SEPTEMBER 2019
» CRAFT BEER
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VICTORIA West Coast Prefinish Helps Clients Protect Wood From Water
Victoria
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Fernwood Builds Successful Roastery From The Ground Up Fernwood Coffee Company Attracts Local AND International Acclaim
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VANCOUVER ISLAND Smythe Insolvency Leads Clients to Financial Freedom
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INDEX News Update 2 Digital Marketing 5 Greater Victoria 6 Saanich Peninsula 7 West Shore 9 Citified 17 Who is Suing Whom 18 Movers and Shakers 19 Opinion 22
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IC T OR I A - Fernwood Coffee Company has the recipe for success. For over a decade, the roastery has been garnering critical acclaim thanks to their contributions to the community and their outstanding product. Owners Ben Cram and Terra Ogawa ( h u sb a n d a n d w i fe) began their journey when they purchased the Parsonage Cafe in 2006. “I used to be a chef, working full time running a kitchen, and Terra was working in management, running the front end of a restaurant,” says Cram. “When we had our son, we quickly found that the hours and late nights were making it difficult to be good parents.” “We were regulars at the Parsonage Cafe, and they were planning on selling. They approached SEE FERNWOOD COFFEE COMPANYS | PAGE 11
Adrian White, Ed Cunningham, and Ben Cram (Photo: Christopher Pouget)Fernwood Coffee Company was recognized as a 2019 Greater Victoria Business Award winner in the Outstanding Workplace category.
A Lot Of Buzz Surrounds Abeego Victoria-Based Manufacturers Spark A Food Revolution BY ROBERT MACDONALD
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ICTORIA - Abeego has taken beeswax and turned it into a business. From a booth at a farmer’s market to fridges around the g l o b e , t h e V i c t o r i a-b a s e d manufacturer has revolutionized food wrap with its innovative approach to food preservation. Over the last three years, the innovative reusable beeswax food wrap product has exploded into
international markets. On August 20, Founder and CEO Toni Desrosiers was notified that her company was named a finalist for the 2019 Canada Post E-Commerce Innovation Awards i n the Socia l Responsibi l ity category. Winners, who will be awarded up to $150,000 in free shipping and marketing, are announced as of September 19. «I’m so honou red to h ave Abeego up for t he Socia l Responsibility Award alongside
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such esteemed Canadian companies,” she says. “Thanks to Canada Post for their support by acknowledging businesses that prove you can be both successful and contribute positively to society.” The product originated in 2008 when Desrosiers was looking for an alternative food preservation product to replace plastic wrap. “The harmful nature of plastic products was big in the news at the time, and I was simply
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looking for an alternative that would be better for me and for the environment,” she says. “I selected the materials and did a lot of testing, buying almost every type of food at the grocery store, wrapping it and watching it.” T he i n itia l product was comprised of a disc that would be tied around the food product. This product began to pick up SEE ABEEGO | PAGE 8