» COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
JUNE 2015
–PAGE 10
For job
SIDNEY Smart Dolphins Equals Smart Technology
National in Scope, Local in Focus
Unity B the produ
Victoria
#220 - 645 Fort Street, Victoria
WWW.BUSINESSEXAMINER.CA
PAGE 7
SAANICHTON
Cascadia hits high water mark with ocean technology National recognition for Entrepreneur Victoria-based firm that answers ‘What if?’ questions about the ocean
Edge Plumbing and Gas Ltd. Hits Ten Year Milestone
BY JOHN MACDONALD
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ICTORIA – Clayton Hiles has been making positive waves in the marine-based renewable energ y industry. H i le s’ compa ny, Cascad ia Coast Research, has been grown steadily, and was recently nationally recognized for its efforts in bridging the gap between entrepreneurship and scientific research. MITACS, a national private, non-for-profit organization, recently named Hiles as the recipient of an Honorable Mention winner for one of their inaugural Mitacs Entrepreneur Awards in Calgary. “This award means a lot,” says Hiles. “It’s encouraging validation from my peers and people that I look up to.” Cascadia Coast is a coastal engineering consulting company contracted by clients when
infrastructure and transportation projects are being considered for coastline. “We specialize in modeling services, we use computer models to understand what the ocean conditions in a specific place might be, and interpret the data into actionable and useable information for our clients,” says Hiles. “For example, clients come to us to find out what might happen if there’s an underwater rupture at a fault line. Would there be a tsunami? What would the implications for the project and the surrounding area be?” The company’s services have been employed on both of Canada’s coasts, in addition to work in A laska and Indonesia. BC Ferries employed them as they were planning a new route, and the City of Vancouver and City of Surrey has commissioned Cascadia for a study on the impact of sea level increases on the coast. Other notable clients include
Clayton Hiles of Cascadia Coast Research working with ocean modeling equipment the National Research Council of Canada, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the University of Victoria’s (UVIC) West Coast
Wave Initiative, which looks to address issues standing in the SEE HILES HITS HIGHPOINT | PAGE 21
Employee of the Year Greenlees leads new direction for English Inn
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SQUIMALT – “This is a confirmation that I’m doing what I love,” says Heather Greenlees, on winning the 2015 Greater Victoria Business Employee of the Year Award. Greenlees is the General Manager of the English Inn Boutique Hotel and Wedding Venue, which has redeveloped into a community hub during her tenure at the facility. “The award is very humbling, it’s a big achievement for the property and my staff. When I first arrived the property had gone through a
bumpy ride. I decided to focus on growing the event side of the business, and expand the Inn’s presence in the community,” she says. “The goal was to put passion back into the property, and I think we’ve been able to achieve that here,” she adds. “Myself and the team have really worked on enhancing the reputation of the property in the community, we’ve become very involved in local arts and culture, and the Esquimalt Chamber of Commerce.” Greenless notes that arts and
culture has been a strong avenue for the English Inn, drawing locals in. With events like the Township Classics Concert series, they’ve been able to host world-renowned musicians like violinist Gwen Thompson, an Order of Canada appointee. “Events have given the Inn new life, they’ve become a flow of income that wasn’t there before,” she states. “When I started here, I focused on building a really strong team, and with that team our event and wedding file expanded quickly
“The staff are very well trained, they can do a little bit of everything. That allows me the freedom to trust them, it empowers them and helps in their individual growth. In hospitality there can a mentality of ‘I have to be here at work’, my focus is to create an environment that makes staff say ‘I want to be here’.” Greenlees’ positive attitude and management style seem to be paying off, as well as a focus SEE EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR | PAGE 15
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