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Capital SPRING 2016
Running for life
OUR PETS
Love and money LEGAL PROFILES IN THE CAPITAL
HOW VICTORIA WORKS
METAL
MAESTROS
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IF YOU HAVE A PASSION WE’VE GOT A CLASS FOR IT. Declan D l Di Dinnadge d
Bachelor of Business Administration student
SALES AND MARKETING MANAGER, VRX ADVANCED SIMULATORS
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Here & Now: Who’s doing the moving and shaking in Greater Victoria’s business world. Runner, business owner, philanthropist — Rob Reid gives plenty back to the community he loves. When it comes to restoring vintage vehicles, Coachwerks is considered among the world’s best.
Capital SPRING 2016
DAVE OBEE | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DARRON KLOSTER | EDITOR ROGER WHITE | DESIGN EDITOR DAVID WHITMAN | ADVERTISING DIRECTOR JASON SCRIVEN | SALES MANAGER WENDY KALO | ADVERTISING OPERATIONS MANAGER COVER PHOTO: Mike and Tracy Grams with a 1955 Mercedes gullwing being restored in their Coachwerks Automotive Restoration shop in Victoria. DARREN STONE
Nuts have been part of Max Young’s family tradition for decades. Cats and dogs are a booming business in Greater Victoria.
Capital is published by the Times Colonist, a division of TC Publication Limited Partnership, at 2621 Douglas St., Victoria, British Columbia V8T 4M2. Canadian Publications Registration No. 0530646. GST No. 84505 1507 RT0001 Please send comments about Capital to: Editor-in-Chief Dave Obee, dobee@timescolonist.com To advertise in the next edition, phone 250-995-4464, or email Sales Manager Jason Scriven at jscriven@timescolonist.com
Digging in on the Capital Park project behind legislature. Record year for film production in the capital region brings new challenges. Camosun College offers new degree program for future police officers, sheriffs and border guards. An ambitious University of Victoria business student makes a positive impact in the developing world.
Columnists Dave Obee Dan Dagg Katy Fairley Alan Cahoon Robin Syme Jack Knox
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DAVE OBEE • Editor-in-chief, Times Colonist
Business success, Capital style hat does it take to find success in business? Well, that’s easy. Mix optimism with a can-do spirit, throw in energy and commitment, and stir it all together with a strong desire to make this a better place for everyone. As you read this issue of Capital magazine, those qualities will shine through. The people and businesses profiled here have traits in common, traits that help to make them vital members of our community. Business in Greater Victoria is not just about making a buck. To succeed here, a business needs to show that it respects its customers, its employees and its place. This is a delightful part of the world, but life here is not without its compromises. We prove to everyone else that compromises can be healthy. We are not so concerned about chasing the almighty dollar as other Canadians might be — we take the time to enjoy life, and some of the things that we can do here are, to be blunt, priceless. We also do what we can to help those around us. Sharing is part of the way we live here, so we reach out a hand to those in need, those who have hit a low patch for whatever reason, and we try to pull them up. But what does this have to do with business? Capital is, after all, the Times Colonist’s magazine about
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business in Greater Victoria. Businesses will not succeed here if they do not reflect the reality of life here. Owners, employees, suppliers and customers need to understand that we are different here, and we measure success in different ways. Much of the difference comes in the way that we give back. Consider, for example, Rob Reid, who is profiled in this issue. Reid is committed to making a difference locally, through many different charitable endeavours, as well as nationally, through his efforts to ensure that the Terry Fox star keeps shining brightly. He cares about our community, and he respects our community. He wants to make it an even better place to live, and has vowed to keep working toward that goal for as long as he can. Reid is not the only person like that – not by a long shot. Look around Greater Victoria and you will see dozens, hundreds, even thousands of people who have dedicated themselves to the future of the community. It doesn’t take a fortune to get involved; helping can be as simple as volunteering at something that interests you, shovelling the neighbour’s sidewalk in the unlikely event of snow, or choosing to support a local business rather than an online retailer. (Which ones employ your neighbours? Which ones are giving back?) And that takes us back to business. The companies that are doing well here are the ones that show respect. The attributes that help individuals shine can also help their companies prosper. It’s simple, really. Welcome back to Capital!
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Taking over the reins at Tourism Victoria >>> Bill Lewis of the Magnolia Hotel and Spa has succeeded Butchart Gardens general manager Dave Cowen as chairman of Tourism Victoria’s board of directors for 2016. “I am looking forward to helping the Tourism Victoria management team to strengthen our tourism industry for future generations,” Lewis said. “Our objectives are to help move along key priority initiatives to strengthen and reinforce our position as tourism leaders and innovators within B.C. and Canada.” Paul Nursey, president and chief executive of the destination marketing group, said the volunteer board has “worked hard to shift to a strategy-focused board that handles issues critical to both the organization and the destination. “I look forward to working with this group of professionals as the destination moves through a period of significant investment and ongoing growth.” The board also includes Cowen, first vice-chair Starr McMichael of Starrboard Enterprises Inc., and vice-chairs Darlene Hollstein, manager of The Bay Centre, Derek Sanderson of Island IT and Kimberley Hughes of Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort & Spa. The directors are Geoff Dickson, Victoria Airport Authority; Tom Benson, WildPlay Element Parks; Erika Stenson, Royal B.C. Museum; Brett Soberg, Eagle Wing Tours; Janet Docherty, Tourism Vancouver Island appointee; Mark Mawhinney, Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce appointee; Suzanne Gatrell, The Oswego Hotel; Allison Fairhurst, Abigail’s Hotel; Margaret Lucas, City of Victoria appointee; and Judy Brownoff, District of Saanich appointee.
Bill Lewis, above, is the new chairman of Tourism Victoria’s board of directors for 2016, succeeding Dave Cowen.
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A smaller carbon footprint for the hospitality industry >>> A new book by a pair of Victoria writers intends to improve the environmental friendliness of the hospitality industry locally and abroad. Greening Your Hospitality Business: For Accommodations, Tour Operators, and Restaurants, written by Jill Doucette, chief executive of Synergy Enterprises, and designer J.C. Scott, is a guide for any business in the sector that wants to minimize its impact on the environment. “It’s been in the works for about a year and a half,” said Doucette, whose company helps businesses reduce their environmental footprint and drive toward becoming carbon-neutral. Doucette said it was inspired by a recent trip to Costa Rica and seeing how the eco-tourism business there has taken the idea of sustainability to a new level. She points to the eco-resort Arenas del Mar as an
example for others to follow. The complex, built into the natural ecosystem, has worked to have little impact on wildlife and has been able to operate with “a minimal carbon footprint.” “This book provides a very practical and realistic guide to reducing your carbon footprint in the hospitality business with lots of examples of innovative projects around the world,” she said. “It’s a current, modern approach to greening a hospitality business. Solutions that were solid 10 years ago, well, we’ve gone well past them now.” While Doucette’s expertise is on daily business operations, Scott brought an eco-design perspective. She said the hospitality industry in Canada has businesses all over the environmental spectrum that will benefit from the new title. “There are parts of the industry that haven’t changed much in the last 30 years and there are some real movers and shakers, even in our own Inner Harbour, like the Inn at Laurel Point, the Hotel Grand Pacific and Eagle Wing,” she said. “There are sparks of innovation here, but we can always raise the bar.” The book is available on Amazon.
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Oswego the start of a boutique hotel chain >>> The Oswego Hotel will be the first client of a new Victoria-based hospitality management company, Kingsbridge Management. The company, founded by Suzanne Gatrell, will assume full management of the hotel, where Gatrell has been general manager for the last seven years. “I have been lucky that my 28-year career has allowed me to train in all aspects of hospitality management, from working in food and beverage and being a director of rooms to heading up a sales and marketing team and successfully working with a strata
property like the Oswego,” said Gatrell. Gatrell took over management of the Oswego during the 2008 recession, when the hotel was struggling, and has since turned things around. Her career started in England, working for brands such as Fairmont, Hilton and Holland America. She is active on the board of directors for Tourism Victoria and is passionate about co-chairing Artemis Place for Girls, an integrated counselling and educational program that provides an alternative to traditional school for girls ages 15 to 19. Gatrell hopes to sign new boutique hotel clients in Canada, the U.S., and the U.K. ‘‘My future clients are owners of boutique properties who like their independence and enjoy knowing their hotel is an important player within the local community,” she said.
Suzanne Gatrell, who runs The Oswego Hotel, has started Kingsbridge, a hospitality management firm.
When it comes to our communities, we like getting our hands dirty. And our feet wet. The best way to support a community is to get involved in it. Every year, our employees around the world pitch in to protect their local water by cleaning up, planting some greenery and learning about water through RBC Blue Water Makeovers. It’s all part of the RBC Blue Water Project®, which has supported over 700 charitable organizations so far and is our commitment to help protect water. When it comes to clean water, Someday™ can’t come soon enough.
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® / ™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. VPS93193
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35184 (04/2015)
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Beanstream has a better way for merchants to count beans >>> Victoria-based Beanstream has added Visa Checkout to its e-commerce program to improve the online payment process for customers of small and medium-sized Canadian merchants. The launch of Visa Checkout for Canadian merchants reduces “payment friction” as it allows the payment and checkout transaction to happen without leaving the merchant’s website. “Beanstream strives to simplify payments for merchants with innovative payment solutions that matter to their business and help increase sales,” said Ryan Stewart, Beanstream’s head of product development for North America. “We see Visa Checkout as an elegant and secure payment solution for consumers purchasing on any device, and are thrilled to help bring this product to Canadian merchants.” Beanstream, which provides payment, risk management and authentication solutions to North American companies and institutions, has also partnered with the Desjardins Group to offer its e-commerce payment platform to Desjardins merchants in Canada. With Beanstream’s payment system, merchants will be able to provide online financing options to their customers at the point of sale, increasing the number of payment choices available to the consumer and helping to remove obstacles to completing a purchase. Desjardins Group is the fifth-largest co-op financial group in the world, with assets of $251 billion. Beanstream, founded in 2000, has built a network of more than 600 partners and 22,000 merchants in North America and the U.K., and was acquired in October of last year by Bambora.
Zooper Dooper software designed in Victoria.
Zooper Dooper zooms to top 20 of kids’ apps >>> A new software application designed in Victoria to help kids learns their ABCs has been named to a top-20 list by Smart Apps for Kids, a leading kids’ app review site. Zooper ABC Animals from Zooper Dooper, a start-up founded under the Suburbia Studios umbrella, was developed by Russ Willms, a children’s illustrator and creative director at Suburbia. “We’re a small start-up that has been up and running for less than three months. To be included in a top-20 list that includes some of today’s leading kids’ app developers is just wild to me,” said Willms. The app helps pre-schoolers learn their ABCs with animation, rhymes and sound effects. “This is just the beginning for Zooper Dooper. We have several exciting kids’ apps in development that are all unique, educational and entertaining,” said Mary-Lynn Bellamy-Willms, Suburbia’s chief executive. “Zooper Dooper is one more way we innovate at Suburbia and turn ideas into reality.” The app is available at the App Store for $2.99.
The Land Conservancy has a new executive director
Physiotherapist named to Camosun board >>> Camosun College has appointed Stefan Fletcher to its board of governors for a one-year term. Fletcher has been a physiotherapist in Victoria for more than 25 years and is the co-founder of RebalanceMD MSK Care, an integrated orthopedic business with surgeons, physiotherapists, sports medicine physicians and peri-operative physician teams. “We are pleased to welcome Mr. Fletcher to the board,” said chairman Russ Lazaruk. “He brings a range of skills and experience in the health field that will be of significant and very timely benefit to the board in serving the college and our community of learners.”
>>> Cathy Armstrong is the new executive director of The Land Conservancy of B.C., based in Victoria. She worked as assistant to John von Dongen when he sat as an Independent MLA after serving as a Liberal cabinet minister, and also held assistant posts in the office of the Solicitor General and Minister of Agriculture. A former school trustee, Armstrong was the chairwoman of the Abbotsford Parks and Recreation Commission, ran a business, and was named Abbotsford’s Woman of the Year in 2003. She had worked as TLC’s administrator since spring 2014. Tom Watson and Frances Pugh are TLC board co-chairs, Lori Roter is treasurer and Bill Pearce is secretary. Capital
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ROB REID: EVER ON THE RUN Rob Reid and the statue of Terry Fox at Mile 0, an edifice he helped to build honouring the great Canadian. Fox’s first Marathon of Hope sparked a fundraising flame inside Reid that burns brighter each year. BRUCE STOTESBURY PHOTO
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ROB REID
No finish line for tireless businessman, philanthropist, mentor BY MIKE DEVLIN
R
Rob Reid didn’t become a great marathoner by accident. In some ways, the skill set that is required for long-distance running — a capacity for overcoming adversity, for breaking through when a wall presents itself — was something the co-founder of
Camosun
Frontrunners stores acquired early in his life. Reid, 60, says he has come to enjoy adver-
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sity in the years since. “If life is too smooth,
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I don’t know if you get the ache in your belly to always make a difference.”
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REID: INSPIRED TO HELP OTHERS
A familiar face inside Frontrunners downtown, Reid has mentored several employees, helping some open their own stores. BRUCE STOTESBURY
A desire to improve the lives of those around him has propelled the native Torontonian since 1980, the year he first fused fitness and fundraising. He was inspired to do so by the efforts of Terry Fox, the Canadian icon whose cross-country cancer fundraiser, the Marathon of Hope, was cut short that summer. When Fox fell ill after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres of running, Reid sprang into action. “At the time, I ran marathons to see how fit I could stay,” Reid says. “But when Terry had to stop his run, I was so mad.” Reid, who was living in Calgary at the time, regrets not travelling to join the mass of supporters at one of the Fox stops, but he did what he could to pitch in. “I would have loved to have gone to Ontario and chase that van, and the whole procession of Terry’s group, but my son was going to be born. I never had that opportunity, so I ended up doing a 24-hour run with my wife at the time, through downtown Cal-
gary, to raise some money for the Canadian Cancer Society. I needed to be moved into action.” Looking back on it, Reid says his Calgary run was the spark that lit the fundraising flame. It still burns bright inside him today. “It felt pretty good to do something about it,” he says. “I’ve been very fortunate to have things early on shape how I feel about things.” Reid and Fox’s family have since become close. In addition to chairing the board of Terry Fox Centre, to be built in Vancouver as a cancer education research facility and tribute to Terry Fox, Reid was also the driving force behind a Terry Fox statue erected at Mile 0 in Victoria to mark the 25th anniversary of the Marathon of Hope. Fox’s brother, Darrell Fox, first met Reid during the lead-up to the statue ceremony. Reid is now considered “like a brother,” says Darrell Fox. Capital
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R E I D : F O R AY I N T O P O L I T I C S
‘‘
Victoria is the Oz at the end of the road for me. I stumbled over my feet and made a lot of mistakes, but you come out on top if you’re fortunate enough.
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“I use that term jokingly, but I take it very seriously when I refer to him as such,” Fox says. “There’s a bond there, and it’s nice to share a common interest in Terry with someone who has a similar passion. Rob is that person.” Fox, Reid and 30 others hiked to the top of Mount Terry Fox, in the Rockies near Valemount, north of Kamloops. The memorial hike to the summit, on Sept. 6, was to mark the 35th anniversary of the Marathon of Hope. Reid was so invigorated by the arduous hike, it might become an annual tradition, Fox says. “The attributes we know in Terry — never giving up, the desire to help others — when you think about Rob, there are some similarities there.” Reid has developed a deep, meaningful bond with Victoria, where he has lived since 1988. He’s highly visible on the business front, the public face of multiple Frontrunners footwear and New Balance stores. He’s also a tireless advocate of ending homelessness in the capital region and is a board member of many local charitable organizations. “Victoria is the Oz at the end of the road for me,” Reid says. “I stumbled over my feet and made a lot of mistakes, but you come out on top if you’re fortunate enough.” Reid has dabbled in politics, too. He ran to become the mayor of Victoria in 2008, nearly winning. His first foray into politics grew more emotionally difficult as time wore on, however. Reid’s mother died on Aug. 11, 2008, just three months before the Nov. 15 municipal election. Reid eventually placed second, losing to Dean Fortin by just 601 votes. “My mom died and I was not in the right frame of mind to do what I did then. I couldn’t get out of bed in the morning, but I made myself do it. It was a five- to six-week run, which was ludicrous. It wasn’t really a good idea.” Reid lost his father decades earlier. Bob Reid, an insurance salesman, died at 38 during surgery for a genetic heart condition. “We sort of went from middle class to losing what we had.” With little money to support him, Reid’s mother sent her six-year-old son to live with family friends for a year while she went back to school to become a nurse. The effect this had on Reid was considerable, and can be connected directly to his need to help others who are now in similar straits. “A lot of those things touched me first-hand. Losing a home, so to speak, not having a solid family — it shook me up for a couple of years. It was a tough time, but you appreciate people helping out.” Reid has repaid the goodwill, and has been recognized for his kindness with a National Philanthropy Award, among other honours. He either founded or sponsors Runners of Compassion, Every Step Counts and Shoes for Youth, programs designed to help capital region residents who face housing, mental health, and addiction issues. “He gets actively engaged and involved,” says Kathy Stinson, executive director of the Victoria Cool Aid Society, with which Reid regularly collaborates.
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R E I D : S T I L L R U N N I N G F O R G O O D H E A LT H “He’s not just a supporter behind the scenes. He gives up his whole person. Without him, we would certainly not be as rich of an organization in terms of philosophy.” Ever humble, Reid would rather that his actions speak for themselves. “If I can pass on something that is going to help somebody out and ground them, that’s another reason to get involved.” He received physical education and bachelor of education degrees at the University of Western Ontario in London. After meeting his second wife, Joan Geber, during a running clinic, and marrying her, the newlyweds moved to Alberta to find work. Reid was hired in Calgary as an employment counsellor, helping kids who were dropping out of school. Reid began running marathons at a competitive level. He was a good at it, too. His personal best of 2:22 was in the 1980s in Toronto, a time that still has impact today. For example, had he posted 2:22 at this year’s New York Marathon, Reid would have placed 16th overall — in theory, the highest-placing Canadian by 13 spots. Though he’s technically retired from competition, Reid still runs for the sake of his mental and physical health. “Everybody needs something, whatever the outlet is. Fitness becomes a close friend you don’t want to lose, so it’s hard giving it up once you get going.” He has been a good friend and mentor to many of his employees, some of whom, with Reid’s help, have gone on to open stores of their own. He was given the same helping hand as a young businessman, so he thinks nothing of giving a leg up to former staffers such as Nick Walker, who now co-owns with Reid two New Balance stores and three Frontrunners stores on Vancouver Island. “I wouldn’t be in business if people hadn’t supported me when I needed help.”
Where does he go now? He’s keen to spend most of his time with his wife, now retired, and his daughter and three sons. As for his own retirement, Reid says he may never commit to the idea. “When there’s less room at the end of the runway, you start to think, ‘Do I have 20 years left? What am I going to do?’ People ask me if I’m going to retire, but I’ve always been retired in a sense because I do what I want. “As long as you’re getting energy out of what you’re doing, and can give back some energy in the right way, that’s a good thing. But if you can leave something behind that makes it better for somebody else, that’s what counts.”
In 2012, Rob Reid greets Hans Sandberg, then 91, at the finish line during the GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon. ADRIAN LAM PHOTO
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Restoring mobile masterpieces
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A 1955 Mercedes 300SL gullwing is pieced together and prepped for painting inside Coachwerks Automotive Restoration. For owner Mike Grams, “It is an art form.�
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Tools of the trade.
S T O RY: A D R I A N C H A M B E R L A I N P H O T O S : B R U C E S T O T E S B U RY
F
rom the outside, Coachwerks Automotive Restoration looks modest enough. The garage, a nondescript tan and brown, is tucked discretely within Victoria’s rough-and-tumble industrial district. Blink and you’ll miss it. Inside it’s something else. Coachwerks housed a 1955 Mercedes Benz 300SL gullwing, a pair of Mercedes Benz 300SL roadsters (1958 and 1959), a 1967 Austin-Healey BJ8, a 1980 Porsche 930 turbo, a 1958 Alfa Romeo Guilietta Spider and a 1965 Volkswagen bus with 21 windows. The interior of the shop is brightly lit, neat and tidy. Somehow it recalls the immaculate look of an operating theatre. However, the air is infused with the pleasant tang of paint and oil. Crouched in the back of the shop was the 1959 Mercedes roadster, in mid-restoration, awaiting paint, a gleaming creature sanded to bare steel and aluminum.
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MIke and Tracy Grams: There’s a romance to exotic sports cars, and bringing them back to life comes down to hard, painstaking work.
Mike Grams, Coachwerks’ owner and president, says the vintage auto was in rough shape when it arrived. About one-third of the body had disintegrated over the decades. Making such a car whole again is not for the faint of heart. “It is,” Grams says, “an art form.” In business since 1995, Coachwerks specializes in steel and aluminum post-war sports cars, mostly European and British. A team of nine carry out the body and paint work. Many of the vehicles are rare and exotic. Clients send them from all over the world: the United States, Europe, Asia. If you’re not a car aficionado, you may not recognize the Coachwerks name. It’s a lowkey, under-the-radar operation. Coachwerks
doesn’t advertise. It doesn’t need to — the company gets more than enough business via word-of-mouth. Perhaps you’ve heard of Rudi & Company, the internationally renowned Saanich restorers specializing in Mercedes Benz 300SL gullwings and roadsters. Rudi & Company oversaw the restoration of Pierre Trudeau’s 1960 Mercedes 300SL, probably the most famous automobile in Canada. Coachwerks did all the paint and body work for the Trudeau car. The company is sub-contracted to carry out a steady stream of restorations for Rudi & Company; these comprise up to 50 per cent of Coachwerks’ business. So far, the two auto companies have collaborated on more than 120 projects,
mostly Mercedes 300SLs. Grams met Justin Trudeau when he visited Victoria during the restoration process (the vintage auto was completed in 2005, just in time for the future prime minister’s wedding). “He was well-spoken, very charismatic. He’s very easy to deal with. Very excited about the project,” Grams recalls. Trudeau’s car was in average shape for its age. It was far from a wreck. But it did need work. “Pierre drove it. It was obvious. We had that car all pulled apart and looked at it. There were telling bumps and scrapes and repairs over the years that told you he used this car. He was driving it like he owned it,” Grams says with a smile. Capital
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Coachwerks’ Andrew Smith works on the undercarriage of a 1958 Mercedes 300 SL roadster.
Coachwerks clients tend to be well-heeled. One would have to be. The company’s 2015 restorations include a 1969 Euro-spec Ferrari Daytona, an alloy-body Mercedes 300SL and a 1956 AustinHealey 100M BN2 Le Mans competition car (which subsequently won both “first in class” and “best debuting restoration” at the VanDusen All British Field Meet in Vancouver). Mercedes 300SL restorations are not cheap. These cars are rare and highly sought-after — only 3,258 were built from 1952 to 1963. Rudi Koniczek of Rudi & Company says a Mercedes 300SL restoration typically costs $350,000 US and take 18 months to complete. Fully restored, these autos can fetch $1.5 million US (in the early 1990s they cost $100,000 to $125,000 US) Because prices for the Mercedes 300SL have skyrocketed, Grams encounters more projects that, once upon a time, would be considered too dilapidated for salvaging. What’s the appeal of these iconic cars? “The styling is second to none,” Grams says. “Arguably, the 300SL was the first supercar ever built.” Aside from the Trudeau project, the most spectacular Mercedes restoration done by Rudi & Company/Coachwerks was the holy grail of barn-finds. Koniczek had tracked down a 1955 gullwing Mercedes 300SL stored for decades in a Santa Monica garage. The owner, in his late 80s, received the car as a graduation gift from his parents. In 1971, the transmission failed — and it hadn’t been on the road since then.
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The flowing form of the Mercedes roadster presents myriad challenges to a restoration, especially when parts have to be completely remade. Grams has this “incredible artistic ability to make things.”
What makes this Mercedes extra special is its ultra-rare aluminum alloy body. Only 29 were ever made. These are among the rarest cars in the world, today selling in the range of $7 million to $10 million. Working on these alloy bodies is treacherously difficult. Over the years the aluminum becomes thin and brittle. It can crack when you weld it. “That’s where Mikey [Grams] comes in,” Koniczek says. “He’s got this incredible artistic ability to make things.” Mercedes doesn’t stock replacement body panels for these vintage models. They must be created by restoration shops. At Coachwerks, they employ old-school tools such as a wood buck to mould body parts from scratch,
the English wheel (a metal-working tool with 19th-century origins), the shrinker stretcher and the bead roller. New technology also has its place — for example, laser-beam devices for ultra-accurate measurement. Overall, creating body panels out of nothing, as opposed to merely bolting on new parts, requires the eye of an artist with talent — honed by experience — for knowing what looks correct. Grams says in his business what’s especially challenging is the creation of co-called “moving panels.” By this, he means body panels that curve in multiple directions. You’ll see this in a vintage Ferrari, for instance, or an E-Type
Jaguar. (The English wheel is used for this kind of work.) “If you look at the construction of these cars, everything’s moving. The shapes are falling in different direction. Compound curves,” Grams says. For people such as Grams and Koniczek, these vintage cars are mobile works of art. In one breath, Grams spoke about Ferraris and Mercedes, in the next he referenced the painter Gustav Klimt. Like a fine art restorer, this auto craftsman aims to retain as much of the original as possible. “We’re not out to rebody that car,” Grams says. “We’re out to preserve as much of that car as possible.” Capital
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Ultra-rare 1965 Volkswagen van with 21 windows awaits additional paint touches.
EXTREM COAR E LANGUASE GE
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There’s a romance to exotic sports cars and tales of legendary barn finds. At the same time, such car restoration comes down to hard, painstaking work. One of the most challenging projects undertaken by Coachwerks (again, in collaboration with Rudi & Company) was the seven-year restoration of the 1936 Avions Voisin C25. Purchased by a collector in Reno, Nevada, the art-deco-style automobile is the product of a luxury auto company founded by Gabriel Voisin, a French aviation pioneer. Grams says the construction of this “quirky car” was influenced by early airplanes. The frame is constructed from ash wood, the body from riveted aluminum. There was very little information available on the Avions Voisin; some of it was reconstructed using only photographs as a reference. Coachwerks’ contribution to the restoration alone took 3,500 hours. Koniczek says part of Grams’ over-and-above challenge was replacing the rotten wood and repairing aluminum broken down by electrolysis over 80 years. The total pricetag for Avions Voisin project was $600,000 U.S. “It was our most complicated and difficult restoration,” Koniczek says. Grams grew up in Mackenzie, a small lumber town in Northern B.C. Dog-sled racing and cross country skiing were popular pastimes. He was a car nut as a teen, fixing up a 1969 Ford Cortina GT and tearing around the back roads. Grams recalls being captivated when the occasional exotic sports car passed though. “I remember the first [Jaguar] E-Type I ever saw in town. It stuck out like a sore thumb,” he says.
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An Austin-Healey 3000 BJ8: “I love the idea of bringing these cars back to their former glory,” says Grams.
It stirred something in the teenager. Koniczek has worked with him for 20 years. They met decades ago when Grams was employed as a painter for a local bodyshop. Even then, Koniczek recognized and admired the younger man’s scrupulous attention to detail. Rudi & Company and Coachwerks are among a handful of the world’s top restorers of Mercedes 300SLs.
Their partnership is built on mutual respect. Grams says he and Koniczek are likeminded types who get along well. Koniczek praises both Grams and his wife Tracy (a former banker who is Coachwerks’ accounting and office manager), for being “real people”. “Mike and his team are artists. Coachwerks transcends a normal body shop. What he does is almost alchemy,” Koniczek said.
Low key and soft-spoken, Grams tends to be modest about his achievements. When it comes to the partnership, he says Coachwerks is in the background, as he puts it: “behind the curtain”. Nonetheless, his passion for the art of restoring vintage automobiles is evident. “I’m a sucker for it,” Grams says. “I love the idea of bringing these cars back to their former glory.”
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FRESHNESS IS THE HALLMARK OF YOUNG FAMILY’S ISLAND NUT ROASTERY Max Young prepares cashews and peanuts for grinding into spreads at his Sidney roastery. DARREN STONE PHOTOS
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HOW WE HELP. ΄ IVR] \R\ORab ZRc FVR 4VM\ORa Y]^f ^S M] WbbdR MŪRPcW]U cVRWa OdbW]Rbb͜ fR ZWbcR]͙ ΄ FVR 4VM\ORa OaW]Ub 8aRMcRa HWPc^aWM OdbW]Rbb WbbdRb c^ cVR S^aRSa^]c͙ ΄ 2a\RQ fWcV SMPcb M]Q M PaRQWOZR e^WPR͜ FVR 4VM\ORa f^aYb c^ bVM_R M]Q \MYR M _^bWcWeR PVM]UR͙
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Ah, nuts B Y R I C H A R D W AT T S
N
uts have been part of Max Young’s family tradition for nearly four decades. Selling in bulk or in mixes goes back to the early 1980s when his father, Mark, left commercial fishing for the grocery and bulk-food business. It continues today with an expanded nut roastery, grinding for spreads and a wholesale operation that supplies products to more than 50 stores across the province. Young and his Island Nut Roastery is in the midst of expanding production of nuts and nut products. Last year the company opened new premises near Sidney almost entirely devoted to production for the wholesale market. Its products include smooth and crunchy peanut butters, almond butter, cashew butter and Island-grown hazelnut butter. The company also produces a variety of trail mixes with some wonderful names guaranteed to bring a smile of recognition to any Island resident — Strathcona, Galloping Goose, Highway I and One Sailing Wait. The company also roasts and sells peanuts, almonds, Brazil nuts and hazel nuts in packets and for bulk sale. It’s an expansion on a family tradition going back decades. Mark Young wanted to marry Connie Pepper. Her family were owners of Peppers Grocery located in Cadboro Bay Village. Mark was a commercial fisherman, but was struggling to make payments on his boat. At the time, interest rates were soaring as high as 21 per cent. Mark Young also wanted to remain ashore. So Mark’s new father-inlaw, John Pepper, brought him into the food business. Mark later set out on his own with For Good Measure, opening in 1984 and specializing in bulk foods. Mark Young, now 67, has retired to a small mixed farm in Cobble Hill, keeping chickens and sheep and growing vegetables. Connie Young died in 1998. But For Good Measure remains next to Peppers in Cadboro Bay. 28
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Max, 31, continues to run For Good Measure. Twice a week it sells the veggies grown at the father’s farm, always attracting loyal customers. But Max said he was also looking for a way to expand the business. In 2000, when the family decided the freshness of wholesale nuts wasn’t up to snuff, For Good Measure started roasting in-house. It also started producing a few nut butters and trail mixes and attracted a small following of retail customers. For Max Young, expanding the nut business into wholesale seemed like a good bet. Young said what sets Vancouver Island Roastery products apart from competitors is the freshness. With the exception of the hazelnuts, the uncooked nuts are mostly imported from overseas and the U.S. But they are not roasted or turned into butters until a store has ordered them. So Island Roastery products don’t sit for prolonged periods in a warehouse. He has also remained committed to a slow and steady expansion from retail into wholesale. He did not want to hit the market at high speed and be unable to keep customers supplied. “That’s always been the plan, to have a slow-growth model,” said Young. “We want to pick up a store here or chain there and maybe they have 10 stores,” he said. “Then we want to sit back and wait a month or two to make sure we can keep up with the demand.” “There is no sense in trying to add 100 stores in a week because you’ll never keep up,” he said. His customers include Quality Foods, The Root Cellar, Red Barn Markets and the Markets on Yates and Millstream. With the move into the larger production site in Sidney, Young hopes to expand into other stores and chains. “It allows us to open a conversation with some stores that have expressed an interest in our products, but we weren’t able to produce enough goods for them,” said Young.
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More than just your community newspaper. The Times Colonist will publish 14 magazines in 2016 to complement a growing line of digital products and services.
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his action-based formula is the foundation of the new model for economic development in the south Vancouver Island region. Working together across municipal boundaries, this new model will diversify and strengthen local economies for the benefit of everyone. Sounds logical. Sounds smart. But why hasn’t it happened before? Last fall, a group of determined leaders from business and municipalities and post-secondary institutions came together to challenge history and the status quo, and to create prosperity across the region. YYJ Prosperity is the consequence of a new attitude for combining resources, talents and intentions for the greater good of all. Leaders of our community have recognized that we need a collaborative approach to fostering economic well-being in our region – and we need it now. Over the past six years, the region dropped from fourth to 27th in GDP growth compared to Canada’s other large-city regions. This is an indicator of the growing number of local families struggling to support themselves. The region is one of the most desirable places to live in the world, but our cost of living is high and quality jobs for new graduates and career advancement opportunities are in short supply. While our unemployment rate is low relative to provincial and national average, our economy is not immune to the volatility of global markets. And we are facing the continuous challenge of adapting to new economic, environmental and social realities such as disruptive technologies, climate change and changing citizen expectations. We need a collaborative model and a collaborative process to discuss our common issues and opportunities, so that we build the kind of economy we want, and meet the demands of the next generation. This is our responsibility as community leaders. I also argue strongly that this is our responsibility as parents and grandparents. Under the banner YYJ Prosperity, this new initiative will see the region working together to identify opportunities, remove barriers and pursue federal and provincial funding and international investment in selected economic sectors for projects that reflect local values and deliver family-sustaining jobs.
T
DAN DAGG • Dan Dagg is Interim Chair of YYJ Prosperity, and the CEO of Hot House Marketing.
Collaboration = YYJ prosperity
Bringing the region’s municipalities together to foster economic development will create jobs, new businesses and keep graduates at home to power the future economy. 30
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DARREN STONE PHOTO
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As interim YYJ Prosperity board chairman, I have had the privilege of working with committed community leaders who have contributed hundreds of volunteer hours to establishing the foundation for this new organization and mapping out a new approach to regional economic development. We are learning how to work together, and in different ways. Our vision will be fully realized when local First Nations are participating as equal partners with municipalities and businesses in strategies that create jobs for their communities. Of the 13 municipal governments, 12 have said yes to regional collaboration on economic development. The municipal funding model is based on a 50-50 formula of $1 per capita plus .07% of total tax collected, for an annual total of about $650,000 per year. Private sector and other funders be asked to contribute collectively to an additional target of $400,000 per year in order to successfully leverage matching provincial and federal funds for planned projects in the order of $1.5 million per year.
The YYJ Prosperity project goal: The creation of household-sustaining jobs in targeted sectors of our regional economy
Success measures: 1. Number of new jobs in targeted sectors 2. Median household income (increased) 3. Amount of project funding raised
Regional economic sectors to be explored include: • Agriculture, agribusiness and aquaculture • Ocean technology and marine science • Aviation and aerospace • Advanced manufacturing • Advanced education • Clean technology • Construction • Sports and culture YYJ Prosperity’s interim board is working with founding members to finalize the not-for-profit society’s constitution and bylaws, seeking nominations for an industry-led governance board, and recruiting an executive director.
Whatever your reason to get engaged and make a difference, find it and help chart a new future that realizes the tangible and meaningful benefits of regional collaboration. With your help, YYJ Prosperity will create local economies that reflect the values of our region and provide quality employment for families, new graduates and the next generation.
• Dan Dagg wishes to acknowledge the dedication and contribution of our local mayors and business leaders, the Chamber and Greater Victoria Development Agency officer Dallas Gislason, and the YYJ Prosperity project interim board members — Julie Lawlor, Westshore Chamber; Craig Norris, EAGALUS Management Ltd.; Tom Roemer, Camosun College; Michael Weston, CUBE Global Storage; Kyman Chan, Hayes Stewart Little and Company; and Bruce Williams, CTV Vancouver Island. > For more information and to help inform and advance economic strategies, visit www.yyjprosperity.ca
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Frances von Aesch cuddles Henk, a six-month-old Bouvier. A vet bill for $2,000 “was worth it” as many pet owners consider their furry friends members of the family. BRUCE STOTESBURY PHOTO
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Victoria’s love of pets
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Hey, bulldog! Owners spend $144 million a year on food, veterinary costs and a rainbow of products and other services BY CARLA WILSON Henk bounces effortlessly as he chases his ball at the Dallas Road waterfront. At 23 kilograms, the six-month-old Bouvier des Flandres puppy is playful and cute — at this stage looking more like a fluffy stuffed toy than an impressive breed of dog often used in police work. “They are very smart. That can be a plus or a minus,” laughs Frances von Aesch, co-owner with Dieuwertje von Aesch. This is the von Aesch’s second Bouvier. “They are really good guard dogs,” Frances said. “Honestly, I just think the breed is beautiful.” Pets — chiefly cats and dogs — are a booming business in Greater Victoria, where owners spend $144 million a year on food, veterinary costs and a rainbow of products and other services, according to expert estimates. Although the extent of the cat and dog population is hard to pin down, the region is widely considered one of Canada’s pet capitals. Visit any park — certainly the Dallas Road waterfront — and you can see a daily parade of dogs from morning to night. Ian Fraser, who heads up Victoria Animal Control Services, has tried various formulas to find the local dog population,
h
but calculating such figures is a “crap shoot,” he said. In the capital region, about 33,200 dogs were licensed in 2015, according to local government offices. As for local feline numbers, Fraser said there are “thousands and thousands of cats.” The number of cats is imprecise because they don’t require licences, although the Capital Regional District gives out free cat ID tags — 1,300 in the past few years. Some are household pets, lavished with care, while others are feral and fend for themselves. About 35 per cent of Canadian households owned a dog in 2011, Agriculture Canada said in a report on pet food trends. If that holds for the capital region, there are 59,278 dogs locally, and not all are licensed. If owners spent $1,370 every year on those dogs, the total reaches $81 million. When it comes to cats, about 38.5 per cent of households own a cat, Agriculture Canada said. If 65,205 capital region homes have a cat, and owners spend $976 per year, then annual expenditures would reach $63.64 million. The calculation does not include feral cats. Canada is home to an estimated 6.4 million dogs and seven million pet cats, according to a 2014 survey of 4,200 petowning households commissioned by the Canadian Animal Health Institute. Henk is among thousands of beloved pets in the capital region where owners spend millions on them every year.
Nationally, pet spending is predicted to climb to about $8.3 billion annually by 2018, from $6.6 billion in 2014, said the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, based on a report from research group Packaged Facts. Henk eats top-quality food, sees a veterinarian and has toys and harnesses. He is also covered by pet insurance, costing $85 per month. It paid off when Henk went to the vet for an upper respiratory infection and a lump on his neck which could have been a spider bite. The bill, including x-rays and blood tests, totalled more than $2,000. It’s worth it, said von Aesch. “I sleep better at night.”0 The SPCA prepares potential pet owners for expenses. For example, when adopting a mid-size female dog, initial expenses can run from $290 to $540, including spaying. Annual expenses can be $1,370. Initial cat costs are about $207 to $292, and annual expenses can run to $976. Smaller pets, such as hamsters, gerbils and rats, carry an estimated initial cost of $143 for the animal, cage, care books and more, and an annual cost of $225. Those numbers do not include emergency medical care, initial vaccinations, obedience classes, fencing if required, and a bed, the SPCA said. Dog and cat owners are increasingly keen on premium pet foods, eco-friendly pet services and natural products, according to the Packaged Facts survey. Capital
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Kristi Baird and Bones, a 10 month-old yellow Labrador retriever, compete in Dock Dogs big air competition during Pet-a-Palooza at Ogden Point in August. DARREN STONE PHOTO
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P E T S : 1 2 9 V E T E R I N A R I A N S I N C A P I TA L R E G I O N And owners are increasingly sparing no expense. Many owners view pets as family members, leading manufacturers and retailers to offer “everything from human-style food to couture pet accessories,” the survey said. It’s obvious in the capital region by the sheer numbers and variety of pet-related retail stores and services. These include dog day care, dog walking, pet sitting, veterinarian care, massage, acupuncture, medical rehabilitation, at-home teeth cleaning, nail trimming, portraits, obedience classes, grooming, aquarium maintenance, bird care, and of course, large and small retail outlets, including supermarkets and big box stores. A comparison of pet-related businesses listed in the Yellow Pages between 1995 and 2015 show fairly similar numbers. Total vets and pet hospitals were 60-plus in each case. The number of groomers was at 33 this year, compared with 26 in 1995. However, it is likely total businesses have
increased because some pet businesses are listed on the Internet only. The capital region has 129 veterinarians, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association said. Victoria’s Meghan Jaye considers Rooibos, her five-year-old Italian Mastiff-St. Bernard cross, “absolutely a member of my family.” Weighing 48 kilograms, Rooibos has a gleaming brindle coat and lots of energy. Jaye said annual costs of $1,200 per year are “totally worth it because she is healthy.” Then there are vet expenses, such as the $1,000 bill when Rooibos needed surgery after knocking out two front teeth. Agriculture Canada valued the pet food market at just under $1.7 billion in 2011. Specialty pet store retailers, which may sell pricier products, are able to compete by carrying premium brands and offering tailored advice to consumers. As well, small-scale producers of cat and dog food are increasing their market share, the federal report said. They are
especially competitive in the natural, “homemade” and organic markets, the report said. Benny, a black pug, gets marrow-filled dog bones from Glenwood Meats, on Parkdale Drive, as treats from Dennis Desjardins. Dennis and Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins frequently take care of Benny for their son Max, the dog’s owner. Mayor Desjardins knit Benny a red Christmas sweater and bought him a white satin bow-tie for formal occasions. She figures they spend between $200 and $300 per year on Benny. This is not unusual. “Pet owners across the country enjoy indulging their furry pals,” Ipsos Public Affairs said in a 2013 survey. Ipsos found that 64 per cent of owners have bought presents for their pets. About one-third of pet owners take their pets on holidays and, of those, 71 per cent said that choosing pet-friendly hotels and airlines is an important factor when they are making plans.
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PETS ARE PEOPLE, TOO >>> Local products come first Like many retailers, Lisa Nitkin faces competition from bigbox stores and the Internet, but the owner of Pets West fights back with personal service from long-time staff. Customers come in for advice and see the same faces, creating connections with the 16 employees. That is fostered by giving pet owners the chance to ask questions, which are answered on Facebook. They can also submit photos of their pets to a Pets West web page. Nitkin chooses merchandise from local sources first and is pleased an increasing number of pet products, including dog food and dog treats, are being produced here. After buying an existing pet store, Nitkin has settled into 4,500 square feet in the Broadmead Village Shopping Centre. She does not sell dogs, but works with adoption organizations to find homes for cats. Pet owners are increasingly aware and interested in how best to care for their animals, which they regard as members of their family, Nitkin said. The store also sells fish and small pets.
Pets West owner Lisa Nitkin has been running her business since 1989 and has 16 employees. “Owners get a lot of emotional reward” from pets. BRUCE STOTESBURY PHOTO
“Dogs are a lot of work but [owners get] a lot of emotional reward,” said Nitkin. Pets West: 220-777 Royal Oak Dr.
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Mhairi Nicolson started making raw dog food because she wanted to know exactly what Moose — her Bernese mountain dog — was eating. She became wary of the range of ingredients in some commercial dog foods. That passion aligned with her partner’s own interest. After selling raw food treats at local markets, Nicolson and Dan Bennett opened their Raw Feeding Victoria store in November. They did their business research in late October, sitting in the Fernwood Inn, Nicolson said. In the space of one hour, “we counted 40 dogs walking by.” The four-legged traffic convinced them there was a local market for their products. Moose, and their other dog, Athena, a chihuahua they adopted, are thriving on raw food diets, Nicolson said. The 300-square-foot store carries human-grade raw dog food that the couple prepares in a leased space on a North Saanich farm. Their meat comes from B.C. Nicolson and Bennett are at the farm once a week to prepare dog food, which is based on a combination of two popular raw food diets. Their recipe includes 10 per cent vegetables. They also sell single-ingredient dehydrated treats. Raw Feeding Victoria: E2-1284 Gladstone Ave.,
Dogs need massage, too www.debtsolutions.deloitte.ca
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CARING FOR OUR FRIENDS
Rusty’s bad back gets some attention from Kristen Giglio. Kristen Giglio’s passion for animal rehab was sparked by frustration. She was a teenager when her horse was injured and there were few therapy options. That got her started on the idea of pursuing rehabilitation therapy for animals as a career. She studied animal health, equine therapy and canine rehabilitation. Giglio now runs her own therapy business and also works with McKenzie Veterinary Services. Business is equally divided between dogs and horses. Giglio provides a range of treatment options, including deep tissue massage, musculoskeletal adjustments, accupresssure and reiki-energy therapy. “Whatever they need.” This includes rehab, strengthening and preventative treatment. The goal is to get the animal’s body into balance, and to offer treatment and maintenance if needed. Services include custom-made braces that are manufactured and fitted locally. Depending on the situation, treatment sessions can run 45 to 90 minutes. Giglio likes to see animals at home to understand where they are living and develop a program suited to their environment. Giglio believes dogs know that they are being helped. “It’s an energy or presence. Animals are really sensitive.” Most therapy focuses on backs, hind ends and shoulders. Advanced Connections Equine and Canine Therapy (ACE): http://acetherapy.ca
Cats disguise illnesses Victoria’s Heritage Cat Clinic admits felines only. Veterinarian Dr. Christine Baer said that by serving cats alone, she can keep up with the latest treatments and care. A cat-only clinic also means patients will not be upset by being around dogs.
Baer, who has been a vet for 30 years, has noticed that about half the cats she sees these days have been adopted through the Internet, whereas in the past a greater proportion were from the SPCA, which provides vaccinations and spays or neuters pets before they go to their new homes. She recommends annual examinations. A change in weight, for example, could indicate a problem. Cats are very good at disguising their illnesses, Baer said. Some owners do not think that regular vaccinations are necessary, but it’s a good idea to check with a vet even if a cat lives indoors. If a cat goes outdoors, it requires annual shots, Baer said. An indoor cats may need vaccinations because most viruses are airborne. It depends on the individual circumstances, she said. Heritage Cat Clinic: 955 North Park St.
Clip and a haircut ... Sylvia Panziera has been grooming pets for more than a quarter century. It’s a job she loves as dogs and cats and other furry creatures are more than ever considered members of families. “It was a dream of mine to work with animals,” said Panziera. “I have an extreme connection with them.” Panziera said most pet owners forge “family connections,” and “business has been booming for that reason.” Work starts at 9 a.m. at her grooming business, and the key Pet grooming expert each day is being gentle with Sylvia Panziera animals, as they may be feeling stressed. Panziera grooms dogs and clips cats, too. Lion cuts are popular for cats, mainly to take out mats or help reduce allergies. People also bring in their guinea pigs for nail trims. She even washed a pig one time. “I don’t really say no to anybody,” said Panziera. Customers drop off their pets and they are ready in one hour. A wash and clip is about $50 and up. Panziera will start puppies out for no charge, making them tidy and trimming nails so they get used to coming in to a groomer. Pawsitive Pet Grooming, 116-2244 Sooke Rd.
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B.C. legislature grounds
Queen’s printer
1
zies Men
10
A2
St.
A1
506
B
4
6
RP
9
5
9
Government St.
Superior St.
514
D
7 C
E
HH
8
3
Michigan St.
2
N 30 metres
A1 Office building A1
D Residential building D
1
Central public plaza
5 Central courtyard
A2 Office building A2
E Residential building E
2
Southwest corner plaza
6 East courtyard
3
Mid-block ‘mini-park’
7 Parry walkway
4
West courtyard
8 Powell walkway
B Retail/residential building B
HH Relocated heritage houses
C Office building C
RP Plaza retail pavillion
9 East/west walkway 10 Service area
Behind the legislature,
a massive project is about to take shape
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B Y L I N D S AY K I N E S
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For months, a large hole at the corner of Menzies and Superior streets has been a major source of entertainment near the B.C. legislature. James Bay residents and government employees walking to work often pause to study the massive Capital Park development that will eventually encompass almost an entire city block from Superior to Michigan, and Menzies to the Queen’s Printer on Government Street. Concert Properties and Jawl Development Corp., which partnered to buy the 6.2-acre property behind the legislature from the province for $34 million, envision an eclectic mix of office and residential buildings, pathways, courtyards, retail shops, a central plaza, a fitness facility and, perhaps, a public library branch. “It’s our hope that we see everything from younger singles and professionals working in the city to retirees and, hopefully, we get families living there as well,” said Robert Jawl of Jawl Properties. “It’s really been designed to cater to a diverse array of residents and I think that’s reflective of what’s in James Bay at the moment. It’s a very diverse community that seems to find appeal across a huge swath of age ranges and demographics within Victoria. The hope is that this project can complement that.”
Capital Park will eventually be home to about 1,200 office workers during the day, and 250 to 300 people living in 175 residential units. A library may also be in the mix. CONCERT AND JAWL PROPERTIES
The creators of the Capital Park project behind the B.C. legislature aim to make it a showcase for sustainable development. They hope to achieve a platinum rating for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for the two office buildings, and a gold rating on the residential structures. To that end, that project is expected to include: • High efficiency lighting, heating and cooling • Low-volume water fixtures • Green spaces on the roofs • Office fitness facilities • Showers and change rooms for cyclists and extensive bike storage • Electric-vehicle charging stations • Energy Star appliances in apartments and condos • Building designs that make the most of daylight • Native plants and rain gardens to manage storm water Capital
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MASSIVE PROJECT
The initial phase will focus on the west side of the block where the first of two office buildings will rise on Superior Street. A second building on Menzies will have retail on the first floor topped by three storeys of residential. The developers remain optimistic that a Greater Victoria Public Library branch will be among the tenants on Menzies. “From the community consultation that’s been completed, it seems like such a facility would be very well received within the neighborhood,” Jawl said. The first building is slated for completion in 2017, at which point, government employees will move to their new digs, the older buildings to the east will be demolished and work will begin on the second office building, with completion set for 2019. Plans call for a central plaza between the two office buildings directly across the street from the legislature. The developers hope that a restaurant or bistro there will become a destination for MLAs and government workers as well as people that live and work in the neighbourhood. “We like to think of it as what could be the start of a nice little neighbourhood core,” said Brian McCauley, president of Concert Properties. In addition to the office and retail space, the project includes three new residential buildings along Michigan Street on the south side of the property. “We think we’ll be able to accelerate those and build those out at the same time we’re building the second office building,” McCauley said. Of the five historic houses at the site, two have been moved to a property on Dallas Road and will be refurbished as single-family homes. The other three will be relocated along Michigan, renovated as rental units and designated as heritage structures. That work is expected to be done by 2016. “It’s a bit of a game of musical chairs on the site right now, because the homes can’t get relocated until some of the buildings get knocked down,” McCauley said. “So there is a bit of an orchestration going on now.” He said the developers played close attention to the vision for the site that was included in the Victoria Accord 22 years ago. “We didn’t impose a form of development there that was really foreign to the neighbourhood,” McCauley said. “So the tallest building we have is five storeys. “We didn’t feel that it was appropriate to push hard on dramatically changing the development scheme that was done several years ago. There was a lot of good community involvement in that process and both the Jawls and ourselves felt it was important to respect that.” Eventually, Capital Park will be home to about 1,200 office workers during the day, and about 250 to 300 residents in about 175 units. “Then, it would be our hope that many hundred more visit the site each day,” Jawl said. 40
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ABOUT THE S G N I D L I BU Office The project features two four- to five-storey office buildings on Superior Street with about 235,000 square feet of office space. Most of the space will be used by the B.C. government. The first building is under construction and is slated for completion in 2017. The second phase will run from 2017 to 2019.
Retail The project will include about 17,500 square feet of retail space. Most of that will be on the main level of a four-storey building along Menzies Street. The top three floors will be residential. The developers hope to see a Greater Victoria Public Library branch here. A limited amount of retail space will also front a plaza between the two office buildings and directly across the street from the B.C. legislature. The developers envision a restaurant or bistro there catering to MLAs, office workers and James Bay residents.
Residential In addition to the residential units above the retail on Menzies, the developers plan to build three residential buildings along Michigan on the southern side of the property. The buildings will range in size from three to five storeys. As well, three heritage homes will be moved from their current location on Superior to Michigan and restored as rental units. Two other heritage houses have been relocated to a parcel of land on Dallas Road and renovated for use as single-family homes. In all, there will be about 175 rental units and condominiums on the Capital Park site.
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K AT Y FAIRLEY • Katy Fairley is a shareholder, director and business development manager at Kinetic Construction. She also sits on the board of directors for the Vancouver Island Construction Association.
How to solve the labour shortage (or why I continue to be surprised by the lack of women in construction) was recently asked why I continue to be surprised the construction industry is dominated at all levels and in all facets by men. Why, after making my living in the industry for more than five years now, how have I not accepted this fundamental aspect of our industry? I love construction, the challenges and the satisfaction in seeing tangible results rise before my eyes. It is a dynamic and progressive industry, one that employs one in 13 Canadians and contributes nearly 10 per cent to Canada’s GDP. The constant drum beat we hear in this industry is the labour shortage — both in the trades and at the management
I
level — as the baby boomers retire. According to the B.C. Construction Association, there will be 58,000 job openings in construction over the next eight years. Only one in 85 high school students pursue the trades after graduation, but to meet demand, it needs to be one in five graduates. This is a tremendous shortfall and one that cannot be solved by only looking to just 50 per cent of the population who traditionally fill these roles. The timeless perception of construction is a man swinging a hammer. So, to interrupt this assumption, any conversation regarding the labour shortage must also make a point to note the inclusion of women. By not addressing the gender issue upfront, a disservice is being done to the issues facing our industry. Male or female, construction and the trades are not for everyone. It is early and long hours; it can be physically demanding in challenging environments. There is certainly a hard edge to the personalities that thrive in construction and not all appreciate and can succeed in that type of setting. But the sense of accomplishment is second to none. In addition to stating the obvious fact that construction careers are not simply limited to men, the next step is to make it an option: put it on the table, say it a viable career choice. As an industry, we must do a better job in changing the perceptions of construction as low pay, low skill and blue collar. According to Statistics Canada, it pays too: the average salary in “blue collar” construction is $15,000 more a year than the national average. In 2016, does the colour of your collar still matter? Putting a career in construction “on the table” for a woman is vital for the future of our industry, not just in filling jobs, but in incorporating her unique “soft skills.” The statistics paint a bleak picture. According to BuildForce Canada, six per cent of women in construction hold non-administrative positions and this includes tradespeople. The percentage of women in the building trades is increasing at the glacial pace of one per cent every 10 years. Women are twice as likely as men to walk away from their apprenticeship. There are many issues stopping women from entering, and staying, in the industry, including lack of child care and flexible hours , in addition to hostile work environments. Few industries have such shockingly low female participation rates. There is much handwringing over the lack of women in other traditionally male dominated fields such as technology and engineering. And in technology, women represent 15 per cent of technical roles, such as engineers and coders. Interestingly, another industry stands toe to toe with construction — entertainment, where women directed only 6.4 per cent of films in 2013 and 2014, according to the Directors Guild of America. Because it’s 2016, I will continue to be surprised that construction is dominated nearly exclusively by men. It is not okay for an industry that’s vital to our economy to be overwhelmingly dominated by men. This industry is far too dynamic and interesting to leave it only to men. Capital
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V I C T O R I A’ S F I L M B O O M
13-year-old Isaac Elijah emerges from the forests of Mount Douglas Park during filming of 1491: The Untold Story of the Americas Before Columbus. BRUCE STOTESBURY PHOTO
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V I C T O R I A’ S F I L M B O O M : 2 8 P R O D U C T I O N S I N 2 0 1 5
A surging scene and new challenges BY MICHAEL D. REID
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he sudden appearance of those fluorescent-orange arrows on power poles is a telltale sign a movie or TV series is shooting nearby. You know the capital region’s film production scene is really booming when crews follow arrows to their show’s “crew park” or set, only to realize they’ve pulled into another film’s location. Such was the case at least once last year, said Victoria film commissioner Kathleen Gilbert. “In Victoria, crews are used to following whatever arrows they see,” said the head of the Vancouver Island South Film and Media Commission. “There’s a point where we can be too busy.” Not that Gilbert was complaining as she recalled the state of production here in 2015, a situation that coincidentally matched the title of a Frank Sinatra song playing in the background: It Was a Very Good
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Year. Indeed, it was. Twenty-eight productions kept crews busy here in 2015, generating nearly $20 million in direct spending. Productions filmed in whole or in part here included 10 made-for-TV movies, which Gilbert calls “our bread-and-butter,” seven feature films, seven TV series episodes and two commercials. Notable homegrown projects included 1491: The Untold Story of the Americas Before Columbus, producer Barbara Hager’s eight-part miniseries; and Connor Gaston’s feature debut The Devout. High-profile features included Lakeshore Entertainment’s psychological thriller The Boy; Air Bud Entertainment’s Monkey Up and Pupstar; the late Wes Craven’s horror film The Girl in the Photographs; Really Real Films’ Stranger in the House; and Nadia Litz’s indie feature The People Garden.
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V I C T O R I A’ S F I L M B O O M : M A N A G I N G G R O W T H Small-screen highlights included such Hallmark projects as Karen Kingsbury’s The Bridge, parts 1 and 2; The Gourmet Detective 2; Signed Sealed Delivered 3; The Last Resort; Playdate; Just in Time for Christmas; Chesapeake Shores; Lifetime’s Perfect High and its reality TV satire series UnReal; Disney XD’s Mark & Russell’s Wild Ride; episodic footage for AMC’s Hell on Wheels and OLN’s The Liquidator. The boom fulfilled a long-term goal for Gilbert, who had her fifth year in the commission office last year. The upswing was thanks largely to the economic impact of the provincial government’s long-awaited implementation of an additional six-per-cent distant location tax credit for producers who film in the capital region. It’s a perk that Gilbert lobbied hard to attain. Last year’s production revenues broke the 2006 record, when 12 shoots generated $18 million. Before the comeback, many local craftspersons were still smarting from the effects of 2008, attributed largely to the capital region’s exclusion from the list of jurisdictions deemed eligible for the coveted tax credit. Many had to find alternate employment, leave the business or work on the Lower Mainland. Production revenues plummeted to $7.3 million that lamentable year; most of that money came from the sci-fi series Impact. By contrast, there were so many film and TV shoots here in 2015, particularly during the summer, some crew members found themselves being able to pick and choose projects. “Last summer, we had trouble getting hotels for creative people, never mind them getting a deal,” said Gilbert, recalling it was the first time in 25 years she saw two film crews shooting on the same street here. “That happens in Vancouver, not here, and we don’t want to push the public’s patience. “We don’t want to be as busy as Vancouver, where people are running into crews on every street,” she said. The biggest challenge in 2016 will be “managing growth,” said Gilbert, whose strategy includes trying to space out pro-
Trainer Tom Gunderson cradles Crystal the monkey between scenes during the filming of Monkey Up in Oak Bay. BRUCE STOTESBURY PHOTO ductions to avoid peak-season gridlock. “It’s an important challenge for the municipalities,” said Gilbert. Annual funding for the film commission includes grants from Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, Langford and Sidney in addition to provincial government grants. Last year’s sudden production surge was prompted in part by the success of the fivemonth shoot here in 2014 for the Fox series Gracepoint, which drew more attention to the region. “It takes a village, and everybody was extraordinary,” recalled Leslie
Belzberg, senior vice-president for scripted production with Shine America, which coproduced the series. “It’s the first time I’ve come into a location with a production company [and] had such a positive experience.” Gracepoint was a litmus test for local crews whose only other experience servicing an entire TV series was when Crescent Entertainment’s 10-part miniseries Terminal City, shot here in 2004. “We’ve done it before and we can do it again,” said Gilbert. Capital
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V I C T O R I A’ S F I L M B O O M : ‘ F A B U L O U S ’ B U I L D I N G S Film crews transformed Lower Johnson Street to resemble Bourbon Street in New Orleans for the family feature Pupstar. The McPherson Playhouse and Royal Theatre were also used in the film. DARREN STONE PHOTO
Her staff has been fielding a rising number of requests, in part because of overcrowding and a shortage of studio space in Vancouver. Last year, it sent out 108 location packages. They also facilitated a dozen location surveys, which involves shuttling senior production executives around to prospective locations. Trish Dolman, the Vancouver-based producer and founder of Screen Siren Pictures (Hector and the Search for Happiness), is no stranger to filming on Vancouver Island — her dramatic feature film Luna starring Adam Beach was filmed in Gold River in 2006 — and she has been setting her sights on Victoria. She got to know the capital more as an executive producer on The Bridge last year. “I found the people were very friendly, and there were some really great locations and a smaller-town feel it to it,” said Dol46
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man. She said it had potential for location filming for The Keeper, her company’s psycho-sexual thriller written by Orphan Black co-creator Graeme Manson. It is set in 1922 at a remote lighthouse off the west coast. Her other film with local potential is a period piece set in the 1950s that requires a city block with buildings from that era that is intact. “You have these fabulous buildings from different eras,” she said. “Of course you have to bring cast and some crew over but there are cost savings that help defray the costs of shooting in Victoria.” Dolman said it was heartening to hear there are some veteran department heads living in Victoria who are training local talent to bolster the region’s infrastructure. Gilbert said her focus in 2016 is to work
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with a film industry advisory board she has established and continue growing the local crew base by working with industry veterans to develop training courses. Other priorities include identifying and fostering opportunities for production office space and a possible studio space, a big plus for producers. “You need it for everything,” said Dolman. “You need to build certain interior sets we can’t find on location. It’s hard to find a working hospital in Victoria, for example.” Bruce Carter, CEO of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce said the industry’s benefits were abundantly obvious during a banner year. “The film and TV industry supports local businesses, venue locations, caterers, hotels and more,” said Carter, predicting it will continue creating jobs and other income opportunities for locals.
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ALLAN CAHOON • Allan Cahoon, PhD, is president and vice-chancellor of Royal Roads University
Regenerative culture: An antidote to change and uncertainty hen you experience a university convocation ceremony, the aspirations of new graduates are palpable. From those embarking on their first career to the mid-career professional renewing, reaffirming or launching a new vocation, all new graduates aspire to use their new-found knowledge and skills for personal, professional and community benefit. But as we move from a predictable, resource-dominated workplace to a knowledge-driven economic environment requiring dynamic, continuous learning and skill acquisition, the one inevitable constant new graduates can rely upon is change. The landscape of the new workplace is driven partly by changing cultural values — shifting positively or slipping negatively, depending on your perspective or age — where the boundaries of ethical practice are tested continuously in an era of unprecedented turbulence in both the private and public sectors. When the future is unknown, change can open doors to new
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opportunities and as-yet unimagined, positive futures. Unfortunately for some, change also triggers uncertainty. In more than 40 years as a working professional, I have encountered two opposing approaches to organizational change with vastly different impacts on workplace culture. The traditional or reactive approach attempts to stamp out uncertainty. By imposing rigid structures and inflexible processes, an energy-draining, command and control approach reinforces a bureaucratic style of organizational culture. In the resulting degenerative workplace, risk-taking is discouraged, and blame for perceived failures is rampant. Trust is low. Suspicion becomes part of the workplace culture. Closed, one-way communication predominates and work is delegated rigidly with highly-controlled workflows. Employees feel undervalued and censor their ideas. Without pride in the organization, people scan job postings and think of working elsewhere. An organization’s descent into a degenerative work environment is often unconscious and usually unintended. As managers cope with increasing demands to change, effective workplace processes are ignored. I have learned that in times of change and uncertainty, it is helpful to focus not only on where the organization is going, but how the organization gets there. Like any fledgling organization, the early days of Royal Roads University were characterized by unknowns as the organization built something different on the educational landscape. Royal Roads embraced its distinct mandate to provide education that serves B.C.’s labour market needs solely in applied and professional fields. Through an interdisciplinary lens, Royal Roads developed programs that support students to acquire learning when it is needed and how it is needed, and to support graduates to advance in the workplace. In these changing times, an emphasis on ethics and valuesbased leadership is especially important. I am proud that Royal Roads has become a living laboratory for a regenerative work culture where two-way communication creates a sense of ownership in the organization's results and successes by everyone involved. This takes a commitment by management to be positively responsive to informed risk-taking by employees, to encourage people to try new things openly and build trust in the institution and in each other. In a workplace that generates and regenerates trust, aspiration and pride, uncertainty is not a threat, and change itself becomes a driver for creativity and innovation. As part of Royal Roads’ anniversary celebrations last year — 20 years as a public university and 55 years as a military college — we asked our honorary degree holders and current RRU Presidential Fellows for their perspectives on the skills critical for new graduates to realize their aspirations. Their resounding response: New graduates must have the tools to navigate change, to build regenerative workplaces and thus create the conditions for ethical leadership to flourish. As we embark on a new year at Royal Roads, and as new students and new graduates proceed with high aspirations, we embrace the challenge to continuously generate a values-based approach in our living laboratory for change. Capital
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LEGAL PROFILES I N T H E C A P I TA L
Law plays a significant role in how Victoria works. Meet leading local law firms – ready to help you or your business – and find answers to some frequently asked questions.
THE DOME ATOP OF THE LEGISLATURE BUILDING IN VICTORIA, B.C. – TIMES COLONIST FILE PHOTO
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yler Luchies has been practicing in Victoria since 1991. He was born in Calgary, Alberta and grew up in various parts of Canada including Nova Scotia and Edmonton. Tyler has volunteered on various committees including the Humanitarian Award Committee and provides pro bono work on a consistent basis. He has also volunteered focusing on issues of youth at risk and food security in Victoria.
James and Tyler met soon after they each came to Victoria to practice law. Their friendship facilitated the founding of Stevenson Luchies & Legh in 1997 with the late Marnie Stevenson, one of British Columbia’s first female lawyers. Since their start in a small office on Fort Street, they have grown a firm which is now one of the largest on Vancouver Island with fourteen lawyers in three offices. They have attracted a diverse group of exceptionally talented lawyers and support staff, with expertise in litigation, family law, commercial transactions, human rights, strata law and more.
You can trust the experience of Stevenson Luchies & Legh.
Tyler and his wife Jennifer are strong supporters of youth sports.They have three children, 9, 11, and 13 who participate in different sports and activities depending on the season. In particular,Tyler enjoys coaching his children in whatever sports they may be doing and where there is a need. Currently Tyler is coaching his daughter in grade 4 girls night league basketball and will shortly commence coaching his younger son in baseball. Tyler and his family are avid outdoors people and particularly love skiing, being on the water and enjoying the beauty of Mount Washington.
DOWNTOWN VICTORIA Suite 300 - 736 Broughton St., Victoria, BC, V8W 1E1
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250.381.4040 Toll-Free: 1.888.381.8555 website: sll.ca email: lawyers@sll.ca Page: 49.p1.pdf
J
ames Legh was born in Ottawa, grew up in Winnipeg and raised his family in Victoria. Volunteering has been a way of life for James and his family since he was a youth, a trait he has maintained to this day. You may have seen him directing traffic at the Saanich Fair, acting on stage for Kaleidoscope fundraisers, participating on the Saanich Police Board, or for more than 35 years leading youth on adventures with Scouts Canada. As a successful lawyer, his 30 year career has provided James with opportunities to climb some of the highest mountains on five continents, travel from the Galapagos Islands to the Serengeti and snorkel the Great Barrier Reef. He has been able to use his professional acumen to gather an ownership team for the Gorge Pointe Pub, develop the national brand of Silk’n Soft Bamboo bathroom tissue (including an appearance on Dragon’s Den) and grow various other successful businesses. James has been an active and proud father of two vibrant young women while at the same time was honoured to Chair the National Scout Foundation, act as President (on two occasions) of the Victoria Bar Association while regularly providing free legal advice at the Victoria Pro Bono clinic. If he does get any time off, you may find James skiing, off in a canoe or simply reading a book on a warm beach.
SOOKE OFFICE 6689 Sooke Road, Sooke, BC (meeting place only) WESTSHORE OFFICE Suite 103 - 2849 Peatt Road, Langford, BC, V9B 3V5
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Stevenson Luchies & Legh Q A
How long can I put off seeing a lawyer?
When you have a problem, there are often only two ways to resolve it: by agreement or by a court order. Seeing a lawyer early has the benefit of finding out what you need to do before it is too late. A critical issue for everyone is knowing how long you have to actually sue. The Limitations in British Columbia were changed in 2013, and in some cases, they were reduced. Most claims must now be filed within two (2) years of when a contract is broken, you are hurt, or you suffer some form of loss. If you do not file by the deadline, you will forever be barred from seeking justice.
Q A
My parent remarried at age 60, then died and left everything to their spouse. What can I do?
There is provision in B.C. law for a spouse or child to make a claim to vary a will, if the deceased did not make adequate provision for them. The court will consider the legal and moral responsibilities of the deceased to their spouse and child to determine if the will should be changed. If you think you should have received something, or more, from the estate, you should consult a lawyer for options as soon as possible.
ADVERTISING FEATURE
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Thompson Cooper LLP Q A
What advice do you have for someone with a potentially valuable idea?
Q A
What are the most common problems you are consulted about by businesses?
In order to avoid losing control of your idea, BEFORE you disclose the idea to anyone, have them sign a “confidentiality” agreement. It is only with hindsight that you realize you trusted the wrong person. Also, seek professional advice early; delay may result in loss of rights.
Protecting ideas, name disputes and materials posted on websites: businesses do not take enough care in selecting and protecting names for their businesses and products. Web crawlers search the internet for materials used without permission.
T
hompson Cooper LLP is a legal firm that focuses exclusively on the area of law known as “Intellectual Property”. This involves protecting ideas by a thorough understanding and application of Patent law,Trademark Law, Design Law, Copyright Law and Trade Secrets. Thompson Cooper LLP works cooperatively with business lawyers and intentionally does not do the legal work that business lawyers typically do. The firm and its predecessor have had an office in Victoria for 20 years. Douglas B.Thompson Q.C. has been in the legal profession for 40 years, and has practised exclusively in the area of Intellectual Property since 1988. Michael Cooper has practised exclusively in the area of Intellectual Property since 2000. Thompson Cooper LLP represents both domestic clients with respect to Canadian and foreign patent and trademark filings; and foreign applicants who wish to file in Canada.
Suite #201, 1007 Fort Street, Victoria, BC V8V 3K5
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250.389.0387
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tcllp.ca
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Browne Associates Q A
Can my spouse deal with assets which are in my name only if I become mentally incapacitated?
It is important to plan for incapacity while you are still capable. One important tool in this area is an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) in which you appoint your spouse, for example, to be your agent to deal with your finances and property on your behalf, to the extent permitted by law, and subject to any restrictions you choose to impose. Absent a Power of Attorney, once you become incapacitated, your spouse will require a court to appoint you as Committee. Obviously, a court application will be a much more involved and expensive process, so it is always better to make arrangements while you are capable. You may also wish to ensure that you have a Representation Agreement in place – to appoint persons to make health care decisions for you, and to ensure that your Will is up to date and that it reflects your wishes.
Q A
Can a child under 19-years of age benefit directly in terms of a will?
Q
If I transfer my home to my children jointly with me, will they inherit it outright – without the need for probate?
A
Yes, although there are several detriments to such an action. Firstly, there is a loss of control, so that if you decide to sell the property, you will need the consent of your children. In addition, it is possible that your property may become vulnerable to matrimonial or creditor disputes of your children. Further, your children could face capital gains tax if the value of the property increases – from the time they are put on title to the time the property is sold. Sometimes probate is the less expensive option.
A gift for a child under 19 years of age must be placed into a trust for things such as medical or dental expenses, educations costs, and to enhance their quality of life. In absence of such a trust, the gift to the child will be held by the Public Guardian and Trustee until the child reaches 19-years of age.
Browne Associates is a full service “boutique” style law firm. The moment clients walk in our door they feel at ease, no matter what problems they face. Nothing is too small or too big for us to handle. Our experienced lawyers and support staff make everyone feel welcome in a professional and comfortable atmosphere. Dunstan Browne established the firm in 1997, with a change of name in 2002, and now there are 4 lawyers and 5 support staff. David Ibbetson and Kelly Orr have been associates since 1999, joined later by Fiona Hughes. Many staff have been here since opening. We specialise in estate planning, probate applications, real estate sales and purchases, both personal and commercial, matrimonial matters (such as divorce and separation) as well as business law, including incorporations and acting as registered and records office, entertainment law and contracts. Everything is explained in plain language and time is taken to make sure you understand the details of your contract. One of our lawyers, David Ibbetson, is a trained and qualified mediator and has expanded his practice to include mediation in the areas of family law and disputes relating to wills and estates. Our team of lawyers and staff collaborate on many files to ensure our clients receive the best advice and excellence in client care. Our hours are flexible and we are often available to see clients outside of normal business hours. We will also see clients in hospital or at their home if travel is difficult for them.
Dustan Browne
Kelly Orr
David Ibbetson
Fiona Hughes
VICTORIA OFFICE 109-1633 Hillside Avenue Phone: 250-598-1888 www.browneassociates.ca
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Crease Harman LLP Q A
Q A
What is special about the oldest law firm in British Columbia?
Everywhere we turn, the Crease name is part of our history. Our firm represented British Columbia on the development of our Province’s borders. We helped set up the forest tenure system. We have argued some of the most important, precedent setting cases in a number of areas. We have produced two Supreme Court of Canada justices, numerous Court of Appeal judges and others. Many of our former and present partners have been involved in philanthropy and politics and have made this City and Province what they are today. It is a substantial legacy that we carry on our shoulders. What does this history mean for your clients?
When you inherit a reputation, I think that you must work all the harder to maintain and enhance it. Our lawyers have extra motivation to be excellent because
they have benefitted from a reputation for excellence passed down from previous generations of lawyers. We hope our clients always feel they have had the best possible legal advice. We can’t guarantee results, but the fact that many of our largest clients have been with us for generations says something about the fact that we have lived up to our reputation from generation to generation. Every time we take on a new client, we focus not just on their short term transaction or litigation issues, but we try to provide long term guidance which will benefit them long into the future. That’s the sort of thinking that comes from a firm with a long past. Our firm and our community will remain long after we are gone. We measure our success by the legacy we leave. – Bruce Hallsor, Partner, Crease Harman LLP
British Columbia’s First Law Firm. Trade Mark Agents
Through all generations of British Columbia history, Crease Harman LLP and its predecessors have played a prominent role. In 1858, Henry Crease became the first lawyer qualified to practice in the colony of Vancouver Island. Today, our team of knowledgeable lawyers and staff continue to serve the needs of Victorians, and of British Columbians across the province. Whether you require business, tax or estate planning advice, or need someone to stand up in court for your rights, having Crease Harman behind you will bring over 150 years of history, knowledge and expertise to your corner.
PARTNERS:
ASSOCIATES:
Bruce Hallsor, Managing Partner Peter Klassen, Senior Litigator Michael McGregor, Human Rights and Employment law Lawrie Spooner, Commercial and Business law Moses Watson, Estates and Trusts and Real Estate Kelly Woods, Family law, Estates and Trusts
David Busch, Personal Injury and ICBC COUNSEL: Greer Jacks, Business law and Estate Planning Mike Egan Stan Osobik, Immigration and Litigation Allan Tryon Dafydd Pritchet, Litigation Colin Simkus, Constitutional and Administrative law Tim Summers, Family law, Criminal law and Litigation
SENIOR ASSOCIATE
ARTICLED STUDENTS: Lauryn Kerr Erik Mitbrodt
1897
1850
#800-1070 Douglas Street (250) 388-5421 • creaseharman.com
1947
2016
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Sacca Law Group Q A
Why would I need a marriage agreement?
You might wish to have one of these agreements if you have a substantial amount of property accumulated prior to your marriage, or if one of you has accrued a substantial amount of debt prior to the marriage. Often, this is the case when it’s a second marriage. It is important to get legal advice on the contents of a marriage agreement to ensure that the agreement is enforceable. The end of a relationship may leave you heartbroken, but with proper planning, it doesn’t have to leave you financially broken as well.
At Sacca Law Group, we are committed to you. We believe each situation is unique. We personalize our services to meet your needs and to ensure your peace of mind.
• Family Law • Real Estate • Wills and Estates
• Personal Injury • General Civil Litigation • Mediation
• Karina Sacca, Lawyer
Let us look after the details, so you don’t have to. Call us today to book your free consultation. saccalawgroup.com • Izabella Filip, Lawyer
• Amy Jaworsky, Articled Student • Kyle Jackson, Paralegal • Annemarie Stevenson, Legal Assistant
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Emberton Law Corp Q A Q A
Should one do a Will?
Yes – a Will makes it easier for family and loved ones to cope upon death, especially if that death is sudden or unexpected. Do you always have to Probate a Will?
No. For example, there are certain situations where Probate would not be necessary if you have structured your affairs so that assets transfer by Joint Tenancy or to a named beneficiary.
Q
Should you create an Enduring Power of Attorney and a Representation Agreement as well as a Will?
A
Yes – especially if you wish to be prepared for the unexpected, like losing mental capacity because of stroke, heart attack, car accident or early onset of Alzheimer’s/dementia disease.
AS A RESULT, he has many satisfied clients who appreciate the service provided by Brock and his very capable staff. This has resulted in 2 good things. First, Brock started by providing services to the parents in early years and he is now providing services to the parents’ children and, in some cases, their grandchildren. Secondly, Brock’s stellar reputation for quality service continues to bring him referrals of relatives and friends from his longstanding clients. Brock has a long history of community involvement; such as, being a long standing member and former Director of the Chamber of Commerce, serving on Incorporation Committees and Boards of various non-profit service providers and private schools. He is currently the volunteer “Legal Eagle” for the Goldstream Food Bank. Brock has a burgeoning practice in the area of Wills, Powers of Attorney, Representation Agreements, Probate and Estate matters. This is a good compliment to the work he does in real estate, subdivisions and buying and selling of businesses.
– Brock Emberton
317-877 Goldstream Avenue
250-391-7777
embertonlaw.com
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Shields Harney Q A
I have decided to become an entrepreneur and am interested in buying into an established business system such as a franchise. Do I really need to obtain legal and other professional advice?
Absolutely. While I am an experienced franchise lawyer of 33+ years and a believer in franchising to a large extent, that business model is not for everyone.
Q
My business is grossly in debt, I am at a loss and I do not sleep most nights. I am going to throw in the towel. Can you help?
A
One hundred per cent – let’s right the ship by seeking and obtaining creditor protection and enhance your credibility generally. You are likely on personal guarantees to the bank and suppliers, but I can assist with that, and perhaps get you back to good sleeps each night.
You have to be alive to the constraints on your independence as a business person, a trade-off for the anticipated support and business savvy of the franchisor. However, I have advised and reviewed several hundred franchise systems, and for a modest cost, can advise of the potential pitfalls. Not every franchise system is what it appears to be, and I have advised many prospective franchisees to spend their time and money elsewhere.
Analysis of revenue and expense with the assistance of other professionals could buy you the time to increase revenue, decrease expense and sail on calm waters.
Q A
Due diligence in advance is the key. Basically, a stitch in time saves nine, and then you will not have to hire me to litigate your way out of a bad business relationship.
Holy moly! I have my own business, but I am working for the man – the government. Every direction I turn, I am faced with GST, CRA, PST, employment standards, work safe, liquor licensing, blah-blah-blah-blah blah! Who can help me to deal with these administrative tribunals which seem to be dead-set against my business flourishing?
Ghostbusters! Too many business people pay little attention to government compliance, and then cannot respond to allegations of non-compliance. Before or after the government attack, my team can help solve the problems. Sooner rather than later is always the key.
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After graduating from UVIC Law in 1982, I migrated to Vancouver to join a medium size firm. I received very thorough training as a young barrister, and was counsel on many very interesting and challenging cases. My focus was on commercial disputes and I took a particular interest in disputes between franchisors and franchisees, which were becoming more common. By 1997, having been a partner for about 10 years, I decided that because the firm had grown to be relatively large it was not the professional environment in which I wanted to practice long term. I also yearned to return to Victoria. I have owned and operated this Victoria office since 1997. Having grown up in Victoria, I had many friends and business contacts who formed the foundation of my local practice. I continue with my team of twelve to provide legal advice locally as well as in Vancouver, across the country, and sometimes beyond. The mantra of our litigation practice is to resolve disputes efficiently and economically. I have been counsel on hundreds of trials as well as many arbitrations and mediations. We bring experience and passion when representing our clients. While the firm is mainly focused on litigation, solicitor Randy Smith provides commercial and other corporate support for the group. Recently, I have shifted to focus more on acting as the mediator or arbitrator of disputes. I will with the team however continue to provide legal services of the highest quality as reasonably priced as possible to the business community and the community at large. The biggest distinctions of our legal advice and services are pragmatism and practicality. In conclusion, we solve problems for clients efficiently and economically. We look forward to assisting you to resolve any legal issues or challenges. GREG HARNEY
VICTORIA #602-732 Broughton St (250) 405-7616
SHIELDSHARNEY.COM Date:16-02-02
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Smith Hutchison Q A
Are you buying property?
For most of us, the purchase of property may be the largest and most important transaction we make during our lives, representing a very significant investment. It makes simple, common sense that you should obtain the assistance of a lawyer to provide you with proper advice and legal services at the earliest opportunity when you contemplate such a transaction. Real estate sales professionals are most helpful in locating property in which you may have an interest and, if you do, in preparing to make an offer to purchase that property. You should consult with a lawyer before actually giving the offer to your real estate sales professional for presentation to the seller. Your lawyer will be able to explain to you the implications of terms and conditions that you may negotiate that will form part of a contract once the offer is accepted. There are a number of ways in which you may hold title to property, and this is the stage at which a lawyer’s advice can be most helpful. After a contract
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has been made, it may be too late to make significant changes that may have been in your best interests. When the offer has been accepted, your lawyer can then assist you in ensuring that you are properly protected with respect to ownership of the land, confirming any issues that may arise with respect to title and taking the necessary legal steps required for the completion of your purchase. In a large number of cases, you will find it necessary to borrow funds to complete the purchase, usually secured by a mortgage registered against your title. Your lawyer will be able to ensure that your mortgage obligations are clearly understood by you, something that is very important given the length of time most of us will be paying our mortgages. The Smith Hutchison Law Corporation has over 40 years of experience in assisting its clients with these and other matters including wills and power of attourney, running a small business, and significant litigation. We would be happy to assist you through our harbourfront offices.
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Trevor Grier: 4th year Engineering: “Working as a co-op employee at CanAssist enabled me to conceptualize and manufacture technologies for people with disabilities through all stages of production. It was incredibly rewarding being able to hand-deliver my technology design to a youth with a disability and see that it had an immediate impact on his independence and quality of life.”
ROBIN SYME • Robin Syme is executive director of CanAssist at the University of Victoria
Students carry CanAssist’s message to every sector f you live in the Greater Victoria area, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of CanAssist — the unique organization at the University of Victoria that develops innovative technologies for people with disabilities. It’s less likely that you know how CanAssist so successfully delivers its message about the importance of increased accessibility and inclusion to businesses, government and the community. The answer is through the thousands of students who have participated in our work since CanAssist’s inception in 1999.
Nicole Heron: B.A. Psychology: “My co-op work terms at CanAssist made my undergraduate education at UVic come alive, inspiring me to pursue a career in rehabilitation. Now I’m at UBC doing a master of occupational therapy. CanAssist was the main inspiration and stepping stone in helping me reach for this goal.”
I
The message. As an organization dedicated to community service, CanAssist’s ultimate goal is to create a more inclusive and accessible society, where every person — no matter their level of physical or cognitive ability — has the opportunity to participate and contribute. CanAssist works toward this goal by developing unique technologies and programs aimed at improving the independence and quality of life of people across the disability spectrum. We don’t try to replace or compete with existing technologies or services. Rather, we try to fill the gaps, helping people who are unable to find an off-the-shelf solution. Our team of about 20 professionals — many of them engineers and software developers — responds to requests for technologies and services from individuals, families and organizations. 60
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Miles Long-Alexander, 3rd year Engineering: “CanAssist has been a great experience for me since designing technologies and working in a machine shop are both huge passions of mine. Knowing that my work is having a positive impact on people's lives and that I've gained a better understanding of disabilities along the way has made the experience that much better.”
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If an idea is technically viable and funding is available through grants, philanthropy or service contracts, our professional team develops a unique solution that may eventually be recreated for many other people who face similar challenges. The team often mentors students as part of this process. Most recently, significant funding from the B.C. Ministry of Health is enabling CanAssist to develop several innovative technologies designed to help seniors live in their own homes for as long as safely possible. This new focus on what we call “broad-impact technologies” is an exciting new direction for CanAssist, and will result in many more people benefiting from our services. Students’ passion. Since CanAssist began as a small volunteer venture, students have been an integral part of our culture and approach. They contribute enthusiasm, intelligence and fresh perspectives, which enrich our projects and inspire our staff. Each year, about 500 students engage with us, through co-op placements, workstudy positions, graduate work, interna-
tional placements, classroom activities, volunteering and special events. Some of these students are mentored by our staff and work directly with our clients. These students, in particular, tend to become true champions of accessibility and inclusion. Whatever their level of engagement, every student who has been exposed for any length of time to CanAssist’s work learns that everyone has the right to participate and contribute and that for many individuals living with disabilities this is made possible by having access to the right technologies. Importantly, they also learn first-hand how we all benefit from living and working in inclusive environments. Spreading the word. As students who have been involved in CanAssist graduate, many take this message about the importance of increased inclusion with them wherever they go. In fact, many young people who have worked with CanAssist during their undergraduate degrees have gone into graduate programs that make it possible for them to continue supporting people with disabili-
ties. These choices have included medicine, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, among others. Of course, many students will choose seemingly unrelated professions in the private and public sectors — yet wherever they go and in whichever sector, they have the opportunity to be champions for inclusive workplaces and communities. Looking ahead. Last May, CanAssist was thrilled to move into UVic’s beautiful new Centre for Athletics, Recreation and Special Abilities (CARSA). Located inside the main entrance of the bustling centre has already boosted CanAssist’s profile among students, faculty and the larger community. With an increase in both the visibility and size of our new home, CanAssist sees a terrific opportunity to increase its level of student engagement and awareness of disability issues on campus and in the larger community even further. We’re excited about this opportunity and look forward to working with increasing numbers of students in the years ahead. Chances are, wherever you work or live, at some point you’ll hear their message.
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info@maxcourier.com • www.maxcourier.com Capital
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Enforcing the law: a matter of degrees Central Saanich Police Chief Les Sylven says Camosun’s new course sets a good foundation for future officers.
BY JEFF BELL uture police officers, sheriffs and border guards will have another local option for their education this September. Camosun College is introducing a bachelor of law enforcement studies program leading to a degree that prepares students for an array of career choices. Bringing the program here is a collaboration between Camosun and the Justice Institute of B.C., where it has been in place since 2013. The curriculum was designed and created by the JIBC, which will also hire instructors. The new offering can be an extension of existing Camosun course work, said Eva Wilmot, chairwoman of Camosun’s criminal justice department. It is a four-year program, with the third and fourth years available at Camosun. A group of about 25 to 30 students will be accepted for the program’s inaugural session. “You can’t be fresh out of high school to take it because it is essentially the last two years of a degree,” Wilmot said. “In order to get into it, you could be a career person who has done lots of work and maybe you took some [previous] courses. You could be someone who has completed the two-year criminal
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justice diploma at Camosun.” Many students with the diploma want to go on and complete a degree in a related area, said Wilmot, whose background includes working as a parole officer and halfway house manager. But is not so easy to do on Vancouver Island, she said. The new program will provide a solid start for students, Wilmot said. Courses include leadership in law enforcement, search and seizure law, intelligence analysis, crisis intervention, and investigations and forensic evidence. There is already clear interest in the criminal justice field at Camosun, with the existing two-year diploma course regularly attracting 110 new students each year, along with a waiting list. The new program comes as many police departments in B.C. are expecting retirements, said Central Saanich Police Chief Les Sylven — chairman of the criminal justice department’s community advisory board. “The demographic in policing is changing, probably quite significantly over the next five years with retirements of a whole group that we hired 30 years ago,” Sylven said. “So we’re kind of in that cycle where there will be a lot of turnover.” In Central Saanich, for example, a turnover of up to 60 per cent in the 24-person force is expected from 2015 to 2020 due to retirements, he said. Sylven said the Camosun program can provide a good foundation for prospective police officers. “We still have our officers by statute have to attend the JIBC for their regular program, that’s nothing different,” he said. “It’s just that this is an expanded opportunity for candidates to gain a lot of those things we’re looking for — interpersonal communications, critical thinking, ethical decision making, all within the context of law enforcement.” Sylven said the advisory board includes not only police representatives such as chiefs and deputy chiefs, but also people from such fields as corrections, victim services and probation.
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A ‘WOW’ MOMENT FOR A UVIC BUSINESS STUDENT
DOING A WORLD OF GOOD Brina Martens works with Living Hope in Uganda, where she believes the future of the African country lies in women who are self-sustaining.
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B Y K AT H E R I N E D E D Y N A
H
igh-octane Brina Martens charged into the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business fresh from high school in Calgary with one game plan in mind: To plow through her degree, specialize in accounting, try not to look left or right and start earning the big bucks. “It was all about money, money, money,” says the self-described numbers person and “driven gogetter,” now 22. A childhood friend’s father is a well-to-do chartered accountant, and what worked for him would also work for her. That was the plan. Let’s say chief financial officer of a large corporation — and fast. “I was very focused on that,” she said. It didn’t happen, and no one could be happier about it than Martens, holder of a bachelor of commerce from the University of Victoria with a specialization in entrepreneurship that she hopes to make work for women and girls in the developing world along with herself. Yes, she attained co-op placements at two leading accounting firms in Calgary, but in third year, in sustainability studies about socially responsible ventures that are part of the Gustavson approach to business, “something just clicked,” Martens recalls. It was a “wow” moment of connection about using business to do good in the world, not just line her own fashion-forward pockets. In fact, fashion is how she hopes to bridge the gap between young business women who need affordable, attractive work attire and African women skilled at producing unique accessories who desperately need the income and affirmation. Tall, poised and model-pretty, Martens is festooned with eyecatching turquoise beads made in Uganda by women who are trained in everything from tailoring to jewelry making by Living Hope, a sub-ministry of Witoto, an organization focused on assisting talented but vulnerable women. Accounting is good as far as it goes, but she’s now “passionate about making a positive impact on the world.” Gustavson Dean Saul Klein, also Lansdowne Professor of International Business, said the turnaround in focus that Martens exemplifies is not unusual among Gustavson graduates. “We attract many students who have a broader ambition than personal wealth maximization,” he said. The Gustavson School has a focus on responsible management — for example that our graduates should consider the impact of their decisions not only on themselves and their companies, but also on the broader society.” Gustavson’s main touchstones include sustainability and social responsibility and they’re highlighted in all programs, said Klein.
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SCHOOL BY THE S R E B M U N
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The Peter B. Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria is named for the founder of Custom House Currency Exchange, once on Wharf Street in Victoria, with 31 other offices in seven countries. Amount Gustavson sold the business for: $370 million in 2009 to Western Union. Amount of his endowment to UVic: $10 million in May 2009 Date the school named in his honour: October 2010. Date the former UVic School of Business founded: 1990 Number of graduates world-wide: 5,454 as of November 2015 convocation Applicants per year: About 1,700 for 300 positions. Graduates from fourth year in 2015: 232 Percentage of grads by gender: Roughly 50/50, with a few more females. Tuition: $7,170 for 10 courses per year. Employment rate: 85 per cent of respondents employed within three months of graduating, 73 per cent in their chosen field. Endowment by real estate investor Sardul S. Gill in 2011 to graduate business school: $5 million in honour of his immigrant parents
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DOING A WORLD OF GOOD
The students are encouraged to recognize that business can be a force for good, he said. “We also see ourselves as an agent for social change, striving to make the world a better place. Certainly, that is not the stereotypical view of business or business schools, but we see it as well-aligned with a more socially conscious new generation of students,” Klein said. Martens’ parents had three sons before adopting Brina from a Chinese orphanage where she lived until nearly age three, (then adopted another Chinese daughter), so she’s conscious of how lucky she was to land in a loving, comfortable home in Calgary. Having met Victoria’s Living Hope international co-ordinator Kate Mukasa, Martens decided to put her acumen to work by writing a business plan for the organization, addressing the potential for merchandising jewelry online. She spent two months in 2015 volunteering in Uganda — her flight and accommodations underwritten by parents Lowell and Gaylene. “It was the most rewarding two months of my life,” she said, perched on a stool in the lobby of the business school, wearing tight black pants and stretch blazer and what may be the only spike heels on campus. “I love everything that they did,” she said. “Living Hope believes that that the future of Uganda lies in women, that when they are self-sustaining, they can take care of their children — the average for Ugandan women is four kids.” Before she left, she started a Blazers 4 Uganda drive in which her contacts donated 93 blazers; she crammed them all in suitcases for the elated recipients there. She hopes to open a bricks-and-mortar store in 2017 with a philanthropic aspect. And she blogs at ethreeone.com, described as “a network to empower women in the professional world through fashion.” When she went to Uganda, she didn’t make a dime, but she didn’t care. The payoff in other ways was immense — feeling rewarded, part of something bigger than herself. “There was no place I’d rather be. The social return on investment was huge.” Gustavson students get wider-world experience. Their first two years at UVic involve “anything but business” courses. “Our students take the first two years as a general degree so they get exposure to a wider range of topics . . . than some universities where students do a four-year business degree,” said associate professor Graham Brown. Students all attend co-op programs — another way to broaden their horizons — and are required to take a fourth-year exchange course in a non-English-speaking business school, whether in Morocco or South America or China, said Sheryl Karras, director of administration for the bachelor of commerce program. Brown underscored many students apply to Gustavson school to understand business, but with the full intent of working for charities, non-profits and other such organizations. “We attract and train students to think differently and make an impact,” said Brown.
The sustainability pillar at UVic is promoted to potential applicants and taught to all students. “I have taught at several other universities and this emphasis is much stronger” at Gustavson School of Business, Brown said. Mia Maki, an assistant professor who teaches entrepreneurial finance among other subjects, said she could see the transformation happening with Martens, whom she got to know in daily social entrepreneurship classes last summer. Maki likes to take social responsibility one step further, telling Gustavson students, even when they’re altruistic, to remember that their beneficiaries won’t necessarily be grateful. There’s a saying attributed to activist Lilla Watson she likes them to hear: “If you have come here to help me you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” “It encourages them to get out in the world and find out what people need, really, not give them what you think they need … because you care about their future and your future together.” Students frequently come out of the Gustavson school of business quite changed from when they began, Karras said. “And with a whole new view of the world.”
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JACK KNOX • Jack Knox is a Times Colonist columnist
Why the Bobs have vanished anye West and Kim Kardashian have named their newest child Saint, which still puts the baby one up on its older sister North. North West. My sister knew a girl named Pearl Arbour. I have a cousin in England who went to school with Duane Pipe. Not sure either of those is as bluntly obvious as North West, though. Not sure what Kimye were thinking, either. Probably the same thing Frank Zappa was thinking when he named his kids Moon Unit and Dweezil, what David Bowie was thinking when he named his boy Zowie, or what Bono had in mind when he christened his son Elijah Bob Patricius Guggi Q. At least Bono (birth name: Paul Hewson) threw a Bob into the mix, just in case his son didn’t want to be saddled with a rock star handle like Zowie Bowie (current name: Duncan Jones). Saint Dweezil Patricius Guggi Q is what you name your child when you don’t expect him to ever have to fill out a job application. It used to be that all boys (and some girls) were named Bob. Well, not quite, but it was close. Every 1960s class photo had at least five of them, subdivided into Robert, Rob, Robby, Big Bob and Little Bob for purposes of identification. A Bob could grow up to do anything. In the ’60s and ’70s,
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most hockey players were called Bobby: Orr, Hull, Clarke, Nystrom, Baun, Schmautz. On TV, Bob Denver was Gilligan, Rob Reiner was in on All In The Family, Robert Blake played Baretta and Bob Newhart starred in the, um, Bob Newhart Show. De Niro, Duvall and Redford dominated the big screen. The radio played Bob Dylan, backed by Robbie Robertson. Bobby Kennedy got shot. Robert Stanfield fumbled the football. For decades, Robert hovered near the top of the list of the most popular boy’s names, with 700 or 800 or more born in British Columbia each year. Then, about a generation ago, a decline began. Bob slowly but steadily fell out of favour. Note that of close to 22,000 baby boys (as opposed to adult boys) born in B.C. in 2014, just 37 were dubbed Robert. The Bobs have vanished to the point that they have been declared an endangered species and given their own protected breeding habitat in a marshland near Duncan. In their place are a bunch of kids who sound like they should get excellent fuel economy. Kaon. Huundra. Thrace. You can hear them spelling their names over the phone: “No, it’s Sehrenittty, except the third T is silent.” Then they go home and murder their parents. This is the danger when mom and dad eschew the pedestrian and commonplace. They aim for unique, but overshoot the landing and plow into bat crap crazy instead. Junior ends up staggering through life with a name that flashes like a warning light: “MY PARENTS DID ACID.” That’s a problem for anyone who wants to go into business. Had the computer revolution been pioneered by Rusty Gates and Moon Unit Jobs, investors would have kept their wallets sealed and we would never have made it past the Commodore 64. OK, sometimes the flaky name game works out. This very publication traces its roots to the British Colonist, founded in 1858 by a man who changed his name from Bill Smith to Amor De Cosmos, roughly translated as Lover of the Universe. He also served as premier of B.C. But then De Cosmos was also a crank who liked to get in fistfights and whose fear of electricity stopped him from riding streetcars. He might have been a Lover of the Universe, but he was no Saint.
SPRING 2016
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