Thursday, Jun 14, 2007
Mengual tops at Sterling Awards
NANAIMO – Tony Mengual from Swiss Chalet won the Citizen of the Year Award at the 8th annual Sterling Awards put on by the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce.
Bruce Williams of the A-Channel emceed the evening at the Coast Bastion Inn. Andra Nadeau Jakobson and George Anderson both won Junior Citizen of the Year.
Other winners: Arts/Tourism/Entertainment(Business) WildPlay Element Parks, (Individual) Bruce Williams; Automotive/Transportation (Business) Tom Harris Chevrolet Cadillac Ltd., (Individual) John Eivindson; Retail (Business) From A - Zebra, (Individual) Lynn Jamieson; Customer Services/General (Business) O’Brien Heating and Plumbing, (Individual) Laurie Chalmers; Public/Personal Services (Business) St. John Ambulance, (Individual) Heather Weflen; Food/Hospitality (Business) McLean’s Specialty Foods, (Individual) Richard Hill; Home Based Business (Business) Enviroscopics, (Individual) Liz Taylor; Professional/Financial (Business) Pipe Eye Video.
PrintCraft wins industry awards
DUNCAN – Silver and gold awards for Duncan’s PrintCraft at the annual BC industry competition, put on by the International Association of Printing House Craftsmen and The Graphic Professionals Resource Network. The gala honours excellence in the printing and graphic arts.
“It’s a great honour for our work to be recognized among some of B.C.’s best,” says Steve Williams, who owns PrintCraft along with Shelley Fraser.
Shore Design shown to public
TOFINO – The public got to see the design for The Shore, a residential and commercial development approved for the former B.C. Packer’s site on Main St.
Developed by Tom Olsen and Mark Burkhart of Moss Developments, the project will have seven commercial units fronting Main St., a 2,000-square-foot restaurant on the foreshore and 27 residential harbourview condos starting at $500,000. Construction could start as early as this fall.
Agreement reached for Exhibition
DUNCAN - The Cowichan Exhibition Society, the Municipality of North Cowichan and the City of Duncan have reached a tentative complex agreement that could see the Cowichan Exhibition Grounds move to a new location at Mays Road.
The deal would allow the development of Cowichan Place, a proposed campus consisting of the Cowichan Centre, a new Cowichan Secondary School and a new Malaspina University-College campus. It must be now ratified by local government councils and the Exhibition Society members.
Cumberland forum updates residents
CUMBERLAND - Cumberland residents gathered for a forum to hear updates from Mayor Fred Bates on the huge development proposed for the Inland Island Highway by Trilogy Properties Corp. The company has been told to prepare a comprehensive development agreement before seeking second reading.
Bates also updated the slow progress on the ethanol plant being considered for the region’s industrial lands, noting it is not a dead project. Further discussion included questions about revitalization of the downtown core, garbage and water.
Expansion for Tourism group
POWELL RIVER - At Tourism Powell River’s recent AGM, unanimous support was given for pursuing a proposed coast-wide Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), including the region from Howe Sound to Desolation Sound, which is a concept supported by Tourism BC.
Following the AGM, Chris McNaughton was elected President of Tourism Powell River. Dave Rees is Past-President, Leah Nyhus is now Vice-President, Anne Parker was re-elected Secretary and Amy McPhee was re-elected the Treasurer.
94% approval
CAMPBELL RIVER – Bute Inlet Development Corporation is pleased that in a May 30 referendum, 94% of Homalco tribe members voted in favour of setting over 70 acres of reserve lands aside at Bute Inlet to develop and construct an international destination resort, featuring “Bears Of Bute”.
NANAIMO - Mike Hooper, president and CEO of Nanaimo Airport, says proposed runway extension plans have received dozens of letters of support from surrounding communities and businesses. The proposal is seeking $5 Million in funding from the province’s Island Coastal Economic Trust Fund to put toward the $15.7 Million price tag to extend the runway by 480 metres.
Supporters include the City of Nanaimo, Regional District of Nanaimo, Town of Ladysmith, and the Regional District of North Cowichan.
Economy strong thought real estate
CAMPBELL RIVER - A new analysis by Credit Union Central of B.C. says buyers of condominiums and the appliances and furniture needed for them will keep the economy strong through 2008.
Economist Dave Hobden reports economic activity overall in the Vancouver Island-Coast region will come down slightly from the sustained economic boom of the past two years. Growth will be strongest in Greater Victoria, Nanaimo, Cowichan Valley and Comox-Courtenay regional districts - including Campbell River.
More delays for Tofino reservoir
TOFINO – The expanded reservoir project likely won’t be in place in Tofino this summer, due to further delays in contract signings and a logging injunction registered by the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation for all of Meares Island.
The $1.45 million Ahkmahksis reservoir project will provide almost 47 million litres, or the equivalent of 20 to 30 days, of extra water once the existing reservoir on Meares Island is expanded.
Consumers see Tofino’s Shore Design
TOFINO – The public got to see the design for The Shore, a residential and commercial development approved for the former B.C. Packer’s site on Main St.
Developed by Tom Olsen and Mark Burkhart of Moss Developments, the project will have seven commercial units fronting Main St., a 2,000-square-foot restaurant on the foreshore and 27 residential harbourview condos starting at $500,000. Construction could start as early as this fall.
The Town of Port McNeill has negotiated with Western Forest Products to purchase the company’s former office and land on Beach Drive.
- VICTORIA BUSINESS IN BRIEF
VICTORIA - Michael Burden and Bill Ritchie have been on top of the best rates with GICdirect.com since mid 2000.
A web based deposit broker that has grown from one office to 32 Associate Branches across Canada (and still growing) in a short seven years.
The company is expanding again, “because business owners often miss out on the opportunity to earn interest on general accounts” says Michael Burden, who will be heading up the Corporate Deposits side. The ability to offer higher rates for business operating accounts, has led GICdirect.com to open a new Corporate Deposits Office in downtown Toronto and to hire a new Corporate Deposits Agent for the Vancouver Island and surrounding area.
Net loss for Carmanah in 2006
VICTORIA – Citing inventory problems, Victoria’s Carmanah Technologies (TSX:CMH) restated its earnings for 2006 to show it swinging from a modest profit to a net loss of $365,000 for the year. Shares prices fell two per cent on the news.
The company, which designs and manufactures solar-powered lighting and illumination technology, had initially reported a net profit of $134,000 for the 2006 fiscal year. Meanwhile, Philipe Favreau has been named the new Chief Operations Officer, coming from Kodak where he was GM of global operations for workflow and pre-press equipment.
Sooke boardwalk contract awarded
SOOKE – Heavy Metal Marine has won the $665,000 fixed price contract to build the new boardwalk on Sooke harbour. It will run 335 metres from the Rotary Pier at the bottom of Murray Road to Ed MacGregor Park. The company is also working on building a 125-slip marina for the nearby Quimper Motel.
Colwood Corners plan hits snag
COLWOOD – A $1 Billion redevelopment of Colwood Corners has hit a snag after coming up short of the votes needed to make a change to the Official Community Plan.
While Councillors gave second and third readings to rezoning needed for the 11-building, high-rise project on a 5.7-hectare property at the corner of Goldstream Avenue and Sooke Road, the develop now says 2 months of work lies ahead to create the Master Agreement needed before the zoning bylaw can be given fourth reading 250 people showed up to a public hearing over the plan, with the majority offering support and the developer also had 170 letters of support.
30 year high for Island construction
VICTORIA - Peggy Prill, market analyst for the Victoria office of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., says it’s been 30 years since builders on Vancouver Island have been this busy.
Builders are constructing 2,068 apartment-style units in urban centres - 23 for rental use and the rest as condominiums. That’s just a handful fewer than the 2,089 condominium and rental apartment units going up in August 1977.
Total housing units under construction are at 3,010, close to the September 1976 total of 3,242.
New agency to promote region
VICTORIA – The Greater Victoria Development Agency has been launched with Sasha Angus is the economic development officer. The operation is located under the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce on Fort Street.
Chamber and new Agency CEO Bruce Carter says most of the firms activities will focus on ways to help existing businesses grow and stay, and will differ from the Greater Victoria Economic Development Commission (Business Victoria), which Carter says is more focused on employment.
Residential partner named
SAANICH - Westbank Projects Corp., a Vancouver-based company with developments throughout Canada and the U.S., has been named the partner responsible for the residential side of the redevelopment of the Town & Country Mall.
The shopping centre developer, Morguard Investments, can’t develop residential because it uses pension fund money. The plan calls for the old strip mall is to be replaced with 600,000 square feet of open-air retail replicating a downtown and 300,000 square feet of residential. Saanich council approved the mall noting that it wanted multi-family housing included.
Radius rezoning is approved
VICTORIA – Victoria City Council has given the rezoning go-ahead to the $100 Million Radius project being developed by Waywell Development Inc. It will cover almost a full city block bounded by Blanshard, Herald and Douglas streets and Caledonia Avenue.
Radius is one of three large-scale projects going into that part of the city, including the redevelopment of the Bay building and the land around it. University Canada West is to be a main tenant, with another tenancy announcement expected shortly.
Extreme conditions for Axys firm
SIDNEY – Axys Technologies Inc. was commissioned by Stanford University last month to anchor a massive research buoy in 4,900 metres of water in the Southern Ocean (Antarctic Ocean) about 1,200 kilometres south of New Zealand.
They encountered 14-metre seas and 60 knots to position the 5 tonne buoy for its 2 year assignment monitoring the Earth’s magnetic field.
Anchoring required almost seven kilometres of AXYS custom line and an eight tonne anchor of train wheels welded together.
Internet firm sells for $17.5M U.S.
VICTORIA – Vancouver-based LML Payment Systems has shelled out $17.5 Million for Victoria’s Beanstream Internet Commerce, a privately held firm with more than $4 Million in revenue last year.
The company provides Internet-based payment processing options for retailers. LML is a public company offering cheque-processing services.
Royal Bank Cup for Victoria
COLWOOD – Hockey Canada has announced the Junior A Victoria Grizzlies will host the 2009 Royal Bank Cup to be held at Bear Mountain Arena.
The Grizzlies beat out bids from Winnipeg, Battlefords, Sask., and Lloydminster, Alta for the five team championship. Teams will stay at Bear Mountain Resort during the tournament.
Canucks coming to Bear Mountain
COLWOOD - The Vancouver Canucks will hold their prospects and main training camps in Greater Victoria from Sept. 5 to 18, and the team will stay at Bear Mountain Resort.
Practice sessions will be held at Bear Mountain Arena with the annual Blue/White intra-squad game to be staged at the 7,000-seat Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre on Sept. 16.
Final contracts and details are still being finalized.
Thriller film for Islander
VICTORIA – Corey Large, who five years ago shot his first feature film in Victoria, has confirmed that he and his partners in his Hollywood production company will return to the city in late summer to shoot a movie.
Large says his Wingman Productions is in negotiations with Paul Walker (The Fast and the Furious) and Elisha Cuthbert (24, The Girl Next Door) to star in 3 A.M., a $12-million action thriller. The St. Michaels University School grad said it would feel more like a studio movie than his first movie, Window Theory, inspired by his time at the school.
Saanich projects gets residential partner
SAANICH - Westbank Projects Corp., a Vancouver-based company with developments throughout Canada and the U.S., has been named the partner responsible for the residential side of the redevelopment of the Town & Country mall.
The shopping centre developer, Morguard Investments, can’t develop residential because it uses pension fund money. The plan calls for the old strip mall is to be replaced with 600,000 square feet of open-air retail replicating a downtown and 300,000 square feet of residential. Saanich council approved the mall noting that it wanted multi-family housing included.
Harbour report almost finished
VICTORIA – A task force charged with examining redevelopment options for the Belleville Terminal and adjacent properties, is preparing to deliver its report recommending any development plans be open for bids from private-public partnerships.
As well as the Belleville Terminal, where Coho and Clipper passengers arrive daily, the site includes the CP Terminal housing the Royal London Wax Museum and offices, and includes the Stores Building at 254 Belleville St.
Cruise ships deliver record 11,600
VICTORIA – Five large cruise ships were in and out of Ogden Point throughout a single day, unleashing a record 11,600 passengers into downtown Victoria. The vessels arrived from all over the world and included 3,800 crew.
Disneyland trolleys shuttle for Langford?
LANGFORD - Langford Mayor Stew Young went to Anaheim, inspected used trolley buses Disney is selling for around $60,000, and now wants at least one of the old fashioned-style units on Langford streets this summer. Young says staff are working on the details but it would have six or seven stops and run every hour on a loop between neighbourhood nodes like Bear Mountain and the big-box store areas, Goldstream Avenue village and Juan de Fuca Recreation complex.
Radius rezoning approved
VICTORIA – Victoria City Council has given the rezoning go-ahead to the $100 Million Radius project being developed by Waywell Development Inc. It will cover almost a full city block bounded by Blanshard, Herald and Douglas streets and Caledonia Avenue.
Radius is one of three large-scale projects going into that part of the city, including the redevelopment of the Bay building and the land around it. University Canada West is to be a main tenant, with another tenancy announcement expected shortly.
