THURSDAY AUGUST 1, 2013
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TOWN OF QUALICUM BEACH
Hear and be heard QBRA wants improvement in town’s communications JOHN HARDING
editor@pqbnews.com
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ceived and the couple were contacted a couple weeks ago to have their mask featured at a Ladies Luncheon in the Hamptons, New York, held by former cast member from the Real Housewives of New York City turned successful entrepreneur, Jill Zarin. There the face masks were given to celebrities like Christy Brinkley and the reigning America’s Perfect Woman, Laura Pucker, from the Perfect Pageant. Fras and Forrest were interviewed and featured in an article in The Wall Street Journal and in a news clip, and have been contacted by Sephora USA which is interested in showcasing
A local company is shipping their coveted bee venom and bee products around the world, but it’s their bee venom face mask that is causing the real buzz. “We got interested in bee venom because it’s worth 10 times more than gold,” said Alex Fras, a local entrepreneur who currently owns a moving company in Parksville. Fras and his partner Kelly Forest founded Bee U Organics Ltd in 2006 and recently released their first skin care product, the Bee Venom Face Mask. The mask has been very well re-
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LISSA ALEXANDER
reporter@pqbnews.com
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DUCHESS OF CORNWALL AND CHRISTY BRINKLEY HAVE SHOWN INTEREST
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their product. Fras started beekeeping about six years ago because he was interested in bee pollen. He then partnered with Forrest, former owner of a couple Tim Hortons franchises in Nanaimo, and the two began to explore what bee-related products they could create. The two began travelling together and made connections in Europe and other places, and discovered a way to capture their bee venom with specialized equipment in order to produce what they say is the highest-grade bee venom powder in the world. See DUCHESS, page A9
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See TOWN PLANS, page A9 Also see EDITORIAL, page A10
LISSA ALEXANDER PHOTO
Local residents Alex Fras and Kelly Forrest are founders of Bee U Organics Ltd., owners of the popular Bee Venom Face Mask.
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The Qualicum Beach Residents’ Association wants better access to council meetings, both inside town hall and from the comfort of the home. The QBRA issued a news release this week asking town council to improve access to its meetings through the provision of auditory aids to visitors and through the streaming of all its meetings on the Internet. “The acoustics of the room (council chambers) and the sound system seem to be inadequate for many visitors to council meetings,” QBRA secretary Janet Raines wrote in a letter to town council. “Many public venues now provide complimentary auditory aides for audience members and this would be very much appreciated in our community.”
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