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Telus to spend $100 million in Kamloops By Jeremy Deutsch STAFF REPORTER
jeremy@kamloopsthisweek.com
STRAUSS CLAIMS VICTORY By Jeremy Deutsch STAFF REPORTER
jeremy@kamloopsthisweek.com
It may only be a simple-eight digit number but, for a popular natural health-product maker in Kamloops, it’s a lifeline. After battling federal regulators for seven years, Strauss Herb Company has won a major victory for its most popular product — Strauss Heartdrops. Health Canada has given the product a thumbs-up and, more importantly, a much needed Natural Product Number (NPN). Bill Carey, vicepresident of sales for Strauss Companies, said the NPN for the drops now allows the company to sell the product in major chains across the country. Previously, the drops were sold in smaller
independent stores and online, but the big chains were reluctant to stock the product without Health Canada’s seal of approval. “It opens the door to all the people that said no,” he said. Though pleased the drops, which make up 90 per cent of Strauss’s business, have been approved, company vice-president Brian Kettle is frustrated with the amount of time it took and the treatment received by Health Canada. The company applied for an NPN in 2005 following the introduction of new federal natural health-product regulations, However, after years of testing, Health Canada, through the Natural Health Products Directorate, turned down the application on sev-
Bill Carey, vice-president of sales for Strauss Companies, said the National Product Number for Strauss Heartdrops now allows the company to sell the product in major chains across the country. Dave Eagles/KTW
eral occasions. The final decision from Health Canada came down in December. It was the last straw for Strauss Companies, which had filed a lawsuit against the federal agency.
Then, inexplicably, Health Canada relented and, on March 1, the Kamloops company officially received the NPN. Kettle said it remains unclear as to why the drops were under so much scrutiny while
other natural products from competitors were quickly approved. He noted Health Canada had only received three complaints about Strauss Heartdrops, due to rashes, in 10 years. But, the NPN couldn’t have come soon enough for Strauss Companies. Kettle said the company spent nearly $7 million over the years on testing, legal fees and the application. X See DENIAL A10
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It’s been talked about for years and now more details have been released on a Telus data centre planned for the Tournament Capital. The communications giant announced on Monday, March 5, that it plans to start construction on the data centre later this year, with the $75-million facility opening sometime in 2013. The centre will be built on former School District 73 land near Thompson Rivers University. “In these economic times, investments of these types aren’t common at all, so it’s very significant,” said Josh Blair, executive vice-president of human resources for Telus. In total, the company is expected to invest $100 million in Kamloops during the next three years. The data centre will employ 200 people during the construction phase and another 75 once complete. The facility is being described as a giant centre filled with bays of equipment to store all kinds of data, from health information to business and banking data. It will be one of
two Telus data centres in the country, the other located in Rimouski, Que. It’s expected the two centres will back each other up in case of a problem. Blair said Kamloops was chosen because of its access to talent at TRU, its proximity to other locations within the Telus infrastructure and the city’s lack of seismic activity. Telus will also be spending another $25 million to extend its 4G LTE network in Kamloops and to extend its Optik TV coverage area in the city by 6,000 households. The company said the 4G LTE is the fastest wireless technology in the world. Telus is also calling the facility one of the greenest data centres in the world, noting it will be built to LEED Gold standard. Mayor Peter Milobar called the centre a “significant shot in the arm” for the local economy. He said the centre sends a strong message to the investment world that Kamloops is a good place to do business. The project is part of the company’s larger $3-billion infrastructure investment recently announced for B.C.
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