Douglas magazine June/July 2022

EDUCATION MEETS INDUSTRY AT RENZOKU

JUN/JUL 2022

MONEY REIMAGINED Bitcoin’s potential to change the world

Bouncing Back

Teara Fraser, founder and LEO, Iskwew Air

How local companies are navigating oncoming challenges

Catch the Wave The future of hydropower on Vancouver Island

5

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On what matters for business

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JUN/JUL 2022

CONTENTS FEATURES

16 More Money for More People

Samson Mow is on a mission to get Bitcoin into the hands of people all over the world. BY CARLA SORRELL

16

20 Municipal Check-In

Five mayors weigh in on the issues that matter most to businesses.

BY CARLA SORRELL

22 Catch the Wave

Vancouver Island First Nations communities are implementing innovative ways to influence the future of hydropower on the Island.

BY ALDYN CHWELOS

28 Bouncing Back: the State of Small Business

The last few years have been a rollercoaster for small- and mediumsized businesses. Being lean, responsive and creative are lessons learned and will help navigate future challenges. BY SHANNON MONEO

36 Taking Flight

28

Teara Fraser is disrupting the aviation industry and reimagining equitable aerospace with Iskwew Air. BY CARLA SORRELL

36

DEPARTMENTS 6 FROM THE EDITOR 9 IN THE KNOW Pacific Opera returns to the stage, Grow Up visits Victoria, Habitat for Humanity Victoria joins SIPP and Tourism Vancouver Island undergoes a rebrand.

46 POINT OF VIEW

Chris Yue, CEO of Renzoku Tech School, on embedding education in industry.

INTEL (BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE) 42 MINDSET

Falling back to move forward.

BY LINDA BIGGS

44 LEADERSHIP

Creating cultures of belonging.

BY AME-LIA TAMBURRINI

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WEDDINGS, WORK AND ALL OCCASIONS S P E C I A L I S T S I N C U S TO M SUITS & SPORTS JACKETS FA B R I C S F R O M THE FINEST MILLS LO R O P I A N A , D R A G O, HOLLAND & SHERRY

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A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Vision Keepers

For your family, business and future.

A team-based approach for a total wealth strategy that addresses the entirety of your life.

C.P. (Chuck) McNaughton, PFP Senior Wealth Advisor 250.654.3342 charles.mcnaughton@scotiawealth.com themcnaughtongroup.ca

WHILE TRADITIONAL WESTERN CULTURE, and certainly business, celebrates lofty visions and subsequent book deals, a closer look around you will reveal that humble, headstrong micro-visionaries are everywhere. They fill the pages of this issue, revealing how success can be found by operating from a balanced perspective — taking into account the good of everyone in the community.

The improved systems of performance that are reflected in this issue aren’t just bottom-line considerations; they look out for people and reflect ambitious visions.

This might be economic reconciliation for First Nations, as discussed in the context of hydropower initiatives on Vancouver island (page 28). For Samson Mow, founding Jan3 came with a mission for Bitcoin to reach its full potential, which means working with developing third Humble, headstrong world countries to increase uptake and access (page 16). Supporting, connecting and uplifting micro-visionaries communities are the cornerstones of Iskwew are everywhere.

Air (page 36), and a vision that Teara Fraser They fill the pages of leaned into to overcome challenges faced during the pandemic. this issue, revealing A new partnership between South Island how success can be Prosperity Partnership and Habitat for Humanity (page 13) is indicative of the most found by operating pressing issues facing businesses — affordable from a balanced and varied housing options. It’s a problem that perspective. requires long-term vision to design resilient and accommodating solutions. The issue was highly ranked by the five mayors interviewed for our municipal check-in (page 20), all of whom are making significant moves to future-proof their municipalities and ensure businesses have the people they need to operate and fufill their mission.

“A basic condition of being human is being needful,” says author and journalist Angela Garbes in a podcast interview about her new book, Essential Labour.

“We’ve drifted really far from it in our culture. You’re supposed to be super selfsufficient. You’re supposed to be able to handle everything … it’s too much for one person to do.”

While Garbes is primarily addressing vastly undervalued care work, her point resonates more broadly with progressive businesses and innovation. Leaders with real vision are taking into account the different groups of people and looking at the whole picture. It’s in successfully addressing specific needs that businesses flourish, and communities with them.

I bet that many of your favourite cities, the ones you love to visit, are appealing because they are vibrant, culturally diverse and well-connected — let’s all make sure our cities are too. To do that, we need to embrace new and more densely populated neighbourhoods and support the local businesses that are creating a culture and bringing life to the city.

The McNaughton Group ScotiaMcLeod®, a division of Scotia Capital Inc.

® Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia, used under licence.

Scotia Capital Inc. is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada. For more information visit www.scotiawealthmanagement.com. McNaughton Group is a personal trade name of C.P. (Chuck) McNaughton.

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— Carla Sorrell

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www.douglasmagazine.com VOLUME 16 NUMBER 3 PUBLISHERS Lise Gyorkos, Georgina Camilleri

We believe the ultimate measure of our performance is our clients’ success. It has guided our approach for over 30 years.

EDITOR Carla Sorrell DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Jeffrey Bosdet PRODUCTION MANAGER Jennifer Kühtz DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER Amanda Wilson LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER Caroline Segonnes ASSOCIATE GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Janice Hildybrant, Jo-Ann Loro MARKETING COORDINATOR Claire Villaraza ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Rebecca Juetten ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES D eana Brown, Cynthia Hanischuk, Brenda Knapik CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Jennifer Hartley CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Linda Biggs, Aldyn Chwelos, Andrew Findlay, Shannon Moneo, Ame-Lia Tamburrini, Riley Webster CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Mackenzie Lawrence PROOFREADER Paula Marchese CONTRIBUTING AGENCIES Getty Images p. 10, 11, 28, 33, 44

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GENERAL INQUIRIES info@douglasmagazine.com SEND PRESS RELEASES TO editor@douglasmagazine.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR letters@douglasmagazine.com TO SUBSCRIBE TO DOUGLAS subscriptions@ douglasmagazine.com ADVERTISING INQUIRIES sales@douglasmagazine.com ONLINE www.douglasmagazine.com FACEBOOK DouglasMagazineVictoria TWITTER twitter.com/Douglasmagazine INSTAGRAM @douglas_magazine COVER Teara Fraser, founder and LEO, Iskwew Air Photo by Jeffrey Bosdet

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MACKENZIE LAWRENCE

[IN THE KNOW]

CULTURE SHOCK

Backstage at the Pacific Opera Victoria’s production of Don Giovanni. The company used the pandemic to invest in itself, employing artists to create sets and costumes for future productions.

Investment in artists and audiences brings back live theatre for Pacific Opera Victoria.

BY CARLA SORRELL

Returning to the stage after a two-year hiatus is no easy feat. Everyone, from dancers and directors to audiences, are flexing forgotten muscles.

“Performing artists, like athletes, need to practise on a daily basis,” says Ian Rye, CEO of Pacific Opera Victoria (POV).

“Two years, without working with a conductor or an orchestra, a singer is absolutely going from zero to 100 in a very short period of time. From a business point of view, you’ve got to rebuild all of your business.”

Despite the challenges, POV is more than prepared for the

upcoming season, having used downtime to invest in advanced productions. The company took advantage of federal wage subsidies and generous donations to employ artists like set decorators, seamstresses and carpenters, producing up to two year’s worth of materials for productions.

Meanwhile, POV has spent more than half a million dollars in cancellations for performers, who come from all over Canada and beyond. The cost of Carmen, the season’s debut opera this year, is close to $150,000 more than it would have been two

years ago, taking into account COVID testing, safety and reduced capacity. Remarkably, Carmen will see almost every one of its original performers return to the stage in Victoria.

But they are not the only ones who need to acclimatize.

“We have to help our community get back in the habit of attending the performing arts,” says Rye. “Like many of our colleagues in hospitality, we’ve invested more in marketing than ever before.”

Through that outreach, Rye and the team are bringing sensitivity and humour to

the conversion of audiences returning to in-person performances. Rye estimates that demand is at about 65 to 70 per cent, compared to pre-pandemic levels, resulting in 25 per cent less revenue, and explains that they are encouraging people to subscribe to the upcoming season.

“It’s really important to the business model because it allows us to generate that revenue upfront, before the big expenses come down the pipe,” says Rye who feels good about going into this next phase with a strong balance sheet.

DOUGLAS 9

NEW HIGHS The cannabis industry elite will gather in Victoria for the fifth annual Grow Up conference.

BY ANDREW FINDLAY

R

andy Rowe considers Vancouver Island to be the “birthplace of everything cannabis and psychedelic.” Aging hippies in San Francisco might object.

However, let’s just say that Rowe, cofounder of the Grow Up Conference and Expo, holds the West Coast’s marijuana and magic mushroom pedigree in high regard.

On June 22, more than 3,000 cannabis professionals will gather in Victoria for Grow Up’s inaugural West Coast conference. Throughout the three-day event at the Victoria Conference Centre, attendees from across North America, Europe and elsewhere will have the opportunity to sit in on a fireside chat with celebrityturned-commercial pot grower Jim Belushi. In addition, there will be more than 100 experts talking about CBD extraction; growing techniques; quality control, and research and legal issues around the emerging

From June 20 - 22, more than 3,000 cannabis professionals will gather at the Victoria Conference Centre for Grow Up’s inaugural West Coast conference.

interest in legalizing psilocybin, ecstasy, LSD and other psychedelics for medicinal and therapeutic purposes.

“Quite a few people have asked me ‘Why Victoria?’ To me, it’s a natural fit for our conference. We’re grassroots, and we’re not about big business,” says Rowe, who lives in Welland, Ontario.

When Rowe and his partner launched Grow Up in 2017, cannabis legalization was still a year away. Much changed after June 18, 2018, when the federal government signed the Cannabis Act into law. Pot went corporate, and stock market hype went sky high. Industry analysts expect annual cannabis sales to hit $8.8-billion by 2027.

With this market growth, Rowe

says there’s been an explosion in the number of retail outlets, which he estimates number 4,000 nationwide.

“With Grow Up, we used to focus on the growing side of things,” says Rowe. “But at this year’s conference, there will be a lot of retailers in attendance.

They’ll have the chance to sit down face to face with growers and tell them what’s working and what’s not working. I’m really looking forward to that.”

Despite Canada’s booming trade in cannabis with high, profile corporations like Canopy Growth and Aurora Cannabis frequently in the news, Rowe says he’s more excited about commercial craft and microgrowers. Still, he says, there’s work to do on the regulatory

front. For example, he believes retailers are handcuffed by onerous regulations, such as the requirement to have frosted storefront windows (a requirement that he says makes cannabis retailers vulnerable to robbery).

Rowe expects conference delegates to learn a lot from Jim Belushi about cannabis branding, something that is much less controlled in the United States than it is in Canada.

In legalization terms, it’s a young industry, and an exciting one to be part of, says Rowe.

“I’m looking forward to the day when we can sell and enjoy cannabis in a festival setting the same way we do with alcohol,” he says.

THE BUSINESS OF BUD The retail bud business is blooming in B.C. According to the provincial government, there are now 419 licensed cannabis retailers, up from 295 in December 2020.

The Vancouver Island/Powell River/Gulf Islands region is home to 101 cannabis retailers, with more than 20 stores in Victoria alone.

A study by the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR), released in June 2021, showed sales doubled between 2019 and 2020, generating $290-million in gross revenue. In 2020, consumers bought the equivalent of 400-million joints worth of cannabis, at 20 mg of THC per joint.

(THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the main

10 DOUGLAS

psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.)

In the report, CISUR director Dr. Tim Naimi noted that cannabis is getting cheaper and more potent. He called for balance between revenue “considerations and public health,” and the introduction of cannabis-specific taxes, minimum per-gram pricing and limits on potency.

The federal Cannabis Act places strict limitations on marketing and promotion of cannabis. For example, a retailer could have their licence pulled for promoting their products using testimonials and endorsements or branding that evokes “glamour, recreation, excitement, vitality, risk or daring.”

POWER OF THE PEOPLE

RIPTIDE STUDIOS

CINDICATES BRING BIG WINS TO LOCAL STARTUPS AND INVESTORS.

THREE REASONS TO INVEST IN THE NEW FUND CINDICATES, ACCORDING TO MANAGING PARTNER JAMES DEGREEF.

Progressive PRINT

Page One Publishing is moving to a more sustainable printing process.

Staying on the edge of technical innovation and the changing applications of print media is no small feat. Neither is achieving a top ranking for sustainability in the North American print sector.

Mitchell Press does both.

“We’re kind of a 94-year-old startup,” says Scott Gray, executive vice president at Mitchell Press. “We’re navigating this company into the future.”

Quality and reducing our carbon footprint were both big considerations for Page One Publishing, parent company to Douglas, YAM and Spruce magazines. The move to work with Mitchell Press sees all of our publications printed in B.C. with paper sourced from Vancouver Island. Thanks to Vancouver’s close proximity, carbon emissions through freight — one of the worst carbon sinks of the industry, beating the paper itself — have been substantially reduced.

Carbon metrics are a top consideration for Mitchell Press’s business decisions. Assessing its paper stock, the printer decided to significantly reduce the options available and have narrowed its inventory by around 60 per cent. It now offers only FSC (Forest Steweardship Council) certified options to ensure verification of foresting and avoidance of old growth through a chain of custody report.

This is a move that has also strengthened Mitchell Press’s supply chains, making fewer but larger orders with specific mills.

In another move towards efficiency and innovation, Mitchell Press has been developing its digital and AI-enhanced services. One recently launched project provides a website audit and data collection in order to evaluate and make decisions based on user experience.

“We’re combining data analytics and informing your print decisions,” says Gray, which he suggests could lead to more customized products. “Maybe we’ll end up doing a version of Douglas with every single cover personalized, because we have that ability now.”

1

Early stage tech investing can have amazing returns.

2

It supports the Victoria tech ecosystem, which provides high-paying jobs to Victorians.

3

Investing in tech is fun and exciting, and you can learn a lot at the same time.

The Victoria-based venture capital corporation Cindicates has completed its first year of investments. The fund successfully raised $522,000 from 33 accredited B.C. investors — whose contributions ranged from $10,000 to $50,000. The fund is scaling up this year with a commitment to raising a million dollars, allowing for more diverse investment.

“The first year of running the Cindicates fund went very well, with many people in the tech industry writing cheques and investing into the fund — more than we expected,” says managing partner James DeGreef.

Out of 22 pitches, a total of $185,000 went to five promising tech startups (below). While this is a big win for those five companies, Cindicates’ success is a big win for the local and regional startup ecosystem.



VINN — The automotive e-commerce platform is one of the largest in Canada, letting customers search for and buy vehicles online. With customer growth over 982 per cent over the last year, Cindicates invested $50,000 into the company, which plans to expand into the U.S. this year.

Open Ocean Robotics — Leading innovation in blue technology, the marine robotics and software company provides autonomous data collection through its technology-enhanced autonomous boats. Cindicates invested $50,000 into Open Ocean Robotics’ $4-million seed funding round, a third of which was direct investment versus non-dilutive financing.

LetHub — A leasing platform for residential property managers that rents out properties 11 times faster than leasing agents, thanks to AI. With monthly recurring revenue around $16,500, the company received a $20,000 investment while working towards improving its sales playbook. joni — The period care company’s organic and innovative products simultaneously fight for period equity and environmental sustainability. Its distribution continues to grow, with 115 locations reached in 2021, when they moved to a B2B channel, receiving a $15,000 investment from Cindicates.

Simbi — The online reading platform promotes literacy in young children through opportunities to read together with narrators and narrate stories themselves. Investment in Simbi, whose recurring revenue has continued to grow quarter over quarter by 30 per cent, totaled $50,000.

DOUGLAS 11

Disciplined Value Investing That Works

DOUGLAS READS

COMPOUND ANNUAL RETURNS (Including reinvested dividends, as of April 15, 2022) 1 YEAR

3 YEAR

5 YEAR

10 YEAR

20 YEAR

INCEPTION1

Odlum Brown Model Portfolio*

15.7%

12.9%

11.1%

13.9%

11.4%

14.5%

S&P/TSX Total Return Index

16.1%

13.1%

10.3%

9.4%

8.2%

8.9%

December 15, 1994. *The Odlum Brown Model Portfolio is an all-equity portfolio that was established by the Odlum Brown Equity Research Department on December 15, 1994 with a hypothetical investment of $250,000. It showcases how we believe individual security recommendations may be used within the context of a client portfolio. The Model also provides a basis with which to measure the quality of our advice and the effectiveness of our disciplined investment strategy. Trades are made using the closing price on the day a change is announced. Performance figures do not include any allowance for fees. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.

1

Whether your goal is retiring comfortably, maximizing your legacy, or spending more time on the golf course or boating (like me), planning and executing the right investment strategy to achieve your goals is fundamental, and part of my role in supporting you and your family.

If you would like to discuss your investment strategy and whether it aligns with your life goals, please contact me today.

R. H. Mark Mawhinney, CPA, CMA, ICD.D, CIM® Portfolio Manager

Tel 250-952-7755 mmawhinney@odlumbrown.com

Member-Canadian Investor Protection Fund Odlum Brown Limited

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12 DOUGLAS

Tiffany Chu, Yumcha, BC

In ZERO TO IPO: OVER $1 TRILLION OF ACTIONABLE ADVICE FROM THE WORLD’S MOST SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS, Frederic Kerrest shares insider know how that can mean the difference between failure and success.

Acting on just such advice, the cofounder of Okta software saved the company from disaster and in six short years earned a $40-billion valuation.

Kerrest has collected 20 years worth of insights, delivering specifics rather than generalities, which, he says, don’t “help you know what to do right now.” It’s the kind of advice, he argues, that is not necessarily offered at business school, and will “demystify the world of startups.”

Three points that Kerrest emphasizes from early on are: the value of time, focusing on your main priority and remembering that success hinges on sales.

His advice ranges from tips on coaching your team to get to the point in emails and targeting the right customers to his personal views on advisory boards (“not worth the time and money.”)

Okta is a recurring case study, of course, and serves to illustrate discussion on why the company’s IPO was the start of building a longer term goal for the business.

Profits from the book are donated to two nonprofits that support entrepreneurs in underresourced communities and marginalized groups.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY VICTORIA

Habitat for Humanity’s recently completed build at Bakerview Place has provided comfortable, affordable and long-term homes for 10 families in North Saanich.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

JOINS SOUTH ISLAND PROSPERITY PARTNERSHIP

BY ALDYN CHWELOS

HOUSING SOLUTIONS get a seat at the table as Habitat for Humanity Victoria joins the South Island Prosperity Partnership (SIPP), making them the 76th member to join the alliance and the seventh non-profit.

A housing non-profit joining an economic development partnership might be unprecedented, but both parties feel that, given the current housing market, it makes perfect sense.

“Lack of affordable housing is consistently listed as one of the top barriers to business from our members,” says Emilie de Rosenroll, founding CEO of SIPP. “It limits our ability to attract and grow talent — two things our economy depends on — and we depend on as a region — to keep our quality of life.”

With so many island businesses in need of employees, affordable housing has become a pressing workforce issue.

“South Island Prosperity Partnership — and our entire region — is strengthened by the expertise and energy each member brings to the table,” says Rosenroll. “With their focus on safe, affordable housing, Habitat for Humanity’s involvement benefits us all.”

Habitat for Humanity focuses on affordable homeownership, an element of the housing discussion that the director of HR and family services for Habitat for

Humanity Victoria, Tiffany Gates, feels doesn’t get enough attention. They help families secure a home who make between $45,000 and $84,000 annually and who have no more than $100,000 in assets. Houses are constructed through donations of money and material and volunteer labour. Since 1990, Habitat for Humanity Victoria has built 34 homes in the region.

“The families that we get the privilege of working with, they have the stability of knowing that they won’t have to move from their habitat home,” says Gates.

Community membership is an important part of Habitat for Humanity’s organization strategy. The non-profit has developed memberships with every construction company and chamber of commerce in the CRD. “We’re proud community members; we’re making sure we’re interconnected and validated and supported,” says Frank Baker, director of retail operations and business development.

As a member of SIPP, Habitat for Humanity will contribute to alliance discourse and provide leadership and insight on housing solutions. Through these discussions, they’ll also gain perspective and intelligence from the partners to better inform their own strategic decisions. For

Baker, the biggest benefit is that it helps spread the word.

“If I just get one person who wants to help out and maybe donates some land, or helps out with a build, or provides some cash or comes to our ReStores, and buys some furniture and becomes a patron and by doing so supports our mission, that’s a win,” says Baker about the partnership.

Habitat for Humanity’s engagement in the region extends beyond housing construction. They also operate two restores selling new and gently used items, one at Uptown and one in the Westshore, which sell used furniture, houseware and building supplies. Last year they diverted 2.7 million pounds of furniture from the landfill. The profits from these sales cover 100 per cent of the organization’s operating costs, allowing donations to go directly to its projects. Each store does about 10,000 transactions a year, and every transaction represents the construction of a new house.

Baker says the company’s impact is only growing.

“We’re putting a focus on making investment in the community to provide and help address their affordable homeownership needs,” says Gates who sees that investment growing in the coming years.

DOUGLAS 13

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DESTINATION BC/SEAN SCOTT

growth opportunities 4VI is a new socially responsible model for tourism that will encourage visitors to tread lightly on and give back to destinations like MacMillan Provincial Park (pictured).

TRANSFORMING TOURISM TOURISM VANCOUVER ISLAND’S INDUSTRY-LEADING TRANSITION HELPS LOCAL BUSINESSES THRIVE.

BY RILEY WEBSTER

T

ourism Vancouver Island recently announced its transition from a destination management organization to a social enterprise called 4VI. This rebrand is not only the first of its kind in B.C., but in Canada as a whole. As such, it has been described as an industryleading transition meant to make travel to the Island a force of good — forever.

Built on a socially responsible model, 4VI’s profits will go back into stewarding local business, community, culture and the environment — the enterprise’s four pillars.

Plus, as a recent signatory to the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, 4VI is working towards halving emissions by 2030 and reaching net zero before 2050.

“Before, we were focused on making sure economic benefits flowed from tourism,” says Anthony Everett, 4VI President and CEO. “That’s been achieved. Now, we’re focused on making sure that we’re balancing profitability with the needs of residents and the environment. The revenue we create will be invested in socially impactful programming here on Vancouver Island.”

For most businesses, the pandemic posed unique challenges — and the former Tourism Vancouver Island was no exception. In summer 2021, there was a 16 per cent increase in visitors compared to the previous two years. Inevitably, the impacts of growing tourism are beginning to be felt.

“As we recover from the pandemic, the needs of the community are different,” explains Everett. “That’s why we’re changing to a socially responsible model.

We believe that a great place to live is a great place to visit. We have to shift how we operate.

“The environment is changing, and we need to pay attention.”

According to Janet Docherty, chair of the 4VI board of directors, the focus on 4VI’s four pillars will help to attract educated and respectful tourists who “tread lightly” when they visit. This is because sustainability is becoming increasingly important to residents and tourists alike; people want to come to a destination

known for prioritizing the environment and people.

“We’re seeing over-tourism in many places around the world, and there are even shades of it in the Tofino area,” says Docherty. “But the environment is changing, and we need to pay attention.

“We’re not just focused on measuring profitability. That’s important, but we need a more holistic approach. Tourism — and tourists — are demanding it.”

Part of 4VI’s holistic approach to tourism is its focus on supporting local businesses.

“Businesses are why people come to a destination,” says Everett. “They come for experiences, and businesses support those experiences.”

4VI offers several services — such as sustainability, operations, human resources and digital audits — to help like-minded businesses with sustainability values succeed. But the enterprise’s first priority is funneling its profits into its businesses and programming that stewards its four pillars of social responsibility.

“To 4VI, stewardship means working together to positively contribute to a place,” says Everett. “We believe we’re all stewards.”

Beyond working with businesses directly, 4VI will invest in working with organizations like Surfrider Foundation to create healthy oceans through shoreline cleanups. The enterprise has also become one of the few worldwide to successfully receive certification from the Responsible Tourism Institute’s Biosphere, which is an international designation that aligns with the 17 sustainable development goals of the United Nations.

“We believe that travel changes lives,” says Visually, the new 4VI Everett. “We want brand features four to communicate waves that represent our expectations its pillars of social to those that travel responsibility. The here, and we want waves are also a nod tourists to leave as to the former oceaninspired Tourism small of a footprint Vancouver Island brand. as possible.”

“THE ENVIRONMENT IS CHANGING, AND WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION.”

DOUGLAS 15

IN CONVERSATION SAMSON MOW, CEO OF JAN3

MORE MONEY FOR MORE PEOPLE

BY CARLA SORRELL | PHOTO BY JEFFREY BOSDET

Samson Mow is on a mission to get Bitcoin into the hands of people all over the world.

S

amson Mow has been working in cryptocurrency, specifically Bitcoin, since 2015 when he transitioned from the gaming industry. He was offered an opportunity to advise a friend, who was starting a Bitcoin exchange, and since then he hasn’t looked back. Mow has stayed on the cutting edge of a fast-moving and progressive sector, one that both excites and bewilders.

“The majority of everything is selflearning,” says Mow. “Being able to adapt to new technologies, new paradigms, is really critical because the world is constantly in a state of flux and changing.”

In March, Mow left his role as CSO of Blockstream, a Victoria-headquartered company that focuses on infrastructurelevel Bitcoin technology development,

16 DOUGLAS

where he had been since 2017, to start his own company. Named after the day that the first block of Bitcoin was mined, Jan3 (January 3, 2009) will work toward Mow’s mission of “finding ways to get Bitcoin into the hands of more people around the world.”

Both companies are allied in pushing for Bitcoin adoption worldwide but through different tactics and implementation.

Education has been a big part of Mow’s career, largely because “Bitcoin is difficult to understand.” Mow helps others learn more about the many dimensions that amass its potential, from security to cold storage and transactions. A lot of those are very high-level conversations, especially for countries considering adopting Bitcoin at a nation-state level — one direction that Mow is now focusing on.

Samson Mow knows Bitcoin. He recently left Blockstream, a Victoria-based unicorn company, raising $21 million in seed funding to found Jan3, which focuses on Bitcoin adaption for nation-states and mass markets.

DOUGLAS 17

How did you get into Bitcoin?

What is Bitcoin?

My background in game development really opened my eyes to how economies work — if not an economy of a country, an economy of a game. In building an online game, you have to manage the money supply, and you have to deal with things like inflation and runaway pricing, etc. That was really the interest, understanding that Bitcoin is permissionless, and there’s nobody in charge of it.

Bitcoin is digital gold. I like to say its money reimagined. The important thing about Bitcoin is that it is a decentralized money.

What kept you interested in Bitcoin?

What are the challenges to uptake or adopt cryptocurrency?

The biggest challenge for the adoption of Bitcoin is for people to relearn what money is — also the problem is made worse by “crypto,” which distracts most people. Bitcoin is really quite simple to understand: it is apolitical, incorruptible money. People don’t need to fully understand the inner workings of Bitcoin in order to use it — Bitcoin is money.

“With Bitcoin, anybody that has a mobile phone and internet connection can get a Bitcoin wallet and partake in the new financial system.”

The simple fact that it is a form of money not controlled by anyone and it is incorruptible. If What is the aim of Jan3? you think about a game, Jan3 is focusing on Bitcoin the game developer or adoption in two segments. the company running One would be with nationthe game controls the states, either helping them money supply. Bitcoin is — Samson Mow, CEO of Jan3 with direct Bitcoin integration like that, except there’s for payments or designing no one in control. You Bitcoin financial products. The other is to see can extrapolate that to a national currency — if there’s a way to get Bitcoin into the hands of imagine that the Canadian dollar is governed by people by focusing on mass-market adoption math and energy instead of people running the Bank of Canada. through a Bitcoin wallet.

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Why should Bitcoin be in the hands of more people?

There are a lot of unbanked people in the world, who don’t have access to banking. In Mexico alone, there are 67 million people that are unbanked — using cash, they have no bank accounts. The reason they’re unbanked is that they are living in poverty or they don’t have an address. So, typically, to get a bank account, you need to have some degree of financial privilege like a fixed address or regular employment. There’s no way that the current system can fix that, unless we change the rules.

With Bitcoin, anybody that has a mobile phone and internet connection can get a Bitcoin wallet and partake in the new financial system.

What is El Salvador doing with Bitcoin?

El Salvador is raising a billion-dollar bond to mine Bitcoin using geothermal energy from their volcanoes. When I worked at Blockstream, we proposed how they could potentially structure a bond and have a Bitcoin component to it. It is really just a normal bond that is tokenized, running on a Bitcoin sidechain with 50 per cent of it backed in Bitcoin itself. I believe the game theory around the bond makes it very attractive. If they do a 10-year Bitcoin bond, it’s possible that after 10 years, the single bond with half a billion dollars of Bitcoin in it would pay off all their debts.

We joined South Island Prosperity Partnership because of its strong leadership team and the quality of its members, who are all working together to build the South Island economy.

I feel strongly this group includes a lot of like-minded professionals who see the South Island as I do — a place ripe with potential.”

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18 DOUGLAS

A lot of countries in Latin America are very much bound to the IMF [International Monetary Fund]. They have to keep borrowing money to service all debts, and they’re not really able to break out of that cycle. If the only solution is to borrow money to finance that, using an asset, a rapidly appreciating asset is the only way out of that hole. I see Bitcoin as a way for them to do that, both using Bitcoin as legal tender to stimulate the economy — stimulate tourism, GDP — but also raising capital to build infrastructure for the country.

How is global uptake at a nation-state level progressing?

Ukraine legalized cryptocurrency, so they’re actively raising money through cryptocurrency donations. The world is moving very, very rapidly toward adopting Bitcoin. First, you have El Salvador, then you have Lugano in Switzerland, who wants to stimulate their local economy. They cannot make Bitcoin legal tender, but they can make Bitcoin de facto legal tender, which means that the government accepts Bitcoin, and they’re encouraging merchants to take Bitcoin. Because there’s no capital gains tax on Bitcoin, you basically have the same thing as legal tender, except you’re not forced to take it by law.

You have Madeira saying the same thing. We are planning to work together. They want to roll out some Bitcoin adoption. It could potentially be working with the government to take Bitcoin payments: You could pay your taxes with Bitcoin, you could pay for government services and use municipal facilities, all with Bitcoin.

How has the war in Ukraine affected currency and Bitcoin?

The war between Ukraine and Russia effectively eliminated foreign currency reserves. Once the U.S. took action to freeze Russian foreign currency reserves, I would say that that was the death of the U.S. dollar and the reserve curency system. I believe that the trajectory that we’re going in now is a return to hard assets, like gold and Bitcoin — assets that you can take custody of yourself, and you don’t have to rely on another party to hold.

Where do you see the most potential?

I see it as the countries that need Bitcoin.

Those are largely going to be Latin America and potentially Africa. A lot of those people are already using stablecoins [any cryptocurrency whose price is stabilized through being pegged to a commodity or currency or having its supply regulated by an algorithm] as their form of money to transact. I think pushing harder in those regions, trying both bottom-up and topdown approaches, could result in something interesting — getting ordinary merchants or communities to adopt Bitcoin at the grassroots level, but also engaging with the governments

and trying to explain to them how they could leverage Bitcoin to benefit their people as well.

Why do you think the investment world is so cautious regarding their clients investing in Bitcoin?

Investment advisors try to be conservative in their approach but are actually taking huge amounts of risk by not embracing Bitcoin. If Bitcoin becomes the new base of the financial system, then not getting in now would have a massive opportunity cost. Many in the traditional finance industry think that Bitcoin is a risk-on asset because they view it as a tech stock and can’t understand that Bitcoin is competing with other forms of money, not tech companies. Also, traditional investors are usually looking at Bitcoin on very short time horizons. If you look at Bitcoin on a four-year time frame, the moving average has never fallen. The investment world being unable to understand paradigm shifts in money, and looking at long-term macro trends, really makes you question their ability to advise clients.

What’s in the future for Bitcoin?

I believe there’s a big place for Bitcoin in national treasuries, like in central banks around the world, just because it’s easier to transact with. This process is going to take some time, but it’s also going to be a relatively quick process just because people will learn to understand that international trade will be a lot smoother if you’re using digital gold rather than physical gold.

How could Canada use Bitcoin?

I think we have a lot of potential in Canada.

We could make this a really great place to live by mining Bitcoin. We have abundant natural resources, and we have abundant energy. Our installed hydro capacity in Canada is about 665 terawatt hours a year. But our technical potential, which means creating more hydro dams around rivers and lakes, could have 1,400 terawatt hours a year. The Bitcoin network only uses about 120 terawatt-hours a year.

So you could fit roughly 10 Bitcoin networks into Canada, if we really wanted to, all using renewable energy.

How would you make this happen?

You could raise money to do this new venture in Canada through a private-public venture or partnership. The problem is that [currently] the incentives are not there. If you want to build a hydro plant, if you’re only going to be selling electricity, it’s not that much money at the end of the day. But the right way to think about it is that this is a gold mine, a digital gold mine. And your ROI is going to be massive. Then, you can actually build this infrastructure. 

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DOUGLAS 19

MUNICIPAL Mayors and city leaders hold the power to influence impactful change faster than their provincial, federal and international counterparts.

Five municipalities weigh in on the issues that matter most to businesses.

Lisa Helps, Mayor of Victoria

1 What are your priorities for supporting businesses?

2 Name one recent or future policy that will be a game-changer for businesses?

3

What’s your biggest challenge/ opportunity?

20 DOUGLAS

A key priority is to support businesses coming out of the pandemic and help them to thrive into the future. To achieve this, our Business Hub at City Hall and our business ambassador act as a concierge service, helping business owners to navigate City processes. Victoria 3.0, the City’s 20-year economic action plan, builds on the work of the Business Hub and includes priority actions like the development of a retail strategy and the creation of a clean and safe committee for downtown.

The number one concern that I hear from the business community is the challenge of attracting and retaining employees.

Reason — the cost of housing. Victoria is proposing to make three big housing moves to address housing affordability and supply. We’ve rezoned to allow for and encourage housing projects by non-profits and co-ops to provide homes for lowincome workers; Council is considering a plan to pre-zone land along transportation corridors; and to rezone the whole city to allow houseplexes and townhomes on lands currently zoned for single family.

At the City, we are short-staffed in key positions that are integral to our ability to process new housing projects to help address the housing crisis. Last year was a record with over $700-million in building permit values. Business is booming, and we’re working to keep applications and permits moving ahead.

Rob Martin, Mayor of Colwood We want to make it easy for business owners to succeed in Colwood with streamlined business licensing, relaxed sign requirements for best visibility and flexibility for customer-focused enhancements like patio seating. We’re working to improve the public realm in Colwood’s town centre areas to encourage people to linger and spend time at local businesses. We are taking advantages of initiatives like the recent announcement of $3.6-million in federal and provincial funding for a Galloping Goose bridge that will draw more people to Colwood businesses and amenities.

We’re currently working on a new Business Retention, Expansion and Attraction program to draw new complementary services and employers to the city. A recent survey found that 92 per cent report being satisfied with Colwood and revealed top priorities including availability of health and medical services, skilled labour, housing and commercial space.

Colwood residents have access to many nearby commercial and ‘big box style’ opportunities while enjoying the lifestyle of a slower-paced seaside community.

Colwood is adding much-needed housing in areas of the community that are identified for growth, and striving to provide a range of housing choices for people at varying income levels and at every age and stage of life.

CHECK-IN Fred Haynes, Mayor of Saanich In the immediate term, we are continuing the use of extended patios by our hospitality businesses — restaurants and bars. We have also been working internally to expedite permitting for renovations and occupancy. We are liaising with local business groups, such as the Cadboro Bay Village and Royal Oak Business Improvement Associations, to better understand and support businesses.

To expand our economic base and diversity, the District of Saanich has recently recruited Mitchell Edgar as our economic development manager. He will help to enhance the business climate (with a base of 4,700 businesses), retain and expand businesses and attract new investment. I’m also in conversations with Camosun about the feasibility of developing a film studio at the Interurban Campus; with UVic about setting up a medical device innovation hub at Saanich Plaza; and exploring ideas for a food processing and technology hub.

One of our biggest challenges is the cost and availability of diverse rental and market housing. The focus of growth is in green corridors, villages and centres across Saanich, including in the Uptown Douglas area. With 55 per cent of our lands outside the urban containment boundary, there are excellent economic options for improved agriculture, food security and eco-sensitive use of our forests, green spaces, trail systems and beaches.

Barb Desjardins, Mayor of Esquimalt Priorities for supporting businesses include increasing online services to expedite payments and processes. We want to enable them to streamline their work with us as much as possible. We’ve recently launched MyEsquimalt — an online hub that allows just that. We are also focused on increasing commercial and retail space to allow businesses options for setting up in Esquimalt. We are trying to create synergies between new developments.

Within our taxation policy, we have committed to working toward a business ratio of 2.5, which would reduce municipal taxes for businesses. We’re also looking at potential changes to our revitalization tax policy for beautification of buildings and frontage retrofit.

We have significant interest in Esquimalt by the development community. New homes help increase our population and with that, the need for commercial, retail and other services. Our light industrial lands support a range of businesses from breweries to auto shops, and with that is a range of options for new economic activity. We’re welcoming an economic development officer — a new position for the township — later this year. This additional resource will help further connect the existing Esquimalt businesses community as well as bring in external markets to promote businesses moving to or expanding in Esquimalt.

Stew Young, Mayor of Langford Keeping our taxes low and encouraging investment in Langford from businesses from around the region: opening up a second store or from further afield, like Plexus who moved out from Brampton, Ontario, and built a $40-million building.

Over the last 30 years we’ve increased our business from about three per cent of our total tax base to over 30 per cent — that’s a 1,000 per cent increase in our businesses in Langford.

We’re transitioning our city into a more modern downtown core now, which will have high rises up to 20—30 storeys with businesses on the bottom floors. It’s a great opportunity for somebody to start a new business in downtown Langford because we’ll have the density. We’ll have the infrastructure: We already have the sewer, the water and all the improvements that we are doing with our roads network.

You can’t make that transition unless you have investment from businesses.

We’re working with companies from across Canada who are coming in to build high rise condos. We’ll have some housing in between that $300,000 to $500,000 range, as part of the attainable housing program that we initiated. People that have lived in Langford for two years can receive down payments (up to $17,000) to help them buy a condo or townhouse.

We’re really working hard on that, trying to figure out a way to solve the attainable housing crisis.

DOUGLAS 21

BOUNCING B

HOW LOCAL COMPANIES ARE NAVIGATI The last few years have been a rollercoaster for small- and medium-sized businesses, especially in the service industry. But hard times lead to hard study. Being lean, responsive and creative are lessons learned and will help navigate future challenges.

BY SHANNON MONEO

22 DOUGLAS

It Will Only Make You Stronger When The Root Cellar opened in 2008, there were eight employees and three tills. The company has grown to several divisions, including The Chop Shop and Potting Shed, a second location and more than 170 employees.

So, Orser speaks for Greater Victoria businesses when she riffs on the adage, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

“We learned a lot about our resilience, the power of a strong team, the benefits of transparency, the agility that we were able to have with our response times as a small business and what a benefit this is. Yes, we would skip the pandemic, if we could go back in time, but we have learned many valuable lessons, gained many valuable insights into our operations and are a far healthier, stronger and more nimble business than we were before.”

At Bear & Joey restaurant, founder Peter Wood opened just before the pandemic hit. When asked how he would describe his restaurant’s survival over the last couple of years, Wood calls it “triage.” To stem the flow, Wood trimmed his roster and reduced menu offerings.

He worked hard to treat his staff well, especially since they, at times, had to deal with surly customers, faced greater odds of getting ill and confronted a merry-goround of rules.

“It was a state of reaction, not proaction,” says Wood.

The ability to provide take-out and add about 20 patio seats to Bear & Joey’s inside spots were saving graces.

Still, food and fuel costs remain a worry.

“We need to be hypervigilant,” Wood says.

One key ingredient can substantially drive up the cost of a dish or cheaper substitutions may occur. If prices rise by 15 or 20 per cent, customers will seek cheaper fare. And as the price of ingredients and staff costs surge, Wood predicts restaurants will have fewer seats, thus lowering overhead costs.

But Wood admits that over the last 2.5 years, he’s become good at letting go of things he cannot control. It resulted in time to focus on certain aspects.

MILEN KOOTNIKOFF

J

oe Collins launched Avalon Accounting almost eight years ago. A former Douglas 10 to Watch award winner, his business now serves roughly 250 small- to medium-sized businesses spread across Canada, so he’s got a good feel for challenges being felt by business owners.

When COVID-19 struck, businesses had to shut down overnight, lay off staff and be without customers. Then came the need to decipher government aid programs, apply for grants or loans, pay rent, prepare to reopen and follow all the costly rules. And lately it’s been dealing with taxes like the PST and Employer Health Tax, minimum wage hikes, paid sick days, finding employees, overcoming shortages of products and watching as inflation and global conflicts coalesce to elevate the cost of everything from fuel to fish, avocados to air purifiers.

“There’s an anxiousness to get back to normal,” says Collins. “But the next year is going to be so hard to predict.”

For Daisy Orser, cofounder and owner of The Root Cellar, understanding is key.

“They say the financial sting of this pandemic, coupled by paid sick days, paid benefits, minimum wage increases, global conflict, rising fuel costs etc., will affect many generations,” says Orser. “So please be compassionate. Your groceries are going to cost more.

Everything is going to cost more. Farmers have increased costs, so wholesale prices are higher. Fuel and labour costs are up, so freight is higher. There isn’t any ‘cost of doing business’ that isn’t increasing, so retail prices are going to be elevating. We ask consumers to be mindful of not shooting the messenger.

“These increases are, simply put, out of our hands and coupled with the massive financial outlay of COVID risk mitigation, costs like these simply cannot be absorbed if small businesses are to remain more viable.

The outlay of costs due to pandemic regulations will never be recovered, so be gentle with us as we strive to strike the right balance between paying these costs forward and footing the bill internally.”

BACK

ING FUTURE CHALLENGES

Joe Collins, partner and founder of Avalon Accounting, services over 250 clients across Canada. He has unique insight into the rollercoaster of challenges faced by small- to medium-sized businesses.

DOUGLAS 23

The rising price of ingredients and staff will have a significant impact on restaurants, says Bear & Joey owner Peter Wood, who will be expanding his offerings with a new range of exfoliating scrubs, including one made from coffee grounds.

“We’ve had to be creative, analyze every dollar spent with great detail. We also had time to plan, refine our operations.”

— Peter Wood, founder of Bear & Joey

“My job is to keep the company running,” says Reynolds.

Current Pressures

“I’ve never stared at a profit-and-loss statement so intently,” says Woods. “We’ve had to be creative, analyze every dollar spent with great detail. We also had time to plan, refine our operations.”

With deep financial insight and spare hours, Wood has hewn a new branch at Bear & Joey, with potential to be called Bare & Joy. “We’re making a coffee scrub,” says Wood.

The exfoliating scrub contains coffee grounds, organic coconut oil, brown sugar, organic orange essence, Vitamin E and sea salt.

With big hopes, he’s ordered 15,000 packing bags from China, which he plans to fill with the yummy-smelling product.

Wood’s pandemic pivot is the start of a growing cosmetics line. Currently, three body scrubs are in the works, a salt scrub is in the development stage and two soaps will make waves.

Another Victoria business has used the pandemic pause to re-evaluate her business.

Melodie Reynolds is the founder and CEO of Eluma Beauty Inc. In November, her company acquired Victoria-based Miiko Skin Co. which it recently rebranded as Foster Skin Care.

24 DOUGLAS

When the pandemic started, all of Reynolds’s sales staff were on contract. Because salons and spas were closed, they lost customers. The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) allowed Reynolds to bring the four salespeople in-house where they worked on interim sales and became the support team for business clients.

“One day, this will all be over, and they’ll (clients) remember we’re the company that cared for them,” says Reynolds.

But, in October, the CEWS disappeared, so the employees returned to contract sales.

While online sales of her sustainable and lowwaste beauty products were stable during the pandemic, growth was elusive.

“But expenses went through the roof,” says Reynolds.

Current pressures include the rising minimum wage and the requirement of providing five paid sick days for employees.

“There isn't any ‘cost of doing business’ that isn't increasing, so retail prices are going to be elevating. We ask consumers to be mindful of not shooting the messenger.”

— Daisy Orser, cofounder and owner of The Root Cellar

Reynolds has already given her 18 employees five paid illness days. She worries that with a provincial mandate of five, her employees may expect five more, for a total of 10.

It’s the same dilemma with the minimum wage, which on June 1, 2022, will increase from $15.20 per hour to $15.65 per hour.

“For me, it was always important to pay a living wage,” says Reynolds.

Reynolds pays around $20 per hour, but with the minimum wage bump, it means her pay scales will have to rise in step. And with that, there is the incremental rise in taxes and benefit payments.

The provincial government’s policy of five paid sick days for all B.C. workers started January 1. It was a “gut punch” to small businesses who continued to reel from the pandemic, says Collins.

“The way the government announced it, it was as if they were paying [for] it,” says Collins.

“It was perfect in their playbook — a policy that costs them nothing but wins favour with the public.”

Wood agrees: “I genuinely thought it was a government-funded initiative.”

B.C.’s Labour minister Harry Bains instead touts that B.C. is the first province in Canada to have five paid sick days.

“There is a modest cost, no doubt,” admits Bains.

But as COVID-19 revealed, sick workers torpedo productivity. He pointed to the 60,000 responses given to the government from smallto-large employers. They all agreed that lack of

paid sick days forces people to go to work when ill and thus spread sickness to coworkers.

As for why five days per year and not 10, as the federal government is proposing for federal workers, Bains said that irregardless of how many paid sick days are available, the average taken by a worker is 4.5 days.

“When we came up with five days, we did our research,” says Bains.

Related to sick days is the requirement that employers pay the Employer Health Tax, which adds a notable amount to payroll expenses.

“The health tax, the sick days, make it incredibly hard for small businesses,” says Reynolds.

Reality Bites B.C.’s minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation grew up in a household that ran a business.

“Running a small business is always challenging,” says Ravi Kahlon, whose family owned a Victoria cafe. “I know it’s been hard.”

While acknowledging the pandemic misery, Kahlon says the B.C. government provided $1.5-billion in funding for business, individuals and communities. As part of that, there was $85-million for 5,300 Vancouver Island and coastal businesses.

Government worked with the BC Chamber of Commerce to identify how best to direct the money, Kahlon says. The B.C. government also worked with the federal government to ensure no businesses were overlooked. Where the feds gave loans, B.C. supplied grants: Smalland Medium-Sized Business Recovery, Circuit

The Root Cellar’s cofounder Daisy Orser is connected with hundreds of food producers to stock her two Victoria locations. That varied network provides some resilience to supply chain issues while giving her direct insight into the increased costs faced by farmers.

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For Melodie Reynolds, the CEWS enabled Eluma Beauty to bring four salespeople in-house.

The wage subsidy disappeared, as other expenses began to rise, and those new employees returned to contract sales.

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Breaker Business Relief and COVID-19 Closure Relief.

“I believe it was complementary,” Kahlon says.

Before the pandemic, about 7,000 B.C. businesses closed in an average month, but that was offset by new business openings or reactivation, according to the Small Business Profile 2021. In 2020, the average net loss was roughly 180 businesses per month.

As the virus waxed and waned, in early 2021, there was a net increase of 730 new businesses per month. Keep in mind that in B.C., 37 per cent of businesses have fewer than 50 employees; two per cent have more than 50; and the remaining 61 per cent are businesses with no paid help, with a single, self-employed owner. Most small businesses, about 80 per cent, are in the service sector, one of the hardest hit sectors.

The Brass Tacks of Taxes To keep her business from succumbing to COVID-19, the founder and director of KWENCH put her creative skills on full throttle.

Tessa McLoughlin opened KWENCH, a 25,000-square-foot coworking space on Store Street, in October 2019.

“We were only open five months and then had to lock down,” says McLaughlin.

Almost instantly, she suffered a 70 per cent

loss in revenue after weddings, workshops and conferences became illegal. To survive, KWENCH became really lean, really quickly. Fortunately, about three-quarters of KWENCH’s monthly members maintained their memberships.

But a small business runs with very tight margins, McLoughlin says. An August 2021 audit by the B.C. government tightened the noose. Initially told the books were fine, the government came back and said it was owed $15,000. The tax, that should have been self-declared, was for furniture the company purchased on Amazon from an Alberta seller.

“It could not have come at a worse time,” McLoughlin says. “Why are you auditing a service business that just came through two years of pandemic?”

McLoughlin told the officials she couldn’t pay it all at once but could do so over six months. In March, the confidence-and-supply deal between the federal Liberals and the NDP revived a Liberal promise to impose a three percent surtax on financial institutions.

Unlike the big banks and Amazon, small and medium-sized businesses have seen their savings evaporate. And debt limits have been reached.

Victoria MP Laurel Collins says her party is pushing for the surtax to be extended to oil and

“One day, this will all be over, and they’ll (clients) remember we’re the company that cared for them.”

— Melodie Reynolds, founder and CEO of Eluma Beauty

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gas companies and big box retailers because of the huge profits they’ve made over the past few years. She maintains it’s vital that the federal government provide assistance to small businesses.

“The government kept giving signals they would give support.” says Collins. “We’re now moving into year three.

Businesses still need support.”

Focusing on the Future As for the future, who could have predicted the next 2.5 years in January 2020?

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” says McLoughlin. “I think there’s going to be some very dramatic effects on small businesses. But small businesses are the ones who innovate, the ones who try new things.”

Over seven years ago, Reynolds bought a lipstick, and it was enveloped in so much packaging, Reynolds’s displeasure spurred her to create Elate Cosmetics. During the last two years, she’s been focussed on keeping her valued staff healthy and balanced. Now the spotlight is on her vision: “Having a world without single-use packaging. Focus not on getting customers to buy more, but get more people to buy our products.”

Reynolds’s message is mirrored by Orser.

“We have always been firm believers that consumers will only ever care more and more about what they’re putting in their bodies, who provided it, who grew it and by what means it got to their table,” says Orser. “The pandemic shone a spotlight on consumer priorities, and we are seeing a massive elevation in awareness regarding food dollars and the power that each consumer has in their hands. These are lessons that people tend not to forget.” 

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DOUGLAS 27

CATCH THE

Wave The Future of Hydropower on Vancouver Island

BY ALDYN CHWELOS

28 DOUGLAS

E

lders in the village of Ehthlateese (Eth-lahtiece) recall the sounds of their oceanfront village before the two diesel generators were operating 24/7.

“You could hear the fish splashing in the harbour, you could hear seals flipping, you could hear birds calling,” says Ryan Anaka, director of lands and resources for the Uchucklesaht (u-chuk-les-at) Tribe Government. The Ts’a:ʔaqo:ʔa (tsa-ah-ko-ah, also known as Uchuck Creek) hydro project is currently undergoing a feasibility study and preparing to move into the design phase. If it proceeds to construction and operation, the project would help reduce the Uchucklesaht Tribe Government’s dependence on diesel generators and recover the traditional atmosphere that residents remember.

“Realistically, this project isn’t going to completely eliminate our dependence on diesel to create energy for the village,” says Anaka. “But if we can reduce a substantial part of it, it reduces the nation’s carbon footprint, it reduces overall costs and helps reestablish the village as the elders remember.”

The micro-hydro project will also decrease the number of fuel-replenishing barge trips made to the village and see a reduction in overall GHG (greenhouse gases) emissions. The $49,708 in capacity funding for the feasibility study was provided through the province’s First Nation’s Clean Energy Buisness Fund (FNCEBF). The Uchucklesaht Tribe Government was one of 10 Indigenous communities on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Island to be awarded funds from the FNCEBF this year.

Island Potential Vancouver Island’s rich natural landscape is prime for renewable energy projects. Add to that a large number of remote and endof-line communities in the northern parts of the Island and opportunity meets demand.

Despite Vancouver Island containing one of the province’s most energy-demanding metro areas

(Victoria), the Island produces only four per cent of the province’s grid power. As a result, most of our electricity is transmitted from the mainland.

For off-grid communities, such as the Uchucklesaht Tribe, with two villages located 24 miles down Barkley Sound, this means relying on diesel. Micro-hydro projects present economic and emission-reduction benefits and can improve the quality of life for these populations. But even communities connected to the electrical grid can benefit from localized energy production. Endof-line communities are prone to blackouts when lines come down. Climate change and its increase in natural disasters will put additional stress on critical transmission lines while severe storms will impact the lines connecting the Island to the mainland.

“The grid as a centralized way of delivering power is unreliable,” says Cole Sayers, who sits on the board of directors for Clean Energy BC and was former director of clean energy programs at the New Relationship Trust. “And it’s nonsense because First Nations on the North Island can have enough power projects to provide their own power.”

Building for Sustainability Sustainable community building is what drives Yuho Okada, president of the Barkley Project Group, a team of project managers that specialize in assisting communities through the development of their renewable energy projects, all the way from inception to completion. They are the ones conducting the feasibility study for the Uchucklesaht Tribe Government.

“We work almost exclusively with First

“We all look at our habits and what we're doing, and if we can decrease demand for electricity, that's number one. But then we supply power in the least environmentally impactful ways that we can, and that is through small projects.”

— Judith Sayers, president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council

DOUGLAS 29

Nation communities,” says Okada. “Our company is not built like traditional engineering firms that historically provided this kind of service. We really had to shift our business model to a relationshipdriven process. It’s all through conversation, and conversations that take place over a long period of time.”

The Barkley Group also prioritizes energy reduction in all of their projects. Energy-saving audits are built into their process since ultimately clean energy won’t help us significantly reduce emissions without a substantial decrease in power consumption.

They recently completed the Ah’ta’apq Creek Hydropower Project for Hesquiaht First Nation at Hot Springs Cove near Tofino. The 225-kilowatt run-of-river project reduces the community’s reliance on diesel by about 75 per cent, decreasing the environmental risk posed by fuel deliveries into the cove.

“If we have a clean green energy product of cheap green energy, then it removes one of the hurdles that may exist to both having people return home, and then economic development in that area.”

— Ryan Anaka, director of lands and resources for the Uchucklesaht Tribe Government

Independent Power Producers While micro-projects like the Uchuck Creek and Ahtaapq Creek hydropower projects bring significant benefits to remote areas, slightly larger projects could bring even greater benefits to

Indigenous communities and the province as a whole.

Grid-connected hydro projects, known as independent power producers (IPPs), sell electricity to BC Hydro.

This not only increases the supply of clean energy available to British Columbians but creates sustainable economic opportunities in regions that need them.

There are approx 102 IPPs in B.C., 21 of which are located on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.

One such project is the China Creek MicroHydropower Project, built by the Hupacasath Nation.

The 6.5-megawatt (MW) project may not be large in terms of hydropower plants but it was no small undertaking.

“We received grants from all over the place,” says Judith Sayers, President of the Nuu-chah-nulth (newchaw-nulth) Tribal Council, and former chief of the Hupacasath (ho-putch-eh-set) Nation at the time of construction. “It was a lot of work in order to do that.

It was piecemeal project money.”

They also had to secure an energy purchase agreement with BC Hydro.

“We were really concerned that the government would only choose some of the larger projects, so we had a meeting with the minister and told him that he needs to have a variety of projects,” says Judith Sayers.

They chose to build the dam with two turbines worth a combined $1.6-million, providing them with both a backup and the option of only running one during times of low flow. The backup proved useful

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30 DOUGLAS

the first year when a pipe fractured and required that they switch off one of the turbines.

Not all clean energy is made equal but the Hupacasath Nation made environmental assessments a priority during development.

China Creek has impassable falls, meaning the project doesn’t disrupt salmon, and they were able to use already built service roads, which reduced both costs and impact.

While the Hupacasath are the majority owners, the project does have other partners.

They gave the city of Port Alberni five per cent ownership in exchange for their data about China Creek. The Ucluelet First Nation owns 10 per cent, and Synex Renewable Energy Corporation owns 12 per cent.

The electricity purchase agreement (EPA) was secured in 2002, and they flipped the switch in 2005. With a 4.5-kilometre penstock and a 6.5 MW capacity, during high water, the project can power 6,000 homes, nearly all the homes in Port Alberni.

“It’s community pride,” says Judith Sayers. “We have a project that diversifies our economy, that has a steady stream of revenue. We’ve been able to build our capacity in the electricity sector. I think we were the first First Nation in B.C. to build a project. It really was an icon for the clean energy industry and First Nations.”

Uncertain Future Unlike diesel-replacing micro-projects, there’s currently a dearth of funding for IPPs in B.C. This wasn’t always the case. Several policies introduced in the previous decade led to a growing IPP sector that invested $8.6-billion in B.C. energy projects. These policies included the BC Energy Plan in 2007, the Clean Energy Act 2010 and the Standing Offer Program in 2008, which promoted the development of small renewable projects. In 2019, the provincial government suspended the Standing Offer Program severely halting the development of new projects.

Even already built IPPs are facing uncertain futures as their multi-decade long contracts come up for renewal. BC Hydro’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) states they’ll be able to renew at the market rate but this may not reflect the cost of production. The China Creek project is up for renewal in 2025.

“Our business plan was based on being able to make a lot of money after we paid off our debt after our 20-year EPA,” says Judith Sayers. Now, they’re unsure if they’ll see their plans to fruition. However, Hupacasath member Cole Sayers says there’s some new hope thanks to the introduction of Indigenous clean energy opportunities.

“The answer isn’t just no,” says Cole

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Sayers. “They’re engaging with First Nations about what kind of opportunities they want.”

For Daniel Russell, CEO of Synex Renewable Energy Corporation, it’s a nobrainer.

“Vancouver Island should be using every natural gift it has to develop economically viable power and selling it to the world,” says Russell.

Synex is an IPP, operating three run-ofriver power plants on Vancouver Island, including the China Creek project, of which it owns a minority share.

“Independent power producers drive innovation and create competition. Why shut them out of an industry that needs to expand and should be attracting the brightest minds and people in our society?”

Changing Models The main reason IPPs are being shut out is that BC Hydro’s IRP declared that no new energy-producing infrastructure would be needed until 2031. It states that, with the completion of the Site C dam, BC Hydro will have enough capacity to support the province and can purchase additional power from the U.S. during surges. Power purchased from the U.S. is cheap but may not remain so in coming years, and, unlike power from IPPs, isn’t always green.

Not everyone agrees with BC Hydro’s assessment. BC Hydro’s base forecasting doesn’t include the increase in demand that will arise from the electrification necessary to meet B.C.’s 2030 emission targets. Therefore, the measurements that BC Hydro is using don’t reflect the GHG reduction targets mandated by the government, but instead represent what would happen if we continue our current emission trajectory.

The Pembina Institute issued a report in 2021 that predicts, based on analysis, that between 10.9 and 19.1 terawatt hours (TWh) of new electricity will be needed by 2030 to meet this electrification. This report also argues that prioritizing Indigenous renewable energy projects would support the creation of economic opportunities required by the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. If half the predicted amount of new energy needed (5.45 TWh) came from Indigenous projects, it would create 10,000 jobs for those communities and $8.25-billion in potential new private investment.

“We have all these projects sitting here ready to go that will have a positive contribution toward the entire grid,” says Barkley Project Group’s Okada. “We’re not talking about competing with BC Hydro; we’re talking about economic reconciliation for First Nations; we’re talking about

BC HYDRO VANCOUVER ISLAND

INDEPENDENT POWER PRODUCERS

PRODUCTION NEEDS

19% TO 34%

Vancouver Island produces

increase in generation will be needed by 2030 (representing 10.9 to 19.1 terra watt hours).

4%

REMOTE COMMUNITIES

of BC Hydro’s total capacity.

Vancouver Island is tied for the

1

st

greatest electricity demand in the province.

21 IPP on Vancouver Island

14 are hydro projects 6 of them are First Nations owned (at least in part)

IPP sector invested

4 hydroelectric systems 6 generating stations

$8.6 B in energy projects in the last decade.

46 remote communities in B.C. still burn approximately

16 m

litres of diesel fuel each year.

Sources: BC Hydro, Pembina reports analysis

“To me the fundamental drive to our work is supporting [our partners’] desire to reach sustainable community building.”

— Yuho Okada, president of the Barkley Project Group

improvement of system performance. We’re talking about looking out for people, not just Indigenous, but remote community members.”

There are at least 13 Indigenous renewable energy projects in B.C., representing 807 MW of capacity, that are ready to break ground with the proper financial backing.

“The main issue is that there’s just not opportunity to build them,” says Cole Sayers, who provided input on the Pembina report. “We want to get things rolling now so they come online in the next five to 10 years because it’s going to take that time to get projects ready. And we need to be developing these policy mechanisms to provide power to actually achieve these things.”

Power Breeds Business Though IPPs are facing policy roadblocks, even small hydro projects can have a profound impact on a community’s economy. Back in the village of Ehthlateese, other plans are in motion. The

Uchucklesaht Tribe Government is in their third year of a revitalization project to support the return of nation members to their traditional village. They are also about to embark on a five-year economic development plan, which will explore opportunities in cultural and ecotourism among other potential ventures. At the heart of all of this, is one key requirement: power. The Ts’a:ʔaqo:ʔa hydro project would not only reduce the community’s emissions, but create the green energy foundation necessary to further the nation’s economic development opportunities. The hydropower, if proven by the feasibility study, would be cheaper, reducing the cost of doing business and hopefully enticing new ventures in the area.

“It allows us, from a business perspective, and from both a Western science and traditional cultural perspective, to get back to Hishuk Tsawak — everything is interconnected,” says Anaka. “It allows us to operate more from a balanced perspective.”  DOUGLAS 33

Business Profile

VICTORIA HARBOURCATS Back in the game!

S

inger Colin James once crooned -“It’s been five loooong years, since I’ve seen your lovely eyes ...”

For the Victoria HarbourCats, it’s been two, and nearly three, long years. And, 1,017 days — that’s the gap between the last playoff home game in August of 2019 and the season opener, at long last, of the 2022 West Coast League season.

The HarbourCats, with a May 31 opener against cross-strait rival Port Angeles Lefties, ended that diamond drought brought on by the — meh, we know why it happened, done talking about it.

“Fans have stayed in touch with us, and we’ve stayed in touch with them,” said Jim Swanson of the HarbourCats. “We’ve sure proven, with our team, that absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

Fireworks on June 11, June 30 and August 1 are back. So are popular promotions like Father’s Day, Bark in the Park and Jersey Off Their Backs. And you kinda-sorta never know what else may happen, including skydivers dropping in.

The HarbourCats were unveiled as a unending support of our season members WCL team in 2012, and took to the field in and corporate partners was driven home June of 2013. Throwing the very first pitch during this time. The team has more was Nick Pivetta, a Victorian who is now season tickets coming out of this, and that’s a star pitcher with the because no one wanted Boston Red Sox. this to go away.”

Plenty of success The history of the park followed at Wilson’s Group itself, dating to 1908, is Stadium at Royal Athletic enticing alone. Royal Park. Twice they’ve been Athletic Park (RAP) has league finalist, playoff attracted top sporting bound three of the last events and major festivals, four seasons — and the serving not just Victoria runaway league leader in but indeed the Island and home attendance since entire province as bids 2014. have successfully brought The league has grown, international and national For Single Game Tickets: adding an Island rival with sports, and top community harbourcats.com/tickets the Nanaimo NightOwls, gatherings. RAP’s or scan the QR code. and more Canadian flexibility of space allows teams with the Edmonton for the HarbourCats, but Riverhawks and Kamloops NorthPaws. also soccer, football, rugby and staples like The WCL is now at 16 teams, up from 12.

BeerFest and Rifflandia.

“Like the movie Field of Dreams stated, “It’s a jewel that serves so many, and people will come,” said Swanson. “The we’re proud it’s our home,” said Swanson.

Season Tickets, Single Game Tickets, 10-Game Flex-Passes, Merchandise HarbourCats Office: #101-1814 Vancouver Street // General Team Info: harbourcats.com 34 DOUGLAS

Business Profile

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In 1986, Dr Taylor graduated from Pacific University in Oregon.

He is licensed to practice optometry in British Columbia and Washington. Dr. Taylor attends seminars throughout the year to remain current in advancements in his profession. He participates in close to sixty hours per year in continuing education.

In his spare time, he loves to support his favourite teams the Victoria Royals, Victoria HarbourCats and Seattle Seahawks.

Mayfair Optometric Clinic is welcoming new and past patients for routine eye care, glasses, and contact lenses. 9am to 5pm, six days a week by appointment.

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DOUGLAS 35

TAKING

F LIGHT

Teara Fraser is disrupting the aviation industry and reimagining equitable aerospace with Iskwew Air.

BY CARLA SORRELL | PHOTOS BY JEFFREY BOSDET

Iskwew Air is the first airline in Canada 100% owned and operated by an Indigenous woman. Founded in 2018, the newly certified airline launched during the challenge of a lifetime — the pandemic.

Tenacity, resilience and perseverance, and a strong set of game-changing values are guiding the airline’s success.

Teara Fraser, founder of Iskwew Air (Iskwew is a Cree word for women), says the name is an act of reclamation of womanhood in a very male dominated industry.

I

skwew Air wasn’t built in a day. For Teara Fraser, the company’s founder and lead executive officer (LEO) starting her own airline was a decade-old idea, predated by her love of aerospace, that just wouldn’t let her go. Initially, it was one short trip on one small plane that galvanized Fraser to become a pilot.

“There are a few things more inspiring than the wonder of flight,” says Fraser. “To be able to witness the land as a bird would — there’s something about that that is so profound and powerful.”

The initial idea for Iskwew Air (iss-kwayyo) had been hatched when Vancouver and Whistler were vying for the Olympic Games, wanting to showcase First Nations communities to the world and connect visitors with authentic stories of the land. A report, issued at the time, identified a clear barrier to connecting small, 38 DOUGLAS

“Creating the conditions for Indigenous businesses to thrive is the single, most natural, swift and effective pathway to economic reconciliation in our country.”

— Teara Fraser, founder and LEO of Iskwew Air

remote communities, and that sparked Fraser’s imagination “I believe that creating the conditions for Indigenous businesses to thrive is the single, most natural, swift and effective pathway to economic reconciliation in our country,” says Fraser. “In particular, when Indigenous women in business are uplifted, those resources and those nutrients go back into family and go back into community.”

Against the Headwind Starting an airline is difficult at the best of times, but starting an airline — literally receiving the operating certificate — mere months before a pandemic is arguably a challenge of a lifetime.

It’s certainly one that Fraser and her team rose to and learned from.

“I think the key reasons [that we are still here] are tenacity, resilience, perseverance

The Iskwew Air fleet includes two eight-passenger aircraft and a team of eight people who operate scheduled daily service between Qualicum Beach Airport and Vancouver Airport South Terminal.

entrepreneurs to thrive).

Today, Iskwew Air has two eight-passenger aircraft and a team of eight people who operate scheduled daily service between Qualicum Beach Airport and Vancouver Airport South Terminal, a quick 25-minute hop over. This route was identified in the original business plan 10 years ago for its suitability for the size of aircraft — too small for larger airlines to service.

A 16-month engagement process with the town of Qualicum Beach preceded the airline’s launch. That included open town hall meetings and engagement with the Qualicum First Nation to find out whether Iskwew Air could be of service to the community and if the community wanted that service.

Ripe for Disruption

— all those things that it takes to be an entrepreneur,” says Fraser, who is Métis and the first Indigenous woman in Canada to own her own airline. “I think what’s most important to highlight is partnerships, relationships and doing business differently. And really thinking through the pandemic: How can we be of service?”

The team persevered, bringing on a second aircraft during the pandemic, starting scheduled flights and creating their own maintenance department, specializing in Piper twin-piston and Cessna single-piston aircraft. They also leaned into the community, running a fundraising campaign with SheEO, a group of “radically generous” women and non-binary activators who help women make progress on a global to-do list, to deliver essentials and love to 40 DOUGLAS

Indigenous communities. This support helped Iskwew Air lean into its values, like reciprocity with the community, honouring Indigenous peoples and stewarding the land itself.

“It’s about supporting, connecting one another, and it’s a whole ecosystem or community of care,” says Fraser. “When you’re in the community, you have the ability to uplift each other.”

Community is a long-time motivator for Fraser, who founded the Raven Institute, elevating the voices, stories and profiles of Indigenous people through programs such as the six month RavenSPEAK. She also founded the not-for-profit Indigenous LIFT Collective and launched Give them Wings (an Indigenous youth program) and LIFT Circle (collectively cocreating the conditions for Indigenous women

According to a 2016 report by the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada, the B.C. aerospace industry is made up of approximately 190 small, medium and large aerospace and aerospace-related businesses. Pre-pandemic, the sector employed over 8,000 British Columbians directly and up to another 12,000 indirectly.

“People don’t realize the extent to which aviation and aerospace serves the movement of critical medical supplies; the movement of people to life-critical medical support, supplies, professionals; and how important the industry is to the movement of goods,” says Fraser, who owned her own aerial surveying company, Kisik Aerial Survey, from 2010 to 2017.

Her vision for Iskwew Air is to be a bridge between “traditional air transportation and the sustainable technology of the future.

“For me, it is about how we disrupt all of these systems that are no longer serving the community and community as a whole,” says Fraser. “How do we rebuild, especially in this COVID time? It has forced us to be more adaptable, creative, nimble, thinking differently than ever before. It is at this moment that we can choose to reimagine, rematriate and rebuild systems that centre equity — and that means racial equity, ecological equity, economic equity and social equity.”

For Iskwew Air, that starts with carbonneutral flights and a vision to becoming a fully carbon-neutral airline through a carbon offset program. A partnership with the Vancouverbased Ostrom Climate allows the company to assess total GHG (greenhouse gases) emissions and make the necessary commitments to reducing them as much as possible.

Undertaking an annual carbon inventory keeps data current.

“We are advocates for people decolonizing and decarbonizing our skies for the next seven generations,” says Fraser, who chose to give the Great Bear Forest Carbon Project their offset purchases. “It means bringing an Indigenous

lens to the future that we build.”

Iskwew Air was one of 18 founding members in 2019 of the Canadian Advanced Air Mobility Consortium. The mission is to work toward a unified national strategy for zero-emission advanced air mobility with regional implementation in Canada. With over 70 members from industry, government, academia and associations, the consortium educates, raises awareness and provides project support.

“We’re deeply involved and deeply invested in the work that needs to be done to transition this industry to be able to walk more softly on mother Earth,” says Fraser.

aerospace in roles that range from senior level management to maintenance engineering.

“It’s notable to go from defeminizing myself and ignoring that there were gender barriers early in my career, to a point now where I literally named my company ‘woman air’ [Iskwew is a Cree word for woman]. That comes with its own sets of challenges. But it was an act of disruption. It was an act of reclamation — reclamation of womanhood, matriarchal leadership and language.”

With Iskwew Air, Fraser is embodying her vision as a leader, addressing systemic inequality and gliding toward the future she wants to see.

Fraser is motivated, wise and The Future Is Female an astute and progressive Just being a woman businesswoman. Iskwew Air entrepreneur has its is a roadmap showing how — Teara Fraser challenges, says Fraser, who Indigenous businesses can cites the context that roughly be the “single most natural, 80 per cent of women make swift and effective pathway to purchasing decisions, 50 per cent of small economic reconciliation.” business owners are female and only a couple Until recently, Fraser was writing a PhD per cent of venture capital goes to women. on the concept of warriorship, one of the That two to three per cent is a number that company’s core values (the warrior spirit), frames the experience of being a woman in alongside love, adventure, reclamation and

“It takes an entire community to bring a business to its feet and have it take flight.”

g, Commitment & Compassion are the

reciprocity. She has put her studies on pause to focus on guiding Iskwew Air through this challenging time, but the depth of this inquiry speaks to Fraser’s being and to the breadth of her leadership.

“I define warriorship as standing fiercely with deep love for what matters,” says Fraser. “I’m asking the questions: How do we remember, reclaim, practise and integrate warriorship in our lives? How do we be both fierce and show deep love and care for the things that matter, all at the same time?”

In 2020, Fraser received a surprising honour.

She was chosen as one of 18 women featured in DC Comics’ graphic novel Wonderful Women of History. Featured alongside Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Serena Williams and Beyoncé, Fraser’s section was written by Cherokee writer Traci Sorell and illustrated by Métis artist Natasha Donovan.

“I’m in awe of the women in this book,” says Fraser. “It feels like an immense honour, and it also comes with a deep sense of responsibility.

The leaders in that book are dismantling oppressive systems — that’s what Wonder Woman is all about. I think it’s really important to acknowledge all the superheroes — all the people that are working hard to create a better world. The real superheroes are those working at the grassroots level.”

Tickets were sold beginning in October and the lucky winner,

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DOUGLAS 41

INTEL

MINDSET

BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

BY LINDA BIGGS

Falling back to move forward

S

cott Galloway wrote an article recently about the variables we use to make decisions and he stated: “A step back from the wrong path is a step in the right direction.” It really hit home and made me think about how many of us were raised with the notion that success is a linear path, and that the only way to “win” is to move forward at all costs.

But is it?

If you’ve ever played a game of Snakes and Ladders, it’s almost impossible to avoid landing on a square that sends you sliding down a snake and losing all your momentum in the game. Yet no one would expect to play the game without some backward slides.

Why don’t we take the same approach in our lives?

The Great Re-Evaluation

Early into my career, I was at a Big Four firm where I worked closely with VPs and directors as part of their annual audit process. I was told that the VP of finance had stepped down. There was a new VP in his place, but the ex-VP was around for legacy questions if needed.

42 DOUGLAS

CAROLINE SEGONNES

When it comes to embracing a new, nonlinear path to success, it’s the underrepresented stories that are a powerful and inclusive way to change the narrative around failure and success.

Odd, I thought — what role did he take?

I learned that the VP had purposely taken a step back and demoted himself to a financial analyst role. When we met, he explained that he had wanted less stress and more time with his family, so he took a step back to move forward in other important areas. It was the first time I had witnessed anyone defying the more traditional linear concept of success.

According to the Human Resources Professionals Association, 53 per cent of employers are experiencing turnover at all-time high rates. I believe a major factor is that the pandemic has held a mirror up to our lives, and many people are choosing to step back to figure out how to move forward.

They are taking the leap to redefine success on different terms, challenging the traditional models that we have been conditioned to believe are the only way forward.

Eyes Wide Open

Back in 2016, I was let go from a job. Up until that point, success was about promotions, salary increases and better titles. That experience challenged my ideas around success and failure and made me question

who I was trying to please in the first place.

As part of my severance package, I worked with an excellent coach who kept asking me a simple question: “What do you want?”

I legitimately couldn’t answer it. All the answers I attempted were layered in what I felt like I should be doing and not what I really wanted to do. It took me a lot of unpacking to realize that I had spent my whole career to date checking off the to-do boxes from someone else’s list.

I decided to try an entirely new approach to figure out my next career move and ventured outside of my linear idea of success. I wanted to challenge every preconceived idea I had about my career and my path forward and give myself permission to try things I had never considered before.

I started painting because I never considered myself to be a creative person.

The whole concept of a blank canvas terrified me so I took an art class.

I also reached out to connect with dozens of people over coffee in a two-week period.

Networking felt icky to me, but I had recently read Never Eat Alone which changed my beliefs around reaching out to folks. I felt like a different person three months later.

Looking back, I knew the right way forward for me required that I slide down the snake.

I moved forward with eyes wide open.

Gabor Maté expresses this relationship between our modern-day lives — including our idea of success — and the impacts, specifically on our bodies in his book, When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress.

“The salient stressors in the lives of most human beings today — at least in the industrialized world — are emotional.

Just like laboratory animals unable to escape, people find themselves trapped in lifestyles and emotional patterns inimical to their health. The higher the level of economic development, it seems, the more anesthetized we have become to our emotional realities. We no longer sense what is happening in our bodies and cannot, therefore, act in self-preserving ways.”

How often do we celebrate the listening, the reflection and the learning?

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Moving Forward

I believe that, in part, it was this linear pursuit of success, and attaching my worth to my productivity, that disconnected me from my body’s signals that hinted another way forward. In 2020 I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, and, while I don’t believe my career path caused my disease, I feel that the traditional and preconceived idea of success caused me to stop listening to important signs.

While the world continues to celebrate hustle culture, we omit a critical part that is just as vital — the rest, the reflection and the stepping back in order to move forward with more clarity and purpose.

When it comes to embracing a new non-linear path to success, I believe it’s the underrepresented stories about the rides down the snake — perhaps even those dark nights of the soul — that could change the narrative. It’s less about the curated Top 30 Under 30 lists or bite-sized fuckup nights, and more about showcasing a diverse and different model for success.

While I love hearing about the peaks, it’s the valleys that teach us the most about the ways forward that are value based.

If you are climbing your way up a ladder and it doesn’t feel right, sliding down the snake is not defeat or failure but instead a new way to realign yourself to what matters most to you. If you are riding down the snake and are figuring out what it all means, keep asking yourself: “What do I really want?”

That will keep you peeling away the layers of someone else’s predetermined success story to get to your own.  Linda Biggs is passionate about helping people see their own potential and moving outside their comfort zones. She is the cofounder of getjoni.com — a startup bringing period care into the 21st century.

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DOUGLAS 43

LEADERSHIP

AME-LIA TAMBURRINI

Creating Cultures of Belonging These three practices will develop the listening skills you need to communicate individual perspectives while leaving room for others to express their own viewpoints.

M

ost of us weren’t taught how to listen. We were taught how to debate, prove our point, hold our ground or our tongues.

The problem with this behaviour is that it creates an energy of us versus them. Although great if you want to win a presidential election or create a war, it’s not so effective for making our world or workplaces inclusive and welcoming.

“When we’re not listening, we’re not using our ears to gain knowledge and information from the environment. We are feeling our way through the dark, depending on thoughts and concepts in our head,” says author Sakyong Mipham in The Lost Art of Good Conversation.

Those thoughts and concepts are formed by past experiences and skew what we hear.

Instead of responding to what was said, we often respond to a fictional story our brain created in a nanosecond. These miscommunications account for hours of unnecessary conflict in our workplaces, families and communities, leaving everyone feeling unseen and unheard.

Although outsiders are sometimes needed to help us hear more cleanly, we can also prepare ourselves to listen differently.

These three practices will keep your ears and heart open in your next brave conversation.

Gary Zukav says that every experience and every change in our experience represents an intention.

In other words — what we think about, we bring about. When we’re not aware of our intention in a conversation, unconscious thoughts can create unwanted outcomes.

Picture that person in your life. The minute they start talking, you check out or start formulating a counter-argument. You may be aware that you are frustrated or annoyed; however, you may not be aware of your underlying intention — to make this person wrong. In that frame of mind, you will only hear words that strengthen your argument and the division between you.

What if you first set an intention to understand this person’s perspective?

When you listen now, you may hear an interesting fact that you couldn’t hear before.

Instead of preparing your response, you may become curious and say, “I want to understand; tell me more.”

Being genuinely curious helps the other person relax, opening the door for a different conversation.

Before your next gathering, take a moment and ask yourself: What is my intention for this dialogue? What do I want to create?

Write it on a sticky note to remind yourself.

This simple act will have a profound impact on your experience.

When we listen cleanly, we reduce the chance of misinterpretations and spend more time doing what we love. If practised consistently, trust, connection and belonging blossom, creating spaces we all want to be in.

Be Intentional

How often have you walked into a conversation without knowing what you want to contribute or create?

If you’re like most people, not very often.

Renowned author and spiritual teacher 44 DOUGLAS

Name the Discomfort

At a recent panel I moderated on inclusion and diversity, I began by naming feelings that may arise as colleagues shared stories of discrimination experienced in the organization such as defensiveness, anger, shame or confusion. Normalizing these emotions created space for the audience to

listen, despite being uncomfortable.

Naming the discomfort requires selfawareness and empathy because we must consider what the conversation may feel like for ourselves and others.

“Rather than judgment (which exacerbates shame), empathy conveys a simple acknowledgment, ‘You are not alone,’ says Brené Brown in Daring Greatly.

This healing message dismantles protective walls and allows people to stay present.

In your next one-to-one or group conversation on an uncomfortable topic, start by naming how you feel (e.g., nervous, a bit nauseous, uncertain). Your vulnerability will carve a path for trust and honesty to emerge.

Let Go of the Outcome

I have a real thing with time: being on time, starting and ending on time, knowing how much time something is going to take. When things don’t go as planned, my whole body tenses up, and I disconnect from the people and places around me.

As a facilitator, I turned this into a superpower — your meetings will not go overtime with me at the helm!

However, what that preoccupation also did was cause alienation, especially when working with people who had a different relationship with time.

Over several painful lessons, I learned that letting go of a prespecified process and outcome led to more meaningful results.

Instead of focusing on the clock, and how much time people took to speak, I stayed

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present to what was being said and responded to what the situation called for (saving a lot of time in the end).

We can often get attached to conversations going a certain way, especially when we’re nervous. We want others to share as deeply as we do, to agree with our well-researched opinion and to trust us because we showed up, and we want it all to happen on our own timeline. The underlying intention of these attachments is to control the situation; a natural human desire that keeps us safe.

What the pandemic may have taught you, however, is that going with the flow is much less painful than trying to control everything around you.

The same goes for brave conversations.

When you learn to appreciate that every dialogue has its own pace and to give room for each person to show up as they are, you create space for new outcomes to emerge.

More often than not, I walk into gatherings with an intention to listen, learn and relate, leaving the agenda at the door.

Take a moment to check in with your expectations before you enter into a conversation and ask yourself, What can I let go of so I can be fully present? 

Ame-Lia Tamburrini is a master facilitator, podcast host of Circle of Change and CEO of Hum Consulting. Hum brings reconciliation to life through brave conversations with organizations and communities committed to being the change.

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DOUGLAS 45

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POINT OF VIEW

TECH TALENT

Chris Yue is the CEO of newly launched Renzoku Tech School. This immersive one-year training program is deeply embedded in industry and, through a hands-on approach, aims to lower barriers of entry into the sector. With plans for three annual intakes and a summer program, the school took in its first cohort of students in January.

Why is it called Renzoku?

It means continuous in Japanese, and our hope would be that our apprentices would continue seamlessly from education into practice and vice versa. The idea was that they start with us, and at the end of one year, if we’ve done our job well, they work with one of the companies [providing mentorship on the course].

JEFFREY BOSDET/DOUGLAS MAGAZINE

Why did you start Renzoku?

46 DOUGLAS

Victoria is known to have a shortage of tech talent. That’s where the idea for Renzoku came from — wanting to solve that issue for people who might have a degree, but not the right experience, or those that would

prefer to learn tech, like a “trade” rather than an academic pursuit.

And how do you stay up to date?

Working really closely with the businesses is our key differentiation.

We’re not academic or theoretical; it’s very applied and takes an apprenticeship-based approach. The school is sponsored by a number of local companies — right now, we’re working with five.

How is the program structured?

Class cohorts start in January, in May and September, and each cohort would have between six and eight students. Grading is competencybased and done through an interview.

We tried to replicate what a job would be like.

Read the full interview at douglasmagazine.com

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