Profiles of Excellence - New Westminster

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PROFILES OF EXCELLENCE

Photo: Denis Threinen Langley BC (Instagram: @DenaceToSociety)

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elcome to our fourth edition of the New Westminster Profiles of Excellence, a very special annual publication of the Record.

The men and women profiled in the following pages come from a wide variety of backgrounds, education, experience and expertise, but they all share something in common: a commitment to excellence that is second to none.

Their dedication and passion in both professional and personal endeavours have bred success on all levels, making them leaders not just in their respective fields but in the community as well. The awards and recognition these business and community leaders have earned are evidence of the truest hallmark of success: the loyalty and respect of customers, and a reputation here in New Westminster and beyond.

We have collected their stories here to share a taste of what they do and why they do it, and most of all, to recognize their commitment to excellence. We are excited to give our readers a glimpse into the lives of these entrepreneurs and professionals, who call New Westminster their home. – Lara Graham, Associate Publisher, New Westminster Record SPONSORED CONTENT

CONTRIBUTORS I

Writer: Christina Myers I Design & Production: Gary Slavin I Photography: Lisa King & Kevin Hill

BUSINESS PROFILES n Save-On-Foods n ReThink Real Estate n Shops at New West n New Westminster New Media Gallery n Novus Entertainment n Revelation Cellars & Pacific Breeze n Queen’s Park Dental

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PROFILES OF EXCELLENCE Save-On-Foods

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Store Managers Sean Cantin (left) and Cam Bates having fun with the produce.

We really do go that extra mile, it’s not just an expression. – Michael Huhn

popular it is,” notes Huhn, adding that it’s a lifesaver for those with busy schedules, or for parents with small children.

“It’s another way for us to provide what our customers need, and to leave them with a great experience,” said Huhn. Two of the New Westminster stores were previously owned by other grocery chains, and welcoming the staff from those sites into the Save-On-Foods family has been a great experience, says Huhn.

“It’s really given us a great mix of experiences, and I’ve had so many staff say how great it is to be part of the Save-On team,” he said. “It’s been a lot of change and it’s been great.”

Being local also means taking pride in the

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he best of the past, present and future: it could be the motto for the three New Westminster locations of Save-On-Foods.

The company has been a hometown favourite in B.C. since it first began more than 100 years ago, but it’s also at the cutting edge of grocery services as it continues to grow and expand.

For Michael Huhn, that’s just part of what has made the company such a success in this town and throughout the province – and what will continue to help it lead the way for customers into its second century.

Huhn is the store manager at the Sapperton location of Save-On-Foods. The city boasts two more locations, one at Royal City Centre and another at Columbia Square.

Huhn says that having three stores in the community helps provide their unique level of customer service and extensive product line to customers around the city and beyond.

“We really do go that extra mile, it’s not just an expression,” said Huhn, of the service that shoppers will find at the local SaveOn-Foods locations.

“We provide exceptional customer service, it’s part of operational focus from the top of the company through all the staff right in the store.”

It’s earned them a loyal customer base, and many of the people Michael Huhn is the store manager that they see for the Sapperton location of each week are Save-On-Foods. familiar faces – or new customers checking out what’s on offer.

“We love seeing our customers back again and again.

We absolutely get to know people and recognize them,” he said. “At the same time, it’s wonderful to have a new customer arrive – maybe they’ve heard about our service or they’re looking for a particular thing we can offer here.”

For example, the stores have expanded their hot-andready meals – foods that are already prepared, and are ready to pick up for a quick meal.

“We try to always be ahead of the curve, updating our facilities and our offerings, whether that’s a service or a specialty counter, or a focus on local products, and so on,” said Huhn.

That can also mean looking at new technology as a way to offer expanded services. At the Sapperton location, online shopping with delivery or in-store pickup has been a big hit over the last year.

“We rolled it out last year and it’s unbelievable how

community – and helping out where possible.

The three stores sponsor a variety of local events, sports teams and more, including Columbia StrEAT Food Truck Festival, Sapperton Days, Hyack Football, Uptown Live and others.

Like their counterparts in other communities, the local stores also help fundraise for B.C. Children’s Hospital.

“That’s our main focus across the entire company – we direct a lot of our fundraising efforts to B.C. Children’s Hospital, because there are children who are patients there from every community, from every town,” he said. “It means a lot to us to be able to help that way.”

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Sapperton, Royal City Centre & Columbia Square I www.saveonfoods.com

PROFILES OF EXCELLENCE ReThink Real Estate

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We do things differently here, and we’re proud of that. – Darcy Schlechtleitner

staging, in-person showings, open houses every weekend and intelligent advisors) that fills the gaps many people have experienced in the past.

Though they are based in New Westminster and focus on this community, they represent homes from North Vancouver to Mission – often because it’s former clients who simply want to work with ReThink again, regardless of location, or because of word-of-mouth recommendations to family and friends.

“We’re all over now, because of that spread of clients moving around and passing on our names to others,” she said. “We love to work

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rowth is a critical goal for any business.

But for Darcy Schlechtleitner, the team lead of ReThink Real Estate, the kind of growth – and how it happens – is even more important.

“We’re growing – and we’re growing up,” said Darcy.

“It’s exactly what I hoped for. Growing just for the sake of getting bigger is never the goal – but growing through education, through referrals, through hard work, building a better team, that’s something to be proud of.”

Best of all, says Darcy, their core values are the same today as they were when ReThink was born.

“I want a fantastic business, but most of all I want my clients to be ecstatic about the process, I want them to be comfortable, to have learned something, to have felt that we were with them every step. That’s the best part: to feel that you were a real safety net for someone.

Moving can be a stressful time, and it’s amazing to be there for someone,” she says. “And I want my team to know that we are all here for each other. One of our values is, always, family first. When you have a great team like this, you can put your families first and your clients first – everyone here works together, so if something comes up for one of us, and we have to be away, anyone else can step in with the Darcy Schlechtleitner is the same expertise founder of Rethink Real Estate. and the same knowledge.”

That approach, says Darcy, is the best of both worlds.

“In a way, it’s like having 10 people for the price of 1 – you get us all, when you’re a client.”

ReThink, under the Keller Williams Elite Realty umbrella, has built a strong reputation for itself – in large part, says Darcy, by really standing out from the crowd.

“We do things differently here, and we’re proud of that,” she said. “We are always evaluating our approaches, always learning, finding better ways.”

Looking at the industry from a new angle has been working for Darcy since she founded ReThink. In fact, the name itself came from a period of time almost 10 years ago when the housing market had “cooled off” a little, allowing Darcy time to re-evaluate and re-consider the traditional approaches to real estate.

That led her to develop new and innovative ways to tackle the process of buying and selling homes – a full-service approach (packing, storage, cleaning,

with people wherever they need us.”

As for her their home base here in the Royal City, Darcy says she’s always learning more about urban planning, city development and keeping her finger on the pulse of change.

“It’s fascinating to me, all of it,” she said.

“And I just love this community so much, it’s so great to be in the know about what’s coming.

There’s so much happening here and I think it’s just an exciting time to be working here.”

Her enthusiasm is continuing to pay off.

“We’re so busy I can’t even see my desk,” she laughs. “I would not have it any other way.”

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604.783.1250 I www.teamrethink.com

PROFILES OF EXCELLENCE Shops at New West

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We don’t want to just be in the community, we want to be part of it. – Daniella Leck

New West, and proud to be in this community, that mix of small businesses and large ones.”

Leck notes that “anchor” businesses like Safeway and Landmark often provide jobs for local residents.

“We have shopping centres across Canada, and those anchor stores employ a lot of local people, just like the small businesses do,” she said. “It’s your neighbours and friends.”

For Leck, it’s an interesting homecoming.

“I didn’t grow up in this city but we came here to do our shopping, we came here for the stores,” she recalls. “This downtown area has been known for that for a long time, it’s

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t’s as true now as it’s ever been: location is king.

For the Shops At New West, location is the primary foundation around which the entire operation is built – literally.

Situated at the New Westminster SkyTrain station, the shopping centre – anchored with a Safeway grocery store and home to more than 40 fellow tenants – sees an estimated 250,000 people pass through the station in any given weekday.

And the location, bordered by Carnarvon, Eighth Street, Columbia and McInnes Street, puts it smack dab in the heart of the Royal City’s historic downtown shopping district.

It’s the sort of spot that businesses dream of being part of.

But for senior property manager Daniella Leck, the location has another benefit: it allows the Shops At New West to truly be part of the community itself.

“That’s really important for us – we don’t want to just be in the community, we want to be part of it, now and going forward into the future,” said Leck. “This is a wonderful community and we’re so excited to be here. There’s opportunities for expansion and growth as a business, but also important opportunities for us, and for our tenants, to be part of this area in the coming years.”

Daniella Leck is the senior property Leck notes manager for Shops at New West. that she recently attended a town hall meeting about the growth of the area and that feedback from the community is critical.

“The more we hear from people, the better we can provide the services that they want and need,” she said.

“I want everyone to have a positive experience here.”

Shops At New West is managed by First Capital Realty Inc., which owns approximately 25 million square feet of retail space across Canada.

The property was purchased by FCR in 2012 and currently includes a roster of tenants over several floors at the New Westminster station including Landmark Cinemas, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, New West Laptops, and several dozen more, including an array of restaurants.

“Our company motto at First Capital is ‘shopping for everyday life’ – and for me, that’s where our focus on excellence really comes in. It’s that pride of ownership, having tenants who are proud to be part of Shops At

absolutely part of the history here. So it’s interesting to be part of that in a really new way.

We’re fortunate to be part of this city, and to be so ideally situated.”

Leck says they couldn’t be happier with how the businesses have been received so far and they are keeping a close eye on future plans.

“We do have more leasing opportunities on the property and we’re looking for the right tenants – the businesses that will be here for the long term. We have four towers being built around us, and that will change things too; we have a vacant lot next to the property so over time we’ll be really growing here.”

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800 Carnarvon Street, New Westminster, BC I 604.244.0409 I www.shopsatnewwest.com

PROFILES OF EXCELLENCE New Westminster New Media Gallery

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Right from the beginning, we wanted that sense of engagement. – Sarah Joyce & Gordon Duggan

photographed a dance spot in the gallery and ended up on the cover of a European dance magazine. “This shows the range of ages and backgrounds who have come through our doors,” notes Duggan. “In just two years we have become one of the most visited galleries in B.C. We’re very proud of that.”

The gallery focuses on work from the last 30 years, art that engages with science and technology and explores the world of ideas.

NMG is the civic gallery for New Westminster, serving this community, Metro Vancouver as well as an increasing national and international

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mmersive, unique, challenging, exciting: there’s no shortage of words to describe the New Media Gallery at Anvil Centre, the City of New Westminster’s flagship civic facility.

The region’s newest public art gallery is all of these things and more, with a focus on sharing provocative art from around the globe. But the words that DirectorCurator team Gordon Duggan and Sarah Joyce are proudest of? Welcoming. Inviting. Moving. Inspiring.

“Right from the beginning we wanted that sense of engagement; an open door policy; welcoming all visitors including those new to art and unfamiliar with galleries. We wanted everyone to feel at home here.”

To help this along, the pair developed a radical change from the usual gallery-viewing experience.

“Early on we began having discussions with our visitors,” said Duggan. “We would walk through the gallery and chat about the work. We’re moving away from the model that communicates an exhibition primarily through text panels on walls, toward the needs of individual viewers.

We’ve got to respond to art academics, artists, and kids in different ways.”

Both Duggan and Joyce feel this has given visitors a deeper appreciation of art. It also lets the curators hear the feedback.

“It’s so Gordon Duggan leads a group of valuable, to visitors through the gallery. hear what people are thinking and feeling, hear how they’re responding. It helps us understand our audience and build better exhibitions.” The success of this approach has, in no small part, been buoyed by a series of exhibitions that bring well-known international artists together with emerging artists.

“At the beginning, we weren’t sure how the gallery would be received,” said Joyce. “But we’ve seen over 45,000 people through the gallery and there has been overwhelmingly positive feedback. It’s been amazing … the excitement and enthusiasm.”

Duggan says the response is endlessly rewarding.

He talks about the range of audience, such as the man who had never been to a gallery but who now visits three times a week. Or the grandmother who dragged her grandchild to the first exhibition in a plastic wagon – two years later the child now runs into the gallery herself. Or the homeless man who asked if he, too, would be permitted inside. Or the teen duo, who

audience. City staff are vital to gallery success, from arts programming and technical staff to administrative and development assistance.

“We’re keen on education and have great partnerships going with New Westminster and Vancouver universities, colleges and schools.”

Anvil Centre provides the gallery with space for diverse events such as artist walks, openings, films, workshops and public events.

The two curators say they can’t wait to see what the future will bring; if the first two years is any indication, it will be continued success and increasing international recognition.

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Anvil Centre I 777 Columbia Street, New Westminster, BC I 604.875.1865 I www.newmediagallery.ca

PROFILES OF EXCELLENCE Novus Entertainment

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We want to be helpful, and to do that we go above and beyond for our customers.

– Doug Holman & Donna Robertson

and serve those buildings. That’s our focus right now, every week: where are those places and how do we do it.”

At the same time, the company is determined to maintain that customer-first atmosphere that has helped it grow to this point.

“That goal of growth is intertwined with a goal of maintaining and protecting that helpful outlook, that cohesive approach we have to customer service,” said Robertson.

“We do not want to fall into the trap of the big corporate culture that affects the customer’s perception and experience.” Currently the team at Novus boasts about 65 staff, all of whom hold the same values as the leadership team.

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here are certain truths in business that never change, no matter how much the world itself evolves.

“The customer comes first” is not just a theory at Novus, but an approach that has helped drive and grow the business year after year.

“We are a communications service provider that puts customers first,” said Donna Robertson, Co-President and CLO. “We provide all the services – Internet, TV, digital phone – that the other telecommunications companies provide, but we are committed to remaining cost effective and most of all, to always, consistently, providing the best technical help, the best customer service, the best experience for our clients.”

“It’s a goal many companies aspire to, or talk about, but it’s not always achieved.”

“I think many of our customers have had poor experiences with some of the big providers – just not as attentive, not caring as much – and then they come to us and they can’t believe what a priority that is for us,” said fellow CoPresident and CFO Doug Holman.

Their efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.

“We get love letters, we really do,” laughed Robertson.

“We get emails and messages from customers every single week telling us how helpful our customer Doug Holman and service Donna Robertson of Novus. representatives were, or about a positive experience with an installer or someone they spoke to. We want to be helpful – if there was one word to sum it up, that would be it – and to do that we often go above and beyond the call of duty for our customers.”

The company provides services to multiple dwelling units, such as condominiums or rental apartments in the Metro Vancouver region, including Vancouver, and some parts of Surrey, Coquitlam, Burnaby and Richmond.

Potential customers can find out online if their building is already connected to Novus, which gives them an alternate choice to the other providers in Metro Vancouver.

“We continue to expand out, and to service more and more high-rise towers throughout the Lower Mainland,” said Holman. “The estimate is that currently there are about 2,000 buildings in Metro Vancouver that fit our profile, and we’re already in about 450 of those, so the challenge for us now is to grow into other areas

“We have a great vibe here, many of our staff have been working here together for a long time, and it’s a wonderful team,” said Holman.

That friendly atmosphere (yes, dogs are welcome, and co-workers have jumped in to lend a hand when someone is having a scheduling challenge due to a sick child, for example) helps support the company’s customer-service goals.

A happy team leads to happy customers – and both are important to Robertson and Holman as they consider the future.

“We have great plans for Novus, and we’re excited about what’s ahead,” said Robertson.

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300-112 East 3rd Avenue, Vancouver, BC I 604.642.6688 I www.novusnow.ca

PROFILES OF EXCELLENCE Revelation Cellars & Pacific Breeze

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We find the world’s best grapes, and we bring them here to B.C. – Bob Fraser

The new company is currently in the process of raising investment funds for the first urban winery in Vancouver, but they’re certainly not new to the industry: Revelation merged earlier this year with Pacific Breeze Winery in New Westminster.

“We’re already making some of the best wines in Canada here at Pacific Breeze,” he said. “These are top wines, the best grapes. Pacific Breeze has an incredible reputation in the industry, and dozens of awards as a result.”

Thanks to a provincial business venture program, investors can take advantage of a 30 per cent tax credit incentive; investments are also RRSP eligible, which provides additional tax offsets.

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t’s a simple concept with huge potential: find the best grapes from the premier vineyards around the globe, and then turn them into top-notch wines right here in B.C. The team at Revelation Cellars intend to do just that – but with an added twist for local wine lovers.

“Our goal is to have a network of urban wineries – our first ones here in B.C., then across Canada, the US and eventually the world,” said Bob Fraser, Chief Executive Officer for Revelation.

Fraser notes the traditional model of winemaking has been land-based: specific varietals of grapes are grown in a vineyard – be it in Italy, Chile or the Okanagan – and wine from those grapes is made onsite, or very nearby.

Revelation Cellars, on the other hand, has a modern take on that timeless tradition of winemaking.

“We find the world’s best grapes, and we bring them here to B.C.” Fraser said. “There are famous vineyards around the world and we can say ‘Yes, we want some of that, and we want some of this’ and we have it brought home to work with here.”

There are other companies that import grapes, but the plan to create fully operational urban wineries – gathering places where people can enjoy wine and food, a tour, social visit or a great night out – is something that sets Revelation apart.

The team at Revelation Cellars “It’s one is excited about the future of thing to have urban wineries. a wine bar or a demonstration winery, but we will be full commercial wineries,” explains Chief Operating Officer Gary Symons.

“The benefit for clients is that you can really bring them into the wine making process, give them access to the experience and the knowledge.”

Symons, a wine lover himself who has travelled through many of the world’s most renowned wine regions, says the Okanagan is his favourite – but even so close to home, not everyone can take advantage of the experience.

“To have a full winery right here is really offering something new,” he said. There’s another benefit for local wine drinkers: simply put, the cost of a great bottle of wine drops when it is the materials that are imported, rather than the final product.

“We don’t pay duty on grapes, so that bottle that’s going to cost you $150 after it’s been imported from elsewhere in the world, we can make that bottle here in the range of $60.”

“We want people to be part of this from the ground up,” said Symons. “We think this is an exciting adventure, the time is right and people are really interested.”

At the end of the day – business plans and tax credits aside – the team behind Revelation Cellars hope to see their wineries providing something a little more symbolic: the simple experience of enjoying a great wine.

“Wine is fun, it’s interesting, and fascinating, and there’s always something new to learn,” said Fraser. “That’s the heart of it: let’s make the best wines, and enjoy the best wines, and do it right here at home.”

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6-320 Stewardson, New Westminster, BC I 604.522.2228 I www.revcellars.com

PROFILES OF EXCELLENCE Queen’s Park Dental

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We really want to make sure we are doing everything we can to welcome people.

– Dr. Karen Liang

of procedures.” The staff have a strong focus on making sure they stay cutting edge in their field.

“Continuing education is really important to us,” she said. “We do lunch and learn classes in office for the team as a whole, but Dr. Murphy and myself are part of our own study clubs, where we meet regularly with other dentists in the region. It’s a great resource to be able to keep up with what’s new and to always be learning.”

Liang and Murphy both belong to a number of professional dental associations, both to

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here’s a simple recipe for success at Queen’s Park Dental: top-notch patient care, a great team of staff and a comfortable and welcoming environment.

“It is really a combination of things,” said Dr. Karen Liang, who works alongside Dr. Darcy Murphy and the rest of the team at the long-time uptown clinic.

“I think we have an amazing team who are great at making sure that patients feel comfortable and happy while they’re here,” she said. “Our clinic is modern and up-to-date. We all put our patients first, from the dentists to the hygienists, that’s our primary focus every single day.”

Liang grew up in Vancouver and later obtained a degree in science from UBC, then graduated from the School of Dental Medicine at Boston University.

“I decided on dentistry because it’s an enjoyable blend of both science and art. You get to work with people every day and every day is different.”

The clinic has been operating in New Westminster for more than 50 years, for the last seven years under the ownership of Dr. Darcy Murphy.

“We have patients that have been coming here for decades, some of which are multiple generations Dentist Karen Liang works with of the same Dr. Darcy Murphy at Queen’s Park families. We also have Dental Clinic. new patients coming to us all the time,” she said. “We see kids from their very first dental visit, at age 1 or so, all the way up to seniors that are over 90! It’s a full spectrum of patient care.”

Liang says that the team works well together in part because everyone is in agreement on a patient-first approach and a warm, welcoming environment is important to everyone there.

“We really want that. Everything has been renovated within the last four years, so it’s very modern but also very homey and inviting,” she said.

Their second floor office in the Princess Medical Building on Sixth Street is airy, bright and spacious.

“Not everyone feels great about coming to the dentist, so we really want to make sure we are doing everything we can to welcome people, ease any worries they are having and keep them fully informed

stay abreast of dental education and to stay connected to fellow practitioners in the field.

Services at the clinic range from family dentisty, to implant surgery, oral sedation, botox and more. They are also known for helping lead the way with a new technique called PST, or Pinhole Surgical Technique, a no-scalpel, no-suture alternative for gum grafts.

Liang hopes they’ll be there to serve the Royal City for a long time to come, welcoming both old and new patients well into the future.

“This is a great place to be.”

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215-624 Sixth Street, New Westminster, BC I 604.522.5242 I www.queensparkdental.ca

PROFILES OF EXCELLENCE Christina Myers Writer

Christina Myers worked as a community journalist in the metro Vancouver region for more than a decade, covering beats as diverse as federal politics to families.

She continues to work as a freelancer and columnist. She is a past winner of provincial and national community journalism writing awards in history, business and column writing, and her work has appeared in Skirt Quarterly, Room Magazine, North Shore Living and CBC Radio. She is a contributing author in a 2016 nonfiction collection from Caitlin Press and has won a number of literary prizes.

She lives in Surrey with her family and is a volunteer, parent, and thrift store junkie.

Gary Slavin Creative Designer

Gary Slavin has worked as a graphic designer in the lower mainland for community newspapers for over two decades, with the majority of those years at the New Westminster Record and sister paper Burnaby NOW. He continues to work as a freelance creative designer for various newspapers and local businesses. He has many design awards over the years presented by British Columbia Yukon Community Newspaper Association (BCYCNA), Canadian Community Newspaper Association (CCNA) and the Suburban Newspaper Association (SNA).

He grew up in North Burnaby, a father of two amazing sons, he now resides in South Surrey with his wife Kristen.

Outside of designing he volunteers in the sport of ball hockey at national and international levels.

Lisa King Photographer

Lisa King has been a professional photographer for 11 years, working for a variety of newspapers and publications throughout B.C. King and fellow photographer Kevin Hill work collaboratively, shooting editorial photography as well as commercial and product photography, events and weddings.

The duo met while studying photojournalism at Loyalist College but now live and work in the Lower Mainland.

In her spare time, King enjoys playing team sports, scuba diving, and travelling, as well as volunteering her time with university students studying abroad.

Kevin Hill Photographer

Kevin Hill has been working as a photographer since 2006; his work has appeared in a variety of publications, including magazines and newspapers in B.C. and beyond.

Hill and fellow photographer Lisa King work collaboratively, shooting a mix of editorial, commercial, product, event and wedding photography.

The duo met while studying photojournalism at Loyalist College but now live and work in the Lower Mainland.

Hill, originally from Saskatoon, enjoys a wide spectrum of outdoor recreation, including skiing, backpacking and target shooting, and heading out on motorcycle adventures.

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