Talk Business - Kamloops

ISSUE 4 | SEPTEMBER 2016

Q&A: We chat with Trish Morelli of the Kamloops Wineries Association 6

Just the figures: Venture Kamloops’ Economic Indicators 14

Movers & Shakers: Housing Sales Hot, NewLeaf Grounds Flights, Lumber Exports Shift to U.S. 21

talk BUSINESS

EXCELLENCE AWARDS

COMING IN OCTOBER p.18

TOM HUGHES:

“SELFMADE KIND OF GUY” p.8

CAREER MENTORING AT TRU p.20

A KAMLOOPS MORTGAGE EXPERT IS AMONG THE

TOP 50 UNDER 35 p.16

“Practical Advice. Sound Solutions. Outstanding Results.”

Wills & Estate Planning • Estate Administration Real Estate Law • Corporate Law

As a full service law firm our legal team has expertise in most areas of law.

Candace Cates Partner

Matt Ford Partner

Carolyn Oien

Elmer Epp

Partner

Barrister & Solicitor

Lorine Evans

Barrister & Solicitor

Wills & Estate Matt Planning • Estate Administration Ford Carolyn Oien Elmer Epp Real Estate Law • Corporate Law

Candace Cates

As a full service law firm our legal team has expertise in most areas of law.

Michael Fulton Barrister & Solicitor

Jeff Shidei

Barrister & Solicitor

Morgan Elander Barrister & Solicitor

Lisa Mae Scruton Barrister & Solicitor

250.372.8811 • www.cfoelaw.com Morgan Elander

Michael Fulton

Simon Walter Articled Student

FINALIST - SERVICE PROVIDER 11+ STAFF I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has made this very humbling honor possible.

Thank you the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce and vetting committee. This would not be possible if it weren’t for the amazing staff we have at Four Star Communication.

Their commitment and pride in the service they provide is the reason we have been chosen as finalists for Service Provider of the Year 11+ staff. Congratulations to all nominees.

Dawn Petrie, President Four Star Communication Inc.

THE WORK ALONE APP Enables employers that require employees to work alone, a tool to check in with someone hourly, daily or whatever the requirements are. With 7 all centers located across Canada they have the ability to fit any clients needs.

“We are lucky that I am still the person who works with our clients to determine what level of service they will need and how we can make it work for their business. All opportunities to better serve our clients and challenges land on my desk, and I deal with them personally.” — DAWN

Four Star Communications can be your connection to success.

They can help with after hour’s calls, relief for lunch or coffee breaks.

“We can customize our service to any clients needs.

We can help find efficiencies for most businesses that can streamline workload and help them be more productive on a daily and/or hourly basis” — PETRIE

Four Star Communications, 10-989 McGill Road Kamloops BC, V2C 6N9 250-374-4584 www.fourstarcommunications.com

&

Mcallister & howard

talk SEPTEMBER 2016 | ISSUE 4

Boutique Men’s Shop ~ Since 1914

FEATURED: TOM HUGHES | PHOTO: DAVE EAGLES

Self-made kind of guy.

A Boutique Men’s Shop with Vintage Service

COVER: Longtime Kamloops executive wants city to embrace entrepreneurialism.

8

In this current day, a man’s closet should always be evolving. Every piece of clothing in your wardrobe should serve a purpose in your daily life. Suits should be tailored to t you perfectly and give you that feeling of pride and condence, throughout your day. Casual clothing should be comfortable enough to ease in to, but sধll look great into the evening. A wardrobe doesn’t have to be an expansive collecধon of clothing that spans decades.

Instead, it should be clean, concise and pracধcal.

We’re maintaining our tradiধonal focus on service and quality while conধnually adding some exciধng accessories one enjoys discovering in a bouধque men’s shop.

President

come in and relax, enjoy

the experience

KELLY HALL Publisher

JESSICA KLYMCHUK Editor/Reporter

JACKSON VANDER WAL Publication Designer

Talk Business is published four times per year by Kamloops This Week. No part of this supplement may be reproduced without the publisher’s written permission. Unsolicited materials will not be returned. The publisher assumes no responsibility for editorial information. Contact Christopher Foulds and Jessica Klymchuk, publication editors.

235 Victoria St, Kamloops, BC

250.372.9588

WWW.MCALLISTERANDHOWARD.COM

1365B Dalhousie Dr., Kamloops, B.C., V2C 5P6 1-250-374-7467 | www.kamloopsthisweek.com fb.com/kamloopsthisweek

4

talk

SEPTEMBER 2016

@kamthisweek

inside:

A Focus On Business Law

Q&A with Trish Morelli Venture Kamloops: Economic Indicators Movers & Shakers

6 14 24

Should I Incorporate? …and other things business owners should know.

According to the Government of Canada, one of the most frequently asked quesঞons asked by entrepreneurs starঞng a new business is: “Should I incorporate?”

The answer isn’t always so simple.

Among the Top 50 Under 35

Business Excellence Awards

16

Starঞng, growing, or buying a business is a lot of work.

There are so many details to handle. A lawyer can make the di@erence in helping you make prudent decisions on a series of quesঞons on starঞng a business. From partnership agreements to quesঞons regarding incorporaঞon, contact a lawyer from our Business Law team to help you make sense of it all. We take care of your legal business ma ers so that you can get down to business.

Sco E. Huyghebaert

Ben van der Gracht

shuyghebaert@morellichertkow.com

bvandergracht@morellichertkow.com

18

morellichertkow.com | 1-888-374-3350

Kamloops | Merri | Ashcro[ | Williams Lake

Career Mentoring at TRU

20

Your BC Interior law Crm — supporࢼng families, individuals, and businesses since 1911.

SEPTEMBER 2016 talk

5

Q&A

TRISH MORELLI is a marketing and project consultant specializing in wine branding, product development and strategic planning. She is the executive director of the Kamloops Wineries Association.

How is business today?

Business today is great! We have had a very successful year. Our Kamloops wineries continue to show tremendous growth in both sales and visitor counts. In fact, I was just analyzing year over year sales comparing summer 2015 to summer 2016 and I was very excited to see an overall average growth in sales of 76 per cent amongst our wineries.

The campaign for council to approve B.C. VQA wine sales at Save-On-Foods was successful. What does that mean for Kamloops wineries?

It was a long hard battle, but there are some things that are worth fighting for and this was certainly one of those things. The ability to sell our wines in Save-On-Foods will have a very positive impact for Kamloops wineries.

It’s not only sales that factor in the success of the Kamloops Wine Trail today. It’s also about awareness, image, and enjoyment. It is very rewarding to see both local residents and visitors from around the globe visiting our wineries and enjoying the new wine scene here in Kamloops.

First of all, it provides a new distribution channel in grocery that will, without question, help to increase the awareness and sales for Kamloops wines. It will introduce many new customers to Kamloops wines and other B.C. wines that they may not have otherwise known about or been able to find.

How are Kamloops-area wines faring on the national market?

Secondly, Save-On-Foods offers a professional, high-volume, high-traffic retail environment that is 100 per cent B.C. VQA wine-focused. They have the ability to list and merchandise all B.C. VQA wines, including all of our Kamloops products. They have been a very good partner and supporter of the Kamloops Wine Trail thus far and our wineries have experienced significant sales increases through their other store locations. We are looking forward to the grand opening of the wine section in Save-On Kamloops this October, where I am sure you will see the wines from Harper’s Trail, Monte Creek Ranch and Privato proudly displayed front and centre.

The majority of the Kamloops wines are sold locally and provincially, with only a small portion going to the Alberta market. Our wines are premium niche–market products. With smaller production levels, our priority is to serve our home markets first. That’s not to say that the demand isn’t there. We have had inquires from across the country, as well as from Australia and China.

As our vineyards and production levels continue to grow, so too will our points of distribution. In terms of wine quality, we are faring very well at a national level, having brought home 23 Canadian wine awards this past year. To see our local wines perform well on a national stage helps to boost both consumer confidence and winery credibility. This is very important especially for a newer wine region.

What has spurred the success of the Thompson-Nicola as an emerging wine region?

Hard work, dedication, perseverance and courage. If it weren’t for our pioneer wineries, like Harper’s Trail, Privato, Monte Creek Ranch and Sagewood, there would be no Kamloops-Thompson Valley wine region. It took a lot of guts to be the first and to prove the validity of the region. Now the path is paved for future growth and new players.

I would have to say that the more immediate success was spurred on by our partnership working together towards common goals, by developing and executing a regional marketing plan and by the continued production of premium-quality wines. Forming the Kamloops Wineries Association enabled us (the Kamloops wineries) to collectively work together to promote the region as whole.

6

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SEPTEMBER 2016

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SEPTEMBER 2016 talk

7

THE BUSINESS OF

CHANGE

by Jessica Klymchuk

Longtime Kamloops executive wants city to embrace entrepreneurialism

O

PHOTO: DAVE EAGLES

ne Kamloops businessman considers opposition to the proposed Ajax mine exemplary of a damaging attitude that will limit the city’s growth.

In his more than 35 years doing business in the city, Tom Hughes has seen it grow exponentially, but a fear of change and a lack of entrepreneurialism are trends he thinks the city could do without.

“The businesses, the city has grown, but I think we are resting on our laurels,” Hughes said. “We're now at 100,000 or something and it's supposed to grow automatically.”

“That's baloney.”

“We all want to see a scenery and ambiance be wonderful all the time, but industry is industry and if we don't have industry we will, as a community, fail.”

Growth and change have been guiding principles for the

8

talk

SEPTEMBER 2016

Ratio Group president and longtime triathlete. Hughes has explored ventures in manufacturing, retail, real estate, design and industry.

When it comes to supporting unique businesses in the community, Hughes leads by example, setting his sights on companies that are hard to duplicate or compete against.

When the Ontario-based State Group Inc. announced two years ago it would close M3 Steel & Fabrication, Hughes stepped in to buy the assets of the firm. The purchase was unplanned, but at the time, Hughes told KTW the loss of equipment to buyers would have left Kamloops permanently unable to build large steel infrastructure due to the start-up cost.

“Just to lose the capacity of that plant and the capability would be a huge loss to the city, simply because it is a centre for mining and other industrial support and this is something they

could utilize,” Hughes said.

“When you start losing these businesses, you start hollowing out the city and turning it into a retirement centre instead of an employment centre.”

Owner of five private companies, Hughes has always had an entrepreneurial mindset. However, it wasn’t industry nor manufacturing that originally piqued his interest.

Like many high-school graduates, Hughes didn’t know what he wanted to pursue. He had an interest in cooking, so he studied culinary arts in his hometown of Victoria. With his degree in hand, he worked a mere month as a cook before quitting and heading back to school for a business diploma.

In the early 1980s, Hughes started as a manager-trainee with Mark’s Work Wearhouse in Vancouver — just four years after it was founded in Calgary. He moved and grew with the company, taking on the role of “corporate cleanup guy.”

“I was moving from town to town and I helped set up the first franchises, and I always wanted to be in business for myself, so this is what I knew and liked,” Hughes said.

“I’m sort of an old-fashioned, self-made kind of guy and there is no challenge I won’t take. I think well on the fly and I’m a great problem solver and when you have those sort of things, you have this desire to get out and be your own person.”

After operating eight Mark’s Work Wearhouse stores, from the Prairies to the Coast, Hughes set his sights on the Interior. He is reluctant to describe details, but said he decided between Kamloops and Kelowna. He landed on the former, opening a store in the Thompson Park Mall, which once stood at the Lansdowne Centre location, in 1989.

By the time the brand came to Kamloops, Mark’s Work Wearhouse had grown into a 150-store chain. It rebranded as Mark’s in 2012.

“I was happy to have Kamloops,” Hughes said. “It’s a great place to live. I thought I’d give it five years and I’m still here.”

In 1999, Hughes moved the store to the larger site in Aberdeen. In 2004, Mark’s acquired the Workwear World chain, converting the stores to the Mark’s brand and closing under-performing outlets. Hughes took on the challenge of operating a second store and opened the North Shore location after renovations and a name change in 2006.

Hughes diversified his interests when he started operating his garmentprinting business in the back of Mark’s. It took over like a weed and now stands on its own.

His current operations are varied and Hughes is still driven to invest in companies that offer an “intrinsic

difference” in the marketplace. Alternative sources of energy and mining offer big opportunities for future projects, he said.

Despite his criticisms of city hall – such as its reluctance to support small businesses or lack of plans for future business development lands — Hughes has found success in Kamloops.

“Retail taught me about change — it's always changing — and to be more open-minded, that some things aren't perfect,” Hughes said. “If you're not trying to do new things, you aren't growing and you're stagnant. That's why I embrace change and I wish people in this city would embrace change. I think we are very stuck in a rut.”

Amidst a struggling world economy, Hughes said Kamloops is fortunate to fall in the middle — the highs are not high and the lows are not low.

“We tend to be well-rounded, which is a good thing,” he said.

The city has always provided Hughes with a good work-life balance.

He’s a sports lover — this summer enamoured by the Rio Games — who has been doing triathlons since 1986. He completed his first Ironman in 1990 and has done about eight since.

Despite being a competitor in the business world, Hughes said races have never been about winning and the training is his favourite part. He’s also an avid golfer.

“If you want to be successful, you have to look after your body as much as your mind,” Hughes said. “Work is a demanding place.”

" If you're not trying to do new things, you aren't growing and you're stagnant. That's why I embrace change and I wish people in this city would embrace change. I think we are very stuck in a rut."

SEPTEMBER 2016 talk

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DW Page 10 talk

SEPTEMBER 2016

David Page’s goal is to help each of his clients achieve financial stability and comfort.

As the head of DW Page Wealth Management, he says that is what motivates him every day — helping others.

But that drive has links that go back decades, to a seven-year-old boy who used to shovel coal for a neighbour in Biggar, Sask., a weekly job that netted David 50 cents — half of which he gave to his mom.

“I was raised poor,” David said of the life he, his three siblings and his mom had. “We lived in a three-room shack with outdoor plumbing.”

His early jobs after graduating from high school were at Kresge’s and Woolco, where 14- and 15-hour days seven days a week weren’t unusual. It was a pace David decided wasn’t for him after going without a vacation for six years.

He moved into financial credit — but found his ultimate career during a 1975 lunch in Winnipeg.

As a member of the Metro Club, business people who shared interests and information, David listened as a financial planner told the tale of two men with similar stories — same age, same house, same job, same number of kids.

But one was able to take his wife on nice trips, while the other would sit at the kitchen table with bills spread out in front of him and a wife complaining that he never took her out for dinner.

“That really hit me,” David said. “I had worked hard, but I wasn’t getting anywhere. I married young, two kids, and I listened to this presentation on ways of getting ahead. I went up and talked to the man after and I will never forget what he said to me. I had to learn how to pay myself first.”

Within months, David was working for Investors Group, where he stayed for 38 years before heading out on his own.

An affinity for math led David early in his career to create his own database, his go-to spread sheets with which he can track funds, see how his clients’ portfolios are doing, cope with market volatility and show the complete picture of the work he does for the people who have entrusted him

with their financial futures.

He prides himself on being ahead of the industry; an upcoming change to improve transparency of fees and charges paid to dealers and advisors has been part of his service for years.

David is glad the industry is moving to that increased openness with clients because it eliminates any concerns about biases, questions whether an advisor is recommending a specific fund because they will make more in charges than in other funds.

“It’s protecting the assets of the clients,” he said. “I’m ahead of the game.

There is no sticker shock for my clients.

They see those fees now.”

David is constantly rebalancing portfolios, acknowledging that “nobody can time the market.” However, with some proper sector management, he’s been able to make money for his clients even in down years like 2008 and 2013.

It’s important he manage all assets, David said as he can’t be making decisions on investments if someone else has control of other parts of the client’s entire portfolio.

And it’s equally crucial each person he works with understands his principles do not revolve around get-rich-quick schemes, but through the use of sound money management principles.

“It’s all about working together, teaching clients what they should and should not do and understanding their goals and comfort zones.”

For David and his team, it’s about walking with their clients throughout their whole life.”

" It’s protecting the assets of the clients and clarity of costs.

I’m ahead of the game. There will be no sticker shock for my clients. They see the fees now.”

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

685 Tranquille Rd #5, Kamloops, BC V2B 778-470-3100 www.dwpage.com PHOTOS: CAROLINE SLADE

SEPTEMBER 2016 talk

11

Snap Fitness 12 talk

SEPTEMBER 2016

Kelly Eberts’ fitness philosophy is defined by empowerment.

The personal trainer opened Kamloops’ Snap Fitness nine months ago on a promise to focus on health and performance over aesthetics — an outlook presented to her many years ago.

Eberts has been a personal trainer for eight years and her interest has always been rooted in movement, function and purpose. She believes looking good is a bonus to feeling good and aims to shift the spotlight away from body image and toward understanding what the human body is capable of.

Eberts was struggling with body image and eating disorders when she first set foot in a gym. A decade ago she hired a personal trainer who transformed both her body and her attitude when he introduced her to strength training.

“He changed my life,” Eberts said.

“He changed the way I viewed my body.

Rather than it being this thing to put clothes on, it was this tool to move and work. I went from not being able to pick up a 45-pound bar to doing a 230-pound deadlift.

“I’m not going to pretend I don’t still struggle with body image — you do, it’s always around you. In the fitness industry, I find we set these unrealistic standards of what fit women are supposed to look like and that’s not necessarily the case.”

In her crusade to distract people from fitness buzzwords and marketing languages that rally around six-pack abs and bikini bodies, she found few facilities that lived up to the challenge.

After working on a contract basis for other gyms in Kamloops, Eberts opened Snap Fitness last January. While designing the space, she used her parents as inspiration, aiming to create an atmosphere where anyone would feel comfortable.

Though she knows not every client will pursue private training, at her gym she’s able to widen the reach of her positive influence.

Every member gets an introductory fitness assessment

and training session to lay the groundwork for their gym routine. Trainers follow up with members every 60 days.

“Some people come in and they are never going to train with me, whether it be financial reasons or otherwise, but I still get to impact them somehow I still get to ask them how they’re doing,” Eberts said.

“We have a lot of people here who have never worked out in a gym before and this is the place they feel happy and comfortable working out. That means a lot to me.”

Snap Fitness offers strength- and conditioning-based group classes as well as Fitness On Demand virtual sessions members can use any time. The gym is open 24 hours a day, giving members access around the clock. Membership also gives users access to any Snap Fitness club worldwide.

Eberts’ specialty is on functional training, focusing on bigger lifts such as deadlifts, squats and overhead presses. A specialty turf room provides ample space and equipment. It also has no mirrors, helping members focus on movement and power rather than physique. Two other trainers also offer private sessions.

Having studied holistic nutrition, Eberts also offers customized meal plans.

“People join the gym because they want a result and sometimes the result doesn’t come as quickly as people would like. But if you can make people excited about taking care of themselves, that lasts a lifetime,” she said.

" We have a lot of people here who have never worked out in a gym before and this is the place they feel happy and comfortable working out.

That means a lot to me.”

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

989 McGill Place, Kamloops, BC V2C 6N9 Open 24 hours • 778-654-8406 www.snapfitness.com PHOTOS: CAROLINE SLADE

SEPTEMBER 2016 talk

13

venture kamloops

ECONOMIC

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

THOMPSON NICOLA REGION

BC

SOURCE: STATISTICS CANADA LFS

CANADA

THOMPSON NICOLA REGION

BC

CANADA

SOURCE: STATISTICS CANADA LFS

BUSINESS LICENCES

464 328 BUSINESS LICENCES ISSUED (YTD)

61.9%

61.4%

58%

7%

AUGUST 2016

7.1%

6.1%

2015

5.8%

5.1%

6.8%

2016

EMPLOYMENT RATE

RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS ISSUED (YTD)

70

COMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS ISSUED (YTD)

SOURCE: CITY OF KAMLOOPS

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...that it is better to insure your mortgage through an insurance company and not the bank? Often premiums are lower. Even if you already have the bank’s mortgage insurance, we can help you save money!

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Carol Goddyn, CHS

Mortgage Insurance Specialist

cgoddyn@telus.net 14 talk

SEPTEMBER 2016

245 1st Ave, Kamloops

Stacey Vair

Mortgage Insurance Specialist

stacey.vair@gmail.com

INDICATORS AIRPORT PASSENGER VOLUMES 2015

YTD TRAVELLERS

RESIDENTIAL (YTD)

91,941,478

$

88,195,582

$

14,502,441

$

43,402,995

2016

$

2015

SOURCE: CITY OF KAMLOOPS

AVERAGE RESIDENTIAL PRICE • AUGUST

2016

2015

2015

2016 SOURCE: CITY OF KAMLOOPS, STATISTICS CANADA

$

$

180

375,000

NUMBER OF HOUSING STARTS YTD • AUGUST

419,000

REAL ESTATE

236

HOUSING CONSTRUCTION

SOURCE: CITY OF KAMLOOPS

Real Estate Conveyancing, Mortgages, Wills, Power of Attorney, Representation Agreements, Notarizations

(Declarations, Afdavits, Travel Letters, Certied True Copies)

Sun Peaks Appointments Contact our Kamloops ofce

Tel. 250-372-1711 Fax. 250-372-1811

Email. info@janicerutherford.ca Web. www.janicerutherford.ca Facebook. Janice Rutherford Notary Public Inc. #201B-1150 Hillside Drive, Kamloops BC V2E 2N1 “Across from Aberdeen Mall in Aberdeen Court” Free Parking & Wheelchair Accessible SEPTEMBER 2016 talk

Janice Rutherford, Notary Public

SOURCE: KAMLOOPS AIRPORT AUTHORITY

COMMERCIAL (YTD)

AUGUST TRAVELLERS

213,803

CONSTRUCTION VALUE • AUGUST

216,720

28,072

27,388

2016

BUILDING PERMITS

15

TOP 50

UNDER 35

by Jessica Klymchuk

Local mortgage professional named industry rising star

A

Kamloops mortgage expert has been recognized as one of the promising young stars in his industry.

Bernard Immel was named to Canadian Mortgage Professional’s Young Guns list, highlighting 50 up-andcoming professionals under 35 “helping to shepherd the Canadian mortgage industry into a new era.”

“Despite all being under 35, many of the brokers on this list have more than a decade in the mortgage business under their belts,” Ryan Smith noted in a press release. Smith is the executive editor for the magazine’s special features.

“As such, they have strong opinions on where the industry is headed and what changes need to be made to ensure the continued credibility and legitimacy or the mortgage business.”

Immel has been working as a broker in Kamloops for eight years, getting his start in the industry at 21. Multiple factors inspired him to pursue the career, including Robert Kiyosaki’s book Rich Dad Poor Dad, advocating the importance of financial independence and building wealth through investments in real estate.

“I wanted to get my first rental property as quickly as I can to get passive income rolling in,” Immel said.

At 19, Immel was already looking at buying his first rental property. He was living at Kelowna at the time and moved to the River City because the average house price was nearly $100,000 less than those in the Little Apple, rent was similar and the vacancy rate was lower.

“Not only for family, but for future investment purposes, I thought Kamloops was a good spot to be,” Immel said.

Thinking six five steps ahead is not a new concept for Immel, who played competitive chess growing up in 100 Mile House. In high school, he showed an interest in the medical field, but was inspired by his foster dad who worked as a financial planner. Growing up in the foster-care system also drove him to the mortgage business, having moved a lot as a young teen.

“I moved into a foster home when I was 11,” Immel said. “So there was a period of time where I bounced around to a bunch of different homes and I didn’t really like how I always had my stuff in boxes.

“I guess I was kind of passionate about a home being such an important part of the family unit. So, if I can make a difference in that and help people get their money in order, get their house in order, I can really be adding value for people on a certain level that I feel fulfilled.”

Ironically enough, Immel wasn’t approved for his

first mortgage.

But, by the time he was 20 he had purchased a home, finished his one-year licensing program through the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business and started brokering less than a year later.

Immel was mentored early on by Maury Dawson, who told him it would take three to five years to build a solid relationship with clients. Now in his BERNARD IMMEL seventh year, Immel said business is busy.

Last year, he completed his financial planning licensing exams and will be partnering with his godparents’ firm to offer comprehensive financial planning.

“It’s very fulfilling,” Immel said. “It’s like I’m playing chess for other people is how I would describe it, in the financial game that everybody has to play.”

Canadian Mortgage Professional also releases a list of the top 75 brokers in the country, but Immel said the list is solely based on volume. He is undecided as to whether he will ever post his numbers.

“What I think is important is how many families you've helped,” he said. “I truly believe ho many people you can help with their finance and getting that stuff on track is more important than your income.”

When asked by Canadian Mortgage Professional about the future of the industry, Immel zeroed in on major banks and the fine print for fixed-rate mortgages, saying terms and conditions offered by brokers are more favourable.

“I’d like to see banks and credit unions have full disclosure on interest rate differential penalties for fixed-rate mortgages, disclosure on the rates they offer on renewal and more transparency on the consequences of collateral charges on high-ratio mortgages,” he told the magazine.

" It's very fulfilling.

It's like I'm playing chess for other people."

16 talk

SEPTEMBER 2016

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BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS

COMING IN

OCTOBER

by Jessica Klymchuk

Chamber president Ryan Scorgie announced category changes during the Business Excellence Awards nomination kickoff on May 11

T

he Kamloops Chamber of Commerce and TD have announced the finalists for the 2016 Business Excellence Awards, recognizing local corporations in 16 categories. Winners will be announced Oct. 22.

Executive director Deb McClelland said the chamber saw an increase in unique nominations, with 166 more organizations nominated this year compared to 2015.

The chamber also reviewed criteria for many of the awards, creating more stringent benchmarks for nominees to meet. McClelland said they expected to see fewer nominations as a result, but that wasn’t the case.

This is the 30th year the awards have been celebrated in the community. The event began as a partnership between the chamber and the Business Development Bank of Canada and culminates with Small Business Week, happening this year from Oct. 16 to Oct. 22.

Second vice-president Joshua Knaak said the chamber makes an effort to ensure the categories represent the current business community.

“The chamber wants to do whatever we can do support the businesses in our community and one of the great ways to do that is to ensure that those that really are putting the extra effort out there are recognized,” Knaak said.

This year three awards were added: Project of the Year, for 18 talk

SEPTEMBER 2016

which Cascades Casino Kamloops, the City of Kamloops and the Kamloops Wineries Association are finalists; Not-For-Profit of the Year, for which BIG Little Science Centre, Interior Community Services and St. John Ambulance are finalists; and Small Business of the Year, for which D-JUNK Enterprises Co. Ltd, Kamloops Naturopathic Clinic and Lizzie Bits Baby Co. are finalists.

This year’s Environmental Stewardship Award is an amalgamation of two former Green awards.

In addition to honouring winners in the 16 categories, the chamber’s board of directors awards the Business of the Year and the President’s Award, which goes to an “outstanding individual in the community.”

“I think one of the challenges with being a business owner, business operator is that you hear about it when you're not doing a good job, but it's much less likely to hear about it when you are doing a good job,” Knaak said. “So, I think, hopefully for those that were nominated, it's a pat on the back so they recognize that they are appreciated and valued.”

The selection committee, composed of three judges per category, will interview finalists to determine the winners.

Winners will be announced at the Business Excellence Awards gala on Oct. 22. Tickets cost $115 for members and $135 for non-members and are available online at kamloopschamber.ca or by calling 250-372-7722.

City of Kamloops Community Service Award

> Kamloops Ford Lincoln > Kelson Group Property Management > Kent Wong Photography Rocky Mountaineer Environmental Stewardship Award

> Habitat for Humanity Kamloops ReStore > New Gold Inc. New Afton Mine > The Afternoon Auxiliary to the Royal Inland Hospital BDC Business Development Bank Manufacturer Award

> Domtar Inc. (Kamloops Pulp Mill) > Fresh Is Best Salsa Company Inc. > Horizon North Logistics Venture Kamloops Resource Industry Award

> Domtar Inc. (Kamloops Pulp Mill) > Lightship Works Inc. > Trout Creek Enterprises Westland Insurance Group Ltd Retailer Award (1—10 Staff)

> Andres Electronic Experts > Gord's Appliance + Mattress Centre > Harper's Trail Estate Winery Aberdeen Mall Retailer Award (11+ Staff)

> Fresh Is Best Salsa Company Inc. > Lyons Landscaping > Mark's Berwick on the Park Service Provider Award (1—10 Staff)

> Excel Personnel Inc. > Kent Wong Photography > Summit Gourmet Meats

Kamloops Lincoln Service Provider Award (11+ Staff)

> Four Star Communications Inc. > Hotel 540 > Tenisci Piva LLP

BCLC Technology Innovator Award

> Hummingbird Drones Inc. > iTel Networks Inc. > Lightship Works Inc.

TRU Faculty of Adventure, Culinary Arts & Tourism and Tourism Sun Peaks Tourism Award

> DoubleTree by Hilton Kamloops > Hotel 540 > Rainbow's Roost > TasteFull Excursions Inc. CN Project of the Year

> Cascades Casino Kamloops > City of Kamloops > Kamloops Wineries Association Coast Kamloops Hotel & Conference CentreEmployer of the Year

> iTel Networks Inc. > Lightship Works Inc. > Volkswagen of Kamloops

United Way Not-For-Profit of the Year

FINALISTS FOR THE 2016 BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS

> BIG Little Science Centre > Interior Community Services > St. John Ambulance

TRU School of Business and Economics Young Entrepreneur of the Year

> Dr. Russell Ebata, Ebata Eyecare Optometry > Danielle Fauteux, All by Design > Jesse Faubert, Common Sound > Brittany Strebchuk, Aglow Bridal Lounge

KGHM International - Ajax Project Small Business of the Year

> D-JUNK Enterprises Co. Ltd > Kamloops Naturopathic Clinic > Lizzie Bits Baby Co.

Excel Personnel Business Person of the Year

> Steve Davidson, Kamloops Ford Lincoln > Greg Munden, Munden Ventures Ltd > Gavin Rasmussen, K&C’s Construction & Renovations Ltd

The Community Service Award nominees for this year's Business Excellence Awards pose for a picture at the finalists announcement at Kamloops Ford Lincoln on Sept. 8. From left: Kent Wong of Kent Wong Photography, Kamloops Ford Lincoln owner Steve Davidson, Mayor Peter Milobar for City of Kamloops and Jason Fawcett for Kelson Group Propery Management.

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CAREER MENTORING

AT TRU BENEFITS STUDENTS AND BUSINESSES

by Jessica Klymchuk

T

hompson Rivers University’s mentoring program has won a Conference Board of Canada award for innovative and creative partnerships in North America.

The award was chosen by an international panel of judges and was presented at the Global Best Awards, a bi-annual event that celebrates “outstanding and effective business, education and community organization partnerships that have a significant impact on the communities in which they operate.”

Career Mentoring Program co-ordinators Arlene Olynyk and Susan Forseille accepted the award in Oslo, Norway, in September.

Olynyk said international recognition shows the program that connects students and industry leaders is at the forefront of its field.

TRU’s Career Mentoring Program has grown over the last six years, beginning at the grassroots level with 40 mentors and evolving into a community of more than 800 career educators.

More than 2,700 students have connected with career mentors throughout Canada, the U.S., New Zealand, Iceland, Sweden, Australia and Africa.

The program exists amidst a high youth-unemployment rate and a growing disconnect between stakeholders, according to co-ordinators. As a result, it’s important to help students develop employability skills.

Olynyk, alumni relations supervisor at TRU, said the program was born partially out of a desire to connect alumni to students.

“First, we knew there was alumni that were willing to do this and we wanted to get more students access to these people who wanted to give back,” she said.

“Then, we also knew there were students who were relying on just having their education and they didn’t really know how to articulate who they were now and what they had learned.”

The goal of the program is to help students with careersearch strategy. It includes three styles of events: Networking 411, a speed-networking event; panels, where selected career mentors are asked to speak to a specific faculty of students; and one-on-one mentoring.

The mentor network began with university alumni and connections Olynyk and Forseille had. It grew via word-of-mouth and scouting, depending on which students were looking for mentors, Olynyk said.

BCLC, Teck, CIBC, Arrow Transportation and KGHM have proven to be strong industry partners. Olynyk said many working professionals have been with the program since its inception. As

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SEPTEMBER 2016

their involvement increased, companies started providing mentors from multiple departments, from human resources to technical support.

While the program is not a job search mechanism, some businesses are finding prospective employees through the partnership.

“Arrow is telling us that they are actually finding people to work,” Olynyk said. “CIBC is actually pulling people to work out of it and now RBC is coming on. They aren’t using it to recruit, but they are saying they see the students . . . they are meeting these students and it’s shortening the gap between the paper resume.”

In 2015, co-ordinators initiated a five-year research project to measure the results of the program, which so far have been anecdotal. Annual surveys, focus groups and face-to-face interviews will provide more insight into its success.

Statistics from the 2015 survey showed 73 per cent of participants reported the program “improved their career transition confidence” and 75 per cent reported it “assisted them with developing their career goals.”

The survey also showed a variety of students participate, from first to fourth year, and represent most programs at TRU. However, Olynyk said business students — and business mentors — represent the greatest percentage. Students from the Master of Business Administration graduate program are also strongly represented.

“They already are sure of what the workplace looks like and they’re a little bit more sure of where they want to fit in the workplace,” Olynyk said.

“Our business students — and it might be the type of student that goes into business, that study I don’t have — they’re very driven. They’re goal driven, they’re check-box thinking brains. They are linear thinkers. They walk into a room and they have questions.”

Olynyk said the program brings in mentors from finance, investment banking and international business and small business owners to cater to the interests of those students.

Tolko, for example, has provided industry professionals in international sales to speak to students.

“The strongest number of mentors come from a certain level of business,” Olynyk said.

Forseille and Olynyk spoke at the Norway conference, where they presented the Career Mentoring Program to delegates and award winners. They’ve also presented details of the program at universities in Kelowna, Montreal and Newfoundland.

Movers&Shakers CHBA BOARD ELECTED SEPTEMBER 2016

The Canadian Home Builders’ AssociationCentral Interior has elected a new board of directors, with Rob Lemire of Cypress Insurance Brokers stepping into the president’s chair.

“I’m looking forward to a successful year supported by a strong board bringing diverse points of view that will continue to move our organization forward,” Lemire said.

“Building technology is rapidly evolving and today’s homes are more livable and energy efficient than ever before. The number-one concern to our industry is housing affordability.

There are relentless upward cost pressures, but the area of greatest concern is the regulatory burden imposed by all levels of government through increases in taxes and fees.”

The remainder of the CHBA’s Central Interior board includes first vice-president Kelly Reid of HKR Builders, second vicepresident Marlene Marlene Anderson of TRI-AMM Developments Corp., treasurer Mario Piroddi of BDO Canada LLP, secretary Steve DuMont of Gillespie and Company LLP and past-president Matt McCurrach of Homex Development Corp.

Directors are Alex Rugolo of KPMG, Bev Wassen-Hunter of BMO Bank of Montreal, Ron Wrabel of Wrabel Brothers Construction Ltd., Ryan Kurzac of Kamloops Home Hardware Building Centre and Tom Calne of Fulcrum Development.

HOUSING SALES HOT

The median sale price of a home in Kamloops rose to $419,000 in August, according to data from the Kamloops and District Real Estate Association.

The median price in July was $414,000.

The real-estate market continues its blistering pace through the eighth month of the year, with 362 unit sales recorded (for a value of $128 million) compared to 264 unit sales (for a value of $84 million) sold in August of 2015.

Aberdeen led the way with 43 sales, followed by Brocklehurst at 30 transactions.

LUMBER EXPORTS SHIFT TO U.S.

SUN RIVERS GOLF COURSE SALE

Wood products exports from Canada to Asia were down 18 per cent in the first six months of 2016, with the biggest decline being softwood lumber from B.C. to China, according to the Seattle-based Wood Resources International.

Lumber sales to China are on pace to drop by 50 per cent this year compared to 2014, as B.C. lumber producers direct their sales to a healthy U.S. lumber market, according to customs data tracked for the Wood Resources Quarterly.

The latest edition notes that by value, 75 per cent of B.C.’s exports to Asia in 2015 and 2016 are in the form of lumber, while 77 per cent of exports from Washington and Oregon are logs.

Asian demand reached a record high in 2013, with China passing Japan as the largest importer of North American wood products in 2011.

An investment group that has signed a letter of intent to purchase Sun Rivers Golf Course and Hoodoos restaurant will lower annual fees in a bid to double membership.

Bill Amy, an investor and spokesman for Ranchero Enterprises, said that is just one of the changes the prospective owners plan for Sun Rivers.

The sale price was not announced. The 130-acre golf course was recently listed by Colliers International for $4 million.

Investors plan an expansion that includes a six-hole par-3 golf course, pickleball courts and a renovated Hoodoos restaurant and sand bunkers.

The sale is expected to close in October.

Improvements will begin with seasonal closing of the golf course.

Amy is one of the partners in Ranchero. He said the core group intends to bring in other investors.

The greater Sun Rivers development is owned by a group of investors led by Austrian Martin Zumtobel and governed by the Tk’emlups Indian Band. It is located on leasehold land, with a lease expiring in 2115.

NEWLEAF GROUNDS FLIGHTS Less than two months after arriving in the Tournament Capital, discount airline NewLeaf Travel has announced it will suspend service to and from Kamloops for at least six weeks.

The company said it will not fly to and from Kamloops, Victoria, Regina and Saskatoon from Nov. 1 to mid-December.

Julie Rempel, director of corporate communications for NewLeaf, said the decision is based on numbers on planes, with the carrier looking to concentrate on its core flights, where it is selling the most tickets, while it adds more aircraft to its fleet.

Rempel said focusing on those core routes will allow the company to take bookings much further in advance, which the market demands.

Three more planes will arrive by midDecember, but Rempel said it’s not yet clear if Kamloops will be back on the schedule at that time.

Stone Hazell & Company is pleased to announce the reloca�on of our legacy offices in Kamloops to our new building in Valleyview at 162 Oriole Road.

Please visit our website www.stonehazell.ca for specics about our recent merger, move and ever expanding accounধng, tax, assurance and estate services.

TIB BUSINESS AWARD Tk’emlups Indian Band’s Petro-Can station is one of the winners in this year’s B.C. Aboriginal Business Awards.

The eighth-annual awards were held at the Fairmont Hotel in Vancouver. They recognize business excellence in B.C.’s aboriginal communities.

TIB won the award for community-owned business for its Tk’emlups Petro-Canada gas station and car wash. Other local nominees include Alpha-Omega Productions in the young entrepreneur of the year category and 4TR Ventures for business of the year in a one- to two-person business.

162 Oriole Road, Kamloops, BC, V2C 4N7 250-374-2866 admin@stonehazell.ca

www.stonehazell.ca

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