metre brewery, which will feature a brew pub and tasting room. It will be located on the old BC Fruit Packers Co-Operative Fruit Market and warehouse site on Clement Avenue.

Alpine Aerotech bids Jim Campbell a good retirement and welcomes new President, Jeff Denomme. Inter-Mtn Enterprises has been purchased by Leah (Muirhead) MacDonald, transitioning the family-owned business into its second generation. Okanagan College alumni John Perrott, Economic Development Officer at the District of West Kelowna, is being recognized by the Okanagan College Alumni Association (OCAA) Young Alumni Award for his exceptional contributions to the community.

Saturday, September 19, 7 AM–2 PM

H2O Adventure + Fitness Centre, 4075 Gordon Drive, Kelowna BC

GolfTec is celebrating their first year anniversary. The business, located at #107 – 1851 Kirschner Road, is owned by Sattu Mahapatra, managed by Mike Soergel and has personal coaches Kyle Miller and Levi Arcega. They now offer a play room simulator with 15 US and British Open championship courses.

John Perrott, winner of the Okanagan College Alumni Association Young Alumni Award Barry Lapointe of Kelowna Flightcraft is receiving the Order of British Columbia, the highest accolade bestowed in this province. Saavani Organic Skin Care using organic and vegan ingredients is manufactured in Kelowna and distributed in Vancouver. It was started by the Gopal family. Raghwa Gopal is CEO, Sarita Gopal President and Amy Gopal is vice president of the company. Tim Butt of Eco Shine Windows is now offering a SkyVac Gutter cleaning system for domestic and commercial buildings imported from the UK. Brigitte Kotler has joined the team at Floform Countertops as senior account manager. Terry Simpson has opened Lexi & Lake Home at 3937 Lakeshore Road. They were formerly Z Décor in the downtown area. Glow Juicery opened at 1880 Dayton Street in the new Landmark VI Tower. The business is owned by Kathleen Treadgold and Marnie Ashcroft. Mission Group handed over the keys to their 1,000 homeowner at a recent surprise celebration. They were founded in 2004 and won numerous awards for their projects. John Schlosser, currently with GTA Architecture is retiring after 40 years in the building technology industry. Hanna’s Waterfront Lounge & Grill Restaurant has changed their name to Hanna’s on the Waterfront to reflect their new business model as they will now only service private functions. They are located at 1352 Water Street. Barb Douglas is the new event and catering manager, the general manager is Andrew Neville and Sandy Spencer is the chef.

www.ymcaokanagan.ca/cycle-for-strong-kids

Chiropractor Dr. Sterling Armata and his wife, Christine Armata, a registered massage therapist and registered orthomolecular nutritionist have opened Sterling Chiropractic and Wellness at 209 Banks Road. The Kelowna Rockets are this year’s Western Hockey League champions, and have advanced the Memorial Cup. Big White Ski Resort has received the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence. Kelowna Ford Lincoln has won the President’s Award from Ford Canada. This is awarded to the top 20 per cent of the 426 dealerships in Canada.

SALMON ARM Season 3 of Shuswap Launch-a-preneur recently completed. The event consisted of 12 teams pitching their business ideas to a panel of judges and a sold out crowd of 280 at the Salmar Classic Theatre. Program partners included: Enactus, Okanagan College, Community Futures Shuswap and the Salmon Arm Economic Development Society. The 12 competing teams were: Apollo Auto Centre, Shawn Greek, aWEARness Bracelet, Madeleine Eames, Be Teased, Sharon Toews & Michael Gregorig, Canada Safety Consultants, Gary Whitlock, Cardio Connection, Melissa Treleaven, Fire on Wheels, Jodie Pruden, J-Boys Services, Dave Johnston, Medicine Match Genetic Testing Ltd., King Campbell, Mystic Mermaid Adventurez, Lisa Hope & Aimie Laws, Sovereign Stumbling Family Campground, Robert & Michelle Black, Sprokkets Bakery, Mark Lane & Robin Johnson, and Tacos Los Machos, David Huerta. The judging panel consisted of Andrew Klingel from Okanagan College, Calvin Hoy a private wealth manager and Myles Bruns from the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training. The winners were: the Apollo Auto Centre took first place and the Green Award, Fire on Wheels took second, Be Teased took third, Sprokkets Bakery took fourth, and Tacos Los Machos took the Public Choice Award.

PENTICTON The Penticton Trade and Convention Centre is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a national contest sponsored by Air Canada, Tourism Penticton, Penticton and Wine Country tourism partners, and the convention centre. The prize for the contest includes contributions from the following companies: the Crooked Tree Bed & Breakfast Suites, The Coconut Express, The Hooded Merganser Bar, Grill and Marina, Cannery Brewing, Freedom the Bike Shop, LocoLanding Adventure Park, Burger 55, Kettle Valley Steam Railway, Lang Vineyards, SS Sicamous, Cherry Lane Shopping Centre and The Bench Market. The contest runs until December 31, 2015. The International Triathlon Untion has awarded Penticton with the honour of being the host city of the inaugural 2017 Multisport World Championship Festival. Catherine Links, a health care assistant student at Okanagan College, has been awarded the W. Brett Wilson Prize for a philanthropy-focused essay she wrote. Beach City Crossfit is now open at its beachfront location on Skaha Lake.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

JUNE 2015

26 years that Jones has handled sales.

OMREB Central Zone Executive Members (pictured left to right) – Annette Lipkovits, Darlene Bachmann, Christian Kirschke, Sheryl Lobsinger (Zone Chair), Brent Pay, Leesa Fournier, Karen Mason (Kelowna Women’s Shelter), Anita Clegg (Charities portfolio), and Cathy Cherka. The Penticton Racquet and Fitness Club has moved to a new location at 201 Okanagan Avenue East, after nearly three decades at their previous one. The Club is operated by Jim and Marianne Clarke. The Vancouver Canucks have announced that they will host the 2015 Young Stars Classic for the fifth consecutive year at the South Okanagan Events Centre. It will run from September 11th to 14th. The Trio Marine Group has proposed an expansion of the Skaha Lake Marina. The proposal includes a 100-slip marina featuring seasonal rentals, a 100seat restaurant and expanded parking. There is a second phase also being discussed, which includes a waterpark with waterslides and play areas. The public will have an opportunity for input on June 29th. Team Construction Management Limited has donated $50,000 to the Okanagan College Trades Training Complex’s Bright Horizons Building for Skills campaign. The money will be used to help build classroom space. The $33-million complex is expected to open in the spring of 2016, doubling capacity for trades students to over 2,400 per year. City Council has approved a recommendation that will see the Okanagan Centre for Innovation receiving a tax exemption equal to 50% of the municipal portion of property tax. The exemption is valid 2017 through 2026. Konz Pizza in a Cone, a mobile food concession business, has been granted a contract to start service in the City Park this summer. The permit allows them to operate from May 15th to September 15th for the next three years. Dr. Duncan and Monica Innes are being recognized for their support of the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra with the 2015 Nota Bene Award, which recognizes individuals and businesses for contributions of donations, volunteer work and other contributions. Kathleen Treadgold has become a new owner and partner of Edmonton-based Glow Juicery, a raw food café. The grand opening will be held on June 19th at their location in the Landmark 6 building on Dayton Street. Last month’s annual Daffodil Ball, put on by the Canadian Cancer

Society at the Laurel Packinghouse, raised more than $220,000. There were approximately 150 attendees. Construction is preparing to begin on Area 27, a private racetrack owned by the South Okanagan Motorsports Corp. The new UBC Innovation Library will be located in the Okanagan Regional Library’s branch on Ellis Street. It will house more than two million academic journals and e-books, some of which are not easily accessible at the public library. Stuart Olson Construction Ltd. has been awarded a contract for renovations at the Strathcona Building the Kelowna General Hospital. The budget is estimated to be $32 million, and completion is expected in 2017. Jan Schulz is the new Executive Director of Inn From the Cold.

LAKE COUNTRY The Macdonald Development Corporation celebrated the official unveiling of the Bellamy Homes and Noba Vision Show Homes at Lakestone with a grand opening VIP event.

KAMLOOPS The Privato Vineyard and Winery won double gold at the recent All Canadian Wine Championships. Slide the City will be coming to Kamloops on July 18th. Hartwick & Co., Chartered Accountant is pleased to welcome Craig Astle, CPA, CA, as the new owner of the practice. Craig is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Professional Accountant and brings with him 25 years of experience. A new Cascades Casino is set to open this August.

VERNON Okanagan College alumni Sareena Sharma Nickoli, Director of Purchasing and Marketing at City Furniture & Appliances, is being recognized by the Okanagan College Alumni Association (OCAA) Distinguished Alumni Award for her exceptional contributions to the community.

The Summerland Chamber of Commerce welcomed the following new businesses this month: Quality Movers have set up operations packing and moving for local and long distance jobs. Golden Wrench Contracting relocated their business from Alberta to provide full plumbing and renovation services, including bathroom, kitchen and basement renovations. And with 25 years experience, Agap Homes & Renovations can provide painting, flooring, decking and renovation services.

Sareena Sharma Nickoli, winner of the Okanagan College Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Award The Southern Interior Development Initiative Trust (SIDIT) is pleased to welcome Aimee Watson, Director Area D, Regional District of Central Kootenay and Karen Cathcart, Director Area A, Columbia Shuswap Regional District to their Board of Directors. One of the businesses SIDIT funded, Oliver-based Great Bear Enterprises Ltd. was nominated for the 2014 BC Food Producers Association – Best Product of the Year Award and was a finalist for the Rising Star Award 2014. Kevin Poole, the City’s Manager of Economic Development and Tourism was honoured with the Chairman’s Award for 2015 at the BC Economic Summit Awards Banquet held in Richmond. The award from the BC Economic Development Association (BCEDA) is presented annually to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the sector.

For the second consecutive year the wineries of the Bottleneck Drive Winery Association travelled to Vancouver to partner with VanDusen Botanical Gardens for Wine in the Garden on May 28th. Summerland wineries poured over 75 wines, with food pairings from Summerland artisanal food producers. At the 45th annual Blossom Pageant earlier this month Erin Sorensen, Miss IGA, was crowned Miss Summerland. She will be joined by Emma Thomson, Miss Rotary, and Martha Headland, Miss Summerset Massage Therapy, as princesses. Summerland’s newly elected Royalty will represent the town throughout the province at events. Evolve Cellars, the newest winery on the Bottleneck Drive, opened on May 16. The winery is the most recent project from the Encore Vineyards group of wineries. In collaboration with Evolve Cellars, the Elevation Eatery is the new tapas bar and restaurant

21 of Chef Kaila Klassen of Master Chef Canada Season 1. Kaila will be preparing dishes Tuesday to Sunday, as well as hosting cooking lessons throughout the summer. The new pairing can be found at 20623 McDougald Road. Spring is the time for renewal and two of our members are starting the season with new websites. 8th Generation recently launched their new user friendly website, self-described by them as “... an online face lift.” The new site, featuring online ordering and a list of retailers of their wine, is found at www.8thgeneration.com. In celebration of Earth Week, Swiss Solar Tech debuted their new website at www.swisssolartech. com. Customers will now find it easier to browse the site for all their residential and commercial solar needs using the new photo gallery.

PEACHLAND The Beach Ride Café & Tapas Bar and Beach Ave Board Shop have celebrated their grand opening downtown at 5830 Beach Avenue.

Demian Carson has joined the team at Spine & Sports at 3607 31st Street. He has a master’s of Physical Therapy from the University of Alberta. Micheal Tovani has joined the team at Bannister GM. Dan Poulin of Nixon Wenger has completed his Articles and has been admitted to the BC Bar. He will be joining the litigation group and assisting clients with resolving disputes including employment, land, construction, contract and injury claims.

OKANAGAN FALLS Wild Goose Vineyards has won an award at the 2015 All Canadian Wine Championships for their 2013 Stoney Slope Riesling. The wine also won a double gold in the Riesling Dry category. The winery is also celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

SUMMERLAND John Allan Jones retired at the end of April from his role as sales manager at Range Rider. Al Klar, owner and founder of the truck canopy specialist, said that the company had grown tenfold over the

Joanne Iormetti

Senior Marketing Advisor

PUT YOUR COMPANY IN THE SPOTLIGHT In the life of every business, certain events always stand out: • A grand opening • A brand new building • Completing a major project • Landing a major contract • Celebrating a milestone anniversary Spotlights are your opportunity to spread the word about your firm to the entire region of the ThompsonOkanagan. Contact me today to have your business featured in our publication.

To market your firm in the Business Examiner contact Joanne Iormetti at 1-866-758-2684, ext. 122 or joanne@businessto.ca

OPINION

JUNE 2015 A division of Invest Northwest Publishing Ltd. Thompson Okanagan Office #210-347 Leon Avenue, Kelowna, BC V1Y 8C7 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 | Thom Klos –thom@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

BUSINESS SUCCESS AND HARD WORK ARE INTRICATELY LINKED

MARK MACDONALD

“W

hat’s the most important thing we learned by playing

sports?” It’s a question a good friend and I discussed over lunch one day, musing about the benefits of having played junior hockey, and its impact on our lives, overall. Dealing with pressure, making decisions, being held accountable, handling the media, working with the public... Those were all good things, and we couldn’t disagree. My friend stopped: “You know what I think it was? Hard work.” He explained it this way: “Think about it. When we were losing, we had to work harder so we

could win. And if we were winning, we had to work harder, in case we’d lose.” Hard work. I had to agree. What we learned while playing under those pressure-packed – yet fun – conditions was, ultimately, that it was good old-fashioned hard work that brought success. Not short cuts, fancy equipment, not-as-good-as-we-thought rosters. It was hard work, plain and simple. That “life lesson” holds true in business. I’ve heard the same story, from a multitude of successful business owners, over the years. July 1 will mark 25 years since I started with the Business Examiner, which we now own. Over that time, I’ve interviewed hundreds of leaders who all attribute hard work to be a key part of their success. I n a l l my yea rs of w r it i ng business stories, almost unanimously, every person who has shared their successful journey with me spoke of putting in long, long hours. They all know firsthand that there is no substitute for hard work. It’s what keeps us all pushing in order to attain

the goal of every entrepreneur: A better financial future for ourselves and our families, and independence. And let’s not forget that one of the perks a small business owner has is the right to work whichever 80 hours of the week we choose. Our willingness to do whatever it takes, however long it takes, to make things work, is essential. Of course, the goal is to work smarter, and by doing so, we avoid becoming a literal slave to our business. Efficiencies and improvements, are, hopefully, a by-product of ingenuity and longevity. But if they’re slow in arriving, there’s always an able substitute: Hard work. There is a common misconception that once a person starts a busi ness, they’re pri nti ng money. They simply have to go to their back yard, whenever they feel like it, and pick as many bills off “the money tree” as they desire. When we first started our company, some congratulated us like we had won the lottery. They probably didn’t know that over 50 per cent of businesses fail. Other business owners officially welcomed us to “the club”

by nodding knowingly that we would soon enjoy many long hours, most of which paid out at less than minimum wage if we bothered to count. A salesman once told me: “I know what you go through as a business owner. I was in a commission sales job.” I had to stifle a laugh, before gently responding “With all due respect, you don’t. Not even close.” Entrepreneurs need to be able to do a little bit of everything, including, of course, sales. As revenues build, business owners tend to end up doing a little bit of everything else, including marketing, maintenance, receivables, payables, dealing with suppliers, and even janitorial duties. By the time the entrepreneur reaches the point of achieving success, they’ve probably used every tool in their toolbox, and borrowed some from others. Then there are the uncomfortable “payroll sweats”, an experience shared by business owners if cash flow and reserves are lower than the impending payment of staff wages. Now that’s pressure. Like many traits, hard work can be both good and bad. In the

formative stages of a company, it’s better and much cheaper to simply do a job by our self, rather than paying someone else to. As the business builds, entrepreneurs need to bring on others and trust them to get the job done, as opposed to doing everything, alone. If they don’t, they’ll inevitably burn out, and the success they seek will undoubtedly prove elusive. Ideally, along the way, the work ethic the owner has demonstrated will be instilled in the staff, and the company gets to where it actually runs, profitably, without the owner. That’s when it ‘officially’ becomes a business. Otherwise, it’s just a job. Then the owner can slow down a bit as staff continues on with the same work ethic. Legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus recognized the value of hard work. Someone once told him they were amazed at how lucky he was. His response spoke volumes: “The harder I practice, the luckier I get.” There are not many short cuts in life, but there is one when it comes to success in business: Hard work.

CANADA STANDS OUT FOR REDUCING RED TAPE We had hit a wall, and there was an appetite for bold solutions. The government set a goal of reducing regulations by a third within three years. To achieve the

LAURA JONES

ometimes it takes talking to an American to appreciate what is happening in Canada. I recently spoke to Uri Berliner, a journalist with National Public Radio, who was absolutely flabbergasted that Canada just became the first country in the world to legislate a cap on regulation. It is now the law that one regulation has to be removed any time a new one is added. “How can this be?” he asked. “How can this be in Canada?” Two big factors made it possible for the Red Tape Reduction Act to become law in Canada. First, the federal government had a strong model of successful regulatory reform to borrow

goal, a policy was put in place that for every new regulatory requirement introduced, two must be eliminated.

from in B.C. — it was the first Canadian jurisdiction to get serious about controlling regulation starting in 2001. At the time, excessive regulation was a widely acknowledged problem in the province. Forest companies were being told what size nails to use when building bridges, restaurants were being told what size TVs they could have in their establishments, and children needed two permits to bring a tadpole to show and tell, to name just a few examples. We had hit a wall, and there was an appetite for bold solutions. T he government set a goal of reducing regulations by a third within three years. To achieve the goal, a policy was put in place that for every new regulatory requirement introduced, two must be eliminated. B .C .’s “o n e-i n-t w o - o u t” policy was culture-changing. Regulators started to see their jobs very differently. Success wasn’t defined as continuing to add more rules, but to keep the needed ones and get rid of the rest. Bureaucrats got so good at fi nd i ng stu ff that wasn’t needed that at one point they were eliminating five regulatory requirements for every new one

introduced. Today, in order to maintain the reduction, B.C. has a “one-in-one-out” policy for regulatory requirements. Uri, the N PR reporter, was even more gobsmacked to hear that there was no strong opposition to Canada’s Red Tape Reduction Act. He ex pected controversy and partisanship. In response, I ex plained the second reason regulatory reform has traction in Canada: Small businesses have put the issue on the political map. Small businesses are telling their stories and helping the public understand the negative consequences of too much regulation. They are asking business associations to make it a priority. They are filling out surveys that have helped us put a dollar figure on the cost of regulation to business ($37 billion a year). They are cheerleading progress, even when it is slower than they might like. They are telling politicians it is important to keep a lid on regulation if we want the next generation of entrepreneurs to succeed. Having small business owners — a respected, non-partisan voice — speak up for regulatory reform is making all the difference in Canada. It is paving

the way for sensible policy that creates a better, less-adversarial relationship between government and the citizens it serves. T h is is a sha rp contrast to wh at i s h appen i ng sout h of t he b order. L a st weekend’s Wall Street Journal featured a n a rticle by author Charles Murray, amusingly titled “Fifty Shades of Red.” The article describes out-of-control regulating by the U.S. government and advocates that people deliberately refuse to comply with rules they disagree with. To protect against a reg ulatory agency coming after you, he suggests: “Let’s treat government as an insurable hazard, like tornadoes.” Is this really the most hopeful approach to dealing with too much regulation in the U.S.? No wonder it is big news that Canada’s government is trying to deal with the problem more constructively. Laura Jones is Executive Vice President of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. She can be reached at laura.jones@cfib.ca. Follow her on Twitter @CFIBideas.

SUBCRIPTIONS | $45 PER YEAR (12 ISSUES), $80 FOR 2 YEARS (24 ISSUES), SUBSCRIBE ONLINE: WWW.BUSINESSEXAMINER.CA. DISTRIBUTION: FOURTH WEEK OF EACH MONTH VIA CANADA POST AD MAIL. The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited submissions. The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. Produced and published in British Columbia. All contents copyright Business Examiner Thompson Okanagan, 2015. Canadian Publications Mail Acct.: 40069240

2014

SALES/GREEN SHEET

JUNE 2015

ARETHE YOUCOURSE BUILDING ETTING

YOUR DREAM HOUSE ON When personal visions SWAMPLAND?

and goals are in alignment Until you’ve completed

with team visions and your due diligence— goals stringently as well asqualify company

ALES

SALES N GLENNON

theand opportunity—and visions goals, a you know you’re on

powerful synergy is

solid ground, you

created

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JOHN GLENNON

shouldn’t be working on

ou m ay not re a l i z e it “blueprints”—proposals but, asmagine a sa les leader, buying a plot of land on which build your you must oftentoserve as dream and presentations house. vigator. You set the course hiring architect to your salesImagine team or for an your turn your dream house vision into artment. You set a course a working design and detailed set they are facing, the problems they ourself.ofYou help your staff are attempting to solve, and the blueprints. mbers setImagine their courses spendinginhours with goals they desire to achieve. Addithe architect goingteam over each and tionally, you must be able to view dually and within the every detail of the design tex t. You a re consta ntly making those situations from the prossure that it accurately reflects your pects’ points of view—rather than gating. vision. You map out territhrough the lens of any precones, chart Imagine steps tohiring take, test contractors and ceived ideas you may have. And conditions, correct others artisans to transform your dream that means doing a lot of “asking” before you do any “telling.” Until house design into a reality. have strayed off course and Imagine hiring andeinterior de- you fully understand the outcomes o reach the destinations signer to create a most magnificent prospects are after (and the events mined forinterior you, inand large, by the accents of the vision and the attainment obtain unique that precipitated the desire for pany. for your dream house. of the goals. those outcomes), you’re not yet e course the takes Establish plan of action to Nowcompany imagine the construction on solidaground. crew beginning the footers have a complete picture rgely determined by to itsdigviachieveOnce theyou vision. It is posfor the foundation and discovering of your prospects’ situations, you , just as the course we take in sible to move “what is” closer to that four feet below the surface of must decide if you can deliver bestas individuals is determined sub- fit could be” – but not alone your plot of land lies a boggy“what solutions for their needs. “Best ur personal vision. When and not without plan. The last strate that would neither support fit” not onlyafrom your perspeconal visions and goals step intive, visioning istheir to establish a but from perspectives the foundation norare the in infrastructureteam for your dream house. well. Develop the goals nment with visions and plan ofasaction. Hopes and dreams (not to menTolife determine if you can earn s as well as company visions that give and action to the tion time, energy, and money) van- best-fit status, you’ll need to know goals, aish powerful synergy vision.the Here is where leader and in an instant. expectations and priority proseated throughout the comfollower are joined inalltheir of thecomvarious Of course, that would never have pects assigned to y. Part ofhappened. what you have the mitment to the vision. aspects of the sale—initial investtotal cost, delivery, impleWhy? er to do as a manager is to Thinkment, about how your personal mentation, service, and so Because you would not have k to shape your vision, the vision and goals fit with theon. viIf, for example, you can deliver purchased the land without first sion and goals of your company. on of those on your staff and performing your due diligence what you believe to be a best-fit Is it a good fit for or athe forced fit? The vision of(such the as company inthe a survey solution amount of money examining best fitthe is prospect when your vision cothat gives meaninganalysis to the reports) is willing to invest, and structural the the implementation time and to determining the parcel alesces to be but with company’s vis you work set. (whichyou is extremely important for the intended the When sion. achieving your ow yoursuitable company’s vision.use. If particular piece of land was un- to the prospect) lies outside the sion is different from goals goals helps the company achieve suitable for your dream house, you window the prospect has set, your itsfor goals, synergy Immission.would It expresses a view have searched elsewhere solution is notisacreated. best fit. And reagine what would happen if what could be. The vision, set of a more suitable parcel on which gardless of how detailed a the youmember submit, your sale build. of each team cosharingtoin the vision, can vision “blueprints” will never get built. And, you wouldn’t have engaged alesced with your vision for the ivate and inspire us to reach Whether you’re building a house an architect until you had secured if their goals led to goals. Determine your com- team? What an appropriate spot. After all, it or a sale, you’ll need solid ground of to your y’s visionwouldn’t and share that to vibuildgoals? it. If the base is make sense investattainment time on which with your staff. This createsplans If were to to make unstable, it’sset onlyout a matter of time and money developing foryou before theyour structure collapses. your dream company house if you havesome no- or ntext in which all of visions beto buildsense it. beforewhat you begin working reality, goals wouldon s make where personal to come aSo, Right? (presentations and to get there, in the real loyees, which in turn is a you set“blueprints” The same strategy holds true for proposals), dig around in the dirt world? erful motivating dynamic. ■ developing “dream” sales. for a bit and make sure you’re not volve everyone who might be your due standing in a swamp. Until you’ve completed diligence—stringently qualify the Copyright 2015 Sandler Training cted. A leader with a vision opportunity—and know you’re and Insight Sales Consulting John Glennon is the owner of Inc. ds to share that visionyou with on solid ground, you shouldn’t be All rights reserved. Insight Sales Consulting Inc., yone who will be affected working on “blueprints”—propos. The navigator informs the the authorized Sandler Training als and presentations. licenseeJohn forGlennon the Interior of B.C. w. The crew the des- qualSo, knows how do you stringently is the owner of Insight ify an opportunity and makeReach sure him Salesat Consulting an authorized tion. Members of the crew toll-freeInc,1-866-645you’re on firmwith footing? Training Licensee. He can be then empowered the 2047 orSandler jglennon@sandler.com. First and foremost, you must reached at jglennon@sandler.com, acity to share in the pursuit Visit www.glennon.sandler.com. thoroughly understand your prospects’ situations—the challenges

toll free at 1-866-645-2047 or visit www.glennon.sandler.com

SIMONE SUNDERLAND

GREEN SHEET BUILDING BRIEFS

23 ARCHITECT Bruce Carscadden Architect Inc - 715 E Hastings St, Vancouver V6A 1R3 604-6331830 OWNER District of Lake Country 10150 Bottom Wood Lake Rd, SUNDERLAND LakeSIMONE Country V4V 2M1 250766-5650

PROJECT STATUS PROJECT Site work and foundations New -water treatment facility - the disunderway construction trict isanticipated currently testing methcompletion winterseveral LOCATION LOCATION 2016 ods including membrane technology LOCATION Clement Ave between St Paul 131 Victoria St - High Rise PROJECT STATUS and Richter St - Kelowna RCMP 175 Kokanee Way - Ramada Hotel DESIGNER Development Dwell Design Studio - 6637 Police underway - Tender call for Services Building PROJECT CameoDesign Dr, Vernon V1H 1N6 PROJECT TYPE TYPE General Contractor anticipated mixed-use dev 250-550-7476 PROJECT TYPE commercial new July/14 - construction completion GENERAL CONTRACTOR institutional new PROJECT PROJECT anticipated Heartwood Homeslate Ltd 2015 - 181 LOCATION NewRamada mixed use development PROJECT New Hotel in the Campbell Overlook Pl, Vernon V1H 1X1 CONSULTANT 12 storey high rise tower New Kelowna RCMP detach- Rd - Missio 2241 Springfield Creek industrial park - 4 storeys - 250-542-0098 1,623 sm commercial space on Opus Dayton Knight 255 1715 ment building on 3.24 acres Crossing Westside 3,780 sm - 80 rooms - restaurant - pool main floor - 77 condominium Dickson Ave, V1Y 9G6 250-868-4925 2 to 3 storeys - approxTYPE 90,000 with waterslide elevators concrete PROJECT units - 77 underground parking sf design build OWNER construction - roof articulation with commercial new stalls porte cochere - asphalt shingles - 98 District of Sicamous - 1214 PROJECT STATUS PROJECT PROJECT STATUS surface parking stalls Riverside Ave, Sicamous V0EReview 2V0 of short listed bidders Rezoning application submitted New of commercial ongoing - award contract urban lifest 250-836-2477 PROJECT STATUS LOCATION centre - 6 buildings - 2 to 7 s anticipated summer/15 DEVELOPER MANAGER Construction start anticipated late 17101PROJECT Terrace View Rd - 50th retail commercial at ground short listed bidders include: Total Concept Developments Parallel Estate Winery 2014 MHPM - 550 555 Events W 12th Ave,PCL Constructors with office units above - und Westcoast 102 150 Victoria St, Kamloops CentreVancouver & Bistro - V5Z Phase 2 604-714-0988 3X7 parkade - 80 above ground s ARCHITECT Inc, Bird Design-Build V2C 1Z7 250-372-5550 stalls Constructionterm Inc,parking Bouygues PROJECT TYPE OWNER DF Architecture Inc - 1205 4871 Shell commercial new Building Canada PROJECT STATUS 623341 BC Ltd Inc c/o TriRd, Richmond V6X 3Z6 604-284-5194 City Contracting Ltd - 102 150 PROJECT OWNER Development permit applica DEVELOPER New Events Centre and Bistro Victoria St, Kamloops V2C 1Z7 City of Kelowna - 1435 Water submitted glass events space 250-372-3183 LOCATION Prism Ventures Inc - 3571 Barmond - beautiful St, Kelowna V1Y 1J4 250-469ARCHITECT - a unique wood-fire Ave, Richmond V7E 1A4 604-338-4656 8530 To Beseasonal Determined - Ice Facility Ekistics Town Planning - 192 forno bistro - ‘Lake to Sky’ tastOWNER PROJECT TYPE PROJECT MANAGER ing room St, Vancouver V5T 3C1 604-7 MHPM - 550 555 W 12th Ave, Prism Hotels and Resorts - 800 institutional add/alter DEVELOPER Vancouver V5Z 3X7 604-71414800 Landmark Blvd, Dallas TexasPROJECT STATUS PROJECT LOCATION Construction start anticipated R366 Enterprises Ltd - 4870 0988 75254 214-987-9300 6021, 6241, 6381 50 NE St mid 2015 construction New- ice facility forcomthe Greater Kelowna V1W 4M3 250-764pletion anticipated Bare Land Strata RV Park and Vernon area tolate/16 replace the aging GENERAL CONTRACTOR Campground Civic Arena - 4,000 seats - may be APPLICANT Lambert and Paul Constructi an addition to Kal Ltd Tire-Place or the Sawchuk Developments PROJECT TYPE 300 2000 Spall Rd, Kelowna commercial add/alter 486 Adams Kelowna PriestRd, Valley ArenaV1X or construction of LOCATION 250-860-2331 LOCATION 7S1 250-765-3838 a new ice facility 245 Edmonton Ave4000 Block PROJECT 451 St strata - SD 83RVNorth 5 St - Seniors Housing PROJECT STATUS NewShuswap bare land ParkOkanaARCHITECT gan Shuswap Administration ZeidlerFeasibility Partnership Architects and Campground - improve- Building study and cost analysis PROJECT TYPE ments to TYPE golf course - 620 study 1500 West Georgia St, - the PROJECT anticipated shortly seniors housing Vancouver V6G 2Z6 604-662institutional new Greater Vernon Advisory Committee PROJECT STATUS 3002 Rezoning application at 3rd will decide in June whether orPROJECT not to PROJECT New seniors housing facility reading - negotiations with New administration building on the OWNERhold a referendum in November/14 - Phase 1, 5 storeys - 60 units 50th Parallel Winery - - location, Ministry of Transportation and to fund aEstate new ice facility old JL Jackson school site - 2,640 sm17101 - main floor health related Terrace View Rd, Lake Highways ongoing preliminary design and estimated 2 storeys - 75 parking stalls commercial facilities, adminCountry 250-766-3408 cost to be determined OWNER istration, dining, kitchen and PROJECT STATUS Club Shuswap Golf and RV Ltd LOCATION common facilities - 14,436 OWNER Site work underway - 5751 Trans Canada Hwy NE, sf of commercial space on Vintage Boulevard, Okanaga City of Vernon - 1900 48th Ave, Salmon Arm V1E 3A2 250-832ARCHITECT ground floor concrete and Vintage Views Vernon V1T 5E6 250-545-1361 7345 wood construction - Phase 2 MQN Architects - 100 3313 32 Ave, PROJECT TYPE will include a 2nd building of SURVEYOR Vernon V1T 2E1 250-542-1199 similar size subdivisions Browne Johnson Land LOCATION OWNER PROJECT 9830 Bottom Rd - Winfield Surveyors - Box 362 201 371 PROJECT STATUS School District 83 - North OkanaganRecreation Centre and Seniors Alexander, Salmon Arm V1E New subdivision Planning ongoing - formal - 30 SFD lot Shuswap - 220 Shuswap St NE, Centre Renovations 4N5 250-832-9701 proposals to BC Housing PROJECT STATUS Salmon Arm V1E 4N2 250-832-2157 PROJECT TYPE anticipated in 2015 upon Construction start anticipate PROJECT MANAGER institutional add/alter approvals from BC Housing June/14 construction start anticipated Stantec - 400 1620 Dickson Ave, PROJECT LOCATION OWNER in 2016 Kelowna V1Y 9Y2 250-860-3225 Renovations to the Winfield LOCATION

KAMLOOPS KAMLOOPS

KELOWNA CENTRAL

OKANAGAN REGIONAL DISTRICT

LAKE COUNTRY

VERNON

SALMON ARM

PEACHLAND

SALMON ARM

OKANAGAN SIMILKAME REGIONAL DISTRICT

LAKE COUNTRY

DISTRICT OF WEST KELOWNA

VERNON

3705 27 St - Health Services Building

SICAMOUS PROJECT TYPE commercial new

LOCATION PROJECT

524 - Mara Lake Water NewDabell healthStservices buildTreatment Facility ing - 2 storeys and basement

- approx 6,460 PROJECT TYPE sf - wood frame construction - 17 above ground

industrial new parking stalls

2425 Orlin Rd - Addition to the

Vintage View Developments Recreation and Centre ARCHITECT Village at Seniors Smith Creek Robert Milanovic 250-492-5 - including interior renovations Allen and Maurer Architects PROJECTtoTYPE and upgrades the existing Ltd - 205 301 Main St, seniors housing and secmain floor washrooms Penticton V2A 5B7 250-276ond floor multipurpose room, PROJECT 4106 new exterior deck and stairs Addition to the Village at Smith Creek CONSULTANT with storage below seniors housing facility- 1,810 sm - 4 CitySpaces Consulting Ltd PROJECT STATUS storeys - 23 units - 8 additional u/gFl 844 Courtney St, - 5th Construction parking start stallsanticipated - fibre cement board Victoria V8W 1C4 250-383June/15 exterior - 4th floor stepped back as 0304

Jeff Bosch

1-800-667-19

gables

7YL IPK

PROJECT STATUS Construction underway - foundations

250-545-534

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