Douglas magazine October/November 2018

CHILDCARE IN CRISIS: A MAJOR BUSINESS ISSUE

VICTORIA’S GAMING STUDIOS PLAY TO WIN

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR BUSINESS HITS THE WALL

SMALL BUSINESS ISSUE

OCT/NOV 2018

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CONTENTS FEATURES

SPECIAL IN THIS ISSUE

Why the lack of affordable childcare is a critical business issue. BY SUSAN HOLLIS

76

Flight Plan YYJ A big expansion readies Victoria International Airport for more passengers. BY SUSAN HOLLIS

78

Let’s Play Victoria’s gaming companies are punching above their weight in a multi-billion-dollar market.

BY NEVIN THOMPSON

+ RETREATS 61 MEETINGS

+MEETINGS RETREATS

46

Carenomics

24

2018 VANCOUVER ISLAND MEETING PLANNER

WHY IT PAYS TO PLAY: MEETINGS AND RETREATS CAN UP YOUR GAME

TIPS TO HELP YOU CHOOSE THE PERFECT FACILITATOR FOR YOUR EVENT

WHAT’S TRENDING FOR 2019? INSIGHTS FROM EVENT PLANNERS

ANNUAL SPECIAL RESOURCE GUIDE

DOUGLAS 61

76

This annual guide includes the top trends from event planners, tips for choosing the perfect event facilitator and ideas for boosting business productivity through play.

88

The Modern Barber The boom in barbershops reflects men’s renewed need to define their own style. BY JEFF DAVIES

94

Has Your Business Hit a Wall?

Want to grow your business but don’t know how? Douglas explores how smart businesses are breaking through. BY ALEX VAN TOL

DEPARTMENTS 8 FROM THE EDITOR 13 IN THE KNOW Major shopping centre shifts, doing business at 1515 Douglas, how to get stuff done, and Aux Box’s new workat-home solution.

22 CASE STUDY To get away from microplastics pollution, ANIÁN works with natural fabrics for its waterproof adventure clothing. BY ATHENA MCKENZIE

24 BIG IDEA LlamaZOO’s lateral leap.

44

BY SHANNON MONEO

32 IN CONVERSATION Why Catherine Holt, CEO of the Victoria Chamber, doesn’t just focus on one piece of the pie.

BY KERRY SLAVENS

102 LAST PAGE A dinosaur-sized business.

BY BELLE WHITE

INTEL (BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE) 98 COMMUNICATION Why you need a podcast now. BY ROSS DUNN

99 MONEY Is recreational marijuana a boom waiting for a bust?

BY STEVE BOKOR

100 GROWTH Why small businesses need strategy.

BY CLEMENS RETTICH

37 VIEA 2018 The 12th Annual State of the Island Economic Summit draws together stakeholders to focus on Vancouver Island’s future.

6 DOUGLAS

JEFFREY BOSDET/DOUGLAS MAGAZINE

FROM THE EDITOR

Enriched Thinking™ for your family, business and future.

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8 DOUGLAS

Beauty Isn’t Everything

VICTORIA IS A SHINING DESTINATION — a tourism triple-threat of heritage architecture, natural landscapes and vibrant culture. And that trifecta was a powerful influencer in the rebrand of our city that Tourism Victoria (now Destination Greater Victoria) launched on September 12.

But pull back the tourism curtain and not everything is brand-beautiful, because Victoria is fast becoming known for another triple threat: our critical lack of attainable housing, even for people with good incomes; our desperate need for childcare solutions; and our overwhelming and systemic street issues.

Let’s get real: it’s brutally hard to find places to rent here, and buying a home has become a dream so many people, including young families, never expect to realize. A lack of affordable childcare (or almost any childcare) is putting enormous strain on parents, and then there’s the situation on our streets, with open drug use, epidemic ODs and people, young and old, sleeping rough.

It’s easy to say these are the growing pains of a growing city, but the writing has been on the wall here for a long time. Now we’ve got a crisis that is causing more and more people to relocate to cities that may be less beautiful than Victoria, but are far more affordable.

Why does all of this relate to Greater Victoria’s rebrand? Because a cardinal rule of branding is that a compelling, authentic brand isn’t just about convincing external customers that a product or service or destination is great — it’s about getting buy-in from internal customers, the people who need to embody the spirit of the brand and share that message. In Victoria’s case, that means the people who live and work here.

It’s not on Destination Greater Victoria to solve social issues. They’re here to market us to the world and they do that well. But it is on governments to solve the issues, and although significant changes are underway, we need all levels of government to move with greater urgency.

It’s simply unacceptable that If the City of Victoria can build a significant cycling in Canada’s most beautiful city, lane infrastructure (which I support) in less than four years, it’s certainly a sign major momentum is possible. people are seeking shelter in The same goes for the federal government, which has dumpsters, and even those managed to legalize cannabis (which I also support) in less than three years. earning good salaries are Things can happen mightily fast if the political struggling to make ends meet. will — and pressure from voters — is there. So with municipal elections are coming up on October 20, ask your candidates about their priorities and plans to encourage more local affordable housing.

On a provincial level, tell the B.C. government to fast-track creation of long-term addiction treatment and recovery facilities, and emphasize the need for universal childcare. And for the icing on it all, put pressure on the feds to dramatically and speedily increase support and funding in these areas.

Tourists love Greater Victoria, but while we are showcasing its beauty to the world, let’s ensure the people who live here feel the love too. Victoria needs to be a great place to live, not just to visit.

— Kerry Slavens kslavens@pageonepublishing.ca

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SOTHEBYSREALTY.CA

www.douglasmagazine.com VOLUME 12 NUMBER 6

We believe the ultimate measure of our performance is our client’s success. It has guided our approach for over 30 years.

PUBLISHERS Lise Gyorkos, Georgina Camilleri

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kerry Slavens

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Jeffrey Bosdet

PRODUCTION MANAGER Jennifer Kühtz

SALES AND MARKETING MANAGER Amanda Wilson

LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jo-Ann Loro DEPUTY EDITOR Athena McKenzie STAFF WRITER Susan Hollis

ASSOCIATE GRAPHIC DESIGNER Janice Hildybrant

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Belle White

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Deana Brown, Sharon Davies, Cynthia Hanischuk

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Steve Bokor, Jeff Davies, Ross Dunn, Shannon Moneo, Clemens Rettich, Nevin Thompson, Alex Van Tol, Belle White CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jeffrey Bosdet, Joshua Lawrence, Darryl LeCorre, Jo-Ann Loro, Belle White

Ian Clark, CFP 250-405-2928 iandavidclark.ca

Joseph Alkana, CIM, FCSI 250-405-2960 josephalkana.com

Steve Bokor, CFA 250-405-2930 stevebokor.com

PROOFREADER Renée Layberry

CONTRIBUTING AGENCIES Thinkstock p. 16, 66; MaximImages p. 54-55

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ADVERTISING INQUIRIES sales@douglasmagazine.com ONLINE www.douglasmagazine.com FACEBOOK DouglasMagazineVictoria TWITTER twitter.com/Douglasmagazine COVER Barber Maurice St. Rose of MoCutz with a client at atmospHAIRe, a Victoria salon. Photo by Jeffrey Bosdet Published by PAGE ONE PUBLISHING 580 Ardersier Road, Victoria, BC V8Z 1C7 T 250.595.7243 E info@pageonepublishing.ca www.pageonepublishing.ca

Printed in Canada, by Transcontinental Printing Ideas and opinions expressed within this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of Page One Publishing Inc. or its affiliates; no official endorsement should be inferred. The publisher does not assume any responsibility for the contents of any advertisement and any and all representations or warranties made in such advertising are those of the advertiser and not the publisher. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in all or part, in any form — printed or electronic — without the express written permission of the publisher.

The publisher cannot be held responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs.

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12 DOUGLAS

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Align your business with Douglas. For more information or to request an advertising rate card, please call us at 250.595.7243 or email us at sales@douglasmagazine.com.

INNOVATION | DESIGN | BUSINESS | STYLE | PEOPLE 

[IN THE KNOW ]

JEFFREY BOSDET/DOUGLAS MAGAZINE

ALL IN THE DETAILS Designed by D’AMBROSIO architecture + urbanism, Jawl Properties’ new building at 1515 Douglas brings new life to a major corner of downtown Victoria. Its 2,600 square foot, six-storey, 26-metre high open rotunda atrium space features a unique glue-laminated timber structure that supports the skylight and a two-storey cast glass interior facade in Channel Glass by Bendheim Glass Systems.

BY THE NUMBERS

6

1.7%

16.8

For the first time in history, the consumer market includes 6 generations of shoppers.

Canadian shopping centre growth has remained flat, but stable, falling behind Asia at 5.4% and Europe at 2.7% but ahead of the U.S. at 0.4%.

Average retail square footage per person in Canada. In the U.K., the average is 5 sq. ft., and in the U.S. it’s 23.5 sq. ft., which experts consider to be “vastly over-stored.”



RETAIL RESET

SOURCE: ATKEARNEY, 2018





DIGITAL DISRUPTION IS GROWING, BUT SO IS THE MOTIVATION OF SHOPPING CENTRES AND THEIR RETAILERS TO BOOST CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT IN NEW WAYS. BY SUSAN HOLLIS

[ HERE + HAPPENING ]

just the start of what we expect to be a very fast evolution of the retail industry,” says Poland, who quarterbacked Mayfair Mall’s recent $72-million overhaul.

“Customers want a unique experience, ultimate convenience, and personalization,” she says, pointing to the men’s and boys’ skateboard and clothing store West 49, which is adding skateboard facilities inside their spaces in larger centres to increase “dwell time” and build loyalty.”

Along with seeing and trying products in-store, consumers will soon also be able to pay at an automated kiosk and have their purchases shipped directly to their homes. Text-ahead reservations will be common to avoid line-ups at service-based stores — and in-store WiFi, selfie stations and refreshments will be popular.

Darlene Hollstein, GM at The Bay Centre, points to the in-store tea service provided by Michel Negrin at its new store at the shopping centre.

Living wall

BELLE WHITE/DOUGLAS MAGAZINE

T

o stay relevant in a world increasingly skewed to e-com, shopping centres and their retailers are bridging the gap between in-store and online shopping with new ways to attract and keep customers.

The move is showing up with m-commerce (mobile commerce) and direct-to-consumer apps that allow brands to capture customers’ attention, both online and in store.

Mayfair Shopping Centre GM Laura Poland says its retailers are incorporating technologies that mimic online shopping, because when it comes to finding and paying for products, in-store shoppers expect the ease and facility of the online experience.

To further attract and hold customer interest, shopping centre retailers are also focusing on creating what, in retail speak, are called consumer engagement spaces.

“What we’re seeing now locally, and in North America, is really

“It used to fall on ... shopping centres to provide that experience when you walked through the doors,” says Hollstein. “We could control the common areas, do events, attract new customers and drive that traffic, but we can’t fully embrace what experience [consumers] have in the store — that’s up to the brand to do. So to see them following suit and listening to consumers is just wonderful.”

Mayfair Makeover Mayfair’s 100,000 sq.ft. expansion will welcome new stores to the shopping centre, including Saje Natural Wellness (pictured above) and Indigo.

[ INNOVATE THE ISLAND ]

[ DISRUPT HR ]

[ BE SAFE ]

Each year, the State of the Island Economic Summit draws over 600 stakeholders to an idea-packed conference focused on the successes and challenges of doing business on this Island, and key trends affecting our economy. Vancouver Island Conference Centre Nanaimo | Oct 24 & 25 | viea.ca

After a sold-out event last year, DisruptHR is hosting another thoughtprovoking and disruptive event focused on the rebellious future of HR. Each speaker gets five minutes to blow your mind.

Victoria Conference Centre | Nov 21 | 5 to 9 p.m. | engagedhr.com/disrupthr

From falls to fentanyl, workplaces are full of risk. The South Island Safety Conference, featuring keynote speaker Spencer Beach, author of Forged in the Heart of Fire, helps employees meet mandatory safety requirements for annual training. Saanich Fairgrounds | Nov 5 & 6 | southislandsafety.com

14 DOUGLAS

INNOVATE HOW THEY DID IT

BUSINESS IMPACT

OH, GET A ROOM AN ISLAND COMPANY HAS CREATED THE AUX BOX, A TINY, MODULAR BUILDING DESIGNED FOR EXTRA LIVING OR WORK SPACE ON YOUR PROPERTY.

WHAT BUSINESS NEEDS TO KNOW

1

CAN TECH TURN THE TIDE ON E-COM IN HOME FURNISHINGS? CHALLENGE The success of online furniture retailers like Wayfair has put a squeeze on the profit margins of many small furniture vendors and made it tough for bricks-and-mortar retailers to compete against selection and pricing.

SOLUTION A new immersive solution from Picture This Today 3D, a Victoria-based tech firm, promises to level the playing field.

According to CEO Ev Saurette, the company’s Re3D, just out of beta, is a 3D visual technology to help vendors and retailers attract shoppers, connect with consumers globally and realize better profit margins.

With Re3D, shoppers can take interactive virtual tours of their own homes or offices, choose paint and floor coverings, and select and arrange furniture and decor — all in real time, with no rendering. Shoppers can also browse full product lines and options, and buy online or in-store, confident in how products will fit and appear in their homes.

Four years in development, Re3D has been designed to be affordable to small businesses, with a monthly price starting from $238 rather than in the thousands, says Saurette.

Noting the interest Re3D received at the recent Las Vegas Market, one of the world’s biggest furniture shows, Saurette says, “People are excited. There’s nothing out there like this.”

The federal government has granted Foreign Trade Zone Point designation (FTZ-VI) to the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance. The FTZ Point is a single point of access to government support to solve import/export issues. It includes dutyrelief on some imported goods. viea.ca

2

Along with being the time of Thanksgiving, October is Small Business Month, a time to be thankful for the important contributions of entrepreneurs to the B.C. economy — and their local communities. Check your local chamber for opportunities to network with other small-business owners.

3

Smart businesses will want to read Victoria Vital Signs. Published annually by the Victoria Foundation and launched Oct. 2, this must-read community check-up measures the region’s vitality, flags concerns and supports action on critical issues. victoriafoundation.bc.ca

In the era of the home office and the epoch of the hobbyist, the need for extra space in our homes has never been greater. To that end, Parksville-based Aux Box — a modular building company — has created a 106 sq. ft. prefabricated living space that can be built in a week and installed in less than a day. The Aux Box is constructed to exceed code, and doesn’t require a building permit, fitting easily into most yards, bylaws permitting.

“This allows you to get that extra room,” says co-founder Landon Sheck, ”to free up a bedroom in your house and move your office outside so you have an extra space away from the noise of the home.”

Home offices make up the bulk of inquiries for Aux Box, but Sheck and business partner Morgan Seeber have heard from everyone from yoga practitioners to sewing enthusiasts.

With a sleek glass front wall to provide light and breathability, and a fully wired, insulated interior, basic Aux Box models start at $24,800.



HIRING IS STILL HIGH STRESS B.C. has had the lowest unemployment rate in Canada for 12 months in a row, and the highest wage growth. It’s hard on B.C. employers, but we’re not alone. The ManpowerGroup 2018 Talent Shortage Survey of 2,000 employers shows that 41 per cent of Canadian employers report difficulty in hiring.

Here’s how smart companies are responding:

56%

28% are changing existing work models, including offering flexible work arrangements to attract and retain talent.

are looking at different talent pools for skills, including boomerang retirees or returning parents and part-timers.

68% are investing in learning platforms and development tools to build their talent pipeline.

SOURCE: MANPOWERGROUP, 2018

DOUGLAS 15

Turn a trusted relationship into intelligent investments.

WHERE BUSINESS HAPPENS

BELLE WHITE/DOUGLAS MAGAZINE

MEET UP

“I travel a lot and was inspired by the functional spaces I saw that served the community well — the classic European all-day cafe and bar that’s an extension of your living room,” says Shane Deveraux, owner of Sherwood Cafe & Bar. “The space you know is always there and reliable. If you’re thirsty or hungry you can come by and we’ll take care of you.”

BELLE WHITE/DOUGLAS MAGAZINE

Sherwood Cafe & Bar brings a Euro vibe to Victoria

Wealth Advisor

PRIME LOCALE About settling in the new Jawl project at 1515 Douglas, Sherwood owner Shane Deveraux (who also owns two Habit Coffees, one of which is in the Jawl-owned Atrium) says he’s happy for the opportunity to do something “on another sunny corner.”

Tel: 250-361-2408 jeff.cohen@nbpcd.com

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COMMUNITY Robert Jawl, director at Jawl Properties, says Deveraux was asked to be part of 1515 Douglas because of the community-forward approach of Habit. “I’ve been to the Sherwood more days than not since it opened,” Jawl says. “I couldn’t pick a favourite dish but the baked eggs are a must.”

IN THE ZONE As he did with Habit, Deveraux wanted to create “different zones and experiences” within the Sherwood. There’s an open bar with seating, a coffee area that converts into a more lounge-like area at night, a traditional banquette and a large common table that looks out onto the street.

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16 DOUGLAS

Local public relations firm HeartPress PR has developed #BrokersofGood, an online match-making platform that makes it easy for small- and mid-sized businesses to connect with nonprofits. Unlike other philanthropic sites, this platform allows businesses to donate in more ways than just writing a cheque.

From volunteer activities, pro-bono services, in-kind donations and financial support through team fundraising, businesses can find opportunities to give back to their local communities.

WORK STYLE

HOW TO GET REALLY BIG STUFF DONE “PROGRESS REALLY DOES EQUAL HAPPINESS,” SAYS JILL MARGO, A WRITER AND CO-FOUNDER OF GOOD, A MEMBER-BASED WORKSHOP STUDIO WHERE SHE HELPS WRITERS AND ARTISTS CREATE PRODUCTIVE, SUSTAINABLE LIVES AND CONNECT WITH THEIR PEOPLE.

THINK IN TERMS OF GOALS AND WHY THEY MATTER Nearly every task should be done in service of a larger goal (just Google SMART goals). Take time to understand why that goal matters to you.

Knowing the why will keep you connected to your goal and fuel it.

SCHEDULE QUICK WINS Break your goal into small, quick-win tasks and enter them into your day planner. A task can be deadline based (write a 225-word article by 1 p.m.), time-bound (do half an hour of research) or a repeating action (write for one hour a day).

TAKE THE WHEEL Put perfectionism and procrastination in the back seat like the

screechy, sulky children they are. “If you can’t leave them on the curb, make sure they aren’t driving the car.”

TIME IT RIGHT Set a timer for 50 minutes and give your work your full focus.

Then take a 10-minute break. (Move around if you’ve been sitting, or do the dishes if you work from home). Repeat.

You’ll be amazed at how much further you can go.

REVIEW & ACKNOWLEDGE Each week, review your progress. Did you use your time wisely? What could you have done better? And when you’ve reached your goal make sure you acknowledge it (cocktail optional) and think to yourself, “I am a finisher.”

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DOUGLAS 17

A NEW SENSATION

The upcoming renovation at the Inn at Laurel Point is a homecoming project of sorts. The hotel has commissioned architect John Graham, of Graham Sherwin Studio, who was the junior architect back in the late 1980s working with renowned architect Arthur Ericksonon on the hotel’s Erickson Wing project.

The new plans are inspired by the Inn’s unique waterfront location.

“Guests will have the sensation of standing on the prow of a ship, and be greeted by sweeping views of the harbour, and beyond, from the moment they arrive,” says Graham. “I’m honoured to embark on this journey over the next six months and am excited for the unveiling in the spring of 2019.”

TO WATCH

NOMINATE YOUR BUSINESS (OR ONE YOU ADMIRE)

FOR THE 10 TO WATCH AWARDS Is your business three years old or less?

Douglas magazine’s 10 to Watch Awards is a business-savvy way to gain recognition and showcase why your company is great.

Nomination deadline: Fri, Nov 16, 5 pm Visit: douglasmagazine.ca

18 DOUGLAS

LISTENER

DESIGN | BUILD

A PRESSING MATTER COMIC BOOKS ARE BIG BUSINESS, WHICH IS WHY THIS VICTORIA SMALL BUSINESS IS IN SUCH DEMAND FOR ITS COMIC-CARE SERVICES.

Y OTTER IS A SLICK NEW APP getting rave reviews for its uncanny ability to record speech and transcribe into text on the fly using voice recognition algorithms. Store transcripts, share them and even search them.

Enjoy talking to yourself (or anyone else) and do note the clean interface designed by local tech firm MetaLab. SOURCE: OTTER.AI

ou can’t expect comic books involving Kraven the Hunter and Doctor Doom to be read with kid gloves. They tend to get dog-eared, food stained or simply shabby.

So when those super-hero page-turners need a sprucing up, Victoria’s Freshly Pressed Comics comes to the rescue.

Owned by Cameron Hacault, an avid comicbook reader, collector and care technician, Freshly Pressed cleans and presses comics for clients across the continent. Different from restoration, where torn pages are repaired or replaced, pressing and cleaning comics involves improving wrinkle defects and dirt reduction

with a dry-mount heat press, which uses a blend of temperature, pressure and duration to clean the pages.

While some customs are looking to extend the longevity of a favourite comic book, others are looking for a bump in value.

When a book is graded by an industry professional — a fraction of a point can more than quadruple its value, so the cleaner the better.

For comics worth less than $1,500, a cleaning or pressing costs $15, but for rare and expensive comics worth more than $1,500, the price goes up. You can’t put a price on memories, but with a little help you can preserve them.

BELLE WHITE/DOUGLAS MAGAZINE

THIS APP IS A GOOD

“Comic collecting is sort of this weird thing where a lot of people, me included, have a lot of childhood memories associated with comics, and so it’s emotionally hard to get rid of them.”

— CAMERON HACAULT, OWNER, FRESHLYPRESSEDCOMICS.COM

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DOUGLAS 19

M AGA Z INE ’S

10TH ANNUAL 10 to Watch Awards

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

TO WATCH

Know a NEW BUSINESS worth watching?

The Douglas 10 to Watch Awards shine a spotlight on the best new businesses on Vancouver Island. Now in their 10th year, these prestigious awards provide the publicity and

PAST WINNER: Toque Catering

PAST WINNER: Llamazoo

PAST WINNER: Studio Robazzo

PAST WINNER: Angela Coté Consulting

positive “rocket fuel” that startups (three years old or less) need in those critical early years of enterprise.

Nominate your own business or a business you think is worth watching.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BEING A WINNER? • The credibility of winning a well-recognized award and recognition at an exclusive awards gala in front of an audience of hundreds of the Island’s business movers and shakers • Positive exposure to 120,000+ Douglas readers • Featured in the April/May 10 to Watch issue of Douglas magazine (30,000 copies in circulation) and on douglasmagazine.com

douglasmagazine.com/10 -to-Watch-2019/

>

NOMINATE A NEW BUSINESS Go to douglasmagazine.com/10-to-Watch-2019/ for details and rules.

Nomination deadline: 5pm on November 16, 2018.

TITLE SPONSOR

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A stunning A stunning collection collection of 85 of homes 85 homes foundfound at theatfoot theoffoot a dynamic of a dynamic marinamarina community community fully outfitted fully outfitted for theforbest theinbest life.in life.

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CASE STUDY ■ BY ATHENA MCKENZIE ■ PHOTOS BY DEAN AZIM

IT’S ONLY NATURAL With the belief that what clothes are made of is as important as how they are made, ANIÁN looks to natural fabrics over synthetics to create its modern — and weatherproof — adventure wear.

S

ometimes finding a solution to a challenge requires looking back in order to move forward. That’s exactly what Paul Long of ANIÁN did to create a line of adventure gear that demonstrates synthetics such as Gore-Tex aren’t necessary to enjoy the outdoors.

He researched what people wore before the invention of synthetic and petroleum-based fabrics.

“That put me on to Melton wool,” Long says. “Which is what much of the old army gear, army pants and forestry pants were made of — stuff that was made to last and had to last. It was more function over fashion. I was getting fed up because things were more fashion over function.”

THE PROBLEM WITH SYNTHETICS Long says synthetic fabrics and the continual micro-fibre pollution resulting from their use is “the biggest problem that nobody sees.” Many fabrics used in outdoor gear, including synthetic fleece and Gore-Tex, are made from the chemicals known as perfluorochemicals (PFCs), which are also used in Teflon, Stainmaster and Scotchgard. PFCs now contaminate the earth’s air and water — and even the bloodstreams of people and animals. In a 2016 study, researchers at the University of



PUTTING DOWN THE PLASTIC 22 DOUGLAS

TAKEAWAY TRIALS

BE LIKE AN ASTRONAUT

Earlier this year, Starbucks launched a trial in Europe, charging customers an extra six cents for each takeaway cup. Early results are promising, with reusable cup use jumping 150 per cent in participating stores.

According to the UK Food and Drink Innovation Network, edible packaging — such as a food wrap created from apples, designed for Russian astronauts to limit waste — will help wean consumers worldwide off their plastic habit.

‘‘

California found that, on average, synthetic fleece jackets release 1.7 grams of microfibres each wash. It also found that older jackets shed almost twice as many fibres as new jackets.

“As long as you use a natural fibre, it can biodegrade,” Long says. “With petroleum-based synthetics, it dead-ends.

It doesn’t break down.”

Microplastic pollution is an invisible problem, but it’s in our water, it’s in our fish, it’s in our food. It gets into water vapour.

It’s everywhere.”

THE STARTING POINT Using Melton wool, which has a weave so dense that it creates a wind- and rainresistant garment (it was used originally to make sailors’ peacoats), Long designed the Modern Melton. A multi-functional shirt that wears well both in the rainforest and a downtown restaurant, it became the go-to garb — along with ANIÁN’s natural fleece sweaters — for outdoor guides, including those at Nimmo Bay Resort.

“At Nimmo Bay, our waterways are our lifeline,” says resort owner Fraser Murray.

“There had to be a way to replace the favourite fleece our staff wears with a more natural fabric that would be less harmful to our waters. When ANIÁN came up with the answer to our challenge, we loved the fact that the clothing looked great, worked well and withstood weather, wear and tear. It answered our own needs perfectly while actively reducing the microplastic pollution.”

considered how he could develop an outer hard shell, something that also fused a modern technical cut with an older material.

“I got to thinking, ‘What did they wear when they first went up Everest?’” he says.

“That brought us to Ventile and our new Ventile Hard Shell.”

Ventile is densely woven fabric, made from a special strain of long fibre cotton.

It’s not coated or laminated, but the combination of its weave and the swelling properties of the fibres when wet provide excellent weatherproofing.

“It’s what Edmund Hilary was wearing when he climbed Everest,” Long says.

“It was used for adventure wear before Gore-Tex.” The main reason manufacturers moved away from Ventile, Long notes, was price point; it’s considerably more expensive than synthetics. While some luxury brands use it for high-end hunting suits, ANIÁN is the only company using it in a modern, technical fit.

“We’ve done two years of testing on our Ventile jacket and it’s virtually indestructible,” Long says. “You should have it for 40 or 50 years.” ■

THE TRAIL FORWARD Buoyed by the success of the Modern Melton, Long

2

1

1ANIÁN has done two years of extensive testing on its weatherproof Ventile Hard Shell, including having guides wear-test models in the Great Bear Rainforest. The jacket is made of a tightly woven cotton that expands when wet to create an impermeable membrane. It also has taped seams, a fully waterproof zipper, a rip-cord on the bottom and a hood designed to be used with a helmet. Paul Long, president of ANIÁN, expects it to retail for around $750 when it’s released this fall.

2All of ANIÁN’s sewing and production is done at a factory in Vancouver. “By manufacturing our products in a place that is so close, we can control and deliver quality,” Long says. “I travel regulary between the factory in Vancouver and the shop in Victoria.”

3Every ANIÁN wool shirt contains approximately 2.4 kg of reclaimed wool.

THE LAST STRAW

Plastic straws might soon go the way of the plastic bag, with city-wide bans. Enviro Glass Straw, a company located in Cobble Hill, offers a plastic-free alternative with its handmade 100-per-cent borosilicate glass straws.

3

NOT YOUR CUP OF TEA

25%

Many tea bags contain around 25 per cent plastic and leave behind small fragments of plastic in the soil. Silk Road uses plant fibre for its 100-per-cent compostable tea bags, which are sold in a resealable rice-paper bag.

DOUGLAS 23

BIG IDEA ■ BY SHANNON MONEO ■ PHOTOS BY JEFFREY BOSDET

MINING MEETS VIRTUAL REALITY LlamaZOO’s Charles Lavigne demonstrates how the company’s MineLife VR solution changes the way data can be perceived, centralizing it into an interactive virtual reality experience, accessible on-demand from anywhere in the world.

Main Pit

Ore Body

24 DOUGLAS

LlamaZOO’s Lateral Leap Pivots are a business response to the adage: “If at first you don’t succeed, try again.” The question is: are pivots a sensible reaction to market forces or high-risk gambits? In the case of the award-winning Victoria tech company LlamaZOO Interactive, updating its target market from esoteric academia to include earthly mining might just be the motherlode.

W

hen Charles Lavigne and Kevin Oke created LlamaZOO in 2014, the tech wizards’ intention was to build a software platform where 3D content would be used for education and training. The two post-secondary school dropouts turned video-game creators targeted university veterinary programs, a sector they felt was in need of improved methods to deliver classroom material.

“For the last 50 years, [professors] have been teaching out of 50-year-old books. The medium they’re using to teach complex subject matter is not the best,” says Lavigne. “Why not teach the basics in 3D?” And thus, EasyAnatomy was hatched. It’s a learning application, using a virtual dog, that offers 3D viewing and cadaver dissection, as well as quizzes and supplementary material. Today, EasyAnatomy is used by 90 universities around the world. But while the product made vet education graphic, portable and engaging, sales did not match expectations. “It’s not easy to sell to universities,” Lavigne says.

Universities take a long time to decide on purchases (typically done once a year) because of the many layers of bureaucracy and budget constraints, Oke says.

DOUGLAS 25

“And there’s ingrained thinking to break through,” he adds. Students loved EasyAnatomy, but professors, set in their 2D ways, were harder nuts to crack. What was needed was a client that took two weeks, not two years, to make a purchase. “We had to take a step back,” Lavigne recalls.

By 2016, the pair began thinking about new customers to bolster revenue. “The goals for our company really required us to accelerate our sales, to grow. We looked at our core competencies — manipulating and combining big 3D data and making it interactive, accessible and easy to understand. Where could our skills be used?” Oke says.

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Oke’s advice to those thinking about a pivot is this: While it may be tempting to continue generating “any old revenue” that keeps the company afloat, where does that ultimately lead?

And so LlamaZOO began looking for a market that met its needs — and needed what it had. In February 2017, it began cold-calling mining companies, a sector that uses a lot of spatial data.

“Historically, the mining sector was not an early adopter,” Lavigne says. “They’ve been digging up rocks the same way for hundreds of years. But they’re at the point where they realized they needed to innovate.”

Vancouver-headquartered Teck Resources was the first to quickly say it would explore LlamaZOO’s offer to build Teck a 3D model of its Coal Mountain site in southeast B.C. Teck wanted the product within four months, so LlamaZOO began collecting various data

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Innovation wasn’t an issue for Kevin Oke (left) and Charles Lavigne and their team at LlamaZOO, but dealing with the extensive sales cycles of educational clients proved challenging.

So in 2016, the partners began thinking about new customers to bolster revenue. That’s when they found a fit with the mining industry.

to put into the 3D pot: geographical, geophysical, topographical, regional, and even horticultural.

After five staff spent hundreds of hours in July 2017, LlamaZOO delivered a product to Teck that synthesized all of the data into a 3D model. A Teck VP was smitten, saying the resource would solve many mining challenges.

Soon LlamaZOO was creating another product for Teck. And soon after MineLife VR, LlamaZOO’s pivot poster child, came out from under the rocks.

“It was straightforward to get a contract with Teck,” Oke says. “We created value for them and word got around.”

One example: over a four-month period, Teck saved $250,000 in travel expenses because staff did not have to travel to mine sites. They could view the location using MineLife VR. The product provides an immersive 3D tour, letting viewers go down into the pit or fly over surrounding lands.

PERFECT FOR THE PIVOT Mia Maki, a professor with UVic’s Gustavson School of Business entrepreneurship team, says her research has taught her that small businesses like LlamaZOO typically embrace an idea, which then envelops their business model. The business model reflects a business’s choices, such as who the target customer is, pricing and fitting into the competitive landscape.When the idea doesn’t get traction, the business model has to change. Thus, the need to pivot.

LlamaZOO’s pivot was not unexpected, Maki says. “What causes a pivot? The business is in a small market and needs to make a move to get to success. It’s pretty typical of any organization to have to pivot to find your way.”

Facebook and YouTube are big fish pivoters.

Both began with the intention of being dating

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sites, but early on realized that the pond was already well stocked, thus, their shifts.

Fortunately, LlamaZOO had the ability to shift because of the adaptability of its technology.

When it created EasyAnatomy, it used MRI and CT data to build the virtual dog. Requiring 13 staff to work 18 months at a cost of almost $1 million, the process entailed the synthesis of billions of bits of data to create the 3D model.

By the time EasyAnatomy was complete, LlamoZOO had brought virtual reality beyond gaming and they knew there was potential to reach into other markets because, when it comes to handling 3D data, it doesn’t matter if the subject is a dog’s body or an ore body.

“The subject matter is agnostic,” Oke says.

FIND THE GAP Maki’s advice to those thinking of pivoting is pretty much what Oke and Lavigne did to secure a contract with Teck: “Go into the market and get to know the customer really well. Talk to them. Find a gap. Develop relationships.”

Maki says it’s far easier to pivot today than, say, 20 or 30 years ago because technology and 3D printers now give companies the ability to quickly build prototype products or services.

“You can put it into the customers’ hands,” she adds, allowing a quasi-test drive. Termed the “minimum viable product,” the MVP is a tangible item or website with enough features to please initial users or customers. The final item is designed and created after sufficient feedback from the early adopters. In the case of LlamaZOO, they had the expertise and coding base from EasyAnatomy which streamlined the eventual creation of MineLife VR.

OPENING NEW DOORS LlamaZOO now has several other mining clients, including Barrick Gold Corp, and is in discussions with various international companies. Its pivot also opened doors to the oil and gas and forestry sectors.

“The extractive industries are where the work is,” Oke says. “They’re eager to adopt innovative technologies that provide operational efficiencies and gains.” As well, LlamaZOO is exploring the aerospace, defence, manufacturing and “smart cities” categories.

Oke’s advice to those thinking about a pivot?

While it may be tempting to continue generating “any old revenue” that keeps a company afloat, where does that ultimately lead?

“You end up on a treadmill. You stagnate,” he says.

Making another spreadsheet for a customer may pay the bills, but is that really where you want to go? Pushing beyond the comfort zone is how a company progresses, attracts new customers and leaves a legacy.

“But you have to be careful,” Oke cautions, “not to stretch yourself too thin.” ■

FEATURED BUSINESS

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As a forward-thinking company, Intraworks is always looking to the future.

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ven though technology has evolved to be quite complex, Intraworks I.T. Management can make it simple for you. Based right here on Vancouver Island, Intraworks specializes in assisting smalland medium- sized businesses with their information technology (I.T.).

With its diverse range of offerings — from I.T. services, support and consulting, to data centre services and support, to its public and private cloud servers on the Island — Intraworks can be the single point of contact for all your technology and network needs. The Intraworks Data Centre, opened in 2009 and based in the Nanaimo head office, provides you access to a fully secured, environmentally controlled and power redundant data centre, and gives you the ability to optimally house your equipment in a cloud

environment at a fraction of the cost of upgrading or building new facilities.

TEAM SUPPORT

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Intraworks focuses on relationship building with its clients, but also with its team, many of whom have been with the company for 10+ years. Originally founded in 2003 by president Phil Stiller, Intraworks is now the largest I.T. solutions provider north of Victoria, employing 11 dedicated staff at offices in Nanaimo, Courtenay and Victoria. This large team, which includes technicians and engineers, offer an impressive base of knowledge.

100-4311 Boban Drive, Nanaimo TF 866.729.8624 intraworks.ca

A D V E R T O R I A L F E AT U R E

The Intraworks team, from left: Joanna Bach (Reception), Jin Tsao (Web/Programming), Lee Cairns (Network Analyst), Derek Keeping (Network Analyst), Nick Vallee (Network Analyst), Steven Bishop (Network Analyst), Alex Bonde (Network Analyst), Michelle Fontaine (Accounts & Operations), Phil Stiller (Owner/President)

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14 of Victoria’s women in real estate recognize the importance of real estate’s premier brand.

They share the common objectives for success in the industry. Education and knowledge of current market conditions and the best use of modern technology in sales and marketing keeps Engel & Völkers advisors ahead of the game. An inherent work ethic is a common trait found in everyone that works with Engel & Völkers,

as is a strong sense of responsibility and accountability to our clients. The assurance of outstanding service is what clients can expect from our advisors.

There is a strong brand network, but we are also aware of the power of each realtor’s own connections to the city. Victorians are incredibly proud of their city and have a true appreciation of the lifestyle here. All of the essentials of a big city are available, but our small town sense of connectedness to our neighbours is what is really special about Victoria. Very few locals have been in the city for many generations — most are transplants, which has allowed us to be an accepting and diverse community. At Engel & Völkers, we recognize diversity and use it to build connectivity. We celebrate our differences while working toward a common goal: providing the best service in the real estate industry.

It is with great pride that we acknowledge the hard-working women of Engel & Völkers, Victoria.

A D V E R T O R I A L F E AT U R E

Clockwise from bottom right: Alieen Eakins, Megan Adnams, Kaley Walls, Catherine Potin, Margaret Mots, Karie Seiss, Sandi Piercy, Cassie Kangas, Michelle Harrison, Amy Ratcliffe, Nicole Caldwell, Donna Rogers, Deana Fawcett, Bon Hollier.

Home in Photo: 1524 Cedarglen Road, listed by The Ratcliff Group

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IN CONVERSATION WITH CATHERINE HOLT, CEO, GREATER VICTORIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

THINKING BIGGER

Why Catherine Holt doesn’t just focus on one piece of the pie.

BY KERRY SLAVENS

C

PHOTOS BY DARRYL LECORRE

atherine Holt vividly recalls walking downtown along Johnson Street this past spring and coming across a young man lying on the ground, apparently dead from an overdose. As she stood there, another man flew out of one of the buildings and began “working on him” until police and fire trucks pulled up. “It was shocking,” she says, “but I felt I had to stick around to really understand what was happening in our community from another perspective.”

This willingness to see the world through an array of lenses is one of Holt’s hallmark traits, and although her mandate as CEO of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce is certainly business-centric, she says “the fundamental truth is that what works for our community works for business.”

So along with trying to persuade the B.C. government of the negative impact of the Employer Health Tax and grappling with the hiring crisis, Holt is very vocal about community issues, like the desperate need for attainable housing and the equally desperate need for affordable childcare.

Holt is a self-described big-picture thinker whose interest in community and social issues was nurtured while growing up in Coquitlam.

Her grandmother, Gladys Holt, was an impassioned political activist. “Every Sunday there was a very political discussion around our dinner table,” she recalls. “That had a huge 32 DOUGLAS

impact on me — it made me think about how the services government provides are critical and people’s lives depend on them — how you can improve people’s lives through public policy.”

After high school, she attended UBC then took a job as legislative intern at the ministry of finance. She was set for a secure bureaucratic career, but she was restless. “I looked at my future and it was law school or journalism. I asked myself, ‘What scares me more?’ and it was journalism. So that’s what I went for.”

She pursued a Master of Arts degree in journalism at the University of Western Ontario, eventually working at CBC as a producer. But she found found journalism “an inch deep and a mile wide. It was difficult just to be crunching it out, even at CBC where they are known for being more in depth,” she recalls.

Wanting to make a difference, she returned to the public sector and in the intervening years, Holt was part of some landmark shifts in public policy. As a communications cabinet advisor with the Yukon government in the late 80s and early 90s, she played a key communications role leading up to a historic land-claim settlement, a recognition of the role, leadership and rights of the First Nations.

She returned to B.C. in 1992 as assistant deputy minister in the premier’s office during the NDP administration, which was undergoing a sea change in the philosophy of welfare and work. There, she played a key role negotiating the performance-based contracts between the B.C. government and the private-sector firms set to deliver the new welfare-to-work programs.

In 1998 she founded Sage Group Management Consultants with Doug Allen.

Together they handled major clients from IBM to SNC-Lavalin to Translink, with Holt heading up the company for seven years on her own as Allen went on to C-suite roles at Translink and later ICBC where he is now CEO.

TELL IT LIKE IT IS Two years and two months after Holt became CEO of the Victoria Chamber, and almost 10 months after becoming chair of BC Transit, she sat down for a Douglas interview in the boardroom of the Chamber’s Fort Street office.

The interview went overtime; Holt doesn’t talk in soundbites. Her answers are complete, reflecting a big-picture view, augmented by an ability to zero in on the smallest details.

Two weeks after our interview, she would host federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau and 15 Island business stakeholders in the same boardroom. How did that go? Her answer is quintessential Holt — honest, human and tinged with humour.

“Bill Morneau is Toronto-smooth,” she says. “I lived in Toronto, and there’s this type of Toronto professional and Bill is it: sophisticated, educated, orderly and a little on the bland side.”

But, she says, Morneau turned out to be a good listener who was keen to hear what local businesses were dealing with — and that’s something that occupies Catherine Holt’s time and mind every day as Chamber CEO.

“A primitive definition of power is ‘us against them.’

So if I’ve got information then you can’t have it because information is my power.

A far more sophisticated definition is this: the more connections you have, the more influence you have, the more information you share, the more problems you solve, and the more power you have.

And that power that comes from collaboration.”

DOUGLAS 33

Think BIG Take CONTROL Take ACTION!

What is the biggest issue Chamber members are grappling with right now?

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34 DOUGLAS

Attracting and retaining employees is the toughest thing they face. So then you have to break that down and ask why, and that’s where you get into what it is about Victoria we have to improve — and what do we risk if we don’t make the changes.

First, we have to be open to immigration, because we’re not creating enough people.

We’re a country of immigrants, and I think Canada does pretty well with that concept compared to some other countries down the road ... One of our best sources of immigrants at the moment is foreign students ... They get screened before they arrive, stay with families here, become accustomed to Canadian culture and English language skills, and then, ideally, they’re ready to enter the workforce. But we have an unfortunate situation where we don’t have a great transition [to the workforce] so it would be ideal if universities could extend co-op and work-placement programs, and if the government would fund universities to take another step ...

There’s a lot of talk lately that people, even those with decent jobs, can’t afford to live and work here, and raise families here.

Let’s put three things together: affordable housing, transportation, and the cost of and access to childcare. Those three things are package for a young working family. So yeah, when we talk about housing, we aren’t just talking about housing for homeless people … we’re talking about the young working families, all working families, period. If we could look

“I think the most important dynamic to establish is to remove that ‘us and them’ concept and realize everybody wants the same thing — a safe community.” at those three things, it would make a huge difference.

With the recent tent city in Saanich, businesses and the community continue to be concerned about homelessness and the apparent lack of solutions.

A major focus for us is safe communities.

Everybody needs a safe community to function: businesses, families, tourists — and the homeless themselves are often the most vulnerable of all.

I’ve heard from many of our members who are incredibly concerned about what they see on the streets of Victoria. There’s kind of a natural tendency to say we are one category and the problem is those people in that other category ...

I think the most important dynamic to establish is to remove that “us and them” concept and realize everybody wants the same thing — a safe community. There are very few degrees of separation between people who are in the business community and people on the streets.

We’ve been appallingly bad as a government and a community — with emphasis on government — on finding a way out. Decades ago, when government stopped provincial-level services for a lot of people with addictions and

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mental health issues, the idea was they would live in the community in a safe environment and be integrated, not institutionalized. That never happened. They landed on the streets and police have become the default service providers, and that’s now on the backs of the municipalities.

[VICPD Chief Constable] Del Manak is very articulate that his job is not law enforcement but social order, because a whole lot of what the police deal with is trying to keep the streets functioning and the people with difficulties taken care of.

How is the Chamber helping to find solutions?

Every opportunity I get, I say, “Let’s help Don

Evans and Our Place [Society]” ... Don’s very direct about saying, “Let’s help people find a way out.” You know, if you haven’t got an exit ramp, all you have is a spin cycle. People can go into short-term recovery, jail or hospital or some type of program, but anyone — or their families — who has lived with an addiction knows that’s nothing but a 30-day Band-Aid. Without longterm recovery, we don’t have a solution ...

I do take great encouragement from the BC Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions [created in 2017 by the NDP]. The shortcoming is they don’t “own” a bunch of major programs — they’re still with the Ministry of Health. But they are taking ownership of the gap I talked

about — the lack of exit routes and recovery solutions. Maybe they can get traction and get some serious funding and support for the people who want to offer services.

I just read a report that the vast majority of street drugs in Vancouver have fentanyl in them. We have a major problem here too, as you witnessed.

We need serious work to stop fentanyl from coming into this country from China …. I don’t want to be overly simplistic, but the crisis [on our streets] is concurrent with fentanyl coming into our communities. There are a few countries that seem to be having an impact: Portugal is an astonishing success story ... Step one seems to be figure out how to get rid of the stigmas, to acknowledge this problem is happening and gauge its impact on the community, and help people so they can step forward and say, “I have this problem.”

Then there’s a legal underpinning where you legalize drugs with a government-regulated way to control and distribute them. Then you put an enormous amount of money into these facilities to help people recover over a long period of time.

Has the Chamber taken a position on the legalization of these drugs.

No.

What are some of the other systemic issues we face?

We have the curse of the Capital Regional District, which lacks parity — so it’s often up to Victoria to do everything for the whole region.

How can we possibly do all of that? We need provincial-level solutions ... At the municipal level, there’s an enormous amount of good intentions and enormous amount of resources, but everyone’s got their small piece of the pie and that’s a problem.

Some people might be surprised to hear these issues discussed in such a way by a chamber of commerce CEO. This chamber seems to have shed many old narratives.

You can have two reactions to the Chamber’s 155 years. You can say, “It’s a really old and therefore tired institution” or you can say, “Nobody survives 155 years unless you’re looking to the future and continually reinventing yourself and remaining highly relevant.”

A word that often comes up when I’ve asked people about you is “collaboration.”

Collaboration isn’t just a word to me — it’s an absolute fundamental philosophy ... it’s key to an organization like this to operate and have a bigger impact than just its reasonably modest size of staff and membership would otherwise allow it to have.

I arrived at the chamber at a very interesting 36 DOUGLAS

time, with a very dynamic mayor … I think one of [Lisa Helps’] secrets of success is that she works across a huge, diverse range of different interests in the city. She’s a natural collaborator; she has connected a whole bunch of dots. You know the saying that the tone is set from the top? That’s a great tone, so a bunch of us have found ourselves in an environment where it’s easy to collaborate. We work with Tourism Victoria, the Harbour Authority, the Downtown Victoria Business Association, other chambers. My philosophy is that there should be no competition among us. All of us are here to make Victoria a better place. If there’s competition, it’s Victoria versus Vancouver or Toronto or Calgary …

What would you like to see from the next mayor of Victoria, whoever that may be?

My greatest hope for the upcoming municipal election is that we get a “yes” vote to the question about a citizens assembly [on the amalgamation of Victoria and Saanich].

Amalgamation seems to be one of these issues that just goes on. Is there any hope?

One of the things I learned in management consulting is that without a crisis or a burning platform, human beings do not change — so what is the burning platform? We bubble along happily, we all just kind of function and it’s very frustrating for businesses who have to deal with all of these jurisdictions. Every one of our 13 municipalities is doing their best, but there’s still 13 of them telling you how they’re trying to make it easy for business in their own way, 13 different ways of trying to make it easier for the business — NOT easier for the business [laughs].

If we ever have a crisis, that will be our opportunity for a big move on governance.

Failing that, we have the referendum and I think it has evolved in a beautiful way: two municipalities, the biggest municipalities, with incumbent mayors promoting it and up for election, and a very good vehicle — a citizens’ assembly, arms-length, citizens rather than politicians, spending time getting educated on options and then recommending to council what steps to take next. It’s very well positioned to get a “yes” vote. That’s what I’m hoping for.

You recently wrote an opinion piece on transportation. What you are proposing is a bit radical, no?

I’ve done a lot of work for BC Transit and spent a fascinating year at Translink understanding their comprehensive powers to decide, invest and operate, so I have insight into what it takes to have an integrated transportation system ...

Right now, every municipality is responsible for its own roads and infrastructure. Crazy! And the CRD has no responsibility for transportation,

the province has no responsibility for anything but provincial roads. It’s an absolute mish mash, with millions of good ideas on how to fix transportation but nobody has the power to make it happen.

What I am advocating is: we only have one regional transportation system that works — the bus. It’s worked for 20 years as an integrated system across our region, and that’s because it has good governance in Victoria Regional Transit Commission. It works so well nobody pays any attention to it! It was created by the Province as part of BC Transit, with seven municipal politicians appointed by the Province to represent the region. And the reason it works is because those seven have to act on behalf of everybody — they cannot act just on behalf of their own municipalities. Contrast that with the CRD where all 13 [municipal representatives] spend far too much time saying, “Is my 13th of the pie getting its fair share ...” They’re not elected to govern regionally; they’re elected by their municipalities and they bring that to the table.

With the Victoria Regional Transit Commission, the commission decides what needs to be done to deliver the best service in the region and they inform each of the 13 municipalities what their share is in property tax to run the regional bus system. And they can’t opt out — they have to pay that, whereas CRD often opts out — in out, in out.

How do we get there?

What needs to happen is for the B.C. government to modify the BC Provincial Transit Act so that [the Victoria Regional Transit Commission] has additional powers and can be a transportation commission that can run a major road network, mandate better land-use planning to work with transit in OCPs and to own infrastructure. It could have owned the Johnson Street Bridge, for example, and run that as a regional critical piece of infrastructure instead of putting a whole load on one city.

Is there political will or do we need to inspire it?

We need to inspire political will. One thing that gives me hope is that the premier himself is caught in the Colwood crawl every day going back and forth to his home in Langford and his job at the Legislative buildings.

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STATE OF THE ISLAND ECONOMIC SUMMIT DELEGATE, 2017

ALL GOOD

ON VANCOUVER ISLAND

12th Annual State of the Island Economic Summit Vancouver Island Conference Centre, Nanaimo, B.C.

OCTOBER 24 & 25, 2018

39 DOUGLAS

2018

DOUGLAS 39

ON A RECENT TRIP off-Island, an Islander was asked, more than once, where she was from. She replied, “From Vancouver Island,” and was met every time by exclamations of Lucky you. I love it there!

What are you doing here?

That life and business on Vancouver Island are good is something the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance (VIEA) and its members have always known. And at this year’s State of the Island Economic Summit (October 24 & 25) the organization will celebrate all that is good

and growing across the Island, from Victoria to Port Hardy, Nanaimo to Tofino, and including the Northern and Southern Gulf Islands.

Since its start over 12 years ago, VIEA has been actively involved in bringing diverse and knowledgeable voices to the table to discuss issues, challenges, opportunities and trends in the Vancouver Island economy.

While the world economy is in a state of flux, conversations within the VIEA membership continue to revolve around creating economic vibrancy, diversity and

resiliency in our Island communities as we face constant and often unpredictable change.

Through the creation and delivery of innovative economic initiatives, VIEA promotes what’s good on Vancouver Island.

Current projects include:

› the Island Good campaign to increase demand for local food and beverage products

› the Foreign Direct Investment opportunity › the Island Wood Industry Forum › the State of the Island Economic Summit and the publication of the annual State of the Island Economic Report

› co-hosting of the Aboriginal Business Match on Vancouver Island since 2015 and evolving this successful B2B event into the first VIEA Business Match, planned for March 2019 in Victoria.

ISLAND GOOD

Shoppers on Vancouver Island can now clearly identify local food offerings thanks to the Island Good Initiative.

Among the many positive news stories from this past year is the success of Island Good, a pilot project launched in March 2018 to raise consumer awareness of Island food and beverage products to help strengthen the local food economy. With participating retail partners Country Grocer, Thrifty Foods, Quality Foods and 49th Parallel Grocery, the campaign

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to attract the attention of targeted foreign direct investors. Together with three wood industry cases already developed by VIEA in 2017, they will form the portfolio content.

The scope of this FDI initiative includes:

› educating and engaging stakeholders and building an understanding of FDI opportunities;

› working with public/private stakeholders to qualify and quantify their offerings, identify new markets, industry partners and foreign investors, and engage foreign investors in commercial/industrial lands; Expansion of markets and diversification of valueadded wood manufacturing on Vancouver Island is a key VIEA initiative.

clearly identifies Island-grown and produced foodstuffs on grocery store shelves, making it easier for consumers to shop local. VIEA monitored the effect on sales by comparing same product-same store-same month sales activity from March through September of this year with the same period last year.

“We’ll be sharing sales results from the six-month pilot project and announcing Island Good Phase II at the Economic Summit in October,” says Dan Dagg of Hothouse Marketing and chair of VIEA’s Island Good Committee. “The response from consumers, retailers, food producers, processors and distributors has exceeded our wildest expectations! Island Good is here to stay.”

Food products are an easily understood starting point for Island Good branding, but VIEA’s ultimate goal is to have every product from potatoes to airplane parts marked ‘Grown’ or ‘Made on Vancouver Island.’ And the word so far is: It’s all good. Island Good!

Wherever Business Takes You At MNP, we believe in being your partner in business.

That means offering services and expertise to ensure your business keeps up with your vision. From start up to succession, across B.C. and beyond borders, our professionals look at your business from all angles and deliver clear, straight-forward advice to help you succeed – wherever business takes you.

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FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT (FDI) VIEA feels the time is right to attract foreign direct investment dollars to Vancouver Island by identifying, developing and assembling a portfolio of investment opportunities to market internationally. We are developing this portfolio with funding from the Invest Canada Community Initiatives program, Island Coastal Economic Trust, Cowichan Valley Regional District, City of Port Alberni and Port Alberni Port Authority.

Public and private stakeholders are being invited to help identify local investment opportunities, which the expert VIEA team will qualify. Six sector-specific, site-specific, tangible, vetted business cases will be designed DOUGLAS 41

VIEA

DEFINED BY ENERGY AND DIVERSITY

T

he Vancouver Island Economic Alliance has grown in both membership and stature to become a respected voice wherever the Island economy is being discussed.

For more than a decade, VIEA has been inspiring a diverse and energetic collection of leaders and organizations to work for the benefit and longterm economic health of Island communities.

The general consensus is that life and business is good and that the future is bright for this region. But it will take all of us working together to face the many changes that will continue to challenge us here on Vancouver Island.

As the only non-government, non-profit organization in B.C. that embraces the economic interests, opportunities and challenges of an entire region, VIEA is wholly funded by memberships, sponsorships, project-specific grants, and through events such as the annual Economic Summit.

Members hail from all over Vancouver Island and receive discounts on VIEA events, have their corporate profiles included on viea.ca, and receive periodic e-news informing them of issues and opportunities. Membership fees are made affordable through a sliding fee scale ($150 to $1,000 annually) to fit the budgets of individuals, small business, local government, and corporations.

‘‘

Perhaps because we live on an Island, it is easier for us to identify ourselves and communicate with each other as Islanders. And it’s not hard to comprehend that together we’re better!

GEORGE HANSON, PRESIDENT, VIEA

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› working with transportation providers and goods producers to identify cost-effective value chain opportunities

› helping to increase production with existing companies and to increase international appetite for products

› introducing specific investments to foreign investors focused on sectors for domestic and export development.

VIEA has developed three business cases for new value-added wood manufacturing now available to the investment community and is developing six additional business cases in other industry sectors: advanced manufacturing in aerospace, medical devices, biotech, transportation, and marine/ environmental sciences, value-added wood manufacturing, finfish and shellfish aquaculture, and technology-intense specialty agrifood production.

These and other opportunities are ripe for foreign investor attention. FDI marketing will raise international awareness of these and other opportunities on Vancouver Island.

topics. Each year the Summit program is developed by a volunteer committee using a grassroots approach to ensure relevance and diversity of content that is both meaningful and immediate to the current state of the Island and world economy.

This year, program themes include:

› Legalization of Cannabis: what you need to know to be workplace ready.

› Futurescape 2.0: technology advancements that will impact your business and the ways you do business.

› Marine Response: details of how, when

and where this major federal infrastructure investment will take shape throughout our region.

› Renewable Energy: what is and is not working on Vancouver Island.

› Island Good: reporting on this VIEA pilot project and moving towards Phase II as we increase demand for Island food products.

And in the spirit of walking that talk, all meals served at this year’s Summit will be made with Island food products.

Among the key presenters this year will be: Chief Commissioner Celeste Haldane of the

WOOD INDUSTRIES The first-ever Vancouver Island Wood Industries Forum was held in March 2018 and was the result of four years of work by VIEA to support the expansion of markets and diversification of value-added wood manufacturing on Vancouver Island. This event was of particular interest to the 100 stakeholders in attendance directly involved in wood manufacturing.

Presenters came sharing ideas and accessing information on how to strengthen and diversify value-added manufacturing and focused on issues and opportunities associated with access to fibre, and innovative manufacturing.

Through stakeholder meetings, interviews, surveys, product research, economic analysis, and business case development, VIEA has developed a starting point for meaningful dialogue about opportunities to generate more wealth and increase sustainable production on Vancouver Island.

Through all this, as well as advocacy from key industry associations, industry and government now share appreciation of the critical need for positive change in industry practices and government policy to ensure manufacturing diversity and sustainable wealth generation in our Island communities.

12TH ANNUAL STATE OF THE ISLAND ECONOMIC SUMMIT — OCTOBER 24 & 25, 2018 Attracting some 600 participants each year, VIEA’s Summit is the business networking event on Vancouver Island and features national and international experts on timely DOUGLAS 43

BC Treaty Commission, who will provide an update on the treaty process involving Island First Nations, and Susan Mowbray, senior economist with MNP, reporting on the 2018 state of our Island economy and how it is trending.

CELESTE HALDANE

SUSAN MOWBRAY

2018 STATE OF THE ISLAND ECONOMIC REPORT VIEA will release its 4th State of the Island Economic Report at the October Summit.

Thanks to substantial and continuing contributions from MNP along with support from the Nanaimo Airport, BC Ferries, BC Hydro, Coastal Community Credit Union and the BC Ministry of Jobs, Trade and Technology, VIEA has published this report annually since October 2015.

The 50-page publication has become a valuable tool for anyone interested in knowing what is happening in the Island economy — and especially anyone writing a business plan or forecasting sectoral performance or regional economic trends.

Published in a reader-friendly, infographic format with statistical content specific to Vancouver Island, the report presents reliable data that can be compared over time. The $195 report is complimentary to Economic Summit delegates and free to VIEA members. It is available for purchase through Amazon with online access to the data behind the data for researchers needing a deeper dive.

It’s all part of understanding the unique attributes of our Island, the challenges we face and the many opportunities available to us when we all work together. ■

‘‘

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When we decided to produce the annual Economic Report, we knew that a need existed, but we had no idea how strong the demand would be for this information or how unique such a report would be. To our knowledge, no other non-government, non-profit organization in Canada produces a similar independent, regional economic report.

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Carenomics WHY A LACK OF AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE IS A CRITICAL BUSINESS ISSUE

BY SUSAN HOLLIS

PHOTOS BY BELLE WHITE

An extreme shortage of licensed daycares in Victoria is keeping willing and qualified people out of the workforce. Now, governments are stepping up, but is enough being done fast enough?

It’s a combination of feelings that a good number of working-age adults understand: excitement, relief and fist-pumping joy. It’s not a lottery win but feels akin — your child landed a spot at a quality daycare in your neighbourhood. Pop the cork.

Accessible, affordable childcare is critical to many families’ overall well-being, including mine.

After a three-year wait, my three-year-old is finally, and happily, settled into a non-profit, full-time daycare a five-minute bike ride from home — a parenting grand slam if ever there was one.

Currently, we pay $779 per month for the bright, purpose-built space with a partially covered outdoor play area and a team of excellent, experienced early childhood educators (ECEs). Our daycare also happens to be in the same building as the after-school care program for which my other two children are waitlisted. If everything goes as planned, I’ll have one pickup for all three kids at the end of my workday — a veritable miracle for anyone who knows the struggles of coordinating childcare for school-age kids.

Despite having been on the waitlist for the same daycare, my older children — ages five and six — aged into kindergarten without getting a spot. With three children close in age, it didn’t make financial sense for me to go back to work after our youngest was born. Monthly fees can be as high as $1,800 46 DOUGLAS

for infant care and hover around $900 for toddlers, and a nanny can be upwards of $2,500, so I put my career on hold until the public school system could preoccupy the older two full time.

I’m far from alone in my experience. Childcare, including schools with their inconvenient pickup times and unguaranteed before- and afterschool-care programs, has long lagged behind the expectations of the business community. The current model was designed for a world long gone, one with a stay-at-home parent, cheap gas and affordable housing. Like a donkey harnessed to a train, childcare has been expected to keep up to the economy without the tools to do so. Caring for children in this irascible market has left parents in Victoria and around the province with few options.

A NEW PLAN Victoria mother and ECE Danielle Davis has been navigating the local daycare system for seven years with her three children, ages eight, three and six months.

“With my daughter, I put her on five waitlists as soon as I knew I was pregnant — and didn’t get into a single one. I couldn’t find childcare, so I resigned from my position at the time and stayed home,” she says. “Luckily my mother-in-law moved to town — unfortunately after I resigned from my job — but I was able to go back to work part time because I didn’t want to over-burden Grandma, and just to keep my foot in the door.”

Davis says when her middle child landed a spot in an excellent daycare it changed her life.

“I could go to work and not worry about him all day. I’m one of those moms who is a better parent when I go to work; my children thrive when they’re in childcare — they’re in really good centres — and then I thrive.”

Last spring the B.C. provincial government waded into the fray, committing $1 billion of the 2018 budget to improving B.C.’s childcare system.

At its Victoria location, Andrew Sheret Limited provides favourable lease terms to the non-profit Centennial Day Care Society to ensure its continued operation.

A certain number of spaces are reserved for Andrew Sheret employees and tenants; the rest are offered to the public.

DOUGLAS 47

Some of that money has already been released in the form of a fee-reduction subsidy for parents through licensed providers, lowering monthly costs up to $350 per child for those who opted in.

A $221-million portion of the funding, called the Childcare BC New Spaces Fund, is earmarked for licensed providers to create 22,000 new spots by 2020, though the best way to do so is still being determined. Families will also have access to the new Affordable Child Care Benefit that provides coverage up to the cost of care to those with a pre-tax income of up to $45,000. The subsidy is also available to families who make up to $111,000, though it is scaled accordingly. More than 86,000 families are expected to draw on the aid by 2021. The maximum income threshold for families to access the previous subsidy was $55,000.

Though it backed off its original campaign promise to implement universal childcare as soon as elected, the NDP government has pledged universal $10/day childcare within a decade, and is initiating a $10/day prototype program at a handful of select daycares to test the service in the meantime.

The rollout of that program will be shaped by input collected from other systems, including Quebec’s $7/day model, in place since 1997.

Long-term data from the Quebec undertaking reveals that access to universal childcare in that province allowed 70,000 women to join in the labour market, equivalent to a 3.8 per cent labour supply increase.

A Canada 2020 report shows that when universal daycare was established, the number of single-parent families receiving welfare in Quebec declined from 99,000 to 45,000, with the relative poverty rate of single-mother families falling from 36 to 22 per cent. Figures also show that for every $100 that they spent on childcare, the Government of Quebec generated a $104 return on investment.

That’s not to say the Quebec system is perfect. In fact, the quality of care kids received in Quebec’s public system has been criticized as substandard, but the NDP government has promised to keep B.C. childcare quality on par with quantity and affordability as it shapes childcare policy here.

or afford childcare, so we are losing workers because of the lack of childcare.”

While Victoria’s tech, construction and tourism sectors are thriving, the childcare market has failed to match the boom, with centres closing as demand peaks. Currently, there is roughly one spot available per eight kids, and waitlists are stagnating at all levels of care.

“Childcare,” Holt adds, “should be treated as a public service, universal and available and affordable in order to run a good economy.”

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Catherine Holt, CEO of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, has long heard the frustrations of local employers when it comes to attracting and keeping employees in a city with a high cost of living, especially when those employees decide to have children.

“The cost [of daycare] is ridiculous, and the availability is abysmal,” says Holt. “And, as a workforce, here we are in the situation where young families are making choices about one of the parents not working because they can’t find

Social scientists have identified the first six years of life as critical to the overall well-being of the average adult, so the lack of quality childcare options across the province — and a historical Canadian trend away from taxpayerfunded, equal-access preschool age childcare — is disconcerting to parents and economists.

A big question is: Why is it only when most kids enter kindergarten that education begins in a real way on the public dime? After all, children who receive balanced, age-appropriate

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GENERATIONAL IMPACT Making the lives of people with children difficult has lasting effects, according to Dr. Paul Kershaw, a professor at UBC’s school of population and public health, and founder of Generation Squeeze.

In 2017, Generation Squeeze published the report #CodeRed: B.C. is the

worst performing economy in Canada for younger generations.

The reports notes that “Growth that compromises the standard of living for British Columbians in our 20s, 30s and 40s, along with our children, is clearly not an adequate measure of the success of our economy.

“At bottom, we should judge an economy over time in terms of whether it requires more, or less, work from citizens to cover our major costs of living, and whether it is sustainable. In these regards, the growth that B.C. has reported of late has failed its younger citizens.”

learning and socialization before entering kindergarten have a better chance of being successful and productive adults, and that’s good for the bottom line.

Though funding childcare is bilateral between the two levels of government, the federal government places the lion’s share of the burden on the provinces, kicking in $153 million to B.C.’s $1 billion over the same three-year period. An Early Learning and Child Care agreement between the two implemented in April 2017 was designed to create quality, licensed spaces for 24,000 children and better training for ECEs, but so far any public money spent on childcare has fallen short of procuring an adequate system.

Critics say a key part of the problem is that childcare has historically been run as a market-based system — that is, it’s made up of a patchwork of private licensed and unlicensed for-profit and non-profit daycares. This puts Canada near the bottom of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries for investments in early childhood development.

“There has been the foolish assumption, the incorrect assumption, that childcare will survive in the market, that in an open market spaces will be available if somebody is willing to pay for them, that somehow the price point would even itself out,” says Sharon Gregson of the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of B.C., the group behind the $10 a Day campaign.

“Childcare has not thrived in the marketplace anywhere in the world,” she adds. “It is a textbook case of where you need public investment in order to create a system. And once you have the system and you can get more parents into the workforce and more children ready to be successful in school, you actually get returns that offset that investment.”

The numbers tell the story of how unworkable it is: Victoria families with two earning adults brought in a median total income of $97,580 per year (Census 2016), while singleparent households had a median total income of $49,970. Daycare costs for kids between one and three can go as high as $19,000 per year per child, falling to an average of $11,000 per year for kids between three and five. If a family has more than one child in care, or a parent works on shift schedules, costs can become prohibitive.

To compare, infant and toddler fees in Montreal are $168 per month ($2,016 per year). While families with comparatively stable incomes struggle with the fees here in Victoria, average-to-low-earning residents are at an exceptional and perpetual disadvantage when the city’s high cost of housing is factored in.

“I would say that it is [a human right], because it inordinately affects women,” says Gregson. “It’s absolutely a family issue and absolutely an economic issue, but it’s women who bear the brunt of the crisis, including the majority of workers in the system — 99 per cent of them are women who work in childcare and who are experiencing poverty wages and few, if any, benefits.”

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A CRISIS IDENTIFIED The word crisis is often used in the discussion around childcare in this country, but it’s hard to identify with unless you’re experiencing the fallout. Employees of an age to have children also typically have years of critical training and are key to their company’s flow.

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that if you have an employee who is at the stage of their life where they’re having a family, and they want to come back to work, and you want them to come back to work, and you’re ready for them and they can’t find childcare, we are all in trouble,” says Jennifer Hawes, co-owner and VP of community and human resources for ColdStar Solutions Inc. “That is typically what is happening now. As an employer, if I lose a really great employee,

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we’re starting from scratch. Maybe we fill that in with a contract position ... maybe we just make do. Right now, it’s in such crisis with the already extreme labour shortage, I can’t imagine any business that, like ours, isn’t suffering on some level.”

It’s not a complicated plot. Based on B.C.’s projected population of 5,070,000 in 2020, close to four per cent of the female workforce will be between the ages of 25 and 39, and the number of children born will reach 47,892. Ministry of Children and Family Development numbers show that there are just over 4,300 licensed childcare spaces available for children from birth to five years of age in Victoria, and an additional 1,100 spaces in licensed, multi-age or family childcare facilities.

Spaces are needed, but the number of spots allowed correlates to the number of licensed staff, and compounding the problem is the low wages paid to ECEs who typically make $15 to $18 an hour, often without benefits, which is a barely livable wage in a high-cost city like Victoria. When an ECE leaves for better wages in a different sector, the ability to care for registered children is threatened, and expanding capacity to meet demand becomes impossible. Accordingly, the province has committed to hourly wage increases for ECEs at licensed daycares that registered for the childcare fee reduction initiative, working out to around $4,000/year more per ECE by 2020.

Educational support by way of bursaries and practicum financial support, and funding to create 620 new spots for ECEs in post secondary institutions will also be provided.

“The best piece of advice that I got when I was starting out was if you get somebody great, pay them,” says Gillian Fehr, owner Gillybird Nature Academy, which has two local locations.

Fehr starts her employees at $44,500 per year, plus benefits, and offers a flex day every other Friday. Her staff is loyal and employee retention good, but despite a long waitlist of kids, she gets few resumes from ECEs. When she opened her second daycare she received exactly one.

CREATING SPACE To improve the situation for its own employees, as well as its building tenants, B.C.’s plumbing and heating giant Andrew Sheret Limited incorporated a daycare into its headquarters in Victoria when it was built in 2014.

“My dad, Brian Findlay, was the one that came up with the idea to incorporate a daycare into the building design,” says Julie Findlay, public relations manager of Andrew Sheret Limited.

“He felt that it would serve as an attraction and retention strategy for our employees, as well as for the tenants in the building. People appreciate the convenience of avoiding an extra drop off and pick up stop during their day.”

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“RIGHT NOW, IT’S IN SUCH CRISIS WITH THE ALREADY EXTREME LABOUR SHORTAGE, I CAN’T IMAGINE ANY BUSINESS THAT, LIKE OURS, ISN’T SUFFERING ON SOME LEVEL.” JENNIFER HAWES, CO-OWNER OF COLDSTAR SOLUTIONS ON THE HIRING AND CHILDCARE CRISIS

The Andrew Sheret Limited-owned building provides the daycare as an amenity for the building’s tenants, and it offers favourable lease terms to the non-profit Centennial Day Care Society to ensure its continued operation.

A certain number of spaces are reserved for employees and tenants; the rest are offered to the public.

While Andrew Sheret was able to tackle the childcare challenge directly, most businesses have employees who rely on what’s available in the general daycare pool, and a lack of options looms large for businesses deciding whether Victoria is a safe bet to set up shop.

“It’s a huge problem for a number of reasons.

In terms of retaining businesses here, they look at this as an important aspect for retaining their workforce and keeping them engaged and making it more attractive,” says Emilie De Rosenroll, CEO of South Island Prosperity Project (SIPP), an organization dedicated to facilitating the development of a strong economy on the South Island.

“The other part is, if you look at talent being equally distributed among the genders in the workforce, then you really put half your workforce at somewhat of a disadvantage where one family member has to stay home, whether male or female — that can be a waste.”

MOVING FORWARD It’s no simple thing to set up a childcare centre.

Licensing criteria for daycares includes indooroutdoor access, safe play areas and equipment, and an appropriate number of toilets and sinks, making many commercial spaces unsuitable for child minding.

To address the location problem, advocates and local government officials say it makes sense for childcare centres to be built on public land and incorporated into new public buildings such as libraries, schools and community centres — and the province is in agreement.

In Victoria, an informal working group spearheaded by Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps in

the spring of 2017 has unified organizations representing diverse interests but who share a goal in improving local childcare options.

The Child Care Solutions Working Group includes the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, the Vancouver Island Health Authority, including Chief Health Officer Dr. Richard Stanwick, a number of community centre executive directors, School District 61 (SD 61), childcare providers, the Child Care Resource & Referral Centre and various city departments.

“The goal of the working group is very clear — it’s to get more childcare spaces in the city of Victoria in every neighbourhood, and we are making progress towards that goal,” says Helps.

The group has identified ways the City of Victoria can contribute to solutions that ease the way for childcare operations, including designating special zones and times on public streets that make it easier for parents to drop off and pick up their kids. Relaxing zoning and rezoning bylaws to favour childcare tenants is also being considered.

This group lobbied Minister of State for Child Care Katrina Chen and has a plan to add childcare spaces through modular SD 61-built buildings called learning studios on school land next year. Coming in around $250,000, the single-storey buildings offer 20 licensed daycare

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spots, and are easily replicated, eliminating fuss while meeting licensing criteria.

So far, SD 61 has committed to establishing one centre per month in 2019.

“We’ve systematized it,” says Helps, “starting in Vic West because that’s where the greatest number of spaces are [needed], and we’ll go from there. But it wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t had everyone at the table.”

SD 61 is already building the modular childcare centres to meet the provincial mandate and community needs, and SD 61 secretary Mark Walsh says more of the learning studios are in the works. While SD 61 already supplies 1,000 childcare spots at 22 schools, class-size reductions and increasing enrolment saw spaces previously earmarked for preschoolage programming redistributed to school-age children.

Provincial funding will give boards of education the ability to recoup 100 per cent of the associated daycare launch costs, up to $500,000. The centres will be run by independent operators from the community; an example of which is the Neighbourhood Learning Centre, which was incorporated into the renovation of Oak Bay Secondary School and houses a municipally run daycare and before- and after-school programs for nearby École Willows Elementary.

“The reason we want to look at public opportunities,” says Chen, “is also because we notice that with public investment, if it’s for example land that belongs to a municipality or a school district, they tend to provide more stability and accountability and make sure the childcare spaces we are building will remain as a community asset.”

Chen adds that a diverse childcare system should include public and private options, and that the government will take existing providers into consideration as systems are implemented.

“Both contribute to the system, and we want to continue to see how we work with different providers. How do we learn from their operations, what challenges do they have and how we can support them better.”

Being late to the game is better than not showing up at all, and advocates agree the delay has an upside: allowing government time to study publicly funded childcare models in Quebec, P.E.I., Australia and New Zealand.

Making good on the final arrangement will be nothing short of a labour of love, and it’s one that will shape the labour market for years to come. It’s been a long time coming for childcare champions like Gregson.

“I don’t want my daughters and granddaughters to experience the same chaotic situation,” she says. “I don’t want them to experience the same barriers to workforce participation that I did.” ■

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The Changing Face of Tourism

As Destination Greater Victoria furthers its progress in regional sports tourism, the city and surrounding areas will be well-known as a destination for events like June’s Victoria Bike Race, part of the Robert Cameron Law Cycling series.

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ALEX MAXIM/MAXIMIMAGES

GREATER VICTORIA HAS LONG OUTGROWN CLICHÉS OF UNION-JACK COLONIALISM AND AN AGING DEMOGRAPHY. DOUGLAS TALKS TO THE STRATEGISTS AND CREATIVES BEHIND THE REGION’S REBRAND TO FIND OUT WHY THEY MADE THE CHANGE AND HOW THEY DID IT.

BY SUSAN HOLLIS

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goals. For Greater Victoria’s rebrand, modern destination tourism experts went subterranean, closely examining the region’s assets and identifying an equilibrium between Victoria’s infrastructure, natural environment and culture — a trifecta of tourism bait. Other destinations typically skew heavily in one direction — New York, for example, relies on its infrastructure and cultural density, and Hawaii on its natural beach vibe. Victoria’s distinction is its balancing act between urban and wild.

DGV president and CEO Paul Nursey waited five years to rebrand the city, intentionally holding back until he had a handle on every aspect of the place.

“For me, this is often one of the first things a CEO does when they take a job, and I wanted to take my time and to do it right,” says Nursey.

“I really wanted to understand Greater Victoria before I made any kind of branding moves because I think it would be pretty arrogant to do it right away.”

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Instead, Nursey focused on modernizing the agency, bringing systems and funding models up to date and integrating its sub-brands, including sales and marketing for the Victoria Conference Centre; the visitor’s centre; membership services; travel trade; and a sports tourism initiative, into the organizational scope.

In late 2017, Nursey began to see signs that the city had outgrown its existing tourism identity, namely that its marketing tools weren’t measuring up to the international attention it was receiving.

“Not only was it time because our city was taking the stage globally and the tourism initiative was doing so well, and we were getting global recognition as the number two small city by Condé Nast Traveller —accolade after accolade, really — I thought that our current brand, look and identity was quaint, outdated. It was from 2005 and that’s what it was, so we started that process.”

JO-ANN LORO/DOUGLAS MAGAZINE

W

hat does it mean to be a city? Should it be measured by its boundaries, gardens or history? What about its climate or its architecture?

Or maybe a city is measured by what it is not — what metrics do we use to decide? And if a city is so many of these things, then how does a tourism organization decide which of its features best exemplify what people can expect when they get here?

These were the questions facing Tourism Victoria this year during its January to June rebranding initiative to better champion what the provincial capital is like in the now. The initiative led to the organization’s rebirth this September as Destination Greater Victoria (DGV), including a new branding and marketing package that encapsulates the island culture that draws an estimated 3.6 million tourists and $1.9 billion tourism dollars across the Salish Sea every year.

“If we didn’t rebrand, our competition would pick up our share,” says Paul Hawes, DGV’s chief marketing and distribution officer. “A destination brand isn’t just a logo, it is intrinsic to telling that full, rich story about a destination — and without that, the customer will be swayed elsewhere.”

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The accolades Nursey is referring to include Victoria coming second in a 2017 Condé Naste Traveller magazine reader’s choice awards for best small city outside of the USA. That, plus steady maturation of its all-season tourism initiatives in conferences and sports tourism, meant it was time to reassess how it was positioned for both members and visitors.

A competitive request for proposal process last winter put Tourism Victoria in the sightlines of a progressive branding and marketing firm with expertise in destination travel. Vancouverbased strategic consultancy and integrated marketing agency Destination Think! secured the contract, despite being unable to lay out the proposal in person. When flights to the

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“We are dealing with a pretty unique product here: a destination. It’s not something you invent, or create,” says former Victoria resident William Bakker, chief strategist and partner with Destination Think!

“The first step we take is to really understand the identity of the place. We have a process that we’ve created, called Place DNA, which involves working with the residents of a destination to understand what it’s about.

An identity isn’t a choice, it’s who you are.”

Through interviews with locals, surveys, sentiment analysis, site visits and workshops, Destination Think! collected enough data to get a sense of Victoria outside of (and in consideration of) the clichés that persist — think tea, gardens and hippies. Bakker, who spent 11 years with Destination BC, and a small team from Destination Think! spent days combing the region, looking at fashion and food, history and public art, and interviewing people from all walks of life. Cab drivers, students, families, business owners, and tourists were questioned about the city, from general impressions to improvement wish lists.

From there, the agency was able to get a sense of Victoria’s personality and attributes, eventually

A NEW TAGLINE, OCEANS APART FROM ORDINARY, WAS SCRAPPED WHEN DGV FOUND A SIMILAR AD WAS USED TO PROMOTE HEINEKEN BEER IN THE 1970s. AT PRESS TIME THE ORGANIZATION WAS UNDECIDED ON WHETHER IT WOULD CHOOSE A NEW TAGLINE OR GO WITHOUT. weaving those stories into the brand identification. Example of the language used in the personality section of the branding package for Greater Victoria include: relaxed, eclectic, charming, cultured and timeless.

And that personality had to be easily conveyable in every medium.

“We have to be relevant across all channels, whether it’s print, broadcast, outof-home social media, digital, everything,” says Nursey. “Even in sales channels and trade shows we have to be sure we are putting our best foot forward.”

A BRAND TO LOVE Hundreds of businesses were involved in the rebranding process, which included consultation with the City of Victoria, the District of Saanich, the South Island Prosperity Project, and First Nations groups. Destination Think! polled over 1,000 Tourism Victoria members over the course of two info-gathering sessions, and the team surveyed 1,500 locals, along with countless customer perception checks along the way.

The results spurred the name change from Tourism Victoria to Destination Greater Victoria, meant to better encompass the

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TOURISM VICTORIA THEN AND NOW Destination Greater Victoria’s new logo has various iterations for tourism and business near and far. It was designed to be neutral and withstand the test of time without becoming dated.

Tourism Victoria’s previous branding package was from 2002, which was the year Sanyo came out with the world’s first cell phone camera; Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake broke up; and Nickleback released How You Remind Me.

broader region while improving alignment with larger tourism organizations like Destination BC and Destination Canada. DGV scrapped its previous tagline, “Full of Life,” which was poached by Croatia’s tourism brand in recent years, deciding instead on “Oceans Apart from Ordinary.” However, when DGV found out a similar slogan was used for a beer marketing campaign in the seventies, it decided to hold off on any tagline decisions.

The new marketing material and guidelines are available to any business or organization that wants to leverage DGV’s considerable groundwork in the tourism arena.

“Expanding the brand of Victoria to Greater Victoria is a recognition of the opportunities that lie beyond municipal boundaries,” says

Paul Hadfield, owner of Spinnakers Brewpub and president of Think Local First. “Much of what we enjoy and what attracts us to live here is contained within the landscape of southern Vancouver Island — from Port Renfrew to Sidney, from Oak Bay to the Malahat and beyond is what we have to offer, and a broader brand focus is much more inclusive of all of those activities and entities that animated our landscape.”

In total, the rebrand cost $150,000 and the resulting toolbox provides editorial tone, font, colours, photographic guidelines, tagline formation, a logo suite for consumer and corporate purposes, including a minimum logo size (25mm, to be exact), definitions of incorrect usage in official copy (hint: don’t

try to squeeze the new name onto a too-small button; the loopy V in Victoria must not be crowded).

“It’s easy for us to fall in love with ourselves, but to see how we’re positioned on a global level is something very different,” says Kathi Springer, VP communications and corporate relations at Pace Group, which provides contract communications support for DGV. “I think what they’re doing is really smart,” she adds. “You don’t have to look that far to see that some communities are really struggling because they didn’t have the foresight to articulate what is was that the place was about and plan for protecting it at the same time. It’s tourism all grown up in this region; it’s being intentional, and I like that.” ■

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Projects rangemarketing from any company that wants a results-focused single-lot program.”subdivisions to multi-year phased developments, forestry, First Nations land claims – SHARLANE BAILEY, OWNER, CANWEST ACCOUNTING LTD. surveys and municipal infrastructure projects.

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SMALL “WE AREENOUGH COmmITTED TO OUR TOShARING CARE AND BIG APPROACh OfMAKE ENOUGH TO INNOVATION, A DIFFERENCE. TEAmWORk AND INTEGRITy WhEN WE BRAND YOU CREATING SOLUTIONS BEFORE YOU GET fOR CLIENTS.” LABELLED. J.E. ANDERSoN & ASSocIATES

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+

MEETINGS +RETREATS

2018 VANCOUVER ISLAND MEETING PLANNER

WHY IT PAYS TO PLAY: MEETINGS AND RETREATS CAN UP YOUR GAME

TIPS TO HELP YOU CHOOSE THE PERFECT FACILITATOR FOR YOUR EVENT

WHAT’S TRENDING FOR 2019? INSIGHTS FROM EVENT PLANNERS

ANNUAL SPECIAL RESOURCE GUIDE

DOUGLAS 61

WHY IT PAYS TO PLAY Studies show that improving corporate culture and employee relationships can boost a business’s overall performance. That’s why taking meetings or retreats into new and entertaining settings can really up the game.

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Corporate retreats have long been used to shake up the office blahs, to brainstorm and to team-build — often all at once. A new body of research from the Columbia Business School shows that uninspired office culture can affect the bottom line. Led by Columbia accounting professor Shiva Rajgopal, the data points to positive corporate culture as essential to prosperity, driving both profitability and internal ethics.

Since an increasingly nuanced understanding workplace psychology has expanded the definition of success to include more than production output, companies are getting creative when planning corporate retreats and meetings on and around Vancouver Island. Whether it’s fast or slow, relaxing or exciting, options are plentiful in this neck of the woods.

VANCOUVER ISLAND MOTORSPORT CIRCUIT

REV IT UP If your company’s employees need to let loose, the Vancouver Island Motorsport Circuit (VIMC) provides corporate packages that can include use of a large array of Alfa Romeo, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Porsche and Subaru vehicles — an experience that is sure to energize staff and enhance team building. With an onsite restaurant, lounge and flexible planning logistics, the VIMC makes workshops and retreats (and employee appreciation) a winning strategy.

CALM IT DOWN If the last thing your company needs is more excitement, consider a calming spa retreat, followed by a casual, view-rich meal. The Boathouse Spa at

VIEW FROM THE VANCOUVER ISLAND MOUNTAIN CENTRE’S LARGE MEETING ROOM

GET COMFORTABLE

5

Ice Breakers That Really Work

1

Take turns telling each other what your worst job was — bonding over a shared experience is easier if the content is funny.

2

Ask each member of the group to introduce themselves by saying their names backward.

Everyone else has to work out what that name is. This is effective when employees who don’t typically work together are involved.

3

Have each person write down an interesting “secret” about themselves, then collect them in a box. Have the team try to guess which secret belongs to whom as they’re read out.

4

Ask employees to name five of their favourite movies, five favourite vegetables, five most disliked chores, or five of anything you can think of. Make sure employees have a chance to share their likes and dislikes with their coworkers at the end of the exercise.

5

If you have a large number of employees, set up a mock speed-dating scenario where they move from table to table exchanging rapid-fire details with co-workers before moving on to the next. Not only does this help break a lot of ice in one go, it energizes the room and stimulates conversation.

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TOURISM ASSOCIATION OF VANCOUVER ISLAND

Sometimes, conversations flow naturally between team members, and sometimes it’s uncomfortable or just plain awkward. The following ice breakers will energize teams and give individual employees the connection they need to feel more comfortable with each other.

the Oak Bay Beach Hotel offers many services with the added bonus of warm, seaside mineral pools to maximize the luxury of your stay.

Corporate wellness packages include daytime and overnight options that can be customized to a company’s needs.

The Magnolia Hotel & Spa provides a range of services for corporate groups, including boutique hotel and meeting rooms, private dining rooms, a top-rated spa and a network of business partnerships to make customizing a Magnolia retreat an uncomplicated affair.

Sattva Spa offers a customizable, holistic approach to daytime corporate retreats for up to 12 people, including aromatherapy, hydrotherapy and esthetics.

DO THE TASTE TEST Food and drink are always a safe bet for connecting diverse personalities, so gastronomically focused team-building is a sure-fire way to create an environment of fun for employees.

Local staple The London Chef offers culturally specific cooking workshops where employees can try their hand at Spanish tapas or Italian pasta dishes. Light-hearted and interactive, the London Chef provides a creative way to connect employees over a shared interest — food!

A wine tasting with Vancouver Island’s largest winery can be both educational and entertaining,

especially for companies hoping to de-stress employees. Whether it’s an intimate dinner or a larger team event — Church and State Wines is equipped for a range of corporate getaways.

GET OUTSIDE The benefits of physical activity paired with learning a new skill are beneficial at any age, so if your company’s employees need to get out and try something new, they can do so with guidance through the Vancouver Island Mountain Centre, a mid-island lodge retreat that offers year-round, dorm-style rooms in its cozy dwelling situated on the edge of Strathcona Park.

Partnerships with local guide companies and Mount Washington Alpine Resort ensure your team can be skiing, hiking, biking or orienteering at any time of the year.

MAKE WAVES Landlubbing not your thing? Group sailing lessons at the Royal Victoria Yacht Club include indoor or outdoor dining, private events, and trained instructors.

Another great team-building pursuit on the waves is dragon boating, which encourages teams to learn to work in unison. Fairway Gorge Paddling Club offers flexible schedules and onwater experiences tailored to your specific needs, abilities and interests.

INHALE EXHALE

Let us take the stress out of booking your next event

Take advantage of our off season incentives with our Book More, Save More offer.

WWW.OAKBAYBEACHHOTEL.COM | 1-800-668-7758

If you want a more remote location, Tofino is a magical place, but it also excels as a corporate retreat destination. This sophisticated tourist town has virtually everything you’ll need to inspire and thank your crew. Partnerships between surf schools and hotels are the norm, like at Long Beach Lodge Resort, where accommodation, meals, high-tech meeting rooms and surf lessons are on offer.

At Ucluelet’s Black Rock Oceanfront Resort, retreat guests can expect dramatic views and well-appointed facilities backed by outstanding cuisine and access to a host of outdoor activities, from surfing to whale watching to adventure tours of the Broken Islands.

GET HANDS ON If your company needs to wake up the right side of the brain, local pottery studios like 4 Cats Art Studio offer group workshops and classes to corporate groups.

Getting dirty can be a freeing experience, and at Mudgirls Collective (mudgirls.ca) it’s a necessity. Build a hut or a pizza oven out of earthen materials and learn how to skilland-team-build in the natural environment.

Make Your Meetings Matter Across sectors, employees report meetings are a waste of precious time — and they may be right. Studies show companies regularly hold meetings that include unnecessary personnel who slow down the process and squander company resources.

To improve your meetings, make sure employees who don’t need to be there aren’t. But do ensure people who are integral to the core of the meeting are engaged and not daydreaming or working on other tasks.

If meetings can be a waste of time, you can be sure they’re a waste of money.

— and Harvard University has developed a IMPROVE YOUR MEETINGS ■ A meeting isn’t the time to catch up on everyone’s weekend. Have an objective, and stick to it.

An agenda can help guide the process, so make sure everyone has a copy ahead of time.

■ If your meetings have become mechanical, move them into a new room or even an unfamiliar space, like a cafe, to recapture the energy needed to meet objectives.

A FACILITATOR CAN MAKE OR BREAK YOUR EVENT How to Choose the Right One

I

f your planning meetings aren’t getting the results you need, it may be time to bring in a facilitator. Facilitators can be key to the planning phase of any business meeting or retreat, as they allow business leaders to participate more fully in the process without being bogged down by agendas and flow. The main purpose of a facilitator is to provide neutral guidance and keep a group moving towards an objective so that all employees, including executives, can concentrate on the task at hand.

WHAT DO YOU NEED? Facilitator, communicator and advisor Sheila Beauchemin says the first question a great facilitator should ask a potential client is, “What do you need to walk away with, to feel like the event or meeting was a success for you?”

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calculator to see how much time you could be saving. Their study of time budgeting at large corporations shows that a single weekly meeting of mid-level managers cost one organization $15 million a year.

■ Ensure everyone is off their phones and computers during meetings. Multi-tasking may feel effective, but it’s more likely to mean attendees aren’t absorbing or engaging with the tasks at hand and are distracting their coworkers instead.

Church & State Wines Book your next event at Church & State Wines, Brentwood Bay, and give your guests an unforgettable, elegant, culinary experience.

Conveniently located 15 minutes from downtown Victoria and the Victoria International Airport, our team of professionals can help you create the perfect event, curating a package to suit your needs.

We can accommodate small, mid-size and large groups (up to 200), tailoring menus, wine tastings and optional vineyard tours to ensure your gathering is truly memorable.

Our in-house chef, Desiree Perrin, specializes in designing menus that highlight the best seasonal, locally sourced products and fine foods from our region — all of which are expertly paired with award-winning Church & State Wines, craft beer and cocktails.

With ample parking for both guests and tour buses, audio-visual capabilities and stunning views of the surrounding Saanich Peninsula, let us help you create an event with impact.

Connect with our events team today and start planning your next company or group gathering.

Email us: events@churchandstatewines.com or call 250.652.2671.

www.churchandstatewines.com 1445 Benvenuto Avenue, Victoria

Sidney, Inspiration Awaits Sidney is a meeting planner’s dream. It offers multiple options for meetings and conferences of almost any size. Located next to the beautiful Salish Sea, Sidney venues have been shown to increase attendance, inspire participants and make event planners look like super stars.

Features of the Mary Winspear Centre • The Charlie White Theatre (seats 310) is known as one of the premier community performance theatres in the province • 8,100-sq.-ft. Bodine Hall, (seats 900), complete with an 18-ft. vaulted ceiling and wood beams, performance stage, drop screen, lighting and sound system • 5,000-sq.-ft. outdoor courtyard, large commercial kitchen • Intimate executive style boardroom • 2,000-sq.-ft. gallery space perfect for exhibitions and receptions • 4 breakout rooms offering natural lighting, 9-ft. ceilings, attractive flooring, accent walls and wet bars • Catering services available on-site, off-site catering also permitted

Sidney Off-site Venues, Accommodations & Amenities • Over 300 hotel rooms in Sidney •V ictoria Distillers, located along Sidney’s waterfront.

Group tours and tastings available.

• Aquarium available for private dinners and cocktail receptions amongst the displays • Outdoor activities including whale watching, fishing, kayaking and standup paddle boarding • Over 350 unique shops and services

info@distinctlysidney.ca | www.distinctlysidney.ca

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“The event should never be about the facilitator but about achieving the results the client needs. This means in early conversations, look for a focus on learning about your organization, why you are holding the event, and what you hope to achieve,” she says. “Avoid those who immediately jump to selling you a packaged process before they even understand your goals.”

Beauchemin says good facilitators are flexible, creative and adept at drawing out the group’s wisdom. They should walk into a room with a belief in the group’s ability to make progress and a zen-like focus on preserving space for the collective voices to be heard.

By doing the prep work and research ahead of time, a facilitator can keep a clear focus on the meeting or workshop’s goals, and their expertise can shape agendas so that minimal time is wasted and the goals achieved in a timely manner.

AN INCLUSIVE APPROACH In group facilitation, facilitators can help manage competing conversations and prevent a “takeover” by the more verbal players in the room. They are also skilled at drawing solutions from all participants, ensuring everyone is contributing to the process.

To find the right facilitator for your workshop, make sure they understand not just your sector, but your individual business, including your company culture. Provide ample time ahead of your meeting or retreat for your facilitator to do the research appropriate for the job. If a facilitator promises results and only does minimal prep before an event, be wary — a minimum 14-day lead time is average for a facilitator to properly lay the groundwork.

As with any hire, checking references is critical to hiring the right person — don’t be afraid to cold call other companies to ask for insights and inquire whether or not they would use that facilitator again.

Good facilitators should walk into the room with a belief in the group’s ability to make progress and a zen-like focus on preserving space for the collective voices to be heard.

Reasons to Pick a Retreat Theme (and How to Get it Right)

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retreat lies ahead — more light-hearted themes will indicate this time is meant for play and relaxation (Gilligan’s Island!). Choosing a more serious variation will set a tone that reminds the company they have a objective.

Bonding and brainstorming occur when participants share intention so your theme should encourage just that. The introduction of simple themes, like explore the possibilities or getting it done, can inspire a collaborative tone that shows the team what’s expected of them when it’s time to focus.

Retreats are opportunities to improve company culture, strengthen communication channels and boost ideas — so do ask employees to weigh in when choosing a theme so they feel included.

If you’re still having trouble deciding on a theme, break down the categories that you’d like to consider, like education, play, or sport. The simpler, the better.

ISLAND TENTS AND EVENTS

SIMON DESROCHERS

W

hile retreat themes may conjure up thoughts of corny summer camps, thematic corporate getaways can be useful in reaching specific goals. If your retreat is resultoriented (and not just for leisure), a theme can keep those in attendance focused and encourage them to break out of old ways of thinking. If your getaway is more about fun, a theme can help break the ice and remind adults they’re there to play.

Knowing your audience is critical when choosing a retreat theme, which shouldn’t be so out-there that those involved lose focus or can’t participate (“This weekend, we are all about mimes!”). Ideas can be general and pulled from popular culture, like TV shows (think Survivor), as long as they demonstrate an ethos your company is hoping to convey. Themes are also an excellent way to prepare employees for what kind of

ENIGMATIC EVENTS

Bring your meeting to Victoria

www.tourismvictoria.com/meetings

Victoria Conference Centre Located in the heart of Victoria's scenic Inner Harbour, the Victoria Conference Centre is the city's largest energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable conference facility.

Accommodates conferences of up to 2,000 with flexible and bright meeting space for a wide range of programs, corporate and incentive events, and trade shows.

•

73,000 total square feet of flexible meeting space

•

15,000 square foot divisible ballroom with 23' ceilings

•

400 fixed-seat lecture theatre with translation booths

•

21 multi-purpose meeting rooms

•

On-site Audio Visual Team

•

In-house client services team

Not Just a Grand Hotel, a Great

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WHAT’S TRENDING FOR 2019 Insights from Event Planners

T

he days of boring buffets and massproduced conferences are over. Today’s average conference client coming to Victoria knows the clichés — and wants to avoid them. This is the age of the bespoke conference that put attendees into the best that the Island has to offer. Food, excursions, art, fitness and nature are all a part of today’s conference world, where what to do rivals why you’re there.

“What happens outside of that conference meeting room is really critical to whether they look at the hotel as a viable option for their next meeting,” says Tracey Drake, PR director at the Fairmont Empress Hotel and Conference Centre.

Food, she says, also plays a big role. For example, the hotel’s innovative food stations and reinvention of the banquet are all about engaging people in the Pacific Northwest food story.

High tea, forest bathing, city bike and kayak excursions and farm-to-table banquets are just a few of the ways the Empress and others attract modern conference goers, but Drake says clients are also bringing their own traditions. An increasingly

common request, she notes, is to incorporate a pay-it-forward aspect into a conference. She says one group worked with Wear 2 Start, a local nonprofit providing clothing to women re-entering the workforce.

CHANGING IT UP Aiden Henry of Brink Events says to expect a big shift towards comfort food and creative food presentation in 2019. Rosé will be a mainstay palatewetter, and decor will be overstated with geometric shapes and balloon art in Pantone’s 2018 colour of the year — ultra violet.

To break up the static look of a sea of matching tables at seated events, organizers will mix circular with rectangular and square tables for an eclectic feel. And don’t be surprised if activities and teambuilding exercises suggested by your event planner include more virtual-reality, art stations and maybe some axe throwing to work off that comfort food.

Planning a conference can be a logistical circus, so do hire an event planner who is an expert in expressing all that is local.

Degrees Catering Conference Rooms Degrees Catering operates the Cadboro Commons Conference Centre, located on the scenic University of Victoria campus. Our setting provides the perfect backdrop to enjoy our West Coast inspired cuisine. Featuring seven unique meeting spaces, our facilities are available for meetings, conferences, banquet dinners, corporate seminars and weddings. Our comfortable and spacious meeting rooms are well equipped with natural light, audio-visual support and flexible seating arrangements. If you’re hosting an event in one of the many buildings across the UVic campus, we can bring our first class catering services directly to you.

Catering Services As a full-service catering department, you can expect the same attention to detail and exceptional service whether you’re planning an event on or off campus. Our menus give plenty of delectable choices for every event, every dietary requirement and every budget. Catering to your needs, our consultants work with you to ensure smoothly run events and warm hospitality for your guests.

Degrees Catering offers fast, convenient deliveries, Victoria-wide.

Amenities • Audio-visual equipment and services • Centrally located between the airport, ferries and downtown • Lots of onsite parking

250-721-8603 Fax 250-472-4046 degreescatering@uvic.ca www.degreescatering.ca

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Volunteering at Our Place is one opportunity for conference attendees to give back to the city in a meaningful way.

5

Signs Your Company Needs a Retreat

If your business is lagging and needs a reboot, a retreat can be an effective way to show employees that they matter while asking them to dig deep in a problem-solving capacity outside of office walls. By shaking off the repetition of the daily grind, an off-site corporate retreat can help people refocus on what matters — business objectives, brainstorming and play, all in one.

Here are some good reasons to have a retreat:

1

To engage in big-picture thinking away from day-to-day stresses and interruptions.

2

To rebuild morale and show appreciation for your team if your company has survived big changes and is rebuilding.

3 HORROR ESCAPE

DINNER AT TOPSOIL FARM BY THE LONG TABLE SERIES

To counter an “us and them mentality” by forging bonds across various levels of management and allowing new relationships to grow.

4

To get creative and to draw out the best of the company talent by moving off-site to a stimulating new environment where ideas can flow in an atmosphere of fun and exploration.

5

To show appreciation to a team for their hard work. Studies show that employees get the most job satisfaction from appreciation, not just raises, so plan a fun retreat and show your team how much they matter to you.

The Parkside Hotel & Spa Set in the heart of downtown Victoria, The Parkside Hotel & Spa offers a unique setting for your event. Located two blocks from the Downtown Inner Harbour and two blocks from the Victoria Conference Centre, our team will help you create the memorable, authentic experience your group is looking for.

Meeting Spaces • • • • • • • •

Over 5,000 square feet in seven unique meeting spaces Floor-to-ceiling windows that allow ample natural lighting Maximum group size: 200 people Inspired indoor and outdoor spaces Customized food & beverage by Truffles Catering In-house audio/visual equipment Complimentary wireless internet Suitable for conferences, seminars, board meetings, retreats, receptions and private dining events

Amenities • 126 one- and two-bedroom suites with fully equipped kitchenettes • 25-metre indoor pool, hot tub and fitness centre • Complimentary internet and bicycles • In-room breakfast dining • Underground parking

810 Humboldt Street 250-940-1200 | 1-855-616-3557 www.parksidevictoria.com sales@parksidevictoria.com

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DIRECTORY Meeting and Conference Facilities

Bedford Regency Hotel bedfordregency.com Chateau Victoria Hotel & Suites chateauvictoria.com Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel coasthotels.com Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort & Spa deltahotels.marriott.com Fairmont Empress (The) fairmont.com/empress Hotel Grand Pacific hotelgrandpacific.com Hotel Rialto hotelrialto.ca Hotel Zed hotelzed.com Huntingdon Manor Gatsby Hotel huntingdonmanor.com Inn at Laurel Point laurelpoint.com

Quality Inn Waddling Dog Victoria Hotel qualityinnvictoria.com Ramada Victoria and Convention Centre victoriaramada.com Sandman Hotel Victoria sandmanhotels.com Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa (The) sidneypier.com Sooke Harbour House, Coastal Retreat sookeharbourhouse.com Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa (The) bearmountain.ca

Vancouver Island & the Islands GULF ISLANDS Poets Cove Resort & Spa poetscove.com

COURTENAY/COMOX Coastal Trek Resort coastaltrekresort.com Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community crownisle.com Kingfisher Oceanside Resort & Spa kingfisherspa.com Old House Village Hotel & Spa oldhousevillage.com QUADRA AND CORTES ISLANDS Hollyhock hollyhock.ca Tsa-Kwa-Luten Lodge capemudgeresort.bc.ca TOFINO/UCLUELET Best Western Tin Wis Resort tinwis.com Black Rock Oceanfront Resort blackrockresort.com

COWICHAN VALLEY

Clayoquot Wilderness Resort wildretreat.com

Marriott Victoria Inner Harbour marriottvictoria.com

Best Western Cowichan Valley Inn bestwesternvancouverisland.com

Long Beach Lodge Resort longbeachlodgeresort.com

Oswego Hotel (The) oswegohotelvictoria.com

Honeymoon Bay Lodge and Retreat honeymoonbayretreat.com

Middle Beach Lodge middlebeach.com

Parkside Hotel & Spa parksidevictoria.com

Oceanfront Suites at Cowichan Bay oceanfrontcowichanbay.com

Wickaninnish Inn wickinn.com

Villa Eyrie Resort villaeyrie.com

April Point Resort & Spa aprilpoint.com

DUNCAN

Best Western - Austrian Chalet bwcampbellriver.com

Magnolia Hotel & Spa magnoliahotel.com

Paul’s Motor Inn paulsmotorinn.com Premiere Suites premieresuitesvictoria.com Royal Scot Hotel & Suites royalscot.com

Ramada Duncan duncanhotel.ca

Strathcona Hotel strathconahotel.com

NANAIMO

Swans Hotel & Brewpub swanshotel.com Union Club of British Columbia (The) unionclub.com Victoria Regent Waterfront Hotel & Suites victoriaregent.com GREATER VICTORIA Accent Inns Victoria accentinns.com Best Western Emerald Isle bwemeraldisle.com Brentwood Bay Resort & Spa brentwoodbayresort.com Comfort Inn & Suites comfortvictoria.ca Four Points by Sheraton Victoria Gateway fourpointsvictoriagateway.com Howard Johnson Hotel Victoria wyndhamhotels.com/hojo/victoriabritish-columbia/howard-johnsonhotel-and-suites-victoria-elk-lake/ overview Lodge at Weir’s Beach (The) thelodgeatweirsbeach.com Oak Bay Beach Hotel (The) oakbaybeachhotel.com Prestige Oceanfront Resort prestigehotelsandresorts.com

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Best Western, Dorchester Hotel dorchesternanaimo.com

CAMPBELL RIVER

Dolphins Resort dolphinsresort.com Painter’s Lodge painterslodge.com Sonora Resort sonoraresort.com OFF-SITE VENUESI

D. HACKETT

HOTELS AND RESORTSI VICTORIA CITY CENTRE

LONG BEACH LODGE

Deep Cove Winery deepcovewinery.ca deVine Wines and Spirits devinewines.ca Fisgard St. Forum fisgardstforum.com Goward House Society gowardhouse.com Harbour Air Seaplanes harbourair.com Hatley Park National Historic Site hatleypark.ca Horticulture Centre of the Pacific hcp.ca Kildara Farms kildarafarms.webs.com

Victoria Conference Centre victoriaconference.com Victoria Conservatory of Music vcm.bc.ca Victoria Curling Club victoriacurlingclub.com Victoria Public Market victoriapublicmarket.com Vista 18 Westcoast Grill and Wine Bar vista18.com Zambri’s zambris.ca VANCOUVER ISLAND BC Forest Discovery Centre bcforestdiscoverycentre.com

Legacy Art Gallery uvac.uvic.ca

Fairwinds Golf & Country Club fairwinds.ca

Mary Winspear Centre marywinspear.ca

Parksville Community Centre parksvillecentre.com

Merridale Estate Cidery merridalecider.com

Qualicum Beach Civic Centre qualicumbeach.com/civic-centre

IMAX Victoria imaxvictoria.com

Quw’utsun’ Cultural and Conference Centre quwutsun.ca

Olympic View Golf Club olympicviewgolf.com Orca Spirit Adventures orcaspirit.com Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence pise.ca

Vancouver Island Conference Centre viconference.com Vancouver Island Motorsport Circuit islandmotorsportcircuit.com Vancouver Island University Deep Bay Marine Field Station viu.ca/deepbay

Coast Bastion Hotel coasthotels.com

GREATER VICTORIA

Raincoast Business Centres raincoast.net

Grand Hotel Nanaimo (The) thegrandhotelnanaimo.ca

Alix Goolden Performance Hall vcm.bc.ca/alix-goolden-hall

Robert Bateman Centre (The) batemancentre.org

Howard Johnson Harbourside Hotel hojonanaimo.com

Ambrosia Centre on Fisgard ambrosiacatering.ca

Royal BC Museum royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

Inn on Long Lake innonlonglake.com

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria aggv.ca

Royal Roads University royalroads.ca

Vancouver Island Conference Centre viconference.com

Bard & Banker bardandbanker.com

Saanich Commonwealth Place saanich.ca

PARKSVILLE

Bird’s Eye Cove birdseyecovefarm.com

Beach Acres Resort beachacresresort.com

St. Ann’s Academy National Historic Site stannsacademy.com

Blue Grouse Estate Winery bluegrouse.ca

BT Media btmedia.ca

Beach Club Resort (The) beachclubbc.com

Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre sofmc.com

Butchart Gardens (The) butchartgardens.com

Pacific Shores Resort & Spa pacificshoresbc.com

Butterfly Gardens, Victoria butterflygardens.com

Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse seacider.ca

Four Frames Photo Booth fourframesphotobooth.com

Quality Resort Bayside qualityresortparksville.com

Canoe Brewpub Restaurant and Marina canoebrewpub.com

Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea salishseacentre.org

Freeman Audio Visual freemanav-ca.com

Sunrise Ridge Waterfront Resort sunriseridge.ca

Church & State Wines churchandstatewines.com

The Pedaler Cycling Tours thepedaler.ca

Media One Multimedia Inc mediaone.ca

Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort & Conference Centre tigh-na-mara.com

Coastal Offices coastaloffices.com

University Club of Victoria (The) club.uvic.ca

Sensational Sound sensationalsound.ca

University of Victoria/Carsa uvic.ca/carsa

Sound Advice soundadvice.bc.ca

QUALICUM BEACH

Craigdarroch Castle thecastle.ca

Unsworth Vineyards unsworthvineyards.com

SW Event Technology sw-online.com

Qualicum Beach Inn qualicumbeachinn.com

Deep Cove Chalet deepcovechalet.com

Vancouver Island Technology Park vitp.ca

Vosh Video Vision voshvideovision.com

Crag X Indoor Climbing Centre cragx.ca

West Coast Expeditions westcoastexpeditions.com WildPlay Element Parks wildplay.com

Conference and Meeting Support Services AUDIOVISUAL/STREAMING Bigtime Special DJ, Photobooth & AV bigtimespecial.com DL Sound dlsound.net

Deep Cove Winery Book your next event at our exclusive winery venue! Our versatile 1800 sq ft Amphora room is nestled next to our estate vineyard and offers vaulted ceilings, hidden dual screens, in-wall speakers and a private bar to entertain your guests. On arrival, our newly renovated tasting room welcomes your guests as they sip and savour in style.

Contact us today at info@deepcovewinery.ca and let our event coordinator take care of every detail for you.

11195 Chalet Road North Saanich, BC V8L 5M1 250-656-2552 www.deepcovewinery.ca

Stylish Meeting Rooms in the Centre of Victoria Offering both a 20-person boardroom and an 800-square-foot multi-purpose room — as well as eight penthouse hospitality suites — the Chateau Victoria’s meeting spaces provide unmatched versatility, convenience and value. Located in the heart of Downtown Victoria, the recently-renovated meeting rooms include contemporary AV equipment, generous natural light and in-house catering options ranging from pots of coffee to large group meals. Impress and inspire your colleagues by booking your next meeting at the Chateau Victoria.

250.361.5663 meet@chateauvictoria.com www.chateauvictoria.com

Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort & Conference Centre Regroup and discover our magnificent 22 forested acres beside the ocean, our 10,000 sq ft of flexible meeting space, banquet facilities and the award-winning Grotto Spa. Our dedicated sales team understands the importance of face-to-face meetings in the perfect location to spark creativity, inspire collaboration and promote productivity. Experience Tigh-Na-Mara’s legacy of service excellence, inspiring location and see why your success is our business!

250-248-1802 sales@tigh-na-mara.com www.tigh-na-mara.com

Gather. Connect. Grow.

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Victoria Regional Transit Commission

Flight Plan YYJ With a multi-million dollar expansion designed to improve the experience of passengers and carriers, YYJ is ready for take off.

Don’t refer to Victoria International Airport as small. As the 10th busiest airport in Canada, YYJ has served a cool two million passengers this year — exceeding initial projections for 2018.

All the while, YYJ has been steadily pouring resources into improvements in its terminal and landing apron, including the current expansion of the lower departures area and the recent repaving of its five runways. And that extra cushy carpeting underfoot while you wind through security isn’t a fluke — every aspect of the airport has been designed to improve the user’s experience.

“The art in airport planning and airport design is to be just ahead of the demand curve,” says YYJ’s president and CEO Geoff Dickson. “You don’t want to be too far in front of it, because then, effectively, you’re over-building and it’s inefficient, but you don’t want to be behind it. Our challenge is always staying ahead of it.”

The airport has exceeded expectations laid out in its 2013 master plan and is three years ahead of traffic projections with a six-per-cent growth maintained this year.

■ BY SUSAN HOLLIS ■ PHOTO BY JEFFREY BOSDET

Construction is moving forward on the single largest capital project ever undertaken by the Victoria Airport Authority.

The $20-million expansion will double the size of the lower departures area.

Completion is expected in spring 2020.

The lower departures area was originally designed to accommodate passengers from 35- to 50-seat aircrafts. Today, most aircrafts are Bombardier Q400s with anywhere from 76 to 78 seats.

76 DOUGLAS

THE YYJ LOGO WAS DESIGNED BY LOCAL COMPANY ECLIPSE 360 AND IS BASED ON AN AERIAL VIEW OF THE RUNWAYS.

BY THE NUMBERS

100

Average number of commercial flights YYJ handles per day.

TOTAL YYJ PASSENGERS ▼

JUNE 2017

169,063 ▼

JUNE 2018

183,519 an 8.6 per cent rise from the previous year

122,141

Domestic passenger traffic, June 2014

157,492

Domestic passenger traffic, June 2018

11

Air traffic controllers needed for a complete operating day at YYJ.

12

Airlines that use YYJ.

FIRST FLIGHT

REVENUE SOURCES

1942

Airports typically have three sources of revenue:

The first commercial flight to land at YYJ was a 14-passenger Lockheed Electra aircraft from Vancouver.

‘‘

1) landing fees and terminal charges from airlines 2) airport improvement fees 3) non aviation revenue from airport land tenants, food and retail.

’’

FAVOURITE QUESTIONS FROM PASSENGERS

“Are we on an island?”

“Is this Vancouver?”

“What time will the fog lift?”

“Are there any icebergs in Victoria?”

“Can we go to Tofino and Haida Gwaii and back to Victoria in one day?”

“What ferry do we catch to see the whale show?”

86,500

PRINCE GEORGE 1 HR 30 MIN EDMONTON 1 HR 40 MIN

67% VANCOUVER 25 MIN ABBOTSFORD 35 MIN

Victoria’s nonaviation revenue is one of the highest in the country, representing 67 per cent of income.

CALGARY 1 HR 30 MIN KELOWNA 55 MIN

SEATTLE 40 MIN

MONTREAL 5 HR 30 MIN

WHO’S GOING WHERE? Non-stop destinations with approximate flying times to Victoria

4,900 km

The longest distance travelled directly by plane to Victoria’s airport.

The flight originates in Montreal.

THE NUMBERS ON THE END OF A RUNWAY REPRESENT THE MAGNETIC COMPASS DIRECTION EACH RUNWAY FACES. AT YYJ THE RUNWAYS ARE 14/32, 09/27, AND 03/21.

40 km

The shortest scheduled international flight in North America is a 12-minute service between Victoria and Friday Harbour, Washington, on a six-seat Piper Navajo.

200

The largest aircraft to land at YYJ is a 200-seat Air Canada Airbus with service to Toronto.

TORONTO 5 HR

LOS CABOS 5 HR 30 MIN

The amount in tonnes of hot mix concrete needed to restore every inch of the runway and taxiway at the airport. On average, this type of overall restoration has to be done every 15 years, with regular patching in the meantime.

PUERTO VALLARTA 4 HR 41 MIN

CANCUN 5 HR 50 MIN

DOUGLAS 77

One of the core values listed in the Kano Employee Manual is “player obsession.” By working to earn players’ trust and seeking to understand their pain points, the Kano team builds games that cater to players’ wants and needs — not the company’s. Founded by three Vancouver Island natives in 2008, Kano’s first game, Viking Clan, has been played by millions of people worldwide.

Let’s

BY NEVIN THOMPSON

78 DOUGLAS

PHOTOS BY JEFFREY BOSDET

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DOUGLAS 79

“IN CANADA there are more people per capita working on video games than in any other country in the world,” says Eric Jordan, CEO of Victoria video game company Codename Entertainment. “They’re part of an industry worth $100 billion in North America alone that continues to grow.”

Victoria is also a player in that global video game industry, with a vibrant tech sector employing at least 15,000 people and steadily transforming the city from tucked-away, renovated offices above Fort Street, Bastion Square and Chinatown, or in industrial parks and home studios. There, you’ll find at least 20 video game companies employing about 250 people who are creating games that are popular with millions of people all over the world.

“Our game Idle Champions recently exceeded a combined total of 30 million hours of play time since its launch in September 2017,” says Jordan, who has led the company for the past five years. Both Idle Champions and another Codename game, Crusaders of the Lost Idols, are among the top one per cent most-played games on Steam, a popular distribution platform widely used by people all over the world to discover and purchase video games.

Video games have a long history in Victoria.

Sanctuary Woods, a pioneering video game company in Victoria, was founded here 1992 and operated out of the city before being purchased by Disney Interactive later in the decade. More recently, companies including Zynga, the creator of Farmville, and that once employed a development team in Victoria, took advantage of the phenomenal popularity of Facebook as a gaming platform in 2009 and 2010 to reach and build massive new audiences.

Over the years, local companies have also been able to experiment with new revenue models, such as microtransactions, where a game is free to play and players can enhance gameplay by making small purchases within the game.

Today, many Victoria companies still include Facebook as a platform, but also offer their games across multiple platforms, including web browsers, Steam, mobile apps and consoles like the Sony PlayStation or the Nintendo Switch, all in order reach as many players as possible.

“There is an incredible depth of talent in B.C.,” says Jordan, noting two of the top video game franchises of all time, Electronic Arts (EA’s) Need for Speed and FIFA both come from Vancouver.”

When it comes to attracting this talent, Victoria’s video game community benefits from being just across the water from Vancouver, which employs approximately 5,000 people in the same industry, he says.

“Combine rising housing prices in Vancouver and Victoria’s proximity, and it’s easier to attract 80 DOUGLAS

talent to the Island,” says Jordan. “The Internet has had a flattening effect in terms of where you can create and sell video games — you can do it from anywhere.”

HOME ADVANTAGE Dan Gunn, CEO of VIATEC, the non-profit organization that boosts and helps build Victoria’s booming $4 billion tech industry, agrees.

“Like our entire tech sector, our gaming studios are focused on external markets and selling their products to the world,” says Gunn.

“They aren’t here to be close to a customer base.

They can locate anywhere.” “[Video game studios] are here for the talent and the lifestyle our region offers, and because [Victoria is] close to other major gaming hubs like Vancouver, Seattle and San Francisco. The cost of living and the cost of running a company are much lower here than those other cities and, for many, we have a much higher quality of life.”

Mike Wozniewski, president and CTO of Hololabs, a local gaming company that develops games, mobile apps, and social platforms that allow users to create and share digital content, is one such transplant. But instead of coming from Vancouver, Wozniewski relocated from Montreal, Canada’s other great video game hub.

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“We moved to Victoria to be closer to family,” says Wozniewski, a father of young children whose parents retired here. Originally from Calgary, Wozniewski started out in the game industry in Montreal after graduating from McGill.

“The thing that put me over the top was a VIATEC report on the games industry. It seemed like things were happening in Victoria’s tech scene.”

Hololabs’ most recent success is a game called Floor Kids that the Guardian newspaper has hailed as one of the best indie games for the Nintendo Switch.

Focusing on free play, Floor Kids features original music by famed DJ Kid Koala, and lets players create and perfect dance moves in breakdance battles across a virtual city.

Ten software developers work at Hololabs’ Fisgard Street studio, while offsite another team, located in Montreal, produced the game. While British Columbia offers the Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit (IDMTC), Quebec offers even better tax incentives for companies like Hololabs.

“It’s definitely more expensive to run the company in Victoria,” says

GAME LOCAL FIND PLENTY OF FUN DIVERSIONS IN THESE LOCALLY CREATED GAMES

FLOOR KIDS

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Floor Kids, from Hololabs, is an award-winning breakdance battle game featuring stylized hand-drawn graphics by animator JonJon set to an original soundtrack by worldrenowned scratch DJ/producer Kid Koala. As its tagline says, “Bring Your Skills. Build Your Crew. Find Your Style.”

From DoubleJump, Slash Mobs is a highly-rated game that iTunes editors describe as a charming battler that “doesn’t take itself too seriously.” Players are tasked with leading a team of heroes to help return peace after mutant monsters take over the world.

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DEFEND IT! Defend It!, from Wizard Games, is an action augmentedreality (AR) shooter game for iOS in which the player needs to defend a crystal from being destroyed by aliens. Its verticalplane-detection tech is used to make it look like robot aliens are bursting through your living room wall. Let’s go defence.

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Wozniewski. “On the other hand, there are some incredibly talented people in Victoria who you wouldn’t expect to live here. People do massive projects all over the world while working remotely.”

Wozniewski cites Hololabs’ chief creative officer Rob Barrett as an example of the worldclass talent powering Victoria’s video game industry.

“After working with Disney Interactive in Victoria, Rob started Blue Castle Games in Vancouver, then sold the company to [Japanese video game publishing giant] Capcom in 2010,” says Wozniewski. “Now Rob has come back to the Island and wants to work for a small creative company.”

The industry contacts, experience and vision Barnett and others like him bring with them to Victoria will continue to help put local video game companies on the map.

Hololabs’ next game is based a series of popular children’s books by Salt Spring Island author Jordan Stratford. Aimed at middlereaders, Stratford’s Wollstonecraft Detective Agency series follows Ada Byron Lovelace, who helped create the world’s first computer, and Mary Shelley, who wrote Frankenstein, as young girls who use math, science and creative analytical thinking to solve crimes.

As the father of two daughters, Wozniewski says part of the impetus for taking on the Wollstonecraft series is because “I have become very frustrated with how games for children are so gendered, especially on mobile.”

He says he wants to create quality games that offers the opportunity to be creative, teach skills and encourage girls to learn, especially about STEM, using science, technology, engineering and mathematics to develop the next generation of technologists and creators.

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A DEEP CULTURE Gaming culture runs deep in Victoria. The University of Victoria’s Writing Department has outfitted a lab on the first floor of its home in the Fine Arts building with a sofa and a variety of consoles, so students can experiment and play with video games.

“When you look at the successes in Silicon Valley, it’s also about STEAM — how you use art and design and technological innovation,” says David Leach, chair of UVic’s Writing Department, which is one of Canada’s oldest and most innovative programs of its kind. In fact, Victoria filmmaker and visual artist Scott Amos of Monkey C Interactive is an alumnus — and graduates of the program often go on to work in Victoria’s growing technology sector.

“Writing students can collaborate with visual artists and musicians, and come out of the program with great communication, creative and collaboration skills,” says Leach.

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“In video game design, you want your visual artists working alongside coders working alongside business. Universities can be siloed, so we’re all about how to break down silos to provide opportunities for creative collaboration.”

The department offers a course in Writing Interactive Narrative, which covers writing text adventures, virtual reality narratives and other interactive experiences. The department has also organized events, including Games Without Frontiers 2.0 and pop-up “idea arcades” that bring people together from industry and the arts to think about the social power of games. Leach also helped develop a course offered at UVic about the history of video games.

“Tech is Victoria’s number-one industry now and has been for at least 10 years. There’s always space in this city for more tech workers who can move between video games and other industries that need software developers.”

“I took that course,” says Dylan Gedig, a Victoria software developer who, with friend and classmate Brendon Duncan, launched his own indie game shortly after graduating from UVic with a Computer Science degree in 2016.

One of Gedig’s Games is Friday Night Bullet Area, an arcade shooter that’s available on Steam and Xbox.

“My friend came up with a prototype in a week, and we decided to join forces and get one game and then another out the door.”

Gedig says it took almost eight months of full-time work for Friday Night Bullet Area to be published on Steam and Xbox. However, he says, despite winning awards the game hasn’t generated enough sales to fund another title.

“Releasing smaller games gives us a chance to work on the product and marketing side,” says Gedig. “We eventually want to release games that are stable and start our own company.”

In the meantime, Gedig works as a software engineer for San Francisco-based video game mammoth KIXEYE, which operates a development studio in Bastion Square. He also helps organize the Victoria chapter of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA), which plays a critical role helping local talent build skills and connections, and in turn grow Victoria’s video game community.

“IGDA Victoria organizes monthly meetups

where speakers present on different topics about the video game industry,” says Gedig.

“Twice a month, IGDA hosts a hack night at the Bent Mast pub in James Bay — it’s a great workspace because there are no TVs — where you can sit down and figure out your game with other game developers.”

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JOBS APLENTY Gedig says that even if an indie game isn’t profitable, there’s still plenty of work in Victoria.

“Tech is Victoria’s number-one industry now and has been for at least 10 years,” he says.

“There’s always space in this city for more tech workers who can move between video games and other industries that need software developers.”

Some established video game companies in Victoria are hiring. Kano is one of them. The company currently employs 30 staff, and was founded by three Vancouver Island natives Tim Teh, Eric Alpini and Eric Haight in 2008.

Although the company found massive success with games including Viking Clan and Mob Wars: La Cosa Nostra, its founders have chosen to remain in Victoria.

“We all love our community and our surroundings, and spending time with our families outside,” says Magda Rajkowski, who as Kano’s people ops manager is responsible for recruitment, performance and team culture.

The company is looking to hire more people, notably a new product manager who will work with Kano’s millions of players to improve its games.

“Kano constantly adds new features, and we do this by communicating with players in forums and chats, along with in our player success department,” says Rajkowski, a Victoria native. “We try to find out what players are looking for and listen to their concerns to enhance the games.”

CAPITALIZING ON THE PROMISE In the hyper-competitive world of video games, it’s important to quickly respond to and engage with players.

“The combination of easy-to-use development tools and easy-to-access distribution (on the web, Steam, consoles and mobile) means that it is easier than ever to publish new video games,” says Codename’s Eric Jordan.

However, since there is such a torrent of new games, it’s also more challenging than ever before for your game to be discovered.

“All of the current markets are mature and so new (video game) companies need a very thoughtful approach to discovery to be successful,” adds Jordan. “If their approach to discovery is compelling and unique, then I think they have a lot of promise.” ■

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DOUGLAS 85

Sidney community ensures success for local businesses It isn’t everywhere that customers can walk into a store and find competing businesses helping each other out, but that collaborative spirit is second nature in the coastal community of Sidney.

O

ne of my favourite things about Sidney is how supportive this town is to newcomers, and how much I see people working together to make sure everyone succeeds,” says Donna Petrie, Executive Director and Event Liaison for the Sidney Business Improvement Area (BIA) Society.

Sidney is earning a reputation as one of Vancouver Island’s fastest growing

towns for local businesses, and one of the most dynamic environments for young entrepreneurs.

Jessica Sommers and Tom Dai spent months searching for a place to open their business, but their niche idea required a specific type of storefront.

With high rentals and low vacancy rates in Victoria, they were losing hope. When their realtor pointed them towards S P O N S O R E D F E AT U R E

Jessica Sommers and Tom Dai of The Farmer’s Daughter

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a space in Sidney that matched their checklist, they jumped at it. Only months since opening, The Farmer’s Daughter — a fromagerie, bistro and wine bar — has become one of Sidney’s premium dining and retail experiences.

“We knew location was everything, and our only mistake was underestimating how successful we would be here — we thought it would be the two of us running the shop, but we had to hire staff within the first week,” says Sommers. “The community here is amazing; other business owners brought us flowers when we opened. Everyone gets excited to have another place to enjoy.”

The Sidney BIA works in collaboration with the Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce to support new businesses,

providing marketing and promotional support and professional development opportunities. In addition, the Town of Sidney’s Economic Development Commission acts as a bolster to the business community. The Sidney BIA is conducting a pilot project to promote further economic development, improve signage and offer familiarization tours for commercial realtors and perspective business owners.

“We have some of the most stunning views of the Salish Sea, Mount Baker and the surrounding islands, and it’s a place businesses can come to grow,” says Petrie.

“But, it’s the people who offer locals and visitors such a unique experience, and one they want to come back for, again and again.”

For information on opening a business in Sidney or to arrange a tour of downtown Sidney, contact Donna Petrie: donna@sidneybia.ca or 250-893-0093.

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Matt Priestley, a.k.a.

Redbeard, opened his traditional barber shop in his home in Metchosin.

Priestly’s offerings of haircuts, beard trims and straight-razor shaves include the “The Vintage Lumberjack,” a cut and style with a razor-cut outline, along with a beard trim.

88 DOUGLAS

By Jeff Davies Photos by Jeffrey Bosdet

THE MODERN BARBER Heads up — Victoria has become something of a barbering destination, with more shops launching every month as men increasingly seek out trims, cuts, fades and shaves in masculine sanctuaries of style and swagger.

Welcome, gentlemen, to the quiet revolution — in barbering.

We are, appropriately enough, in a house behind a hedge in rural Metchosin, partially shielded from Rocky Point Road by a rock wall, fruit trees and towering evergreens. There’s a sandwich board on the roadside advertising Redbeard Barber, a title that may suggest the proprietor — or captain — wields a cutlass rather than a razor, except that pirates don’t have email addresses.

It’s a century-old house of stucco and wood, gables and bay windows, black on grey. Neat but unremarkable — until you enter the parlour and find an eclectic mix of paintings and posters, a cuckoo clock, a sketch of a hot air balloon, another of a square rigged sailing ship and others that portray sea serpents. There’s also a beer poster, a guitar, and of course

dozens of cans and jars of hair products. In the background, 1970s disco and pop music plays.

But what really sets this place apart is the cluster of bottles on the sideboard. Want a spiced rum or a rye with your Cut Throat?

That will be $45, booze included, $40 for the Vintage Lumberjack look or $20 for the basic Lumberjack. This is a home, not a pub, so there’s no charge for the tipple.

There’s Redbeard himself, Matt Priestley, wearing a white smock, a towel hanging from his hip, and in the chair a gentleman with very short but impeccably trimmed hair. Straight lines. What brought him here? “Excellent service, good ambiance, not pretentious, and it’s just down the road, a five-minute drive,” says Jesse Szczepanowski. He discovered Redbeard on a Metchosin Facebook page. A guy’s kind of place? “Absolutely ... laid back.”

And this, in short, is part of the change

sweeping the barbering scene in the Victoria area. Fifteen years ago barber shops appeared to be on the way out. There were maybe half a dozen scattered downtown and a few more in the ‘burbs. Many men, as well as women, were going to hair salons. Now there are maybe 20 barber shops, with more, it seems, opening every month.

UNDERSTANDING THE SHIFT The new barber shops are flourishing, and not just because older men don’t want to spend money on stylists. Jesse Szczepanowski says men are turning to barbers, who, like Matt Priestley, are often young, hip, and trained in the current styles. The old traditions are embracing new trends: “They understand men’s hair. A lot of us are losing our hair and they understand how to cut men’s hair and do it properly.”

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It’s a development that Jeff Bray, executive director of the Downtown Victoria Business Association, believes is part of an urban renaissance.

“You’re seeing that urban hip vibe in the marketplace, and you’re seeing these young entrepreneurs responding to that, and one of the ways is through these old school, but new wave, barber shops,” he says. “Victoria is not the newlywed and the nearly dead.”

Matt Priestley opened shop in his Metchosin home two years ago, straight out of Gibson’s Barbershop & School in Langford, the only one on Vancouver Island. He’s been been so successful he’s booked three weeks ahead.

Part of the appeal of Redbeard is the fact there is only one chair, it’s quiet and intimate and Priestley develops relationships with his clients.

“It’s more personal,” he says. “Everybody who comes here tells me their entire life story ... about their recent divorce ... I find I have that personality where people just tell me stuff.”

In short, it’s not a hair salon, and it does cater to an almost exclusively male clientele, although there are a handful of female customers.

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Priestley says that to understand the revolution in barbering, one needs to see its origins in Europe. He recommends the documentary Schorem about a Rotterdam shop. According to online dictionaries, schorem translates from Dutch to English variously as “scum,” “riffraff,” “trash” or “lowlifes.”

The heavily tattooed barbers in the documentary are introduced as The Scumbag Barbers of Rotterdam, and one of their cuts is the Scumbag Boogie. They seem to swagger and strut as the narrator describes their style: “Barbering is a lost profession but being a barber is about taking care of people … Men need a place to be a man and that’s why we started the shop.”

The concept worked: customers are lined up 20 deep outside the shop for cuts.

Back in Metchosin, Matt Priestley credits Matty Conrad, owner of Victory Barber & Brand in downtown Victoria, for being the trendsetter in the capital region. Victory opened 12 years ago. Just getting an interview with Conrad can be a challenge; I pursue him for several days, visiting the shop, phoning and emailing, until he calls back from Austin, Texas, where he’s promoting his line of products at a trade show. He now has four shops of his own, and his company’s products are sold in another 450 shops around the world.

Conrad says the resurgence in barbering reflects societal shifts over the past 40 or 50 years: “What really happened is that we had removed a lot of the ritual of the barber shop

that had so much more to do with deep-seated traditional masculinity than it had to do with just getting a haircut. Boys would learn when they were little how men interact with each other. They would learn how to shake a man’s hand.”

But in more recent times, men started going to hairdressers.

“Hairdressing and barbering are fundamentally different in the way they approach the shape of a head,” he notes.

“Barbering traditionally works with men’s bone structures, very square. The women’s is very oval. Hair salons traditionally adopted that very oval approach, focused on colour and texture. They labeled men who took care of themselves metrosexuals. The problem is I don’t know too many men who took it as a compliment. It didn’t do anything other than make them feel high maintenance and fussy.

Around that time too, it seemed to me culturally all the women stood up and said in unison, ‘What happened to all of the real men?’”

“... WE HAD REMOVED A LOT OF THE RITUAL OF THE BARBERSHOP THAT HAD SO MUCH MORE TO DO WITH DEEP-SEATED TRADITIONAL MASCULINITY THAN IT HAD TO DO WITH JUST GETTING A HAIRCUT.” What followed, Conrad says, was a period of hyper-masculinity: “Look at all the guys who grew beards; they dressed like lumberjacks even though most of them couldn’t swing an axe.

They became very fashion forward. And with that barbering made a huge comeback, and the view of a barber shop now is still about more than a haircut.”

The Victory shop is a world of dark leather, polished metal, weathered floors, mirrors and memorabilia. Conrad says it recalls the times of his grandfather, a Victoria banker, “who wasn’t a high maintenance guy but he put himself together every day.”

Yet clearly the barber shop of today is not that of the 1950s. Check the Victory barbers on the company website: lots of beards and tattoos, burly men and a few women, guys with muscled forearms who stared straight into the camera. It’s the attitude, dude. The cuts range from $15 for a beard trim through $35 for the standard and $45 for the classic hot lather shave.

“Diverse across the board,” barber Gabe Waite says of his colleagues. “We have all strived to master the classic barbering

design, but then we all have our own flair or background and style of barbering.”

THE CUTTING EDGE That’s a common theme at barber shops across the capital region: creativity, artistry and innovation matched with respect for tradition.

“I think men are just taking better care of themselves,” says Maurice St. Rose, whose outlet is known as Mocutz. His specialty is the fade, a series of progressively shorter cuts that fades into a man’s neck. According to his website, “his dedication to being the best barber offering Victoria’s elite the best service and style is unparalleled.”

St. Rose is unusual in that he works with a single chair in a hair salon known as Atmosphaire. But make no mistake, he is a barber.

As we speak, he’s giving Bryan Colwell a cut he calls a champ. It’s appropriate for a guy who introduces himself as the two-time Canadian amateur heavyweight boxing champion. The only hint of his background is a small scar on his forehead.

“It pays dividends to look good,” Colwell says. “Like, a good-looking dude is not just like an alpha male who just showed up on a construction site. Women want to see you suited and booted, you know?”

Of course, as Artor Gashi will tell you, you don’t have to pay $40 to look good. Gashi runs Brothers Barbershop on Fort St. with his two brothers. They do haircuts for $13. They get the hipsters looking for fades as well as the older guys who just want a trim.

“Not trendy, just solid,” says 55-year-old Philip Anderson, who’s travelled here from Texada Island. “They do whatever you want them to do,” adds 16-year-old Jayden Gauthier.

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IT’S JUST GETTING BIGGER AND BIGGER That message about being versatile is also what you’ll hear at Gibson’s Barber Shop in Langford. By day, they cut hair, and in the evenings and on Sundays it’s a barber school.

“Social media has changed the way men look at themselves,” says instructor Lynne Birch. “Before, they were a little more casual.

Now, I think, with the whole social media, they’re looking at all of these hairstyles from all over and they get to see the world at their fingertips.”

The owner of Gibson’s, Sandy Yoachim, has never wielded a pair of scissors in her life, but her mother, brother and grandfather are all in the industry. She saw a good business opportunity in a growing industry when she launched the school.

“It’s been really exciting,” she says. “Every single student who has walked out of here has actually had a job before they left school.”

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Many have a background in the arts. Reuben Parker, a native of Manchester, England, works on construction by day but considers himself a creative person and is drawn to barbering for that reason.

He says the course is a substantial commitment of time and money — about $8000 for tuition and supplies for seven months. But “barbering is really exploding, it’s just getting bigger and bigger all the time. Guys are getting a lot more open and experimental about their personal style so there’s a lot going on.”

Say what you mean.

Mean what you say.

 Award-winning barber Maurice St. Rose of MoCutz started cutting hair when he was on the Victoria Rebels Junior football team. In 2013, he started an apprenticeship under Troy Wilson of Status Barbershop, going on to compete in the London School’s 2015 Battle Of The Barbers, where he won best new talent and artistic freestyle.

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“LIKE, A GOOD-LOOKING DUDE IS NOT JUST LIKE AN ALPHA MALE WHO JUST SHOWED UP ON A CONSTRUCTION SITE. WOMEN WANT TO SEE YOU SUITED AND BOOTED, YOU KNOW?” That means barbers have to change and adapt as well. It’s a question I put to the guy who’s been cutting my hair for the past 12 years, Burt Hill of Burt’s Barber Shop in James Bay. It’s a small and traditional place, but they can do the modern cuts. Hill recently hired a 26-year-old assistant, Stewart Corkery, who worked in one of the fancy shops in Vancouver.

Burt’s is gradually attracting a younger clientele.

Hill knows his best asset is his personality — he has a repertoire of anecdotes, witticisms, and one-liners — and the fact he provides a “little pocket” where men are comfortable: “You’re allowed to speak your mind here and that’s one thing that’s kind of nice.”

“You build a friendship, that’s where it is,” says Corkery.

Both say business is good and they’re in it for the long term.

Over in his more posh quarters near the Selkirk Waterway, Maurice St. Rose would likely agree: “Oh yeah, the future of barbering, it’s a real thing. I think it’s going to be around forever because I don’t think a robot will ever cut hair.” ■

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The partners at Red Barn Market (from left to right: Russ Benwell, Ashley Bourque and Peter Hanson) consult a loose advisory group that includes an accountant, a lawyer and an HR advisor, when they’re in the middle of key decisions.

Know you want to grow your business … but don’t know what you don’t know? Douglas explores how smart businesses are breaking through.

BY ALEX VAN TOL PHOTOS BY JEFFREY BOSDET

Has Your Business Hit a Wall?

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Tom Benson was stoked. He’d found a winning formula: assemble an amazing crew, string a few ropes between the trees and send people flying through the air to conquer their fears and grow.

It began when he and his business partner, Gordon Ross, bought their first adventure park in Nanaimo — formerly the Bungee Zone — they realized there was big potential. But by the time WildPlay Elements Park had set up a few parks across B.C., Benson realized he had hit a wall. While the intention had always been to have a multi-site business, one of the things standing in his way was sheer bandwidth: Did he have capacity to deal with such a fast-growing business?

“One of the things we decided we were going to do was to franchise,” says the veteran outdoorsman.

“

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“And you know, the idea behind franchising is that the franchisee would do most of the work — they’d go and figure it out. And then you’d bring your skills and build the product and train them to run it.”

The partners felt like they’d discovered the rope that would help them over the metaphorical wall, but after expanding WildPlay to 13 locations, Benson realized he was running a business that didn’t actually fit a franchising model.

“If you’re franchising, it has to be very cookie-cutter,” Benson says. “And we’re not cookie-cutter. Our standards are really clear and they’re repeatable, but the product is … it’s so different in every place.”

So Benson scaled back, selling off franchises, buying them back — even walking away from one that cost his company a million bucks.

It was like hitting the wall … after hitting the wall. But because Benson is dialed into an excellent support network through the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), he’s been able to keep climbing, bolstered by the wisdom of dozens of mentors in the local Victoria chapter.

“It’s just like, ‘Here’s where my challenge is and this is what’s going on and this is what I’m frightened of,’” he says of the EO meetings. “It’s just really open discussion that you don’t see anywhere else.”

Now WildPlay has six parks in operation

across North America, and is poised to open five or six more by 2020.

FIND YOUR GUIDES Drawing on those who have specific wisdom — or those who have gone before — is a time-tested technique, and for good reason: because it works. When Viberg Boot found itself growing faster than its family-business foundation could handle, the group brought Eric Clark on board as director of operations last September.

“We’ve seen our lifestyle business just rocket up,” says Clark, whose prior experience includes guiding quick-serve restaurants toward more efficient operations.

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“Viberg’s compounded annual growth rate has been above 50 per cent per year for five years running now,” he says.

The 80-year-old brand was soaring, reaching new markets globally and exploding beyond its traditional stronghold in the Pacific Northwest.

But its whack-a-mole approach just wasn’t working anymore. Clark knew he had to streamline some processes — and he knew he’d have to call on outside expertise to do it.

Clark brought Chemistry Consulting on board to help with business leadership. He called in The Number to help with inventory and manufacturer resource planning systems.

And he leaned on Pixel Union to help with ecommerce and an upcoming redesign of Viberg.com.

“You have to recognize what you’re good at,” he says. “And you have to recognize when you’re out of your league and you need to move up to those resources you can draw on and bring forward.”

EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE Sometimes the best advice comes through the people outside your field but inside your network. Red Barn Market’s Russ Benwell and his management team hit a wall in fledging their Latoria Walk location after just purchasing the business’s Vanalman, Matticks

and West Saanich locations. To get past the block, he turned to a loose advisory group that includes an accountant, a lawyer and an HR advisor.

“That was probably the biggest learning curve, was that first store,” Benwell recalls.

“We had three [stores], but to go to the fourth and take staff and develop that and try and transform the brand and introduce it to a new marketplace…”

You can almost hear the engine squealing.

So the team focused tightly on marketing and community awareness, and worked to raise the profile of Red Barn’s most unique offering: a smokehouse that churns out gorgeous cheeses and meats.

Benwell and his partners informally consult with their quasi-board of directors when they’re in the middle of key decisions, and each brings specific knowledge from their field.

“It’s critical, especially when you’re in the big tough stuff when it’s a little muddy or a little dirty, and helping you kind of see your way through that,” he says.

For Gordy Bal, head of Conscious Thought Revolution (CTR), reaching out to other business leaders was an essential part of getting up and over the wall that sprang up when he realized he wanted to pivot from a traditional business model to a mission-oriented model.

Where CTR began as a technology and marketing company, Bal realized it was time to grow when he began feeling unfulfilled. He wasn’t serving his highest purpose, and it was weighing on him.

“It was no longer just about asking, ‘How can I make the most money?’ but about asking, ‘How can I make the greatest impact?’” he says.

By talking with and learning from other impact entrepreneurs, Bal has assembled a team of fellow travelers who are also journeying from focusing on changing ROI from “return on investment” to “ripple of impact.”

Now, the understanding at the centre of CTR’s model is that people’s thoughts and choices have an immeasurable impact on ourselves and others. So CTR focuses on building and investing in technology, entrepreneurs and media to fulfill Bal’s vision for a better world: accelerating the evolution of human consciousness.

BUILD A TEAM YOU TRUST If you’ve got the right people around you, stretching for the next stage in your business — whether it’s growing from small to mediumsize or just untangling the next knot in your trajectory — will feel exciting and exhilarating, not scary. When Mike de Palma bought his company from a veteran stonemason nine

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years back, Flintstones was a solo operation.

De Palma dovetailed his masonry experience with his background in general contracting, hired another mason, and began growing his company. Now with 50 staff and a refreshed identity as a masonry and general construction company, de Palma tips his hat to those people who treat their work like a profession instead of just a job. “Surround yourself with people who really consider themselves as professionals and that this is a career that they’re doing, no matter what it is,” he says. It fosters pride and keeps negativity at bay, and ensures your team is engaged no matter what direction you all need to go in.

Red Barn’s ownership group shrank from five to four after opening their first allnew store. The difficulty of running three well-established stores while shepherding along a new one exposed the cracks in the management team. Expansion wasn’t possible if everyone wasn’t operating from the same set of core values.

Back at the boot factory, Clark talks about the importance of learning from those who support your brand. “We’re looking for those partners that are like us,” he says, listing leathermakers Horween and CF Stead as well as Vibram soles as examples of other organizations from whom Viberg can learn.

“We’re looking for the stories that support our brand. And quite often those organizations have gone through the very exact same thing or are going through the exact same things that you are. And you know, they are more than willing to share those same stories.”

FIGURE OUT YOUR INTENTION Bal got closer to the truth when he recognized CTR’s mission was to shift humanity’s ways of thinking. Benwell realized it when the team wasn’t agreeing on the big-picture vision for Red Barn. Clark knows it from seeing that Viberg’s biggest sellers were its core products, the ones that are known and loved by customers, and not the flashy weekly releases.

Benson figured it out when he realized that he needed all the operators of WildPlay parks to be aligned with the company values. And De Palma saw it when he noticed how powerfully a positive work environment and attitude could shape his team’s output.

If you’re not already clear on your company’s intention, dig a bit. What’s the big idea? Why do you do what you do? What is, as Bal calls it, your “massive transformative purpose”? This, more than anything, will help you intuit your next move when those roadblocks pop up.

GET ABOVE THE TREELINE It’s difficult for business owners to know where to go next if they’re stuck in the weeds of making every single decision. One final tip for breaking through to the next level is to get above the treeline so you can see the big picture. Go up to where the noise diminishes — and where your vision becomes clearer.

Entrepreneurs often feel that the business is dependent on them, observes Bal. “This mindset destroys the possibility of taking the business to the next level. It’s important to find or create processes and systems that replicate and automate tasks, so there’s room to truly work on higher impact initiatives.”

Get into the clear, where you can see farther, says Bal. Understand the difference between working on the business versus working in the business. “When stuck working in the business, you can’t ask questions like, What is our greater purpose? What impact do we want to make? How do we want to transform lives?”

Ask yourself constantly, Can I operate better? advises Clark. Are your peers and competitors in the marketplace doing something smarter than you are?

“When you look at that question of can you operate better,” he says, “you want to keep the things that your clients and customers value.

You want to throw away the rest.” ■

DOUGLAS 97

INTEL

PRO TIPS WITH OVER 325 EPISODES UNDER MY BELT, I’D LIKE TO SHARE A FEW KEY TIPS TO LEAVE YOU WITH.

Victoria realtor Tony Joe says that because of his podcast, The Whole Home Show, “many of our clients come to us already knowing who we are and how we will work with them.”

Choose a topic you are passionate about Make it a topic that animates you and is of interest to others — even if it is just a niche of listeners that like your show.

1

JEFFREY BOSDET/DOUGLAS MAGAZINE

COMMUNICATION BY ROSS DUNN

Why You Need a Podcast Now If you haven’t heard, podcasts are a pretty big deal, and they’re an ideal way to reach new people, build connections and differentiate your business.

P

lay-on-demand broadcasts (podcasts) have grown from nerdy obscurity in 2004 to downright trendy in 2018.

According to FastCompany, Apple’s iTunes alone has upwards of 525,000 active shows and over 18.5 million episodes currently available. Even better, more than 68 million Americans tune in monthly, and in March 2018, iTunes surpassed an impressive 50 billion podcast downloads. If you haven’t gotten the picture yet, podcasts are big, really big, and the time is right to consider launching your own.

Since 2009, I’ve been fortunate to host a weekly niche podcast called SEO 101 on

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Enlist a co-host It will be immeasurably easier on you and more interesting to listeners if you have a friend or colleague you can talk with throughout the show.

I can’t count how many times I’ve been grateful to have a great co-host to take up the slack on the odd day. It also provides more opportunities to entertain your listeners when there is a good dynamic between you and your cohost.

2

WebmasterRadio.FM where I’ve recorded over 325 episodes that earn over 30,000 downloads per month. Over the years, SEO 101 has become a valuable source of business for my company.

Now that you have a bit of my history and qualifications, I want to share a few reasons why a podcast may be a good idea for you or your business, and the various options you have to get the job done.

WHY A PODCAST? There are a bewildering number of marketing options for businesses, and I know from experience it is easy to become overwhelmed trying to decide which one to

invest valuable time into. With that said, here are a few reasons to choose podcasting: Build authority and trust: Regular listeners inevitably build a connection between your name and the services you offer along with the high quality of knowledge you share. This connection often results in business from listeners who don’t need to be sold on your services; they already trust you know what you are doing. I have regularly found listeners to be ideal clientele.

Stand out: Competition is just becoming more intense as the years go on and it gets harder and harder to stand out. By creating a podcast, you can differentiate yourself from your competitors and leverage the additional authority you create (which often leads to press, links, speaking opportunites, etc.) to push well

Be interactive Welcome questions from listeners, interview people, and don’t be afraid of sharing your opinions.

This variety of content and invitation for engagement creates an enjoyable podcast.

3

Plan to deliver value I’ve noticed a lot more traction on the shows that get down to business and don’t include much fluffy banter between hosts.

4

Stick to a schedule It is going to be really easy to procrastinate and end up one of those many podcasts with just a few episodes that are years old.

5

ahead of the competition in the public eye and on search engines.

Open new markets: If your podcast gains traction in your marketplace you will be positively gobsmacked by the diverse leads you obtain from markets you never knew existed or you had yet to tap.

Furthermore, if you have a service business that isn’t restricted geographically, you may find leads appearing from the other side of the world on a regular intervals from die-hard fans! That is a trip, I tell you!

Connections: the free nature and ease of access to podcasts provides a valuable opportunity to connect and affect listeners through storytelling. Where stories in written form can be powerful, the same story spoken with eloquence and passion can move people to action and create a more lasting connection with the story and/ or the speaker.

Low cost: The expense of creating and listing a podcast online for the masses to access it can cost as little as five dollars a month after buying some essential equipment.

DIY OR USE A PODCAST SERVICE? The next question is whether you choose to record, edit, and post your own podcast or to go with a podcasting

episode using an individual service that can handle all of the details for you. producer found on UpWork, If you choose to do it or several hundred to a couple yourself and you have your thousand per month if you own computer, then you only use an agency that produces need to buy a decent quality at the highest levels and USB microphone like a Blue includes marketing.

Snowball mic that 43% of Canadians have runs around $84 or listened to a podcast, a Blue Yeti for $160.

24% listen monthly, You can use the free 15% weekly and 4% daily.

Audacity software for PC/Mac to SOURCE: CANADIAN PODCAST LISTENER STUDY 2017 record and edit your podcasts. Lastly, you will need With that said, I hope I’ve somewhere to publish, such been able to entice you into as LibSyn, which is my go-to considering your own podcast, at just $5/month. at least. I have found it to be a If you decide you don’t have great opportunity for personal the time to record, produce, growth, increased sales, and and publish your own podcast, an enjoyable break in my there are a growing number weekly grind. of service providers that will handle it all for you. As you Ross Dunn is the owner and CEO might imagine, the price of StepForth Web Marketing and varies widely, but you can the host the podcast SEO 101 on WebmasterRadio.FM. expect to pay around $100 per

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Recreational Marijuana A Boom Waiting for a Bust?

Douglas explores what the legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada means for investors. Hint: It’s complicated.

H

ooray, Canadians can now consume cannabis in their own homes (subject to health and rental restrictions) without fear of reprisal from the justice system — and the various levels of government can’t wait to get their hands on the anticipated tax windfall while producers and retailers have visions of green gold filling corporate coffers.

Unfortunately, like all drug-induced visions, the realities of legalized pot will leave some

parties with a hangover once the impacts of Bill C 45 and C 46 set in.

According to the newly minted law, when cannabis becomes legal on October 17, adult Canadians can purchase fresh or dried cannabis, oils and seeds from provincially regulated retailers and possess up to 30 grams and cultivate up to four plants at home.

Consumers and investors must realize that prior to October 17, all cannabis dispensaries/

SELLING SEED TO STORE Headed up by CEO Chris Bogart, cofounder of InMed Pharmaceuticals, and COO Michael Forbes of the Forbes Group, CHOOM (CSE: CHOO) is a cannabis seedto-store company focused on the build-out of its cannabis retail network in Alberta and B.C. and selling high-grade, handcrafted strains through its stores.

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stores/outlets in Canada have actually been selling products from illegal growers. Licensed producers in Canada are only permitted to sell cannabis to medical patients (delivered via the mail). All other products, potions, lotions and gummies will continue to be illegal until the federal government passes additional provisions int he act.

Like many ill-conceived ventures, this foray into legalizing cannabis will come with a bucket-load of unintended consequences. The feds ramrodded the law through parliament and the senate with little regard for the distribution, monitoring, enforcement or treatment. Those functions will be handled by provincial and municipal governments operating in a Wild West arena, and I hope administrative costs do not exceed anticipated tax revenues.

THE GOLD RUSH From an investment standpoint, it’s a gold rush as hundreds of companies vie for a piece of the action, with the early entrants relying on the medicinal market in hopes of garnering a share of the recreational market.

The feds have released portion of a potentially huge proposed requirements for the market and rake in huge profits. cultivation, processing and sale In 2017, Stats Canada estimated of cannabis. There doesn’t seem household consumption of 773.4 to be a barrier to entry aside from tons per year at an average price physical barriers (fences), visual of $7.15 per gram. That’s expected monitoring (cameras), alarm to grow significantly once the systems, background checks, and recreational market opens to adequate record products other than keeping (to ensure oils and buds. And DID YOU no black market that will translate KNOW? participation). They into a lot of sales even have a website but not necessarily IN 2017, STATS to get you started. profits for the CANADA ESTIMATED HOUSEHOLD I’ve heard everyone licensed growers, CONSUMPTION OF and their dog is especially if we applying. look at producers in The only real Washington, Oregon hurdle is getting and California TONS PER YEAR AT through a backlog where farm-gate AN AVERAGE PRICE of existing preprices have crashed OF $7.15 PER GRAM approvals in the in the last two years. system, which Cannabis, like may take years. Well, that, and any agricultural commodity, will I imagine the feds will want be affected by the laws of supply to ensure consumers don’t and demand, with the low-cost get ill from products tainted producers surviving along with by pesticides or mold. Health some specialty or craft growers. and safety will be paramount, The rest will either be bought something current black-market out or go bankrupt. So if you’re participants aren’t abiding by. considering buying a cannabis From an investment standpoint, stock, caveat emptor. the market has gone crazy, bidding None of this is to say there up prices of existing licensed won’t be significant winners in the producers on the premise they’ll marketplace. In my opinion, the be able to capture a significant real potential lies with retail, but

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If you’re not thinking strategically when it comes to your small business, you’re probably thinking too small.

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although business strategy happens all the time, it remains one of the least-understood and most misused terms uttered by small business owners, many who still believe that “business strategy is for big business, not for us small main-street players.”

And that’s just wrong.

WHAT BUSINESS STRATEGY IS AND ISN’T It’s hard to get through a day of business conversations without someone saying

ADELE CLARK

A

Full disclosure: PI Financial Corp has extensive coverage of the cannabis sector in Canada

Steve Bokor, CFA, is a licensed portfolio manager at PI Financial Corp.

The Old Firehouse Wine Bar in Duncan resulted from a strategic business decision to switch from selling books to selling wine.

What a Business Strategy Really Is (And Why Your Small

small heritage seed and nursery business decides to buy the adjoining small grocery store and combine the two businesses. A small but highly qualified drone photography business decides to switch its focus from real-estate photography to industrial applications like utilities and safety inspections. A mid-sized arborist company decides to sell its utility-clearing division to one of its biggest competitors.

These are stories of business strategy, and

the rules are still up in the air in most provinces notwithstanding the fact that all retailers will have to source their products through a provincial distribution branch, retailers in provinces like B.C. and Alberta must be licensed through municipalities.

But to be effective, the powers that be will need to weed out (pardon the pun) all of the blackmarket supply (which will likely go underground, making it that much harder to stamp out). I’m guessing that will take a lot longer than governments anticipate.

Bottom line? Cannabis companies are trading like dotcom stocks back in 2000, and that didn’t end well. To be successful, retailers need to carve out niche markets through branding initiatives (that are being completely hampered by federal regulations) while governments try to eliminate black-market supply. The winners will be lowcost producers at one end and successful marketers at the other.

something is or isn’t a good strategy, but when you look closer, these people actually aren’t describing strategies.

For something to be a business strategy, it needs two elements:  A decision. You’ll notice all of the real-world examples I started this article with involved a decision.  A wholesale change in direction. Strategic decisions are about changing the road you are on (or not), and typically impact every function in your business. These decisions change your business model or confirm the status quo, so yes, intentionally doing nothing in the face of significant options is still a strategic decision.

So what doesn’t qualify as a strategic decision? Well, adding a website to your marketing efforts may be a good move, but it’s not a strategy. How about incrementally improving the automation of your manufacturing facility? Well done, but it’s not a strategy. Nor is rolling out anti-harassment and anti-bullying policies. It’s a good thing to do, but it’s not a strategy.

While the first two examples involve decisions of a kind, they have little impact on a business model and don’t represent a

change in direction. The third example is neither a change in business model or even a decision because anti-bullying and antiharassment strategies are required by B.C. law.

Another way to test for strategy is to analyze the decision-making rhythm. So if an action you take is the result of decisions you make weekly, monthly or even yearly, it probably isn’t a strategic decision.

Unless you are operating in an incredibly disrupted and rapidly evolving environment, a strategic decision is usually the kind of decision made only a few times in a decade.

So deciding to close your bricks-and-mortar locations to become a pure-play online retailer is a strategic decision. You don’t make this kind of decision every day or every week.

In business, growth is change. The status quo is terminal. Strategic thinking is critical to ensuring you’ll grow and thrive, so it’s important to understand what it is — and to do it deliberately. ■

Even the smallest business should be managed strategically to improve its chances of success. That means adopting a strategic perspective and committing to business-strategy activities. Here are some tips to help align your approach with strategic thinking:

Beware of tinkering.

If your business is under stress even after you’ve improved different operational areas (spending a bit more on marketing, improving the talent-density in your organization), stop throwing more time and money at tinkering. Instead, ask yourself if it’s time to do something radically

Think of the possibilities...

n Clemens Rettich is a business consultant with Grant Thornton LLP. He has an MBA from Royal Roads University and has spent 25 years practicing the art of management.

THINK STRATEGICALLY

Assume your company is a day-one company, every day.

Borrowed from Jeff Bezos at Amazon, the notion here is that you should take nothing for granted or assume the way your business is run right now is the best, or even the only, way to run a business. Don’t assume the market you operated in yesterday is the same market you woke up to this morning.

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different. Business strategy and reinventing yourself are close cousins.

Think bigger.

Just because you are small shouldn’t mean you think small. Big daring thoughts have nothing to do with being a global corporation.

They have to do with the size of your transformation, not the size of your market share. Not that anyone would complain if the big transformation led to bigger market share!

Strategy is your real job.

If you own a painting company, your main job is not to be the best painter in your market or even the best painter in your business. The belief that business success arises from the technical prowess of the owner is a form of

the Entrepreneurial Myth or E-Myth articulated by author Michael E. Gerber.

Your ultimate job as the owner is to be the strategic thinker. We need you in the wheelhouse setting the compass heading, not down in the engine room tinkering to improve fuel consumption. Keep doing that and either you’ll never leave harbour, or you’ll run aground once you do.

Get the broadest perspective possible.

Set aside time every quarter, or at the very least every year, for wide-open strategic visioning. Forget boring “strategic planning.” This is “if I were a fish and I knew the oceans would be gone in a year, what would I do?” stuff. Include the broadest cross-section of your team possible. As the Toyota Suggestion System has shown for decades, you can’t assume to know where the next transformative idea will come from.

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n General Insurance Salesperson n Certified Financial Planner n Business Analysis n MS-Office

Continuing

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TO GET ANYWHERE YOU HAVE TO THINK BIG MEET VELMA. SHE’S 65 MILLION YEARS OLD (SORT OF) AND SHE’S THE BIG DEAL BEHIND A LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS.

When Velma the Velociraptor stomps along Fort Street, blinking, waving her limbs and roaring, heads turn and some people give her a wide berth while others chase along, caught up in the sheer weirdness of seeing a dinosaur downtown ... or anywhere at all.

Velma is the 14-foot biomechanical — part machine and part human — creature at the centre of Raptor4Rent. Josh and Ben Campana, 16-year-old twins who take turns wearing and wrangling the 55-lb. costume, operate Velma. She is something completely unique: a rentable Velociraptor for parties and events.

Bruce Campana, Ben and Josh’s father, is an emergency room physician at Victoria General and Royal Jubilee hospitals — and he’s the procurer of the Velociraptor.

He was inspired by a BBC Velociraptor prank video and set out in search of a manufacturer to create their own dinosaur, which cost $5,000 as opposed to the $250,000 price tag paid by the BBC for its dinosaur.

Bruce originally envisioned a cool summer job for his boys — which indeed it has been.

Velma’s events have included Pride, Victoria Day, Saanich Fair, two weddings and an assortment of private parties for kids and adults alike.

As Velma leans down to let a boy pet her nose, onlookers along Fort Street are enthralled by such an unusual sight. “It’s just heartwarming seeing people smile,” says Bruce. “Kids and adults both.”

It seems this local business is well on its way to becoming a roaring success.

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