Business
Matters Vol. 5 Issue 6
www.victoriachamber.ca #100-852 Fort Street, Victoria BC V8W 1H8
November/December 2009
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ABOUT BUSINESS MATTERS Business Matters is the news magazine of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce. It is published six times per year and distributed free-of-charge to members of the GVCC.
contents
november/december 2009 I vol. 5 issue 6
cover 6
Business Matters’ content is copyrighted: Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, Victoria, B.C., Canada. To advertise in Business Matters Contact: GVCC Account Representatives (250) 383-7191 chamber@gvcc.org
Moving Forward on HST
feature article 16
Where You Put Your Money Matters
6
also inside 21
Special thanks to our 2009 Business Services Show sponsors & exhibitors
in every issue 4
Member News
12
Prodigy Group
13 14
16
Messages from the Chair and CEO
5
Greater Victoria Development Agency
21
New Members
26
Policy Moves
27
Ask an Expert
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Events Calendar
22
The Chamber accepts no responsibility for unsolicited submissions. The business profiles, and the views and opinions expressed by advertisers in this publication are not necessarily those of the Chamber.
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* Correction from Sept / Oct issue A mistake was made in the last edition of Business Matters magazine in the article titled, “The Business of Heritage.” We referred to contributor JC Scott as an “architect with a degree in Architectural History.” Though the degree is correct, JC is a designer, not an architect. We apologize for the confusion.
messages
John Juricic Chair This is my final column to members as Chair of
the Greater Victoria Chamber. You will be greeting your 2010 board of directors in January. In advance of that, I would like to express my appreciation for such a great 2009 Board of Directors and their efforts in tackling the business issues of 2009. My year as Chair has shown again how important it is for our business community to remain engaged on the issues that impact on our businesses on a daily basis. Whether those issues or events come from world conditions such as the quick downturn in the world economy or from policy decisions taken by government, such as funding stimulus, and the Harmonized Sales Tax, engagement is important. The good news is that the Victoria Chamber is involved in all those issues on behalf of our members, even if you do not have time to be at the table. The Chamber continues to value our role as a collaborator in the community on issues that have a widespread impact. We have worked closely with our community partners to address our community challenges and to advocate for positive changes. We’ve also been very pleased to work on the Spirit Committee to assist in shaping the program for welcoming the Olympic Torch to our City as the first stop in the Torch Relay for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympics games. What a great event! And a fantastic way to highlight our region for positive post-Olympic economic spin-off as hundreds of thousands of eyes viewed all parts of our beautiful region and Island. In 2010 as Past Chair of the Chamber, I am honoured to be joining the Board of Governors and will continue to work in a supportive role with our new Chair and Board of Directors.
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Bruce Carter CEO The business community in Greater Victoria is
starting to show more confidence with a modest but steady economic comeback. The positive reports on the economy coming out of Ottawa and through the address from the Governor of the Bank of Canada to the Victoria Chamber in September, have helped create an optimistic atmosphere for 2010. We certainly saw that at our 2009 Business Services Show, which again grew in size this year, both in business representatives and attendees. The resilience and tenacity of our business community is inspiring! That is not to say we are out of the woods yet. Our Chamber is well aware of the challenges ahead for certain sectors of our community with the introduction of the Harmonized Sales Tax next July. We have been actively advocating for tax changes in the 2010 budget to help mitigate the impacts that will be felt on our tourism industry and on the price of new homes. Each of these areas will have more notable impacts than most and we are working to find ways the government can ameliorate those impacts. We are also living through a time of incredible change in the media industry, with the near closure of CHEK News this summer and the ongoing concerns over the viability of Canwest media and the possible impact of their decisions on ‘A’ Vancouver Island. We are supporting the call for a full restructuring of the CRTC regulations to ensure that our community, and others across the country, will continue to have the service of local television and cable access at affordable rates. Local TV is vital to businesses and community not-for-profits to get their messages out to their immediate market and the loss of this medium would have devastating affects. Moving into our final months of the year, I hope to see as many members as possible out to a couple of our more social events – the Annual Auction in November, and our Christmas Reception and Christmas Luncheon in December.
Business Matters
member news
Our own Linda Kitchen, Office Manager at the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, was given national recognition as Staff Person of the Year at the Canadian Chamber Executives Conference Awards Dinner on Friday October 2nd.
Entrepreneurship Award for British Columbia. Root Cellar is a produce market on Blenkinsop and McKenzie that sells locally and Island grown produce and products with a business model based on supporting the 100 mile diet. They were also recipients of the Greater Victoria Business Awards from the Chamber of Commerce for New Business of the Year in 2009.
for custom logos or full artwork. Although PLA is a relatively new eco friendly material, Swell Source has used it before in a variety of applications. They were one of the first to offer biodegradable beer cups to the Craft Breweries of Canada for use at their festival beer gardens.
Member News continued on pg. 24.
Linda is a long-time employee of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, starting with us in 1980. Because of her long tenure Linda is the constant at the Chamber for many of our members and for business people in the community. She has supported 29 boards of directors and in managing all the day to day activities of staff, finances and human resources, she plays an integral role in chamber operations. She’s our glue! Nominations for the award were received from Chambers of Commerce across the country. Congratulations Linda from all of us! Root Cellar owners Adam Orser, Daisy Leslie-Orser and Phil Lafreniere walked across the stage to receive the Business Development Bank’s Young
Business Matters
Left to right: Phil Lafreniere, Daisy Leslie-Orser & Adam Orser
Victoria based contract manufacturer, Swell Source, is one of the first Canadian suppliers to offer reusable shopping bags that are also biodegradable. They will be launching the product through the environmental advocacy group BaglessBC. The bags made from a relatively new material called Poly Lactic Acid Resin (PLA) looks and feels like the traditional reusable bags that are already available at many environmentally progressive retail outlets. The main difference is that these bags will biodegrade in 75 days when exposed to industrial composting conditions. They are as strong as the traditional reusable bag, and still allow
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The Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) announced in the summer of this year will be introduced in July of 2010. A number of prominent thinkers in economics are supportive of HST and have applauded the governments of both British Columbia and Ontario for the move, even though it is a politically unpopular decision. The Chamber recognizes the long term benefits that BC will experience with the switch to HST and the immediate benefits to some of our larger resource industries. That is not to say that there are not negative effects on some of the
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industries that support our local economy and impacts on personal budgets as well. As a Chamber, we have taken the approach that understanding the impacts to our local economy and providing recommendations to government on how to mitigate some of those impacts is the most useful way for our organization to engage on this issue to the benefit of our members. In this article, we will outline some of the potential negative
Business Matters
M o v i n g FORWARD on
HST
value added tax system. The reason is that a value added tax ensures that only the value added by the business providing the good or service is taxed. It avoids the situation of a product being taxed multiple times through a production process – sometimes with compounding taxes applied along the chain with a final tax being added at the point of consumption. Commonly referred to as tax cascading, this process ends up inflating the end price of product to the consumers. The upside of the HST to consumers is that those taxes will be removed from the products. According to TD Economics, consumers can expect to see a 0.8% to 0.9% pre-tax price reduction on products across the board and that the vast majority of those price reductions will be realized in the first year after HST implementation. The goal of introducing the HST is to stimulate the economy by making British Columbia a more attractive place to invest. The savings to business through HST is so substantial that it is estimated to reach approximately $2 billion. Economists note that the tax and administrative savings will lead to greater business investment and greater productivity, as has been evidenced in other jurisdictions.
Is There a Downside? Nothing is completely perfect. Notwithstanding the economic advantages of HST there are certainly some drawbacks in the way the tax will affect different types of businesses and the consumer.
effects that concern us as well as suggestions to counter those impacts.
Why the HST? The move to a harmonized sales tax is one already made by many countries in the world. In fact, more than 130 countries, including 29 of the 30 OECD countries (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) already use a harmonized tax system, commonly called a
Business Matters
Our biggest concern pertaining to the effects on business are those that relate to the tourism industry, the increased cost pressures to BC Ferries, and the large tax increases on new homes. The Chamber has made representation on each of these items to the government both at the Select Standing Committee on Finance and through individual discussions with Ministers responsible. Though the Council of Tourism Associations of BC will be bringing more detailed mitigation recommendations to government on behalf of the tourism industry, the Chamber has stressed that there needs to be a stable source of funding allocation identified in the upcoming budget for tourism in the years ahead. Before the introduction of HST,
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• Savings will be passed on to consumers in the form of lower prices. A drop of 0.8% to 0.9% on pre-tax prices is estimated. • The 7% point increase on the tax rate will be effective on 21% of BC consumer expenditures • Overall price level will increase by 0.7 % Photo credit: BC Ferries
• Individuals with incomes up to $20,000 will receive a BC HST credit of $230 and a credit of $230 per family member for families with incomes up to $25,000 • Certain products and services that are currently PST exempt will be HST exempt including gasoline or diesel, marine diesel or aviation fuel including biofuels, books, children’s clothes, shoes, car seats and booster seats, diapers, and feminine hygiene products • Other HST exemptions include residential heating energy and all existing GST products and services that are GST exempt
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through a 2% Additional Hotel Room Tax (AHRT), which will no longer be applicable under HST after July 2011. The government has agreed to extend the AHRT for one year to allow for a new funding formula to be identified, however tourism marketing has a long horizon and needs to be planned in the environment of sufficient, committed long-term funding. We have also asked that the threshold for defining “large business” as it applies to the temporary delay of input tax credits for certain purchases be increased from $10 million to $50 million. An increase in the threshold would offer some reprieve for our tourism attractions in particular, and any business with taxable sales exceeding the threshold level.
fares. The actual increase has not yet been determined, but any increase will mean an extra cost to travelling consumers and to businesses bringing products to the Islands. We have asked that the provincial subsidy to BC Ferries be increased to neutralize the increased cost pressures directly attributed to the introduction of HST. Certainly one of the areas that has significant negative impact from HST is the cost of new housing. Without mitigation, HST is likely to increase taxes to purchasers of new homes by approximately $1 billion (province wide) – an amount that is sure to have a negative impact on the industry overall. On the median new home (based on 2008 prices), the tax increase would range from just
The cost of ferry service is important to all of us on the Island, and HST will bring upwards The cost of ferry service is pressure to ferry fares. The fare important to all of us on the itself will not be Island, and HST will bring subject to HST. The increased upwards pressure to ferry pressure is due to fares. the fact that BC Ferries will have increased costs as some of their items they purchase are over $7,000 in Prince George to over subject to HST. However, ferry service $26,000 in Vancouver. The Victoria is HST exempt so BC Ferries will not CMA median price would trigger a tax realize a tax credit and those increased increase of approximately $20,000 per expenses will have to be recouped home, or an increase of over 52% in through their revenues, mainly ferry taxes paid on new homes.
Business Matters
Butchart Gardens These are significant increases. Our concern is that these increases may trigger a decrease in demand for new homes, which will affect employment and ancillary spending. It may also adversely increase the price of resale properties, which will in the long run make attracting and retaining labour difficult and put an upwards pressure on wages. The Greater Victoria Chamber supports the recommendation of the Canadian Home Builders Association of increasing the exemption threshold on new homes from $400,000 to $600,000, indexed to new home increases, so as to actually mitigate tax increases to the majority of new homes. In lieu of that, we have recommended either a reduction to the Property Transfer Tax or the removal of the land component on value of the taxable base for HST calculation.
Will Consumers Have Less Money? The issue for retailers is not one of increased costs at the register as their products are for the most part already subject to a 12% combined tax. Rather their concern is whether consumers will have less disposable income due to the HST. The concern is certainly valid, and we had been waiting for some concrete input to that question. In September, TD Economics released a study that outlines the impacts of HST on both BC and Ontario. And while there are impacts to consumers, they are certainly less than they were feared to be. The study indicates that “in BC, there will be a 7% increase on 21% of consumers’ expenditures”. It goes on to indicate that increases will be mitigated by a 0.8% to 0.9% reduction in the cost of goods due to removal of embedded taxes and that the vast majority of those price decreases will occur in the first year after HST is introduced. Overall the actual increase in consumer costs will be 0.7%.
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while there are impacts to consumers, they are certainly less than they were feared to be.
What’s Ahead with HST? There are a number of things that companies can do to prepare themselves for the tax change. Likely the most important thing is to become as informed as you can about how the tax change will affect your business and make sure that you are complying by any transitional rules that may apply. You can visit the chamber’s website to find links to information on the transition rules that have been announced so far. You will also want to make sure you are in close communication with your accountant to determine how the transitional rules will apply to your business, if at all. The HST is a significant change to the way you submit your taxes, which will almost certainly represent a decrease in costs to you, but it is still a change to be prepared for nonetheless. As the HST is introduced our business community and consumers will adjust to the changes. We believe that over the longer term as the broader economic benefits start to filter throughout the province’s economy, we will start to see an increase in productivity due to more business investment and spin off benefits of better paying positions and wages for local employees.
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THE PRODIGY GROUP WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR SPONSORS FOR THEIR GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE PRODIGY PARTNERS WITH YOUTH APPRENTICE FUNDRAISER
David Vinnels Chair As we close off the fourth year of the Prodigy Group I am amazed at the accomplishments our members have generated. You have created a regular vibrant exchange of ideas and contacts at our Monthly Mingles, you’ve contributed your time to non-profits through our Community Connections program, and are now dedicating yourselves to personal development as both mentors and mentees of our Mentor Membership program. Without your participation, these programs would not be possible, so for this, we the Committee thank you. Prodigy Group began this year with clear goals in mind: to create a mentorship program, and to increase our membership and volunteer opportunities.
The Prodigy Group & The YWCA/YMCA of Greater Victoria want to thank all of the volunteers who made this event a success.
Our mentorship program has seen great success in just six short months, with positive feedback coming from mentors and mentees alike. If you have not yet applied for a mentor/ mentee match, please visit www.prodigygroup.ca for more details.
We are particularly grateful to CSC Pacific Sport and the Olympic athletes in their network who donated their time and inspiration to this event.
Our Community Connections took on an ambitious new partnership this year to raise funds and create volunteer opportunities for our members: on Halloween, the Prodigy Group Partnered with the YWCA/YMCA of Greater Victoria to host the Prodigy Partners with Youth: Apprentice Fundraiser. This event brought Olympic athletes, Prodigy members and local youth together to vie for the most funds raised through selling candy Apprentice style. Jennie Edgecombe (CEO of Y) and John Juricic (Chair of the Chamber) were marvelous stand ins for the Trumps as our competition judges. At the end of the day the true winners were Victoria’s youth, as the kids participating made inspirational new friends and much needed funds were raised to support this worthy cause.
Thank you to all those who donated to the apprentice teams in support of The Y Partners with Youth Campaign.
It has been a great pleasure to be the Chair of Prodigy Group this Year, as I pass the torch on to Regan McGrath from KPMG I look forward to seeing the group continue to grow and flourish under their capable leadership. Thank you to those committee members who are finishing the term for their tireless service and welcome to our new 2010 committee members.
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Roger Skillings Chair With the assistance of the Greater Victoria Development Agency, the region was recently named the best region in Canada for young professionals to live and work. Next Generation Consulting (NGC) of Madison, Wisconsin, tabulated the rankings after collecting and analyzing 45 measures for all Canadian cities with populations of more than 100,000 people. According to NGC, the seven indexes of a “Next City� are: Earning, Learning, Vitality, Around Town, After Hours, Cost of Lifestyle, and Social Capital. The region easily beat out cities like Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Toronto for economic opportunity and quality of life. The Greater Victoria Development Agency has also been working very hard with regional partners and stakeholders to identify new opportunities for investment and help create new household sustaining jobs in the region. As major economic stakeholders, our academic institutions play a significant role in these efforts, and will continue to be economic drivers in this region’s mainly knowledge based economy. It is with that understanding that we are delighted to announce a commitment from the University of Victoria of $30,000 over three years to help fund and continue to build the Greater Victoria Development Agency. In addition, the Greater Victoria Development Agency has received $5,000 in funding from the Victoria Airport Authority to promote Greater Victoria as a place to invest and grow business. The Victoria Airport Authority is a key stakeholder in promoting Greater Victoria. Their efforts, including the direct flight to San Francisco, are helping to drive both tourism and technology in the region. With the support of these two tremendous partners, the GVDA will continue to ensure that our region remains a vibrant place to live, work and invest.
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events calendar
CEO Coffee Hour A one hour policy discussion with Chamber CEO Bruce Carter Maritime Museum of B.C. Reading Room, 28 Bastion Sq. 8:30-9:30 am Members only please
Business Education Series
Sponsored by Sector Learning Solutions Inc. Empowering Your Bottom Line Online with Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
11:45am-1:00pm Chamber office
11 Remembrance Day
Office Closed
Business Education Series Sponsored by Sector Learning Solutions Inc. Tips on Networking for Success
11:45am-1:00pm Chamber office
Prodigy Group Mingle 5:30-7:30pm Canoe BrewPub Marina & Restaurant 450 Swift St.
Business Mixer Hosted by Victoria Hyundai 5:00-7:00pm Members & their guests only please 525 Gorge Road E.
Saturday 21
Annual Dinner Auction
Join us for an evening of mixing, bidding & buying 6:00-11:00pm Victoria Conference Centre 720 Douglas St.
For more information or to register, visit www.victoriachamber.ca
Business Education Series • November 4 Ross Dunn
StepForth Web Marketing Inc. Empowering Your Bottom Line Online with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Have you ever wondered how to get your website noticed on search engines such as Google? Join Ross Dunn, CEO/Founder of StepForth Web Marketing Inc. and a 12 year veteran of SEO, as he walks you through the world of SEO and gives you tips on how to get your website noticed on popular search engines.
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Business Education Series • November 18 Bruce Carter
Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce Tips on Networking for Success If you want to introduce yourself or your business to the Victoria business community this event is for you. Uncomfortable at all of those networking functions? Not sure how to effectively "work" a room and introduce yourself to complete strangers? Join Bruce Carter, Chief Executive Officer from the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce as he provides tips on how to network effectively.
Business Matters
CEO Coffee Hour A one hour policy discussion with Chamber CEO Bruce Carter BMO Bank of Montreal 2nd Fl, 1225 Douglas St. 8:30-9:30 am Members only please
Business Education Series
Sponsored by Sector Learning Solutions Inc. MERX: The Government Electronic Tendering Service
11:45am-1:00pm Chamber office
Chair’s Reception/ Business Mixer 5:00-7:00pm Members & their guests only please Chamber office
Prodigy Group Christmas Mingle 5:30-7:30pm Bard & Banker Pub 1022 Government St.
Annual Christmas Lunch
Join us at our annual Christmas Luncheon 11:00am-1:30pm Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort & Spa 45 Songhees Rd.
Happy Holidays!
Chamber office closed for holidays For more information or to register, visit www.victoriachamber.ca
Business Education Series • December 2 John Johnstone
Public Works and Government Services Canada MERX - The Government Electronic Tendering Service MERX is the most complete source of Government of Canada tenders. This seminar explains how businesses can register in the system and quickly evaluate opportunities. Join John Johnstone, Chief, Stakeholder Engagement, Office of Small and Medium Enterprises for a guided demonstration of the MERX system.
Business Matters
Annual Christmas Lunch • December 11
Come celebrate the season with us! Featuring a traditional turkey lunch, musical entertainment, strolling carollers, and door prizes. Please bring a non-perishable food item with you. All food donations will be accepted for the Mustard Seed food bank. A 50/50 draw (licence # 10877) will be conducted in support of Boot Camp for Board Members.
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Where You Put Your Money MATTERS
Local businesses of all sizes are key supporters to local events of all types. Whether it is supporting major arts and culture events like the Jazz Festival or major sporting events like the TC Open and Tall Ships, business support is the necessary ingredient to successful execution.
Keith Dagg, Chair, 2005 Ford World Curling Championship
It is important to weigh the value of the cycling of money within the community when deciding where to purchase. Business support is also important to the success of our social service endeavours such as those taken on by the United Way campaigns. Through both corporate giving as well as the work of prominent members of the business community in helping to market the campaigns to workplaces around the region, business lends significant support to the well being of social agencies. In turn, a number of these large scale events sponsored by the business community have millions of dollars of positive economic spin off in the purchasing of services and the ancillary spending done by the thousands of participants and observers that attend them. The health of our community is greatly enhanced with the growth of large-scale events of all sorts. And the health of these events depends upon the health of our local businesses. As a business owner who makes purchasing decisions on your own business services and products for your company’s
operations, it is important to weigh the value of the cycling of money within the community when deciding where to purchase.
Your Purchasing Decision In the life of any business, there are a number of purchasing decisions made for your own business operations. Each business sources business cards, advertising, supplies, consulting, financial and legal services, just to name a few. Controlling expenses is an important part of business so the price point on each business input is an important factor in making the purchasing decision. Question is, can you shop locally for your business needs and still make the best financial decisions for your company. While price is clearly an important factor in making a purchasing decision, another factor that should be considered is the impact that spending money with a local supplier has versus spending money with a supplier outside of the region. Experience seems to show that supporting local business has a positive community-building effect at home over the long term. However, there are a number of companies that have made a conscious decision to purchase whole categories of items remotely, without allowing local companies to compete. It may be difficult to see a direct connection between a single purchasing decision and the realities of community building and therefore a few examples of company participation is helpful.
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The Local Scene Keith Dagg of Copeland Communications has been involved in putting on significant community events for years. His memory on the history of corporate community support is informative in looking at how local businesses contribute to our region. One memorable event to which Dagg lent his formidable organization skills was the 2005 Ford World Curling Championship that took place in Victoria. The event, which drew crowds 120,000 by selling out 20 of 21 draws, had a $3 million budget. Attesting to the support of local business, $1.2 million of the total was raised from local sponsorship, including 250K coming from the provincial government. “There are big benefits to the community of hosting large events,” says Dagg. “For example the World Curling Championship in 2005 resulted in $20 million in economic activity in the region.”
“If I owned a retail business today, I’d be a leader in sponsorship in the community.” That is spin-off business and activity that would not have happened if the championship had taken place somewhere else. And it also would not have happened without a healthy and vibrant local business community able to support the event that drove this level of economic activity. In order for local business to be able to contribute like that, they need to have the support of local purchasing practices.
Growing Your Business Through Community Support “You know if I owned a retail business today, I’d be a leader in sponsorship in the community,” says Dagg, countering the scepticism as to whether sponsorship will result in any tangible business benefits. Keith Dagg has himself been in business in Victoria for many years and remembers the founding and growth of companies that have had a significant impact in our community through their sponsorships and donations. Pay Less Gas was one such business that made great strides in their own business through sponsorship - essentially branding the sport of golf in the area at that time. Pay Less Gas made a point of being a lead sponsor on golf tournaments on the Island and their business grew exponentially from that exposure until it garnered 50% of the Island market. Other local business icons have done similarly and have been rewarded with a community that supports them. That relationship develops over time to one that is good for both the company and the community. “The growth of Pay Less Gas was great for our local economy because they kept their business spending on the Island,” says Dagg. “In their day, they had a $3 million advertising budget and all of their buys were done locally. That was radio, television, print, production, direct mailing
“These larger events put Victoria on the map,” asserts Dagg. As the Director of the Victoria Open Golf Society that annually plans the Times Colonist Open, he goes on to describe its impact. First held in 1981, the tournament is now the longest running event on the Canadian golf tour in Canada and now one of the major events on the Victoria and Vancouver Island sports calendar. This event showcases Victoria on a regular basis around the world, being played as a half hour show on the Golf Channel to 78 million households in North America as well as airing in the UK and Asia. Marketing of our region and longer-term benefits to the tourism industry can’t be understated as a singular result of this locally grown and sponsored event. “The Times Colonist has been a great supporter of our community for all major events that happen here,” says Dagg. “In fact I believe that if we did not have them we could not be as successful as we are in putting on community events.” A good case in point is the Times Colonist 10K run, now the second biggest such event in Canada with over 10,000 runners in 2009. The event has been supported by the TC for more than twenty years with no funds back to the paper. With the ongoing support of the Times Colonist and now other local business icons such as Thrifty Foods and Island Farms, the race has grown into a community legacy.
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for business and create more employment. They open up the field for local companies to compete for business in other jurisdictions and abroad. However within that free market mindset, if a local company can compete on product value and can compete on price, then the contribution that a strong and vibrant locally owned business community makes may well be the factor that tips your decision scale in favour of spending your money within the community. Because doing so is actually investing in the community far beyond the expense item in your ledger. Give the local firm a shot at competing.
and other major sponsorships… all money invested here to benefit our economy. When the company sold to an international, those dollars left as well. Promotions are now all a part of the corporate buys and not put back into our local economy.” This is not to say that all companies can become champions of large events that spur substantial economic spin off in the community. Doing so generally requires a healthy sponsorship budget. But making a business purchasing decision to deal with local companies that are involved in supporting activities with significant economic spin off as well as ones that build community makes you a part of that success. Even though big event backing may be out of the reach of most small business, the majority of local businesses support our not-for-profit organizations in large and small, sung and unsung ways on a regular basis. And in recessionary times, from which we are now just emerging, the importance of the support of small business becomes ever more apparent as governments pull back from the level of funding they have given to community organizations in better economic times. Even as the economy starts to turn around, likely governments won’t be too anxious to jump back to recent funding levels for the not-for-profit sector as they will be focussed on paying down accumulated debt. Yet as the business community regains its footing, the health of our not-for-profit sector will begin to be restored. Notwithstanding the benefits to our regional community, purchasing decisions still need to be sound business decisions. As a chamber, we would certainly not be advocating that all of your business purchases be made locally in all circumstances. In fact, the chamber movement is one of the proponents at the forefront of national and international talks on liberalizing trade and has been vociferously opposed to the US stance on “Buy American” and any Canadian reprisals to that stance. Trade agreements like TILMA and NAFTA, and those currently under negotiation with the EU, open up trade opportunities
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business services sh w
PRESENTED BY:
get what your business needs
Thank you to our sponsors & exhibitors: ‘ A’ Vancouver Island Adamek Financial AMICA Mature Lifestyles (Somerset House) Belfry Theatre Berwick Retirement Communities Best Western Chemainus Festival Inn Bullock & Kirstein Photography Business Examiner Camosun College - Cooperative Education Camosun College - School of Business Caorda Web Solutions Capital Regional District Chard Development Ltd. Coast Capital Savings Credit Union Commissionaires Victoria the Islands & Yukon (Security Solutions Company) Communication Connection Inc. Costco Wholesale Canada ctc TrainCanada Cube Global Storage Dockside Green Limited Partnership Douglas Magazine Elite Sportswear, Awards, Promotional Products & Scope Imprinting / Engraving EmployMeBC Enterprise Project Management Ltd. Express Employment First Memorial Funeral Services Graffix Promotionals Inc. Graphic Designers of Canada (GDC) Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce Greater Victoria Development Agency Greater Victoria Spirit Committee Hartman Business Machines
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Hatley Memorial Gardens Investors Group - Chatterton Island Blue Print Co. Ltd. Island CRM Island Displays Island Savings Credit Union Jack Insurance & Financial Services Janor Solutions Inc. Kabuki Kabs Kenmore Air Lallibusiness.com Liesch Office Interiors Master Care Janitorial and Facility Services Maximum Express/Maximum Furniture MD Esthetics Laser Centre Monk Office NAI Commercial (Victoria) Inc. Naval Centennial Statue Project Notaries on Douglas Ocean Promotion Out of the Blue Designs Pacific Coastal Airlines Paladin Security Price’s Alarm Systems Ltd. Public Works and Government Services Canada Quality Resort Bayside Ramada Hotel & Conference Center Rogers Broadcasting - 103.1 Jack FM & The Ocean FM 98.5 Ross Place Retirement Resort Royal Roads University Sani-Tech Services Ltd.
Service Canada Shark Club Bar & Grill Sharp’s Audio Visual Ltd. Shaw Cablesystems G.P. Spring Beach House Stewart Monumental Works Ltd. est. 1896 Sunbelt Business Brokers (Victoria) Ltd. TD Canada Trust TD Merchant Services Team Sales Vancouver Island Ltd. The Lookout Newspaper & Creative Services TigerTel Communications Times Colonist Trailblazer Business Adventures Truffles Catering Vancouver Island University Victoria Conference Centre Victoria Foundation Viking Pacific Vivid Solutions WeDoHosting.com Inc. West Coast Air Ltd. Weststream Business Solutions WorkSafeBc WorkSource, Business Victoria www.coffeeguy.org
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new members Ang McCaughey Law Barrister, solicitor & mediator. Providing legal solutions and clarity. Established by senior lawyer Jennifer McCaughey, a trained mediator, arbitrator and negotiator. Practice-areas: business succession, corporate commercial, banking, estate planning, trusts, wills, collaborative family. P: (250) 881-1891 E: Jennifer@angmccaugheylaw.com Atlas Audio Video Unlimited For 41 years Atlas AVU has provided Victoria with audio, video, and home automation sales, installation, & repair service. New address early November 966 Yates. p: (250) 385-2712 e: william_hordyk@avu.ca w: www.avu.ca Beacon Community Services Beacon supports small businesses with specific employee(s) training which contributes directly to the enhancement of their business. Employee eligibility - lacking high school diploma/or essential skills. p: (250) 595-6626 w: www.beaconcs.ca Business Examiner Newspapers - Vancouver Island & Lower Mainland (printing) p: (250) 381-3926 w: martin@businessexaminer.net Calliope Learning Calliope Learning provides team development, leadership training and executive coaching to the public and private sectors. We also provide relationship coaching to couples in business. p: (250) 213-6239 e: info@calliopelearning.com w: www.calliopelearning.com Canadian Cancer Society p: (250) 592-2244 w: www.cancer.ca Chamberlain Walk Hair cuts & colour make overs. p: (250) 592-2481 e: pbowen1890@hotmail.com City Wide Coupon Directory Free discount coupons directly from merchants in your city. p: (250) 704-9218 e: notion@shaw.ca w: www.citywidecoupondirectory.com Clean Conscience Ltd. p: (250) 381-5210 e: info@cleanconscience.ca w: www.cleanconscience.ca Collaborative Journeys - Mediation Services Mediator and business systems consultant. Mediator of civil disputes. Mediation conducted online and/or in-person. Consultant for people looking to develop and support collaborative action in their organization. p: (250) 516-3936 e: ben@collaborativejourneys.com w: www.collaborativejourneys.com
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Comox Valley Inn and Suites Great service, value and comfort at affordable prices. Centrally located, heated indoor pool & jacuzzi, free high-speed wireless internet access, kitchen & family units. Toll free 1-800-811-5955 p: (250) 334-4476 e: contact@commoxvalleyinn.com w: www.comoxvalleyinn.com Dance Victoria Western Canada’s largest independent centre for dance presentation and cultivation. P: (250) 595-1829 w: www.dancevictoria.com DSA Media DSA provides seasoned local media expertise at an affordable price. We can help you establish effective advertising campaigns that are targeted to your customer base. p: (250) 478-5551 e: shannon@dsamedia.ca w: www.dsamedia.ca DTZ Barnicke p: (250) 382-3400 w: www.dtzbarnicke.com End Of The Roll Discount Carpet & Flooring Get brand name flooring for your entire home. Your Flooring...Right Here. Right Now. Right Price! p: (250) 386-8883 [Downtown] p: (250) 915-1100 [Millstream] e: victoria@endoftheroll.com w: www.endoftheroll.com Great Northern Supply Ltd. We sell in board engines for boats. p: (250) 592-8838 w: www.greatnorthernsupplyltd.com Green, Horwood, Munro & Tuckey LLP Professional full-service tax, accounting, financial consulting and estate planning services for mid-market private business. p: (250) 386-3389 e: accountants@ghmt.ca w: www.ghmt.ca Handyman Connection Victoria Handyman Connection is the leading provider of small to medium-sized home repair and remodeling services to residential customers in North America. p: (250) 384-4969 e: handyvic@handymanvictoria.ca w: www.handymanconnection.ca JDB Racing p: (250) 383-0155 w: www.jasperblake.com Kim Godfreyson Transportation Inc.
Business Matters
www.victoriachamber.ca Linda Tarrant Linda delivers dynamic keynotes, leads change management and strategic planning processes and facilitates almost anything. She brings humour, storytelling and passion to every event. p: (250)592-6044 e: linda@lindatarrant.com w: www.lindatarrant.com Lyle Attfield Prevent, detect, and eliminate bed bugs by using non-toxic products that work! Educational seminars available. Appropriate uses for the general public and professionals. p: (250) 514-6669 Pablo’s Fine Dining 2009 p: (250) 388-4255 Pacific Film & New Media Academy Career training in 3D animation, film and acting. Applications are now being accepted. Convenient and affordable classroom and computer lab rentals available. p: (250) 381-3032 w: www.vicfilm.com ‘ Papa Murphy’s Take n’ Bake Pizza Papa Murphy’s, the largest take ‘n’ bake pizza company in the world, has come to Langford! Handmade fresh daily. Home baked in your oven. p: (778) 430-5410 Positive Impact Employment Services Employment services provider. p: (250) 818-2184 e: info@piemployment.ca w: www.piemployment.ca Prill Holdings Ltd. p: (250) 896-7326 e: prillholdingsltd@shaw.ca Professional Business Writer Need help writing a business plan, business report, business proposal, speech, grant application, or press release? Prompt, accurate, thorough, friendly, remarkably high quality service. p: (250) 721-5558 e: jan@janwall.biz w: www.janwall.biz Scipio Consulting Contract consulting for government. p: (250) 661-5070 Securiguard Offering uniformed security personnel, 24 hour mobile patrol and alarm response, Securiguard has been the benchmark for service excellence in Victoria for over 30 years. p: (250) 388-3118 w: www.securiguard.com Lallibusiness.com Software development & web base services. p: (250) 888-4735 e: sukhi@slmp.ca w: www.lallibusiness.com
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Sparklit Networks Inc. We provide online hosted applications to a wide variety of companies. p: (250) 477-1336 w: www.sparklit.com StarFish Medical p: (250) 388-3537 w: www.starfishmedical.com Stuart Olson Constructors Inc. Stuart Olson is a progressive builder with experience in construction management, design-build, and public-private partnerships. We lead the way on commercial, residential, industrial and institutional projects. p: (604) 273-7765 w: www.stuartolson.com Swell Source Swell Source does offshore manufacturing for small and medium sized business. We operate on a unique business model which provides your business economical, custom and reliable products. p: (250) 830-3825 e: sourceme@swellsourceonline.com w: www.swellsourceonline.com Toope Technology Group Inc. Installs and supports Windows Servers, networks, VPN systems, and provides internet based managed backup services to clients. p: (250) 889-0408 e: ltoope@ttg.ca w: www.ttg.ca Trailblazer Business Adventures An online success system with one-on-one guidance that will get you the results you want sooner, while turning your business into an adventure. p: (250) 984-8068 e: info@trailblazersystem.com w: www.trailblazersystem.com Victoria Swan Lake Community Office Community office maintains working relationship with ministry offices and administrative bodies in order to provide constituents with information. p: (250) 953-4741 w: www.robflemingmla.ca Vivid Solutions Making business better with all aspects of computer-based technology including software, hardware, networking and expert advise. p: (250) 385-6040 e: info@vividsolutions.com w: www.vividsolutions.com Weststream Business Solutions Weststream Business Solutions specializes in providing a hassle-free approach to redesign, renovation and relocation project management for business owners and managers. p: (250) 217-7533 w: www.weststreambusiness.com
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member news cont’d Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) has a number of current opportunities that may interest members who wish to provide product or service to the federal government. Companies are invited to visit their website at www.merx.com.
Terry Mallet, VP of Sports Traders is pleased to announce two recent staff changes.
NECI has taken its most popular seminars in competitive contracting, procurement, negotiations and proposal management and packaged them into lively 2-hour eSeminars.
Lori King has been promoted to the Corporate Sales Division Manager. Lori brings over 20 years experience in the promotional products field. She is very involved in the community and has volunteered with numerous events and service groups such as the 24 Hour Relay, Esquimalt Neighbourhood House and various non-profit societies.
NECI has targeted people new to procurement and contract management, as well as seasoned professionals. In response to requests from suppliers, NECI has designed two eSeminars to help them better understand how to respond to requests for proposals, tenders and other competitive processes.
Brian Passmore has been hired as the company’s new Team Sports Specialist in the Team and Corporate Sales Division. Brian moved to Victoria from Toronto and is an ex-professional hockey player and personal athletic trainer. Drafted by the NHL’s Minnestoa Wild in 2000 in the 7th round, Brian played pro hockey for the past 7 years in the ECHL and in Europe. He also played in the CHL.
Visit their website for further information www.neci-legaledge.com
Sports Traders is locally owned and operated for over 27 years. The 21,000 sq. ft. store is in the downtown area and boasts the largest selection of new and used sports equipment in the province.
Harbour Air Seaplanes has marked its two-year anniversary of becoming carbon neutral. The airline was the first in North America to achieve carbon neutrality in 2007 after a group of forward-thinking employees presented the idea to management. Harbour Air’s program consists of measuring its carbon footprint, implementation of an internal reductions strategy, and the purchase of high-quality carbon offsets from BC based Offsetters. To date, Harbour Air has offset more than 16,000 metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by funding energy efficiency and fuelswitching projects in British Columbia. The Cridge Centre has moved its first tenants into newly renovated onebedroom suites that are the newest additions to The
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Cridge Supportive Transitional Housing. Major funding came from the BC Real Estate Foundation, Coast Capital Savings, Regional Housing Trust Fund, Victoria Housing Trust Fund, Victoria Foundation and United Way. The Cridge Supportive Transitional Housing provides a place to live that is affordable, safe, secure and stable. Tenants have one-year leases that are renewable up to three years while they access the various dovetail services and support programs available to tenants to help them move on successfully with their lives. The Cridge Centre for the Family, founded in 1873, is the longest serving non-profit society in British Columbia, providing social service programs to people of ages throughout Greater Victoria and beyond. Junior Achievement of British Columbia (JABC) is thrilled to announce Dr. Donald Rix has again taken a lead role in BC’s philanthropic community by contributing a significant gift in support of strategic business education programs for BC’s youth. His generosity includes an inaugural endowment donation of $200,000 to establish the “Dr. Donald Rix Inspiring Business Excellence” Endowed Scholarship Fund. Awards will be given annually to top Junior Achievement students from rural communities or to Aboriginal or immigrant students to further their post secondary education. An additional $200,000 will be given in support of Junior Achievement’s educational program delivery over the next four years. As the founder and chair of MDS Metro (now LifeLabs), chair of the BC Innovation Council, chair of Genome BC and a member of the Premier’s Technology Council, Don Rix is considered the pioneer of local biotech. ctc TrainCanada is pleased to present Karen Davies of Cedarwood Productions with a ZUNE Digital Player as her prize for guessing the “number of jelly-beans in the jar competition’ at the company’s booth at the 2009 Business Services Show.
Business Matters
Over the past 20 years, ctc TrainCanada has become one of Canada’s largest National Training companies. The most recent branch opened here in downtown Victoria, on 777 Fort Street and delivers training in project management, business analysis, leadership and management as well as a wide range of technical training.
and cities around the world that exceed expectations and are considered best in class. Hotels are rated on location, food & dining, overall design, rooms and service, and resorts are judged by the same criteria, as well as activities and facilities, to achieve an overall score. This year, over 25,000 Condé Nast Traveler readers, considered among the world’s savviest and most passionate travelers, participated.
The Fairmont Empress earned an impressive #1 ranking of hotels on Vancouver Island and #11 on the Top Canadian Hotel list in the Conde Nast Traverler magazine’s 2009 Annual Readers’ Choice Awards with an overall score of 87.5. This represents the 5th consecutive time the iconic Victoria inner harbour landmark has been recognized on this prestigious list. In addition, Vancouver Island was voted the #2 island of North America and the city of Victoria is ranked #4 city in the Americas.
Leadership Victoria is an action and study program established in 2000 to help prepare current and future generations of leaders to embrace and resolve the complex concerns that face any city. The annual awards are a partnership between Leadership Victoria, the University of Victoria, the Rotary Clubs of Greater Victoria, and the Victoria Foundation (newly joined last year).
The Readers’ Choice Awards names the hotels, resorts, cruise lines, islands
Business Matters
Applications will be accepted until 4 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009. Nomination packages and further details are available online at www.leadershipvictoria.ca, or directly
from Leadership Victoria at Suite 306 – 620 View Street or by phone at 250-386-2269. The awards will be presented on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010 at the Victoria’s Leadership Awards after-work reception at the Fairmont Empress. Steve Parkhill and all the staff of Rogers’ Chocolates send warm thanks to Ruth Justice for 52 years of tremendous service. Her smile and great tips for producing such great chocolate products will be missed!
Best wishes for the future and have a happy retirement!
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policy moves
Photo credit: Visions West Photography
Success at the Canadian Chamber AGM The Canadian Chamber of Commerce delegates supported three policy resolutions brought forward by the Greater Victoria Chamber at the national Annual General meeting on Sunday October 4th. Those policies are: • Increasing Rental Inventory Through Fair Tax Treatment • Increasing Sentences for Repeat Offenders • US Customs Pre-Clearance – Belleville International Terminal Security Justice Minister Rob Nicholson Announces a Victory The Honourable Rob Nicholson Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, and Mr. Daniel Petit Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice today welcomed the granting of Royal Assent on Bill C-25, legislation that strictly limits the amount of credit granted for time served in custody prior to conviction and sentencing. Once this legislation comes into force, the courts will be provided with clear sentencing guidance and limits for granting credit for pre-sentencing custody. These include: •
making it the general rule that the amount of credit for time served be capped at a 1-to-1 ratio (i.e., give only one day of credit for each day an individual has spent in custody prior to sentencing);
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permitting credit to be given at a ratio of up to 1.5 to 1 only where the circumstances justify it;
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requiring courts to explain the circumstances that justified a higher ratio; and,
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limiting the pre-sentencing credit ratio to a maximum ratio of 1 to 1 for individuals detained because of their criminal record or because they violated bail.
The Viability of Local Television Greater Victoria is a case in point about how the outdated regulatory environment for the broadcasting of local television programming is having detrimental effects on the community. Local stations across the country are concerned about their local service and we are starting to see closures in smaller centres. The near closure of CHEK News in Victoria is a large as life illustration. Local television is important to local business, providing an advertising medium dedicated to reaching their local target markets. Local television is also important to the community as a whole as it provides organizations such as the United Way, hospital foundations, and smaller grass roots organizations the opportunity to promote community fundraising initiatives. The Greater Victoria Chamber is supporting a fullscale review and amendment of the CRTC’s regulatory environment and licensing regulations in order to develop a plan for the industry which will ensure the maintenance and enhancement of both local television stations and programming and the ongoing success of cable companies. Visit the Chamber’s website for our policy position and letter to the CRTC. HST Transition Rules The BC government has released proposed general transition rules for the HST to help guide business and consumers to a smooth changeover to the Harmonized Sales Tax. You can find a link to the transition rules on the chamber’s website.
Bill C-25 received support from provincial and territorial governments, victims’ associations and police forces from across the country during the legislative process. Bill C-25 is one of a number of changes for which chambers of commerce are advocating to ensure our justice system benefits victims of crime rather than those charged and convicted with crimes.
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Business Matters
ask an expert Event Planning 101
The Need for Research
>> Steve Walker-Duncan, Owner and Executive Chef, Ambrosia Catering & Event Centre
>> Shannon Schafer, Manager, DSA Media
When deciding to host any kind of event, your foremost priority must be to identify the goal of the event. Is it a sales process, educational, social, celebration or recognition event? In the current market every event needs to yield results; whether it’s improved sales, better educated teams, more customer appreciation or a genuine celebration of success! Taking the time to pre-plan all of the details is imperative to achieving your event goals. Your clients may make or break a deal based on obscure or minute details. Choosing an appropriate venue and/or caterer can determine the success or failure of an event based on perceptions of the guests and the organizers expectations. Advance preparation with the assistance of an experienced planner/ caterer will ensure that your details are covered and your goals are met. Delicious, well made, healthy food has the potential to lift an event to an echelon that cannot be understated. Carefully selected cuisine keeps delegates attentive, encourages positive responses to suggestions, affirms appreciation or satisfies hungry family and friends, all leading to positive outcomes. The use of locally grown seasonal produce compounds the benefits by supporting the economy here on Vancouver Island. When planning any occasion, consider the source of products and the impact their production may have had on our planet and our region. Ambrosia Catering & Event Centre is an avid supporter of local community businesses, farmers, and the Vancouver Island community. Ambrosia is proud to actively utilize local growers and producers, as they are not only a part of our community as a whole but an integral part of Vancouver Island’s business environment. In supporting local farmers, society benefits and businesses thrive. Ambrosia’s focus is to support sustainable producers and provide exceptional attention to detail that assures successful events. Steve Walker-Duncan CCC is the owner and Executive Chef of Ambrosia Catering & Event Centre. He can be reached at steve@ambrosiacatering.ca
Why should I pay attention to research when it comes to advertising? And why should I advertise anyways? Advertising is the element in the marketing mix that gets way too much credit when life is good, and is often the first thing that gets blamed when results fall short of expectations. Critics of advertising tend to be “numbersdriven pragmatists” who perceive advertising as nothing more than an expense item to be justified by achieving a sales objective at year-end. The more enlightened marketers, see advertising as a brand-building investment designed to provide a long-term result. Objectives such as “making an impact” or “creating brand awareness” are often listed as benchmarks, and while they are valid, they are also bland. Markets and consumers are both complex and sophisticated and therefore the role of advertising must be well thought-out. Investing in research upfront can yield insights into such business issues as: • • • •
What is the consumer’s predisposition towards advertising, the advertised category, and the product in question? How cluttered is the advertising category in which you are competing and what will it take to break through the clutter? At what life-stage is your brand, product or service? The roles that the different media can and should play are very much driven by this one element. What has been your customers’ previous experience with you, and what can you learn from that experience?
The value in conducting upfront research is that is provides benchmarks for those pragmatists I referred to earlier. Use the research to find out who consumers think of first in your category (top-of-mind awareness), who else they think of (share-of-mind awareness), and what, if anything, they can recall about advertising for you and your competitors. Get those numbers into your marketing plan and then set measurable goals. In addition to these questions, set up consumer panels, arrange group discussions (focus groups), and have one-on-one interviews conducted with current, future and lapsed customers. Shannon Schafer is the Manager of DSA Media in Victoria. Her email address is shannon@dsamedia.ca
Business Matters
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