Douglas magazine August/September 2021 by Page One Publishing

STRENGTH TO STRENGTH STRATEGIC INSIGHT FROM THRIVING COMPANIES

AUG/SEP 2021

Mitchell Scott (left) and James Davison, cofounders of the Very Good Food Company

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK REFOCUS YOUR BUSINESS

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VEGAN FOOD BOOM FROM LOCAL MARKETS TO THE TSX, VEGAN START-UPS GO GLOBAL

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BOUTIQUE BUILDERS ISLAND INDUSTRY MEETS DEMAND FOR HIGH-TECH GEAR

EMILIE DE ROSENROLL CHANGING THE FACE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

INDIGENOMICS BY DESIGN

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AUG/SEP 2021

CONTENTS FEATURES

14 A Mission for Many

Emilie de Rosenroll, CEO of the South Island Prosperity Partnership, is changing the face of economic development with a focus on resilience, public and private partnerships, and an inclusive economy. BY CARLA SORRELL

18 Take a Closer Look

The Deloitte’s 2021 Global Marketing Trends report identifies seven key trends that will define future-focused brands. BY CARLA SORRELL

20 The Vegan Food Boom

The plant-based food craze has swept the globe. The fertile ground of the West Coast is home turf to the Very Good Food Company and others, who are capitalizing on demand in this growing market.

BY CINDA CHAVICH

26 Boutique Builders

The Island’s landscape is a natural playground for outdoor adventure. Douglas looks at some of the highly specialized outdoor-oriented operations, driven by a passion for people and place. BY ANDREW FINDLAY

34 Strength to Strength

The local companies that saw growth during the past year provide key lessons in strategic planning for other businesses forging their way out of the pandemic. BY CARLA SORRELL

DEPARTMENTS 6 FROM THE EDITOR 9 IN THE KNOW Malahat Skywalk, Aurora’s Comox cannabis facility, Nexii’s building envelope for the Marriott Nanaimo, solar inks by Solaires, and the ICA’s racism report and what that means for the workplace. 46 POINT OF VIEW VIATEC’s Tessa Davies (Bousfield) on getting together again.

INTEL (BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE) 40 MONEY

Where do hydrogen fuel cells fit in?

BY STEVE BOKOR AND IAN DAVID CLARK

41 INDIGENOMICS Indigenous economy by design. BY CAROL ANNE HILTON

44 HUMAN RESOURCES Engagement vs. Experience. BY INGRID VAUGHAN

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Fighting to ensure our Victoria businesses can grow, innovate and stay competitive.

Laurel Collins, MP 250-363-3600 Laurel.Collins@parl.gc.ca 1057 Fort Street, Victoria, BC, V8V 3K5 /CollinsLaurel @laurelndp @Laurel_BC

DOUGLAS 5

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Changing the Landscape

Enriched Thinking™ for your family, business and future. To find out how a comprehensive wealth strategy can help you reach your financial goals, contact me. C.P. (Chuck) McNaughton, PFP Senior Wealth Advisor 250.654.3342 charles.mcnaughton@scotiawealth.com

themcnaughtongroup.ca

MY DECISION TO MOVE TO LONDON, U.K., in my early 20s was to pursue an environment of innovation, opportunity, cultural engagement and the experience of working in an international context. The range of sectors, the diversity of experience and the global perspective was missing when I left Victoria. While much has changed, Canada still has a long way to go to broaden the outlook for young people. Earlier this year, in April, Statistics Canada reported that the youth unemployment rate in Canada was 16.1 per cent, double the overall national rate and far higher than in any other full year in the past decade. The National Association of Colleges and Employers in the U.S. found that, in 2020, 7.8 per cent of employers resolved job offers and 20 per cent cancelled internships. “Whatever jobs we create, we have to unapologetically preserve some of those opportunities for young people,” said Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion Carla Qualtrough in an interview with CBC. She’s right. But not only do we have to actively carve out those spaces, we have to broaden the scope of our opportunities in order to keep and attract talent. The CEO of the South Island Prosperity Partnership Emilie de Rosenroll (In Conversation, page 14) is doing just that, as she weaves together collaborations and identifies sectors that could be hitting above their current weight. The Very Good Food Company (page 20), United Engineering and Rainhouse Manufacturing Canada (page 34) and Aurora Cannabis (page 10) are examples of the scale of influence that can be achieved from the Island. The success of these and other companies is partly found in their national and international scale of ambition; they are fostering a global relevance while staying true to their local roots. It is that intersection, when local business success is situated in a global context, where we’ll find truly exciting opportunities — the kinds that attract and maintain talent and the kinds that young people will want to be a part of. As we move into Step 4 of BC’s Restart, we’re all responsible for affecting the changes we want in the way we work and do business in the future.

We have to broaden the scope of our opportunities in order to keep and attract talent. The CEO of the South Island Prosperity Partnership Emilie de Rosenroll is doing just that as she weaves together collaborations and identifies sectors that could be hitting above their current weight.

— Carla Sorrell

®Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia, used under licence. Scotia Capital Inc. is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada. For more information visit www.scotiawealthmanagement.com. McNaughton Group is a personal trade name of C.P. (Chuck) McNaughton.

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www.douglasmagazine.com VOLUME 15 NUMBER 5 PUBLISHERS Lise Gyorkos, Georgina Camilleri

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

MANAGING EDITOR Athena McKenzie EDITOR Carla Sorrell DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Jeffrey Bosdet PRODUCTION MANAGER Jennifer Kühtz DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER Amanda Wilson LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER Caroline Segonnes ASSOCIATE GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Janice Hildybrant, Jo-Ann Loro EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Aldyn Chwelos CONTENT MARKETING COORDINATOR Emily Dobby ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Rebecca Juetten ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Deana Brown, Cynthia Hanischuk, Brenda Knapik CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Steve Bokor, Cinda Chavich, Aldyn Chwelos, Ian David Clark, Emily Dobby, Andrew Findlay, Carol Anne Hilton, Ingrid Vaughn CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jeffrey Bosdet, Michelle Proctor PROOFREADER Paula Marchese

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Clean your drain before the rain. Parking lot catch basins fill up with leaves, grease and litter all year long, only to overflow when the heavy rains hit. Avoid the fall rush and beat the rain. Have the catch basins on your commercial property cleaned every year to prevent flooding and protect the ocean. For more information, visit:

www.crd.bc.ca/catchbasin

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[IN THE KNOW]



VIEW FROM THE TREETOPS Vancouver Island’s latest tourist attraction is a peaceful and breathtaking — potentially adrenalinefuelled — experience born from a partnership between the Malahat Nation and the Malahat Skywalk Corp.

The walkway spirals up to an observation deck 250-metres above the Salish Sea and affords views of Finlayson Arm, the Olympic Mountains, the Gulf Islands and Mount Baker. The adventurous can ride the slide down to the base or climb on the adventure net suspended across the middle of the tower.

JEFFREY BOSDET/DOUGLAS MAGAZINE

BY ALDYN CHWELOS The Malahat Skywalk, a 600-metre elevated boardwalk and spiral tower overlooking the Salish Sea, opened in July. The $17-million project, which began construction in January of 2020, is located on the traditional lands of the Malahat Nation. “They’ve honoured us with the option to use this land for sharing this experience,” says general manager Ken Bailey. “We are economic and cultural partners. We entered into an agreement with Malahat Nation that is both commercial and cultural. The agreement addresses quite a few elements like job training, scholarships and job creation.” The experience begins at the Welcome Centre, which houses a café and retail store showcasing local artisans. Non-ticket holders can enjoy the Gathering Place, a peaceful forest clearing with giant Douglas fir cookie seats and a natural tree trunk play structure. “Elders talked about how historically this area would be where different Nations would stop to rest and gather,” says Bailey, who expects it will become a popular rest stop for families. The property was a former logging site, and the crew has worked to restore what they can — spreading slash piles and pulling Scotch broom — while taking advantage of what was left behind. The site where the tower stands was already cleared as a turnaround for trucks. Beyond the Gathering Place, the 20-metre high walkway curves through arbutus and Douglas fir and is decorated with driftwood carvings and educational panels. Their role is twofold, says Bailey: they educate visitors but also encourage them to slow down. “We want them to stop and have a reason to look out, so they don’t miss why they came to see everything. “Our mission is to make it easier for people to connect with nature in a nonintrusive [way],” says Bailey. The entire experience is wheelchair and stroller accessible, which makes the wooden structures themselves even more impressive. “If you build a 600-metre-long walkway, 60 feet off the ground with a five per cent grade — your precision has to be perfect.” DOUGLAS 9

CANNABIS STATS AURORA’S GREENHOUSE SPACE

AURORA’S RESEARCH LAB SPACE

CANADIAN CANNABIS SALES IN 2020

square feet

Billion

32,000

10,000

$2.6

COMPETITIVE CULTIVATION

THE AURORA COAST RESEARCH FACILITY IN COMOX VALLEY IS PULLING TOGETHER TOP-TIER EXPERTISE TO CREATE THE NATION’S BEST COMMERCIAL CANNABIS. BY ANDREW FINDLAY

LAUNCHES & ACQUISITIONS

he white lab coats at Aurora Coast are high-fiving at news of the upcoming commercialization of three new cannabis varieties, or cultivars as they’re known in the world of plant research — Lemon Rocket, Driftwood Diesel and Stonefruit Sunset. “These are the first cultivars to come out of the cannabis breeding program at Aurora Coast,” says Nick Page, general manager of this state-of-the-art cannabis research facility in Comox, owned by Edmontonbased Aurora Cannabis. Since the federal government legalized marijuana in October 2018, the pot business in Canada has become cutthroat competitive. Differentiating a cannabis product in a market that is awash in extracts, oils and dried buds takes more than simply cloning some plants, growing fat buds and designing some pretty packaging.

Aurora Cannabis is one of the biggest players in the sector, grossing more than $280 million in medical and consumer cannabis sales. The company is betting that science and research will help them stay one step ahead of the competition. It’s a $28 million bet. That’s what the company invested to build Aurora Coast; the first dedicated commercial cannabis research lab of its kind in Canada started operations in early 2020. Located a kilometre away from the Comox Airport, the facility’s 20-person team includes top-talent in the fields of plant genomics and breeding. Greg Baute, senior director of breeding and genetics, leads research aimed at identifying key genetic markers that influence plant characteristics and chemistry, such as potency, yield and odor. Once potential production plant varieties are identified, Andrew Hand,

Aurora Cannabis is one of Canada's biggest players and has invested $28 million in the country's first commercial cannabis research lab and breeding program based out of the new facility in Comox.

director of cultivar development, continues the work of finding a winning breed. “We germinate thousands of seeds multiple times and whittle them down from hundreds of genotypes to several,” says Hand, who previously headed up cultivar development at MedReleaf Corp. (The company was bought by Aurora in 2018.) Hand says novelty is key in the cannabis sector. Once he and his teams have closed in on some promising cultivars, it’s time to beta test the product with a “sensory panel.” “They’re trained to be as objective as possible in assessing and comparing smell, taste and effect,” says Hand.

It’s taken about two years of genomics research, cultivar breeding, and sensory panel vetting to bring Lemon Rocket, Driftwood Diesel and Stonefruit Sunset to market. Another focus of research is breeding more disease-resistant cannabis plants. Aurora Coast recently hired plant pathologist Soren Seifi, who specializes in fungal pathogen plant killers like powdery mildew and botrytis. “This is part of a Genome Canada project between Aurora and researchers at UBC,” Page says. “It’s one of the first investments by the federal government to work on pathogens that effect commercial cannabis.”

[ METALHEAD SOFTWARE ]

[ PRICEBUILDER ]

[ CHARTER TELECOM INC ]

Local video game studio, Metalhead Software, has been acquired by by EA SPORTS. The partnership will help Metalhead further grow their Super Mega Baseball franchise while working with a global company. The Victoria studio will remain the office for the Metalhead team, but the acquisition will broaden their development of entertainment and sports experiences.

Launched by Paratus Business Resources, the online PriceBuilder Community provides small businesses with valuation tools and resources to price a business and prepare it for the market. Paratus, an Island business broker that focuses on mom-and-pop businesses, wanted to create an affordable way for microbusinesses to determine their worth and find potential buyers.

Charter Telecom, provider of IT solutions for businesses, acquired Swift Harbour, a technology platform for the hospitality industry. Swift Harbour provides sales and booking software designed for marinas, campsites and resorts. The partnership will allow Charter to incorporate Swift Harbour’s application stack into their customers’ business solutions.

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DESIGN/BUILD

BUSINESS IMPACT

NEXT LEVEL CANADIAN GREEN construction company Nexii Building Solutions provides a cleaner, faster and more sustainable approach to development. Their next project is to deliver the exterior of the ninestorey Courtyard Marriott hotel in Nanaimo being constructed by PEG Development.

OLD PROBLEMS Traditional construction produces massive amounts of waste and carbon emissions and is reliant on toxic materials and labour-intensive practices. Gregor Robertson, executive vice president of strategy and partnerships at Nexii, doesn’t see this as sustainable. “The pressure on the construction industry with materials, volatility and labour shortages is acute,” says Robertson. “And beyond that, the climate crisis is forcing us to change. Buildings are our number one driver of climate change.” Additionally, construction is time-consuming, and locations such as Vancouver Island can exacerbate development delays.

NOVEL SOLUTIONS Nexii uses 3D modelling to render a building’s exterior and then manufactures extremely precise building panels. The Marriott hotel requires 140 panels, which will be produced in Nexii’s Squamish facility. They will then be transported to Nanaimo and assembled by crane like a jigsaw puzzle. This system nearly eliminates on-site construction waste, and the airtight fit of the panels creates a thermal efficiency that can reduce a building’s emissions by 30 per cent. It also speeds up construction. Nexii is reducing PEG’s development time by eight to 10 weeks. The panels are made with Nexii’s proprietary material called Nexitte, which is similar in function to concrete. Nexitte is toxin-free, efficient to produce, and extremely resistant to earthquakes, fires and floods.

THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC ARE PLAYING OUT IN SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE HOSPITALITY, FOOD AND RETAIL SECTOR. HERE ARE SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT ARE HERE TO STAY.

More than 2,000 temporary expanded service areas (TESA) or patios, authorized to serve liquor in British Columbia during the pandemic can be made permanent under amended provincial regulations.

B.C. liquor retailers have received permanent authorization to open as early as 7 a.m. to facilitate physical distancing for seniors and those who are immunocompromised.

Cannabis retailers in B.C. can now offer delivery of recreational cannabis products to their customers. The change for licensed non-medical cannabis sellers will support viability of the growing sector.

INNOVATE

THIRSTY FOR INNOVATION The annual Victoria Community Leadership Awards have announced this year’s winners. “Nine individuals were selected for their powerful contributions and for creating a legacy in our community,” says a spokesperson for Leadership Victoria. “These are accomplished and inspiring individuals who make our community great.” Sharlene Law (pictured), executive director of the Umbrella Society, was awarded for her efforts towards improving health and wellness. Other winners include Sage Lacerte, founder of Sage Initiative (Extending Reconciliation); Steven Bailey, owner of Uomo Modern Barber (Belonging & Engagement); Pulchérie Mboussi, executive director of the ISSAMBA Centre (Getting Started in our Community); Laila Pires (Arts & Culture); Grace Sinats, climate activist (Flourishing Safe Environments); Jo-Ina Young, Métis knowledge keeper (Life-long Learning); Mena Westhaver, owner and instructor at PowerWest Athletics (Thriving Children & Youth) and Sam Ariyo, supervisor at Community Living Victoria (Outstanding Leadership).

TOP TOOLS LESSONS LEARNED

Ever faced a rejection that stung for days? Well, according to We Regret To Inform You: The Rejection Podcast, you’re in great company. The creators of CBC’s Under the Influence deliver an insightful, well-researched and often funny look at the failures behind some of the world’s greatest successes.

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PRODUCTIVITY POWERHOUSE

Part note-taking app, part task-management system, part database, Notion is a workspace that’s hard to pin down. But its large range of functionality provides a flexibility uncommon in software. Notion is what the user makes of it, and, for some, that means it’s the first productivity tool to fit just right.

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CASE STUDY

SUSTAINABILITY

CLOSING THE LOOP Victoria-based Flipside Plastics received a $50,000 grant from the CleanBC Plastic Action Plan to bring full-circle recycling to Vancouver Island. Currently, all plastic is shipped elsewhere to be processed, which produces large volumes of greenhouse gases, and, because of contamination, there’s no guarantee that any of it is actually recycled. The pilot project will collect coffee lids from local businesses on a bikepowered cart, then shred them into flakes, heated and moulded to create soap dishes. Soap dishes were chosen after a survey in which business partners identified products that are in demand and add value. “We’re so used to just getting rid of [plastic],” says Laska Paré, founder of Flipside Plastics. “My hope is to change people’s perspective of plastic so that they see it as a valuable resource.” The project’s goal is to reduce emissions and waste associated with mainstream recycling by locally diverting 1,000 pounds of plastic this year.

REIMAGINING RENEWABLES Solar Inks created by Solaires Enterprises are the next generation of renewable energy. BY ALDYN CHWELOS

“The idea behind our development is to have a low-cost and environmentally friendly process for a new generation of solar cells. That allows fabrication and product production with a smaller footprint and minimum dependency on other countries, where Canada itself can become a manufacturer and supplier of solar panels.” — Sahar Sam, cofounder, Solaires Enterprises

Solaires’ cells are a multi-layered film, Despite the growing demand for renewables, manufactured by coating plastic layers in a solar contributes to only 2 per cent of global energy consumption. Vancouver Island company perovskite solution known as solar ink. “Our big, hairy, audacious goal is to be able Solaires wants to change this with a new generation of solar technology using perovskite, to have an ink that you can spray or paint anywhere you want that generates electricity a class of material with a specific crystal for you,” says Sahar Sam, cofounder of Solaires. structure that’s easy to synthesize. Imagine blinds coated in photovoltaic ink or if Most solar cells are manufactured using silicon, which requires an expensive multi-step your electric vehicle’s paint could recharge its process to produce and also relies on materials battery. Solar inks can make cells that are flexible, and processes from other countries. The light and even transparent. This allows Solaires resulting product is heavy, rigid and opaque, to target markets that have been previously which limits its uses. ignored by renewable energy, such as those Perovskite reduces the production cost and the greenhouse gas emissions associated with who don’t own property. Solar films could be manufacturing solar panels. As well, every step placed in the window of a rented apartment and of the process — from obtaining raw materials to then taken with the tenant when they move out, creating renewable solutions that are accessible creating the panels — can be done in Canada, to all. further reducing its carbon footprint.

DOUGLAS READS In DEMANDING MORE: WHY DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION DON’T HAPPEN AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT, Sheree Atcheson presents practical advice and real-life examples of racism, sexism and the lack of inclusivity in a range of workplaces. Her background directing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the tech sector gives her a lot to draw on, as does her own experience of being born in Sri Lanka and being adopted by a family in Northern Ireland. Atcheson calls out the lack of awareness around privilege and unchecked and unconscious biases. She details what intersectionality does to feelings of discrimination and disadvantage. “Allyship” — taking ownership of the issues and standing up to biases or discrimination — is the solution she proposes, along with some very actionable tools and strategies, to make us all accountable to delivering change.

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TECHNOLOGY The perovskite coating converts the sun’s energy into free electrons, which are captured by plastic layers and transferred to an external circuit.

SUSTAINABILITY Perovskite is an abundant material that can be easily recycled, allowing old solar cells to generate new solar cells and creating a circular economy to reduce waste.

GROWTH Global markets for solar cells are expected to be $768 billion by 2027. In North America alone, the annual growth rate is expected to be 19%.

DIVERSITY 60% of the management team are women. Solaires creates opportunities for women, minorities and new grads in a science-based industry.

FLORENTIEN VERHAGE,

LOCAL IMMIGRATION

PARTNERSHIP

COORDINATOR, ICA

Disciplined Value Investing That Works COMPOUND ANNUAL RETURNS (Including reinvested dividends, as of June 15, 2021) 1 YEAR

3 YEAR

5 YEAR

10 YEAR

20 YEAR

INCEPTION1

Odlum Brown Model Portfolio

29.2%

10.2%

11.8%

13.5%

11.3%

14.5%

S&P/TSX Total Return Index

35.7%

10.8%

11.1%

7.7%

8.8%

LEADERSHIP

CONFRONTING RACISM Florentien Verhage led the research team behind Racism in Greater Victoria: A Community Report. The research was supported by the Inter-Cultural Association (ICA) and the Greater Victoria Local Immigration Partnership (GVLIP). She shares her advice for what this means in business.

December 15, 1994. *The Odlum Brown Model Portfolio is an all-equity portfolio that was established by the Odlum Brown Equity Research Department on December 15, 1994 with a hypothetical investment of $250,000. It showcases how we believe individual security recommendations may be used within the context of a client portfolio. The Model also provides a basis with which to measure the quality of our advice and the effectiveness of our disciplined investment strategy. Trades are made using the closing price on the day a change is announced. Performance figures do not include any allowance for fees. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.

Successful investing is done by buying and holding high-quality businesses, particularly during times of market uncertainty. I invest alongside my clients in the very same businesses, focusing on companies that will continue to show long-term growth. If you would like to discuss your investment strategy and whether it aligns with your life goals, please contact me today.

R. H. Mark Mawhinney, CPA, CMA, ICD.D, CIM® Associate Portfolio Manager, Investment Advisor

THE MASK OF NICENESS One major theme that came out of [the report] is the mask of niceness. People characterize Victoria as being kind and welcoming, but not inclusive. Sometimes under superficial friendliness we see there are huge problems in terms of microaggressions and straight-up racism.

Tel 250-952-7755

mmawhinney@odlumbrown.com Member-Canadian Investor Protection Fund

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR BUSINESSES? We need to make sure we understand what racism is and how it looks. There are some pieces of learning in the report — like the glossaries — to make sure people understand the jargon that’s out there. I really want to encourage business leaders to take their learnings from the report and figure out what that means in the context of their own sector. Look at what’s in your own business: What are your policies? What are your practices?

WHAT THE DATA TELLS US It is really important to realize that this is only a first step. There’s some specific information that we do not fully have access to yet. We can say people report that racism often happens in workplaces, which is consistent with the fact that’s where we spend most of our day. In terms of the data we have, we can’t spell out more deeply what’s going on — what shape and what types of racism are happening in workplaces.

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ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS Imagine that people [who have filed claims of racism in the workplace] really have cause to say they’re right. For a person experiencing racism in the workplace, these are huge intimidating steps to take. What can you do to make people feel that they’re listened to? As a business leader, are you protecting them? What can you do within all these systems? Is there a mediation system process that you have to follow? How can you make the mediation process such that this person feels better supported?

WHAT’S NEXT On September 22 at noon Douglas and the ICA will host a roundtable discussion on racism in the workplace. Register at douglas.com. The ICA’s Tools for Equity homework guide is available now to prepare businesses for October uptake to the program w hich will offer training and coaching to develop long-term equity frameworks.

EXPLORE THE FULL LINEUP AT

DOUGLAS 13

IN CONVERSATION EMILIE DE ROSENROLL, CEO, SOUTH ISLAND PROSPERITY PARTNERSHIP

A MISSION FOR MANY Emilie de Rosenroll is changing the face of economic development. Her focus on resilience, public and private partnerships, and an inclusive economy is shaping the South Island as it strives to reach its full potential. BY CARLA SORRELL

PHOTO BY JEFFREY BOSDET

milie de Rosenroll has taken the South Island Prosperity Partnership (SIPP) from a fledgling idea, incubated in Victoria’s Chamber of Commerce, and founded with 29 members to the organization it is today — an ambitious and collaborative nonprofit organization of 70-plus members, who represent nine local municipalities, 10 First Nations groups, five Chambers of Commerce and many of the region’s major employers. The collective champions future industry and impactful economic growth for the South Island, within the Cascadia mega region. In 2015, de Rosenroll arrived in Victoria from Halifax with her husband and firstborn, then only a few weeks old, and “no anticipation of having another job in economic development, because there really wasn’t an organization here dedicated to economic development.” Something that was broadly true of British Columbia, she adds. De Rosenroll was named one of Atlantic

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Canada’s Top 21 leaders for the 21st century in 2016 and one of Business in Vancouver’s Top Forty under 40 in 2020. She worked in Nova Scotia for over a decade, as executive director of the Nova Scotia Association of Regional Development Authorities and as a management consultant for clients including the province of Nova Scotia’s Department of Economic Development as they rebuilt the regional enterprise network model. Serendipitously for her, the economic development strategy she worked on there influenced the model that was being designed in Victoria. Her restless nature keeps her on her toes, and her service-oriented approach motivates her to create and maintain momentum for SIPP’s many initiatives, which currently include: the Rising Economy Taskforce, the Indigenous Prosperity Centre (more on page 41), the Telling our New Story initiative and The Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies (COAST).

Emilie de Rosenroll brings a wealth of international experience to her role as CEO of the South Island Prosperity Partnership. She cites Mexico City, where she lived while studying for her MA, as her favourite big city. De Rosenroll has also lived in France, and Montpellier and Colmar are some of her favourite mid-size cities.

DOUGLAS 15

2.39” × 9.58”

02/23/21 What does economic development look like at SIPP?

THE FUTURE IS NOT OPTIONAL

We did not have a long history with economic development, so it’s allowed us to be a lot more creative — like having a tabula rasa. We’re doing it in a way that’s more contemporary, probably not very conventional. From the start, we have What are some of the biggest always focused on resilience and building public challenges? and private partnerships, win-win situations Some of our biggest challenges are going to and an inclusive economy. How to weave be the lack of affordable housing. That’s so those threads into your massive. We’re already economic development plan? hearing from major “We’re still considered Not inviting, for example, companies in Greater a 20-minute city, Indigenous communities at Victoria that they just which is amazing and the very end. We made that can’t recruit and keep the completely desirable. part of our DNA — it’s never talent they need. At some been an afterthought. That’s definitely part point, that becomes really

What are the most important considerations in (progressive) economic development today?

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There’s going to be all kinds of different policy changes and regulatory changes. We are proactively looking at helping businesses adapt to that new reality. There’s definitely lots of sectors that are going to be required to help us think through how to do that.

of the attraction for a place like this: a wonderful quality of life; amazing postsecondary institutions; access to a highly talented, very educated workforce — so much entrepreneurship and creativity and innovation.”

It’s a commitment to what Mariana Mazzucato [economics of innovation and public value professor at University College London] calls remissiondriven economies or mission economies. More contemporary economic development shouldn’t be just about growth, for the sake of growth. Not all growth is desirable. You think about Silicon Valley as this great story about investment and capital and prosperity. But the underbelly to that has been a lot of social inequity, a lot of governance problems, a lot of transportation problems, a lot of housing, unaffordability, congestion and pollution. That’s a pretty strong parable for the rest of the world. How do you build economies by design, not default, with growth that doesn’t throw off the balance of quality of life, living wages and inclusivity (the next generation, newcomers and Indigenous communities)? Ultimately, if they’re not part of your fundamental approach, then you’re just constantly hollow at the centre.

What does economy by design mean? Sometimes you end up hearing people talk about pro-growth or anti-growth, prodevelopment or anti-development, and to me those are a false dichotomy. It’s not really one or the other. We’re growing — you look at our population numbers on the planet Earth — but there are choices we can make about how we want to grow. Oftentimes, we’re not very deliberate about the type or the quality of growth. There are some major shifts that businesses are going to have to make. The government is creating targets to be net neutral by 2050.

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acute and critical because companies can’t grow at a rate that they need to grow to stay competitive. And so they’ll leave, or they’ll become static, in terms of their growth level. That will, in turn, impact our productivity. If that becomes at risk, then you lose other things like your service levels, so your amenities can also dip down. We have to really think about how we are actually replenishing the workforce. Not just producing the sort of businesses that will withstand tomorrow, but also creating the workforce that’s going to be needed tomorrow — that’s even bigger.

What makes it attractive for businesses to work in Victoria? We’re right in the middle of this Cascadia mega region, which is a huge powerhouse global economy. Most of our economy is much more tied north-south than it is east-west. We’re still considered a 20-minute city, which is amazing and completely desirable. That’s definitely part of the attraction for a place like this: a wonderful quality of life; amazing post-secondary institutions; access to a highly talented, very educated workforce — so much entrepreneurship and creativity and innovation.

What is the emerging role of the mid-size city? Coming out of the pandemic, there’s a lot of talk about how it’s really the era of the mid-size city. Some of the difficulty of having a lot of prosperity concentrated without thinking about social capital, social equity or environmental protection — it can just turn into sort of unaffordable sprawl with a lot of social disparity, a lot of polarization and a lot of political instability. We actually need to have a deliberate plan to be sustainable. I think the

mid-size city has a lot more promise in terms of size, not massively putting so much burden on everybody. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing multiple times and expecting a different result. That’s a little bit like economic development. You still hear everybody around the world fighting for the same kind of pieces. Take Miami, for example, trying to be an alternative to Silicon Valley. They want to be this hub of digital assets and cryptocurrency, and attract all of these start-up companies to be there. But you don’t hear them ever saying, “Well, how are we going to not just end up being exactly like Silicon Valley?”

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How can Victoria stand out? We can be leaders and see what the world needs, which is a lot of solutions. How to actually include more inclusion in your economic development; how to bring First Nations to the table in true economic reconciliation, where there’s been such marginalization; how to put sustainability on the agenda and incorporate the decarbonization goals as part of our targets for public and private sectors; and diversity — we’re joining the 50 – 30 challenge from the Government of Canada, which is having 50 per cent gender equity on your board and senior management and 30 per cent representation from underrepresented groups and LGBTQ. How do we start tracking diversity metrics and setting targets for our region so that we can see how much we’re actually making changes? I think that so much of what’s important is a vision that is aspirational and inspiring.

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Did the pandemic present opportunities for the Rising Economy Week? One hundred per cent. We would never have had the opportunity to engage with such a broad audience. It made it clear that we’re all dealing with a lot of the same challenges and all looking at some of those same opportunities. But it allowed that conversation to be broader, not just Island-wide, but also British Columbiawide and Cascadia region-wide. We had almost 1,100 attendees and participants from all around the world. The pandemic has forced that sort of digital engagement, showing us that the world is a lot smaller again, ironically, as we haven’t been able to travel. With Rising Economy Week, we showcased some of our region’s thought leadership and brought in more thought leadership from outside [the region]. I think that allowed us to be more open minded, more open to evolution and more tolerant.  SIPP's Rising Economy Week is designed to move the needle on economic recovery. This in-person and virtual event will be from November 22 to 25.

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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK 2 Building an authentic brand means looking in to build out. Here are seven key trends that will define future-focused brands. BY CARLA SORRELL ILLUSTRATION BY CAROLINE SEGONNES

Marketing will play a significant role in recovery for many companies and should be a key area of focus for strategic planning. With the surge of online sales and new marketing strategies that are coming out of the pandemic, businesses need to look closely at how they can holistically integrate these ideas to augment and grow their brands. The seven ideas identified by Deloitte’s 2021 Global Marketing Trends report reflect the findings of two surveys, one polling consumers and another polling C-suite executives. The results point to the long-term value of humancentric initiatives such as strengthening customer engagement, retaining talent and increasing companies’ impacts on society. Here are seven ways you can innovate through better use of data, collaboration and technology to meet human needs more authentically. 18 DOUGLAS

REFOCUS ON YOUR PURPOSE “Purpose-driven companies inherently understand why they exist and who they are best built to serve, regardless of what they sell today.” In the long run, a deep connection to purpose will anchor a company through turbulent times. In Deloitte’s survey (April 2021) of 2,447 global consumers, 79 per cent of respondents recalled instances of brands positively responding to COVID to help their customers, workforces and communities.

MOVE WITH THE CUSTOMER “The time is just right for marketers to leverage relevant digital tools and design an organizational road map to make agile marketing a reality.” Navigating an increasingly digital world will require the agility to meet new customer needs as they unfold. Having a clear picture of the market — data will help — and be prepared to channel insights into quick reactions and relevant content.

EXAMINE THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE “Organizations should view themselves as human entities that mirror — and support — the values of those they are built to serve.” A Deloitte study of 16,000 people found more than half of all respondents desired a more “human” experience from their virtual environments. Organizations previously designed for efficiency might be suffering from an “experience debt” that can be righted by putting values first, addressing society's needs and simply becoming a bit more human.

A FOUNDATION OF TRUST “Building trust requires a coordinated effort between a number of key functions.” Building trust with customers through kept promises isn’t new news, but today accountability is more important than ever before. Authentically delivering values-based initiatives, and making trust matter for everyone, will require collaborative and coordinated effort between functions like product development, information security, talent and marketing strategy.

BROADEN THE SCOPE “Customer engagement is quickly becoming a two-way street, where customers participate as brand ambassadors, influencers, collaborators and innovators.” Don’t just know your customers, create a deeper relationship with them by building a holistic participation plan. An in-depth international study by Deloitte (2020) found that, while levels of engagement vary, 56 per cent of people participated in brand-related digital activity — from online conversations and reviews to input on products and service design.

FUSING PARTNERSHIPS “Organizations can better help the people they serve by creating innovative experiences through cross-industry partnerships.” Collaborating across sectors will create the opportunity for businesses to reimagine partnership strategies and open the aperture of solutions for the people they serve. It’s not about doing “the same thing better,” this is about meeting the evolving needs of people being served.

TUNE IN ON TALENT “Marketers need to push talent transformation to the forefront of their agenda to address this accelerated pace of change.” Make your team work better and increase your competitive advantage. Consider all the possibilities like moving marketing in-house, automating redundant tasks and upskilling your people through microcredentials and professional qualifications.

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Cofounders Mitchell Scott (left) and James Davison of the Very Good Butchers and the Very Good Food Company outside their new flagship butcher shop and restaurant at the corner of Store and Herald streets. The restaurant will feature a patio, and the shop will accommodate higher volumes of people than their soon-to-close Douglas Street location. All eyes will be on Victoria as this will serve as a model for future locations across North America.

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THE

VEGAN FOOD BOOM

Thanks to its many benefits, from longevity and weight loss to sustainable and ethical-food production, the vegan-food craze has swept the globe. BY CINDA CHAVICH

JEFFREY BOSDET/DOUGLAS MAGAZINE

ou could call them Victoria’s most accomplished bean counters. Cofounders James Davison and Mitchell Scott of The Very Good Butchers like to talk about the total number of “beans butchered” for their range of popular vegan meat products — 26.5 million black beans in 2020, or a total of two billion beans on the chopping block last year. It’s a cheeky way to look at a business that’s growing like a magic beanstalk and, like a modern day fairy tale, turning beans and other plant foods into golden profits. “It is kind of crazy,” admits Scott, recalling the company’s rapid rise from a burger and banger recipe, made in Davison’s Denman Island kitchen and sold at the farmers’ market in 2016, to their stock market valuation of more than $500 million today. “I think what investors are seeing is there’s a ton of growth in the space,” says Scott. “And we’re really well-positioned to capitalize on that growth.” In fact, the now public company (TSXV: VERY)

has recently been rebranded The Very Good Food Company (VERY). Its new 45,000-square-foot facility in Vancouver will increase production by a projected 2,690 per cent this year. “Bringing the Rupert (Vancouver) facility online is a major milestone for our business,” says Scott, VGF’s CEO. “Once we are fully operational, we will be able to substantially scale our food production in order to meet consumer demand.”

VERY GOOD TIMING Demand has long been the operative word for this successful start-up. The story of the Very Good Butchers is one of perseverance and perfect timing — a new line of plant-based proteins, launched in a city hungry for tasty vegan meats. When Davison, a British-born chef with experience in top vegan restaurants in Vancouver, brought his artisan bean and wheat-gluten burgers to market in Victoria in 2017, the small shop sold out in the first few hours, with 1,000 customers lining up for a taste. Demand for their products has been so strong DOUGLAS 21

James Davison‘s initial burger and banger recipe was made in his Denman Island kitchen and sold at the farmers’ market in 2016. Today the company’s stock market valuation is over $500 million.

since the outset, the partners have been playing catch up to fill growing orders ever since. “It was hard fought for a while — there have been ups and downs,” says Scott. “But people have been enjoying the product, and we’ve been growing each year.” That may be a modest portrayal of the expansion that saw the company launch its IPO on the TSX Venture Exchange in mid-2020 with an initial stock price of $0.25. By April 2021, the stock was hovering around $5.25, and the company had just announced its best sales month ever — $1 million in March of this year. In December, investment website The Motley Fool reported VERY’s sales were up 582 per cent, year over year, dubbing it “one of Canada’s hottest stocks” and one of the most successful crowd-funded companies in the country. But raising capital has not always been easy for the Victoria-based business partners. After opening western Canada’s first vegan butcher shop in early 2017, they turned to a Kickstarter campaign to raise $50,000 for expansion. (They exceeded their target by nearly $15,000.) A year later, with $1 million in sales behind them, the pair appeared on the CBC’s Dragon’s Den, looking for $500,000 to boost production to meet the demand for their products. That deal was never inked, but with an equity crowdfunding campaign through FrontFundr, they raised $600,000 from 250 retail investors, enough to repurpose a former Victoria bakery and begin automating the vegan 22 DOUGLAS

meat-making process. “We’ve been very production limited since the beginning, but the big catalyst was when we went public,” says Scott. “That really opened the floodgates. Having easy access to capital means we are able to expand, and hire and retain great talent.”

VEGAN VISIONARIES From the beginning, company founders Scott and Davison split duties — the former overseeing the business and marketing side, the latter in charge of product and menu development. Today, Scott is the company’s CEO, with Davison overseeing production and a team of research and development scientists. Earlier this year, Ana Silva was appointed the new company president. Silva spent five years as VP of finance and CFO for Vancouver-based Daiya Foods, a company specializing in plantbased dairy alternatives available in more than 25,000 stores across North America. Daiya, which was recently purchased by Japan’s Otsuka Pharmaceuticals for $405 million, expanded into a 400,000-square-foot facility in Burnaby last year, with VERY moving into their former production plant. “The possibilities in the plant-based food industry are endless, and I believe the plantbased movement will secure our long-term global food supply,” says Silva, who will oversee the company’s ongoing expansion plans. Beyond the 45,000-square-foot production

“We continue to see strength in our eCommerce and wholesale channels as demand for our products continues to grow.” — Mitchell Scott, CEO of the Very Good Food Company

facility in Vancouver, there’s a new Vancouver head office with space for R&D and retail in Mount Pleasant, and plans to open a 50,000-square-foot production plant in Patterson, California by this November. “Victoria has been a great city to start a plant-based business and will always be our spiritual home,” says Davison, who will maintain offices and production in Victoria as well. “Victoria really is a great incubator.”

GROWTH AND GROWING PAINS Another successful vegan food company in Victoria is The Cultured Nut. It’s a “tree nut creamery,” making dairy-free cheeses and plantbased butter with nuts, products that are found on many retail shelves and restaurant menus. VERY recently acquired The Cultured Nut for $3 million and will rebrand it as Very Good Cheese this year. “We helped The Cultured Nut get started with production space,” says Scott. “We sell a ton of their cheese in our shop and online, and we think it’s one of the tastiest vegan cheeses

on the market in the artisan category. It’s a high quality product with good ingredients, so it was a natural fit.” Though Victoria has been a good place to launch and grow VGF, Scott says there are logistical limitations. There’s not a lot of purpose-built space for large-scale food production on the Island. All of their raw materials arrive in Vancouver, and all of their e-commerce orders — still the bulk of their business — require an extra day in transit when shipped out of Victoria. “At a certain point, you’re just adding time and complexity by being on the Island,” he says. “It’s easier and cheaper to expand on the mainland. Vancouver has a lot of talent and plant-based food production infrastructure.” But the company is in expansion mode in Victoria, too. Scott says the vegan cheese will continue to be produced in the Victoria facility and adds, “We’re putting in new equipment and hiring more people and really scaling it up for a crossCanada launch.” While the company has shifted production of its higher volume vegan meats, including burgers and sausages, to the Vancouver plant, 50 of its now 150 employees will keep the smaller Victoria production facility humming. “In Victoria we’ll focus on the more specialty items — the steaks, the ribs, the pepperoni and deli meats — while we continue to grow in Vancouver,” says Scott.

WEST COAST VEGAN Other vegan food entrepreneurs are starting up on the Island, too. Save Da Sea Foods (a 2021 Douglas 10 to Watch winner) makes vegan smoked salmon in the commercial grade kitchen at the Victoria Public Market, using shaved carrots and Vancouver Island seaweed. When owner Aki Kaltenbach first created the product, she was inspired to replace the salmon in the sushi rolls in her parents’ Japanese restaurant, and now has other vegan seafood products in her sights. “Our next product, now in development, is a canned tuna analogue,” says Kaltenbach, who has added a food scientist on to her local R&D team. “Again, unlike some of the other vegan fish on the market, it will be made with whole foods and simple ingredients,” says Kaltenbach. Kaltenbach originally planned to distribute her vegan smoked salmon through food service, but the pandemic forced her to switch gears and focus on retail sales. Save Da Sea carrot lox can now be found at 50 retail outlets in Western Canada, with an Ontario launch planned for later this year. Recent wins in the new product category at the Canadian Health Food Association awards (including 20K in free advertising), and in this year’s Douglas 10 to

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Watch awards, promises to boost her brand further. “B.C. is a very good place to launch, with a high proportion of vegetarians and vegans,” she says. “And Victoria has so many fantastic independent grocers that are very open to working with local vendors.” Lauren Isherwood and Nicholas Baingo moved their Vumami Foods business to Sidney from Osoyoos, B.C., last year and now make their line of vegan Umami Bomb condiments in a commercial kitchen in Brentwood Bay. The bold and spicy Umami Bomb Shiitake Chili Oil adds a savoury umami boost to vegetarian and nonvegetarian meals alike. “We are both vegans but missed that savoury umami you get from meats,” says Isherwood, who developed the product with Baingo in their home kitchen. “We spent a long time trying to replicate that taste in a vegan condiment that we could use to liven up veggies, noodles, sandwiches and wraps.”

PLANT-BASED BOOM They’re all cashing in on a segment of the food industry that’s growing in the double digits as consumers eat more plant-based proteins. A study by market researchers Mintel found that 53 per cent of Canadian consumers surveyed eat plant-based meats, 18 per cent “a few times a week.” And though only 5 per cent of Canadians identify as vegetarian, and 2 per cent are vegan, 21 per cent of those surveyed “think meat alternatives are healthier than meat.” The vegan burger boom is leading the way, with mega-brands like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods using vegetables, soy, legumes and grains to mimic meat. In the first nine months of 2020, Nielsen reported sales of plant-based meats were up 129 per cent. It’s also drawing giant animal meat producers into the vegan meat mix, with brands like Raised & Rooted by Tyson Foods, and OZO brand plant-based meats from Planterra, a subsidiary of JBS USA, the world’s largest meat company. When Greenleaf Foods (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canada’s Maple Leaf Foods) acquired Seattle-based Field Roast in 2018, it announced plans to build North America’s largest plant-based protein manufacturing facility, banking on a very vegan future. “While burgers are fueling category growth, all refrigerated products are forecasted to deliver double-digit growth for the next 20 years,” a company spokesperson predicted. And with Vancouver ranked as one of the world’s most popular cities for vegans, it’s not surprising B.C.’s vegan business is booming. 24 DOUGLAS

TO INFINITY AND BEYOND Conquering the world is next on Scott and Davison’s to-do list. The first Very Good Butchers flagship retail shop and cafe will open in downtown Victoria this summer. The founders say it will serve as a template for future corporate stores to represent their brand. “The main focus this year is on North America, but we want to be a global brand, so we’re looking at Europe and Asia next year as well,” says Scott, noting Vancouver and Montreal shops are in the works now. “We’d love to see 20 of these stores, as flagship stores — in London, in Tokyo — around the world,” adds Scott. While the majority of the company’s growth to date has been from online sales, Scott says VGF will continue to expand to more wholesale and food service accounts. This year they inked a distribution deal with Quality Foods, owned by The Jim Pattison Group, that includes distribution across Canada through its other major retailers, Sobeys Inc. and Safeway. A new U.S. distributor will expand sales south of the border. From plant-based burgers and sausages, to BBQ Pulled Jackfruit (akin to pulled pork) and Ribz and the Very Good Steak, VGB has focused on red-meat alternatives based on beans and wheat gluten for its product line, but there’s also a new gluten-free line in the works. “Our burgers and sausages, our original products, are what people love the most,” says Scott, “The ones James first made in his Denman Island kitchen.” And Davison is busy with more ideas. “Anything you can think of in your fridge or pantry, we want to replace it with a healthier, better tasting, plant-based alternative,” he

says. “The mayonnaise, the sauces, the fish, the cheeses — you name it. If it comes from an animal, we want to have a product to replace it.” Even with thousands of burgers now tumbling off their Willy Wonka-esque automated line in Vancouver, the ingredient list is still relatively simple, Davison says, and the goal to produce healthy vegan foods remains a priority. “It’s exactly the same product, just made a lot faster, in a lot bigger cooking kettles, bigger burger presses and faster sausage stuffers,” he says. The company is maintaining its philosophy of sourcing organic ingredients, direct from farmers, and “trying to stay true to our roots.” “I think it’s the quality of the ingredients, having that always at the forefront of our minds when making our products,” he says. “The most nutritious, the one that’s best for you, not just the most profitable.” The West Coast has definitely been the best coast for aspiring vegan chefs and food companies. Davison says they’re up to “a bajillion beans” and counting. That’s a lot of plant-powered love. 

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BOUTIQUE BUILDERS The Island’s landscape is a natural playground for outdoor adventure. But what good is the playground without the toys? Douglas looks at some of the highly specialized outdoororiented operations, driven by a passion for people and place.

ord of mouth can travel far in the outdoor gear manufacturing world. In fact, it can make or break a brand. Back in the early days of Kindred Custom Snowboards and Skis, the phone rang. Angie Farquharson, one-half of the couple behind the company, picked up. The voice on the other end had a strong Japanese accent and a tenuous grasp on English. They had a friendly, though somewhat disjointed chat. But despite the communication barrier, Farquharson discerned that the guy on the line was inquiring about employment. He asked for an address to send his resume. A few weeks later, an impeccably presented CV arrived in the mail. After admiring the resume, Farquharson and partner Evan Fair filed it away and forgot about it. As a small and slowly growing boutique gear designer and builder, Kindred wasn’t in the market to hire. About a year later, there was a knock on the door. When they opened, the aforementioned young Japanese man, Yohei Otani, was standing there with a smile on his face. “My first thought was ‘Oh no. Did he think we had offered him a job?’” Farquharson recalls with a laugh. Luckily, that wasn’t the case. But he had planned his two weeks of vacation to travel to Canada, and visit Kindred, and hopefully learn

26 DOUGLAS

how to build a snowboard. He wound up couch surfing with the couple and getting personal tours of Mount Washington. In the end, they sent Otani home with a snowboard and have remained great friends. Call it a case of brand obsession, but Farquharson admits they still don’t exactly know what prompted his passion. When it comes to outdoor gear, discerning consumers tend to gravitate towards brands with a story. Think Patagonia — this iconic American outdoor clothing maker has eschewed conservative branding by taking highly public positions on conservation and political issues; during the last U.S. election, the company cheekily sewed a tag into select Patagonia shorts that said in tiny print “vote the assholes out.” The company encourages repairing old Patagonia clothing over conspicuous consumption. This is just one of their often-counter intuitive campaigns that don’t fall under Marketing 101 but nonetheless add up to branding genius. Though Patagonia is an extreme example of big corp thinking outside the box, Vancouver Island and the South Coast are home to a surprising variety of outdoor-oriented companies, from snowboard builders and surfboard shapers to bike designers, kayak and paddle makers. These are boutique operations without Patagonia-sized marketing resources, but they are driven by the stories of their founders and their passion for people and place.

JEFFREY BOSDET/DOUGLAS MAGAZINE

BY ANDREW FINDLAY

THE SURFBOARD SHAPER Patrick Salamon’s hand-shaped cedar surfboards are so beautiful some might hesitate to paddle them out into the surf. Though they’re built to ride, some of his customers are collectors from across the globe, who buy them for the works of art that they are — just to hang them on a wall of an oceanfront villa. The Campbell River craftsman’s journey to boutique board shaping and life on Vancouver Island was not exactly conventional. For one, he grew up as farm kid in the flatlands of Saskatchewan, about as far from a surf break as you can get in Canada. Post-high school, he scrounged together airfare for a trip to Australia where he got hooked on surfing and learned how to repair dinged boards to make some money. Returning to Canada, he made a practical employment decision and became a journeyman plumber and gas fitter. But he continued traveling the world to surf, with the goal of relocating to Vancouver Island. In 2016, he and his wife made the move. They loaded a trailer, hooked it up to their Ford Bronco and drove to Campbell River. Neither had set foot in the city before. They met with a realtor the same day they arrived. Two weeks later, they had an accepted offer on a house. “I started to see a lot of cedar canoes and kayaks and just fell in love with the colour and the history of the wood,” explains the founder of Waterman Surfboards. “I would also see people building cedar fences out of some of the most beautiful wood I’ve ever seen.” When his wife landed a good job, he dove into the dual duties of stay-at-home dad and surfboard designer and shaper. He also manages to surf 60 days a year, some of those on the finicky winter wind swells of Vancouver Island’s East Coast. He wanted to shape boards that reflected Vancouver Island, much more than a generic foam-core surfboard does; it took him two years to perfect the subtle technique of building hollow but strong cedar boards to the point where he was comfortable selling them. The closest comparison, he says, is how wooden airplane wings are built. “I wanted them to be showroom quality,” says Salamon. “Their quality had to be high because they can take up to two months to build.” His appreciation of cedar as a medium is reflected in his craftsmanship. Besides Instagram posts, word of mouth is his most powerful marketing tool. And as a one-man show, it doesn’t take many orders to fill out his year. “My customers are collectors,” says Salamon. “I did a board for a guy in California who had a specific length in mind to fit a wall at the end of a hallway in his house.”

“Most people who buy my boards, their priority is to hang them up in their house and surf them once in a while.” — Patrick Salamon, Waterman Surfboards DOUGLAS 27

THE BACKCOUNTRY GOURMET

— Christie Dionne, Wild Edge Keto

THE BIKE BUILDER Back in 2016, Owen Pemberton was ready for a change. He had been living in Vancouver and working as a design engineer for Port Coquitlam-based Norco Bikes, one of Canada’s largest bike brands. After seven years at Norco — feeling mortgage poor in the big city — the U.K.born Pemberton wanted out. In 2017, he and his wife pulled up stakes and moved to Cumberland — a mountain biking mini-Mecca where you can ride trails almost 365 days a year. “I always had the drive to give it a go and build a brand from scratch,” he explains. “We loved the lifestyle in Cumberland and thought it would be a great place to build a company.” For a year he continued working remotely for Norco while moonlighting. He designed a prototype mountain bike frame that would become the Druid — the all-mountain bike with which he and his Nelson-based business partner Mike Goodall would launch Forbidden Bike Co. in 2018. (The company is named after 28 DOUGLAS

one of Pemberton’s favorite riding zones, the steep trails that descend from the mothballed Forbidden Plateau ski area.) Pemberton has seen the company exceed his growth expectations. “It’s been a bit of a blur,” he says. In its first year Forbidden sold 370 frames, and this year the company will ship 2,000 frames to customers around North America, the U.K. and to far-flung nations like Australia and Singapore. Pemberton says they’re on target to produce 3,500 frames in 2022. If it weren’t for COVID-related supply chain disruptions, the company would be growing even faster. “We can’t capitalize on demand the way we’d want to right now,” says Pemberton. Forbidden now has a staff of 11, all but two of which live in the Comox Valley, and there is also a satellite company in the U.K., the bike builder’s second most important market. With two bike models now in the fleet — the Druid and the burlier Dreadnought — Pemberton says he has six more design projects in the pipeline. “We’re working to diversify our offerings,” he says.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to build a brand in a place with a forest and trails on the doorstep.” — Owen Pemberton, Forbidden Bike Co.

JEFFREY BOSDET/DOUGLAS MAGAZINE

I have always been interested in backcountry nutrition, finding a way to eat better, pack lighter, and go farther in my many outdoor adventures.

Good business ideas often start by spotting a market gap. In Christie Dionne’s case, her discerning palate led the way. As a devotee of the low-carb, high-fat keto diet, the avid Powell River climber, skier and backcountry enthusiast was left unsatisfied by existing options on the shelf for freeze-dried backpacking food. So, like any self-starter would do, she started dehydrating her own food, not thinking of it as a future business opportunity. It wasn’t until the summer of 2018 when she was camping at the base of a wall of granite in B.C.’s Eldred Valley with filmmaker Robin Munshaw that the spark was lit. Vancouver-based Munshaw was there working on a documentary about the history of climbing and old-growth forest conservation in the valley. “Robin was talking about how there are no ketogenic options out there for backcountry food,” says Dionne. “I shared one of my meals with him, and he thought it was awesome. It got me thinking.” Her company, Wild Edge Keto, uses unique proteins to stand out from other purveyors of freeze-dried backpacking food. Meals

like Venison Chili, Cuban Picadillo Wild Bison and Sesame Ginger Wild Boar take ketogenic fusion into the backcountry. Before going commercial, Dionne had to source packaging and meet federal food safety standards, a process made no easier by COVID. So began the long process of jumping over the necessary hurdles for certification by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), the federal agency responsible for ensuring commercial food processors meet health, packaging and labelling standards. And it took a year to get certified for a year of shelf life. “There’s no way to accelerate that process,” says Dionne. In the fall of 2020, she got a green light from the CFIA, enabling her to sell her products across Canada. Dionne is starting small, working from her commercial-grade home kitchen, and bringing in a parttime employee when orders demand it. She’s distributing through local retailers like Valhalla Pure Outfitters in Courtenay and Powell River’s The Chopping Block, with plans to expand her distribution in the future. However, her focus will be on growing direct-to-consumer online sales, which so far has included customers from across B.C., Alberta, and the Yukon.

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Meaghan McDonald is in her happy place when she’s on the water, sharing her passion for ocean ecology with guests of Eagle Wing Tours, the Victoria wildlife viewing company where she works full time. Three years ago, if you had asked this biologist about private entrepreneurship, she might have laughed it off. However, living on her sailboat in Victoria’s Inner Harbour, along with an interest in the circular economy, helped to percolate an idea to upcycle old sails into new products. “It’s a perfect material; it’s durable and UV resistant,” says McDonald, while on a day off from guiding. Though it’s not a new concept, nobody was doing it in Victoria, a city of many sailors. These combined elements put wind in the sails of her nascent business idea, around the same time that she heard about Project Zero, an incubator program targeted at start-ups and new businesses in the circular economy. It was a perfect match; McDonald applied and was accepted into the six-month program, which she completed last September. Salt Legacy was born. “Going through that program put the gas pedal down to get it going,” says McDonald. She teamed up with Catherine Church, a Victoria sailor and skilled sailcloth sewer to produce three prototypes: an adventure backpack/laptop case, a simple backpack and a fanny pack — with plans to produce a surfboardcarrying bag. Each one is handsewn and true to the upcycling ethic, the raw material is used sailcloth and is free. “I have about 25 sails right now, and they’ve been donated by all kinds of people,” she says. As a clever marketing twist, McDonald is incorporating the sail into Salt Legacy’s branding. For example, she’ll name a particular collection after the boat, which the sail came from. “The person who buys the product gets the whole story of the sails,” says McDonald. “Sailors love to tell stories. I want to capture the emotion and the connection they have with their boats and the ocean.”

“I’ve been very lucky with all the support people are giving me. The business is being received in a positive way.” — Meaghan McDonald, Salt Legacy

Naked Bicycles Sam Whittingham once pedaled a carbon-fibre recumbent bike to a world-record speed. Now, he designs and builds awardwinning mountain, gravel, road and cross bikes from his Quadra Island workshop that backs onto his local trail network.

Atlantis Kayaks Based in Nanaimo, this sea kayak design/build specialist has been in the game since 2003. Founded by Vancouver Island University business and biology grad Robin Thacker, this company manufactures a range of models from 18.5foot expedition-ready boats to sportier day trippers and tandem kayaks.

AquaQuest This Courtenay-based outdoor brand specializes in waterproof backpacks, dry bags, bivy sacks and other all-weather products that are designed and tested on Vancouver Island. Founded by entrepreneur Curt Coomber but now owned by Michael Didham, the company has been selling direct to consumers around the world since 1994. In 2019, AquaQuest opened a retail outlet in downtown Courtenay and started a practice it calls “halfitalism,” donating half of the store’s annual net profits to local environmental and social non-profits.

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Barracuda Surfboards This custom Victoria shop has been designing and shaping foam-core, fibreglass surfboards for two decades. Owned by die-hard, cold-water surfer William Hazen, the company makes roughly 150 boards per year with a quiver of eight that includes the high-performance Waterman Shortboard and the beginner-friendly Baby Egg.

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JEFFREY BOSDET/DOUGLAS MAGAZINE

THE SNOWBOARD AND SKI MAKERS

“With COVID, we’ve had a lot of people say they’d prefer to buy local instead of another brand. I think there’s an increased appreciation of hand-crafted gear.” — Angie Farquaharson, Kindred Snowboards

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Ten years ago, the entrepreneurial couple behind Kindred Custom Snowboards and Skis were working at Mount Washington — Angie Farquharson in special events and marketing and Fair with the park crew. They were living in an oceanfront rental on Kin Beach in Comox, and were ready for a work change. It was either move to a different ski hill or do a 180 degree turn and try something new. Around that same transitory time, Fair, an avid snowboarder, wondered out loud what it would be like to build his own snowboard. In hindsight, what seemed like his debut as an entrepreneur now doesn’t seem that far-fetched. Fair was comfortable around tools, having worked in the off season in construction. Farquharson is a talented graphic artist and, with her experience in ski resort marketing, also had a natural flair for promotion. “I’d always wanted to know how to build a snowboard,” Fair explains. Following up on that whim, they perused Craigslist, and there happened to be a snowboard press for sale. Two days later, they were driving to Vancouver to buy it. “We just went for it,” says Fair, who was 22 at the time. “It was a bit of a leap.” Both were driven by a passion to work for themselves doing something they love. “It took about that long until we realized that it could actually be sustainable,” says Fair, after spending the first five years focusing on making great boards. Today they produce roughly 250 boards annually (approximately half ski and splitboards, and half snowboards). They work out of a shop behind their home on the North Island Highway in Merville, where they relocated to after outgrowing their Kin Beach rental (hence, the name Kindred). Fair does the heavy lifting, building yellow cedar cores out of wood sourced from local sawmills. Farquharson designs the top sheets with marquetry, a technique using wood veneers to create striking stylized patterns. Farquharson credits social media and great support from ambassadors in the guiding and snow sports world for helping to build their brand. “We don’t do traditional advertising,” she says. So far, Kindred employs only one other person full time and brings in additional help during peak production times in the fall, but Fair and Farquharson will need more help if they reach their five-year growth plan of selling between 700 and 800 skis and snowboards annually. “It’s been a bit of a blur,” he says.

Strength to Strength BY CARLA SORRELL

The local companies that saw growth during the past year provide key lessons in strategic planning for other businesses forging their way out of the pandemic. 34 DOUGLAS

JEFFREY BOSDET/DOUGLAS MAGAZINE

Over the last two years, Ray Brougham, president of Rainhouse Manufacturing Canada, has been re-investing in the company. He has built resiliency into the business by expanding the R&D department, spending time writing grants, identifying collaborations and introducing new products.

Strategic Focus:

UNCERTAIN TIMES CALL FOR CERTAIN MEASURES — calculated decisions that take

focus and identify areas of priority in strategic planning.

into account evolving circumstances and what those mean together with a company’s mission. Add to that an ounce of risk taking and a measure of flexibility. When strategic planning in this currently unpredictable world, it’s important to figure out what has changed, what has not changed and what is still uncertain. The dramatic range of effects the pandemic has had on different sectors leaves everyone “starting again” from different positions. Some industries and businesses — such as construction, cleaning, delivery services, grocery stores, telehealth — have done very well through the pandemic. During this period of growth, the decisions made and directions pursued by these companies provide valuable insight that can help others narrow their

Invest in the Company Ray Brougham was primed and ready for this moment. About 10 years ago, the president of Rainhouse Manufacturing Canada read a survey of the Canadian economy. Its findings showed that the country’s low productivity was linked to companies “playing it safe.” Collaboration, research and development all suffered; the lack of reinvestment back into the companies stifled innovation and growth. Fast forward a decade. The company is coming out of its most profitable year, thanks to a collaboration with the Aboriginal-owned company Nanaimo Foundry and Engineering Works that secured them a $3.6 million contract with the Department of National Defence that was delivered during the pandemic.

Reinvest in the Company

Recognizing this success was built through partnerships, Brougham is investing time and money into more collaborations. Over the last few years, more than a million dollars have been put back into the company, expanding the R&D team (whose current scope includes, but is not limited to, sensors that measure vibration, forest temperature and acoustic emissions in a machining process). These days Brougham spends a lot of time writing grants — key catalysts to creating productive partnerships with other companies and universities. Rounding off an equally successful decade, United Engineering increased employees by nearly 40 people through the pandemic, nearly tripling its workforce at some points. DOUGLAS 35

Additionally, a number of acquisitions contributed to the company’s growth. It’s been the last seven years of investment in new technology, equipment and people that has put United Engineering, part of the Ralmax Group of Companies, in the position it is now. “There's obviously continued investment in technology. That's so we remain competitive and improve our productivity,” says Dave Bukovek, general manager of United Engineering. “We're considering some more strategic acquisitions to get into new markets, rather than trying to break ground, and that steep learning curve you've got when you start from scratch.” Karl Ullrich, owner of Oak Bay Bikes, is buzzing with excitement after seeing a 60 per cent increase in sales over the last year. Watching growth targets jump from five and ten per cent to 50 per cent has infused a drive to keep up the momentum. He’s reinvesting gains made over this last year, making changes and improvements to the way the store works to support customers. “This level of business is almost like a bit of an addiction,” says Ullrich. “We don't want to let this go without a fight. My job is obviously to look six months or a year down the road, and I'm pretty vocal that we're not going back to 2018 levels [of sales].

“I feel like for 30 years I've been adding tools to my toolbox. And now it's time to put them all together.”

Listen and Learn

United Engineering constructed this massive stacker reclaimer for EMS Technologies Canada. With an estimated economic impact of $26.3 million, the project also showcased the ability of large-scale local fabrication as an option over international alternatives.

We’ve all experienced the range of new and experimental processes introduced through the pandemic, some enhancing customer experience and some deterring from it. In identifying the new needs of clients and consumers, and how a company can serve them best, the processes implemented for COVID won’t always be ones to keep. It was a fast learning curve for the construction industry and grocery stores, both deemed essential services and forced to pioneer safe and effective working practices early on, with little guidance from the government. The swift change in attitudes around home cooking emptied baking aisles of products. Strategic Focus: Suppliers struggled to fill orders, with supply chain challenges creating competition for raw materials and slowing things down, due to COVID protocols. “Many of our safety protocols helped us and all others in our industry operate safely — that was always our number one

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priority: How can we ensure we can get food to our communities safely?” says Ralf Mundel, VP of operations at Thrifty Foods. “I can’t say that in a post-COVID world, these ‘improve’ how we operate, as they are all designed to create a barrier from the most important relationship that we have — with our customers. “What I can tell you is that the sense of ‘higher purpose’ — getting food into our communities — was certainly a catalyst in driving many in our industry forward when faced with a lot of the uncertainty associated with being on the front lines. It is amazing what can happen with this type of drive and higher purpose.”

Strategic Focus

Trust Your Instincts Customer experience — “finding ways to serve people and their bikes better” — is part of the mission at Oak Bay Bikes, where Ullrich’s attitude is to reinvent the wheel whenever he can. Some of the processes created for COVID will stay, whether customers think they like

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them or not. The “meet and greet” reception point was implemented to match customers with sales reps who are best suited to help them with a specific product. “We recognized early that it allowed us to direct our best experience to the customer,” says Ullrich. “The problem over the next couple months is going to be that the Strategic Focus: customers are going to arrive, and they may perceive this as friction or a hurdle to get into the shop. We've talked about it at length. We are going to have to educate our market — ‘This is staying in place because we think we can serve you better.’” While some companies are learning from short-term hindsight, others learned from long-term hindsight. The financial crash of 2009 was a catalyst for change to the way Moe’s Home Collection supplies stock to dealerships across North America. Founded in South Granville in 1986, the company now has 13 flagship stores and licensee locations internationally. “Our logistics of inventory hasn't been affected that badly,” says Moe’s Home Victoria licensee and owner Curtis Vertefeuille. “We have two warehouses in Seattle and Vancouver that are fully stocked out. Moe’s learned from the 2009 crash about inventory. When that happened, it took us a good four or five years to recover. So they've kind of been stockpiling since and it's definitely benefited us.” Expansion was already part of future planning for Vertefeuille — COVID and a bit of serendipity only fuelled the flame, with an increase in sales of about 40 per cent and access to enough stock to fill the increased footprint. The company stumbled on its new space — over double the size of their former storefront — in the summer of 2020 and plans to The last seven years of investment in new technology, equipment and people has put open in Langford early next year, once the new build is complete. United Engineering, part of the Ralmax Group, in the strong position it is now.

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Assess the Product Range The desired product mix has changed, and companies are reassessing what’s next, asking questions like: Which products are most appropriate for the current environment? Which products will thrive in the recovery? What new products could companies develop to better meet customers' needs in the future? Plans to renovate the Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa were well underway before the pandemic. As part of the Marriott group, global insight gave the hotel confidence to power on. They learned from other parts of the world — like China, Europe and the U.S. — who opened up their doors to tourism before Canada. The hotel will be home to a high-tech ballroom with a wall of LED screens. This unique selling point will ultimately make the hotel a destination but could equally have been deemed too risky to continue, in light of the dramatic drop in group activity. The company was confident that the product would have value. Today, they have a wait-list of close to 30 weddings and are opening in a working culture that is likely to reduce its investment in office retail and move that spending to renting conference and meeting spaces for day use — a gap in the market that had already been identified pre-pandemic.

not always subject to the fragility of long global supply chains. Two current collaborations are proving fruitful, creating opportunities to enter new markets. The first is an anti-vibration control system that monitors and modifies a machine’s behaviour to avoid breaking down instead of simply warning users it's about to stop. The second is a fully functional battery pack funded with $200,000 from the B.C. government and created with research from UVic and input from Canadian Electric Vehicles. Despite having “no knowledge of batteries,” Brougham seized the opportunity that arose out of a problem

posed by an ocean supercluster project he was involved in. There was nowhere to store the alternative energy that would be generated through a micro-integration unit Rainhouse was building for remote locations. Strategic planning over the last year was perhaps a more fluid process than in the past. These companies have navigated the uncharted terrain, successfully trusting instinct and experience to make decisions that will benefit them in the short and long term. Learning from these insights will help all businesses approach the “new normal,” as they prepare for growth and become open to reinvention. 

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“You can have a socially distanced meeting with 50 people in the ballroom,” says Noel D’Couto, general manager of the resort, “Big companies might say, ‘I've got executives around Canada or North America, and we want to see everyone.’ This way, with the technology, we can have everyone on the screen, whether it is 100 participants or more. That is a market that we are looking at.” Reassessing or introducing a new range of products has been an inevitable part of the year for many businesses. At Rainhouse, the move towards research partnerships is leading to the development of new products, which diversifies their previous role as assemblers or design for manufacturing. Contract manufacturing has added yet another avenue. Tapping into new revenue streams, especially with a focus on green-energy products, means the company is

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INTEL

BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

MONEY BY STEVE BOKOR AND IAN DAVID CLARK

Where do Hydrogen Fuel Cells Fit in? The second of a two part series on zeroemission transportation focuses on the potential and pitfalls of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

ention zero-emission vehicles, and battery-powered cars spring to mind, but hydrogenfuel-cell (HFC) vehicles are an underrated player in the green transportation game. For consumers looking for extended range, fast refueling and steady torque, we see HFC vehicles surpassing the capabilities of all but the most expensive battery-electric vehicles (BEV). A Toyota Mirai just travelled 1,003 kilometers in France on one tank of hydrogen. A hydrogen fuel cell is a device used to provide power by combining hydrogen and

oxygen to create electricity and water. They can be used to power cars, boats, planes and trains, and will likely have advantages over BEVs, especially where weight and distance are major concerns.

HFC vs BEV Hydrogen has a much higher energy density than lithium, which means HFC vehicles will have an advantage when weight, distance and ambient temperatures come into play. This is particularly important when considering transportation needs in northern

climates where increased heat demands and limits in battery technology can reduce a BEV’s range. Imagine a drained battery halfway from Kelowna to Prince George in January. Extracting hydrogen for fuel cells to generate electricity requires a great deal of infrastructure. The most common source of hydrogen comes from natural gas, but you expend a modest amount of CO2 to get it. The industry calls it grey hydrogen, and it is frowned upon by environmentalists. Alternatively, the BEV industry uses

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electrolysis to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. That may sound nonsensical — why not just use the electricity to power BEVs? — but it turns out lithium batteries have a dirty little secret. In a report by Jade Cove Partners in 2020, brine solution mining in South America produces close to five tons of CO2 per ton of lithium. According to a 2020 report by the BBC, for every ton of conventional lithium mined, the process produces 15 tons of CO2. You can drive a gas or HFC car a long way before burning that much CO2. While HFCs do use lithium batteries, they are about 1/10 the size of a comparable BEV, considerably reducing emissions from mining. Unfortunately, we have not seen very many hydrogen gas stations in town, or anywhere for that matter. However, the B.C. government has stepped up its efforts to accelerate the adoption of technologies to support the use of hydrogen as a zero-emission fuel. Powertech Labs, a subsidiary of B.C. Hydro, will lead the development of a network of hydrogen refueling stations in the province. Furthermore, The Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association has created a new venture called Hydrogen BC to accelerate the development of an integrated network of hydrogen production facilities to help us attain our zero-emission goals. It’s a great step in the right direction, but for the average consumer and most levels of government in the near term, BEVs are still the easy choice, thanks in part to Elon Musk and Tesla. Don’t get us wrong. BEVs will play a key role, especially in densely populated metropolitan cities that entail short travel

distances. Governments will likely utilize cars and trucks to handle their logistical transportation needs.

with Australian lithium miners to assist in their endeavours to perfect battery technology.

How Will Batteries Improve?

Our province has an abundant source of hydroelectricity and a grid to transport it, but we question its longer term generating capacity if consumers fully adopt BEVs. It could lead to a potential shortage 10 years out and ultimately higher hydro prices to offset declining provincial gas taxes. Electrical energy stored in batteries is expensive and somewhat bad for the environment. Hydrogen, on the other hand, can be synthesized from clean energy technologies during off peak hours (hydro in B.C. and wind, solar and nuclear in the U.S.). In fairness, in many parts of the world, existing electrical production comes from hydrocarbons. HFC vehicles could therefore have a significant carbon footprint advantage over BEVs. (Their battery is 90 per cent smaller.) They may likely be the superior choice for longer haul transportation needs (including trains and shipping), while BEVs may be the vehicle of choice in urban and suburban settings. What is certain is that the horsepower is out of the barn, and the roadway for zeroemissions vehicles is driving the future transition from carbon fuel engines to electric.

The Achilles heel of electric vehicles continues to be the energy density of lithium batteries, which took scientists decades to incorporate into a stable battery. These batteries contain lithium in a solution separated by a membrane, which permits the flow of electrons through a circuit from the negative side of the battery to the positive side. Trouble is, the solution takes up space, thereby limiting the amount of energy to be stored in the battery, plus they have to deal with dendrite formations inside that can short circuit the battery. The expected lifespan of current lithium batteries is approximately 160,000 kilometres. Scientists have been working on creating a solid state battery that will contain no liquid — meaning more lithium per battery and more power density. In addition, solid state batteries will be lighter, charge quicker, cost less and will eliminate the combustible nature of existing batteries. But they may take years to perfect. The race is on for smaller more efficient batteries to meet the increasing demand for power as automakers around the world ramp up production. Leading battery makers like LG and Panasonic are facing increased competition from Chinese manufacturers like CATL. Even Tesla is joining the parade as a “tech power company” — a step beyond auto manufacturing — as they begin a partnership

Where Does that Leave the Consumer?

Steve Bokor, CFA, and Ian David Clark, CIM CFP and certified financial planner, are licensed portfolio managers with PI Financial Corp., a member of CIPF.

INDIGENOMICS BY CAROL ANNE HILTON

Indigenous Economy by Design It is time to build the structures, systems and relationships of Indigenous economic design — we can all play a part.

ndigenomics is constructive, generative Indigenous economic design. It is a word that serves to bring into our awareness the rise of Indigenous economic empowerment and reconciliation — locally, regionally and nationally. Every day we are witnessing the uptake of Indigenous economic empowerment,

as seen through the Canadian media, from small entrepreneurs and Indigenous economic development corporations to multi-million, and sometimes billion-dollar, Nation-based partnership deals across many sectors. It is time to collectively see Indigenous peoples as having functioning, generative Indigenous economies and shift our lens from problem to opportunity.

It is time to shift our lens from problem to opportunity, and to do that means understanding that the success of the Indigenous economy is now intrinsically linked to the local, the regional and the national successes of our economies. Indigenous peoples are not a cost to the system — we are an economic powerhouse. DOUGLAS 41

It is time to design a template for Indigenous economic strength. The growth of the Indigenous economy requires structure, resources, investment, tools, institutions and leadership. In 2019, the Indigenomics Institute defined target objectives looking at the potential of the emerging $100 billion national annual Indigenous economy. It is time to both invest in and measure the cause of Indigenous economic strength. Investing in the socio-economic gap versus investing in the structure of Indigenous economic growth and empowerment are two very different things. Especially within the context of post-COVID economic response, it is essential to highlight the tools and structures of Indigenous economic growth.

Changing the Narrative Shifting the local narrative towards functioning Indigenous economies requires a systemic approach and Indigenous economic design. There are 12 levers, or enablers, to support the growth and design of the economically mixed Indigenous economy. They demonstrate

areas of increased Indigenous economic activity — hotspots where stakeholders should begin to invest and build. A sample of these enablers include: equity ownership, trade, capital, infrastructure, procurement, clean energy and entrepreneurship. There is progress around the structure of Indigenous economic inclusion and reconciliation in the Victoria region. Some of the key local players to build actionable pathways towards Indigenous economic reconciliation include the South Island Prosperity Partnership (SIPP), the Central Region District, the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority, the Chamber of Commerce and the City of Victoria, to name a few. A great example is one that comes from the work of SIPP’s Rising Economy Taskforce, which was conceived to address economic planning in response to the pandemic. The group brought together over 12 sectoral partners, local governments and Indigenous peoples, highlighting the need for the Indigenous economy to diversify, increase overall resilience, begin to take advantage of economic opportunities and better withstand financial shocks.

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Part of the outcome of this pandemic response planning was to collectively pursue the development of a regional Indigenous Prosperity Centre. An Economic Development Office for South Vancouver Island will be Indigenous-led and directed. This initiative sets the stage for regional Indigenous economic design. While this is an idea still in its infancy, this is the kind of leadership needed in the emerging $100 billion national annual Indigenous economy.

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This is Indigenomics One of the core premises of Indigenomics is that the growth and design of the Indigenous economy cannot exist within either a government or a program. It is time to shift our lens from problem to opportunity, and to do that means understanding that the success of the Indigenous economy is now intrinsically linked to the local, the regional and the national successes of our economies. Indigenous peoples are not a cost to the system — we are an economic powerhouse. It is time to build the structures, systems and relationships of Indigenous economic design. It is time to start seeing Indigenous peoples as having functioning, generative economies that strategically position Canada economically for a post-COVID response. As this country faces a significant financial squeeze with debt levels in the proximity of a trillion dollars, the economic imperative we must collectively face is the design of Indigenous prosperity. Clear, tangible, structural economic pathways, such as modeling the 5 per cent federal Indigenous procurement target, can create significant Indigenous economic activity regionally. We are at an intersection: Are we going to measure the effect of the lack of Indigenous economic design or create the cause for Indigenous prosperity? It is time to invest in Indigenous economic design. This means addressing the systemic economic inequalities, and it means investing in the strategic design of Indigenous prosperity. It is time to start investing in the tools, resources, structures and institutions of Indigenous economic growth. It is time for local and Indigenous economic leadership. It is time to start measuring Indigenous economic strength, reconciliation and inclusion. 

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Carol Anne Hilton is the CEO and founder of the Indigenomics Institute and a recognized First Nation’s business leader and adviser. She is of Nuu-chah-nulth descent from the Hesquiaht Nation on Vancouver Island. DOUGLAS 43

HUMAN RESOURCES BY INGRID VAUGHAN

Engagement vs. Experience Employee engagement is old news. Refocusing your attention on the employee experience will yield better, more competitive results.

usinesses everywhere are talking about the current challenges of recruitment and retention, and in the HR world we’re hearing a new buzzword: EX which stands for employee experience. In the coming months and years, it will replace what we’ve been calling employee engagement. The shift may be subtle, but more and more employees will be looking at their work choices like consumers shopping for the best deal. The employee experience will be very different than it was prior to COVID. Team members will be less focused on traditional benefits and strategies and more focused on what they want from their work experience. Tracy Maylett & Matthew Wride, authors of The Employee Experience: How to Attract Talent, Retain Top Performers, and Drive Results, define EX as “The sum of the various perceptions employees have about their interactions with the organization in which they work.” Jacob Morgan, author of The Employee Experience Advantage says that every employee experience, no matter the size or scope of an organization, is influenced by three basic environmental factors: cultural, technological, and physical. “All three of these aspects,” says Morgan, “should be focused on creating an environment where people want to show up!” Here is a breakdown of these three areas: Cultural environment: encompasses an established set of well-communicated values;

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employee alignment with those values, an environment where employees feel listened to, rewarded and recognized; and opportunities are present for good relationships at work and with their business leaders. Technological environment: includes current, user-friendly software and tools to easily perform job functions with low frustration; team communication technology available to communicate with management and team members; and technology that facilitates the exchange of real-time feedback and opportunities to connect with remote workers. Physical environment: provides open or closed office spaces; ergonomics, office temperature and lighting; and comfortable common spaces. For remote workers, equipment required to do their jobs is supplied and support is given to set up appropriate ergonomically supported workspaces in the home. “In a world where money is no longer the primary motivating factor for employees,” says Morgan, “focusing on the employee experience is the most promising competitive advantage that organizations can create.” This means that the EX is not simply about perks, and it’s not the primary responsibility of the HR department. All areas of the business, including operations, human resources and IT, have a role to play in the EX.

A Consumer-Style Approach to HR The war for talent is a serious factor for future business sustainability. Now that employees

have more choice, they have the luxury to question what they want out of a career and the organizations they work for. They want a place where they enjoy working, rather than a job that just pays the bills. They want a company whose values align with their own, that meets their desire for meaning and that demonstrates care for its workforce. Employees are on the front lines, representing your brand to customers, and organizations are recognizing that their workforces require the same focused attention once reserved for developing customer relations. It’s becoming more evident, no matter how hard companies try to create engagement, that it is the employees who decide whether or not to engage with their work. The implications are that successful customer experiences begin and end with your people. The more powerful the employee experience, the more engagement, commitment, and passion they will bring to the customer experience. Seeing employees as customers is the way companies will compete for talent. Not paying attention to the EX will create a disadvantage that impacts business viability in the future. Examine your employee experience to determine what steps you may need to take to stay competitive with new and existing team members.  Ingrid Vaughan, principal of Smart HR and founder of the Smart Leadership Academy, provides HR support and leadership coaching to small business owners and managers.

5 STAGES OF THE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE

SCHEDULED FLIGHTS

SCENIC TOURS

PRIVATE FLIGHTS

1. RECRUITMENT: Attractive job ads that catch the attention (and hearts) of the best candidates, keeping them informed during the process. An engaging interview that reassures them they applied for the right role, so they quickly accept the job offer. Connections with all the people they encounter along the way. These are all part of the EX that creates a positive perception about your company. That perception will lead to engagement. 2. ONBOARDING: It is ideal if a new hire gets up to speed quickly with the systems, tools and processes, and comes to grips with expectations of the role. The quicker they can do this, the more quickly they become integrated into your company. An effective onboarding process translates someone’s initial enthusiasm for their new job into a more meaningful, long-term connection to the brand and a commitment to doing great things while they’re there.

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3. DEVELOPMENT: Employees develop at different rates across a variety of skill sets. Quantifying their productivity, personality, attitude, fit and promotion aspirations are as important as offering them the chance to expand their skill sets, as employees look toward developing a “portfolio career,” consisting of many different experiences.

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4. RETENTION: Fully oriented and integrated into the organization, the next step is keeping employees performing, developing, and contributing to the company’s success, as well as ensuring they’re inspired by and connected to the company’s core vision. 5. EXIT: Every employee will leave your company eventually. Finding out why is an opportunity to improve and develop the employee experience for current and future employees. Leavers may be more candid in exit interviews about why they’re going, as they may feel they have nothing to lose by being brutally honest.

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POINT OF VIEW

TOGETHER AGAIN

Tessa Davies leads VIATEC’s events from concept to planning, from logistics to sponsorship and trom design to promotion. Nimble and future-focused, she is making sure VIATEC stays ahead of the curve as people start to connect in person again.

BY EMILY DOBBY

Tessa Davies (Bousfield) has always been passionate about being part of the community. She’s well-known in Victoria as the branding and events director for VIATEC. Davies takes pride in cultivating VIATEC’s reputation as a council that does everything out of the ordinary while still following its key focus areas: regional and sector promotion, networking and connections, talent, education and mentoring. Uniquely positioned to monitor the changing landscape, Davies shares her insights on what’s next. How have the needs of your members changed? The battle for talent has grown increasingly fierce, not only in our region and sector, but everywhere. This, combined with the increased appetite for remote work, plus steady immigration to our region from newcomers, means that employers need very different support for recruitment and retention than they did even a few years ago. We are seeing an increasing number of skilled individuals, particularly newcomers, seeking advice and support on how to get to know the community and how to build solid relationships in a time when many of the traditional channels like social mixers haven’t been available.

People will want to get as back to normal as they possibly can: back to shaking hands, back to standing in lines and back to exchanging an infinite amount of business cards most of us don’t know what to do with. Our first in-person event won’t be overly complicated, as we will want folks to ease back into it comfortably, and there’s no better way to do that than over food, drinks, live music and networking. Conferences in the future will likely include a streaming component, in order to continue reaching larger audiences, but the face-to-face human factor is missed now more than ever, and many people will want to soak that up.

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MICHELLE PROCTOR

What kind of networking do people want coming out of the pandemic?

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25 YEARS AGO, WE DECIDED TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY. To establish a place of higher learning designed specifically for, and with, working professionals. To make the latest tools and techniques available to those who want to enhance their skills. And to challenge our students to approach the world with that same entrepreneurial spirit, enabling them to transform their careers, and lives, forever. Now, we’re looking forward to another 25 years, and every transformation to come.

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