MOVERS & SHAKERS
MARCH 2017
Dan Dagg of Hot House Marketing
The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce announces that Dan Dagg of Hot House Marketing will be the first recipient of the Chamber’s Member of the Year award. He will receive this recognition for his years of volunteer service on behalf of the Chamber and his leadership in building the regional coalition that launched the South Island Prosperity Project in 2016. The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce annual Business Awards will be held April 20. Victoria’s Valla Tinney, FCPA, FCGA is one of the eight fellows named by the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (CPABC). Valla is the director of finance for the District of Saanich. Under her leadership, Saanich continues to receive awards from the Government Finance Officers Association in the US and Canada for financial reporting and budgeting presentation. The fellowship (FCPA) designation recognizes CPAs who have provided exceptional services to the accounting profession and whose achievements in their careers or in the community have brought honour to the profession. The Vancouver Island Top 20 under 40 Awards will be held in Nanaimo April 2 at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre. The awards honour the best of the best of young professionals from across Vancouver Island. Sweenie Moving has relocated to a new warehouse facility at 6776 Oldfield Road. Additionally, the company announces that as of March 1, they will be joining North American Van Lines as an agent in the Victoria area. North American Van Lines is a worldwide company and a leader in relocations with over eighty years of experience in the industry. Osborn Watts & Co. and Collins Barrow Victoria have been in the historic Yarrow Building for over 20 years, providing accounting, assurance, tax and advisory solutions to their respective clients. Effective January 1, OWC has merged with Collins Barrow Victoria, allowing these firms to provide their brand of services together. Al Hasham, the owner of Maximum Express Courier, Freight Logistics and Max Furniture is celebrating 30 years of being an entrepreneur in Victoria. Al and his brother moved to Victoria in 1987 to start their first business DanFoss Courier. Now, Al has been involved in a variety of different businesses – the most recent being Cambria College Victoria. Tim North has been named as supervisor of maintenance for the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority. Tim will manage the day-to-day maintenance as well as planning and improving safety protocols. The University of Victoria’s Department of Theatre is celebrating their 50th anniversary. Re/MAX Camosun announces that Karen Jensen has completed 25 years with the Re/MAX organization.
Bois and Cuir is a new furniture, lighting and décor store open at 1323 Government Street. Johnny Rockets is expected to open two locations in Victoria in May of this year at The Bay Centre and Hillside Centre. The Californiabased chain is known for their cooked-to-order hamburgers and shakes. The company signed a 40-restaurant master agreement in Canada last fall with franchising partner Lewis Gelmon. Victoria-based Vecima Networks is selling their Saskatchewan-based YourLink business to Xplornet Communications for $28.75-million. The sales agreement is part of Vecima’s priority to monetize non-core assets and focus on their core technology business. Century 21 Queenswood Realty announces the addition of Patricia Mamic to their team. For the past five years Patricia has worked as a real estate professional exclusively with Bosa Properties and residential condominium developments in SONGHEES. Century 21 Queenswood is at 1845 Fort Street. Departures Travel welcomes Pamela MacDonald and Alex Yates to their team of travel agents and advisors at 1889 Oak Bay Avenue. Great Smiles Denture Clinic at 100C Burnside Avenue West is celebrating their 25th anniversary. Low-cost airline NewLeaf, has removed Victoria from the list of cities it services. NewLeaf pulled service from Victoria late last year and was initially planning a return in the late spring and then throughout the summer. The company did not include Victoria in their recently updated summer schedule, noting that they are focusing on increasing flight frequency on their major routes. Paladin Security Group has acquired Victoriabased KC Security Services. This marks Paladin’s second acquisition on the Island within the last year. Last April they acquired Security Group’s operations. Grant Turner and Dan Lau, owners of the Yates Street Taphouse, are preparing to open a new brewing and distilling operation. The brewpub is expected to open in early 2018 on the ground floor of Hudson Walk Two, a residential tower currently under construction. Aaron Siwiec is joining Scotia Wealth Management’s Victoria office as their new branch manager. Aaron takes over from Dean Freeman who is moving to the firm’s Edmonton division. Scotia Wealth Management is at Suite #400 - 1803 Douglas Street.
Blair Dwyer of Dwyer Tax Law
Victoria-based Dwyer Tax Law was the recipient of one of five honourable mentions in a report listing the top tax-law boutiques in Canada. The report, based on a survey of lawyers and clients was published in the January issue of Canadian Lawyer Magazine. Dwyer Tax Law is at Suite #900 1175 Douglas Street. Uomo Barber has moved to 108-240 Cook Street. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) announced that Premier Christy Clark and Coralee Oakes, Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction for BC have been named the winners of the Golden Scissors award. The winners of the award are recognized for leadership in producing meaningful results in cutting red tape for small business. Victoria Distillers announces their master distiller, Peter Hunt has been named president of the company while Leon Webb takes over the role of master distiller. The distillery is at 9891 Seaport Place in Sidney. Bin 4 Burger Lounge restaurant at 180-911 Yates Street closed their doors for renovations on January 31. The renovation will include a full facelift, with the restaurant getting new flooring, refinished tabletops, new chairs, new granite countertops, wall coverings and other
Terry Johal President, VRBA
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touches. The restaurant will be announcing their reopening date on bin4burgerlounge.com. Peninsula Dental welcomes Dr. Andrew Sweet to their team of professionals at Suite #205 – 1931 Mount Newton X Road in Saanichton. Dr. Sweet has been practicing in Victoria since 2010.. The 500-member Vancouver Island Construction Association has named Rory Kulmala as their new CEO. Rory will assume the role on February 27 and will take over from Greg Baynton, who has held the role for the past 10 years. He brings 25 years of experience in the construction industry and strong relationships with stakeholders within the Vancouver Island construction community. Erica McMonnies and Erin Lee of Hutcheson and Co. Chartered Professional Accountants LLP recently passed their CFE exams. Hutcheson and Co. is at Suite #200 – 1137 Yates Street. Successful Visions Group Inc. at 2550 Rocky Bay Avenue, a local custom kitchen manufacturer, celebrates their 30th anniversary. The University of Victoria is pleased to announce the addition of Beverly Van Ruyven, Michael Mitchell and Daphne Corbett to their Board of Governors. Beverly assumes the role of ViceChair and will serve in her role until July 2018. Michael was appointed to the board effective December 2016 until December 2018. Ms. Corbett was appointed to the role of Chair of the Board of Governors and has been with the board since July 2015. Victoria-based Carmanah Technologies recently acquired marine navigation products under the EKTA brand from Cybernetica AS, a company based in Estonia. Carmanah paid 1.35 million euros for the products. Victoria International Running Society, the operators of the TC10K, has named The Running Room Canada as the official retail partner for the SEE MOVERS & SHAKERS| PAGE 29
STEP CODE OUT-OF-STEP WITH PUBLIC
A recent national housing survey showed Canadians rank affordability as the #1 priority. This was true for British Columbians as well, which is not surprising, considering our home prices are $100,000 above the national average. The survey also revealed their last priority is “green housing” coinciding with our view that new homes are already very energy efficient. VRBA’s Built Green contractors are building new energy efficient homes in the West Shore that are affordable for the average family income. However, the BC government plans to introduce a new energy Step Code that will marginally increase efficiency in these new homes at an additional cost of $40k to $100k, not including mortgage interest. The regulations will reduce a new home’s air changes from 3 to 1, while older homes’ air changes continue at 25 or more - a far greater contributor to GHG’s. The BC government’s proposed Step Code is a classic case of diminishing returns, offering little impact on GHG’s,
and only serving to eliminate families from the housing market. Real climate leadership would be a Renovation Tax Credit reducing air changes from 25 to 3.5 in BC’s older housing stock. The province should be listening to British Columbians and pursue affordability, rather than a Step Code offering very expensive efficiency designed to score “green” points. The Step Code policy is clearly out-of-step with the public’s wishes. We will achieve very efficient Net Zero homes in the future, supported first by affordability, education, and proven practice. Today, affordable, reasonably energy efficient homes are what the public needs and expects.
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