BEAN BUSINESS: BIG EDDY GETS TWO NEW COFFEE ROASTERIES

BIG THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN THE BIG EDDY. DOSE COFFEE AND HOLM COFFEE COMPANY ARE EXPANDING THE COFFEE CONNOISSEUR SCENE IN REVELSTOKE WITH TWO NEW SPECIALTY COFFEE BEAN ROASTERIES.

By Nora Hughes.

Not every day, a small city expands by two new coffee roasteries in the same week, but like so many other unique things, it happened in Revelstoke.

Holm Coffee Company and Dose Coffee are the latest editions to Revelstoke’s specialty coffee roasting scene. The businesses join the existing roaster, Stoke Roasted Coffee Company, in the expanding market. Both new companies nod to Stoke Roasted for paving the way in the industry. Despite both being in the Big Eddy and both starting the same, rather niche adventure of coffee roasting, neither Dose nor Holm feel the market is over-saturated. Both businesses have unique plans for the future.

HOLM Coffee Company coffee than a midnight beer.

Simon Harper and Isabelle Lamoureux are the owner, operators and roasters at Holm Coffee Company. Their quiet, cozy corner of the Big Eddy is carefully curated. It feels like you’ve walked into your best friend’s living room. Sitting in the thrifted chairs and being handed a steaming cup of Holm coffee, it’s hard not to throw your feet up on the coffee table and kick back. While you probably shouldn’t get that comfortable, Izzy and Simon want the place to feel like home.

Holm is a mash-up of the word home in Simon and Izzy’s countries. He’s English, and she’s French: Home is La Maison. The space is decorated with art, velvety blue thrifted furniture and quirky mugs from marketplace. Almost everything is secondhand, aside from the roaster and the espresso machine. Holm is also a piece of land that floods and drains, a very fitting nod to Revelstoke locals and their love for the flats on Airport Way.

The couple has worked in the bar industry for the last ten years. Like cocktails, the coffee industry can be intimidating, snobby or posh. As good bartenders do, Izzy and Simon want to talk their customers through the process and flatten the pretentiousness of coffee.

Holm Coffee Co. is a roastery and a tasting bar. Simon says their not ready to give up on being bartenders, but they would rather share an 11 a.m.

“The tasting house is really important for us because we're bartenders,” explains Izzy. “Being bartenders is something we don’t want to give up. We just want it to be a little different than serving drinks at 11 p.m. But the interaction with people is something I don't think we could live without. We love it.”

Simon and Izzy are passionate about running a sustainable business. Once they’ve perfected their roasting recipe, they will have a bulk bean filling station and reusable branded bags. The couple has plans to supply locally in Revelstoke but isn’t ready to share where you’ll be able to find their delicious coffee just yet.

Regarding their neighbouring roasters down the street at Dose Coffee, Simon says that despite competing in the same business, they strive to help each other.

“We feel like there is plenty of room for us both. Our ambition is to do us, and their ambition is to do them.”

Holm Coffee Company will be open in midFebruary. Customers can stop by their tasting room at unit 101, 722 Big Eddy road or follow them @ holmcoffeecompany on Instagram.

Dose Coffee

Dose Coffee needs no introduction. John Pierce and Lauren Webster, owners of the downtown cafe, Dose Coffee, are celebrating the opening of their roastery this month. The idea has been growing since the cafe opened six years ago. Their goal is to supply the cafe with their beans, but they also want the roastery to create avenues of growth for their staff members.

“We've definitely hit a glass ceiling with some of our staff in the past, and we wanted to be able to provide career path job security,” says John. “We realize Revelstoke is a desirable place to live. So if we can offer something sustainable that is meaningful work for our team members, that's a huge reason we want to push in this direction.”

They’ve already invested in one of their staff member’s roasting education. John and Lauren found that their staff members stepped up and flourished into leadership roles during COVID. As a result, they say as owners, their role in the business has changed. “We’re only as strong as our team,” says John. “If we can foster a positive work environment that can provide growth, we will.”

Their space in the Big Eddy is home to Rosa, a 15 kilogram Loring Roaster that travelled here from Santa Rosa. Rosa is high-tech in the coffee industry. She’s energy efficient and reduces emissions in every roast. If you’re wondering how Rosa got her name, there’s a story there. Ask John the next time you see him.

When it comes to bag design, you might be surprised to learn Dose Coffee bags are white with black writing or the inverse for premium coffees. It seemed a little off-brand until Lauren explained, “The reason it's so clean is so that we can work with different artists and have a canvas that represents that consistency of our brand over time.”

Dose is known for collaborating with local artists and didn’t want to lose the ability to do that by creating one logo. Dose will have three staple roasts: Dose Dino Espresso, Daily Dose and a decaf blend.

“I think it’s always the more, the merrier in business,” says John regarding their neighbour, Holm Coffee Co. “Everyone has space to coexist and be successful.” John and Lauren see the coffee roasting scene’s growth as a huge help and expansion in Revelstoke’s food and drink tourism.

John and Lauren have big plans for their locally branded bags to travel around the Interior, provincially, nationally and maybe one day, internationally. In addition, Dose Coffee plans to start cold-brew canning at its location to keep up with trends in the coffee industry and make it local. They also have big plans for a second cafe location. Visit Dose Coffee Revelstoke on Second Street East or @DoseCoffeeRevelstoke on Instagram.

ARTS REVELSTOKE’S KOOTENAY SOUNDS INITIATIVE SHOWCASES EMERGING ARTISTS IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES

By Nora Hughes

Arts Revelstoke hit the road this month on an ambitious new project. Kootenay Sounds is an initiative supported by grant funding from Canada Council for the Arts, striving to highlight diverse and emerging artists throughout the Kootenays.

The project will highlight 24 emerging local artists from six Kootenay communities.

Four bands from each region — Revelstoke, Golden, Rossland, Nelson, Cranbrook and Fernie — will perform an original song live at an iconic local venue. The Arts Revelstoke production team will capture the action with the help of Revelstoke’s Francois Desrosiers of FD Productions.

The videos will showcase both the artists and their communities and be available for public view on Arts Revelstoke’s YouTube channel following the project’s completion in February.

Some of the tour’s iconic venues include Fort Steele Heritage Town near Cranbrook, the Trail Beer Refinery and Nelson’s Innovation Centre. Emerging bands and artists include Revelstoke’s alt-rock group Lucas MacKenzie featuring Rainbow Calculus, DJ duo SiFi Beats and Willoway, Americana artist May Davis and singer-songwriter Al Lee. Other featured Kootenay bands include Truck Van Car, Heather Gennel, Red Girl, Chungus and Buddy Wackett and the Floorwalkers.

The project is a big undertaking for Arts Revelstoke. Executive and Artistic Director, Daniel Bhattacharya, says it means a lot that the team can travel to these communities, participate in the project and grow relationships with neighbouring artists.

Arts Revelstoke says they hope this project will help generate opportunities for the bands and connect and showcase these unique communities through sound.

HeliCat Canada is the primary trade association behind the helicopter and snowcat skiing industry. During a special announcement in January, HeliCat Canada announced its new vision for the industry’s future — Sightline 2030.

The critical goal of Sightline 2030 is to have all members of the association transition to carbon neutral by 2030.

HeliCat Canada is an association that promotes the growth of the helicopter and snowcat skiing sector. They say their goal is to do that in a way that is economically, environmentally and socially responsible through research, education and advocacy. The association consists of 38 members — 16 snowcat skiing operators and 22 heliskiing operators — who operate in 49 different areas in B.C.

“Based on the values that have guided the helicopter and snowcat skiing industry for decades, HeliCat Canada has re-imagined the future of our industry with Sightline 2030,” said Rob Rohn, President of HeliCat Canada.

The vision for the industry maps out a journey based on values of public safety, environmental stewardship and excellent service, says Rohn.

Helicat Canada Announces New Vision For The Future Of Helicopter And Snowcat Skiing Industry

“Both the short- and long-term goals of Sightline 2030 will guide us as we continue to apply best practices in the areas of sustainability, safety and service,” said Ross Cloutier, Executive Director of HeliCat Canada. “Our vision will also guide HeliCat’s trade accreditation program, promote our sector’s relationships with First Nations and further the growth of the helicat sector in a way that is economically, environmentally and socially responsible for years to come.”

By Nora Hughes

The key objectives of Sightline 2030 include achieving 100 per cent net carbon neutrality by 2030, continuing the commitment to fund avalanche research to support the safety of HeliCat members, guests and the general public and issuing a 2025 and 2028 Social Impact and Responsibility Report to measure their inclusiveness and social contributions to society.