11 minute read
Wolverine Snow Products. p
Top photo: Joey Vosburgh with a set of Selkirk Sticks by Wolverine Snow Products. Photo: Robert Hurowitz Below: Wolvering Snow Products co-founders Joey Vosburgh (left) and Chris Payne. Photo: Aaron Orlando/RMM
WOLVERINE SNOW PRODUCTS
NEW MICRO BACKCOUNTRY EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER SETS NEW TRACKS WITH LOCAL SKI POLE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING.
By Aaron Orlando.
A fun part of doing local stories in Revelstoke is connecting with the enthusiasm of entrepreneurs with new enterprises.
I was chatting with Chris Payne on the phone in the fall and asked him what was new. He told me he'd been working with his old friend, Joey Vosburgh, and they were starting a company focusing first on making splitboard poles.
Friends from the backcountry and since they were younger, Payne and Vosburgh got to talking this summer and decided to partner up.
Joey Vosburgh is well-known in Revelstoke and splitboard communities as a splitboarding pioneer. He's an ACMG split guide, works as a guide, and has been sponsored by big backcountry equipment companies for years, including board, hardboot setup and gear sponsors. He's been known for using and championing hardboot setups for efficiency and the mountaineering aspects of backcountry splitboarding.
Chris Payne works as a graphic designer and web designer, among other work at the intersection of graphics, web design and e-commerce. (Disclosure: Payne has handled the website duties for revelstokemountaineer.com since we started.)
Together, they split lots of duties from a small workshop headquarters, with one wall lined with climbing ropes, harnesses, ice axes and helmets, the other with boxes of supplies, and the far wall with the manufacturing space.
Back to hardboots. Of course, softboots are the norm for snowboarding and most splitboarding, and Vosburgh feels "stigma" can still limit better ways of thinking about moving through the backcountry, including harder terrain.
The same thinking goes for the poles too, he says.
Vosburgh says he keeps his handy, just tucking them into his pack or sometimes just holding them in his back hand when he descends.
The Selkirk Sticks's main design feature is its long and flat foam grip that allows you multiple grips and is low profile. A ‘grab anywhere grip.’
Vosburgh emphasizes the quick transition from extended to collapsed poles into a firmly clippedtogether and slim package with firmly nested baskets.
With some dramatic flair, he quickly tucks the poles between his back and his pack, then whips them out and repeats it again.
“It’s all based on my guiding experience," Vosburgh says. “This is a far more efficient pole.”
They slip in and out of tuckable spots on your pack easily because the grip is smooth, flat-profile and long.
He feels there’s opportunity for splitboarders to use poles more as tool for mobility in the backcountry not limited to when you have your skins on.
As an example, he gives pushing with poles while strapped into your board on flat spots to preserve momentum, which reduces time and energy spent coming to stops, making you faster and more efficient.
The design is based on years of field experience. Vosburgh shows me a frankenpole he had rigged up in his quest to develop the perfect design.
Selkirk Sticks are aluminum for better durability on rocks and a one-piece pole to the tip for strength.
They have a special Perfect Paw basket that is larger than average at 100mm. The baskets firmly click together when paired and nested.
They both said the reception from Revelstoke and beyond has been amazing so far, with great feedback. They thought they'd see the good reception and it's been a positive experience. They've sold them to some people who were really enthusiastic about them.
In ski and snowboard focused Revelstoke, people are always excited when a great new local option pops up. “They want to support two guys in town,” Payne said, adding there aren’t any supply chain issues when you place your order.
“Sometimes within an hour we have them on our bikes” ready for delivery, Payne said.
In our chat, they talked about
The Selkirk Sticks sell for $150CAD and the first batch sold out, but they are building more. The company is new, so it can be hard to anticipate demand to come.
It was an honour to drop by and find out more about a new Revelstoke backcountry equipment enterprise. Good stuff.
If you're looking for the tech specs and ordering, head over to the Wolverine Snow Products website.
They have creative videos and lots more details wolverinesnowproducts.com.
5 COMMON INVESTING MISTAKES
By Laura Wierzbicki.
The investment world is often a very confusing and difficult maze for the average consumer to sort through. With countless different investment options, it’s no wonder that many find themselves unsure of who to trust or what to do.
While you likely won’t become an expert in all aspects of the investment world, identifying and watching out for these major pitfalls can help keep your portfolio protected and your retirement on track.
1 – Being overly greedy
After years of impressive stock market returns like we’ve recently seen, it is easy to allow greed to take over and consider putting all of your money into the higher risk parts of your portfolio that have earned the highest returns.
Instead of allowing this basic human emotion to take control of your decision making, you should maintain realistic return expectations and keep a well balanced and diversified portfolio through good times and bad to smooth out the inevitable market volatility.
2 – Buying into bubbles
While this should be common sense, it’s a sin that is committed again and again during each market cycle. The “tech bubble” of 2000 would be a classic example as sound reasoning and rationale were thrown out the window as people kept buying these assets long after the valuations had gone through the roof.
3 – Allowing your pride or ego to get in the way
Do you think investing is easy? Are you confident that you’re smarter than everyone on Bay Street and Wall Street?
Even the most seasoned investment managers know that they will never understand every aspect of the marketplace and that they will be wrong some of the time. Check your ego at the door, ask for advice when necessary and ensure that your portfolio can withstand the hit if you make a bad choice.
4 – Trying to time the market
There is nobody who knows for sure what direction the stock markets will go all the time. So trying to base your decisions of when to put money in or take it out on market timing is a near impossible task and the costs of being wrong are huge.
Instead of trying to time the market fluctuations, consider putting money in on a regular basis (dollar cost averaging) and taking money out in a similar fashion (such as taking regularly monthly RRIF payments). Likewise, the ideas of moving everything to cash for a period of time can be equally costly and if you have a wellbalanced portfolio that fits your risk comfort levels, you should have no reason to mess around with it.
It’s time in the market, not timing the market, which will lead to long-term growth.
5 – Choosing the wrong advisor
With most Canadians relying on advisors to help guide them through this complex world, the largest mistake you can make is picking the wrong person for that job.
While by no means exhaustive, the above list gives you an overview of the largest and most common mistakes that many Canadians make in managing their investments. Regularly review your own investment plan to ensure that you’re not committing any of these deadly mistakes.
Laura’s advice comes with 10 years’ experience in financial services. She offers comprehensive, fully customizable financial strategies and solutions, working one-on-one with business owners, retirees, families, and individuals focused on building their net worth. Don’t hesitate to reach out for a holistic approach to financial planning, investment solutions, and insurance planning.
Laura Wierzbicki BBA RRC Investment Consultant Email: laura.wierzbicki@ig.ca Phone: 250-878-4174
Investment Planning | Retirement Planning | Tax & Estate Planning | Insurance
Trademarks, including IG Wealth Management and IG Private Wealth Management, are owned by IGM Financial Inc. and licensed to subsidiary corporations. Investors Group Trust Co. Ltd. is a federally regulated trust company and the mortgagee. Mortgages are offered through I.G. Investment Management, Ltd. Inquiries will be referred to a Mortgage Planning (Agent) Specialist. This column, written and published by Investors Group Financial Services Inc. (in Québec – a Financial Services Firm), and Investors Group Securities Inc. (in Québec, a firm in Financial Planning) presents general information only and is not a solicitation to buy or sell any investments. Contact your own advisor for specific advice about your circumstances. For more information on this topic please contact Laura Wierzbicki | Consultant | IG Wealth Management
PUSH FOR PROVINCIAL SHORT-TERM RENTAL REGULATION
UNION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA MUNICIPALITIES CALLS FOR PROVINCIAL REGULATION OF SHORT-TERM RENTAL INDUSTRY.
By Revelstoke Mountaineer staff.
Short-term rentals remain an issue of constant concern here in Revelstoke, where long-term housing is difficult to come by and affordable housing nearly impossible. The local bylaw regulating short-term rentals is currently in the process of being revamped and is up for further council consideration at its Nov. 9 meeting, following a recent public hearing.
And Revelstoke isn’t the only community in the province grappling with the effects and logistics of the issue.
The Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) has made requests to the province to establish a regulatory framework for the short-term accommodations industry, similar to those in place for ride-hailing and other regulated industries.
File photo: A Revelstoke heritage home covered in snow during the winter of 2019-20. The house isn't related to the story, we just liked all the snow. Photo: Aaron Orlando/Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine.
While local governments in B.C. have tools to regulate shortterm rentals for vacationers and others, most lack the capacity to enforce them. This has been the issue in Revelstoke as well, where many vacation rentals are not regulated and are only enforced on a complaints basis. Part of the discussions around illegal short-term housing in Revelstoke has been the issue of enforcement.
City staff have proposed making changes to the ticketing system in Revelstoke, including increasing fines for illegal rentals to $1,000 per day. The city will need to make the case that its new system will work since the number of illegal rentals has only continued to grow. It’s estimated that there are 328 short-term rentals in single-family residences in the town alone, including legal and illegal ones.
Revelstoke’s lack of regulation and enforcement of short-term rentals has contributed to housing price inflation in Revelstoke, a community where middle-class home ownership dreams have all but evaporated for the younger generations.
In a release, the UBCM details that the ever-expanding online accommodation bookings industry has reduced long-term rental housing capacity at a time when housing availability and costs are already under pressure. At the same time, a property’s earning potential from short-term rental use leads to higher prices in the market than local incomes can support.
They go on to point out as well that local governments are unable to obtain complete and accurate data needed to understand exactly what is happening with short-term rentals in their own community.
At the province’s request, a Joint UBCM-Province Advisory Group conducted an analysis and asked local governments to make recommendations for the province’s consideration. Requests for action included:
Introducing a provincial regulatory framework, similar to those in place for ride-sharing and other regulated industries, for platform accountability and information validation for online accommodation platforms and short-term rental hosts.
Requiring all online accommodation platforms to make data available through a provincial interface from which local governments can pull information on property listings, hosts, bookings, and complaints in their community.
Requiring online accommodation platforms to publish business license or permit information with local governments directly on the platform to prevent false information in listings.
Introducing legislation to make tax collection of PST and the Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT) at the point of booking a requirement for online accommodation platforms.
Investigating changes to the MRDT to increase consistency across the province and expand the use of that tax revenue to offset impacts to housing and neighbourhoods.
If these changes are eventually implemented by the province, it could improve the housing situation for residents of Revelstoke and similar communities around B.C. SnapshotsA glimpse into the remarkable stories of people and places in the Columbia Basin.
outdoor adventure, but our community has a vibrant arts and cultural sector as well. Columbia Basin Trust has been such an
artists integral part of us being able to operate and showcase the incredible
in our community.”
MEGHAN PORATH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, REVELSTOKE VISUAL ARTS CENTRE
Full story at Basin Stories
ourtrust.org/stories
Heating up a historic arts space
The Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre is increasing its economic sustainability with help from the Energy Sustainability Grants program. Building upgrades include replacing the boiler and hot water tank, upgrading exterior doors and getting new windows.
From 2018 to 2021, the Trust’s Energy Sustainability Grants program helped fund 59 projects to improve community-purpose buildings—from town halls to seniors’ centres—so they could increase energy efficiency and sustainability and reduce energy costs. By addressing energy efficiency in a building broadly used by community members, the project helps promote climate resiliency and enhance community well-being.
