Powell River Profiles of Excellence

2019

ex·cel·lence

noun the quality of being outstanding or extremely good.

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Powell River Profiles of Excellence, a special publication highlighting a wide range of business professionals in our community. Commitment to excellence becomes a habit for individuals through training, education, repetition and years of service to their profession in our community. That’s how it works, and that is also why the Powell River Peak feels it is important to shine light on the excellent work and the people behind the accomplishments. The awards and accolades of these businesspeople are signs of excellence, but the most important measure of their excellence is the respect and loyalty of their customers. The people and businesses in the following pages don’t just strive to be excellent, they are excellent.

Kelly Keil, publisher Jennifer Dodd has been involved in photography since receiving her first manual film camera at the age of 13. She apprenticed and assisted in wedding and portrait photography industry for 10 years, completed her Certified Professional Photographer exam in 2011, and has attended conferences and workshops throughout Canada and the United States. Jennifer operated a portrait and wedding photography studio in Powell River for five years, then she chose to move towards a personal artistic pursuit of photography. She is currently enjoying taking part in the creation of special projects in Powell River and beyond.

Born and raised in Powell River, Andy Rice’s lifelong passion for the creative arts led him toward a Bachelor of Music degree from Capilano University in 2012. After several years gathering ‘street smarts’ as an educator, journalist and touring musician he’s become in demand as an arts administrator, juggling his time between Vancouver, Powell River and various Canadian cities through his work with the British Columbia Choral Federation, Canadian Chamber Choir, Townsite Jazz Festival and Pacific Region International Summer Music Academy (PRISMA) Festival. Coming up on the 12th anniversary of his first freelance assignment for the Powell River Peak, Andy is excited to return home to profile some of the key players in the community he grew up in.

Beyond Bliss Spa & Suites City Transfer First Credit Union IG Wealth Management Kathy Bowes Koleszar Companies Tempco Heating and Cooling Valley Building Supplies Vancouver Island University Villani & Company

PUBLISHER: Kelly Keil EDITOR: Shane Carlson WRITER: Andy Rice PHOTOGRAPHER: Jennifer Dodd

Published by the Powell River Peak, a division of Glacier Media Group Unit-F 4493 Powell River, British Columbia, V8A 2K3 604.485.5313 :: prpeak.com The 2019 edition of the Powell River Profiles of Excellence is exclusive property of the Powell River Peak and Glacier Media Group

Sheona Scott grew up knowing she wanted her own business and her love for Powell River was the biggest motivation for creating that business here.

“I love my community,” she said. “I feel lucky and blessed to live here and I don’t feel like we lack anything, or more importantly that we have to lack anything.”

By opening Beyond Bliss Spa & Suites, Scott was able to ensure that locals were privy to all the amenities of a boutique hotel. “Our focus is really on providing the people of Powell River, their guests and family with a world-class experience.” she said. “We offer a full-service day spa and beautiful hotel accommodations with amazing views.”

When the business expanded its current location several years ago, some in the community were skeptical that such an endeavour could survive, let alone thrive.

“When we added the top floor and put the four suites in, people thought we were a bit nuts,” said Scott, “but those have been busy right from the get-go; so busy that we added three more rooms.” The central location makes it the ideal destination for locals and visitors alike, and affordable prices mean that customers are likely to save on more than just their travel fare.

Complementing the accommodation is the spa. “It’s a huge aspect of the business, we strive to bring quality treatments to our guests. I have a fantastic spa staff who are very knowledgeable and work really well together as a team. We are committed to constant learning, bringing in trainers at least four times a year and attending shows and seminars.”

A certified IPL/Laser technician, Sheona has invested in some of the newest medi-spa technologies to stay abreast of current treatment offerings. “Body contouring, hair removal and micro-needling are just a few of the things we can do” “We’re the only ones that I know of in Powell River who have, the lasers that we do, we can treat many skin conditions and provide natural anti aging solutions” said Scott.

“We’re really passionate about skincare and helping people to age beautifully and gracefully.”

As a business Beyond Bliss has consistently won awards for customer satisfaction and services. “I think it really is the caring element,” she said. “With a lot of resorts you’re in and you’re gone and they know they’re never going to see you again. The focus of our business is locals; it’s our banker, our barista, our neighbour, so there’s just that real sense of community and family, wanting to give them your best.”

Sheona is never one to sit still and when the spa was having trouble finding quality, all natural products at an affordable price for use in the spa’s body treatments she decided to create her own and the blissd Bodycare line of products was born. “I just finished building the website for it so now you can send a little bit of our spa to family or friends all over the world.”

The business will celebrate its 20th anniversary in November and shows no sign of slowing down, although Sheona does threaten to retire...someday.

• SUI • SUITES & SPA • 4555 Marine Avenue Powell River, British Columbia V8A 2K5 604.485.9521 beyondblissspa.com

If you’ve filled up a fuel tank, drank a glass of milk or eaten a chocolate bar in the past week, odds are City Transfer had something to do with it.

The company, in operation since 1938 and run by the Long family since 1945, is Powell River’s go-to freight carrier. From grocery stores to gas stations and everything in between, Craig and Phill Long and their team run a precision operation that flies largely under the radar to the average consumer.

“We are an essential service to the community but our range of services goes from bringing in chemicals for mills to the pickup and delivery of small parcels to people’s homes,” said Long. “We do it day in and day out.”

Craig recalls stories of his grandfather making the rounds with a wood-wheeled truck, and his own father transporting coal to the houses in the morning before sweeping up for a load of general freight and beer in the afternoon.

“In more recent years we’ve moved more from this direct service to hauling full loads to the stores,” said Long.

Currently, City Transfer maintains warehouses and marine terminals in Richmond, Gibsons and Powell River, with a skilled logistics team on hand to oversee them.

“On a typical day we’ll transport 80 trailers in and out of the Powell River and the Sunshine Coast area” said Long.

“There are fuel tankers and full loads of freight for the majority of grocery stores, retail outlets and personal deliveries for a large number of customers.”

Everything is shipped daily on a just-in-time basis, which means that fuel stations will go dry and shelves could go empty if anything goes awry.

“We pride ourselves on our performance,” said Long. “We realize that we have a huge responsibility to these communities. Every day new products have to come in and waste products have to go out.”

Despite the rigours of the job, City Transfer has a very low employee turnover rate.

“Most of our staff are very long-term staff,” said Long.

“People who start with us usually stay and retire with us.

We care about our staff and in return they are exceptional people for the community and for the company.”

Both the president of City Transfer and its two top drivers have been employed there since their teen years.

During the busy summer season the team can grow to 100 or more.

“I think our customers know that we say what we do and do what we say and if we don’t, we take full responsibility for it,” said Long. “Any errors that happen by us are very low; less than half a percent.”

When you’re moving 80 full trailers a day, that’s a pretty commendable track record.

“We just do our best every single day,” said Long. “We understand our services are an essential part of the communities and a huge responsibility, with our three generations of experience we run a smooth operation.”

7141 Duncan Street Powell River, British Columbia V8A 1W3 604.310.2489 citytransfer.com

Building financially healthy communities. That’s the goal behind everything First Credit Union has done for the past 80 years, and looks to continue as it heads toward its next milestone.

At the heart of each of its five branches, and within each of its 79 employees, is a strong desire to have a positive impact on generations to come. In a nutshell, taking care of the whole by taking care of each other.

“It’s all about supporting people to have more confidence to achieve their own financial well-being,” said Tara Chernoff, vice president of community and marketing. “We see that as a way to positively impact our community and our future.”

Through a host of programs including financial literacy, youth engagement, and volunteer initiatives, First Credit Union aims to achieve meaningful impact. Chernoff is particularly excited about a new program called Each One Teach One. The free workshop series, facilitated by staff on a volunteer basis, focuses on healthy financial habits for individuals in the community as they lay the framework for their fiscal future. “Our purpose is to empower through knowledge,” she said, “and I believe that definitely sets us apart.”

Incorporated in 1939, First Credit Union is the oldest in BC, with its inaugural tellers working from a basement room in the Rodmay Heritage Hotel. Today, the institution serves the coastal communities of Powell River, Texada Island, Bowen Island, Comox Valley and Cumberland and has an even wider virtual reach thanks to ongoing advances in technology. As owners, each of its members shares in its successes, financial and otherwise.

“The way we serve our members is always changing but our commitment to them, our employees and to our community, that’s the thing that has never changed,” said Chernoff. “We have always been very committed to making our community strong and healthy.”

Another way First Credit Union does this is through volunteering, with staff receiving the organizations full support as they lend a hand to local, non-profit organizations.

“Something that’s really unique about us is that we have a Community Impact Day every year,” said Chernoff. “On that day we close our doors early to volunteer in the community. It’s our way to show our gratitude to some of the remarkable non-profit organizations that work every day for the benefit of others.”

First Credit Union is particularly invested in youth as well. Its annual CU Lead Young Leaders program takes graduating grade 12 students on a mentorship marathon each summer, providing valuable training in public speaking, financial literacy, event planning and personal leadership. Each of the 10 students selected to participate have a $2,000 scholarship waiting for them at the finish line.

Whether it’s by offering financial literacy programs, volunteering in the community, or investing in youth, First Credit Union recognizes that each of its carefully-chosen initiatives is a contributor toward the ultimate goal of creating a stronger, healthier Powell River.

“Everything we do revolves around that,” said Chernoff, “and that’s a pretty big deal.”

4721 Joyce Avenue Powell River, British Columbia V8A 3B5 604.485.6206 firstcu.ca

They may not carry stethoscopes or write prescriptions, but make no mistake: the consultants at IG Wealth Management in Powell River are financial doctors.

“We work on improving people’s financial well-being, and that comes in many shapes and sizes” said Scott Mastrodonato, who maintains his own independent portfolio of clients alongside Sandy Sleath, Toban De Rooy, Lois Vanderkemp, Jeff Sauve and Blake Rice. “All of our consultants focus on developing tailored solutions for individuals and families and we really partner closely with them to help simplify their financial lives.”

By no means is it a single-step process, however.

“One of the underlining attributes that creates success is having a really good relationship with your clients that is built over time,” said Mastrodonato. “The best planning and advice we can offer clients is when they feel comfortable being up front and honest in providing us with all the information that we can use to help offer them that advice.”

Regardless of where a person is at in their financial lifecycle, Mastrodonato insists it is always better to seek advice than to put it off.

“There’s a lot of power in being able to know clearly what things may look like into the future,” he said. “I don’t think that people clearly know where they stand if they have been that person that didn’t reach out and seek advice.”

A complete financial plan involves looking at all of a person’s income sources, as well as their cash flow, surpluses and deficits, and examining why they exist. Then, one’s goals and objectives are taken into account before a custom strategy can be designed for implementation over time. Ultimately, it is up to the client to commit to that strategy, and the responsibility of a trained consultant to help them understand its true value and potential.

“We don’t do it alone either,” said Mastrodonato. “Working with a consultant is done on a one-on-one basis but there are times where as a large company like IG Wealth Management we have access to a team of specialized experts that work in tax and estate planning, securities, insurance, business succession planning.”

IG Wealth Management, formerly known as Investors Group, is a subsidiary of IGM Financial Inc. and has a network of approximately 4,300 consultants from coast to coast. Its majority owner, Power Financial Corporation, is the parent of several more financial service companies in Canada, including Great-West Life, London Life, Canada Life and Putnam Investments.

Locally, Mastrodonato and his Powell River-based colleagues have over 75 years of combined experience. “We also have three admin staff that are extremely important in helping us provide the top of the line service,” he said. “We work as individual consultants with our own clientele but we have a team approach just in terms of making sure that we’re here to help each other and support each other.”

But even with the myriad of resources at their disposal, the consultants at IG Wealth Management in Powell River recognize that their biggest responsibility is to empower their clients to help themselves.

200-6975 Alberni Street Powell River, British Columbia V8A 2B8 604.485.2552 TF 1.800.684.7619 investorgroup.com

Twenty-four years in the real estate business and Kathy Bowes has never had a bad year.

In the past six months alone she has repeatedly ranked among the top-producing RE/MAX Realtors in western Canada. Last fall, she was number 30. Locally, she is a top Realtor at any given time. But she’s not likely to tell you any of that.

“I have never been that good at promoting my accolades,” she said. “I just try to work hard and let the results speak for themselves.”

Among the many hats worn by any Realtor, Kathy most enjoys being an ambassador for Powell River. In many cases, she isn’t just selling a home but the entire community as well.

“We have seen a lot of out-of-town buyers over the last few years,” she said. “Quite often I’m one of the first people they’ll meet, helping them become oriented: where they might find a doctor, where the hiking trails are, where their kids would go to school.”

Kathy is constantly amazed at the different things that draw people to Powell River, from prawns to pickleball to the Patricia Theatre. In fact, she herself was charmed back in 1976 when she first arrived here from Ontario.

“I came for one year,” she said. “I’m still here and loving every minute of it.”

Since becoming a Realtor in 1995, one of Kathy’s’ biggest secrets to success has been staying current with her education as the industry changes and adapts. As a director for government relations on the Powell River Sunshine Coast Real Estate Board she has been a fierce advocate for the consumer as well.

“I hold it to a high degree for myself personally to have that knowledge,” she said. “To make sure that I have the highest level of service and do the job for my clients, whether they’re buying or selling.”

The same goes with technology. Even in the early years of computers, Kathy had a hunch that the internet could become an important link between her properties and potential clients all over the world.

“I remember one day a guy came into our office offering to advertise our listings 24/7 on the web,” she said. “That was before we had our own computers and it was like $17 a listing! That was a lot back then, but I knew it was worth it.”

She decided to give it a try and listed a building in the Lund Harbour as a test.

“Lo and behold if the secretary doesn’t say ‘Kathy, line one from Hawaii.’ The guy bought it sight unseen, and I got a website soon after that.”

To this day, Kathy continues to rely on technology for her business, while retaining all the personal touches that have made her one of the most sought-after Realtors in the city.

“I’ve always tried to put a client into their home rather than just selling their house or selling them a house,” she said. “I haven’t let that go by the wayside.”

4545 Marine Avenue Powell River, British Columbia V8A 2K5 604.483.1633 kathybowes.com

In the 55 years since Koleszar Marine and Outdoor Power Equipment began operations in Powell River, the family owned and operated business has invested considerable time in getting to know its customers and their needs. So much that the original repair shop has grown to include a marine and outdoor supply store, known as Marine Traders, as well as two locations of Sunshine Self-Storage.

“You have to change with the times, otherwise you get left behind,” said Steve Koleszar, President of the Koleszar Group of Companies.

Since taking over the business from their father Les, Steve and his siblings, Lee and Donna, have kept an ear to the ground looking for new ways to serve the community and create a more comprehensive service model that transitions seamlessly between each of their three companies.

“The reason we entered into the storage business was because a lot of our customers at Koleszar Marine are from out of town and have summer homes here,” said Steve.

“Not only did their customers want their boat serviced, but they wanted a place to store it in the winter, so we bought a warehouse and converted it for storage and it just sort of snowballed from there.”

The Koleszar Group offers a one-stop-shop experience for boat owners, where crews will pick up their vessel, pull it out of the water, winterize it, store it, and wake it up again in the spring. “All the customers have to do is jump in their boat and go,” Steve said.

If it happens to need some repairs, or new navigational equipment, or even a fishing rod or two, Koleszar Marine and Marine Traders can help with that as well.

“One business complements the other,” Steve said. “We have a comprehensive inventory of marine supplies.”

Steve uses a recent customer as an example, “A man from the USA had an aluminum boat built here locally. The he bought a trailer and outboards from Koleszar Marine, in addition, he bought electronics from Marine Traders. Now we’re attending to all the installations and next winter he will store his boat with us at Sunshine Self-Storage.”

Between all three companies, the Koleszar Group has a staff of 15 exceptional employees. His elder brother Lee, now retired, ran the marine repair shop for decades. His sister Donna, currently handles the books. We now have a third-generation presence in the business, and when something can’t be taken care of in-house, Koleszar Marine will happily make referrals to other tradespeople in the community.

“We try to network with all the local businesses,” said Steve. “The prices here are competitive and they’re all very talented so why not?”

As technology evolves, Steve finds his biggest challenge is staying abreast all of all the changes. “Things are moving fast,” Steve said. “All our new marine engines and outboards are run by computers so that’s where the young guys come in.”

However, no computer can replicate the Koleszar’s personal mantra for success. “You’ve got to invest the time,” Steve said. “That’s number one. Just a lot of time, hard work and effort.”

KOLESZAR COMPANIES 4462 Willingdon Avenue Powell River, British Columbia V8A 2M6 604.485.5616 koleszarmarine.com

Even when things heat up, the staff at Tempco Heating & Cooling Specialists keep their cool.

Heating, cooling and refrigeration are Tempco’s specialty after all. From residential furnaces to the grocery stores, you’d be hard-pressed to find a piece of equipment without one of their recognizable Tempco stickers attached.

“We really have a duty to provide service to a huge component of the community.”

Service was the sole motive behind Leishman’s foray into the HVAC business 13 years ago.

“The main reason that I started the company was that I knew that there were people in the community who weren’t getting the service that they needed,” he said. “It’s been our whole purpose.”

In addition to their list of commercial clients, Tempco has a large number of residential customers as well. Leishman and his team of 15 include Matt McDowell, Colin Turner, Dean Merrick, Kurtis Dennison, André Huiberts, Mike D’onofrio, Barbara Charalambides, Matthew Van Tol, Dayton Deglan, Jeanette Haas, Crystal Burnett, Breanna Di Pasquale, Keith Parkhouse and Paige Stephens.

“Not only are we going to install the highest quality products but we’re going to install them professionally and show up on time,” he said.

The stereotype of someone sitting at their window waiting longingly for the repair van is everything Leishman has worked to counteract at Tempco.

“Basically, we have four rules to live by,” he said. “One is to show up on time, two is do what you say you’re going to do, three is finish what you started and four is be polite and say please and thank you. When you think about those four things and put them into any interaction in life, it’s the minimum you would expect.”

Leishman credits his great staff with ultimately adhering to this model on a daily basis.

“We have always hired on personality and trained for technical abilities,” he said. “Everybody that works at Tempco individually is a great person and has the same desires to provide service and look after our customers, and we can train the highly specialized technical aspects.”

In addition to the physical services Tempco provides, the company is also very active in the community, supporting many events in Powell River each year.

“From the junior hockey team to the film festival to the high school outdoors program, Tempco is honoured to be able to give back to the community that supports us so well.”

Whether it’s responding to an emergency service call at one of the grocery stores, installing a new high-efficient heating system at a nearby residential home, or completing an annual furnace safety inspection, Leishman takes pride in being able to satisfy the diverse needs of so many great customers.

“We get so much wonderful feedback from our customers on a regular basis,” said Leishman. “It just feels good to know that we’re making a big difference in our fantastic, unique community.”

HEATING & COOLING SPECIALISTS

7239 Duncan Street Powell River, British Columbia V8A 5M6 604.485.5352 tempcohvac.com

Walking through Valley Building Supplies’ sprawling compound today, it would be hard to imagine how in 1976 the business managed to fit into a single 60-by-60 structure. “We grew a little bit,” said chief operations officer Vic Spreeuw.

Five acres and 16,000 additional square feet, to be exact.

Several of the current employees have worked there so long they were around to see it happen.

“We’ve got 38 people full time,” said Spreeuw. “About half I would say have been here for 10 years or more and few of us have been here for 30 some-odd years.”

Valley hires employees for the long haul, looking to invest in their success and well-being in much the same way they look after their customers.

“Obviously not everybody is viewing it as a career but those are the people we’re looking for when we hire,” said Spreeuw. “Everybody who works here pretty much works full-time hours, and that’s by design. A commitment in two directions works great and that leads to people sticking around.”

With 20,000 square feet of retail space, the family-run business has become a one-stop-shop for homeowners and contractors in the region. Spreeuw and his team have worked hard to always stay ahead of the curve and discover better ways to build. Rather than get caught off guard by new products, they’d much rather be the ones to introduce them to the community. “We built a truss facility in 1995 when there weren’t a ton of them around the province,” he said.

By 1998, Valley was stocking fiber cement siding, before most people knew what it was. After that came fibreglass doors, and then engineered wood products.

“We always try to weed out the bad from the good so that when something does become a popular item we know which is the best one to be selling with the fewest issues,” said Spreeuw.

A door shop, kitchen design centre and home heating department round out Valley’s unique local offerings.

Being affiliated with Timber Mart adds additional resources, not to mention the sort of bulk buying power that keeps prices low and quality high. Timber Mart also matches charitable donations, doubling Valley’s impact on the community whenever it supports organizations such as the Christmas Cheer Foundation or minor hockey.

As a self-described building science geek, Spreeuw relishes the chance to collaborate with his staff on creative solutions to customers’ challenges.

“Contractors come to us for the latest and greatest or to bounce ideas off of us,” he said. “‘How do we do this? Do we have a system that does this?’ Providing these systems isn’t altruistic on our part but there are often cases where you wouldn’t normally be getting that information from your building supply store, let’s put it that way.”

As far as Spreeuw is concerned, helping customers finish their projects quickly, efficiently and economically is a win-win.

“If our local contractors and our homeowners are successful then they’re coming back time and time again,” he said. “We’re partners in success.”

4290 Padgett Road Powell River, British Columbia V8A 0T2 604.485.9744 valleybuildingsupplies.com

Some might say it’s impossible to be everything to everyone, but Vancouver Island University comes pretty close.

Programs that reflect the community’s needs are at the heart of its Powell River campus philosophy, where trades and health care-related offerings are in the highest demand.

“What we’re now trying to do, because most of those programs are offered face to face, is find a way to extend their reach,” said Greg Cran, campus administrator.

And that’s where technology comes in. Using a videoconferencing service, VIU can now create a virtual classroom just about anywhere.

“This allows us to connect with places where people can’t access campuses easily or in an affordable way,” said Cran.

“We can do it in a way that makes the most sense to them and their lifestyle.”

A model known as blended learning allows students to take their courses online with the exception of two face-toface intensives.

“We use that with our Educational Assistant and Community Support program,” said Cran. “What’s interesting is that we’re bringing students in from Victoria and other places who have access to courses at their local college but still chose this one.”

VIU is constantly gathering insights and collecting feedback to find new ways to serve the region and adapt to emerging industries.

“We’ve piloted adventure tourism and recreation which really takes advantage of our physical assets, and we’ve also offered 3D animation as a way to see how the community would respond to enhanced technology-type of programs,” said Cran. He sees the university’s responsibility as being both that of a platform and a space-holder.

“The platform is what we use to deliver programs, whether they are face to face or online, and that’s the way that we launch people into their studies, their careers, their goals or aspirations,” he said. “The space-holder piece is our way of facilitating reflective conversations and providing mentoring, which is not a course and does not necessarily fit within that other framework.”

Engaging with community partners, such as the Tla’amin Nation, City of Powell River, qathet Regional District and School District 47, facilitates further collaboration and discussion.

“Percentage-wise we probably have the most dual credit students attending VIU in the province, and that has a lot to do with School District 47 and its support of postsecondary education,” said Cran. “All of our community partners see us as being something that is essential to the ongoing development of Powell River and the region because education has its own economic drivers.”

As VIU Powell River looks to the future, Cran and his colleagues continue to find ways to push the envelope for what post-secondary education means in Powell River.

“Recently we had one student complete a bachelor degree with two majors and didn’t have to leave Powell River to do it,” said Cran. “Now others are saying ‘okay, if she was able to do it, can we do it?’”

100 - 7085 Nootka Street Powell River, British Columbia V8A 1K6 604.485.2878 pr.viu.ca

Living in a rural community doesn’t mean you have to settle for services of a lesser quality – at least not at Villani & Company. Lawyer Rob Villani is more than confident that any one of their lawyers could hold their own in the big city. “We have incredible staff that provide top-notch service to the point where you don’t need to go out of town,” he said. “I would put our staff up against anybody in big cities.”

His Duncan Street office currently houses four lawyers covering a full range of services. “Myself and Katya Buck do real estate, corporate, commercial, wills and estates; Stacey Fletcher does a full line of litigation, family, personal injury and family mediation; and in January we hired Ian TullyBarr (former Crown Counsel) who is now doing criminal defence work, so we provide all areas of service.”

Villani was born and raised in Powell River and attended the University of Victoria and University of British Columbia before being called to the BC Bar in 1990. After articling in Vancouver, he returned to his hometown in 1993 to set up his own practice. Today, Villani & Company is the largest and most comprehensive law firm in the area.

But the move home wasn’t all to do with business.

“My brother Lorne had Cystic Fibrosis and I thought it was very important to come back and be with him,” said Villani.

The two enjoyed more than 20 years of quality time together as Lorne continued to beat the odds. He succumbed to his illness in 2014 at the age of 52, but not without a brave fight and a legacy of contributions toward CF research. Throughout Lorne’s life, as his family and community rallied around him, that total grew, and Powell River became a leader in Canada for donations to the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

“Probably well over a million dollars came out of this town,” said Villani. “I’ve been fundraising since I was five years old.”

Coincidentally, five was once the average life expectancy for someone with CF. Today, it has increased to the mid30s or more, due in no small part to the contributions spurred on by the Villani family and the people of Powell River over the past 50 years.

“It’s important to give back to your community,” he said.

“The other lawyers in the firm volunteer a lot as well; with Rotary, the sustainability committee, the Chamber of Commerce, to name a few.”

Villani’s latest calling is that of a hockey executive, as he currently serves as president of the Powell River Kings Junior A Hockey Club.

The same go-big-or-go-home attitude that applies to his volunteerism is a pillar of his law practice as well. Working hard, looking after clients and remembering your roots are some of the main factors in its success and growth over the past two decades.

“We don’t let things just sit, we tackle them full-on,” said Villani. “At the end of the day it’s all about caring. Our clients problems become our problems.”

Villani & Company is proud to be your local law firm.

#103 - 7020 Duncan Street Powell River, British Columbia V8A 1V9 604.485.6188 villaniandco.com

© Powell River Peak 2019