Business Examiner Victoria - November 2015 by Business Examiner Media Group

NOVEMBER 2015

» SALES

–PAGE 24

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VICTORIA Custom Pro Exteriors Continues to Grow

Melinda’s Biscotti goes from home base to big break Company’s unique product helped it grow from home-based business to big brand

PAGE 18

INDEX News Update

Saanich Peninsula

Victoria 6 Salt Spring Island 10 Esquimalt 10 Who is Suing Whom 19 Movers and Shakers 20 Law 23 Cowichan Valley

Opinion 26 West Shore

OUR 30TH YEAR

ORT H SA A NICH – Melinda’s Biscotti has grown from humble origins to a BC-wide brand that’s now featured in more than 400 grocery outlets. O w ners Melinda Cow nden and Alun Hodgson have built the business from their home kitchen, to an industrial operation that now serves nearly every major grocery retailer on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. “Melinda’s products were a hit from the get-go,” says Hodgson. “Everyone who tried them liked them; from her friends and people she met through tastings, to café and coffee shop ow ners t h roug hout Greater Victoria. “Her recipe has a truly unique

texture and flavor that’s very rare, and that’s been one of the major reasons why we’re standing here 11 years after the first batch was cooked.” Turning their dream into a reality has been anything but easy for the couple, and the road to success has been paved by their relentless work ethic, and raw determination. “A f ive day work week has never e x i s te d for u s,” s ay s Hodgson. “From the beginning we’ve had this idea of ‘going big’, and we have put everything on the line to get to where we are today. There has been a tremendous amount of sacrifice at every turn, but it’s been worth it. Becoming an entrepreneur is SEE MELINDA’S BISCOTTI | PAGE 16

The Melinda’s Biscotti team on location at their production facility and coffee house PHOTO CREDIT: JO-ANN WAY/NUTTYCAKE.COM

Island Custom Sawmill Serves A Global Marketplace Parksville’s Longhouse Forest Products has been providing custom milled wood products for more than 30 years BY DAVID HOLMES

P Canadian Publications Mail Acct.: 40069240

Unity B the produ

#220 - 645 Fort Street, Victoria

ARKSVILLE - A successful melding of business with art (and the latest in manufacturing technology), Parksville’s Longhouse Forest Products has been producing custom lumber products for residential and

commercial building projects for more than 30 years. “The company makes finished specialty lumber products primarily out of coastal softwoods. We supply everything from large timbers to interior and exterior clear cedar paneling and other species including Douglas fir, yellow cedar

as well as hemlock. We are also able to produce items from an array of hardwoods from around the world,” explained company owner Brian Jenkins. “We create lumber that typically has some form of profile (customized shape). We produce specialty products, cut to order for clients.

We take orders for individual construction projects and we custom cut those orders. Each order is distinctive, has its own fingerprint. We very rarely sell products to dealers instead we sell directly to building contractors.” SEE LONGHOUSE FOREST | PAGE 7

Our job is to keep an eye on our customers business equipment needs. Vancouver Island’s largest independent copier and MFP dealer. Reliability, serviceability, affordability. We are Unity Business.

250.384.7243 www.unitybusiness.ca

NEWS UPDATE

Hans Van de Kamp

Providing Business Broker and Commercial Real Estate Sales & Services Based in Victoria - Specializing on Vancouver Island

FEATURED VANCOUVER ISLAND OPPORTUNITIES: THIS MONTH’S FEATURED OPPORTUNITIES: VICTORIA LIGHT INDUSTRIAL

NORTH ISLAND HOTEL & MOTEL

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Liquor Store, Pub, Café & locally

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VICTORIA MULTI-FAMILY Victoria Light Industrial – Victoria & South Island – Never Vacant! Great, close to For Sale Warehouse & Showroom on8 Apartments I have Clients seeking Multi-Family Downtown Location. Includes parking the main floor with offices on the 2nd and Commercial Revenue properties MID-ISLAND - EXCLUSIVE for up to 10 vehicles! Good Revenues. Asking $749K Investment Range up to $5M PUB, LAND & BUILDING Premiere location, well established with quality building. Full kitchen

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Nanaimo Pub - First Time on the Victoria - Hemingway’s By The Market Top quality premises - 175 Sea B&B Tudor mansion - one seats. Generates $1,050,000 annual block from ocean. Licensed Bed &or For Commercial Real Estate Market Data revenue. - Certificate of assistance with Business Breakfast. Sales Trip orAdvisor Acquisitions Asking $595K Contact me Excellence 2014 Winner! anytime. Asking $868K

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NOVEMBER 2015

BC Third Annual LNG Conference Broke New Ground Over 3,000 participants took part in British Columbia’s International LNG Conference which ran from October 14 – 16 at the Vancouver Conference Centre. The third annual conference, entitled: Clean Energy. Reliable Partner – broke new ground for energy discussions in British Columbia with industry proponents and experts, investors, First Nations, market analysts, and students all congregating in Vancouver for three days. In total, 12 panels catered discussions around three main themes: investment, technology and innovation, and partnerships. A major aspect of th is yea r’s conference focused on youth a nd sk i l ls tra i n i ng. T he size of the tradeshow floor was increased to introduce a new, dynamic program called GameChanger, challenging students w ith the same creative-thinking skills professionals use in the natural gas sector. B C-ba se d b u s i ne sse s were a l so a central aspect of the tradeshow, connecting international delegates with service sectors throughout the province. On October 15 the Province announced new trades training funding u nder the Ca nada-BC Job Grant. As well, LNG Canada introduced a new LNG Canada – Trades Training Fund. Both initiatives will support British Columbia with the skills necessary to work in the natural gas sector. Developing an LNG export industry will build on BC’s 50-year history of safe exploration and make the province’s most promising natural resource into an exportable commodity, creating new jobs and securing new economic growth. T he Canadian Research Institute recently indicated natural gas developments in British Columbia will increase employment (direct, indirect and induced) from 52,720 jobs in 2015 to 156,000 by 2035. Quick Facts: • LNG i n BC Con ference 2015 by the numbers: • 3,000 pa r t icipa nts over t h ree days, including 91 speakers. • Representation from 58 BC communities and 37 First Nations. • Hundreds of exhibits, including 95 LNG-Buy BC exhibitors and 20 Aboriginal companies. • As of Oct. 15, 2015, there are 769 businesses registered in the LNGBuy BC Online Tool. • D e l e g a te s f ro m m o re t h a n 10 countries, including Australia, China, Japan, India, Korea, Nethe rl a n d s , S i n g a p o r e , Ta i w a n , United Kingdom and the United States.

VICTORIA

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Island Construction Association Elects New Board

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Usi n g adva nc e d v id e o con ferenc e technology, the Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA) hosted its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and a

Member Appreciation Lu ncheon on Thursday, October 22 at its two locations in Victoria and Nanaimo. The primary agenda was the election of eight directors from 12 member nominees. The VICA membership elected Keith Parsonage (Houle Electric Ltd., Nanaimo) and re-elected incumbent directors Alan Fletcher (AFC Industries Ltd., Cou r t ney), Dave F l i nt (F ly n n Canada Ltd., Victoria), Jason K inch (Read Jones Christoffersen, Victoria), Anthony Minniti (Century Group Inc., Victoria), Yosef Suna (Knappett Industries (2006) Ltd., Nanaimo), Gerrit Vink (Farmer Construction Ltd., Victoria), a nd Roger Yager (K nappett Projects Inc., Victoria). Greg Baynton, CEO of VICA, applauds the high level of interest from the nominees. “The extraordinary level of interest by the members in the Board of Directors is a ref lection of the good work VICA has done on the Island on behalf of our members,” he said at the AGM. “It a lso shows the va lue they attribute to membership.” T he outgoing chair, Don Cameron, thanked the attendees and members for their support. “The hard work and dedication to VICA was my pleasure. The personal growth has been incredibly rewarding and the relationships I made with people across the country will last a lifetime,” said Cameron. VICA’s new chair will be elected after the new board meets. “To the incoming chair,” Cameron added, “my best wishes for a fulfilling term. Rest assured, you a re supported by a Boa rd of the Island’s finest contractors, sub-contractors, suppliers, and consultants, all of who make VICA the voice of the Island’s construction community.” VICA’s 2015-2016 Board of Directors include: • Don Cameron, G&E Contracting Ltd., Past Chair, Victoria. • A la n Fletcher, A FC I ndustries Ltd, Courtney. • Anthony Minniti, Century Group Inc., Victoria. • Dave Flint, Flynn Canada Ltd., Victoria. • Katy Fairley, Kinetic Construction Ltd., Victoria. • Keith Parsonage, Houle Electric Ltd., Nanaimo. • Tyler Galbraith, Jenkins Marzban Logan LLP, Vancouver. • Jason Kinch, Read Jones Christoffersen, Victoria. • Doug Savory, Archie and Johns to n e Plu m b i ng a n d H e at i ng , Nanaimo. • Todd Skelton, Independent Concrete Ltd., Victoria. • Yosef Suna, Knappett Industires Inc., Nanaimo • Eric Ulrich, Playsted Sheet Metal, Victoria. • Gerrit Vink, Farmer Construction Ltd., Victoria. • Roger Yager, Knappett Projects Inc., Victoria

BC LNG-Buy BC Business Kit now available to BC companies T he LNG-Buy BC Business K it designed to help BC companies, large and sma l l, prepa re for l iquefied natu ra l

NEWS UPDATE

NOVEMBER 2015

gas (LNG) opportunities in the province is now available for download at the LNG-Buy BC website: www.LNGBuyBC.ca T he LNG-Buy BC Busi ness K it, f i rst i nt ro duced at t he 2015 LNG Con ference, helps BC companies prepare to enter a nd compete i n L NG supply cha i ns. It outl i nes key considerations for local contractors a nd suppl iers to become qualified and competitive to bid on proposals to provide the goods and services needed to support LNG projects in the province.

BC Local government election expense limits legislation introduced Community, Sport and Cultu ra l Development M i n ister Peter Fassbender introduced legislation that paves the way to implement expense limits for the next local government elections in British Columbia in 2018. Expense limits will apply to candidates running for mayor, councilor, electoral area director, Vancouver Parks Board, Cu ltus La ke Pa rk Boa rd, I s l a n d s T r u s t a re a t r u s te e and school board trustee. Expense l i m its w i l l a lso apply

to t h i rd-p a r t y a d v e r t i s i n g sponsors. The legislation sets out the fra mework for ex pense l i mits; the actual amounts would be set by regulation. This bill follows the recommendations of the Special Committee on Local Elections Expense Limits, as outlined in its June, 2015 report. Specifically: For ca nd id ates i n elect ion a reas w ith less tha n 10,000 people, the proposed expense limits establish a f lat rate of $10,000 for mayora l ca nd idates and $5,000 for all other locally elected offices. For election areas with more than 10,000 people, a per-capita for mu l a deter m i nes expense limits. E x p en se l i m its for c a nd idates and electoral organizations would apply from Jan. 1 of the election year to election day (the third Saturday of October). Proposed expense limits for third-party advertising sponsors would be five per cent of the expense limit of a candidate in the local election area, with a cumulative, province w ide ma x i mu m of $150,000 appl ic able du r i n g a 2 8-d ay campaign program. By tabling the legislation during the current fall session, government is creating a final opportunity for consultation. T he Province is encouraging local

election participants, stakeholders and the public to provide input on the proposed approach to expense limits. Parliamentary secretary Linda Reimer will lead ongoing consultation on proposed expense limits. Fo r a d d i t i o n a l i n f o rmation, please visi t : w w w. c s c d . g o v. b c . c a / LocalGovtElectionReform/.

VICTORIA Ecopreneur to pitch celebrity chefs in NYC on her solution to food waste Toni Desrosiers, a nutritionist-tu rned-inventor, w ill be the on ly Ca nad ia n busi ness owner spending time with celebrity chefs like Bobby Flay, Valerie Bertinelli a nd Giada De Laurentiis at the New York City Wine and Food Festival (N YCWFF) gifting suite this fall. Each chef will get a sample of her reusable beeswax food wrap Abeego. The annual NYCWFF event attracts legenda r y cu l i na r y icons and chefs from around the globe. Each year they gather in one of the greatest dining cities in the world for a celebration of food and wine a s wel l a s food i n novat ion s like Abeego, which Desrosiers

created in 2008 as an alternative to plastic wrap. “Abeego is made from hemp and certified organic cotton i n f used w ith pu re beeswa x, cer ti f ied orga n ic jojoba oi l, and pine tree resin,” said Desrosiers. “We went back to the basics with natural materials that have worked for hundreds of years to store fresh food.” A b e e go p ro d u c t s a re s ol d worldw ide t h roug h abeego. c o m a n d i n m o re t h a n 6 5 0 retailers.

SAANICH Uptown Receives National Recognition The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) has na med Uptown as the silver award winner for two innovative ma rketi ng ca mpa ig ns, # CelebrateYou a nd hol id ay “E l f on a Shel f ”. ICSC presented the awa rds to K risty L owes, m a rket i ng d i rector, Uptown at an awards gala in To ro n to i n O c to b e r 7. T h e a n nua l awa rds recog n ize C a n a d a’s m o s t i n n o v a t i v e shopping centres for outstanding achievement. Uptown has r e c e i v e d 10 n a t i o n a l I C S C awa rds si nce 2010 when the centre first opened. U p to w n’s m u lt i-m e d i a

3 advertising campaign #Celeb ra teYo u ra i s e d a w a re n e s s about Uptow n’s fashion and beauty offering, while giving back to t he com mu n ity a nd celebrating the unique qualities of its customers. Acquiri n g m o re t h a n 1 1.6 m i l l io n impressions, #CelebrateYou s h a re d i n s p i r i n g m e s s a ge s then asked customers to share what they loved about themselves. A s pa r t of t he c a mpa ig n, Uptow n donated 200 health and beauty kits to the Victoria Women’s Transition House Society. Uptow n’s E l f on t he Shel f campaign was a simple yet effective campaign that drove sales and bolstered the centre’s digital presence during the 2014 holiday season. Uptown adopted two elves, named “Holly” and “Olly,” and shared photos of them checking out ser v ices a nd products i n 20 stores during the season via their Instagram and Facebook accounts. T he campaign resulted in significant increases in holiday sales and social media followers. P rofession a l recog n it ion for t hese awa rd s wa s g iven to K risty L owes, ma rketi ng director, Uptown, Morguard Investments; Roberta Ferguson, general manager, Uptown, Morg ua rd I nvestments; a nd Cindy Papa, president, Mingle Marketing.

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NOVEMBER 2015

Harbour Air Fact-Finding Group Visiting China This Month Vancouver-based Harbour Air is working with a Chinese corporation to create a similar floatplane equipped air service in China BY DAVID HOLMES

ICTORIA – Following the signing of last June’s strategic partnership with the Zong Shen Industrial Group of China, a five-person delegation from Vancouver-based Harbour Air were visiting China at the end of October to meet with their corporate counterparts. “Where are we at with this? Well, the deal was signed, the media announcement happened and now we’re moving to the next step. A group of our operational people, including from ownership will be going to China at the end of this month,” explained Harbour Air’s Executive Vice President Randy Wright October 14. “They will be meeting with the representatives of the Zong Shen Group to look over the area, make some initial plans for what they want to achieve and to discuss possible aircraft choices and issues regarding potential pilots,” Wright said from his Victoria office. Harbour Air executives taking part in the mission included company CEO Greg McDougall, Harbour Air President Peter Evans, Chad Wetsch the Vice President of Ground Operations, Meredith Moll the Vice President of Sales and Marketing and Eric Scott the company’s Vice President of Flight Operations and Safety. “They will be flying around all over making preliminary plans for possible base sites, checking water conditions, looking over the land while having several discussions on-site with Zong Shen,” Wright explained. “There are many large cities a nd ma ny more people tha n there are in Canada so there’s a huge opportunity and we see it as something that would be huge for Canadian aviation and our business model. It’s big for us, you have to remember that

The largest floatplane equipped airline in the world, Harbour Air maintains numerous seaplane bases along the BC coast, including at its Nanaimo operation

“It’s a Made in BC export in terms of transportation systems” RANDY WRIGHT HARBOUR AIR EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

we started 35 years ago with two planes and now we’re grown to become the largest floatplane equipped airline in the world. It’s a Made in BC export in terms of transportation systems. It’s very exciting but there’s still a lot of work to be done.” Only in the early stages, Wright maintains there is a vast amount of work do to before any aircraft take to the sky. He says Chinese

restrictions on the types of machines to be used are only one of the hurdles that need to be successfully crossed. “There are challenges there, simply coming up with enough pilots, they will need a lot of pilots who will have to be trained with full endorsement on float-equipped aircraft. There are also issues with the aircraft themselves, just determining the type of aircraft to be used. The rules the Chinese have in place say that you cannot use any aircraft that’s more than 10 years old, which automatically eliminates Beavers and the other machines we use which are much older,” he said. “There have been some discussions with Viking Air about the possibility of using the Twin Otter aircraft they produce (in Victoria) but at this moment nothing has been decided. But those discussions are ongoing. There is a possibility that Chinese manufactured aircraft might be used or possibly those produced by Quest Kodiak or Cessna Aircraft, but that’s still to be determined. The single engine Beavers and Otters that we currently use would not work in the Chinese model,

not least of which is that they no longer build new ones and all of them are older than 10 years.” In June Zong Shen purchased a 25 percent share in Harbour Air, but according to Wright the Chinese offer wasn’t the first the air carrier had been presented in recent years. “China has approached us many times before, many countries have; Nicaragua, Russia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, lots of people over the years have knocked on our door. But what’s changed in China is that the military have relaxed the controls over civil aviation. You can basically fly unchecked below 10,000 feet now,” he said. “Harbour Air is still a majority shareholder of the company and has retained a 75 percent share of the voting shares after the Chinese investment and we’ll continue to manage all daily operations of the company. The investment was a great way to link with our Chinese partners along with a cash infusion. Zong Shen is a huge company with multiple holdings, including a major motorcycle manufacturer.” Wright says there is no set timetable for when regular air

service involving Harbour Air w i l l com mence i n Ch i na. “I would probably anticipate that it’s going to be a while before we see a Harbour Air like system up in place in China, we certainly do not have a timeline on it yet. Another part of the planned discussions will include the possibility of Chinese pilots coming here to earn their endorsements and to learn about floatplane operations, it is a good possibility,” he said. “T here are definitely some cha l lenges i nvolved but yes the opportunity there is huge. We’ve seen maps there are a lot of available waterways to operate from, from rivers and lakes to the oceanfront. They see it as a much cheaper alternative to building airports from an infrastructure point of view. It’s much simpler to put in docks, build smaller buildings and basically light up China with this service,” he said. “We’re proud that others want to build on what we’ve done here in British Columbia. It’s a great Canadian aviation story. There’s a lot of work ahead of us but we’re excited and it’s a great opportunity.”

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SAANICH PENINSULA

NOVEMBER 2015

PAT BAY VISITOR CENTRE SEES MASSIVE USER JUMP

SAANICH PENINSULA CRAIG NORRIS

pproximately two years ago, the board of the Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce made the difficult decision to close the Pat Bay Visitor Centre. It was a difficult decision because the

centre had proven to be an ideal location for offering visitor services. The highly visible, easy “right” off the highway location was perfect for ferry travelers looking for a quick stop for advice. Over the years, the Chamber has developed a fine-tuned understanding of how visitors move about after they depart the ferries (both with the BC Ferries and the Anacortes Ferry) and had concerns that closing t he Pat B ay lo c at ion wou ld result in thousands of missed opportunities to interact with visitors, and have undesirable effects to Peninsula businesses. The Chamber staff and volu n t e e r s h a d a l s o h o p e d to transform the property into a literal gateway to the island. Unfortunately, this vision remains on the shelf on account

of large hidden costs that revealed themselves when plans to prepare the site got underway. The final decision to close the location was necessary, but not for long! A few months into 2015, the Province informed the Chamber that it would need to immediately remove all buildings on the property if not renewing the lease. Executive Director, Denny Warner surveyed the costs and quickly determined that the Chamber was now facing costs in the magnitude it was trying to avoid. It was then that Denny sat down with our Manager of Visitor Services, Morgan Shaw to devise a solution. Days later, the board was provided with their plan to move all operations to the Pat Bay Visitor Centre and re-open the Centre

to Visitor Services. A design was conceived to allow operations and the visitor center to coexist, constructed using money previously earmarked to pay for rental of the existing office space. The go was given and the plan executed. So was it worth it? Read on and see. On September 2 4 t h , w it h a sm i le of wel l-ea r ned pr ide, Morgan Shaw presented the results of this summer’s visitor services efforts to the Chamber board. Supported by over 100 volunteers to which Morgan is always quick to credit, the center has seen a total of 39,760 v i sitors s i n c e it s re-op en i n g! T he new s gets better; the Chamber also operates the Sidney Visitor Center and the Washington State Ferry

(Anacortes Ferry) Visitor Services, which also saw solid numbers for this summer season, with Sidney at 16,126 (up 60 per cent over 2014) and Anacortes at 8,076. The total for all three centers was 63,962 Visitors! The transition wasn’t without its difficulties, and there are still a few bugs to iron out, but it is clear that visitors appreciate the faceto-face contact provided by these centres. Local businesses should seriously consider how to take advantage of this considerable customer base; contact Morgan and Denny at the Chamber to learn more. Craig Norris is president of the Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and can be reached at craigenorris@eagalus.ca

BC & LNG Canada Announce Funds For Skills Training

ANCOUVER - Employers in the construction sector will now be able to apply for funding to help their current and future employees upgrade their skills, thanks to two complementary funding programs announced today by the BC government and LNG Canada. “The LNG industry represents tremendous opportunities for British Columbians, with the potential to generate billions of dollars in investment and create thousands of jobs in BC This is an exciting, transformative time and we want to prepare all British Columbians – and BC businesses – to seize the LNG opportunities coming our way. We have been work i ng w ith i ndu st r y pa r t ners to better align training with future job demands,” stated Provincial Labour Minister Shirley Bond. “Our partnership with LNG Canada and the re-opening of the Canada-BC Job Grant to the construction sector are examples of how we can provide industry-specific training to keep the BC economy diverse, strong and growing in the future.” Recognizing the importance of the construction sector to BC’s economy, especially with the generational opportunity that the liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector presents, these two funding streams will help prov ide employees w ith the skills and training they need to fill available jobs. LNG Canada will introduce t h e L N G C a n a d a – T ra d e s Training Fund, a new program that will provide a total of $1 million to employers in BC in support of industry and apprenticesh ip tra i n i ng i n the construction sector to build a workforce to meet the needs of the LNG industry. The fund will

be administered by the BC Construction Association (BCCA) and details of the training fund, including eligibility criteria and application dates, will be available on the BCCA website at: www.bccassn.com and the LNG Canada website at: www. lngcanada.ca “T he $1 m i l l ion L NG Ca nada Trades Training Fund will enable British Columbians to benefit from careers in all industries, and particularly the emerg i ng L NG i ndust r y. By col l aborat i ng w it h gover nment and the BC Construction Association, we can support construction employers and their apprentices with access to funding for training and skills development to fully realize job opportunities,” said Andy Calitz, LNG Canada CEO. To c o m p l e m e n t t h i s n e w Trades Training Fund, compa n ie s i n t he c on s t r u c t ion sector ca n a lso apply to the Canada-B.C. Job Grant (CJG) which will provide $500,000 for employee training occurring before April 1, 2016. The Ca n ad a-B.C. Job Gra nt i s a three-way partnership between the federal and provincial governments as well as employers. G over n ment prov ides twothirds of the total training cost for an employee up to $10,000 per person, while the employer is responsible for the remaining one-third of the training cost. Eligible employers will be able to receive funding from the LNG Canada – Trades Training Fund to offset their one-third share of the CJG training cost. Information on CJG eligibility criteria, application procedures and dates are available on WorkBC’s website at: https://www. workbc.ca/canadabcjobgrant. Additional CJG applications will be accepted in January 2016 and

program details will be available at WorkBC.ca in December 2015. Quick Facts: B y 2017-18, a to t a l of approximately $68 million will be invested in British Columbia through the Canada-B.C. Job Grant. To d ate, more t h a n 8,000

employees are receiving t ra i n i n g t h ro u g h t h e Ca nada-B.C. Job Grant, and more t h a n 2,000 employers h ave been approved for funding to train current or new employe e s. B y t h e e n d of 2 015-16, employers will have contributed $1 2 m i l l ion i n f u nd i ng towa rds sk i l ls t ra i n i ng i n

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British Columbia. In addition to the $1 million T rades T ra i n i ng Fu nd, LNG Canada has contributed another $500,000 in programs to build awa reness a nd help prov ide training for trades careers in all industries, and particularly the emerging LNG industry.

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GREATER VICTORIA

NOVEMBER 2015

VICTORIA CURLING CAPITAL All this investment results in Greater Victoria being home to six national sport centres of excellence and hosting more than

GREATER VICTORIA BRUCE CARTER

s a n nou nced i n O ct o b e r, G r e a t e r V i c toria will host the 2017 Ca n ad i a n Ju n ior (Under 2 1) Men’s and Women’s Curling Championships. Between Jan. 21 and 29, teams from across Canada, plus their fam ilies, organizers, and coaches, will come to Greater Victor i a to play on the ice sheets i n the Archie Browning Sports Centre in Esquimalt. A side f rom enjoy i ng the c o m p e t i t i o n a n d c o m p e t itors, these visitors will spend money on mea ls, enterta i nment, accommodation as well a s ex p en se s rel at i n g to t he championship itself. O rga n i z ers h ave sa id t h at

80 major regional, provincial, national, and international sportrelated events annually past cha mpionsh ip events generated between two a nd three million dollars in economic impact. We should expect the 2017 impact to be in the sa me sca le. We have the sport facilities, accommodation, and services to support s u c h a n e ve nt a nd t h i s i s a great event outside our busy summer season. T h i s event i s one of m a ny i n o u r r e g i o n a n n u a l l y. S p o r t H o s t V i c to r i a c a l c ul ate s G re ate r V i c tor i a s e e s a n average of $95 m i l l ion i n direct spending each year in spor t rel ated act iv ity. T h at level of activity has resulted in tens of millions of dollars

NOVEMBER CHAMBER EVENTS

of investment in community sport and recreation facilities such as the Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence and the Centre for Athletics, Recreation and Special Abilities. P r ivate s e c tor b u s i n e s s e s are also onboard. Ecoasis, the n e w ow n e rs of B ea r Mou ntain, are launching The Hub, h o m e o f t h e Ca n a d i a n National Mountain Bike Team, as wel l they have pa r tnered with the Southern Vancouver Island Nature Trails Society to develop, bu i ld a nd ma i ntain the trail networks within the lands surrounding the community. All this investment results in Greater Victoria being home to six national sport centres of excellence and hosting more than 80 major regional, provi nci a l, n at ion a l, a nd i nternational sport-related events annually. Access to competitive-level programs and quality facilit ies prov ides ju st one more reason why families and business professionals want to relocate to our region.

• Thursday, November 5 Business Leader’s Luncheon: Jessica McDonald BC Hydro CEO 11:30 a m to 1 pm at the Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour • Thursday, November 12 Prodigy Group Mingle 5 pm to 7 pm at the Doubletree by Hilton • Tuesday, November 17 Business Leader’s Luncheon: Community, Sport & Cultural Development Minister Peter Fassbender l 11:30 am to 1 pm at the Delta Ocean Pointe Resort & Spa

• Thursday, November 19 Business Mixer 5 pm to 7 pm at the Regus (1321 Blanshard St., Suite 301) • Wednesday, November 25 Business Leader’s Luncheon: Post-Secondary Presidents Panel Noon to 1:30 pm at the Harbour Towers Hotel & Suites (345 Quebec St.) • Saturday, November 28 33rd Annual Dinner Auction Gala 6 pm to 10:30 pm at the The Union Club of British Columbia (805 Gordon St.)

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OFF THE COVER

NOVEMBER 2015

One of the projects that Longhouse Forest Products has provided materials for was The Vue, a seven unit development in the Fairfield area

“All of our products come from locally sourced wood, mostly from sustainable sources” BRIAN JENSEN OWNER LONGHOUSE FOREST PRODUCTS

Abstract Development’s Village Walk in Oak Bay is another project that incorporated clear cedar produced by Longhouse Forest Products

Village Walk is a four story building built to Green Canada standards and featuring a total of 22 luxurious residential units

LONGHOUSE FOREST CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Situated on a six-acre parcel of industrially zoned land near Parksville, Longhouse Forest Products is marking its third decade of operations this year. “We’re actually into our 30th year in 2015. My wife (Moila Jenkins) and I are the founders and we still work together every day. We have a staff of about a dozen right now. Having been around so long, we also have long term employees. The average employee has been here for more than 10 years,” Jenkins said. “I’d like to give special

thanks to Ken L’Heureux, Matt Newton and Gerald Roth for their many years of service and projects completed.” For Longhouse Forest Products, the wood that serves as the company’s stock and trade is not something that it takes lightly. As a business person, Jenkins is well aware that it’s crucial for the province to maintain and enhance its available wood supply, and he has taken steps to ensure his firm does what it can to encourage and support sustainable forestry. “All of our products come from locally sourced wood, mostly from sustainable sources. Longhouse is

FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Certified, and the company is also a member of the Canadian Green Building Council and the Rain Forest Alliance. The company is a member of the Greater Vancouver Homebuilders Association and also a member of the Victoria Residential Builders Association.” With an established and proven track record during the past 30 years, Longhouse Forest Products has custom-milled products for more than 13,000 projects including numerous First Nation projects. Among these are seven longhouses making up the Haida Heritage Centre at Kay Llnagaay,

Haida Gwaii, Tillicum Lelum Aboriginal Friendship Centre (Windley Contracting), Snuneymux First Nations Community Building (Island West Coast Developments) and many Heritage buildings including the Vancouver Salt Building. Longhouse Forest Products has also developed a global market for its custom milled product. “A lot of our market share is located in Victoria and in the Vancouver area as much of what we produce is used in the construction of high end homes. However we’ve also shipped product to many different countries around the world. We have supplied projects in Europe, Puerto Rico, and in almost every state in the United States including Hawaii. It doesn’t matter if it is a residential or commercial project we’ve supplied products for both,” he said. “We did a major job in China last April. We supplied a lot of yellow cedar to the Shanghai Disney project. It certainly was one of our more exotic clients. It was carried out through a BC firm and was a fairly large project. The company we supplied it through was

7 StructureCraft the same company that built the Olympic Oval for the Vancouver Olympics.” Closer to home the Victoria marketplace has been especially important for Longhouse. “We’ve been involved in a number of different projects in the Victoria market. We were involved with Village Walk in Oak Bay, which is a new housing development created by Abstract Developments. It is a combination residential / commercial development. We provided all of the clear cedar for the project, there’s tons of it on there. The funny thing is you don’t really see it from the street level but when you walk on the sidewalk then it becomes evident. People stop and say, ‘wow, this is really nice!’ but it takes that change of perspective to see it,” he explained. “Another of the Abstract Developments projects we’ve been involved with in the Capital Region is The Vue, a custom home project located in the Moss Rock Park area. We also supplied all the fire-treated clear cedar for the new Oak Bay Secondary School, which was done by Farmer Construction. We also supplied all the fire-treated clear cedar for the Royal Bay Secondary School which had been built by DGS Construction from Surrey.” When a custom-shaped wooden element for a building project is needed, Longhouse has the experience and the tools on-site to produce it. “When I talk about a wood’s profile I’m referring to shaping it to meet a specific need or project. Shaping and profiling are essentially interchangeable terms in regard to the products we produce. We have the capability to make any profile that can be drawn by an architect, for instance we have the machine that makes the knives to do that,” he said. Being part of the Central Vancouver Island business community for more than three decades Longhouse Forest Products, in addition to being a significant local employer, has also played a very active role in its community through its involvement with different groups and organizations. “We’re certainly active in the organizations we’re members of, the professional organizations such as the Green Building Council and the Homebuilder’s Association,” Jenkins said. “But we’re active in our local community in that we do support children’s charities and the homeless.” “We’re here and we’re open for business. The other key point is that it’s reasonable that a company like ours can survive in the forest product industry and make finished products with the fiber that grows here on Vancouver Island,” Jenkins said. “We’re definitely a value-added producer and our survival for three decades is proof that companies like ours are viable. I don’t want to leave any doubt we can do anything locally and still ship globally.” www.longhousecedar.com

NOVEMBER 2015

SOOKE SKINCARE COMPANY MARKETS TO THE WORLD Seaflora has developed a wide range of skincare products created using locally sourced wild seaweeds

OOKE – The cold pristine waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca a nd its my r i ad species of wild seaweeds that Nature has evolved to thrive in its inshore has allowed a small Sooke company to become an expanding player in the international skin care and spa markets. “These are high quality, high end skincare products that we make from local wild seaweed. We are licensed to harvest seaweeds between Sooke and the Jordan River area and from that we design and manufacture high end skincare for the spa industry. Today, we now sell into Hong Kong, Taiwan, the United States and coast to coast across Canada. We do a good job of creating the best quality seaweed skin care products,” explained Diane Bernard, owner of Seaflora Wild Organic Seaweed Skincare. “We are the first company and probably the only seaweed company right now to have USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) Organic Certification. I’m the licensed harvester which requires government permits. We hire part time harvesters that are out there during the harvest season, hand-harvesting wild seaweed from this spectacular coastline,” she said. A self-described environmentalist, self-taught business person and a devoted champion of turning wild resources into successful value-added products, Bernard (who refers to herself as “The Seaweed Lady”), says when she first moved to British Columbia, she knew she wanted to operate her own business. “When I came out here to the west coast and decided to do something entrepreneurial and do something with value-added

quality to it, I must say seaweed was the last thing I thought of,” she said. “But I always used to go to the coast and eat wild seaweed and think ‘what am I going to do when I grow up?’ When we first started, we sold to restaurants. When a chef introduced me to a high end spa with a European seaweed spa product, I knew right away it had virtually no seaweed. It was white, perfumed and the seaweed was low quality. So, the lights went on and I started taking business courses.” Flash forward 14 years and Seaflora, now operating out of its own Sooke production facility, employs a full-time staff of about a dozen. They market an expanding line of products to an eagerly receptive audience around the world. “We now sell 29 different products for the spa and skincare industry. Lately, we are considering other areas of health and wellness and that’s our next series of projects. However the lowly, humble seaweed has turned out to be an exotic, beautiful, wild resource that is a treasure trove of vitamins and minerals. With the USDA Certification we’ve proved that. We’re also now working with the NRC (National Research Council) to help us develop seaweed’s unique health compounds and molecules. Now, we can really get into the heart of the health benefits.” All of the products produced and marketed by Seaflora originate from hand-picked organic and fully sustainable wild seaweed. “BC Ma ri ne Pla nt Ha r vesti ng Reg u lations require it to be hand harvested, and that’s good. So even if there was some mechanized way to do it, we wouldn’t use it. It helps bring jobs to the area,” Bernard explained. “Once we have it in our boats and into our facility, we process it. We grind it; we blend it and prepare it. We dry two seaweed species before processing. The BC coastline has upwards of 600 different species of seaweed and

This Sooke based company produces 29 different varieties of high end skincare products which has attracted buyers from across the globe

Seaflora Wild Organic Seaweed Skincare’s owner Diane Bernard works with her harvesting crew hand picking seaweed, in this case Alaria there are over 500 where we are licensed to harvest. We regularly harvest about a dozen wild seaweeds for our products as they have different textures and different traits, different benefits and different health qualities.” While often used in food items, seaweed, w ith its cou ntless health benefits is the perfect resource for Seaf lora’s range of skin care products. “What’s good for you internally; that is what you can eat, is also excellent for you externally - what you put on your body. Seaweed has high vitamin content, some of the highest of any plants. Some

seaweed has 80 times the amount of vitamins that land plants do. Some have all of the Vitamin B’s including B12, Vitamin D and many others. The seaweed in our Sea Therapy anti-aging line has 40 percent protein by dried weight. That’s a shocker in the beauty and anti-aging world to have one plant with 40 percent protein.” Aside from a focus on environmental sensitivity and resource sustainability, Bernard’s other business philosophy involves an emphasis on producing viable va lue-added products. “In Canada, we tend to not sell

value-added products. We focus on selling raw commodities. Our philosophy is that Canadians are too quick to sell off our raw resources. Rather than sell our seaweeds raw and at a lower value, we developed a high value-added product. In this case, it’s seaweed skin care. It was through the food industry that a chef introduced me to the world of spa and that’s when I said, ‘Aha!’ - I then really started to take a look at what this meant,” she said. For someone w ith roots on both of Canada’s coasts, another plus for Bernard is developing a business that could function and thrive in a small coastal setting. “Producing a high quality product and taking it out into the world can happen from a small coastal community. We do this sustainably, as well as provide good local jobs. We’re global, but at a local level,” she explained. “We basically do everything from here. We do get some of our packaging from Italy because they do a damn good job with glass. We consciously focus on doing everything from a Canadian perspective. What that means is using a Canadian wild resource, value-adding it with Canadian creativity and Canadian labour. All of which produces a unique Canadian product. We ship it to top areas of the world and they’re responding favorably. T hey like it, they want more of it and it’s all just feeding into the concept of good business.”

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NOVEMBER 2015

SEA POWER MARINE CENTRE: SMALL SHOP / BIG PRODUCTS “One of our mottos is: Operating out of two locations the Sea Power Marine Centre is an authorized Volvo Penta sales and service centre

We’re here to power boats, and empower boaters” ANDREW GILL OWNER, SEA POWER MARINE CENTRE

IDNEY – Boating is big business in Canada. According to statistics released by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) Canada, the recreational boating industry injects nearly $5 billion into the Canadian economy each year, while more than nine million Canadians (about 35 percent) participate in some form of boating activity annually. For Andrew Gill, the owner of Sidney’s Sea Power Marine Centre, helping owners and operators get the most pleasure and the least grief out of their watercraft investment is at the heart of everything his company does. “A very strong maintenance program will help make sure you do get the maximum value out of your boating investment. It is very expensive, there’s no way around that. But if you do not have a good relationship with your repair shop, it can become even more expensive. We really strive to understand the customer’s needs and expectations and then tailor a maintenance program to match those needs,” he explained. “By taking the time to understand the owner’s expectations, you’ll know whether you are meeting them or not. If you’re not, then you’re in a position to be able to deal with it before the situation gets worse.” With a corporate origin going back to the late 1960’s, Sea Power Marine Centre is a full service boat repair and maintenance facility, and is an authorized Volvo Penta service centre. “I started with the company in 1996 and I purchased the business in 2000. Sea Power is primarily a service and repair dealership for a number of high profile items. The largest volume of product that we do is Volvo Penta. We’ve been an authorized dealer for Volvo Penta

since 1982 and we’re authorized to work on all Volvo Penta products,” he explained. “That would include everything from gas, diesel, inboards, stern drives, IPS (Inboard Performance System), electronic systems, vessel control systems – if it has Volvo Penta name on it we’re authorized to sell and service it as well as do all warranty work on it. We stick primarily to power and mechanical systems; mechanical power, hydraulic power, electrical power, vessel systems and things like that.” As well Sea Power is also an authorized sales and service representative for Mercury, Arneson, Twin Disk, Suzuki and Garmin products. If a boat owner has a structural or hull-related issue, while Sea Power Marine doesn’t normally look after that in-house, it does have an established connection with the local marine maintenance industry and can quickly connect the boat owner with the people who do. “We don’t typically get directly involved in aluminum and fiberglass repairs (hull repairs). However we will handle the sub contracting of them to ensure they are done to the owner’s satisfaction. Under certain conditions we’ll act, if using the analogy of a homebuilder, as the General Contractor. In that case the General Contractor may do a number of the trades themselves but bring in a sub contractor for some of the specialty work. We operate in much the same way, but for the maintenance of boats.” Sea Power Marine Centre was originally a Lower Mainland company but moved to Sidney in the 1970’s. The company, with a staff of about a dozen, currently works out of two separate locations. “We

Andrew Gill the owner of the Sea Power Marine Centre understands the needs of his clients as he’s an active boater in his own right actually have two locations. There’s our main repair yard for the smaller vessels right on the highway in Sidney (2081 Amelia Ave.) across the highway from Slegg Lumber. That location is where we have our main repair shop where engines, drives and components are serviced. We also have a secured compound there, where we can hold vessels of up to about 35’ depending on the configuration of the vessel. If they’re towable we’ll often bring them into our own yard and service them there,” he said. “If they’re larger and not easily moved then we have another location at Canoe Cove Marina (in North Saanich) where we have offices. We also provide a full mobile service and we typically will service anywhere on southern Vancouver Island, from about Parksville south. We’ve got a fairly even split of customers ranging from individual boat owners to large commercial account customers with large fleets of vessels where we participate in the maintenance management of their fleet. This would include customers in the whale watching industry and the commercial fishing industry.” Sea Power has been an integral part of keeping the region’s whale watching industry on the move for many years. “We do work on a contract basis with some of the larger whale watching companies in Victoria. Eagle Wings Tours is one of them, as we’ve been working with them for about 10 years. We’ll do some of their specialty work and

One of Sea Power’s strengths is the knowledge of its staff, including (left to right) Brian Morey, Allen Van Strien, Chris Pennington, Gunter Zieser

Using the Marine TravelLift system, boats can be easily moved ashore to allow for repair work to be carried out inside the company’s spacious workshop we also work with their own maintenance team in order to ensure that their vessels are getting maintained to a standard that is required by their industry.” Gill, coming to the marine maintenance industry with a background as a heavy duty mechanic, says he enjoys the unique challenges of vessel mechanical maintenance. “We’re a small shop but we carry the big products, all with personalized service. We have the latest equipment and the most upto-date training. Being a small shop

everybody gets factory up-to-date training. I certainly understand the importance of the guys having training in the latest technology and ensuring that they’re comfortable using it,” he said. “That personalized level of service has always been a very successful plus for the operation. One of our mottos is: We’re here to power boats, and empower boaters. It’s a matter of us taking the time to actually educate the owners and operators of the vessels to any depth that they want.”

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SALT SPRING ISLAND/ESQUIMALT

NOVEMBER 2015

SALT SPRING CHAMBER INTRODUCTION

S SALT SPRING ISLAND LI READ

alt Spring Island is not a municipality. The form of governance for the Gulf Islands is known as the Islands Trust, and it has been in place since 1974. Two trustees are ele c te d p er I s l a nd , at e a ch civic election. For Salt Spring, there is also an elected CR D representative. T h e Sa lt S p r i ng C h a m b e r was established in 1948, and is a not-for-profit organization currently representing 300 business owners and individuals on the Island. The purpose of the Salt Spring Chamber of Commerce is to create and maintain

a prosperous environment for business and skills development, by advocating to enhance the Island’s economic viability and sustainability. The tag line for the Salt Spring Chamber sums it up: Gateway to a Strong Economy. Check out the Salt Spring Chamber website (www.saltspringchamber.com) and the Salt Spring Chamber tourism site (www. saltspringtourism.com). Enjoy the video created by the Chamber and also hear a podcast of a recent radio show in Vancouver. Both are “live” on the tourism website. Salt Spring’s Chamber Board is

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made up of 15 volunteers. All of them are in business. President Li Read, Vice-Presidents Matt Steffich and John Cade, Treasurer Teile McDonald, Secretary to the Board (and liaison with the busy Visitors Centre) Murray Nurse, plus Directors Jeremy Millsom, Ken Marr, Genevieve Price, Maggie Allison, Elizabeth FitzZaland, Lisa Sliwowska, Peter LloydJones, and Cornelia Krikke. The energetic Chamber office is managed by Janet Clouston, Executive Director, and Gail Beattie, Member Services and Finance. Volunteers are an essential part of Salt Spring’s vibrant Island community, and the Chamber

membership both support and sponsor events that create good outcomes for all businesses. I like to remind the Islanders that if they are providing a service or an item for sale, then they are in business. Retail is only the evident face of a Gulf Island business community. The four pillars of Salt Spring’s community might be described as: Arts, Agriculture, Wellness, and Tourism. T he Island is a very interesting place to visit and definitely holds huge allure as a lifestyle destination to call “home”. Li Read is the President of the Salt Spring Chamber of Commerce.

TOWNSHIP RELEASES FIGURES According to the Township there are now 675 active businesses in Esquimalt, which is up from 593 last year

ESQUIMALT RJ SENKO

conomic Development in Esquimalt could soon get a much needed boost based on a recent open house hosted by the new owner of the English Inn, Aragon Properties. In speaking with Aragon President, Lenny Moy, at the October 1 event, the property could soon be the site of a rejuvenated hotel along with up to 200 condominium units. According to Moy his plans include a full service restaurant, conference room, spa and fitness facility. He also plans to enhance the gardens and outdoor wedding venue along with the construction of several buildings containing up to 200 market value condominiums. Council and Chamber representatives as well as dozens of local residents - the majority of who expressed a positive reaction to the concept drawings on display - attended the open house. If the redevelopment can work its way through the approval process in a timely fashion, it could be the impetus to reviving Esquimalt’s lagging building numbers. ••• According to the latest figures released by the Township the value of building permits issued during the first half of 2015 is just $7.2 million compared with $24.8 million for the same period in 2014 – a 70 per cent decrease year over year. While it is always possible that a single development can skew these numbers from year to year, it is interesting to note that the Esquimalt numbers are in sharp contrast to the rest of

the region. By comparison, figures for all of Greater Victoria show the total value of building permits up 16 per cent ($363 million year to date) with residential permits up 48.5 per cent ($268 million year to date). In Esquimalt all residential permits are down, including not a single permit issued for new multi-family construction. To be fair it’s not all negative, as things appear to be looking up in commercial and institutional development. So far in 2015 the Township has issued 4 commercial building permits with a value of $555,000. That’s double the permits for the same period last year when two permits totalling $25,000 were issued. Institutional permits went from 2 in 2014 with a value of $800,000 to 5 so far this year with a value of $2.8 million. One final numeric note, the Township issued 32 new business licences the first half of this year, which is on par with the same period in 2014. According to the Township there are now 675 active businesses in Esquimalt, which is up from 593 last year. While almost half of those are home-based businesses, it’s always possible that some of this year’s growth in commercial development will create some attractive business space. For more information on business opportunities in Esquimalt visit our website esquimaltchamber.ca or you can give us a call at 250-590-2125. RJ Senko is a Vice-President at the Esquimalt Chamber and President of RJStrategies, a government relations and communications consulting firm. He can be reached at 250-888-3534.

NOVEMBER 2015

CUSTOM PRO EXTERIORS CONTINUES TO GROW Victoria based company boasts a stellar reputation

I C T O R I A — I n i t s 35 yea rs i n the i ndustry, Custom Pro Exteriors Ltd. has become an industry leader on Vancouver Island as a full-service building envelope contractor. As a privately owned, family operated business, Custom Pro Exteriors prides itself in consistently providing a high level of service and quality workmanship to all its customers. The Victoria based company’s ex pertise ra nges over a vast variety of exterior work including fibre-cement, vinyl, metal, and wood siding, as well as different types of soffits, gutters, and downpipes. T h e c o m p a n y ’s i n-h o u s e s c a f fol d d i v i s i o n p ro v i d e s ere ct ion, d i sm a nt l i n g, a nd rental service for projects of a ny t y p e. C u s tom P ro a l s o specializes in window installation, and can supply quality window products to meet the needs of commercial and residential projects. Company owner Rezin Craycroft noted t hat t he k nowledge a nd expertise the team has gathered over the years have given them expertise in building envelope and rain-screen technology, allowing them to provide lasting solutions that will perform and endure in the harsh climate we face on the west coast. Before founding the company i n 1980, C rayc rof t h a d a ccumulated years of experience working in the construction industry; when an opportunity presented itself, he made the decision to strike out on his own. “From day one we had lots of work, he sa id. “Basica l ly the company grew by an employee or two every year. I was

Left to right: Mike Craycroft, Alan McBride, Jenn Douglass, Margaret Craycroft (in front), Rezin Craycroft (behind), Kristine Young (in front), Ryan Craycroft (behind), Lisa Richards (front)

“To this day, providing quality work and excellent customer service are our main priorities.” REZIN CRAYCROFT OWNER, CUSTOM PRO EXTERIORS LTD.

SEE CUSTOM PRO EXTERIORS | PAGE 12

Custom Pro Exteriors handles every type of exterior cladding

Congratulations to the Rezin and the Custom Pro team on your

35th Anniversary!

www.sleggbuilding.com QUADRA

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(250) 920-2001

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KEATING

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NOVEMBER 2015

A recent project is the prestigious Mariner’s Village in Sooke

CUSTOM PRO EXTERIORS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

r u n n i ng a few crews w ith i n three years – and from there on, it’s a l l h i stor y.” Tod ay, Custom Pro Exteriors employs about 80 people work i ng on multiple projects up and down Vancouver Island. Craycroft

said that the company manages to handle the projects and continues to grow thanks to people like Project Manager Alan McBride, and his sons Michael and Ryan Craycroft who act as field operations managers and lead an outstanding group of longterm employees. “They’re helping to take the company to another level,” he

said. “They keep the business strong and keep the customer base g row i ng.” He added that the company philosophy has been consistent since the 1980s. “To this day, providing quality work and excellent customer service are our main priorities. Giv i ng ou r cu stomers wh at they want, when they want it

Congratulations on your company’s 35th anniversary! It’s been a pleasure working with you these past 20 years. Your spirit, drive and hard work have made your organization what it is today. This is a milestone to celebrate. Cheers to your success! 400 – 848 Courtney St Victoria, BC Canada V8W 1C4

(250) 386-1115 • www.cpcm.ca

is a key factor in the success of our company.” Custom Pro Exterior’s customers span a wide range and i nclude homeow ners, renovators, strata groups, and developers and builders of single family homes as well as multifamily and commercial projects. Over the years, Custom P ro E x ter iors, as a l icensed

building envelope renovating cont ractor, h a s a l so done a good deal of building envelope remediation work. “The leaky condo crisis has had a major impact on our sector of the industry; our business used to be as si mple as putting siding on the wall, but SEE CUSTOM PRO EXTERIORS | PAGE 13

317-877 Goldstream Ave., Victoria, BC

Proud Legal Advisor to Custom Pro Exteriors 250-391-7777 www.embertonlaw.com

NOVEMBER 2015

Custom Pro Exteriors completed the exteriors of the Beach Club in Parksville

CUSTOM PRO EXTERIORS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

over the years it has evolved i nto a s p e ci a l i z e d b u i ld i n g e n v e l o p e t r a d e ,” M c B r i d e said. “Our company has been pro-active in the progression of the industry, building relationships with the engineers and manufacturers who specialize

in the work we do.” Those relationships, along with a strong network of bu i lders a nd developers who have embraced the changing industry has allowed Custom Pro Exteriors to work on many prestigious projects on Vancouver Island including Mariner’s Village in Sooke, Eagle Creek Village in Victoria, Chemainus Village

M a l l, B e ach Club i n Pa rk sville, Berwick on the Lake in Nanaimo, Berwick by the Sea in Campbell River, and Comfor t I n n i n Ca mpbel l R iver. The company is also engaged i n on-goi ng work i n va rious subdivisions such as Westhills and Royal Bay in Victoria. McBride said that Custom Pro takes on work both through the

CONGRATULATIONS TO CUSTOM PRO EXTERIORS

company’s established network of clients and also through actively bidding work for potential new clients. Whatever the situation, it is Custom Pro’s objective to offer a comprehensive package of services for the client, and to deliver their project on time and on budget. Craycroft said that schedule is always an important factor

for the clients, and the team is focused on working together with its client and other trades to meet the goals of the project. “If we get ou r way, we like to finish a project a day or two ahead of their schedule rather than a month behind – and that’s one of the reasons we SEE CUSTOM PRO EXTERIORS | PAGE 14

Wishing you another 35 successful years

ON THEIR 35TH ANNIVERSARY Gentek is a proud partner of Custom Pro Exteriors in providing quality exterior building products: Vinyl Siding • Vinyl Soffit & Accessories • Aluminum Soffit Fascia & Eavestrough • Windows • Doors 1001 Corporate Drive Burlington, ON L7L 5V5 gentek.ca Make us a part of your home.

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NOVEMBER 2015

Custom Pro Exteriors is an expert on commercial projects

CUSTOM PRO EXTERIORS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

keep getting work coming to us.” He added that the company consistently gets excellent feedback from its clients. “We find Custom Pro Exteriors able to read, interpret, and execute our details or propose alternate solutions as needed. This is a requirement for the development team in order to achieve substantial compliance

to the project documentation, and meet the intent of the BC Building Code for both Part 9 and Part 3 buildings.” - Chatwin Associates Building Science Ltd. “Hav i ng worked w ith Rezin Craycroft and Custom Pro Exteriors over the past year, I can attest to their overall quality i nstallation of exterior components including sheathing membrane, window and door prestripping, rainscreen, and

a range of claddings and trim.” - Omicron “Custom Pro Exteriors was hired to do the exterior buildi ng envelope at Mou nt View A f ford a ble Ho u s i n g /Ca rey Place for ou r compa ny La rk P rojects. T he Super i ntendent for Custom Pro Exteriors, M ichael Craycrof t was ver y professional in his approach to execute the contract. He had no problems coming to us with issues and organizing all of the

products a nd m a n power to complete their scope of work.” – Lark Projects “We find Custom Pro Exteriors to be attentive to detail, a nd fol low ou r deta i ls wel l. T hey a re a lways getti ng the projects done in a timely fashion a nd to the h ighest sta ndards of quality. We have no problem standing up for their q u a l i t y a n d wo rk m a n s h i p. T hey a lways supply qu a l ity products with great customer

service.” - Aqua – Coast Engineering Ltd. Craycroft said that over the years the company has built strong relationships with its clients, consultants, and other trades. McBride added that the employees are a large factor in the company’s success. “ We h ave a g reat g roup of people who keep ou r cl ients happy on a day-to-day basis. SEE CUSTOM PRO EXTERIORS | PAGE 15

Congratulations to Rezin and the team at Custom Pro Exteriors.

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CUSTOM PRO EXTERIORS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

M a ny of ou r tea m members have been with us for a number of years and are helping lead our crews and train the next generation.” Office manager Jenn Douglass said, “A big part of what makes us who we are is our company culture. It’s a family company and our whole team feels like one big family, which is a very positive thing for us.” After 35 years, Craycroft said the company is still a work in p ro g re s s. F u t u re pl a n s i nclude building on the foundation established over the last 35 yea rs to help Custom P ro Ex teriors grow a nd prosper. McBride added that currently a strong focus has been placed on workplace safety and communication to help maintain the company’s reputation for customer service. T he company is always looking for new and better ways to service its cl ients, a nd w it h i n t he l a st year Custom Pro Exteriors has also acquired Network Home Improvements and Valley Gutters to extend its capabilities both in the Victoria area and farther up-island. Custom P ro Ex teriors Ltd. is at 4512 Li nd hol m Road i n Victoria. www.customproexteriors.com

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Wishing continued success to Rezin and his team, from all of us at Spirit West Management. 604-377-4307 • www.spiritwest.com

Congratulations To The Custom Pro Team! Rob Stephens 1353 Fairfield Rd., Cobble Hill, B.C.

(250) 743-3424

Congratulations on your 35th Anniversary! 3026 Jutland Rd, Victoria, BC

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Congratulations to Custom Pro Exteriors. It is always a pleasure being involved with your projects. Curt Derrick

250-381-3623

540 Hillside Ave, Victoria

16 MELINDA’S BISCOTTI CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

incredibly rewarding, and it’s one of the most cha l lengi ng things we’ve taken on in our lives. “What’s got us through this journey so far has been an acceptance that we will work as hard as we need to, to get the job done. There have only ever been two options for the company since it all started, go big, or bust. And at the end of the day, the reason we’re still standing is due to hard work and commitment to seeing our vision come to fruition.” The first batch of Melinda’s Biscotti was cooked up in 2004, after Cownden experimented with a recipe and brought the results to work. Her co-workers responded so favorably that she decided to start producing the products on a larger scale, selling them as a way to help take her daughters to Disneyland. Hodgson joined the business in 2005, and began expanding the customer base to include coffee shops and cafes in the region. After a few years, they were fulfilling orders for more than 85 shops, on top of orders from their regular customers. And doing it all out of their garage, which had been renovated into a commercial kitchen. “W hen I fi rst got i nvolved with the company I was really

OFF THE COVER impressed with the reactions the product received from customers,” he says. “I took samples to every place that I could, and the response was nearly always positive. If they tried the product, it was almost a certainty that they’d carry it in their store. That gave us a lot of confidence as we looked to take things to the next level; we k new we h ad somet h i ng special.” T he busi ness’s f i rst m ajor client was Thrifty Foods, and onboarding them meant having to move operations out of the home. The move allowed them to i ncrease production, a nd they began working through distributor networks to expand market share. They have worked with Sysco, International Pacific Sales, Snowcap, D&C, Van Houtte Coffee a nd Canadian Artisan Foods as distributors, which have enabled them to be carried in outlets like Country Grocer, Quality Foods, Marketplace IGA and Save-On-Foods, among others. “There was definitely a leap of faith involved with that first ex pa n sion,” says Hod gson. “Our first commercial lease was nearly two thirds of our revenue at the time. That was a bit of a wake-up call, and it drove us to focus on new sales streams, and ultimately helped us grow into areas we hadn’t thought of before.

NOVEMBER 2015

Alun Hodgson and Melinda Cownden, owners of Melinda’s Biscotti PHOTO CREDIT: JO-ANN WAY/NUTTYCAKE.COM

“Looking back on that decision to step out from the homebased business still gives me chills. There was so much on the line, but we’re happy that we took the risk, and even happier that it paid off.” Currently, Melinda’s Biscotti operates out of a 3,600 square foot industrial unit in North Saanich, with a café that offers breakfast and lunch options to their regular customers. T hei r product offeri ngs

include the original biscotti recipe and several flavor variations, including three gluten free options. They’re also one of the few Canadian producers of meringue. T he nex t yea r or so for the company includes a focus on opt i m i z i n g pro duct ion a nd p a c k a g i n g , w h i c h w i l l e nable expansion into Western Ca n a d a , t h ro u g h a v a r i e t y o f m a j o r re t a i l e r s , i n c l u di n g p o te n t i a l p a r t n e rs h i p s

w i t h B C Fe r r i e s , S a f e w a y and Federated Co-operatives Limited. In their 11-year history, the busi ness has won 3 Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce Crystal Awards, in the categories of Business of the Year, New Product or Service, and Ent re pre ne ur ial Spir it . T hey’re also known for supporting a wide-variety of community programs. www.melindasbiscotti.com

NOVEMBER 2015

TALON SIGNS: PURCHASING THE RIGHT SIGN FOR YOUR BUSINESS

JOHN GLENNON

sign is the face your business presents to the world. In ages past commercial signage was the single most effective means of informing your local community about your business, its products and services. But you know what? Even in the 21st Century, even with instant messaging, blaring television announcements and the Internet worming its way into every corner of modern life – nothing can replace a clean, stylish, elegant and informative business sign for direct, one-on-one impact. But, while signs were once limited to laboriously-carved wooden art projects, or hand painted lettering on a solid panel – the development of a rainbow of electrical options has opened a world of advertising possibilities never before available. Thanks to Saanichton’s Talon Signs and its 75 years of experience business owners today have a vast array of technologies and choices to select from. A partial list of what’s

currently available includes (but is not limited to): NEON: Yes, that’s right, neon. The colored tubes that illuminated the earlier parts of the 20th Century continue to dazzle, mesmerize and inform. But the modern cousin of this glowing galaxy of color is better built, longer lasting and consumes less electricity. Neon tubes can be bent to form shapes, letters, numbers or whatever the owner desires. Neon signs can be costly to repair if damaged, but they can last for decades and add an elegance not found by any other signage format. FLUORESCENT: A far more basic and affordable alternative is the classic backlit sign box. These units can be mounted on a wall, top a pylon, or be suspended from a hanging bracket. These systems are economical to build, and even cheaper to repair as it merely takes a swapping of burnt out fluorescent tubes to put a darkened sign back into service. One key to a good backlit sign is a design that is legible, easy to read and has eye catching graphics, another service we offer. The Talon Signs’ talented design team can create sign designs that have real impact. LED: Low energy consumers, brilliant, long lasting and impervious to weather, LED (Light Emitting Diode) signs are somewhat more

expensive to build than its fluorescent relative, but the long term energy saving benefits alone make this a proven winner. A fairly recent addition to the world of signage, a broad range of different LED styles and models are being produced, so ensure sufficient numbers of these pinpoints of light are installed to effectively convey the message you need presented. Additional things to consider when planning a sign include engineering details, real estate footprint, design, municipal bylaws / regulations, and more. All of the signs produced by Talon are fully certified as such signs must bear a certification mark from an approved/accredited Certification Agency. The Certification Mark must be approved for use in BC. This proves that the sign is in compliance with accepted National Standards. A sign is the first impression your business presents, make it a memorable one. To learn more visit our website at: http:// www.talonsigns.com/ John Glennon is the owner of Insight Sales Consulting Inc, an authorized Sandler Training Licensee. He can be reached at jglennon@sandler. com, toll free at 1-866-645-2047 or visit www.glennon.sandler.com

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NOVEMBER 2015

Provincial Awards Program Honors Agriculture’s Best The We ♥ Local Awards were held for the third time this year, an event organized to honour producers in the provincial agriculture industry

ICTORIA – Agriculture is big business in BC. The provincial government estimates that agriculture generates revenues of more than $11 billion annually in the province. Through its various initiatives and programs it is hoping to see that number climb to more than $14 billion by 2017. Government stats show that producers in the province create more than 200 unique agricultural commodities and harvest more than 100 different seafood species. In addition, government figures show that there are more than 1,500 active agricultural businesses in the province, producing everything from foods and beverages ranging from produce, livestock grains and wine. To help celebrate the very best in the agricultural sector, each year the We ♥ Local Awards are presented to champions in the industry, as voted by their peers, supporters and the general public. The votes are now in the for the 2015 edition (the third annual) with 286 groups and entities nominated across 15 different categories. In all nearly 15,000 votes were received from across BC. In its marketing the We ♥ Local Awards’ organizers stated: “While our 15 winners came from all over BC, one thing was abundantly clear from your votes: this year, all of our winners hailed from BC’s smaller, tight-knit communities. 2015 was the year for smaller towns to strut their stuff, and they clearly have the best of BC to offer!” The winners in each of the categories were: Favorite Fa rmers’ Ma rket: With a deep-rooted love of their community and some impressive energy (they only got started in October 2014) Esquimalt Farmers Market’s “make, bake or grow” philosophy supports

The 2015 edition of the We ♥ Local Awards saw more than 15,000 votes come in, votes which nominated nearly 300 producers around the province local growers and producers on Vancouver Island. Favorite Store to Buy Local: What’s Nature’s Pickin’s’ secret to winning two years in a row? Living in the Fraser Valley, they’re surrounded by farms - so they work directly with farmers to get their products in the Abbotsford store. Favorite Local Meat or Poultry Supplier: Winners Havesome Hogs (Slocan Park, Kootenay region) deliver on this promise: “Because we care for these animals from beginning to end, we can say without a doubt these animals are raised with care through their entire lives.” Plus, their hogs are raised on mash leftover from brewing local ale – sustainable, tasty and the pigs love it too. Favorite Local Seafood Supplier: Two-time winners Bruce’s Country Market (Maple Ridge, Lower Mainland) keep it simple: they offer fresh-caught wild

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salmon from their own gill-netters, smoked salmon from their own family recipes - and a diverse selection of seafood and other local goodies, all in one spot. Favorite Local Cheese Maker: Voters had been big fans of family-owned Little Qualicum Cheeseworks ever since we first saw their videos of their cows literally frolicking. This Parksville, Vancouver Island dairy’s got heart, plus the best cheesecake recipe you’ll ever taste. Favorite Local Sweet Treat + Best In Show: There’s a lot to love about Reddy Made Cakes & Supplies, and no one knows it better than Abbotsford! To win Best In Show, a local favorite has to win the highest votes total – a challenge Reddy made look like a cake walk. The only hard part left is figuring out which cake to try first: will it be The Bad Bacon or Luscious Lemon? Favorite Local Advocate: This

category’s winner Miche Warwick was asked for advice on becoming a better advocate for local, and she said: “I think the most important thing about being a local advocate, is putting your heart and passion into all that you do. Speak out, and speak up! Be consistent, creative, and never give up. To advocate for local, you need to ‘be’ local. So live local, in all aspects of your life, and be a shining example for your community.” Miche lives this advice through her advocacy work in the Kootenays. Favorite Local Winery: Located in Port Alberni on beautiful Vancouver Island, Emerald Coast Vineyards is family-owned and operated. Committed to sustainable practices, they don’t irrigate or farm more than half their acreage…and the result is an astonishing variety of delicious local wines. Favorite Local Brewery: Locally brewed IPA’s are hot right now, and this category is highly competitive. Rossland Beer Company might not be a big-city brewery (in fact, they’re located in the heart of the Monashee Mountains) but they’re huge in flavor - and popularity. Beer lovers are welcome to stop by to fill their growlers – they’re sure to run into owner-operators Petri and Ryan while they’re there. Favorite Local Food Truck: “Trattoria on Wheels” Hotties Foods is a mobile pasta bar in Stave Falls (Mission) that uses local, organic ingredients and Nonna’s recipes to create mouth-watering food on the go. You had us all at “mobile pasta bar.” Favorite Local U-Pick Farm: For 22 years, Willow View Farms has been selling their produce to the Abbotsford community, and their motto says it all: “our home, your farm.” At the heart of their philosophy is the goal of keeping local communities strong by inspiring

people to support local farms – plus providing delicious u-pick produce l i ke apples, plu ms, pears, pumpkins and corn. Favorite Local Orchard/Fruit Supplier: Based in Ladysmith on Vancouver Island, Yellow Point Cranberries is an innovative family-owned and operated cranberry farm. Don’t miss their tasting tours, which let you see a working sustainable cranberry farm, and enjoy a taste of their cranberry juice or goodies. Favorite Local Chef or Restaurant/Cafe: From North Vancouver, Bluhouse Market & Cafe is deeply rooted in community values: they support local and fair trade farmers, offer local, organic sustainable food. Plus, they offer amazing buckwheat crepes that keep their community coming back for more! Favorite Local Florist or Nursery: “Every day of your life is a reason to celebrate.” says The Bloom Bloom Room. Located in New Westminster and using upcycled vases, and offering local delivery, Bloom Bloom brings a warm sense of community to their professional bouquets – and they offer great advice on keeping your blooms local and fresh. Favorite Local Greenhouse or Veggie Grower: A co-op of small and medium size growers dedicated to food security and sustainable farming practices, Farmship Growers Cooperative aims to broaden consumer access to healthy, locally grown food – and they’re pooling resources to contribute to local seed sovereignty. No wonder the community in Nanaimo loves them. E a c h ye a r t he We ♥ L o c a l Awards are sponsored by the BC Government’s Ministry of Agriculture, the BC Agriculture Council and the BC Dairy Association. To learn more visit its website at: http://www. weheartlocalbc.ca/

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WHO IS SUING WHOM

NOVEMBER 2015

WHO IS SUING WHOM The contents of Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Suing Whom is provided by a third-party resource and is accurate according to public court documents. Some of these cases may have been resolved by publication date. DEFENDANT Amada Ventures Inc 7th Flr 1175 Douglas St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Lugossy, Edward H CLAIM $ 10,107 DEFENDANT Barrett Smith Construction Ltd 4028 McLellan St, Saanich, BC PLAINTIFF Tomleys Market Inc CLAIM $ 10,788 DEFENDANT Blanchard Rigging Ltd PO Box 14, Hornby Island, BC PLAINTIFF Kloppenburg, John Y CLAIM $ 6,666 DEFENDANT Eagleye Residential Services Ltd 4599 Chatterton Way, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Alpine Insulation Ltd CLAIM $ 6,193

DEFENDANT Eagleye Restoration & Construction 1027 Pandora Ave, Victoria, AB PLAINTIFF Alpine Insulation Ltd CLAIM $ 6,193 DEFENDANT Eagleye Restoration Services Ltd 1027 Pandora Ave, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Alpine Insulation Ltd CLAIM $ 6,193 DEFENDANT Evans Bay Contracting Ltd PO Box 596, Heriot Bay, BC PLAINTIFF Marine Link Transportation Ltd CLAIM $ 25,216 DEFENDANT Filko Marble and Granite 1130 Fair Rd, Parksville, BC PLAINTIFF Business Development Bank of Canada CLAIM $ 34,782 DEFENDANT Garden City Tree & Landscape Ltd 104-9717 Third St, Sidney, BC PLAINTIFF Tomleys Market Inc CLAIM $ 10,788 DEFENDANT

Integrity Builders Ltd 104-9717 Third St, Sidney, BC Spencer, Graham CLAIM $ 16,355

Sheehan, Nancy CLAIM $ 25,156 DEFENDANT Rambow Mechanical Ltd 1021 Skeena Dr, Kelowna, BC PLAINTIFF International Association of Heat & Frost Insulato CLAIM $ 8,790

DEFENDANT Kitnuna Corporation Inc PO Box 1559, Iqaluit, NU PLAINTIFF Atchison, Brad CLAIM $ 25,236 DEFENDANT Mastercraft Construction 6455 Spooner Way, Saanichton, BC PLAINTIFF Black Box Electric Ltd CLAIM $ 38,456 DEFENDANT Matt Gruber Construction Ltd 201-2377 Bevan Ave, Sidney, BC PLAINTIFF Ocean Concrete CLAIM $ 14,149 DEFENDANT Miles Plumbing Services Ltd 301-830 Shamrock St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Hill, David CLAIM $ 6,160 DEFENDANT OWNERS STRATA PLAN VIS2546 111 Wallace St, Nanaimo, BC PLAINTIFF

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DEFENDANT S&I Hardwood Floors Ltd 4th Flr 888 Fort St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Finishing Store Floors CLAIM $ 5,692 DEFENDANT SA Diving Inc 205-655 Tyee Rd, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Comox Valley Bailiffs Ltd CLAIM $ 357,600 DEFENDANT Shua Developments Inc 200-121 St. Paul St, Kamloops, BC PLAINTIFF Slegg Building Materials Ltd CLAIM $ 18,610 DEFENDANT Stormpoint Holdings Ltd 105-379 Tyee Rd, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Abstract Ventures Inc

19 CLAIM $ 9,023 DEFENDANT Toblyn Management Limited 802 Georgia Dr, Campbell River, BC PLAINTIFF WC Eveson Holdings Ltd CLAIM $ 208,000 DEFENDANT Top Quality Coatings Ltd 676 Goldie Ave, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF St Paul, Crispin CLAIM $ 8,619 DEFENDANT Top Quality Painters Ltd 104-9717 3rd St, Sidney, BC PLAINTIFF St Paul, Crispin CLAIM $ 8,619 DEFENDANT Vic 1 Holding Ltd 122-328 Wale Rd, Colwood, BC PLAINTIFF Western Interior Design Group Ltd CLAIM $ 10,727 DEFENDANT York Lake Equities Ltd 225 Vancouver Ave, Nanaimo, BC PLAINTIFF Rohl Enterprises Ltd CLAIM $ 203,084

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

NOVEMBER 2015

The Synergy Sustainability Institute will be hosting the Vancouver Island EcoStar Awards on November 10. Categories for the awards include waste management, food security, technology, social impact, eco-preneur of the year, and the greenest office, restaurant and retail business. MNP LLP has named James Byrne as its new regional managing partner for Vancouver Island. Byrne has most recently been the company’s provincial leader for forestry and forest products, and will continue to service his clients in his new position. To get in Movers and Shakers, call Thom at 250661-2297 or email thom@businessexaminer.net ICBC has asked the BC Utilities Commission to approve a 5.5 per cent increase in basic insurance rates, resulting in an extra $44 a year on average for basic car insurance.

Royal Roads University has appointed Catherine Riggins as its new associate vice-president of marketing and alumni relations. Riggins has been with the University since 2010 as its director of branding, marketing and recruitment.

Island Sexual Health has elected four new board members - Devon Black, Jodi Mann, Eric Berndt and Delaney Walls. They join returning board members Laura Taylor, Sandra Herbison, Art Celuszak, executive director Bobbi Turner, and medical director Dr. Lynn Shaw. Dr. Julian Young and Rick Hollingworth are the outgoing directors. Suzan Kostiuck is the new owner of Excellent FrameWorks and the E.J. Hughes Gallery. The 30-year-old business was started by Michael Shaw and Janet Martinez, who opened E.J. Hughes gallery at their 28 Station Street location in 2001. Michael and Janet are now concentrating on their online business, Pacific Outlook.

Ryan and Kim Smith of Great Greens Farm Market Market on June 1st at the corner of Koksilah Road and the Trans-Canada Highway. Great Greens Farm Market is a 5,000 square foot full service grocery store with Produce, Grocery, Meat, Deli, Dairy, Frozen Food and Nursery Departments that employs 40 people. Inside the market is a café that offers homemade soups, sandwiches and specialty coffees. MediaCore, a Vancouver-based software company, has been acquired by Workday, a Silicon Valley firm that offers cloud-based software to manage finance and human resources. Workday has a market cap of around $14 billion US and annual revenues of around $1 billion.

Dee Kinee PHOTO CREDIT: CARLYLEART.CA

Dee Kinee has been appointed Community Engagement Manager of the Chemainus Festival of Murals Society (CFOMS). Former Chemainus hockey star Don Bodger was recently inducted into the BC Hockey Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place this summer in Penticton Robin Ramalho has opened The Music Hall Food Co. in Ladysmith. It is located at 18 Roberts Street and offers everything from Burgers to Burritos, 12 different local beers as well as live entertainment. Thetis Island Ferry may undergo some upgrades according to rumours. The work would likely happen between January 2017 and March 2017. Chemainus Health Food Store is celebrating 8 years in business. They are located at 9738 Willow Street. The Owners of Cowichan Liquor Store, Ryan and Kim Smith, opened up Great Greens Farm

Victoria’s Lifestyle Markets is celebrating 20 years in business this year. The niche marketplace offers natural and organic items, nutritional supplements and vitamins, and body care products. The company how has three locations, with its original one located at 2950 Douglas Street. Colwood’s Pacific Landing development, slated for the 12-acre site on Esquimalt Lagoon, will target transitional housing for the baby boomer population. The six-phase, 115-condo development hopes to break ground on phase 1 in November, with 22 out of the 33 units being sold. Hillside Centre celebrated the opening of the new Ann Louise jewellery location. Aerie Resort will be reopening in Spring of 2016 under the new ownership of the same group that owns the Vancouver Island Motorsport Resort, which is currently under construction in the Cowichan Valley. The 35-room luxury hotel is being modernized and upgraded prior to opening in Spring 2016. The Conference Board of Canada has performed a study that speculates the region’s economy will grow 1.4 per cent this year, and 2.4 per cent next year. Browns Socialhouse will be opening its third Greater Victoria location in Spring in a 3,200-square-foot location at Uptown shopping centre. Gerry and Kristin St. Cyr have reopened Langford Lanes as of mid-October. The bowling alley officially opened in 2011. The building is part of City Centre Park, which is owned by the municipality of Langford. Community Minister Peter Fassbender has announced the appointment of Gordon Ruth as

MOVERS & SHAKERS

NOVEMBER 2015

the BC Government’s new auditor general. Victoria is seeking support from the Capital Regional Hospital Board to consider borrowing $30 million to provide supportive housing and substantially reduce chronic homelessness in the Greater Victoria area. The long-planned Victoria International Marina is slated to open next summer, with a revamped design that includes a 121-metre-long paddling canal between the shore and the marina, and one 8,230-square-foot building that will house a high-end restaurant, coffee shop and marine services. Island Floor Centre Ltd. has welcomed Sean Threlfall as its new General Manager, located at 3375 Tennyson Avenue in Victoria. Aragon Properties has proposed to build a phased mixed-use development with 385 housing units on the former Trio Ready-Mix site in Cordova Bay. The development would also include a small commercial phase. Victoria-based Ascendant FX, a foreign exchange and electronic payment firm that already represents about 2,500 regional banks in the US, has enhanced its fraud-detecting services in an aim to offer its services to the other 8,000 US banks. Vintage Hot Tubs is celebrating its 37th anniversary this year, located at 2020 Blanshard Street, and 102-2374 Millstream Road. The Oak Bay Beach Hotel’s receiver, Ernst and Young Inc., will put the property on the market with the goal of confirming a sale by March. The 11 per cent duty imposed by the US Department of Commerce on a certain Catalyst Paper product has been raised to 18.8 per cent. The proposed 100,000-square-foot, $35-million Sidney Gateway shopping centre will have reached a decision by the end of October. The request to remove nearly 10 acres of agricultural land on Victoria International Airport property was submitted to the Agricultural Land Commission last month. Purely Optometry Oak Bay has welcomed Dr. John Poon for eye exams, located at 1962 Fort Street. The automotive salespeople of the month for greater Victoria have been announced, and include: Nathan Forbes of Harris Auto, Ferdie Roxas of Jim Pattison Toyota, Craig Hawe of Pacific Mazda, Ted Sakousky of Wheaton, Graham Clarke of Audi Autohaus, Josh Driver of Volkswagen Victoria, Matt Kennard of Porsche Centre, Adam Mikasko of Three Point Motors, Daniel St. Denis of BMW Victoria, Dustin Hofer of Volvo, Frank Burgeretta of Wille Dodge, Connie Wilde of Jenner, Felipe Prado of Campus Honda, Ethan Han of Campus Infinite, Nelson Chan of Graham KIA, Frank Pecorelli of Campus

Nissan, Phil Hines of Saunders, Nick Lee of Campus Acura. On August 15 Guitars Plus! celebrated its third anniversary under current owner Kurt Phillips, located at 1108 Blanshard Street. Alistair Vigier is the new head of business development for Active BodyNutrition. Vigier will be working on locations the company has in British Columbia and Alberta. The International Council of Shopping Centres has named Uptown as the silver award winner for two innovative marketing campaigns: #CelebrateYou and holiday “Elf on a Shelf”. Maryanne Carmack has started her new F&B consulting business, and is presently engaged in assisting the developers of the Royal Bay community to identify tenants to operate a neighbourhood-scale café and restaurant, to be located in a building currently in its design stages. Marlin Travel at Broadmead Village has welcomed Richard Hutchison, Cher Stirton and Gordon Davies from its Cadboro Bay office. They are joining the existing team of Voula Christou, Irene Clavora, Cyndi Paddock and Eva Florian. Winners of the 9th annual Sannich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce Crystal Awards for Business Excellence have been announced, and include: BMT Group Services for Business of the Year 1-15 Employees; CAMACC Systems Inc. for Business of the Year 16+ Employees; Beacon Community Services for Non-for-Profit Organization of the Year; Sidney Meet-Up for Contribution to the Community; Island Return-it Recycling Centre Sidney for Green Business of the Year; Seaside Magazine for Entrepreneurial Spirit; Man Cave on Beacon for New Business of the Year; CAMACC Systems Inc. for Employer of the Year; Revolution 3D Printers for New Product or Service; Curves Sidney for Outstanding Customer Service; Panorama Recreation Centre for Newsmaker of the Year; Ginny Alger for the Lifetime Achievement Award. Burnaby-based photographer Connor Stefanison of has been singled out as a winner of the Rising Star Portfolio Award for Wildlife Photographer of the Year for a picture taken in Victoria. Chosen from more than 42,000 entries submitted from across 96 countries, Stefanison’s images are among 100 selected for the year’s best, and will be on display at the Royal BC Museum starting December 4. Two Greater Victoria authors have been recognized for their literary talent at the 2015 Victoria Book Prize Awards Gala. Julie Paul has been named winner of the 12th annual City of Victoria Butler Prize for her short story collection, The Pull of the Moon, while writer/ illustrator Chris Tougas was named winner of the 8th annual Bolen Books Children’s Book Prize for Dojo Daycare.

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NOVEMBER 2015

SINCE

1850 Dec. 9 1850, Joseph Despard Pemberton writes to The Hudson’s Bay Company seeking employment as a Surveyor and Engineer with reference the Colonization of Vancouver’s Island. 1887 Joseph Pemberton and his eldest son Frederick Bernard Pemberton go into business by opening the firm of Pemberton & Son - Engineers, Surveyors, and Real Estate Agents. 1917 Cuthbert Holmes married Phillippa Pemberton while he was on leave from active duty in France. In 1920 Cuthbert Holmes joined his father-in-law, Fred Pemberton, in Pemberton & Son. 1967 Cuthbert Holmes retires and his son Philip Holmes takes over as President. He is joined in due course by his two brothers Desmond and Vincent and Desmond’s son Richard. Eventually the firm passes into the hands of Phil and Warren Holmes and the real estate and property management departments are now being managed by Michael Holmes, a great great grandson of J.D. Pemberton.

TWO DIVISIONS: ONE LOCATION “We offer a very high level of customer service, and in doing that we have added a variety of different services.” CLAIRE FLEWELLING-WYATT MANAGING BROKER, PEMBERTON HOLMES LTD.

n May of this year the new Langford office of Pemberton Holmes Ltd. united the commercial and the residential property management divisions. It was a union that had worked for both the office and its clients previously at the Tolmie Street office. However, due to expansion, the residential division had moved to a new location. Recently, when Pemberton Holmes acquired the new property on Attree Avenue, the two divisions were once again able to share space. M a n ag i ng broker Claire Flewelling-Wyatt said that she and Gail McClymont, managing director of the commercial division, already have a 10-year history of working together successfully. “We have found that by focusing on our areas of expertise, we do a very good job,” she said. “We are able to put our strengths into what is important to us and to our clients.” She

Gail McClymont and Claire Flewelling-Wyatt share a 10-year history of working together added that the Langford location has allowed them to open a sub-office in Sooke as well as in Duncan. And being together means that Flewelling-Wyatt and McClymont can combine their strengths. “Some of her commercial units

have residential above them,” Flewelling-Wyatt said. “Sometimes she will have a question for me about residential, which I am well-schooled in and I can give her a good answer. And when it comes to large buildings and commercial-related concerns, I can go to

her. It’s a really nice union.” Most importantly, she said, the union works for the clients. They know that no matter how large the property or what type it is, the experts at Pemberton Holmes have the right offering to fill their needs.

Pemberton Holmes: A Proud Local History It all began in 1850 when Joseph Despard Pemberton, at age 29 wrote to the Hudson’s Bay Company seeking employment as a surveyor and engineer. In 1887 he and his eldest son Frederick Bernard Pemberton went into business by opening the firm of Pemberton & Son - Engineers, Surveyors, and Real Estate Agents. Today, the company is still family owned with the property management divisions operated by Michael Holmes, a great great grandson

of J.D. Pemberton. Flewelling-Wyatt said that because the firm is not corporate, decisions can be made rapidly and managers are trusted to run their areas well. The founding principles are also top-of-mind. “We offer a very high level of customer service,” she said. “And in doing that we have added a variety of different services.” The Langford office has a showing team as well as an on-staff inspection agent and photographer.

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Flewelling-Wyatt noted that the office continues to enjoy good growth as it lays a solid foundation for the future. “I suspect that we will have a very long tenure here. This has been a great union for us. We know exactly what we’re doing and how to back each other up.” Pemberton Holmes Ltd. is at 101 – 891 Attree Avenue in Victoria. www.phpm.ca

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LAW

NOVEMBER 2015

WHAT IP PROFESSIONALS ARE TALKING ABOUT LAW

Reimagining the Ways We Practise

have just returned from the annual convention of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC). This is a twoday event with numerous educational workshops for Patent Agents, Trademark Agents and IP Lawyers. There were plenary sessions that everyone attended and breakout sessions where the audience broke into smaller groups. The plenary sessions included an address in which Mr. Justice George Locke of the Federal Court provided “tips for having a better relationship with your Judge”, an address by the President of the Canadian Bar Association, Janet Fuhrer, concerning the future of the profession entitled “Reimagining the Ways We Practise”, a panel of experts discussing Crowdfunding, and a panel discussing the issues and opportunities which are being created by 3D printing. I find Crowdfunding interesting in its various forms. You can Crowdfund through social media to solicit pre-orders for your product. You can Crowdfund

3D printing is considered a “disruptive” technology, because it has the potential to dramatically change the way we do things

Michael Cooper and Doug Thompson of ThompsonCooper LLP by making an emotional appeal through social media to solicit donations. Subject to legal limitations imposed by securities regulators, you can also use social media to Crowdfund by selling small equity interests in a start-up venture. 3D printing is considered a “disruptive” technology, because it has the potential to dramatically change the way we do things. For example, currently there are numerous people employed in the transportation industry. However, shipping costs can be avoided entirely by simply having a 3D “print shop” in your neighbourhood. Instead of shipping a

replacement part for one of your motor vehicles or household appliances, the part can be “printed” for you. As with the current issues related to genuine and “pirate” internet sites for music and videos; there will soon be a problem with genuine and “pirate” internet sites that supply the files necessary to print out these parts. The patent breakout sessions included: a review of key court decisions concerning “the promise of the patent” which have changed the way patents should be prepared; and a session called “Gotcha” which reviewed patent infringement remedies in Canada

and the United States. T he t rad em a rk /copy r i g ht breakout sessions included: a review of changes which are coming to Trademark Law as a result of Canada having signed a number of treaties ( Nice, Singapore and Madrid); and several sessions on dealing with copyright and trademark issues in light of the Internet and social media. It was explained that in this age of social media, the old approach of sending a nasty “cease and desist” letter may backfire. An unnecessarily heavy-handed cease and desist letter may well be posted on social media and attract comment. Before one can stop it, the matter may go “viral” with the possibility of substantial negative publicity. An example that was discussed as an alternative approach, was a dispute between the makers of a juice called “Pom Wonderful” and a television host by the name of John Oliver. The humorous (although somewhat off colour) video can be viewed on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Bml8KwCmob8. Why am I relating this information to you? I believe that by reviewing issues being discussed by IP professions today, you gain insight as to issues which will be touching our lives tomorrow.

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SALES

NOVEMBER 2015

CHALLENGE VS. OUTCOME

SALES JOHN GLENNON

eth is a new sales hire at TaskFlow, an enterprise software firm specializing in custom-designed project management applications. The company targets

Fortune 1000 workspaces. She has been making prospecting calls for about two weeks, and her numbers so far are abysmal. So far, she hasn’t scheduled a single appointment. She’s been using the “standard” prospecting script handed to her during her onboarding process, a script that instructs her to ask the person she’s calling the following question: “Are you interested in improving order acquisition and delivery schedules?” By this point, Beth has asked that question hundreds of times. People rarely answer “yes,” and when they do, the script she’s following doesn’t seem to lead to a discussion that results in an appointment. Instead, it asks her to deliver a sales pitch.

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She’s reached the point where she not only dreads posing the question – she dreads dialing the phone to talk to new people. The appointment drought Beth is experiencing isn’t entirely her fault. It’s largely a function of the script she’s using. Baked into her “standard” script is a common selling misconception: the idea that prospects are as eager as we are to talk about the business challenge we think is most relevant to their world. Actually, they are much more likely to engage meaningfully in a conversation about the outcome we can help bring about. What’s the Outcome? For most prospects, facing challenges (solving their problems or achieving their goals) is only a means to an end—realizing an outcome. It’s the desire for that positive outcome that provides the incentive necessary to face the challenge in the first place. It’s the desire for that positive outcome that drives all the behaviors associated with meeting that challenge, including the purchasing of necessary products and services. Because the prospect’s desired outcome is such a powerful motivating force, it should be considered a critical component of an effective prospecting discussion. Beth’s prospecting efforts would be more productive if she put her script aside, took a break from calling, and analyzed the value her company actually delivers – from the point of view of its most loyal customers. If she did that, she’d learn that the project managers who already use her company’s software tend to describe their positive experience with TaskFlow as follows: “By automating and coordinating order acquisition and delivery schedules with TaskFlow’s customized solution, I am able to complete projects on time and under budget.” Automating and coordinating order acquisition and delivery schedules is the challenge these project managers face … but completing projects on time and under budget is the outcome they’re after. Beth’s discussions need to address not only the challenge, but also the outcome her ideal customers are most likely to desire. As of now, there’s no mention of that outcome at all in her script! Premature Presentation Syndrome Another problem with Beth’s script is that it is structured around making a mini-presentation over the phone, rather than allowing her to ask questions. This calling script design is consistent with a widespread “worst practice” that afflicts

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salespeople in many industries. All too often, when salespeople hear a prospect say, “I need X…” or “We’re trying to achieve Y,” they go into “sell” or “presentation” mode. They begin discussing their products that accomplish X or their services that enable prospects to achieve Y … without first identifying the ultimate outcome the prospect is after. So: If a prospect states something like, “I need X,” rather than begin a discussion about Beth’s products or services related to X, we might want to ask the following questions in order to identify the outcome: • Suppose you had X, what would that enable you to do? • W h at wou ld t h at mea n to t he company? • What would that mean to you? Once you understand the challenge-outcome connection, you can position your product or service as the effective means of facing the challenge … and achieving the desired outcome. If Beth were to structure her prospecting calls around both components – the challenge of coordinating schedules and the outcome of bringing projects in on time and under budget – she’d have better prospecting conversations. And she’d schedule more appointments. The Bottom Line To improve your prospecting efficiency, make sure your discussions focus on the outcome, not just the challenge. In order to do this, you must take the time to understand what your own ideal prospects hope to accomplish by working with you. Specifically, you must ask yourself: By successfully facing their challenges, what outcomes do my ideal prospects achieve? How does my product or service help prospects face their challenges and obtain those outcomes? What are the biggest obstacles—real and perceived—preventing them from successfully facing those challenges? The key to creating an effective prospecting approach is to first understand who your ideal prospects are—the challenges they face, the outcomes they desire, and the potential roadblocks they face. You must then be ready to ask questions that help the prospect enter a meaningful, peer-to-peer discussion with you about the ways your product or service might be able to address those issues. If you do that, your prospecting ratios will improve, and you’ll schedule more appointments.

COWICHAN VALLEY

NOVEMBER 2015

CHAMBER CELEBRATES TWO YEARS IN NEW LOCATION

COWICHAN VALLEY SONJA NAGEL

his month we celebrate two years of relocating the Chamber offices and visitor services to the new Cowichan Regional Visitor Centre, adjacent the BC Forest Discovery Centre. We have never looked back! The Centre has doubled the number of visitors serviced in the new facilities. Much of this success can be attributed to the highly visible and accessible location, complimented with lots of parking and easy access for RV’s,

trailers and buses. The Centre continues to break records for the number of visitors serviced, in both the Centre and the community via our mobile visitor services outreach program. Whereas many suggest that “brick and mortar” visitor centres will experience a decline in visitors, our numbers tell a different story. While many travellers use digital technology to research and book travel arrangements, there are many who wish a personal connection, so they may experience all that a destination has to offer. We see this trend continuing, especially since the Cowichan Valley is burgeoning as a popular BC tourist destination. ••• The Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce is one of the oldest Chambers on the Island, established in 1908 under the Board of Trade Act. On November 24, the Chamber will hold its Annual General Meeting. Similar to other years, we expect the AGM will be a high energy event with

over 50 voting members attending. It’s an opportunity to reflect on the successes of the past year, and to share highlights for the upcoming year, which will include hosting Cowichan’s 20th Black Tie Awards on April 9, 2016. We will start receiving nominations for the eight Award categories on December 1. It really does seem like yesterday that we were announcing nominations for our 2015 Awards! ••• The Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce would like to recognize and welcome the following new members: Steelhead LNG, 360 Com for t Systems, Time to Heal Treatment and Workshop Facility, Island Time Tours, and Red Arrow Brewing. Consider joining Cowichan’s most active business networking organization. Sonja Nagel is Executive Director of the Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at manager@duncancc.bc.ca or 250-748-1111

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OPINION

NOVEMBER 2015 A division of Invest Northwest Publishing Ltd. Head Office 200-3060 Cedar Hill Road, Victoria V8T 3J5 Ph: 1.250.661.2297 Fax: 1.250.642.2870 Toll free: 1.866.758.2684 Website: www.businessexaminer.ca

PUBLISHER/EDITOR | Lise MacDonald, lise@businessexaminer.ca SALES | Thom Klos –thom@businessexaminer.ca, Josh Higgins – josh@businessexaminer.ca, Joanne Iormetti – joanne@businessexaminer.ca WRITERS | Goody Niosi, Julia MacDonald, Beth Hendry-Yim, John MacDonald, David Holmes WEBSITE | John MacDonald

REAL CHANGE HAS ARRIVED IN CANADA. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR BUSINESS? MARK MACDONALD

anada voted for change in the October 19 federal election. Change it is, as Justin Trudeau’s Canada is expected to look fairly different than the last nine years under Stephen Harper. Ha r per, a n econom ist, d id a n a d m i r a b l e j o b n a v i g a ting our country through the toughest econom ic cha l lenges si nce the Great Depression, lowered i nterest rates to thei r lowest rates i n over 50 yea rs, brought corporate t a x e s to wh e re Ca n a d a b ecame an even better option to invest than the United States, a nd ba la nced the budget. E c o n o m i c a l l y, h e l e f t t h e country in much better shape than when he arrived. I f T rudeau, the former drama teacher, performs like his father, Pierre – and many older Canadians seem to hope he does – then we have a pretty good idea of where he will lead the country over the next four years. Ju s t l i k e U. S. P re s i d e n t

Ba rack Oba m a, Ju st i n T r udeau prom ised to tack le the “one per centers”, the “millionaires”, whom, he claims, m a k e to o m u c h m o n e y a n d don’t cont r i b ute enou g h to the publ ic coffers. T hei r taxes will be going up so they can pay “their fair share”. W h at t h at ex act ly me a n s, we’ll soon find out. We supp ose t he fa c t t h at t he “one per centers” already carry 20 per cent of Canada’s tax load apparently isn’t enough. Class warfare has, unfortun a t e l y, b e c o m e a p o p u l a r route to victory at the polls. Ta x i ng the “rich” a nd business is far, far less damaging due to the sheer nu mbers of people in that class who vote. Promise the “have-nots” and others who depend upon, or demand, government assistance, more of everything they need and, in their minds, only what the government can give them, means votes. O ne of t he most t roubl i ng things about class tax warfare is that the people in the upper echelon of income earners are t hose who sta r t bu si nesses a nd ta ke ca lcu lated risks to move forward, and as they do, create jobs and opportunities for others. S o, w h a t c a n w e l o o k fo r from Trudeau in Ottawa? He has been fairly direct regarding his opposition to the Northern Gateway Pipeline. T here is no pol it ica l reason w hy h e wo u l d p u s h fo r t h e p r o j e c t’s c o m p l e t i o n n o w.

L ook i ng at the red tide that swept the Maritimes, which is also the intended destination for the Energy East Pipel i ne, it shou ld be a foregone c onclu sion t h at i f T r u d e au promotes a ny pipel i ne, it would be that one. It w i l l b e i ntere s t i n g how he looks at the oil sands now. It’s one thing to howl in prote s t a b o u t t h e i r e x p a n s io n a nd go a long w it h t he wave of derision that has made oil a nd ga s revenue a new “si n t a x” a k i n to ci ga ret te s a nd alcohol. It’s quite another to open the books and discover how much of Canada’s economy is dependent on this one resource sector. Like it or not, the only “have” provinces in Canada are those with oil and gas extraction. Regardless of whether or not there is another pipeline built u nd er t he fe d era l L i b era l s, the oi l a nd gas i ndustry has s t i l l m a n a ge d to g ro w a n d p ro d u c e d e s p i te e x p o r t i n g bitumen by rail, which is both expensive, and unsafe. It has su r v ived t hus fa r, a nd w i l l, i f n e e d b e, b y m a i nt a i n i n g the status quo on tra nsportation. And if the price of oil rebounds, look out. If you listen closely enough, T rudeau’s prom ise of a ca rbon ta x and pipeline opposition may sou nd fa i ntly l i ke his father’s National Energy Pl a n t h at cr ippled A lb er ta . Pundits believe it was part of Pierre’s plan to keep the West we a k a nd sol id i f y p ol it ic a l

p ower i n Cent ra l Ca n ad a – aka Ontario and Quebec. So aga i n, we have a not her Quebec Prime Minister, who has no appa rent pol itica l rea son to pl acate t he West. Harper noted that “the West w a n t s i n ”, a n d u n d e r h i s leadership, the West was in. T h e L i b e ra l s d o h ave s o m e seats i n the lower ma i n la nd and smatterings throughout B.C. and Alberta, so Trudeau can’t ignore the West. B u t a re a s l i k e Va n c o u v e r Island, which has eight NDP M P ’s a n d t h e l o n e G r e e n , should be prepared to pay the price for – once again – voti ng aga i nst the govern ment in power. Particularly when it comes to the promised infrastructure investment promised by Trudeau. Federa l def icits. H is fat her i ntroduced them to Ca nad a, a nd T r udeau prom ised at le a s t $10 bi l l ion d ef icits a n nu a l ly over t he nex t fou r years to fund infrastructure. T hat will provide some s t i m u l u s t o t h e e c o n o m y, e v e n t h o u g h i t ’s i n b e t t e r shape tha n T rudeau made it out to be in the campaign. It i s bor rowed money t h at we w i l l pay for event u a l ly, a lt hou g h i ntere s t rate s a re low, now. It may seem to be a go o d t i m e to b or row, b ut Trudeau also forecast and, as much as a PM could do, nearly promised to raise interest rate s, w h i c h w i l l m a k e t h e money he is going to borrow more costly.

It was fasci n at i ng to see T r udeau pu l l the L ibera ls fa rther left tha n the N DP during the campaign, and st i l l w i n. Ma ke no m ista ke: A n N DP federal government would have been an absolutely cata st roph ic d i sa ster for Canada, as they simply can’t handle finances. Nor do they understand how the economy works. T hey’ve proven that everywhere they’ve held government, and Alberta, sadly, is now finding out. We ’ l l p a y m o r e i n t a x e s , thoug h, when the f i rst L ibera l budget is ha nded dow n next spring. W hat we do know is that businesses will be paying more – up to $1,000 per employee – which will come rig ht of f t he bottom l i ne. Trudeau has promised to cut t he sm a l l b u si ne ss t a x rate from 11 to 9 per cent, wh ich is positive if you’re in small business. That could make it pretty much a wash for some operations when all the dust settles a nd a l l ta xes a re accounted for. O vera l l, t houg h, for t he s h o r t te r m , Ca n a d a’ e c o nomy shou ld n’t be adversely affected by the Liberals. They a re n’t e x p e c te d to f i g ht o r renege on international trade d e a l s – t h e re a re n ow ove r 50 – that clearly benefit our country. It would be economic suicide to do so. S o f o r t h e e c o n o m y, i t ’s steady as it goes. At least for now.

BC CITIES CLIMB CFIB ENTREPRENEURIAL COMMUNITIES RANKINGS

RICHARD TRUSCOTT

c c o r d i n g t o t h e 2 015 Entrepreneurial Commu n ities Repor t f rom the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), BC is now home to eight of the top 30 cities in the annual rankings of Canada’s best places to start and grow a business.

“Its great to see so many of the province’s cities be recognized as relatively good places to own and operate a business. Specifically, a tip of the hat goes to Penticton and Kelowna. On the policy side, however, there’s still work to do to make more BC communities small business friendly,” says Richard Truscott, Vice President, BC and Alberta. T he a n nua l study assesses which cities have best enabled small businesses to start, grow, and prosper. The report looks at the entrepreneurial environment in 121 of the most populous municipalities (roughly 20,000 people or more) across Canada, according to information drawn from published and custom tabulated Statistics

Canada sources, as well as survey research conducted with CFIB members. T h e 2 015 s t u d y c o v e r s 1 4 indicators grouped into three areas: presence, perspective, and policy. Presence covers the scale and growth of business ownership, perspective measu re s op t i m i s m a nd g row t h plans, and policy represents the actions local governments take with respect to business taxation and regulation. Scores in those three major categories are combined and weighted to provide an overall score and ranking. As a result of data availability issues from StatsCan, the s t u d y s e p a ra te s t h e m e t ro areas of Canada’s largest cities,

including Vancouver, from all t he su r rou nd i ng mu n icipa l areas and ranks each. For 2015, Penticton and Kelowna jumped up the list into second and third spot (up from 20th and 15th respectively in 2014). Other BC cities rising through the rankings include (2014 ranking in brackets): Salmon Arm 12th (28th), Chilliwack 16th (16th), Prince George 25th (33rd), Parksville 28th (44th), Vernon 29th (32nd), Vancouver periphery (the Greater Vancouver Regional Dictrict excluding the City of Vancouver) 30th (63rd), Nanaimo 39th (76th), Kamloops 46th (49th), Abbotsford-Mission 47th (54th), Victoria 53rd (78th), Campbell River 55th (57th), Quesnel 61st (65th),

Fort St. John 69th (40th), Port Alberni 87th (69th), Courtenay 83rd (111th), City of Vancouver 94th (101st), and Cranbrook 100th (112th). “A lt houg h m a ny BC cit ies perform relatively well in this report, mayors and councils across the province still have work to do to cut red tape and make property taxes fairer for small business. They must not become complacent. On the other hand, the City of Vancouver clea rly needs to do a lot of heavy-lifting to improve both their policy score and their overa l l ra n k i ng,” concludes Truscott. The full CFIB Entrepreneurial Communities Report is available at www.cfib.ca.

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WEST SHORE

NOVEMBER 2015

IT’S TIME FOR THE BEST OF THE WEST SHORE

WEST SHORE JULIE LAWLOR

he Best of the West Shore Awards voting closed on September 30th, and since then the WestShore Chamber office has been buzzing as we made more than a hundred phone calls to the awards finalists, to tell them they’re in the winners’ bracket and inform them of the Awards Gala at The Westin Bear Mountain on October 29th. The Awards were entirely determined by public vote this year, rather than an initial nominations process, and we’ve been surprised and pleased at the level of interest generated. Normally we might expect that some categories won’t

attract much attention, but as it turns out there have been votes cast in 34 business and 7 community categories, and so much so that we are able in every category to determine first, second and third place winners. The other great thing is that voting has covered all five municipalities of the West Shore – Colwood, Highlands, Langford, Metchosin and View Royal. It’s a real pleasure to make a phone call to tell someone that they have been publically voted into the top three of their award category. The calls I have particularly enjoyed are the ones where the person at the other end of the phone says “I have?” [been voted into the top three.] “How did that happen?” For those who weren’t aware the Best of the West Shore Awards were even going on the answer is simple – because they are clearly doing something right. It is particularly heartwarming that this happens when, as one of the finalists said to me, “well we just keep our heads down and get on with our business, and admit when we make a mistake and try

and give our customers the best possible service.” Yes – that’s why they voted for you! Best of the West Shore 2015 Awards Categories • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • •

Best Retailer Best Second Hand Shopping Best Spa Favourite Local Sports Team Best Storage Best U-Brew

Julie Lawlor is the Executive Director at the WestShore Chamber of Commerce. You can reach her at 250478-1130 or jlawlor@westshore.bc.ca

Best Aesthetics Best Automotive Service Best Beach Best Bicycle Shop Best for Breakfast Best Business Best Business Owner Best Coffee Chain Best Contractor Best Ethnic Cuisine Best Financial Services Best Fishing Spot Best Free Fun Best Flower/Garden Shop Best Business to Furnish Your Home Best Golf Club Best Grocery Store Best Hair Salon Best Hiking Trail Best Historic Site Best Holistic Medicine Best Independent Coffee Shop Best Insurance Best Legal Services Best Martial Arts Best New Business Best New Home Builder / Developer Best Pet Clinic Best place for a Summer Swim Best Place to Improve Your Body Best Place to Improve Your Smile Best Place to Take a Selfie Best Place to Walk Your Dog Best Pub Best Restaurant

LOCAL AD TECHNOLOGY FIRM SCORES BIG INVESTMENT

TECHNOLOGY ROB COOPER

nce again, we are seeing a small Victoria tech company shine on a global scale. Go2mobi, a Victoria based mobile advertising platform has acquired a strategic growth investment from H.I.G. Growth Partners, which is the growth capital arm of parent company H.I.G. Capital. H.I.G. Capital is a leading growth equity firm with over $19 billion in assets under management. H.I.G. currently has over 250 growth investments focused on high growth areas. While terms were not disclosed, in H.I.G.’s words, “We will invest $5 million to $30 million in equity in a given company and target investments in profitable growth oriented businesses . . .We consider investments across all industries, but focus on certain highgrowth sectors where H.I.G. has extensive in-house expertise such as technology, internet and media, healthcare, consumer products and technology-enabled financial and business services.” Gavin Aitken, Go2mobi’s CEO and co-founder said, “H.I.G. is an excellent partner for Go2mobi. Their extensive

digital media and ad technology investment portfolio will be extremely helpful as we accelerate the growth of our company.” John Kim, Managing Director at H.I.G. Growth, commented, “Go2mobi has an advanced platform for audience targeting and optimization that is delivering amazing results for large brand advertisers. H.I.G. is excited to team up with Gavin and Tom and the entire Go2mobi team to expand their industry-leading platform and services.” At the heart of Go2mobi’s offering is its fully managed audience targeting platform for companies seeking managed mobile advertising campaigns as well as its robust self-serve advertising platform, allowing even the smallest of companies to advertise globally to mobile users. A key strength of both products is their ability to manage multiple advertising network campaigns and leverage advanced targeting, which allows advertisers to focus on specific networks, geographic regions, device types, operating systems, etc. Combined with the most in-depth and accessible reporting in the industry, clients can create dramatically more profitable mobile advertising campaigns than they can with other platforms. It will be exciting to have a front row seat here in Victoria as we witness this company expand into new markets with this investment. Rob Cooper Rob is a Director at VIATeC and founder of PlusROI Online Marketing, a web development & marketing firm. He can be reached at Rob@ PlusROI.com.

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