Business Examiner Victoria - June 2016

JUNE 2016

» FOCUS ON MANUFACTURING

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DUNCAN Blue Grouse Estate Winery To Double Its Vineyard Acreage

Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce Selects Catherine Holt as New CEO A vigorous coast-to-coast selection process revealed Holt as a truly “members-oriented” candidate

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INDEX News Update 2 West Shore 4 Saanich Peninsula 4 Greater Victoria 6 Tax 27 Sales 27 Who is Suing Whom 39 Movers and Shakers 40 Opinion 42 Law 43 Salt Spring 43

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ICTORIA— The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce announced on May 13, 2016, that Catherine Holt would be its next CEO. The turnover process to succeed outgoing CEO Bruce Carter will begin on June 2, 2016.

After the announcement, Holt confirmed the news by stating: “I’m looking forward to getting to know the members of The Chamber and providing them with great service. Member involvement is essential and it allows The Chamber to do its part to make Victoria a great place to live and do business.”

Carter also acknowledged the changeover, saying: “I take great pride in The Chamber and our members and all that we have accomplished in the community.

I look forward to working with Catherine during the turnover and beyond.”

Holt is a seasoned executive with

extensive private, not-for-profit, and public policy experience. Most recently, she was the president and principal consultant of Sage Group Management Consultants, an organization that assists leaders with complex decision-making.

Al Hasham, Chair of the Greater Victoria Chamber’s Board of Directors, was part of the four Board members forming the Chamber’s CEO search committee. He describes Holt’s appeal succinctly: “She understands that the membership is her priority. She leads from a place of understanding the needs of members.”

Hasham explains that Holt’s first order of business will be to start getting to know more of the members. “Building relationships,” he says, will precede any discussions of vision or direction. “Everything must be driven by what the members want to see. Catherine SEE CATHERINE HOLT | PAGE 15

Chair Al Hasham welcomes new Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce CEO Catherine Holt to her new position

TV Show Sparks Successful Business Idea

Mobile entertainment franchise caters to all ages with fun interactive activities Canadian Publications Mail Acct.: 40069240

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ICTORIA - Four years ago, contractor and family man, Darren Pine, was not looking for a new business venture.

But while watching an episode of the Shark Tank on TV one Friday night, he saw a business idea that peaked his interest.

The reality show has potential entrepreneurs pitching their product or idea to successful business men and women in the hopes of a buy in and investment. The episode Pine watched had two brothers from the United States sharing their mobile entertainment franchise idea.

“They didn’t get the investment,” he said. “But it was such an

interesting idea that after the show I did an internet search to see if there was anything like it in Victoria.”

What he found out had him and wife Alicia diving into the business, purchasing a territory and opening one of only three Games2u franchises in Canada.

“We are mobile entertainment,” said Alicia, adding that

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NEWS UPDATE

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JUNE 2016

VICTORIA April Property Sales Continue to Exceed Expectations A total of 1,286 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this April, an increase of 53 per cent compared to the 840 properties sold in the same month last year.

Inventory levels remain lower than the previous year, with 2,594 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service at the end of April, 34 per cent fewer than the 3,945 active listings at the end of April 2015.

“We continue to see extraordinary interest in the Victoria and area housing market.

Likely this is because the trends we reviewed last month continue – low mortgage rates, higher employment numbers, diversity of properties for sale and of course the growing international awareness that Victoria is an amazing place to live,” notes Mike Nugent, 2016 President of the Board. “The vast majority of Victoria buyers are from within the local Victoria marketplace. Last year 70.5 per cent of buyers were from Victoria, and this year in the first quarter we see 72.5 per cent of buyers from the area. We’ve also tracked a slight increase in Lower Mainland buyers. Reports from the first quarter of 2016 show that 8.2 per cent of buyers are from the Lower Mainland, and last year we counted 7.4 per cent. It’s also noteworthy that we’ve seen a decrease in buyers from Alberta (last year we saw 5.7 per cent, this quarter we saw 3.9 per cent), a small increase in buyers from the US (from 0.8 per cent to 1 per cent) and an increase in buyers from Asia (from 0.7 per cent to 0.8 per cent this quarter).”

The Multiple Listing Service Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core in April, 2015 was $581,700. T he benchmark value for the same home in April 2016 has increased by 17.7 per cent to $684,900.

“If you are shopping for a home right now, there is a good chance that if you’re looking in a higher demand area (Victoria core, Saanich, Oak Bay) you may find yourself in a multiple offer situation when you go to purchase. This is because there are more buyers than homes for sale and so the market is more competitive than we’ve seen in years past,” adds Nugent. “As a consumer it may pay to get creative, consider types of property and locations you may have not originally identified. For example, condos and townhomes may be a great alternative for first time buyers. Some locations in the Victoria area are under slightly less pricing pressure, for example properties in the West Shore or Esquimalt area are close to amenities, share the same amazing weather as other nearby neighbourhoods.”

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Premier Christy Clark began a trade mission focused on opening new doors in the Philippines and developing new export markets in technology and liquefied natural gas (LNG) with established trade partners in Japan and South Korea recently.

Premier Clark led a delegation of representatives from approximately 78 businesses and organizations on her seventh trade mission to Asia, travelling to South Korea, the Philippines and Japan.

“This trade mission is about developing new trade and investment opportunities with Japan and Korea, while looking at what the future holds in Southeast Asia as we develop a stronger trade presence in the Philippines,” said Premier Clark. “BC is leading Canada right now because we have both a diverse economy and diverse export markets. This mission is an opportunity to build on that success.”

Premier Clark will also promote the free trade opportunities that are being created under the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement, which came into effect Jan. 1, 2015, and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which currently is in the ratification process.

Canada and Japan are both signatories to the TPP, which is expected to grow BC exports by $350 million annually and create more than 2,500 jobs around the province.

Businesses and organizations representing a wide variety of sectors, from international education and digital media, to LNG, clean technology and professional services, will be travelling on this mission to form partnerships and attract new trade and investment dollars to BC. Trade missions are a critical part of British Columbia’s BC Jobs Plan strategy to diversify international trading partners and secure new investment, and help propel economic activity and job creation throughout the province.

British Columbia is the largest provincial exporter to Japan, South Korea and the Philippines. Japan and South Korea are BC’s third- and fourth-largest trade partners respectively.

In 2015, BC exported $3.6 billion in goods to Japan and $1.8 billion in goods to Korea.

BC International Visitors on the Rise The first part of 2016 brings more good news for BC tourism. The latest international visitor numbers show that tourism visitation is up 16.8 per cent during the first three months of 2016 with 121,306 more visitors to the province over the same period last year.

The number of international visitors in March is up 19.6 per cent over March 2015, representing an additional 50,299 visitors to British Columbia. Visitors from the first three months are coming from a number of key markets: France up 51.6 per cent, Mexico up 45.2 per cent, U.S. up 20.1 per cent, Japan up 13.3 per cent, South Korea up 10.1 per cent, China up 7.8 per cent, Germany up 6.2 per cent, Australia up 4.7 per cent, India up 2.5 per cent and United Kingdom up 1.1 per cent.

Provincial tourism growth is helped by a number of factors including the low Canadian dollar, Destination BC’s new international marketing strategy, more direct flights to BC and outstanding conditions at the province’s ski resorts.

The new flights are thanks in part to a 2012 jet fuel tax eliminated by government to reduce costs for airlines and give travellers more choice.

The strong growth in visitors from Mexico is partly due to a new non-stop, daily Aeromexico flight between Mexico City and Vancouver that started in December 2015.

Continued growth from Japan is helped by the new Air Canada seasonal flight to Osaka’s Kansai International Airport.

Each new daily international flight to BC creates between 150 and 200 new jobs at SEE NEWS UPDATE | PAGE 3

NEWS UPDATE

JUNE 2016

NEWS UPDATE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

Vancouver International Airport (YVR).

An additional 300 to 400 jobs are created indirectly in the province at businesses such as hotels, restaurants, travel agents and tour operators.

The tourism industry is helping fuel the provincial economy which is expected to lead the country in economic growth in 2016 and 2017. Tourism supports approximately 19,200 businesses and 127,500 employees in British Columbia, and is a key sector in the BC Jobs Plan.

Tourism provides a job for roughly one out of every 15 people employed in BC. The Province invests more than $90 million annually in the tourism sector across every region to grow and market the sector.

In 2015, 4.9 million international visitors came to BC – a 7.9 per cent increase compared to 2014.

BC Minister Welcomes Agreement with Fortis and Hawaiian Electric Good news for LNG in BC! A twenty-year agreement would see Hawaiian electric companies import 800,000 metric tons of liquefied natural gas annually from the Tilbury LNG facility in Delta, British Columbia.

Minister of Natural Gas Development Rich Coleman commented, “Congratulations to Fortis and the Hawaiian Electric Company for signing one of the first agreements to export BC LNG. “T he agreement showcases British

Columbia’s capacity to supply clean energy to new markets and our potential to create jobs and long-term economic growth through the development of our natural gas sector.

“As a result, Hawaiian Electric will be in a position to decrease its reliance on imported oil, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support the state’s transition to 100 per cent renewable energy.

“Thanks to Fortis’ vision, the Tilbury facility is currently undergoing a $400-million expansion to serve the British Columbia market. This is creating contract work for over 100 companies in BC and jobs for British Columbians. To date, more than 470 tradespeople have registered for work on the project, logging 65,000 full-time equivalent hours so far.

“Fortis’ foresight will now lead to further expansion of the facility to help British Columbia meet the export demand for BC LNG and grow our economy for the future benefit of all British Columbians.”

VANCOUVER ISLAND Building permit values trump pre-recession highs in Q1 2016 The Capital Region was the driving force behind a 17 per cent gain in the Island’s residential permits by posting a compelling 33 per cent increase over Q1 2015.

The Capital Regional District saw unprecedented quarter over quarter and year over year quarterly total permit gains of 30 and 55 per cent respectively. The outlook is very positive for further gains.

The hidden story is the reversal of the Island’s non-residential building permits trend with the posting of a compelling 44 per cent quarter over quarter gain led by a 60 per cent surge in commercial permits.

The Capital Region’s non-residential permits were the strongest they have been in many years with quarter over quarter and year over year quarterly gains of 90 and 125 per cent respectively.

Overall, total building permits issued on Vancouver Island rose 16 per cent in the first quarter of 2016 to $410.8 million from $352.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2015 and 21 per cent compared to the first quarter of 2015.

Strong gains also occurred in four regional districts: Mount Waddington Regional District posted a 116 per cent increase, Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District posted a 77 per cent increase, Strathcona Regional District posts a 70 per cent increase, and the Capital Regional District posted a 30 per cent increase in total permit values and a 90 per cent increases in non-residential values.

Low interest rates, a growing population and strengthening economic conditions across all sectors combined to spur first-quarter building permits to surpass pre-recession highs Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA) said.

“The permit values are a compelling indicator that the Vancouver Island construction sector has transitioned from recovery to an industry firing on all cylinders,” said Greg Baynton, CEO of VICA. “This is very promising for the island’s construction industry and economy.”

There were 32,100 jobs in the construction sector during the first quarter across Vancouver Island, with areas outside Victoria posting a 5.5 per cent increase or 1,000 more jobs compared to the fourth quarter of 2015.

Baynton added, “Improving economic conditions, rising demand for residential units and increased investment by the public sector is expected to boost total building permits by15 to 20 per cent in 2016.”

LANGFORD Canada’s Bear Mountain Resort named as host of 2016 Pacific Links Championship PGA Tour Champions and Pacific Links International announced recently that the 2016 Pacific Links Championship, originally set to be contested in Tianjin, China, has moved to Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria.

The tournament dates will remain September 19-25, with the field increasing from 60 players to 81 players, and the purse remaining $2.5 million.

“Bear Mountain Golf Resort is an incredible property, offering not only great golf, but an impressive variety of activities and accommodations,” said Mr. Du, Owner & Chairman of Pacific Links International. “Western Canada is a prime travel destination with attractions that include the internationally prized wine region of the Okanagan Valley, the cosmopolitan coastal city of Vancouver, Vancouver Island and to the east Jasper and Banff National Parks in the Canadian Rockies. We are proud to showcase Bear Mountain and the entire travel destination of spectacular British Columbia by bringing this special event to Victoria.”

Tournament play at the Pacific Links Championship will be held on the Mountain Course at Bear Mountain Resort, which opened for play in 2003.

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IT ALL STARTS HERE: INSPIRING EMERGING ENTREPRENEURS

WEST SHORE JULIE LAWLOR

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his spring, Junior Achievement of British Columbia (JA) partnered with the WestShore Chamber of Commerce to bring real world business knowledge into eight Grade 6 classes at Spencer Middle School.

Memb ers of t he WestShore Chamber volunteered their time to introduce students to business so students could create a business of their own from inside their classroom.

“We get to learn now what it would be like to handle a business and be the boss,” Grade 6 Spencer Middle School Student.

JA’s A Business of Our Own is a five-part program that guides students through the process of planning and operating a small retail business from within the

school. Students work together in teams and with guidance and mentorship from the business community, they gain hands-on business planning and operations experience.

“JA programs like A Business of Our Own help to inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs, innovators and leaders,” said Deborah Wakeham, Regional Manager of JA British Columbia – Vancouver Island. “What these students learn from local business professionals will help to support the future of business in the community and throughout the region.” And from the Chamber’s perspective, hopefully encourage future Chamber members!

Students select a product, a location, arrange a promotional campaign, oversee the financial aspects, and eventually operate their business. A Business of Our Own is provided by JA at no cost to the students and I’d like to thank the following Chamber members who volunteered in the classroom to facilitate the JA lessons and share their knowledge and experience with students: Jackson Wagner of North of Hadrian’s Kilts and Celtic Clothing; Stephan LaPierre of Stelap Consulting & FrogWash; Valorie Logan &

Kari Brewer of Vancity Credit Union – Langford Community Branch; Mike Reilly of Freedom 55 Financial & Quadrus Investments; Alexander Drury-Singh & Jonah Neukomm of Student Works Painting; Jessica Salema of Cabello Salon and Daniel Hegg of Stantec Consulting.

2016 marks the sixth year that JA has brought A Business of Our Own to students at the Spencer Middle School. Junior Achievement is the world’s largest notfor-profit organization dedicated to educating young people about business. JA programs serve youth in grades 5 through 12 and are designed around three pillars: work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. For more information, please contact Deborah.wakeham@jabc.org For more information on the WestShore Chamber of Commerce, please go to westshore. bc.ca, and thank you to Deborah Wakeman for her substantial contribution to this article.

Julie Lawlor is the Executive Director at the WestShore Chamber of Commerce. You can reach her at 250-478-1130 or jlawlor@ westshore.bc.ca

JUNE 2016

THE CASE FOR DENSITY

SAANICH PENINSULA DENNY WARNER

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nce more unto the breach, dear friends! This remains a hot button issue on the Saanich Peninsula and the hue and cry against increasing density is regrettable because it serves as a distraction and negatively impacts our use of one of the most powerful tools municipalities have to create more sustainable cities and preserve agricultural land.

The combination of our walkability, low crime rate, culture, access to transit, and visual appeal creates a competitive advantage for attracting residents and businesses. Growth by way of increased density will bring more local customers and employees and contribute to a more competitive downtown core. An economically diverse and prosperous community will support a wider range of working and shopping opportunities.

An important principle in building sustainable communities is to limit

infrastructure and resource costs.

Building where services such as water, roads, electricity, sewer, etc. are already in place is most cost-effective and quicker. New infrastructure is a roadblock to growth as municipalities are less inclined to develop services that will require long-term maintenance.

Densification is more easily achieved when there is a vision that residents, business leaders, and investors can champion. Absent an appropriate framework, progress will be haphazard and projects are more susceptible to being derailed by dissenters. Transparency and clarity around where and how densification will happen is important to stakeholders. Systems must be in place to provide support, predictability and efficiency for developers.

Perhaps those who oppose the idea of increased density do so because these elements have not been addressed to their satisfaction. It can be a challenge to support a system you have not had a hand in developing.

The carrot is that if we get densification right, we will be more competitive and resilient and be even more proud to call this home.

Denny Warner is Executive Director of the Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at 250-656-3616 or execdir@ peninsulachamber.ca

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IDNEY – In every sense the economy of British Columbia is carried on commercial trucks. The British Columbia Trucking Association (BCTA) membership alone currently operates more than 14,000 vehicles and across North America there could be as many as 17 million commercial trucks in operation. Victoria’s Empire Hydrogen Energy Systems Inc. has developed a technology that when mounted on a commercial vehicle will help the motor use less fuel, burn it more efficiently, reduce the amount of pollution it releases and will even extend the life of the vehicle.

“Empire Hydrogen was launched in 2009 to further develop the technology of taking the hydrogen and oxygen from distilled water and then converting it into a gaseous form to be fed into any motor, gas or diesel, to increase the combustion and the usability of the existing fuel,” explained company Chief Executive Office (CEO) Sven Tjelta.

“The gas mixes with the existing

Friesen Brothers Trucking are using the Empire Hydrogen system on many of their commercial vehicles

The Empire Hydrogen Fuel Enhancement System (EHFES) helps trucks burn fuel more efficiently

“We have tentative orders for about 400 units right now over the next six months.”

SVEN TJELTA CEO, EMPIRE HYDROGEN ENERGY SYSTEMS

fuel to produce a fuel that is more combustible, uses more of the fuel (by some estimates as much as 80 per cent of the total energy contained in motor fuels are wasted as heat in the engine exhaust), will clean the engine of its carbon build

The EHFES system is an add on to commercial vehicles that improves mileage and lowers maintenance costs

up, will make the engine perform better and last longer.”

The Empire Hydrogen Fuel Enhancement System (EHFES) is designed and manufactured at the company’s 3,000 square foot facility in Sidney and is an add-on technology that is bolted directly to the truck. A typical installation takes approximately four hours.

The systems are sold and installed through a network of certified sales and installation centers. “We have tentative orders for about 400 units right now over the next six months,” Tjelta said.

The company’s current shop the capability of producing as many as 3,000 EHFES units per year.

“We’re a green technology company that could potentially save truckers millions of dollars per year in fuel expenses with our patented system.”

Tjelta estimates that based on the typical use of a commercial vehicle a trucking company could recoup their investment in the system within nine months on the fuel savings alone. “We’re trying to revolutionize the motor industry. We can help save fuel, reduce pollution and allow the companies to save money at the same time, everyone benefits.”

To learn more and request the company’s Offering Memorandum for the sale of seed shares, please visit the company’s website at: www.empirehydrogen.com

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JUNE 2016

FIVE PILLARS OF SUSTAINED TOURISM GROWTH Both the public and private sectors are seeing increased effectiveness from their marketing efforts

TOURISM VICTORIA PAUL NURSEY

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hink of the tourism industry as a house supported by five strong, weight-bearing posts. Each of these pillars helps the industry benefit more efficiently during good times, and better withstand any cyclical downturns. At Tourism Victoria, we have identified five pillars that we see as key to our region.

We are part of a bigger picture Greater Victoria is at the heart of a truly vibrant Pacific Northwest economic region on the West Coast of North America.

From San Francisco to Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, Greater Victoria is in the middle of an economic and cultural powerhouse. This region serves as an important market for short-haul travellers (someone who visits for leisure for at least one night) while also capturing the imagination of global visitors. We are right in the middle of one of the world’s trendiest regions. Victorians often underestimate the greatness of our city and uniqueness of our region, but we can stand shoulder to shoulder as part of the Pacific Northwest with other great cities.

Embracing experiential tourism Today’s traveller craves experiences that engage their senses and inspire learning, connectivity and memories. Travellers want to grow and not just take snapshots.

Greater Victoria is perfectly situated to fulfil these desires. Truly heartening about this very deep trend is that it ensures more small businesses and neighbourhoods benefit from tourism.

Smart policy moves All levels of government are showing increased political support for the tourism industry.

From vital work done on the expansion of Belleville Terminal, to decisions that create stability for tourism promotion, to the imminent removal of visa requirements for Mexicans visiting Canada, the federal and provincial governments and the City of Victoria are all making smart policy moves.

Marketing that drives results Both the public and private sectors are seeing increased effectiveness from their marketing efforts. Our efforts to promote Greater Victoria are strongly aligned with the federal government (through Destination Canada) and the provincial government (Destination BC). In the past year, Tourism Victoria has benefited from the investment Destination Canada made in its “Connecting America” program. We have also leveraged co-operative marketing opportunities through Destination BC to promote our local craft beer industry.

Smart alignment creates efficiency, making our respective dollars more impactful and efficient. At Tourism Victoria, our marketing efforts have a 78:1 ROI as measured by an independent third-party, however we couldn’t achieve those strong results without our partners.

Strong collaboration By knowing exactly what our objectives are, our region is united in a powerful way. Agencies involved in tourism — such as the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority, the Victoria International Airport Authority, the Greater Victoria Hotel Association and various civic governments — are all pulling together and working efficiently behind the scenes. We w i l l need th is col laboration to keep the tourism industry growing.

Paul Nursey is the President and CEO of Tourism Victoria.

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JUNE 2016

GOOD NEWS DOESN’T HAVE TO BE NO NEWS Simply, it is human nature that drives the composition of an interesting story – and we love conflict

GREATER VICTORIA PEGGY KULMALA

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ictoria Mayor Lisa Helps asked why Victoria ns have such a focus on the negative at the annual general meet i ng of t he Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce on May 10. She asked the soldout crowd of business owners and leaders whether it’s human nature or if it’s in our DNA to be so.

Her presentation, “How Amplifying the Negative Hurts Us All … and What We Can Do About It” had a point - amplifying the negative drives away business and investment. Reduces voters’ con f idence i n government. Creates misinformation and confusion.

The question is, are the stories out there negative? We see

media coverage on Tent City, sewage treatment, Biketoria, and the - suddenly disputed partial cloverleaf design for the Mackenzie Interchange. These stories all contain a tried and true element of any good story: conflict. Are we to fault local media for following the recipe?

Our backyard patio conversations tend to also have conflict as the main theme. We can have lively debates about regional service delivery, local governance, the Colwood Crawl. We moa n ad nauseam about the cost of living. Trying to engage our guests on municipal good news like the City’s Business Hub, the construction boom, or any of the other initiatives benefiting our economy will likely result in an awkward silence, if not an early goodnight.

Si mply, it is hu ma n natu re that drives the composition of an interesting story – and we love conflict.

Mayor Helps asked us a l l to help change the tone from negative to positive. But without con f l ict, how do we tel l interesting stories about Greater Victor i a a s a n i ncred ible place to work and play? How ca n we shape ou r col lective story to have that “positive” resonance?

JUNE CHAMBER EVENTS • Tuesday, June 7 Celebrating 12 Years as CEO 4 pm to 7 pm l Inn at Laurel Point (680 Montreal St.)

• Tuesday, June 21 YYJ Eats 5 pm to 7 pm at the Market Square (560 Johnson St.)

• Thursday, June 9 Prodigy Group Mingle 5 pm to 7 pm at Diversity Auto Films (Unit 111, 2740 Bridge St.)

• Thursday, July 7 Summer Social Series: A DeVine Evening of Wine & Spirits 5 pm to 8 pm at de Vine Vineyards (6181B Old West Saanich Rd.)

• Wednesday, June 15 Business Mixer 5 pm to 7 pm at Victoria HarbourCats (1014 Caledonia St.)

The good news – no pun intended – is there are more elements to a good story than just conf lict – namely challenge, relevancy, impact, and novelty.

We have all of that in droves. We have talented people and organizations rising to the challenge, working to improve our economy, our communities, our way of life. We have stories about our innovation, stories that involve great people doing unique things within and for our region.

Major media outlets such as the Toronto Star, Washington Post, New York Times and even Vogue have found a way to make our good news interesting. So then should we.

Peggy Kulmala is the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce’s manager of policy and public affairs.

She can be reached at 250-383-7191 or policy@victoriachamber.ca www.victoriachamber.ca

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JUNE 2016

DRAIN REPLACEMENT COMPANY ENTERS ITS SECOND DECADE “It’s not a case of if a Victoria Drain Services Provides Upgrades To City’s Heritage Properties

drainage system will fail but when.”

DAVE LLOYD OWNER, VICTORIA DRAIN SERVICES

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ICTORIA – If a residence is analogous to a human body then its drain system would be the property’s circulatory system. Much like with personal health when the veins and arteries are working properly their presence goes unnoticed, but if something goes wrong the impact could be immediate. Ensuring pipes are doing their jobs well, and providing upgrades to older commercial, institutional and residential drainage systems is at the heart of everything Victoria Drain Services does.

“On an average day for us we’ll be working on replacing older perimeter drainage systems, typically we don’t go inside much, most of our work takes place outside,” explained company owner Dave Lloyd. “We’re fully staffed with drainage technicians who are out there auguring drains, carrying out high pressure jetting and providing other services.”

Describing itself as a “One Stop

Unlike with a plumber most of the work the company carries out can be completed from the outside

Shop” for drain services, Victoria Drains and its staff of 18 employees routinely provides a range of services from power rooting and waterline leak detection to storm and sewer line replacements right up to mini excavating and trucking. Aside from its fleet of service vehicles the company operates a small scale excavation division that includes three dump trucks and seven mini excavators.

“We can auger out roots and clean out the lines with the high pressure jetter. We offer a full range of camera work where we can examine the interior lines with a special CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) system that can provide us with information that we wouldn’t have any other way,” he explained.

In business since 2004, Victoria Drain Services operates out of a 6,500 square foot facility located at 31 Regina Avenue from which it regularly services clients all across the greater Victoria area.

Capable of dealing with all aspects of residential and commercial drainage system replacement and servicing, the company has been especially busy in recent years conducting what it calls pre-purchase surveys of properties. This is a service increasingly in demand in Victoria’s energized real estate marketplace.

When a home is placed on the market and an offer has been made on it, a property inspection is typically carried out to ensure there are no hidden problems. “A

Dave Lloyd (right) and his team are specialists in drain system replacement and updating Home Inspector will be called in to look over everything but a Home Inspector does not look at the drains. That’s where we come into the picture,” Lloyd said.

A pre-purchase survey of a property will include a full inspection of the entire drainage system to identify any problem areas which would not be visible from the surface. The company’s work includes a detailed written report for the home purchaser.

The Capital Region is noted for its extensive array of classic and heritage properties, homes and other structures that will include equally matured (and in many cases failing) drainage systems.

“It’s not a case of if a drainage system will fail but when, they all fail at some point, they all have a finite life expectancy,” Lloyd explained.

Routine drain maintenance is the key to the longevity of a property’s drainage system, but its virtually invisible nature means that many owners never think about drain maintenance until there is a problem. Victoria Drain Services offers a full range of maintenance options including tree root removal as well as cleaning and clearing of blockages. But as with the human body analogy eventually parts wear out, that’s when the company can introduce 21st Century technology to extend the lives of the

city’s classic properties.

Older homes will typically have either red clay or concrete tiles, products that can erode and fail over time. Replacing these systems with modern PVC piping is carried out but with an extensive pre-planning effort to reduce the amount of excavation required to limit the impact for the owner. In many cases the use of pipe-lining technology has become the go-to tool for low impact replacement of failed and dated drains.

“We can go into a basement, remove the clean-out cap and without even digging a hole - we can put a felt liner in there that

can be blown up with air. The felt liner that is impregnated with a two-part epoxy will then cure in place,” he said.

As the exclusive Vancouver Island distributor of Nu Flow pipelining products, Victoria Drains has the capability of providing a permanent, low impact upgrade to aging systems. “Not just horizontal, we can do vertical drain lines as well, such as what you might find in an apartment building,” he said. “We can go up on the roof, we can drop a liner in there, inflate a bladder, let it cure, pull the bladder back out and you’re back in business and we didn’t even need to open up the walls or disturb the tenants.”

A few years ago for example the company used this technology to update the Provincial Legislature’s drainage system, lining the cast iron drain pipes with the epoxy liner which does not impede water flow as it is only 1/16th of an inch thick and is much smoother than the old rough pipe it lines.

Established, staffed by professionals, equipped with the latest tools and systems, Victoria Drain Services truly is the city’s one stop shop for all your drainage needs.

To learn more please visit the company website at: www.victoriadrains.com

Congratulations to the team at Victoria Drain Services.

Congratulations to Victoria Drain Services on many years of commitment to quality and service.

EMCO is proud to be a supporting partner in your success.

www.emcobc.ca www.facebook.com/EmcoCorp

8

JUNE 2016

VICTORIA BUILDER A PIONEER IN PASSIVE HOUSE CONSTRUCTION Bernhardt Contracting: Building Tomorrow’s Housing Today

V

ICTORIA – Award winn i n g B e r n h a rdt Co ntracting Ltd. is proof that business, science, engineering a nd a n env i ron menta l consciousness can positively coexist. Bring all of these elements together in just the right way and the results can be almost magical. Evidence of that is the Victoria building contractor’s success in constructing Passive Houses, buildings capable of generating as much energy as they consume.

“My first career was as an environmental consultant where I would manage environmental impact assessments, primarily for the oil and gas industry,” explained company President Mark Bernhardt.

“I’ve always had a focus on i mprov i ng t h i ngs. I n m a ny ways that philosophy is what has helped us migrate to the construction of high performance buildings. They are simply better – better comfort, better air quality, quiet, more affordable – just better.”

Launched by Bernhardt nine years ago, Bernhardt Contracting

PASSIVE HOUSE DESIGN URBAN PLANNING INTERIOR DESIGN ARCHITECTURE

www.cascadiaarchitects.ca

North Park Passive house is the first purpose built condominium building to receive passive house certification serves as the general contractor for the construction of commercial and multi-family buildings, structures noted for being sustainable and energy efficient.

Referred to as high performance construction Bernhardt’s success started with renovations on commercial projects such as doctor’s offices, x-ray clinics, apartment buildings and other office spaces.

Currently operating with a staff of 10, including builders and administrative support, the company works with architect led design teams on their projects.

As an example the firm’s last two Passive House projects had been designed by the architectural firm of HCMA Architecture + Design.

Thanks to his background in science, and an ongoing commitment to quality design and construction, the innovative builder

“It’s an order of magnitude difference and it can be achieved for a small incremental cost.”

MARK BERNHARDT PRESIDENT, BERNHARDT CONTRACTING

has turned his focus increasingly toward the design and construction of Passive House buildings.

“A Passive House is simply a high performance building providing superior comfort, air quality and simple systems by carefully designing a high quality building envelope and ventilation system to maintain comfortable, even temperatures without expensive SEE BERNHARDT CONTRACTING | PAGE 9

The key to any energy efficient house isn’t the technology going into it, but the care taken during its construction

Good Money™ supports green buildings.

Congratulations, Mark, Rob and team at Bernhardt Contracting on winning the 2016 VIBE Awards for “Best Townhouse Development” and “Best Environmental Initiative! We were pleased to be a part of your innovative project!

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JUNE 2016

Bernhardt homes are always built with a high level of comfort, fit and finish throughout the property

BERNHARDT CONTRACTING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

A strategic placement of windows can go a long way toward making a home easier to heat and cool

and complex mechanical systems,” he explained.

“The fundamental design of the building and careful construction is the key, not fancy mechanical equipment. It requires the use of the best windows, additional insulation and the best ventilation system. Once the basic building is efficient, it becomes viable for the building to generate as much energy as it consumes in a year.

The projects we are currently building are capable of doing this with the addition of a small number of photovoltaic panels on the roof.”

In a world of diminishing resources and escalating energy costs the need for Passive House buildings, for both single and multi family residences, is becoming increasingly obvious.

Bernhardt’s focus on providing high performance structures

includes the North Park Passive House, a six-unit condominium building which was officially certified by the Passive House Institute (PHI), a first for any condominium building in Canada.

“T he way we get to have a structure that generates as much energy as it consumes is not by installing countless solar panels on the roof. The economic way to get there is by reducing the energy load of the building, with most of the energy savings coming from careful design and construction,” Bernhardt explained.

“By focusing on the building envelope – a ‘fabric-first’ approach – energy savings of up to 90 per cent of heating demand can be achieved economically while providing a vastly more comfortable, higher quality indoor environment. Details such as air tightness, careful window placement and an efficient building form play a huge role.

It comes down to basic building science, but applied at a higher level than the building code currently requires.”

Located in Victoria, Bernhardt Contracting was the recipient of not one but two VIBE (Vancouver Island Building Excellence) Awards this year, winning both the Best Townhouse Development and the Best Environmental Initiative awards. The VIBE awards are presented each year SEE BERNHARDT CONTRACTING | PAGE 10

Congratulations Bernhardt Contracting on your success at the VIBE Awards

Congratulations Bernhardt Construction!

Proud to be a partner.

Together, showing the industry what’s possible.

Congratulations to Bernhardt Contracting on these well-deserved recognitions! hcma.ca

Phone 250.475.2100 | Toll Free 1.888.527.6777 www.megapower.ca

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JUNE 2016

Bernhardt Contracting projects are showpieces for functionality, comfort and heightened levels of energy efficiency

BERNHARDT CONTRACTING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

by the Canadian Home Builders’ Association of Vancouver Island (CHBA-VI) as a celebration of the very best in home building on the Island. Both awards were presented for Bernhardt’s efforts in constructing the North Park Passive House, a six unit condominium project – the first of its kind in the country.

Being recognized for its efforts by winning the prestigious VIBE Awards has not gone unnoticed by other members of the local construction industry. Jon Michiel, the President of Mega Power Installations Ltd., a Victoria-based electrical design and installation company says he is proud to have worked with Bernhardt Contracting on projects in

WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE WORKED WITH BERNHARDT CONTRACTING ON THE NORTH PARK PASSIVE HOUSE.

CONGRATULATIONS ON WINNING TWO VIBE AWARDS FOR THIS PROJECT.

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the past.

“Mega Power Installations Ltd. has been proudly working with Mark, Rob and the crew of Bernhardt Contracting for many successful years. It was a pleasure to be a part of the cutting edge design that went into the North Park Passive House Project. Bernhardt Contracting’s constant strive for excellence and attention to detail, along with their pursuit of better home efficiencies, have led them to the pinnacle of passive house construction,” he said.

“It was truly an honour to be a part of this benchmark project, one that is sure to set a higher standard for adapting to an increasing need to reduce our carbon footprints. Wishing Bernhardt continued success in the future. Congratulations on your esteemed VIBE Awards!”

Bernhardt Contracting is also credited with constructing the first certified Passive House building on Vancouver Island.

Completed in 2013 the Bernhardt Passive Home (Bernhardt’s personal home) was designed by the Victoria based architectural firm Cascadia Architects and is a two family residence custom designed for a young family of four, with a separate suite for the grandparents. The project does not enjoy an ideal orientation and came with a number of site and zoning constraints, but still managed to meet the stringent Passive House performance criteria.

For B er n h a rdt t he cos t of

The job of building an energy efficient property begins quite literally from the ground up, starting with the foundation building better buildings offering improved comfort, air quality, affordability and efficiency is small, considering the benefits the owners enjoy. “We have managed to build this way at a cost that is relatively the same as everything else. We’re talking

Congratulations on your success!

Your vision and dedication to passive housing is leading the way. It’s a true privilege to participate on your projects.

about buildings that use 80 to 90 per cent less heating or cooling energy than most buildings,” he said.

“It’s an order of magnitude difference and it can be achieved for a small incremental cost. It’s a no brainer.”

For Bernhardt, buildings that are ‘future proof’ – reducing both the environmental footprint and the operating costs is a win – win scenario for all parties. “We know energy costs are not going SEE BERNHARDT CONTRACTING | PAGE 11

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JUNE 2016

BERNHARDT CONTRACTING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

Technology combined with skilled workmanship is the formula for building an energy efficient home

Passive houses can be constructed in any neighborhood or in any community, without overtly standing out

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down so we can protect ourselves from future events by building better buildings.”

According to Bernhardt, while the benign West Coast climate is in some ways a benefit for the design of a Passive House, the design principles are applicable to any climate or region in the country.

“Passive House buildings are always designed for the specific climate in which they are located.

Therefore a design in Victoria will need to be modified for a colder climate, but the design differences are surprisingly small to most people. A home built for a desert climate for example would reflect the same fundamental building science principles, but with a design specifically tailored for minimal cooling loads in the hotter climate,” he explained.

“The key to the construction of a Passive House rests on the designer, the contractor, on the quality of the materials and in the details – essentially it means building it better, with care and attention at every stage.”

A proper use of the geographic uniqueness of the land is another important consideration, with the layout being established with an eye on energy performance.

Situating a building to present large windows on the south facing sections with smaller windows on the north side is a factor on a small building such as a house, but not on large buildings that are inherently efficient due to their size.

It is important to ensure windows are protected from the summer sun to maintain comfortable, cool temperatures in summer. South facing windows can easily be shaded with an overhang or upper deck, while east and west windows require exterior shading to be installed or something as simple as a strategically planted tree.

The list of considerations and pre-planning required to design a Passive House building is longer than for conventional buildings, but for Bernhardt the results are well worth the effort.

“A Passive House building may not look remarkable because its effective components are largely hidden. We’ve conducted tours of our North Park Passive House apartments and most people would not have noticed a difference in design unless we pointed out the features. They could, however, feel the comfort and air quality,” he said Bernhardt Contracting sees itself being increasingly focused on high performance buildings, rather than commercial renovations. “I see multi-family residential in our future. We are currently developing two lots in Vic West, building Passive House duplexes on both lots,” he said.

“I see many more high performance buildings in the company’s future as there is an increasing need and client demand for this standard of building. High performance projects are more interesting to work on as well as having all of the other benefits that automatically come with them.”

For Bernhardt Contracting a quality building is not one defined by the trendy finishes, or custom cabinets. For this Victoria builder real quality rests in the building’s physical structure, from the foundation right through to the roof peak.

“Attention to design and care in construction are what sets our projects apart,” he said.

To learn more please visit the company website at: www.bernhardtcontracting.com

Looking to build a Passive House?

We can help. à Modelling à Business Case Development à Building Enclosure Consulting à Contractor Training à Performance Assessment + Measurement

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12

JUNE 2016

CHBA VI IN FOCUS CHBA Vancouver Island Promotes Professionalism and Helps Protect Consumers Association helps builders do business better by vetting information and connecting like-minded individuals BETH HENDRY-YIM

N

ANAIMO – The Canadian Home Builder’s Association on Vancouver Island(CHBA-VI) raises the bar on the home building industry advocating for its members and promoting consumer confidence.

Representing homebuilders in Canada for more than 65 years the Canadian Home Builder’s Association (CHBA) provides its 8,000 Canadian member firms with a voice for the new home builder, renovator, land developer, trade contractor, product and material manufacturer, building produce supplier, lending institution, insurance provider, service professional and any other business serving the construction industry.

CHBA Vancouver Island is the regional non-profit arm of the association with 120 member companies. It covers all island regions and focuses on achieving a stable business environment for its members, promoting and protecting the interests of consumers and supporting the professionalism of its businesses.

Kelsey Botting, executive director of CHBA-VI

Pheasant Hill Homes Ken Connelly and Jason Schmidt receiving Single Family Builder of the Year

CREDIT:KELSEY BOTTING

CREDIT:CONCEPT PHOTOGRAPHY

“We help our members do business better by vetting information for them on things like building code changes, new building technology, and financial issues.”

K ELSEY BOTTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CANADIAN HOME BUILDER’S ASSOCIATION VANCOUVER ISLAND

VIBE Award Winning Project for “Best Single Family Home over 3000 Sq.Ft.”

330 Wray Ave, Victoria, BC, V9E 2H5 Main: 250-361-5359 | waynedavis@shaw.ca

“We help our members do business better by vetting information for them on things like building code changes, new building technology and financial issues,” said Kelsey Botting, executive officer CHBA-VI, adding that the association provides not only relevant and current training, but also networking opportunities and liaison with all levels of government.

Ron Bickford, past president and director of CHBA-VI, said that being part of a professional association puts him in contact with like-minded people talking the same language and working through some of the challenges facing the industry together.

“We’ve created a builders’ council and meet regularly as a group to discuss issues, share information and present potential topics to the association.”

He noted that the construction

Ron Bickford serves as a director on the CHBA-VI board and owns Rob-Ron Developments CREDIT:RON BICKFORD

industry is dynamic with new techniques and products constantly entering the marketplace, making its way to the construction site and home. For example, due to the effects of global warming the sector has seen rapid changes in green initiatives and energy efficient protocols, as well as new technology. CHBA offers in-classroom seminars to build knowledge and maintain its high standards.

Bickford said that education through CHBA-VI benefits both the builder and the consumer, ensuring the latest, safest and best techniques for use on each project.

“The Homeowners Protection

Office sets policy for every builder to get ongoing training as a condition for renewing their builder’s license. The CHBA is one of the agencies providing professional training because it wants consumers to feel confident when they hire a member contractor. It’s about protecting the homeowner and keeping up to date with new information.”

Beginning in October of 2015, home builders require 41 continuing education credits per year, and CHBA and CHBA-VI offers training in seven key competency areas: Technology, management, financial planning, legal issues, business planning and management and relevant enactments. CHBA and CHBA-VI offers training in these areas to help builders fulfill their requirements.

Botting explained that membership in the local association translates to membership in the federal and provincial associations as well, and that affects a stronger position for CHBA-VI members, whether it’s in monitoring building codes, supporting regional initiatives, promoting professionalism or sharing housing information and stats.

“The goal of the association is to promote professionalism in our industry and to be the voice for our members to the government,” Bickford said.

“Advocacy plays a big role in services to our members,” Botting added. “Affordable housing is one SEE CHBA | PAGE 14

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JUNE 2016

MAC RENO RECOGNIZED “If I wouldn’t send them Renovation company wins at Vancouver Island Building Excellence

V

ICTORIA - The Vancouver Island Building Excellence Awards were held on April 16 where MAC Reno won four VIBE awards including Best Residential Renovation between $50,000 $150,000; Best Residential Renovation between $150,000 - $350,000; Best Single Family Kitchen Renovation over $50,000; and a Grand VIBE Award for Renovator of the Year.

“It’s good to see recog n ition amongst our peers,” said Blaise McDonald. “This is the first year we’ve gone into [the awards]. It’s nice to be able to step back and show off some of our work.”

“Putting together award-winning projects is a team effort.”

How did they do it? Blaise identified two factors.

First, MAC Reno supports an environment of learning. They fund their apprentices through school.

“One thing I was taught,” said Blaise “is that you can learn something from every person you meet. It’s best to keep an open mind and always be willing to learn new things.”

It’s not just apprentices that the

to my grandma’s house, I won’t send them to our clients’ houses.”

V

ICTORIA - Co-owners of Removall Remediation Services Ltd., Summer Green and Dave Robinson, understand that when a homeowner needs abatement services or the removal of hazardous materials, they also have a lot of questions.

“Sometimes people just need to understand the process,” she explained. “That’s what sets us apart, we provide answers right away and take the time needed for them to be fully understood.”

Removall manages the removal and remediation process of materials like asbestos, lead and mould.

Founded in 2009, it provides Victoria and surrounding areas with efficient and experienced services.

“We offer a high standard of service at a lower price than some of the larger companies.”

Green said that focusing on residential demolition and hazmat removal allows it to offer prompt service designed to minimize the stress of discovering hazardous materials in a home or environment.

“A CONTRACTOR YOU CAN TRUST”

BLAISE MCDONALD OPERATIONS MANAGER

company supports. Every staff person receives $1000 education allowance. Sales persons and project managers are always on the lookout for new courses from the CHBA or other post-secondary institutions.

The other differentiating factor at MAC Reno is the way it sees itself and the industry in which it operates.

“Our business isn’t like a factory in the field. We’re a customer service company,” said Blaise. MAC Reno uses negative air units to minimize construction dust, implements a webbased client login portal for communication scheduling, and seeks to respect people’s property as a main objective.

Their sub-contractors share those values as well.

“If I wouldn’t send them to my grandma’s house, I won’t send them to our clients’ houses,” said Blaise.

In an industry where customers only make two or three purchases in a lifetime, 25 per cent of MAC Reno’s business is repeat customers, something the company takes pride in.

ANSWERING QUESTIONS KEY TO COMPANY SUCCESS Providing efficient and experienced service

2016 RENOVATOR OF THE YEAR!

“Dave and I make a great team,” she said. “With my management background and Dave’s extensive knowledge and experience in the remediation industry we’ve created a successful and effective system.”

She added that Removall, as a family-owned business, is sensitive to the needs of the homeowner and their family.

“Working closely with our customers, we do our due diligence and make sure our staff treats each home or project and its residents with respect and care.”

“Our soon-to-open retail space will allow our customers to see what the process looks like, ask questions, see demonstrations, and if they choose to work through the job themselves, we make sure they know how to do it right.”

To Removall doing it right is a priority. It has a professionally trained group of supervisors and staff that know the importance of moving quickly and creating safe environments for their clients.

“Removall has had a Better Business Bureau rating of A+ since the business started,” she added. “It’s one of the ways our customers can be assured that we put all the necessary care and attention into each project.”

Removall Remediation Services is at 4423 Tyndall Ave. in Victoria www.removall.ca

825 VIEWFIELD ROAD, VICTORIA, BC WWW.MACRENO.COM | 250.384.6091 FOLLOW US ON HOUZZ!

MAC RENO RENOVATOR OF THE YEAR 2016!

MAC RENO RENOVATOR OF THE YEAR 2016!

MAC RENO RENOVATOR OF THE YEAR 2016!

MAC RENO RENOVATOR OF THE YEAR 2016!

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CHBA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

of the more pressing issues today.

Keeping construction costs down is imperative. We advocate for nonbiased regulations that reduce the burden of red tape and decrease time spent on paperwork and the additional hidden costs that go along with it.”

She noted that the association is governed by a board of directors, led by President Byron Gallant, B. Gallant Homes and Vice President Jason Schmidt, Pheasant Hill Homes, who are very involved with ongoing meetings, setting the strategic direction of the organization, and volunteering as needed.

“These are people with their eyes and ears in the industry and on the ground. They bring forward pressing issues and topics that really matter to homeowners and our builders.”

She pointed out that the association relies on the work of its volunteers to present the issues that matter most to all CHBA members so the association can determine the best plan of action.

“We have a great group of volunteers dedicated to seeing our industry thrive.”

Botting said that regular monthly dinners for the membership also connect its members and provides a venue for guest speakers, information exchange and continuing education credits. Held in either Victoria or Nanaimo, the dinners

2016 CHBA VIBE Award winners at Nanaimo’s Vancouver Island Conference Centre CREDIT:CONCEPT PHOTOGRAPHY

draw members from across the island, including Victoria and Campbell River.

Last year, CHBA-VI introduced a new line up of awards with 29 categories that recognize high standards in building, renovation and design on Vancouver Island. The Vancouver Island Building Excellence awards or VIBE awards include seven categories such as Sales and Marketing, Special Achievement and Residential Planning, Design and Construction.

This year, the VIBE award gala,

attended by 175 industry leaders and hosted by TV personality Bruce Williams, was sponsored by premier diamond partners; Homeowner Protection Office and BC Housing, Emerald Partners; Slegg Building Materials, and Gold partner; Fortis BC. Media partners included CTV, Y.A.M. Magazine and Black Press and held at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre.

“We had two major winners,” said Botting. “Pheasant Hill Construction, winning four awards, including Single Family Builder

of the Year and Best Single Family Kitchen under $50,000, and Mac Renovations which won Renovator of the Year.”

Also in the winner’s circle were CA Design, Residential Community of the Year and Keith Baker Design Inc. for Project of the Year.

“The awards recognize excellence in our profession,” said Bickford.

“They also provide a way for the consumer to become more aware of our professional builders.”

Judged by three highly qualified BC builders, renovators, designers

and long-time CHBA members from outside the island region, nominees submit a write-up of the project with photographs. Set criteria looks at all levels of construction, including base design, environmental and energy efficiency and functionality of floor plan. Finalists are chosen from a large pool of nominees while winners are chosen from up to four finalists.

CHBA-VI is at 170 Wallace Street in Nanaimo www.chbavi.com

DESIGN TEAM WINS PROJECT OF THE YEAR Hawks Nest showcases design team’s creative aesthetic and unique design features

M

ETCHOSIN - At the recent CHBA Vancouver Island Building Excellence Awards, Keith Baker Design won the Project of the Year award for its stunning Hawks Nest home.

Perched on the edge of Cowichan Lake, the home showcases unique features specially designed by the KB Design team to capture natural lighting, optimize space, fit comfortably in the neighbourhood and give an authentic West Coast feel.

Keith Baker, owner and principal designer, said that the homeowner gave his team design-freedom, trusting their reputation and its client-driven award-winning projects.

“There’s a lot going on in the design. Douglas fir columns were rounded and shaped by hand, curved beams were bent-laminated and grain-matched, stunn i ng v iews of the la ke were capitalized on from almost every room with an abundance of windows and every level has easily

accessed outdoor space.”

“L ig ht f rom w i ndows a nd skylights reaches down to the bottom floor through an open stringer-stair design,” he said.

“And the only rooms that don’t have a view are the media and powder rooms.”

Baker underscored that the success of an award winning project depends on the skill of the designer, his entire team and their collaboration with the client.

Focusing on sustainability and green design, KB Design blends creative aesthetics with energy efficiency and an understanding of the latest technologies, fitting them to the client’s needs and wants.

In the Hawks Nest, the design incorporated radiant heat flooring utilizing an air to water heat pump, a full SMART controlled system and the use of natural local materials including Western Red Cedar siding, Vancouver Island stone and Douglas Fir beams and columns.

Over his 35-year career, Baker has designed hundreds of homes across Canada and the United States. Inspired by the West Coast, the full service custom home design studio brings a fresh and innovative approach to its unique projects.

KB Designs is at 5043 Rocky Point Rd in Victoria www.keithbakerdesign.com

OFF THE COVER

to the next level.”

AL HASHAM CHAIR OF THE GREATER VICTORIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

the group down to a final 4 before Holt was finally selected.

“The last four,” says Hasham, “included one candidate from the Lower Mainland, one from Alberta, and two from Victoria. Catherine was one of the two living in Victoria. She’s very connected locally and has many relationships here.”

Hasham claims that once the interview process was underway, it quickly became clear who their ideal candidate was. “She’s a collaborator,” he says. “She knows how to work productively with people at every level,

D E T N E C -S

to take our Chamber

D

rounded. She is going

R

a leader this well-

from our stakeholders to the local, provincial, and federal government.”

In fact, Holt’s professional experience has included consulting with private sector clients like Spectra Energy, IBM, a nd SNCLavalin. Her capabilities include strategy related to public policy and government decision-making as it affects business interests.

She also has experience working in government— making her the rare individual who understands how processes work from both sides of the public-private divide.

Beyond the public policy work Chambers of Commerce are known for, Holt promises to focus on simply serving members as they want to be served. This is a critically important attitude for all member-based organizations to adopt, asserts Hasham.

“Chambers can get stagnant if they’re not willing to change,” he says. “The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce isn’t going to do things exactly the way we did them 15 years ago.

We’re going to go where our members want us to go. And Catherine will be leading the charge.” victoriachamber.ca

A

understands this.”

If building relationships with the membership is Holt’s priority, she has a monumental task ahead of her. The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce is the second largest business chamber in British Columbia, with a 1,400+ membership. Calling itself the “voice of business in Victoria”, it represents private, non-profit, and public organizations throughout Greater Victoria, from Sooke to Sidney.

Hasham describes the selection process he and his CEO search committe e m e m b e rs i n it i ate d a s “v i gorou s”. It i s no understatement.

The committee started by putting out a request for proposals for an executive recruiting agency. They settled on PFM Executive Search, the agency that represented the widest reach at the most reasonable price point.

PFM’s search generated over 70 applications from candidate’s coast to coast.

These 70 were short listed to 16, which were then short listed to 6. A series of “rigorous” interviews narrowed

“It’s rare to find

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

A

CATHERINE HOLT

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™

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JUNE 2016

BLUE GROUSE WINERY: HAS PRODUCED WINE SINCE 1983 “Sustainability is an Cowichan Vineyard Planning To Double Its Vineyard Acreage

important part of what Blue Grouse is all about.”

PAUL BRUNNER

D

UNCAN – For Paul Brunner, the ow ner of Blue Grouse Estate Winery and Vineyard, the route that he and his family followed to the Cowichan Valley was circuitous and globe girdling. Born in Colorado, but having lived in places as far afield as Toronto, the BC West Coast, Peru, Chile and South A frica this one time mining engineer and now professional winemaker brings a cosmopolitan flavour to the historic Cowichan vineyard.

“I bought Blue Grouse in July 2012, but the vineyard itself has been here since 1983,” Brunner explained. “My wife Cristina and I lived in Chile where we got interested in wine during the early ‘90’s. We lived there for almost five years. Shortly thereafter my daughter was born in Chile. We started getting interested in wine and took part in a few wine tours, sampling the best of Chile in the years that we were there.”

As part of his engineering career the globetrotting family moved to South Africa where in addition to his professional duties

Congratulations to Blue Grouse on a job well done! canem.com Vancouver Island Division: Victoria 250-475-1955 Nanaimo 250-751-7760

OWNER, BLUE GROUSE WINERY

he explored the South African wine industry, cementing his desire to eventually have his own vineyard. “As part of our summer holidays we’d take a sojourn that would carry us around the country, we’d go down to Cape Town for example and taste some different wines and do a little collecting.”

The Brunner’s appetite to learn about wines continued following the family’s move to the United States, where visits to the vineyards of California further excited their entrepreneurial instincts. The germ of an idea, to own and operate a family winery had firmly taken root. However it would take years before the opportunity to own the Blue Grouse presented itself.

A pioneering Cowichan Valley vineyard the first vines were planted at the Blue Grouse site in 1983 by John Harper. The operation’s original owner, Harper was a viticulturist (grape grower) who was aided by Ministry of Agriculture funding in his efforts to plant an experimental vineyard in the Valley’s rich soil. The success of the fledgling Okanagan vineyards of the day was among his main inspiration.

Over the following three years he planted as many as 150 different types of grape vines.

T he nex t stage i n the Blue Grouse Winery story occurred in 1988 when Dr. Hans Kiltz and his wife Evangeline purchased the operation as a family farm, only discovering the vines after the purchase. Clearing out many of the overgrown vines he retained a few varietal selections based on what he felt would grow best in the Valley, selling his produce to local home winemakers. As a sort of afterthought he began making his own wine in the 1990s, under

Paul Brunner (left) and Bailey Williamson are proud of the major upgrades they have brought to the operation (photo by Derek Ford)

Blue Grouse has become a popular spot for visitors to come, tour the facility and to sample some of the product PHOTO BY DEREK FORD

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17

JUNE 2016

The Cowichan Valley vineyard produces a number of different wines, including white and rose varieties PHOTO BY DEREK FORD

Blue Grouse Estate Winery and Vineyard underwent a major upgrade to enhance its functionality PHOTO BY DEREK FORD

While currently having nearly eight acres in vine, the long range plan is to nearly double its planted acreage PHOTO BY DEREK FORD

the sundeck of the family home.

“I was looking for a vineyard but couldn’t find one that was the right fit. When I was away working my wife sent me an e-mail saying ‘why not look at this one (Blue Grouse)?’ My brother lived in Nanaimo so I sent him and his wife down to take a look and if they said it seemed okay I’d go take a look,” Brunner said.

“T hey went down and said they don’t know anything about wine but the place is stunningly

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beautiful. So I figured that was enough, so when I had the opportunity I went down to have a look and that was it. I’ve since hired people to do my due diligence on the wine side and on the accounting side and now we’re a business.”

Encompassing about 65 acres, with just under eight of those under vine, Blue Grouse Estate Winery is located at 2182 Lakeside Road in Duncan. Today the operation produces a variety of

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different red and white wines including Pinot Gris, Black Muscat, Pinot Noir, Siegerrebe and others.

The modern edition of Blue Grouse features an onsite store, wine tasting room (originally housed in what had been the Kiltz family home it was moved to a new modern winery in May 2015), picnic areas and annually produces about 2,500 cases of product – sold on site and through private liquor stores (up from the 800 cases the Winery was producing annually when Brunner first purchased it).

The recent upgrade work that has taken place at Blue Grouse Winery has enhanced the function and the overall appeal of the operation for both employees and visitors. Nick Spellman, the owner of Cobble Hill’s SVI Interiors Ltd., was one of a group of local contractors to take part in the improvement project. For him the updating has helped to keep the Vineyard contemporary and better prepares it to service its future customers.

“Blue Grouse has been a part of the local industry for decades and it’s great to see that Paul and his family are willing to make the investment to keep the vineyard not

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only operating but growing and expanding for the future,” he said.

“With the updati ng, a long with the drive and enthusiasm for their business everyone at Blue Grouse shows, I’m certain they will continue to be part of the local wine making sector for decades to come.”

“Part of the motivation for buying the place was to live part of the year close to my family, as we live the other part of the year in Lima, Peru (Cristina is Peruvian) to be close to her family,” he said.

“I’m sort of a citizen of the world you’d have to say as I have three different passports and have probably visited 60 different countries in my travels. I live in Duncan during the summer months as I like being there June, July and right up through harvest in the fall.”

Aside from extra hands during the harvest, and to assist with the tasting room and wine shop, Blue Grouse operates with a very small and select staff. Bailey Williamson is the in-house winemaker, learning his craft in Okanagan wineries before moving to the Victoria area in 1993. Another key player is office manager Jenny Garlini who looks after the day to day operation of the winery. The third primary employee is Terry Trapnel who is an Okanagan trained vineyard manager who joined the firm earlier this year.

“Sustainability is an important part of what Blue Grouse is

all about. By sustainability it’s more than environmental, as a business I want it to be a better business when I leave it than it was when I found it,” Brunner explained.

“In terms of wine and winemaking we make better wine, good quality wine than ever before. It is a wine that will reach as large an audience as I can get to in my lifetime, which I’m hoping will be another 20 years. With luck my daughter might want to carry it on but I really can’t say at this point.”

For the future Brunner is expecting to double the amount of land growing vines in the coming years, with up to 15 acres eventually available to grow grapes.

Another key part of the evolving business model is to make the winery and vineyard a destination for tours, to host events and continue to play a key role as a pioneer Cowichan Valley winery.

“We sell mainly on Vancouver Island but are now making the effort to have an impact in Vancouver and even into Alberta further down the road,” he said.

“Expanding our vineyard is a slow process, but within the next four to five years we’re expecting to start making some serious inroads into those other markets.

It’s definitely something that can’t happen overnight.”

To learn more please visit the company website at: www.bluegrouse.ca

18

JUNE 2016

Island West Coast Developments Celebrates 30 Years of Construction Excellence Nanaimo-based firm kicks into an even higher gear after a very productive, award winning 2015

BY MARK MACDONALD BUSINESS EXAMINER

N

ANAIMO – Last year was one of the most productive and rewarding in Island West Coast Developments (IWCD)’s 30 years in business.

Greg and Troy-Anne Constable’s company had a total of seven finalist buildings in the 2016 Vancouver Island Real Estate Board Commercial Building Awards, winning Awards of Excellence for Pleasant Valley Landing (Retail Renovation) and Snuneymuxw First Nations Community Building (Community) in Nanaimo, and Galaxy Motors (Retail Automotive) in Courtenay. They also received Awards of Merit for Green Rock Liquor Store (Retail) in Nanaimo and Island Chevrolet GM (Retail Automotive) in Duncan.

It looks like they’re just picking up steam, as IWCD has numerous projects underway and in planning stages across Vancouver Island.

“It’s hard to believe it’s been 30 years since we started building,” says Troy-Anne Constable. “Even though we’ve had a great ride, it seems like we’re really just getting started.”

It was 1989 when Norm McNabb asked if Greg, who had built homes since 1986 was interested in building Nored Plaza, across from Woodgrove Centre. From there, he built Northridge Mall for McNabb, and he was on his way.

“Norm believed in me, and gave me that first opportunity to build commercial projects,” says Greg. “If I don’t get that break, maybe I don’t do what we’re doing now. Having people like Norm get me started makes a world of difference.”

T he Constables’ daughter, Savanna and her husband Pat Brandreth have joined the team, bringing the next generation of Constables aboard. Savanna works in project management and Pat in business development.

“They’ll be learning the ropes for the next 10 years, and they’re enjoying it,” says Greg, adding that Savanna has a degree in

architectural building technology from the B.C. Institute of Technology.

“We have several members of our team that have come from BCIT,” says Greg, noting the company has anywhere from 50-80 employees, depending on the time of year.

“We know exactly what we are getting as soon as they get out of the course.

“We have so many good people working for us. . .they’re fantastic,” he adds, noting that Bonnie Hunter, a senior project manager who also handles training and communications, Branch Manager Reid Longstaffe at the Victoria office, design/development manager Jordan Almond and Vice President Tina Brooks are key cogs in the IWCD machine.

I WCD has captured V IR EB Commercial Building Award honours in each of its nine years of celebrating the best of the best in commercial and industrial construction on Vancouver Island north of the Malahat.

The recently held 2016 awards yielded the best results yet.

Pleasant Valley Landing was a particularly challenging project, as it involved transforming what was a box-like former furniture store into a multi-faced, attractive retail development in north Nanaimo that is now home to Cobb’s Bread.

Scott Craig, President of Marwest Development Corporation, owners of the site on Metral Drive, said: “the team at IWCD achieved the Gold Standard for service and competency at every level, from accuracy in their budget to their adherence to schedule. Their in-office and on-site management personnel was key to the success of the transformation of this awarding winning property.”

Dean Gaudry, owner of Green Rock Liquor Store, made his decision to have IWCD build their new building on Dufferin Crescent after discussions with the owners of Country Grocer and his designer, Jack Anderson of Anderson Greenplan.

“I wanted to deal with the person

Galaxy Motors Courtenay – IWCD Design-Build project. VIREB Award of Excellence PHOTO CREDIT DAVE LEE

that had built Country Grocer, and we realized some savings by dealing with the developer of the whole Green Rock development,” he says. “That turned out to be true.”

Gaudry took note of the fact that IWCD built Country Grocer’s store in Southgate Mall, then four years later, did their second Nanaimo outlet at the corner of Dufferin and Bowen Road.

“T hey’d been dealing with IWCD for four years, and that’s the kind of vote of confidence that you want. For us, it was a pretty straightforward decision.”

Gaudry said working with IWCD was “first class, from beginning to end. They’re such a competent company, and they’re very approachable. If I needed to talk to Greg or Bonnie, they were always available.

“This was the biggest project I’ve ever done and probably ever will do, so having access to both of them was really reassuring.

Gaudry added that he was impressed with how organized the job site was during construction, noting “there are always a lot of people coming and going, and there can be tensions at times, but with IWCD, they have a team that brought a very happy work environment with them. They have a lot of capable people working for them.”

Greg and Troy-Anne Constable of Island West Coast Developments

19

JUNE 2016

Pleasant Valley Landing (Metral Drive) – VIREB Award of Excellence. Former furniture warehouse transformed into an up to 10 unit retail/commercial space.

PHOTO CREDIT DAVE LEE

Island Chev GM Duncan – exterior renovation to bring dealership to new image program standards PHOTO CREDIT DAVE LEE

Snuneymuxw First Nations Community Building – VIREB Award of Excellence. New meeting place for the community including general store, commercial grade kitchen facilities and gymnasium PHOTO CREDIT DEHOOG & KIERULF

Green Rock Liquor Store – design/construction incorporated lots of green concepts in keeping with Green Rock subdivision philosophies PHOTO CREDIT DAVE LEE

That comment isn’t surprising, as for the last three years, IWCD has been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies.

The national awards program recognizes Canadian firms that have implemented world-class business practices and created value in innovative ways.

Applications are reviewed by an independent judging panel that evaluates how companies address various business challenges, including new technologies, globalization, brand management, leadership, leveraging and developing core competencies, designing information systems, and hiring the right talent to facilitate growth.

IWCD’s own office building on McCullough Road in Nanaimo serves as headquarters for the company. A LEED Gold building, it was named the Judges’ Choice award winner for best overall entry in the VIREB Commercial Building Awards in 2010.

It showcases green features and products, and includes geothermal heating, a patio roof area with green roofing systems, a bioswale system with on-site storm water management and native, drought-resistant plant materials that require no irrigation.

Besides numerous car dealerships across Vancouver Island, the company keeps expanding the scope of the projects it

undertakes.

For example, IWCD is worki ng on a 52,000 squa re foot commercial/residential project in Parksville called Shelly Square. The mixed use project for Parksville Chrysler owner Bruce Alexander features three retail buildings, plus a fourth with underground parking and rental apartments above being named ‘The Oak’.

This is the third time IWCD has done work for Alexander, including adding buildings to the dealership’s existing footprint as well as conducting a fullscale renovation while Parksville Chrysler conducted business as usual several years ago.

Constable opened a Victoria office two years ago, as the company is increasingly busy on projects throughout the Capital Regional District.

They’ve just entered into a joint venture at Bear Mountain to build several multi-family and commercial projects.

IWCD will be constructing Bear Mountain’s new Tennis Canada clay court training centre, an indoor/outdoor facility built specifically to accommodate tournaments.

The 180-unit Renaissance, to be built on an existing five-storey concrete structure, as well as an official training centre for mountain bike training rounds out their Bear Mountain projects in the immediate future.

The owners of Galaxy Motors, which captured a VIREB Award of Excellence for their Courtenay project, have enlisted the services of IWCD to renovate their existing dealership in North Cowichan.

In Nanaimo, IWCD is working on two new buildings at the Regional District of Nanaimo landfill, and just finished off the new SPCA building just off East Wellington Road, in easy view of the Nanaimo Parkway highway,

That project also signals the beginning of a major project on the former Madill property next to Laird Wheaton GM on Bowen Road. That build-out includes a 135 bed care facility, commercial/residential units and possibly more car dealerships. Aspengrove, a highly successful private K-12 educational facility, will have IWCD build a new 50,000 square foot school near Woodgrove Centre.

Added to that is the 10-acre Phase Three of the Green Rock Industrial Park, which will include a number of lots to the south of Country Grocer and The Buzz Coffee Shop, and the extension of Boxwood Road.

Plus other projects in the planning stages.

“It’s amazing how the years have gone by,” says Greg. “One thing we’ve learned is that to have good developments, you need good people to do everything well, and we have that. We are very thankful.”

Adds Troy-Anne: “It’s been a great journey so far, and without a doubt, we wouldn’t be where we are without a quality team like we have, and our many clients who keep calling us back to build their new buildings.” www.iwcd.ca

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B C S E a F O O D O N y O U R p L aT E Restaurants throughout British Columbia are invited to showcase BC shellfish and/or seafood dining options from June 1 - 19 to drive increased business, in celebration of BC Seafood Month and the BC Shellfish & Seafood Festival. Receive inclusion in a social media and print marketing BC Seafood on Your Plate campaign for only $200!

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AQUACULTURE

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Festival Gives Taste Of BC Growing Seafood Industry Event offers eleven days of celebrating BC Food with tours, chef demonstrations, contests and family friendly fun.

Byline:Beth Hendry-Yim Story Copy: COMOX - The BC Seafood Expo and BC Shellfish and Seafood Festival featuring chef cooking demonstrations and tastings, gala dinners, educational seminars, competitions and contests, promises an impressive line up of culinary talent and informational events. The Expo and Festival celebrate BC Seafood Month, a campaign directed to seafood lovers across BC and Alberta.

Fresh Fest, one of the Festival’s signature events boasts award winning chef, Ned Bell, executive chef of Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver and Yew Seafood and Bar and fellow chefs, Ronald St. Pierre of Locals Restaurant, Matt Horn of Cowichan Pasta Company, Andrew Shepard of Vancouver Island Salt Company, and Nathan Tymchuk, of Steamship Grill and Bar, serving up unique culinary seafood creations. Tasting stations and wine pairings, accompanied by energizing local live music will showcase Coast Fresh Atlantic salmon, Organic Chinook salmon, Fanny Bay oysters, Kyuquot Sablefish, Golden Eagle Coho and Lois Lake Steelhead.

“The festival is an opportunity to experience the diverse seafood BC’s coastal waters provide and learn what species are the most sustainable and the wisest choice,” said Bell, founder of Chefs for Oceans. He added that seafood is also a healthy choice with BC providing some of the best quality.

Of course, showcasing specific industry talents will also include exciting and popular contests like Fanny Bay Oyster Shucking, Ocean Wise Chowder Challenge, and the Motts Clamato Best Caesar in Town at the White Whale Restaurant.

As part of the festival’s theme of education around BC’s bounty and to showcase its seafood producers, local aquaculture farms are providing educational tours to salmon and deepwater oyster

“The festival is an opportunity to experience the diverse seafood BC’s coastal waters provide.”

CHEF NED BELL EXECUTIVE CHEF FOUR SEASONS HOTEL VANCOUVER FOUNDER CHEFS FOR OCEANS

Richard Hardy and Salish Seafood team present fresh seafood products at the BC Shellfish Festival CREDIT: BC SHELLFISH FESTIVAL AND BC SEAFOOD EXPO

Jeremy Dunn said the Festival and Expo provide an educational component to a growing industry CREDIT:BC SALMON FARMERS ASSOCIATION

farms, and a shellfish hatchery.

There will also be wild animal and animal encounter tours offered throughout the event and interactive displays, live touch tanks and demonstrations at the final event of the festival, the Comox by the Sea Celebration.

This family friendly, wrap-up event, held at the Filberg Heritage Lodge and Park, invites visitors and locals to enjoy live entertainment and oceanside beer and wine garden, Shucker Paddy demonstrations and competitions and to sample the culinary possibilities of BC seafood. Celebrity Chef Nathan Fong of the Fong on Food blog will lead his own chef demonstrations as well as those with Quang Dang of West Restaurant and Tojo Hedekazu of Tojo’s Restaurant. Seafood

At the Comox by the Sea Celebration Shucker Paddy will demonstrate the best way to shuck an oyster CREDIT: BC SHELLFISH FESTIVAL AND BC SEAFOOD EXPO

tastings will include smoked salmon from Marine Harvest, barbecued BC farmed salmon, fresh shucked oysters with lemon, tabasco and prepared horseradish, fish tacos from Billy D’s Pub and Bistro and deep fried oysters with signature sauce from Macs Oysters and Westcoast Mobile Kitchen.

Touch tanks will provide a hands on opportunity to learn about BC’s amazing shellfish and seafood industry and educational demonstrations and interactive displays will regale kids and adults with fascinating fish facts and shellfish stories. The whole family will enjoy the displays provided by organizations like the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, The Jelly Fish Project, BC Recyclables, Harbour Air Seaplanes, Vancouver Aquarium/Ocean Wise and North Island College Aquaculture department.

Targeted to the west coast seafood enthusiast, the mandate of the festival is to increase awareness and support for the shellfish and seafood industry producers and related businesses.

Jeremy Dunn, executive director, BC Salmon Farmers Association, said that the Expo and Festival events provide an educational component to the growing industry and to consumers.

“It highlights both the abundance of amazing seafood here in BC and the current economic impacts and potential for the future.”

Bell said improving education around aquaculture helps the consumer make choices that encourage and support sustainable fisheries.

Chef Nathan Fong will lead chef demonstrations at Comox by the Sea. CREDIT:BC SHELLFISH FESTIVAL AND BC SEAFOOD EXPO

Comox by the Sea serves up seafood tastings, demonstrations and live touch tanks CREDIT: BC SHELLFISH AND SEAFOOD FESTIVAL AND BC SEAFOOD EXPO

L e d b y t h e C o m ox Va l l ey Econom ic Development and Toursim, in collaboration with numerous tourism and seafood industry partners, including the founder, BC Shellfish Growers Association, the event has become a destination level attraction with local restaurants celebrating BC Seafood month, through the BC Seafood on Your

plate campaign by creating a dining option that features at least one BC Shellfish or seafood item.

Tickets for all events and tours sell out fast. To purchase tickets for either or for Festival accommodation specials go to www.

BCShellfishFestival.com or contact the Vancouver Island Visitor Centre at 1-855-400-2882.

AQUACULTURE

JUNE 2016

25

Expo Promotes Growth Of BC’s Seafood Production Increased global demand helps drive need for industry expo and trade show

C

OMOX VA L L E Y - T he third annual BC Seafood Expo and the 10th annual BC Shellfish and Seafood Festival runs June 9-19, reeling in renowned speakers, award winning chefs and major names in the marine world-wild fisheries and aquaculture world in celebration of BC Seafood Month.

An exciting addition to the BC Seafood and Shellfish Festival, the Expo explores the value BC’s marine industries and future opportunities in the industry with visitors and exhibitors sailing in from around the globe.

“Originally set up as the BC Shellfish Festival and run by the BC Shellfish Growers Association, it went from a small event ten years ago to a very large one after a few years,” said Dr. Myron Roth, BC Ministry of Agriculture and chair of the BC Seafood Program Committee. The Festival now includes two days of marine Expo with organized sessions, a Buyers Mission and trade show and seven days of tours and interactive events for the public.

“It grew exponentially,” he said. “Comox Valley Economic Development and Tourism got involved to help out as the Festival and Expo continued to grow and the ministry joined in last year to support the commerce side.”

I ndu st r y focu sed a nd science-based, the Expo aims to promote the growth of BC’s seafood production, for both wild fisheries and aquaculture, and to connect producers with international buyers.

“International trade is very important for our seafood industry,” Roth said. “My ministry works closely with the Ministry of International Trade promoting BC Seafood globally and we have a fairly large buyer’s mission coming in from several countries, including Europe, the United States, the Philippines, Japan, China, Korea and Vietnam.”

Roth, who has been involved in the agriculture industry for thirty years, has been active in organizing and chairing a long list of conferences.

“The Expo and Festival have rapidly become a major event for the seafood industry, the Festival being the largest in Western Canada. It’s exciting to be involved in such a dynamic event.”

He added that the Expo’s rapid growth is due in part to an increasing demand by emerging economies for healthy, high-quality, protein rich food sources and the opportunity this presents to BC. “The take away from this event is that BC’s seafood is sustainable and the best choice for local and foreign buyers.” He pointed out that creating the conversation around sustainability of both

Myron Roth said the Expo is an exciting addition to the BC Seafood and Shellfish Festival CREDIT:MYRON ROTH

“The Expo and Festival have rapidly become a major event for the seafood industry, the Festival being the largest in Western Canada.”

MYRON ROTH

Site tours include Macs Oysters processing facility CREDIT:BC SHELLFISH FESTIVAL AND BC SEAFOOD EXPO

CHAIR, BC SEAFOOD PROGRAM COMMITTEE

wild and culture fisheries opens up opportunities for industry expansion.

Registrants for the Expo will have access to the tradeshow with industry representatives and marine suppliers, that include BC Salmon Farmer Associations Marine Farm Tours, and tours of Macs Oysters processing facilities and Manatee Holdings hatchery, plus 13 different sessions featuring over 30 expert speakers.

Sessions on Thursday will be opened by Roth with a First Nations welcome from Richard Hardy, K’omoks First Nation and as Roth explained will cover new industry topics, working with communities and other industry relevant topics.

Thursday’s keynote luncheon presentation will be by Chef Barton Seaver, author of five books on sustainable seafood and cooking, director, Sustainable Seafood and Health Initiative, Centre for Health and the Global Environment at the Harvard T.H. Change School. In his address he will be shining the

Award winning author Dr. Richard Beamish will present a keynote speech

Chef Barton Seaver will present the keynote address

Opening night reception and dinner feature culinary dishes

by Chef Ned Bell and Chef Barton Seaver

CREDIT: BC SHELLFISH FESTIVAL AND BC SEAFOOD EXPO

CREDIT:BC SHELLFISH FESTIVAL AND BC SEAFOOD EXPO

CREDIT: BC SHELLFISH FESTIVAL AND BC SEAFOOD EXPO

spotlight on how BC Seafood contributes to sustainable and healthy food systems.

Dr. Dick Beamish, emeritus scientist, Pacific Biological Station, and one of Canada’s most decorated fisheries scientists including the Order of Canada and Order of British Columbia, was also a member of the International Panel on Climate Change that received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. His early research led to the discovery of acid rain in North America. His topic is titled ‘It is Time to Discover How Salmon Survive in The Ocean.’

“E-commerce is presenting a huge potential for the industry in online selling. This session will revolve around what industry is currently doing to succeed with this stream of income and how it can be used in the future.”

A highlight of the Expo will be

the opening reception and dinner featuring Chef Ned Bell, founder of Chefs for Oceans, and Barton Seaver. They will be preparing fresh Atlantic lobster, donated by Flying Fresh Air Freight, and creating signature, mouth watering dishes.

“We chose to celebrate lobster as it is another great aquaculture success story,” Bell said stressing the need to focus on sustainable, well managed fisheries and their products.

Roth added that the Expo is an opportunity for both consumers and producers to ‘kick the tire’ on the seafood production, find out how well run it is and what it is doing to ensure sustainability and financial feasibility.

“The industry is diverse with high standards for quality and sustainability. We are the first region to offer certified organic Chinook

Salmon, sablefish, sturgeon and caviar-all farmed.”

He noted that BC has five salmon farms certified under the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, the gold standard for responsible, sustainable aquaculture, with the industry committed to having all of the salmon farms in the region certified by 2020. Six species of 13 wild capture fisheries now hold Marine Stewardship Council certification, the gold standard for sustainable capture fisheries, and include Pacific halibut, hake, albacore tune, sockeye, Pink and Chum salmon.

The Expo promises to inform, excite, answer questions, and introduce new components. Tickets can be purchased on line at www.

BCseafoodExpo.com. Options for participation include full conference pass, trade show booth space and hotel specials for registrants.

26

JUNE 2016

UVic Gets Funding to Relaunch Innovation Centre Generous funding from Coast Capital Savings Credit Union enhances services BETH HENDRY-YIM

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ICTORIA – Relaunched and renamed, the Coast Capital Savings Innovation Centre (CCSIC), formerly the Innovation Centre for Entrepreneurs (ICE), expands its offerings to provide entrepreneurs more opportunities for developing business ideas.

In a partnership with the University of Victoria (UVic), Coast Capital Savings Credit Union (CCSCU) provided $450,000 in funding to enhance the centre’s current offerings to include seed money for new ventures and prototype development, an entrepreneurship scholarship, an additional annual business plan competition and co-op opportunities for students to work on their ideas.

Brent Stern ig, d i re c tor of UVic’s Research Partnerships and Knowledge Mobilization unit (RPKM), said the program is open to all students, faculty and alumni and with this funding is guaranteed to continue for the next three years.

“The centre has been very successful in helping entrepreneurs get their ideas investor-ready, but sometimes the individual needed a little extra money for equipment or perhaps a piece of software to help prove their concept or build a prototype.”

Now the centre’s additional focus will enable entrepreneurs to develop a product or service to a more mature stage before it is presented to other incubator programs and venture capitalists.

Since its inception in 2012 by

“Success attracts attention, investors and fuels more success. The youth we support today may be creating the next Google or Amazon for tomorrow.”

DON COULTER PRESIDENT, CEO COAST CAPITAL SAVINGS CREDIT UNION

Don Coulter, president and CEO of CCSCU CREDIT:CCSCU

the Gustavson School of Business at UVic, ICE has helped launch more than nine companies, has brought 21 clients to the ‘incubation-stage’ and met with more than 750 students, staff and recent graduates. Overall, UVic has helped create over 60 companies, has received over 800 invention disclosures and filed more than

Don Coulter, president and CEO of CCSCU and Jamie Cassles, president UVic at the funding announcement Brent Sternig, director of UVic’s Research Partnerships and Knowledge Mobilization Unit CREDIT:BRENT STERNIG

Don Coulter of Coast Capital Savings Credit Union and UVic President Jamie Cassels during the funding/partnership announcement CREDIT:UVIC PHOTO SERVICES

400 national and international patents since it was established.

“The partnership with UVic recognizes that young entrepreneu rs are not on ly at the front edge of innovation, but their business success will ultimately result in job creation, economic growth and more financial well-being for all of us,” said Don Coulter, Coast Capital’s president and CEO. “Success attracts attention and investors and fuels more success. The youth we support today may be creating the next Google or Amazon for tomorrow.”

Sternig noted that the key to the centre’s success is the 50 plus mentors who volunteer their time and expertise. He said that many of the volunteers have come from different communities across Canada, bringing a wide variety of business backgrounds and a common desire to give back and encourage the next generation of entrepreneurs.

“The Greater Victoria area is a great place to retire, especially after a successful business life and career and mentoring is a way of staying involved with the business community and perhaps even finding the next great investment opportunity.”

With new elements added to the current services, student entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to work full-time on their ideas, even taking a semester off their academic courses to do an entrepreneurial co-op program.

Money will also be available for other costs related to developing an idea like tools, workshop rental and third-party consultation.

“It’s also a chance for students to get involved in more experiential learning while they continue their studies,” said Sternig.

Both Sternig and Coulter agree that supporting entrepreneurs supports BC’s economy. The proof is in the numbers. Sternig cited a 2007 study of just 15 of UVic’s spin-off companies.

“Over a period of five years the impact included over 1600 person years of employment created, $150 million in sales impacts and around $34 million in taxes paid.”

UVic’s innovation centre, with the fi na ncia l support of the CCSCU, will continue to assist entrepreneurs work through its programming.

“Hopefully those ideas, developed in the region, stay here and continue to play an important part of our economy.”

TAXES

JUNE 2016

27

MATRIMONIAL LITIGATION FOR BUSINESS OWNERS – NOT A SIMPLE EXERCISE

I

n matrimonial litigation matters, Smythe is often engaged to determine the fair market value of the shares in a company.

In most cases, we are jointly engaged by both parties and our duty is to the court to provide our unbiased expert opinion.

Having said this, we are happy when we get to work with matrimonial lawyers to achieve an equitable solution that goes beyond preparing a report to be used as evidence. Let’s look at two common issues.

Fair market value versus net worth Understandably, spouses generally don’t understand how the fair market value of shares are determined, especially in the absence of an actual sale. As valuators, we are determining the value on a notional basis; that is, without an actual purchaser. It is an estimate of the highest price that a prospective purchaser would pay for the shares. However, for the purposes of settling matrimonial property rights, it is the parties’ net worth that is ultimately being allocated between the parties. So here is the problem - if the fair market value of the company is high enough, the couple may not have enough

With cooperation and proper tax planning an equitable solution can often be found

Mike Berris, CPA, CA, CBV and Partner Smythe LLP other assets to split. One of the parties will then look to realize the value from the shares of the company. Depending on the decisions of the court or settlement terms, this might result in a very negative tax impact on one or both of the spouses, especially if shares have to be sold or additional dividends must be paid.

With cooperation and proper tax planning an equitable solution can often be found. For example, we will sometimes

recom mend one sp ou se i ncorporate a holding company (“Holdco”), which will be issued shares in the other spouses’ company. Holdco would be paid equalization payments as taxfree inter-corporate dividends.

T he receiving spouse would eventually pay tax only when they ultimately remove cash from Holdco.

Guideline income Federal Child Support Guidelines came into to force June 1, 2009. The objective was to establish a fair standard of support for children, reduce conflict and tension between spouses by making the calculation of child support more objective, and ensure consistent treatment of spouses and children.

For most people the calculation is straight forward. The federal government publishes the Federal Child Support Table that stipulates the amount of support on your income, province of residence and number of children. Where the calculation can get complicated is when you also own a business. The calculation starts with the income reported on your personal income tax return over the last three years, but then looks to the pre-tax income

of the corporation. Matrimonial lawyers will often engage us to prepare a guideline income report that properly calculates an adjusted annual income that reflects the amount that is actually available for distribution. We will make adjustments for personal expenses, market rate compensation, capital investment requirements, non-recurring expenses, and income.

W hile we don’t expect that most readers will fully understand the two issues we outlined above, we hope we have demonstrated that there are significant issues that need to be addressed to ensure you are treated fairly in a divorce.

It has been said that everything is easy if you’re either an expert, or don’t know what you are doing. In the case of matrimonial disputes for business owners, hire an experienced matrimonial lawyer - you won’t regret paying for good professional advice.

Smythe LLP is a team of dedicated professionals who provide reliable accounting, tax and advisory services to businesses and individuals. They can be reached at 604 687 1231

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JUNE 2016

FEATURE ON MANUFACTURING Manufacturing Jobs Pay 15 Per Cent Higher Than National Average With more people leaving jobs in manufacturing industry leaders are looking for innovative ways to find new workers

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C’s manufacturing sector comes in as the fourth largest in Canada generating nearly $14.3 billion in gross domestic product. The numbers, from the latest provincial report on manufacturing, show it as a key sector, employing a significant percentage of BC’s labour force with 161,000 workers.

Manufactured goods make up the largest component of BC exports, at 63 per cent heading to a global marketplace that includes the United States, China, Japan and Europe.

Although wood product manufacturing remains a leader in BC, other companies are commanding their market share by developing new products and innovative techniques and adding design and post-sale service to their process.

The industry is made up of a diverse group of companies in areas such as apparel, food, amusement park equipment and biomedical manufacturing.

Universal Packaging is a 31-yearold company located in the North Okanagan that provides screen printing for wine, beer and spirt bottles. Its process has made it the largest bottle printer in North America to these industries.

“Manufacturing in general provides a fair amount of stability in jobs and in the companies,” said Steve Pelkey, CEO of Universal, “Manufacturing companies usually pay employees better than the retail or service industry and there are more opportunities for in-house training, career advancement and higher starting wages.”

Manufacturing is a complex and multi-level industry with participation from a variety of sectors that supply raw materials, energy, equipment and human capital.

According to the province’s profile it supports the creation of high paying jobs such as in engineering and consulting, software design, skilled trades as well as those in production plants.

Stephen Peel, vice president Ironside Design Manufacturing Inc, and interim vice president

Stephen Peel worked his way from machinist to Vice President of Ironside Designs CREDIT:IRONSIDE DESIGNS

Manufacturing employs 161,000 workers in BC

for the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) BC’s Advisory Board and Chair of CME BC’s Policy and Public Affairs Committee, said that there is a full spectrum of career opportunities outside traditional machinists and welders, and that youth and their parents should not disregard a career in a trade in manufacturing.

“How many jobs are there where a student from high school can step into a well-paying position without any prior training? Many manufacturing jobs train on the job, pay for schooling and help build a career through apprenticeships.”

He added that like other sectors, manufacturing faces a serious worker shortage over the next 1015 years.

“There are more people retiring from jobs than there are new workers,” he said. “With manufacturing contributing a major portion of the tax base, it’s a big issue.”

Pelkey said one solution leaders in the sector would like to see is government encouraging immigrants to move to outlying regions of the province.

“Instead of settling in urban areas, they could come to places like the North Okanagan and f i nd g re at pay i n g job s a nd opportunities.”

Pelkey said that his company’s senior plant management is also looking at internal ways to increase

CREDIT:IRONSIDE DESIGNS

interest in jobs by creating new programming and enhancing benefits.

Kevin Poole, econom ic development and tourism manager of Vernon said that to encourage the growth of manufacturing in Vernon, Community Futures, with funding support from the National Research Council of Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program has created a new mentorship program.

Designed to help local manufactu rers i ncrease efficiencies, st i mu l ate i n novat ion, improve profitability and enhance

management skills, the project provides a forum for participants to discuss issues with like-minded and experienced mentors.

“Twelve companies are participating in the program including: Kingfisher Boats, Universal Packaging, Piscine Energetics, Tekmar, Chemach and newer companies like Armadillo Trailer Manufacturing,” he said.

CME is the trade and industry association serving as the voice of 10,000 leading companies since 1871. Its role, in part, is to provide networking opportunities between

Manufacturing pays 15 per cent more than the national average CREDIT:CME-MEC

MANUFACTURING

JUNE 2016

29

Since 1995

Universal Packaging team with Steve Pelkey, CEO holding Manufacturer of the Year Award from the Vernon Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards

TM

CREDIT:UNIVERSAL PACKAGING

local manufacturers and new international markets, advocacy, workforce skills development and productivity improvement and innovation programs.

Every year, during October’s Manufacturing Month, CME marks the occasion with a series of events. Its goal is to heighten awareness of the sector among government, students, job seekers and the public, showcase its economic contribution, potential career options, and celebrate companies making

significant contributions to the industry.

This year the line-up of events includes plant tours showcasi ng i n novative products and processes, and jobs and training programs. It will also include a rolling job fair, with the goal to connect employers with job seekers, workshops and at the closing gala event, the BC Manufacturing Hall of Fame Awards.

The awards recognize and celebrate companies and individuals who standout

in manufacturing in BC through their leadership, innovation and contribution.

T he t h ree awa rd s a re Manufacturer of the Year, Emerging Leader-Ind iv idua l, a nd the L egacy Award-Individual. At the gala event a silent auction will raise funds in support of Threads of Life, the first organization in the world offering peer support programming for family members who are living in the aftermath of a workplace tragedy.

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VICTORIA SIGN MAKER EMBRACES LATEST TECHNOLOGY Talon Signs: CNC Systems Revolutionize The Sign Making Process

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ICTOR I A – Of ten described as a silent salesperson, a properly crafted sign can inform, entice and encourage clients to visit a business. Helping to make that silent salesperson the most effective it can be is central to the growth Talon Signs has experienced since opening in April 2013.

L o c ate d at #106 – 2 298

Millstream Road in Victoria, Talon Signs designs, manufactures and installs a wide assortment of both illuminated and non-illuminated signs as well as laser-cut architectural signs, directional signs, digitally printed and vinyl signs and a host of other products. “Despite being open only three years we have a lot of experience between us. We’re veterans in the sign industry,” explained company co-owner Renee Eastman.

“The key to an effective sign shop is the equipment you have,” Eastman explained. “The CNC (Computerized Numerical Control) router, laser cutter and

Shrink wrapped vehicle signage is just one of the services Talon Signs regularly provides

“That’s the exciting part, seeing someone’s idea become something real.”

RENEE EASTMAN OWNER, TALON SIGNS

printer provide us with the ability to design projects on the computer and then reproduce them with precision every time.”

The equipment allows Talon to cut plastic, wood, metal and other materials providing a range of design options for the clients. Creating all of its products

Computerized CNC technology is revolutionizing the way sign makers create and duplicate their products

Opened in 2013 Victoria’s Talon Signs has produced products for businesses all across the region in-house within its 2,000 square foot shop, Talon’s team of designers and fabricators can handle virtually any assignment.

T he company’s product line also includes LED video displays which add both movement and changing information to what wou ld otherw ise be a static display.

Talon’s design team can also help with more than just signs, as the company offers a full branding and logo design service for its expanding client base. A partial list of the company’s services includes banners, vehicle graphics,

sign installation and maintenance services and much more.

From concept to installation Talon Signs is a true one stop shop for business signage services. “We’ve experienced growth each year since we began and I can see that trend continuing,” Eastman said.

“Ideas come into us, sometimes even written on a piece of paper and we can turn that idea into a functional sign. That’s the exciting part, seeing someone’s idea become something real.”

To learn more please visit the company’s website at: www. talonsigns.com

30

JUNE 2016

SEABROOK DEVELOPMENTS: BUILDER WITH A FOCUS ON QUALITY General Contractor Has Constructed Many Medical & Dental Clinics

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ICTOR I A – Entrepreneurial in spirit, led by integrity and inspired by values Pepe Martinez, the owner of Seabrook Developments Ltd., has in the past five years turned his general contracting business into a company with an u nwaveri ng com m itment to excellence. Seabrook’s dedication to professionalism shows in every project they undertake.

“We’ve found that the best ideas and greatest satisfaction is achieved through collaborating with our customers. Seabrook Developments has a genuine consideration for our client’s needs. Openness and accountability is our ongoing mission,” Martinez explained.

Martinez started in the construction industry over 18 years ago as a laborer before branching out on his own. Initially he started Proline Roofing and after selling and partnering with another construction company (Villamar Construction), he then launched Seabrook Developments in 2011.

Today Seabrook Development is a general contractor with a relatively small staff but with a far reaching impact across the region. Specializing in new home construction and renovations, the company has also developed an expertise in light commercial construction, specifically in the construction of medical and dental offices.

“We are honoured to be the contractor of choice for these projects and we have developed a really good reputation with dentists in the area,” he explained.

A partial list of the firm’s completed projects includes dental offices such as the Urban Smiles Victoria clinic, Saanich Dental Group, Elk Lake Dentistry and

Seabrook Developments has been responsible for constructing many spectacular single family custom homes My Victoria Dentist practice.

“We have been keeping busy ever since we’ve started. Our processes and tools allow us to help our clients ascertain accurate budgets, schedules and scopes up front,” he said.

“When planning to open our new, boutique dental practice at Elk Lake last year, we were faced with tight timelines, an u nconventiona l space a nd a construction challenge. Pepe and his team at Seabrook Developments stepped up to the challenge and delivered terrific results on time and on budget,” explained Dr. Corrie Fawcett, the owner of Elk Lake Dentistry.

“Pepe took time early on to understand our interests and to help define our vision. He was easy to talk to and listened to our needs and construction ideas. Over the course of the project, his team transformed our plans into a construction reality that worked out as we had

hoped. Pepe was exceptionally knowledgeable about building codes and figured out our unique building needs,” she said.

“Pepe worked well liaising with dental supply companies, subcontractors and the municipal building department. He was always good natured, humorous, and very professional while ultimately carrying out quality workmanship. I would not hesitate to recommend Pepe and his Seabrook team and would readily look to them again to complete any future construction jobs.”

“Helping the doctors bring their vision to life, from designing, permitting, budgeting and executing. Doing it all is what Seabrook is all about. It’s why I started this company and what I believe, sets us apart,” Martinez said.

Based at 100-825 North Park (Seabrook’s new office as of June SEE SEABROOK DEVELOPMENTS | PAGE 31

Pepe Martinez is the owner of Seabrook Developments, which has operated since 2011

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JUNE 2016

Creating beautiful custom homes is an area Seabrook has specialized in during the past five years

The Elk Lake Dentistry clinic is only one of a number of projects of this type completed by Seabrook

Attention to detail and the use of quality materials throughout a project is a hallmark of a Seabrook home

SEABROOK DEVELOPMENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 30

1) in Victoria, the name Seabrook actually came from one of Martinez’ first major construction assignments, a home renovation project to a home located on Seabrook Road.

“I was renovating a 3,000 sq.

ft. home that took four months to complete. I had become so familiar with being onsite every day for all those months that the name Seabrook sort of stuck with me,” he explained.

As a general contractor, Martinez employs sub trades which embrace the company’s mission during the actual construction

phase of his projects. The Seabrook core staff itself consists primarily of administrative support, an in-house designer and a handful of project supervisors.

“Our team is not only skilled in what they do, but they truly believe that teamwork is the essence of a successful project,” he said.

Seabrook Developments brings every client a unique combination of skills and experience to benefit each project. No matter the position, each Seabrook staff member’s main emphasis is on craftsmanship, value and an attention to detail that is second to none. Another part of the winning Seabrook business model is providing open and ongoing communication with the clients from inception right through to the handing over of the keys.

The company’s current workload is fairly evenly split between resident ia l a nd com mercia l SEE SEABROOK DEVELOPMENTS | PAGE 32

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JUNE 2016

The Urban Smiles dental clinic is another of the medical & dental projects the company has handled

SEABROOK DEVELOPMENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31

projects. Within the past year, the company has completed four major dental offices as well as residential renovation projects to as many as five others. In addition the company was also involved in seven residential projects last year, including a pair of major renovation efforts.

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“Right now I’m working on three residential and two dental offices so we’re certainly keeping busy,” Martinez said.

On the residential side of the business Seabrook has been involved in a number of spectacular single family homes, each finished with the attention to detail Seabrook is noted for.

Custom new construction is one of the company’s main areas of interest.

For Martinez, despite having developed a unique commercial niche, producing projects designed for the medical and dental professions, he enjoys the satisfaction of producing high end residential homes. “We help create the highest value for our client’s renovation investment.

W hether they are looking to modernize their space, expand, or start from the ground up, we have the expertise to guide our clients through the entire process,” he explained.

Seabrook operates with two separate business models, Bid Build (bidding to do the work, typically for a commercial project) and Design Build where the

client comes to the firm with a request. In the former model, projects are constructed to exacting, pre-planned specifications. Because all contractors responding to the bid are working from the same information, this helps to ensure fairness amongst bidders, allowing for an “apples to apples” comparison.

In the latter model the client will work directly with Seabrook at all stages of the project to ensure they end with the home they have envisioned. This method provides some great advantages for the client including faster delivery, ongoing cost control, competitive pricing and reduced risk of change orders.

While headquartered in the Capitol Region, Seabrook Developments’ projects can be fou nd th roughout the south and central Vancouver Island area. For the future Martinez envisions continued growth and expansion into his two primary specialty areas.

“T h is yea r a lone, we h ave completed a number of large renovation projects and have d evelop e d a rep ut at ion for

Proud to support Seabrook Developments.

Best wishes for continued success.

providing our commercial clients with modern and functional spaces that are pleasant for both employees and patients. We are working on a practice right now and will be starting another in June. The dentists keep calling me,” he said.

W h i le f utu re ex pa nsion of the company is important to Martinez, any growth has to be linked to business realities and economic necessities. For him no expansion can occur without strict adherence to the principles that were key parts of the company philosophy when it was launched five years ago, namely quality, communication and customer satisfaction.

“Providing great customer service is most important. It is a business model from which I refuse to waiver and is what sets Seabrook apart. In this business, if the quality isn’t ensured for each and every project, clients will go elsewhere.”

Being a part of the Victoria area building sector and having the ability to work with some of the region’s leading contractors is a source of great pride for

Martinez. “We have some amazing companies here in Victoria, companies that I look up to, ones that have decades of experience.

Although I’m still relatively new I am very proud of how far my team and I have come. We have been able to expand both our portfolio and reputation for delivering quality products,” he said.

“I want our company to be a strong option for people when considering a new home or office. I don’t want to necessarily become competition to the existing companies but to become one clients know and trust when considering building their next home or commercial space. Excellent customer service and unparalleled quality, now or five years from now, that will continue to be our main focus. It’s simple, treat the customer well and do the work to the highest standard every time.”

Seabrook Developments brings clients a unique combination of skills and experience to benefit each project. To learn more please visit the company website at: www.seabrookdevelopments.ca

TK's Granite proudly congratulates Seabrook Developments on 5 years in business TK's Granite Ltd 511B David St, Victoria, BC Ph: 778 433 7010 Email: tksgranite@shaw.ca

33

JUNE 2016

Slegg Building Materials Rebranding Program Nearly Complete This Vancouver Island building materials provider has been in operation since 1947

BY DAVID HOLMES

S

I DN EY – R apid ly approach i n g its 70t h a nniversary Slegg Building Materials (formerly Slegg Lumber) is a true Vancouver Island business success story. With a dozen outlets from Victoria to the Comox Valley and with a combined staff of about 450 the company has evolved from a single store opened in 1947 into the premier choice for contractors and serious do it yourselfers across the Isla nd. Acqu i red

by Ontario-based WSB Titan, Canada’s largest independent building supplies dealer in 2015, Slegg is currently completing a rebranding and a refocusing that will help propel it through the 21st Century.

“WSB Titan has initiated a rebranding program to demonstrate its com m itment to Vancouver Island and to give the stores a more modern and appealing look for all of our customers, both our traditional contractor clients and increasingly those from the general public,” explained Steve Nichols, Slegg’s Marketing Manager.

“Our brand is important to our identity. It shows who we are and what we stand for. We want our customers to feel as proud walking into any one of our 12 stores as we do. That’s why this year we gave Slegg a brand overhaul. Strong black and red colours while the stores themselves are getting new paint, signage, interior lighting and product displays inside and out.”

T he rebra nd i ng c a mpa ig n began about a year ago with the changing of the name to Slegg Building Materials. Much more than a marketing decision, the re-designation was introduced to more accurately reflect the range of services and products the company’s outlets now offer.

Another key element of the corporate re-imagining is the new company motto ‘It’s An Island

Steve Nichols is the Marketing Manager with Slegg Building Materials, and is involved with its rebranding efforts

“Our bread and butter have always been the

All of Slegg’s 12 Vancouver Island stores have received a facelift, including its operation in Cumberland

local contractors and builders.”

STEVE NICHOLS MARKETING MANAGER, SLEGG BUILDING MATERIALS

Formerly known as Slegg Lumber, the company has been a Vancouver Island fixture for nearly 70 years

The rebranding effort included everything from a revised logo to a new paint scheme for its fleet of trucks Thing’ – introduced to celebrate Slegg’s historic and expanding relationship with the Vancouver Island communities it serves.

“We really want to showcase our Island heritage, we’re really proud that we’re an Island company,” Nichols said. “That’s what the new motto is all about and it will figure prominently in all of our marketing.”

All of the company’s existing stores are being updated to reflect the new brand, including exterior painting and the use of new logos and colour schemes.

“One of the great things Titan has done is to show that they are willing to invest in the Island, that they are serious about keeping Slegg viable, contemporary and that we’re here for the long term.”

WSB T ita n operates stores across Canada under a variety of brands, including Watson Building Supplies, Le Groupe Beauchesne, Shoemaker Drywall Supplies, BC Ceilings Ltd., and others. “The acquisition of Slegg is the first time Titan has had a presence on Vancouver Island but the company has holdings across the country,” Nichols said.

Regardless of name changes or paint schemes, Slegg Building Materials’ focus continues to be servicing the needs of the local contractors and construction companies. Maintaining and strengthening its relationship with Island builders has been a central component of the corporate business plan for nearly seven decades and continues to be the firm’s principle stock and trade.

“Our bread and butter have always been the local contractors and builders and we’re trying to showcase that we want to continue to work with them. There is a lot of construction taking place on the Island and we’re very proud that we’re part of that,” he explained.

Another part of the winning Slegg business plan is its role as a good corporate citizen in the communities that it serves, a policy still very much in vogue with the company’s new owners.

“We are a local Island company, and want to give back to the community as much as we can.

Everyone on this Island is passionate about being here, something only locals understand,” Nichols stated.

Slegg has made major financial commitments to the local communities, a policy it will continue moving forward. For example last year the company donated $100,000 to the Canadian Cancer Society, which was the largest single donation the Vancouver Island Chapter received, a sum the company will be matching this year. Slegg has also been an active supporter of everything from sports teams to art projects.

“We’re really trying to separate ourselves from the Big Box stores by saying we’re an Island company, we want to be involved in this community and we want to give back what we can.”

Aimed at supplying both the contractor and the do it yourselfer, Slegg Building Materials has been serving the local market for nearly 70 years, and looks forward to growing alongside of the communities it supports. By helping out everyone benefits, a policy Slegg has firmly embraced. After all, helping others really is; an Island thing!

To learn more please visit the company website at: www.slegg. com

34

JUNE 2016

INSTITUTION TRAINS LEADERS FOR THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES Pacific Design Academy To Commemorate Its Silver Anniversary

V

ICTORIA – The Pacific Design Academy (PDA), a unique educational institution specializing in providing real world training in all aspects of the design arts, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. To commemorate the event the Academy will be marking the milestone with a special celebration to be held on June 28 at its downtown campus located at 1252 Wharf Street.

Opened in 1991 as an interior design and building technology school, PDA has evolved over the years to embrace new technologies and to provide an ever growing range of training options for its students. An accredited college registered with the Private Career Training Institution Agency (PICTIA) the Pacific Design Academy has the authority to grant diplomas in all of its full time courses.

The founder of PDA, Maureen Drew, was a professional Interior Designer who had worked in commercial design across Western Canada. By the early 1990s she was employed at a struggling Victoria-based design school which she took over in 1991, changing its name to Pacific Design Academy and re-energizing is focus.

“I started it with Interior Design

Located in downtown Victoria the Pacific Design Academy has been serving the community since 1991 Another example of the skills perfected by Pacific Design Academy, skills that lead to successful careers and later I added Graphic Design.

Building Technology and Interior Design have always been the mainstays of the school with Graphic Design being added later,” she explained.

“There are a lot of freelance design people around who can help us teach, so that we get professionals who are actually working in the field who can teach our students on a part time basis. This provides the students with real world instruction, not just teachers out of a university but teachers who have actually been in the field. That experience is invaluable in the creative design-arts programs we offer.”

The Pacific Design Academy offers both full time and part time courses in a variety of different subjects. A partial list of the

Students in PDA’s Fashion Industry Program often have a chance to showcase their work to the public

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“It’s all about providing the tools and instruction needed to get our students out in the workplace.”

OLIVER DREW DIRECTOR, PACIFIC DESIGN ACADEMY

The Architectural Building Technology Program is just one of many available at the Pacific Design Academy courses available at PDA includes Interior Architectural Design, Landscape Design, Fashion Industry, Sound Engineering and others.

New additions to the curriculum include the Digital Photography and Application Design programs, courses designed as introductions to these leading edge professions.

“A big part of what makes this school different is the length of the courses,” explained Oliver Drew, PDA’s Director and son of founder Maureen Drew.

“People in the industry may not have the time or the money to devote to a four year course. Our programs are very industry focused, very intense and are no more than two years in length. The whole idea is to prepare people for a career and to get them working. For the past two years 90 per cent of our Interior Design and Graphic Design

graduates have found related work.

Another element that sets the Pacific Design Academy apart from other post secondary institutions is the small class size and the personal attention provided the students. The entire enrollment at PDA typically does not exceed 100 students. Individual class sizes are kept small to guarantee plenty of opportunity for personalized instruction.

“We try and keep the classes small. There are never more than 18 to a class to ensure a lot of one on one and we do that because the program is short and if you keep the classes small you can go through a lot of material quite quickly,” he said.

“With this approach you’re not going to get people who drop out or lag behind because they haven’t had any personal attention. It’s all about

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providing the tools and instruction needed to get our students out in the workplace. Over the years many of our students have been very successful in either starting their own business or in working for someone in the industry.”

Pacific Design Academy graduates can be found at the forefront of the country’s creative industries all across Canada and beyond. In the past quarter century hundreds of graduates have their place in their chosen vocation. In the future PDA will continue to embrace new trends and technologies as they emerge, while retaining its emphasis on personalized education.

“I think in the future there will be a greater emphasis being placed on the entrepreneurial aspects of creativity. As the economy continues to evolve, and job security is becoming rarer, it’s more important than ever to provide the tools for our creative students to earn a living from their talents and their art,” he said.

“As I look toward the future I think that what’s going to happen in our school is that we should look away from the traditional job and move more toward the non-traditional.

There are a lot of people out there who are going to work in a way that is not concerned with large business or government. The artist and the entrepreneur can be one and the same. We want to help provide the means to allow our students to have lives that are economically viable, while being creatively satisfying at the same time.”

To learn more please visit the institution’s website at: www.brentwood.bc.ca

35

JUNE 2016

FABRICATOR SPECIALIZES IN CUSTOM WOODEN DOORS & WINDOWS Oakridge Windows Updates Both Contemporary & Classic Properties

V

IEW ROYAL – As a fabricator of custom made wooden joinery Oakridge Windows and Doors has been serving the Capital Region’s new home and renovation market for nearly 35 years. Founded in 1982

by Peter Everett the company has over the decades kept to its timeless roots of providing custom workmanship while adapting to meet the changing needs of its clients.

“We have a team of four plus myself and we work out of our nearly 4,000 square foot shop, located right across the street from the Slegg Building Materials Admiral’s branch” explained company owner Kevin McConnell.

“We basically start from scratch and build everything window related, from a sash replacement on older homes (retrofitting older homes is the bulk of the company’s business) to custom building new wooden windows and doors – the idea is to style match the work we do so that the end result looks like it’s always been there.”

McConnell has been with the company since 1997. After recognizing his skills and enthusiasm the original owner promoted him to an entry level management position within his first year.

“I was the low man on the totem pole but within a year I was managing it for him and within two years of joining the company I was offered, along with another employee to take over,” he recalls.

The original owner was considering retirement and felt passing the reins to existing employees made the most sense. “In 2001 I basically took a 100 per cent share of the company and it’s been going ever since.”

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A front door makes a statement about a home and contemporary work like this says elegance and style McConnell proved a quick study and soon mastered both the skills of custom manufacture and the intricacies of business management. Today Oakridge Windows and Doors has become the first choice for renovation and new home specialists throughout the region.

Made from the finest materials, including Vancouver Island sourced Douglas fir the company specializes in custom made wooden joinery. The handmade nature of Oakridge’s product line makes it the right choice when updating the region’s many classic residential and commercial properties.

Located at 204-1492 Admiral’s Way in View Royal, the firm regularly produces a range of products that include both interior and exteriors doors, awning windows, bi-fold doors, bay windows, wooden French doors, casement windows and many other products. The appeal of wood for the company extends beyond a desire for authenticity when updating an older home.

The use of multi-point locking systems, custom European Hardware, and cutting edge weather seals ensures a classic appearance with a modern ease of access and efficiency. In addition, when the use of contemporary glazing and other modern energy-saving techniques are employed, wooden doors and windows can be just as energy efficient as its vinyl or aluminum

“It’s all about bringing

Oakridge Windows and Doors has been serving the Victoria marketplace for nearly 35 years

a home into the 21st Century.”

KEVIN MCCONNELL OWNER, OAKRIDGE WINDOWS & DOORS

counterparts – with the added beauty of handcrafted wood.

“While you might think most of our work would come from contractors the reality is that much of our work is retail. I’ll get a call from a homeowner, I’ll go meet with them at their house to discuss their needs and then design a window that properly suits the house,” he explained.

McConnell estimates that renovation work, replacing aged single pane windows with modern double pane, or working on other updating projects takes up about 75 per cent of the company’s workload. New construction and commercial work takes the rest of the firm’s time. “It’s all about bringing a home into the 21st Century, with double glazing, weather seals, new hardware and other features,” he said.

“If you drove past the home after we’re done it would look pretty much like the same window, but only much more efficient a nd u lti mately more

Oakridge Windows and Doors always use the latest glazing technologies in its products comfortable for the homeowner.”

O ne of t he m a i n b u s i ne ss goals of Oakridge Windows and Doors is to demonstrate that wooden windows can be just as energy efficient as vinyl or aluminum ones. “We do a lot of custom work, custom windows and custom doors. We work on both renovations and on new construction. “In fact the 2015 VIBE (Vancouver Island Building Excellence) Award for project of the year, and the 2016 VIBE award for best single family home over 3000 sq/ft both had

our windows and doors in it.

Both were contemporary modern homes,” McConnell said.

“For the f utu re we’l l continue to upgrade our equipment and software. Even though it’s a traditional product there’s still technology involved. But what doesn’t change is that ongoing emphasis on quality. It’s a handcrafted product so we’re not happy until the customer is happy.”

To lea r n more plea se v i sit t he compa ny website at: www.oakridgewindows.ca

Congratulations on your 35th anniversary!

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We are proud to support Oakridge Windows & Doors. Congratulations on 35 years.

330 Wray Ave, Victoria, BC, V9E 2H5 Main: 250-361-5359 | waynedavis@shaw.ca

36

OFF THE COVER

JUNE 2016

Darren and Alicia Pine own one of three Games2U franchises in Canada

Corralled and safe bumper ball/bubble soccer

CREDIT:PINE FAMILY

CREDIT:GAMES2U

TV SHOW CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

seen incredible growth catering to birthday parties, school fun days, corporate picnics, and family events.

Basically, anywhere outdoor fun is wanted. We even have contracts with local recreation centres for indoor dry space during the wet winter months.”

Alicia noted that though the majority of business is in birthday parties, it also attracts corporate offices using the activities for team building or company gatherings. After all, nothing brings coworkers together faster than a game of Laser Tag! She added that Victoria was ready

Our territory includes the 13 municipalities of Greater Victoria with a growing word-of-mouth clientele for this type of entertainment and she’s gone from being a full time mom to a full time business owner and mom, booking 8-10 parties on the weekends alone and employing 10 plus, fully trained Game Coaches for each activity at the events.

“Our territory includes 13 municipalities including Greater Victoria with a growing word-of-mouth clientele. Right now we’re gearing

up for summer camp programing, sports team wind ups and company picnics.”

She explained that each game has been carefully tried and tested by Games2U corporate office in Texas for fun factor and engagement and has passed Canada’s strict safety standards. Each game, she added, promises an incredible and fun experience.

“We cater to big and small events,” she said, adding that most events last about one and a half hours and have up to 20 people, but the activities can also be booked for all day and larger gatherings with thousands of visitors.

“Our corporate events are usually

large family events. We bring the activities and coaches so parents can play if they want to or sit back and relax while the kids have great supervised fun.”

Favourite games include the kid-requested Booger Wars, with two giant noses on pedestals at either end of a field; U Launcher with seats that shoot bean bags or water balloons at specific targets; Foam Party with a large inflatable pool filled with foam; and the all-time favourite Laser Tag, a combination of tag, hide and seek and high-tech lasers with obstacles.

“Our focus is on getting people active and physical with outdoor play and having a great time in a

safe environment,” she said. “Even our mobile games theatre, offering Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 games, encourages people to be outside.”

“It’s a fun business with very happy customers,” she said. “We cater to our clientele and the type of experience they are looking for.

Last year they requested more inflatables. We followed through, got more inflatables and booked parties for all those people that put in requests.”

For Darren the gamble on a business he saw on TV paid off with the added bonus of being one of the most popular dads around.

Games2U Victoria is at www.g2u. com

37

JUNE 2016

WATER POWER: STARK CNC MAKING PLANS FOR EXPANSION Computerized Waterjet A Central Tool For Manufacturing Company

S

IDNEY – Moving water has long been a power humanity has used for its industry, from the medieval waterwheel used to grind grain to the torrents racing through the turbines of an electrical generating plant, water can be used for good. For Stark CNC water, when pressurized and jetted through a precision nozzle, can be an irresistible force that can cleanly slice through virtually any material.

“Ou r specialty is Compute r Nu m e r i c a l ly C ont rol l e d (CNC) manufacturing and our primary machine is a waterjet cutter,” explained company coowner Matthew Barker. “Using high pressure water we can cut through everything right up to eight inch slabs of granite.”

Launched six years ago Stark C NC (n a m e d a f te r t h e t wo owners Barker and Kyle Starchuk) recently moved to its new shop at Unit 2 -10045 McDonald Park Road in Sidney. The firm’s primary tool is its large (6.5’ by 13’) waterjet table which can be used on virtually any material. “If we can get it on the table we can cut it,” Barker explained.

Working for any number of different clients, from sign makers, to multiple customers in the marine industry to the individual needing a one off part crafted, the company’s computer controlled system is ideal for fabricating multiple and identical pieces.

Unlike with a rotary system a waterjet, which is essentially erosion at a greatly accelerated rate, leaves a precise and flawless finish. Having outgrown its original workshop Stark CNC’s new facility will soon be enhanced and other equipment that will add to the firm’s expanding product range.

Having met while attending the Mechanical Technology Program

One of the real powers of a Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) system is the ability to mass produce items

A computer controlled waterjet cutter can be used to craft precise shapes out of a variety of materials

Waterjet cutters can be used to cut and shape objects out of a wide variety of different materials including plastic

Stark CNC regularly produces complex and beautiful patterns that are then reproduced in metal

“A real strength of this system is the diversity in the

at Camosun College, Barker and Starchuck recognized their respective talents and formed their then fledgling company right out of graduation. “I enjoy the variety of what we do the number of different projects that we do, there’s always something new,” Barker said.

In addition to the waterjet, which can cut everything from s tone a nd t i le to wo o d a ny type of metal (tempered glass is about the only material it cannot cut), the company also offers a 3D pri nti ng ser v ice which is ideal for prototyping a product or to see how an item

materials we can work with.”

MATTHEW BARKER CO-OWNER, STARK CNC

might look in the real world. A small part of the business, this technology is not used for large scale projects.

“A real strength of this system is the diversity in the materials we can work with, and the diversity of what we can do with those materials,” Barker said.

“With a tool diameter that is 30 thousandths of an inch you can get some very precise cuts and fine finishes. That is a real advantage of a waterjet system.”

To learn more please visit the company’s website at: www. starkcnc.com

We are pleased to support Stark CNC and we congratulate you on your success.

Detailed work can be produced with a waterjet cutter, ideal for creating signs and duplicating logos

Suite 7 - 10189 McDonald Park Road | Sidney, BC | Phone: 778-426-0911 www.empirehydrogen.com

38

JUNE 2016

QUALITY ROOFING ESSENTIAL COMPONENT IN HOME CONSTRUCTION

The bulk of the work Perrier Roofing takes on involves working on new homes in residential developments

“I was given some Perrier Roofing: Roofing Contractor Has Served Region Nearly 25 Years

L

A NGFOR D – A qua l ity, professionally constructed roof is an investment in the future comfort and safety of a home. A homeowner can spend a fortune on the interior of their property but if a leak occurs in the roof the potential costs could be catastrophic. Ensuring that ongoing peace of mind has been Perrier Roofing’s motivator for nearly 25 years. “A lot of people can spend huge amounts of money on the inside of their home but they often don’t think about the roof,” explained company owner Dan Perrier.

good advice when I was starting out; one was to always answer your phone.”

DAN PERRIER OWNER, PERRIER ROOFING

“For many people either the roof leaks or it doesn’t, they just don’t think about it. But they should really pay more attention to it as it is protecting all of their assets. Over the years we’ve seen it time and again where someone has spent hundreds of thousands on the inside of their house and then they’re calling us in a panic because their roof is leaking.”

L au nched i n 1992, Per r ier

While occasionally doing renovation projects the bulk of the firm’s work is with new homes

Perrier Roofing was involved with the construction of Langford’s Leigh Road Ambulance Station Roofing has built a solid reputation as the roofer of choice for any number of the Greater Victoria area’s general contractors.

While specializing in new home construction the company has completed countless renovation and commercial projects since opening its doors. Perrier himself got into the roofing business right out of high school, learning his craft from the ground up.

A change of personal circumstances was the motivation for the company’s founding.

“The company was essentially created out of necessity,” he explained. “I was laid off where I had been working as they were short of jobs and I needed to work, it was as simple as that.”

Operating out of a 3,000 square foot office and fabrication shop

at #2-961 Dunford Avenue in Langford, the bulk of the company’s business takes place in the Westshore area, but the company has worked throughout southern Vancouver Island and beyond.

In a typical year Perrier Roofing could be involved in more than 250 different projects and could see its core group of eight employees swell to 30 or more if the assignments demand it. The company has operated its own sheet metal shop and warehouse since 2002.

Perrier learned early in his business life that customer service is key to any venture’s ultimate success. “I was given some good advice when I was starting out, one was to always answer your phone and always return calls.

We strive for perfection in our workmanship and quality but

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when we do have an issue we make sure to rectify it as soon as possible,” he said.

Another part of Perrier Roofing’s successful business model hinges on the quality of the staff, many of whom have been with the company for many years. “We’re fortunate in that we have some valued, long term employees.

Chris Armstrong in particular is my true right hand man, and an essential part of the operation.”

Being a good corporate citizen is also important to Perrier and his team, with the company an ongoing supporter of the local food bank, minor sports teams and other local community groups.

Having worked in this specialized field for nearly a quarter century Perrier has seen many changes, from a focus on cedar shake roofs when he began, to asphalt shingle roofs coming into vogue to an increasing interest in metal and fiberglass roofing materials.

“When we started in the 90’s it was all cedar shingles, but nobody seems to be doing that anymore, they’ve turned away from that and are now more interested in fiberglass as they last longer.

Metal roofs are another option.

They certainly will last longer but the cost is substantially more, it all comes down to what the customer wants.”

For the future Perrier envisions his company will continue to focus on what it does best, building quality roofs that last. The satisfaction of seeing the job done right has always inspired him to continue in his chosen field.

While the focus of the company’s efforts have essentially been from the Cowichan Valley south, it has worked on projects as far afield as Campbell River and Gold River.

Despite this Perrier says he has no plan to open branch offices further north.

“Having worked for as long as we have we get a lot of repeat and referral business, in fact we’re starting to redo roofs we did 25 years ago which is kind of neat,” he said.

“I’m not tired of doing this yet; I can absolutely see myself continuing to do this for a long while yet.”

To learn more please visit the company’s website at: www.perrierroofing.com

WHO IS SUING WHOM

JUNE 2016

WHO IS SUING WHOM The contents of Who’s Suing Whom is provided by a third-party resource and is accurate according to public court documents. Some of these cases may have been resolved by publication date.

39

$ 132,360

$ 252,983

$ 36,186

$ 24,830

DEFENDANT Bruce Brothers Foods Ltd 200-44 Queens Rd, Duncan, BC PLAINTIFF Bruce, Graham CLAIM $ 230,738

DEFENDANT EMC3 Securities Inc 144-3666 Royal Vista Way, Courtenay, BC PLAINTIFF Westergaard, Keith CLAIM $ 488,415

DEFENDANT Homefront Ideas 2071D Malaview Ave, Sidney, BC PLAINTIFF Urban Electric Ltd CLAIM $ 8,302

DEFENDANT Sam The Roofer Inc PO Box 997, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Mcleay, Kathryn Louise CLAIM $ 5,057

DEFENDANT Nanaimo Precast Limited PO Box 667, Nanaimo, BC PLAINTIFF Boxler, Urs CLAIM $ 12,012

DEFENDANT South Island Aggregates Ltd 101-536 Herald St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Buildworks Construction Inc CLAIM $ 132,360

DEFENDANT Paul Davis Systems 1580b Willow St, Campbell River, BC PLAINTIFF Coast Environmental Ltd CLAIM $ 13,220

DEFENDANT South Island Resource Management Ltd 1618 Government St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Buildworks Construction Inc CLAIM $ 132,360

DEFENDANT Griffin Restoration Services Inc 7th Flr 1175 Douglas St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Black Box Electric Ltd CLAIM $ 13,960

DEFENDANT Pay Bullion Inc 7640 Ships Point Rd, Fanny Bay, BC PLAINTIFF Westergaard, Keith CLAIM $ 488,415

DEFENDANT Twenty Ten Developments Ltd 225 Vancouver Ave, Nanaimo, BC PLAINTIFF Cullen Diesel Power Ltd CLAIM $ 21,273

DEFENDANT Hibert Siding Ltd 2200 Chum Rd, Campbell River, BC PLAINTIFF Matthews Equipment Limited CLAIM

DEFENDANT Rico Roofing 429 McKay Rd, Fanny Bay, BC PLAINTIFF Central Builders Supply Limited CLAIM

DEFENDANT 17310 Parkinson Rd Holdings 402-707 Fort St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Thomson, James Stanley CLAIM $ 9,877

DEFENDANT Canoe Cove Joes Diner & Grille Ltd 6-7855 East Saanich Rd, Saanichton, BC PLAINTIFF Super Save Enterprises Ltd CLAIM $ 49,330

DEFENDANT Abstract Projects Inc 1626 Garnet Rd, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Kilshaws Auctioneers Ltd CLAIM $ 25,176

DEFENDA Cash Dojo Mobile Inc 404-1688 152nd St, Surrey, BC PLAINTIFF Westergaard, Keith CLAIM $ 488,415

DEFENDANT Adept Vegetation Management Inc PO BOX 41047 RPO Woodgrove, Nanaimo, BC PLAINTIFF Einarsen, Gunnar Peter CLAIM $ 25,276

DEFENDANT Comox Valley Recovery Centre Society 641 Menzies Ave, Courtenay, BC PLAINTIFF Mcrae, Kerry JC CLAIM $ 17,496

DEFENDANT Allterra Construction Ltd 1618 Government St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Buildworks Construction Inc CLAIM

DEFENDANT Crown Isle Development Corp 201-467 Cumberland Rd, Courtenay, BC HSBC Bank Canada CLAIM

Tilray - Concrete Prep & Polishing

DEFENDANT EMC3 Security Inc 144-3666 Royal Vista Way, Courtenay, BC PLAINTIFF Westergaard, Keith CLAIM $ 488,415 DEFENDANT GP Systems Limited 300-736 Broughton St, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF Owners Strata Plan EPS 560 CLAIM $ 20,002

Custom and commercial tile work

DEFENDANT Urban Core Ventures Ltd 200-931 FORT ST, Victoria, BC PLAINTIFF T&C Cabinets (2004) Ltd CLAIM $ 25,971

Westshore Mall- Floor Prep & Levelling

Concrete polishing and preparation

Target, Canadian Tire & Westshore Mall Projects -On Time On Budget Quality Flooring - From People you can Trust- Over 100 yrs of expertise Over 100 Years of Flooring Expertise

250 756 9996 Marlon@cornerstone-tile.ca www.cornerstone-tile.ca Marlon@cornerstone-tile.ca www.cornerstone-tile.ca 250.756.9996

MOVERS & SHAKERS

40

JUNE 2016

Pending Esquimalt township approval on a building permit, construction of a new liquor store could start this spring in the former Tudor House Pub site.

The new building would feature a design of glass walls and wood framing, and if all goes according to plan, construction would wrap up in early 2017 at the latest.

To get in Movers and Shakers, contact Patti Mertz at 250204-7678 or email patti@ businessexaminer.ca

Codan Radio Communications has plans to expand its ranks by as many as 30 engineers and double its production in the next five years. Formerly known as Daniels Electronics, the company was acquired in

VANCOUVER ISLAND

INSPECTIONS • REPAIRS • PARTS • SLINGS

2012 by Australia-based Codan Ltd. The company manufactures value-added electronic products for radio communications, metal detection and mining technology.

Omicron, the developer of the Gateway shopping centre on the west side of Patricia Bay Highway in Sidney, is talking with two major Canadian food retailers to form its anchor store, which could range from 30,000 to 50,000 square feet in a development worth almost $35 million and covering 100,000 square feet.

Victoria council has confirmed that the provision of safe consumption services by the end of 2016 is part of its strategic plan. Mayor Lisa Helps says that more than one site is in the works.

The 21,000-square-foot training facility for the Westshore Rebels has opened for use, located in an industrial area on the Westshore Parkway in Langford.

Serving Vancouver Island for 25 Years

250-287-5997

The 131-acre Glen Meadows Golf & Country Club in North Saanich has been listed for nearly $7 million.

The family owned facility, which sports a golf course, clubhouse, curling rink, tennis courts and parking lot, has been listed after 55 years of operation.

BC’s minimum wage, currently the lowest in Canada, will increase to about $10.55 effective Sept.

15. The change will move BC to the middle of the pack among provinces.

Patti Mertz

SENIOR MARKETING ADVISOR

We’re Growing Speak directly to Business Owners & Managers through the Voice for Local Business – the Business Examiner.

Business Examiner Vancouver Island is pleased to welcome Senior Marketing Advisor Patti Mertz to our growing team.

Patti’s background includes sales and management positions with several high profile companies, and she will look after Victoria for Business Examiner.

Patti can be reached at 1-866-758-2684 Ext. 125, Cell 250-204-7678 or patti@businessexaminer.ca

The Earls restaurant chain has announced that it will now serve Canadian beef again following an uproar over its decision to switch to hormone-free meat from the United States.

Ashley Homestore, located at 1652 Old Island Highway, is celebrating its grand opening.

The Esquimalt Village Project has taken a step closer to reality, with construction expected to start in the spring of 2017 on a development plan that includes residential and retail space, a proposal for a public library and a new public square. The township has signed a memorandum of understanding with Aragon Investments Inc. to proceed with the acquisition and development of the lands.

Village Hot Tubs is celebrating its 38th anniversary this year,

located at 2020 Blanshard and 102-2374 Millstream.

Victoria is considering boosting the number of pedicab licences it issues secondary to the tourism boom in the area. If approved, the total number of pedicab licences will increase to 35 from the existing 28.

Residents of Sooke and Juan de Fuca have voted to buy a 23-acre golf course for future recreational use. The DeMamiel Creek Golf Course is adjacent to the SEAPARC Leisure Complex, and will eventually be converted into field space.

Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty has announced its top producers for the month of April, which includes: Neil Bosdet, Cheryl Bejcar, Tammi Dimock, Mark McDougall, James Liu, Cheryl Laidlaw, Tom Fraser, Sarah West, Shaunna Jones, Tasha Noble, Saira Waters, Justen Lalonde, Bill Walters, Brenda Russell, Brian Corfield, Doug Poruchny, Beth Hayhurst, Rick Hoogendoorn, Kami Norman, Jackie Adkins, Dean Innes, Justine Connor, Roger Levesque, David Wardle, Jacob Dimock, Deb Piper.

The latest figures from Statistics Canada have shown the average domestic airfare on major Canadian airlines remained at a six-year low in the third quarter of 2015. The agency reported that a one-way domestic flight cost an average of $175.70 before fees and taxes, down from $187.60 a year earlier. International fares rose 60 cents, from $340.60 to $341.20.

Macdonald Realty has welcomed Neil Gurton and Kevin Wensley to its team, with locations in Victoria, Sidney, Parksville and Saltspring Island.

The British Columbia Real Estate Association reported that a record 12,969 homes were sold last month in BC, a 30 per cent increase over the same period last year. The association said that $9.64 billion changed hands in April, leaping almost 53 per cent compared to April 2015.

working as a management consultant with the Sage Group for the last 18 years, has been named the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce’s new chief executive officer, replacing Bruce Carter who is leaving the post next month.

Jim Hayhurst, CEO of Pretio Interactive, will be awarded the Colin Lennox Award as Technology Champion at Victoria Innovation Advanced Technology and Entrepreneurship Council’s 15th annual tech awards, which will be handed out June 24 at the Victoria Conference Centre.

RBC Dominion Securities’ Victoria office has welcomed the addition of Jordan Anderson as an Investment Advisor.

Anderson graduated from the University of Victoria with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, and has completed his Personal Financial Planner and Financial Management Advisor designations.

Uptown shopping centre will be adding a Petsmart location to its retail mix, which will open in 12,000 square feet that had been half of what was once a Best Buy store.

Lily Pad Lingerie is celebrating its first year in business, located on Cordova Bay Road.

The Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce office has moved to a new location in Seaview Business Centre at Unit 1A, 6631 Sooke Road.

The Uncommon Carrot Juice Bar & Café will be opening for business in June at Unit 2A, 6686 Sooke Road.

Coded Pixel Development has opened for business at 101-2248 Townsend Road in Sooke.

The following businesses have recently joined the Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce as new members: My Nurse Advisor, Marie Tennisco Massage Therapy and Ocean Island Enterprises.

The Westhills YMCA-YWCA Langford Aquatic Centre celebrated its grand opening, located at 102-1314 Lakepoint Way.

DFH Real Estate Ltd. has announced its office leaders in the Greater Victoria area for the month of April, which includes; Sandy McManus, Ann Watley, Fiona Phythian, Philip Illingworth, Scott O’Neal, Mike Fowles, Frank

Catherine Holt, who has been

SEE MOVERS & SHAKERS | PAGE 41

MOVERS & SHAKERS

JUNE APRIL2016 2015

MOVERS & SHAKERS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 40

Chan, Marilyn Cann, Brad Neufeld, Frank Berke, Sherri Martin, Jeff Bishop, Dorothee Friese & Terry Moore, John Bruce, Tom Muir & Sue Spangelo, Peter Miller, Dave Philips, Kevin Seibel, John Smith, Stephanie Peat, Suzanne Mitchell, Farrell Magnusson, Myles Christenson, Ron Cunningham.

The Cascadia Eagle Creek Liquor Store celebrated its grand opening May 2, located at 130-23 Helmcken Road in View Royal.

Talon Signs has moved to a new location at 106-2298 Millstream Road.

Townline Homes’ new purpose-built rental tower, Hodson Walk One, is set to open in August at its Caledonia Avenue location.

Purpose-built rental developments are designed to cater to renters, as opposed to condos or mixed residential development.

The 16-storey concrete development will contain 178 suites and 29 different floor plans, with units ranging from 452 to 1,302 square feet.

Construction is slated to begin this fall on a partial cloverleaf interchange that’s intended to improve safety and reduce congestion at McKenzie Avenue and the Trans Canada Highway.

There will be no direct passenger-only ferry service between Victoria’s inner harbour and Vancouver this summer after Victoria Clipper announced that it will be putting a hold on its plans until the spring of 2017.

Island Express Air began its new twicedaily flight service between Victoria and Comox as of May 16.

Scansa Construction Ltd. has been awarded the construction contract for West Shore’s segments 3 and 4 of the West Shore Parkway expansion project.

The Urban Ground Market, located at 131 Presley Place, has opened for business.

Island Highway Automotive is now under the brand of Big O Tires, located at 1701B Island Highway.

The Canada Dry Victoria Dragon Boat

Festival is hosting a community feast on June 9 at the Don Mee Seafood Restaurant to help generate funds for the cultural aspects of this summer’s annual Dragon Boat Festival.

Greg Cox is the new Chef at Honeymoon Bay Lodge and Retreat.

Sunfest owner Greg Adams provided soldout Cowichan Lake District Chamber of Commerce crowd with an update on this summer’s Country Music Festival that will feature Carrie Underwood. Adams says development of the 175 acre site is almost 50 per cent complete.

Serving all of Vancouver Island

PowerHouse Raw Food and Juice Bar is planning to open its fourth location in Duncan this summer.

Bambinos on Cadboro Bay has undergone renovations and owner Deborah Patton has opened under the new name Humble Pie. The renovations have added an organic and relaxed feel to the store.

After a year of planning and development, View Royal Casino in partnership with Wilson’s Transportation Ltd announced the launch of theWestShore Express Shuttle. The WestShore Express Shuttle will provide an affordable and reliable transportation option for passengers travelling from the casino to Victoria’s International Airport, BC Ferries terminal, Uptown and Downtown Victoria. View Royal Casino and Wilson’s Transportation have partnered to provide the service with the aim of connecting the communities of West Shore with the remainder of the island.

Email: Info@FinelineMarking.com Phone:

T

1 888 227 5043

Website: www.finelinemarking.com

u str con he t n ni u me str wo con d d for n the sla roun n i I r en sg ry ve om tego ou break aw nc orC df Va Hais n u gro aks bre s i Ha

Dr. Mandy Letkemann has joined the team at Maycock Eyecare.

Bosley’s at Eagle Creek Village held its grand opening.

members and to continue to provide a forum through which our unique community of family business members may connect with one another.”

Family Business Association- Vancouver Island is an energetic and dynamic organization made up of knowledgeable family businesses and advisors to family businesses. The Association focuses on providing relevant educational events and a framework for peer support, recognizing that the challenges of operating a family-owned business are unique.

The Association is a source of inspiration, ideas and energy from like-minded people who appreciate the opportunity to learn from each other.

T

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Vibes Fitness celebrates 5 years in business.

The South Island Prosperity Project has named Bill Bergen as board chair and Emilie de Rosenroll has been named executive director. SIPP, a new economic development project, aims to facilitate and promote the development of a strong, diversified economy in South Vancouver Island.

f eo Jun d in on un e c s o. gro ak e th s nd ak le s er a bre g m s t r y nag e ets ntto in c a th espide lp d u m l he rex m is n in era o p t co s is t io en ge als men Ha r u c e g is na s t is th in She elop d ma r pe is ne o. dev on nd Ha part aim ll’s the c s,oa. s,d evelo n aIO Nan . Wa ke s s oann gs d r ia e tir in in R.W ma r y leora e ota t th g y, g t oarpna uild ent a R es a of nin of c l b sid is te alp d u s m p e er e it e h atal a r hm is n in tr oth d in era dic ll.p sco mm is c t io 1g0ens me . aWlsao ioenn,t r co ges e m olve a H r u e are .Wis pitm fou na th inv ’ it s t is th in bSyhRe aedlod on ma also helyd ies. ni r v d s n is ugp vit in is ne o. in de it Ha part aim ll’s nd s , aSsh, e eovroeloacti bneg n a a th e d ’s ia . n a Na . W thr e tio d giss ren t ta in R.W ora anin ild Rao t th rp rild ch that es a of ny, of co lfobuu her r is te pa er ata a all dhee mit oth ed in str dic all. o, ns m 10 me . W iown ur co e m volv are R.W dd it n fo o th in . it’ als ghly ities ni by a s o in sit u is v gin d he oro cti be an . S is th n’s a the re nd d at r a chil at fou her er th all nd 5 15 wo 20 ille sv 12 30 ark IO

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Family Business Association (FBA) – Vancouver Island he Canadian Association of Family Enterprise – Vancouver Island Chapter will transition to its new name and branding, Family Business Association – Vancouver Island.

Stewart Story, President of Family Business Association – Vancouver Island, commented “Over the past fifteen years, we gained a wealth of experience providing services for family businesses in the community. The Association’s board of directors will continue to respond to our members’ desire for programs that serve the interests of Vancouver Island’s family business community. Our primary goals are to enhance programming for our

41 21

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OPINION

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JUNE 2016 A division of Invest Northwest Publishing Ltd. Head Office 200-3060 Cedar Hill Road, Victoria V8T 3J5 Ph: 1.250.204.7678 Fax: 1.250.642.2870 Toll free: 1.866.758.2684 Website: www.businessexaminer.ca

PUBLISHER/EDITOR | Lise MacDonald, lise@businessexaminer.ca SALES | Patti Mertz - patti@businessexaminer.ca, Josh Higgins – josh@businessexaminer.ca,

Joanne Iormetti – joanne@businessexaminer.ca WRITERS | Julia MacDonald, Beth Hendry-Yim, John MacDonald, David Holmes, Kristin Van Vloten, Eric Reynolds WEBSITE | John MacDonald

RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE: WHO DOES IT REALLY HELP? It really only helps entry level employees minimally, for a short period of time, until inflation eats away the increase MARK MACDONALD

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u r p ro v i n c i a l go vern ment recently a nnounced it will raise the m i n i mu m wage from $10.45 an hour to $10.55 an hour this September.

It’s only 10 cents and should be an hour, which sounds fairly insignificant. No doubt this is in response to labour’s call to hike it to $15 per hour, and proponents of the $15 fig ure – wh ich is a lso bei ng f loated in the United States – will undoubtedly complain it isn’t nearly enough.

Some questions to ask: Who really benefits from a rise in the minimum wage? And why just $15? W hy not $25. . .$35 per hour? Why not $70,000 per year, each?

In April, 2015, Dan Price announced that his Seattle-based e-commerce company, Gravity Payments, was going to pay all of its employees $70,000 per year by 2017.

Price received innumerable favourable articles about his bold decision to pay everyone from receptionists to the high

tech experts exactly the same.

Many wonder aloud: Is this the new standard for all companies? Is it a publicity stunt? A social experiment?

The jury is still out.

W hat we do know is that P r ice, who cut h i s ow n $1.1

million per year salary to move towards the $70,000 rate, announced he was going to mortgage properties and emptied his retirement savings to pour it into the company to help with the changeover.

One problem: Financial institutions wouldn’t allow him to mortgage his properties, due to a law suit launched against P rice by h is brother, Lucas.

A 30 per cent shareholder in G ra v i t y, L u c a s a p p a re n t l y didn’t appreciate finding out how many zeroes Dan was putting on his own paycheque.

Looking ahead, the value of t he compa ny i s deter m i ned by its profitability, and while Gravity is still profitable, the profit percentage has slipped significantly. T hat also puts L u c a s’ i n v e s t m e n t a t r i s k .

There are now serious concerns that the company may not have enough profits i n reserve to cover the cost of any possible settlement between the brothers. That could put the entire company at risk.

Several highly skilled members of the Gravity staff have left, reportedly feeling resentful because the work and investment they’ve put into their own development no longer rewarded them. One comment was that the move “shackles high performers to less motivated team members.”

It will be most interesting to see how this story ends.

To the jaded, raising the minimum wage is a populist move employed by politicians to gain

votes with the masses. Which employee/voter won’t appreciate getting paid more for doing the same job?

But one must scratch below the surface to see what really happens when the minimum wage rises. In very real terms, all it presents to workers is a six-month-give-or-take pay advantage – until the results of these i ncreased costs a re absorbed in the marketplace.

Not to mention the eventual complaints from other workers who were making just over minimum wage, who now want their pay hiked to reflect their t ra i n i ng, i.e. Grav ity. T hey can’t work for minimum wage any longer, can they? So really, a minimum wage hike likely means increases for other staff for the business owner to absorb.

It usually takes a matter of months before consumer costs rise to cover the increased expense for the minimum wage paying small business owner.

It always results in the price of food going up to cover those costs, and increased prices in any number of goods and /or services.

W hen t he m i n i mu m wa ge goes up, companies have their choice of one or two th ings: Raise their own prices to cover their newly increased costs, or reduce staff hours. If they find that the marketplace can’t or won’t support the new pricing, then their only other choice is to cut back on either the number of staff, or how many hours

are made available to workers.

Fo r b u s i n e s s e s to re m a i n open, they must be profitable.

Profit is not a dirty word to the business owner: It is the reward for hard work and necessary for survival. It is payback for hard work, and a pool of resources for possible rainy days ahead.

M i n i m u m w a ge p o s i t io n s are never meant to be family s u p p o r t i n g, “ l i v i n g w a ge” jobs, despite l ab ou r cl a i m s to the contrary. Neither can t hey b e. T hey ty pic a l ly require a minimum amount of t ra i n i n g a nd s k i l l , a nd t h e government-mandated minimum gives businesses some certainty in regards to fixed c o s t s. M i n i mu m wa ge job s are also tremendous incentive for employees to obtain more training.

So again we ask: Who benefits from a hike in the minimum wage?

It really only helps entry level employees m i n i m a l ly, for a short period of time, until inflation eats away the increase.

Who it really helps most is the politician or labour leader who can it this as a demonstration of what they’ve advocated for on their behalf.

I n rea l ity, however, it h a s done little, if anything to help those for whom it is intended.

Programs like the Canada-BC Jo b G r a n t s a r e m u c h m o r e beneficial, as they help raise skill levels so people can obtain better, highly skilled and higher paying jobs – so they can truly get ahead.

CANADA’S SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS ARE FOUR TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE LOW INCOME THAN RICH The profile also shows that small business owners are much more likely to work longer hours than employees RICHARD TRUSCOTT CFIB

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ust like Canadian workers, the vast majority of Canada’s small business owners are firmly entrenched in the middle class, according to the latest sma l l busi ness prof i le f rom the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).

Data from Statistics Canada

show that two-thirds of Canadian small business owners are earning less than $73,000, a nd employers ea r n i ng less than $40,000 outnumber those earning more than $250,000 by four to one. T he findings refute the notion that a large percentage of small business owners are the wealthy using small businesses to dodge taxes, and make the case to reinstate the promised small businesses tax rate reduction eliminated in March’s federal budget.

“The notion that most small business owners are rich, or part of the ‘one per cent’, is pure fiction,” said CFIB president Dan Kelly. “The simple truth is Canada’s small business owners a re over whel m i ng ly m idd le class. They are your mechanic, accountant, hair dresser and

landscaper, just trying to earn a living doing something they love.”

The profile also shows that s m a l l b u s i n e s s o w n e rs a re much more l i kely to work longer hours than employees.

More than 40 per cent of small business owners work 50-plus hours a week. Only six per cent of employees are in the same category.

“Part of the reason small business owners don’t take home huge salaries or dividends is because they reinvest any profits back into their business and their employees through training programs, salary increases, new h i res, or equ ipment purchases. Having a low small business tax rate helps them to do just that,” added Ted Mallett, CFIB chief economist. “It helps

them grow and keep Canada’s economic engine running.”

Despite popular misconceptions, the small business tax rate does not encourage businesses to stay small. Very few businesses earn even close to the $500,000 threshold - that would introduce them to a higher business tax bracket. In fact, 85 per cent of small businesses could double their net earnings and still not be exposed to the higher rate.

The profile was generated from the latest data from Statistics Canada’s National Household Survey, the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics and other sources.

Richard Truscott is the Vice President of BC and Alberta for CFIB

SUBCRIPTIONS | $45 PER YEAR (12 ISSUES), $80 FOR 2 YEARS (24 ISSUES), SUBSCRIBE ONLINE: WWW.BUSINESSEXAMINER.NET. DISTRIBUTION: FOURTH WEEK OF EACH MONTH VIA CANADA POST AD MAIL. The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited submissions. The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. Produced and published in British Columbia. All contents copyright Business Examiner Victoria, 2016. Canadian Publications Mail Acct.: 40069240

LAW/SALT SPRING

JUNE 2016

43

CHANGES IN EUROPEAN TRADEMARK LAW To be clear, the US has

LAW

adopted the International

All European Trademark Owners

Classification system, but still requires a description

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here is one aspect of European Trademark law related to how the European Union Implemented the so-called International Classification system for goods and services, which I have always found objectionable. There are 34 broadly defined classes of goods and 11 broadly defined classes of services in the International Classification system.

I n Ca n ad a a nd t he Un ited States, when you apply for Trademark protection you must identify the goods and/or services with which the Trademark is associated. A very specific list must be presented, using ordinary commercial terminology, for example, “adhesives”. To be clear, the US has adopted the International Classification system, but still requires a description of the specific goods and/

of the specific goods and/ or services

Michael Cooper and Doug Thompson of ThompsonCooper LLP or services. By contrast, under European Trademark Law, the applicant is able to specify all of the goods and/or services in each of the classes in which any of the applicant’s goods and/or services fall.

For example, an applicant for a European trademark registration having a trademark associated with “adhesives”, would be able to list the general goods description for the class containing

“adhesives” (Class 1), as follows: “Chemicals used in industry, science and photography, as well as in agriculture, horticulture and forestry; unprocessed artificial resins, unprocessed plastics; manures; fire extinguishing compositions; tempering and soldering preparations; chemical substances for preserving foodstuffs; tanning substances; adhesives used in industry.”

When the Europeans tie up the

entire class, this creates enormous problems for a Trademark Law yer, such as mysel f. My client can have his Trademark refused because someone else has a similar Trademark in the same class. However, if the actual products were compared, it might be clear that confusion between the marks is unlikely, for example because the products are different, they are sold through different wholesale and retail channels and they are sold to different customers.

For example, adhesives may be sold by chemical companies to distributors who supply adhesives to the lumber industry where they are used to glue wood chips

together to form sheets of fibreboard. In comparison, manure is sold by agricultural feedlots to suppliers who either sell the manure in bulk to agricultural businesses or in bags to consumers for use as fertilizer. Just because “adhesive” and “manure” are both in Class 1 does not necessarily mean that the Trademarks will be confusing.

Thankfully, we have received notification that changes to this objectionable aspect of European Trademark law came into effect on March 23, 2016. All European Trademark Owners have been given a deadline to specify the goods and/or services with which they are using their Trademark and, in future, persons applying for European Trademarks will have to similarly specify the goods and/services. This is extremely important, due to the treaties we have entered into with the Europeans that permit them to Register their Trademarks in Canada. It is also important to avoid Canadians being “blocked” when they are trying to protect their Trademarks in Europe.

HOW DID SALT SPRING ISLAND BECOME A “BRAND”?

Visitors and residents alike have frequently said Salt Spring has helped them in their quest for personal growth and allowed them to discover more of what they truly feel, value, and appreciate in their lives

SALT SPRING ISLAND JEREMY MILSOM

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he name Salt Spring Island, might conjure many notions, from mineral, ocean, original, pure, water, pristine, remote spacious trails and silence. As for “branding”, we “lucked out” on our name! When the Chamber of Commerce created a Salt Spring Island “brand”, we focused on ways to grow an awareness of, and association with, not only these qualities but also, the elements of the Salt Spring experience that are best known to inspire visitors to return and possibly become future residents.

Stating why we are different, agreeing on what uniqueness we embrace i n ou r com mu n ity va lues, and what personality and image we wanted to portray and be known

for w it h i n ou r “road ahead” vision, were all considerations that were embedded in the branding equation. These qualities formed the central idea or heart of the branding mission and became the lead thought toward creating a descriptor (a phrase) that would associate the Salt Spring Island brand with the associated memories and impact of the island experience. Visitors and residents alike have frequently said Salt Spring has helped them in their quest for personal growth and allowed them to discover more of what they truly feel, value, and appreciate in their lives.

“Discover Yourself Here” became the descriptor!

Four specific “pillars” were selected to be the cornerstones of the marketing initiative to communicate and associate our brand name with what offerings and community attractions there are to discover. The resulting focus highlights a destination where our visitors may find or share their creative side within the diverse arts community, explore inner self-healing and mind/ body growth opportunities, experience a myriad of outdoor recreation and adventure opportunities surrounded by the Gulf Islands “ecological

treasure”, and of course, the opportunity to savour or sip on locally grown agricultural treats, award winning wines, beers and ciders.

The four selections had historically created memorable associations with our community and cultu ra l id iosy ncrasies as with the myriad of diverse and popular activities. In harmony, they will continue to pose an inviting temp t at ion to v i sit u s soon. The brand exposure has painted a broadly based and inviting image of our unique community as news articles; travel blogs, magazine features, radio, TV and electronic media mentions continue to repeat the Salt Spring Island name more often than ever.

Additionally, products and businesses using the Salt Spring name foster even more coverage and a lasting recognition.

We feel that the energy, dedication and effort of many talented volunteers has produced a very visible result, the Salt Spring Island brand and It’s working! Come and visit...”Discover Yourself Here” Jeremy Milsom is the Communications Director of the Salt Spring Island Chamber of Commerce.

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