West Shore Rising - Pacific Coastal Airlines

In-flight Magazine for
Pacific Coastal Airlines
West Shore Rising
Residential activity booms in one
of Canada’s fastest growing regions
Food industry
thrives in the Comox Valley
Q&A
with Chief Richard Harry
February/March 2013 | Volume 7 | Number 1
ED HANDJA Personal Real Estate Corporation & SHELLEY MCKAY
Your BC Oceanfront Team
edhandja@bcoceanfront.com
shelleymckay@bcoceanfront.com
Desolation Sound, BC Central Coast: 2 adjoining
50 acre forested properties in Homfray Channel,
adjacent to Marine Park. 2000ft combined
oceanfront. Diverse low bank easy access shoreline
with gravel beach and rock outcrops up to more
rugged, mountainous terrain. Moorage potential.
No specific zoning, spectacular location. Great
wilderness opportunity!
$497,500ea
Oceanfront Home & Shop: One acre high bank
oceanfront, meticulously maintained 2300sqft
rancher and detached 3-bay garage, shop and
studio, with views over Georgia Strait. 15 minutes
south of Campbell River, private and beautifully
landscaped. A convenient location, close to the
large variety of services and amenities this region
has to offer.
$825,000
Port Neville, BC Mainland Coast: 49.7 acres in the
heart of dramatic mainland coastal wilderness!
Substantial low-bank oceanfront made up primarily
of sand, gravel and small rock beaches. The property
has a mix of mature and immature second growth
forest. Road network provides regional access.
Boat access to Johnstone Strait and Vancouver
Island.
$175,000
Northern Vancouver Island Acreage: 156-acre
rural property, only private property in the area!
9kms from Port Hardy. Good road access and
internal roads, mature and replanted second
growth forests, ponds and water courses for fresh
water. Expansive ocean views across Queen
Charlotte Strait to the mainland. Electrical services
on Holberg Rd.
$240,000
Northern Shores Lodge, Sandspit: Haida Gwaii,
established full-service lodging accommodation
business. 1.7 acres semi-oceanfront, overlooking
Shingle Bay, near airport and harbour. 12,000sqft
building, with 16 suites as well as managers’
accommodation and catering kitchen. Well suited
to many business applications – motel, adventure
lodge, B&B, or more!
$700,000
Bute Inlet Oceanfront: BC Mainland, Mellersh
Pt. 47.74 acres, 1740ft of shoreline. Rustic
1bdrm cabin. Substantial licensed water source
flowing through the property. In a dramatic fjord
setting, surrounded by snow-capped mountains. A
significant logging road provides access to some of
the Coast’s most beautiful and rugged wilderness.
$260,000
Coulter Island, Coulter Bay: ¼ shared interest in
this forested 44-acre island off Cortes Island. 7.8
exclusive oceanfront acres, 12 acres common
property. 960sqft main oceanfront residence is a
netloft conversion; modern, full kitchen, functional
and wheelchair accessible, with power and water.
Additional rustic cabin, octagonal log shop. Private
moorage.
$425,000
Quatsino Sound: West coast Vancouver Island
Oceanfront Residence. 14 oceanfront acres, 150ft
easy access shorefront, 780sqft 2bedroom home,
with electricity and well. Ideal for year-round living
or vacation home as zoning allows additional
cabins. Moorage minutes away at government dock.
A region renowned for some of the best sportfishing
on the BC Coast.
$269,000
Minstrel Island, BC Southern Central Coast:
Oceanfront acreages on the southern tip of the
island with wells, internal road access, common
moorage and loading facilities, spectacular views.
Zoning permits two dwellings. Direct access to
Knight Inlet and amazing coastal wilderness.
Lot 3 has a fully-functional cabin in place.
$54,000 - $170,000
Port Alice Oceanfront Home: Walk on waterfront.
2806sqft, 4bedroom level entry oceanfront
home with oceanside deck, open living spaces
incorporating kitchen, dining area and living room
plus 2 bedrooms upstairs, 2 bedrooms, family room
and storage space down, walk-out basement. 2 car
garage, RV/boat space, garden shed, fenced yard
and landscaped.
$329,000
Haida Gwaii Oceanfront Home: North Beach.
1.6 acres, walk on to miles of sandy beaches.
2400sqft 5bedroom home, quality craftsmanship,
vaulted ceiling, spacious kitchen, floor to ceiling
windows. Fully finished 16X40ft detached shop,
two greenhouses. A well-appointed family home,
as well as opportunity for a vacation rental, B&B or
fishing resort.
$639,000
Quadra Island Oceanfront Home:
5-acre
oceanfront property overlooking Open Bay. 265ft
of walk-on beachfront, spectacular ocean views,
sunny southern exposure, forested. 2800+sqft
charismatic main residence, quality craftsmanship,
open concept floor plan, expansive oceanside
decks. Guest cottage, powered shop. Specific
permission for future moorage.
$788,800
Great Choices for Residential Use & Year-round Living • www.bcoceanfront.com • Great Choices for Residential Use & Year-round Living • www.bcoceanfront.com
Great Choices for Residential Use & Year-round Living • www.bcoceanfront.com • Great Choices for Residential Use & Year-round Living • www.bcoceanfront.com
Specializing in Unique Coastal Real Estate in British Columbia
Ed 250.287.0011 • Shelley 250.830.4435
Toll Free 800.563.7322
w w w. b c o c e a n f r o n t . c o m
2
SOAR
February • March 2013
Contents
Pacific Coastal Airlines’ Inflight Magazine
February/March 2013 | Volume 7 | Number 1
FEATURES
6
WEST SHORE RISING
Residents flock to the region
10 FOOD INDUSTRY DRIVING
COMOX VALLEY
Huge investments boost
thriving economy
14 FISHING FOR ADVENTURE
Barbara Kelly makes her mark
at Rivers Inlet Sportsman’s Club
16 AQUACULTURE
Brian Kieran looks at salmon
farming as the industry surges
18 CUSTOMER APPRECIATION
PCA says, “Thanks”
20 HOPE IN THE AIR
Charity partners with PCA to
offer free medical transport
21 SPIRIT BEAR COFFEE
A look at a bubbling business
22 Q&A
Chief Richard Harry, Executive
Director of the Aboriginal
Aquaculture Association
DEPARTMENTS
4
UP FRONT
President’smessage; Tale of the
tail art; Meet a PCA employee
9
BC BUSINESS ROUNDUP
News from around the province
13 DATEBOOK
Community events from
around BC
Cover: Westhills Development, Langford, BC
Photo: Don Denton
Editor
Susan Lundy
lundys@shaw.ca
Graphic Design
Lily Chan
Michelle Gjerde
Phone 250-381-3484
Fax 250-386-2624
Published by
Black Press
818 Broughton Street,
Victoria, BC V8W 1E4
www.blackpress.ca
Group Publisher
Penny Sakamoto
psakamoto@blackpress.ca
Direct, Advertising Sales
Oliver Sommer
osommer@blackpress.ca
SOAR magazine is published six times per year and is distributed on all Pacific Coastal Airlines flights. The points of view or
opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or Pacific Coastal
Airlines. The contents of SOAR magazine are protected by
copyright, including the designed advertising. Reproduction is
prohibited without written consent of the publisher.
February • March 2013
PACIFIC COASTAL AIRLINES
3
PRESIDENT’S
PR
RESID
IDE
ID
ENT’S
N
MESSAGE
MESS
ME
S AGE
Best airport in North America
Quentin Smith
President,
Pacific Coastal Airlines
Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is
the second busiest airport in Canada. In 2011 it
welcomed 17 million people, managed more than
258,000 flights, and handled nearly 224,000 tons of
cargo. In recent years, the airport has been named
“Best Airport in North America” and made the list
of top 10 airports in the world for the first time in
2012.
These impressive achievements have helped
place Vancouver on the “must visit” list for
travellers around the world, but the airport’s
elevated status didn’t happen overnight.
Vancouver’s airport was only a single grass
strip located on a farmer’s field at Minoru Park in
Richmond in 1927 when famed aviator Charles
Lindbergh refused to add Vancouver to his North
American tour due to the lack of a proper airport.
This perceived slight seemed to spur on local
officials, and led to the creation of a new airport
on Sea Island in 1931, where it operates today.
The original terminal, now known as the South
Terminal, saw just over 1,000 passengers in its
inaugural year. Today, the South Terminal serves as
the headquarters for Pacific Coastal Airlines. The
main terminal building was completed in 1968.
Like Vancouver International Airport, Pacific
Coastal has come a long way since our humble
beginnings. We are now the sixth largest airline
operating from Vancouver International Airport
with 211,675 outbound seats recorded in 2011.
That puts us well ahead of Air Transat, Delta,
American Airlines, British Airways and Air China
— to name just a few. Not bad for a locally owned
and operated airline — and something about
which we are extremely proud.
Thank you for helping us get there.
OUR CONTRIBUTORS
MEET A PACIFIC COASTAL EMPLOYEE
P
ilot Darcy Coonfer brings 12 years of flying
experience and a true love of the job to his
position as Beechcraft 1900 and King Air
200 Captain at Pacific Coastal Airlines.
Based at the Vancouver International Airport’s
South Terminal, Coonfer flies various routes with
PCA, including charters outside of the regular route
schedule. He has lots of positive things to say about
his work.
“There are not too many airlines where you can
depart from a major international airport and within
an hour of flying over some of the best scenery in
the world, land at a remote strip nestled within the
mountains.”
He also appreciates the family-like atmosphere
among employees at PCA and believes it “allows for a
certain level of familiarity with our guests,” aiding
Name: Darcy Coonfer
his department’s mission “to ensure our guests arrive
Position: Beechcraft 1900
safely and efficiently at their destinations and have an
and King Air 200 Captain
overall positive travelling experience.”
Time with Pacific Coastal:
Born and raised in the Lower Mainland, Coonfer
Nine months
lives in Tsawwassen, where he likes to play hockey
and baseball, and spend time with his young family.
But flying remains a passion: “My entire flying career
has been spent criss-crossing this beautiful province
and I have yet to say ‘I’m bored.’”
4
Susan Lundy is a freelance
writer, author and journalist,
who grew up in Victoria and
now lives between Salt Spring
Island, Victoria and Calgary
with her partner Bruce.
Benjamin Yong is a
freelance journalist and
community news reporter
based in Richmond, B.C. He
enjoys writing about lifestyles,
culture and cars.
Susan Quinn is a veteran
Vancouver Island journalist
with more than two
decades of experience and a
passion for flying.
Montreal-born Brian Kieran
has worked for several BC
newspapers, taking him from
England to cover the Royals to
Qatar to cover the first Gulf War.
He is also a communications
volunteer for the Pender Island
Fire Department.
SOAR
February • March 2013
TAIL ART
Pacific Coastal employee
Ryan Parenteau with his contest-winning
tail art design on PCA’s new Beechcraft 1900C.
The tale behind the tails
By SUSIE QUINN
T
he tradition of aircraft artwork may
date back to the First World War — but
with more than a dozen different icons
painted on Pacific Coastal airplane tails, it’s a
concept the airline has embraced.
The Smith family, which founded PCA and
the airline itself are “B.C.-born,” and when
the subject of tail art came up, they “found it
difficult to sum up all that is B.C. in a single
image.” Now, each of the airline’s tails feature
different icons, ranging from a snowboarder
and miner to a various sea vessels and a totem
pole.
The process of painting images on the
fuselage of aircraft began in the First World
War, when air squadrons painted their insignia
on the sides of their warplanes to easily identify
“friendlies.” But the trend of nose art didn’t take
off until the Second World War, when aviators
used artwork on their aircraft to express their
individuality amid the uniformity of military
life.
February • March 2013
Anne Josephine Hayward, a member of the
American Red Cross Aero Club in England and
a painter of nose art, had this to say about it:
“Its purpose was worthy — to bolster military
morale in a terrible time. The members of each
crew came to feel that their plane and their
painting were somehow special and would
bring them luck, a safe return from hostile
skies. The art may have been frivolous at times,
but it was never anti-social.”
The most famous images of nose art came
from pin-up art in the 1940s, specifically from
Esquire magazine. Alberto Vargas’ artwork
became known as the “Vargas Girls,” and
although his art wasn’t used exclusively, it was
most prevalent.
Cartoon characters, animals, hometowns and
nicknames — Memphis Belle being a famous
example — also appeared. Ironically, nose art
was never officially approved, but superiors
looked the other way when crewmen had their
aircraft painted.
Nose art is historically a military tradition,
Continued on page 19
PACIFIC COASTAL AIRLINES
Susie Quinn photo
Did you know?
• Pilots started the nose art trend in the
Second World War by pasting copies
of Alberto Vargas’ pin-up girls from
Esquire magazine onto the fuselage of
their aircraft. This quickly turned into
a profitable business for certain artists
who were commissioned to paint similar
depictions on aircraft, most notably B-17
Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators.
• At the beginning of the Second World
War, Walt Disney and his team of artists
designed and painted air squadron and
unit insignia onto aircraft. By the end of
the war, his five-man team had painted
more than 1,200 insignias.
• The first recorded piece of nose art
was a sea monster painted on the nose
of an Italian flying boat in 1913. Another
early practice of painting aircraft, which
originated with German pilots, was to
add mouths full of sharp teeth below
the propeller.
5
GREATER VICTORIA | MU
MUNICIPALITIES
UNICI
CIPA
ALITI
LITIES
ES IIN
N TR
TRANSITION
RANSI
S TIION
WEST SHORE REGION B
Fast Facts
• The average age in the
West Shore is 38, younger
than in many other
Greater Victoria regions.
• In addition to the
local development and
investment dollars that
have helped build the
West Shore in the past,
today the region is also
enjoying significant
outside investment.
COLWOOD
2011 Population – 16,093
2006 Population – 14,687
Per cent change – 9.6
Land area – 17.66 sq. km
HIGHLANDS
2011 Population – 2,120
2006 Population – 1,903
Per cent change – 11.4
Land area – 38.05 sq. km
LANGFORD
2011 Population – 29,228
2006 Population – 22,459
Per cent change – 30.1
Land area – 39.94 sq. km
METCHOSIN
2011 Population – 4,803
2006 Population – 4,795
Per cent change – 0.2
Land area – 71.09 sq. km
VIEW ROYAL
2011 Population – 9,381
2006 Population – 8,768
Per cent change – 7.0
Land area – 14.36 sq. km
6
By JENNIFER BLYTH
I
n real estate, it’s often said that location is
everything. Complement a great location
with affordability, appealing amenities
and a capacity for growth and you have the
makings of a thriving community with a
strong, diverse economy.
The West Shore region of Greater Victoria is
the perfect example.
According to the 2011 Census, the
community of Langford, about 20 minutes
from downtown Victoria, led Canadian municipalities
in growth, recording a population increase of a little
more than 30 per cent over 2006.
Langford, together with
Colwood, View Royal, Metchosin
and the Highlands, comprise the
West Shore, serviced by Pacific
Coastal Airlines via the Victoria
International Airport.
Twenty to 30 years ago, the West
Shore was a bedroom community
of Greater Victoria, a suburb with
some retailers and service providers
supporting the mix of residential
Dan Spinner
and rural properties. Where at
that time only about 20 per cent of people both lived
and worked in the West Shore — the vast majority
travelled to Victoria for employment — by 2006 that
number had climbed to 45 per cent, notes Dan Spinner,
Chief Executive Officer of the West Shore Chamber of
Commerce.
It’s expected the 2011 Census will show that more
Don Dentron photo
The West Shore
by community
than 50 per cent of people now work where they live.
“We don’t want to grow just for growth’s sake; we
want to grow sustainably.” However, “it’s a community
that is rapidly developing its own infrastructure,”
Spinner says. “You’ve really got a new region being
born.”
The West Shore saw a lot of growth initially from
so-called “big box” stores attracted to the region for its
large, affordable building sites. Complementary retail
developments soon followed, and while both served
to increase the tax base and provide employment, they
were not necessarily creating the highest paid positions,
Spinner says. Today, that’s starting to change, as the
region also welcomes more professional, technology
and industry-based businesses, along with the
construction-related trades hard at work building the
West Shore.
In fact, “we have 14 different sectors in our chamber
and we are growing at 20 per cent per year in almost all
sectors,” Spinner notes. “The growth in all our sectors
is about even; economic diversity is the key to our
success.”
Recognizing that many of their staff and clients
SOAR
February • March 2013
OOMING
New vision for Bear Mountain
DEVELOPMENT PROMOTED AS YEAR-ROUND,
WILDERNESS-EDGE RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY
Photo courtesy of Bear Mountain Resort
By JENNIFER BLYTH
Photo courtesy of the District of Langford
now make their home here, more companies are also
setting up shop, such as Fortis BC, in a brand new
LEED-certified building, not to mention non-profit
organizations like the YMCA and the Children’s
Health Foundation of Vancouver Island.
“One of the keys to the West Shore is that there’s
lots of development land and we have businessfriendly municipal councils and communities,”
Spinner notes.
In addition to a growing customer base, the West
Shore offers businesses significant cost savings in their
property or rental costs — about 25 to 30 per cent
less than neighbouring Saanich or Victoria, and for
buildings that are largely new.
Beyond serving local residents, the West Shore’s
considerable retail growth has provided a second
benefit — it also attracts visitors from around the
south island for shopping. More recently, significant
growth in food services, entertainment and recreation
has led to visitors spending more time and money
during their visits. They might come for a trip to
Costco, for example, but include a visit to a local
restaurant or bowling with the kids as well.
While business has been attracted to the West
Shore for its affordability, the same can be said for new
residents. Not only can they buy a lot more house for
their money than in other parts of the south island,
but as the population grows, so too have the services
that come along with it, including recreation and
lifestyle facilities, professional services and other
essentials important to families. The kindergarten to
Grade 12 growth in particular has been enormous,
Continued on page 8
February • March 2013
PACIFIC COASTAL AIRLINES
One of the most significant
developments in the West Shore in
the last decade has been the 1,300acre Bear Mountain Resort, a mix
of residential homes and visitor
accommodation complemented by
shopping, dining and recreation
opportunities, all focused around 36
holes of Nicklaus-designed golf.
Situated in the foothills of Mount
Finlayson with breathtaking views
of Victoria and its waterfront, Bear
Mountain Resort offers an idyllic
natural setting just 20 minutes from the
heart of the provincial capital.
Founded by a group of investors,
the majority of resort assets were
transferred in November 2010 to Bear
Mountain Land Holdings Ltd., led
by an executive management team of
Gary Cowan, President and CEO; Eric
Gerlach, General Manager of Land
Development; and Francis Parkinson,
GM of the Westin Bear Mountain Golf
Resort and Spa.
In November 2012, the team
submitted to the City of Langford
a new vision for the overall master
development plan for the Bear
Mountain community — a new
plan that will move the community
forward. Rather than promoting Bear
Mountain as a high-density seasonal
resort, the future success of the project
will be as a year-round, wildernessedge residential community. At the
same time, visitors will remain a big
part of Bear Mountain, thanks to the
luxurious getaway awaiting at the
Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort
& Spa. Boasting 156 guest rooms and
a variety of award-winning dining
opportunities, the resort is steps from
the Mountainside Athletic Centre,
Sante Spa and two Nicklaus Design golf
courses.
Existing residential homes range
from elegant, easy-care condominiums
and townhouses to single-family
homes and grand estate properties. But
there is still much more to come at the
mountain-side community.
Currently under way are two
residential subdivisions — Upper and
Lower Hedgestone.
Lower Hedgestone is the first real
estate offering from the new ownership,
featuring 12 golf course home sites
situated on the coveted 18th fairway
of the Mountain Course. Upper
Hedgestone will follow with 60 lots
developed in two phases.
The new direction will shift the
development focus from highrise
condominium towers to beautiful
neighbourhood clusters situated to
fully capture Bear Mountain’s natural
environment and the many recreational
opportunities it provides. Already the
resort is known for various special
events throughout the year, such as
November’s Bear Mountain 10K &
Half-Marathon, a mountain run billed
as “Canada’s most challenging.”
Within the new master development
plan, golf and the Westin Bear
Mountain remain key priorities, while
future development will also bring
additional hiking, biking and running
trails that will weave through Bear
Mountain neighbourhoods, offering
spectacular forest and mountain
views from this unique West Coast
community.
For more information, visit www.
bearmountain.ca
7
West Shore
Continued from page 7
with two new high schools planned to open
for 2015, Spinner says.
“That’s crucial to our economic growth
because schools are so important to all our
young families.”
Active living is also key, and that’s an area
local governments and private enterprise
have invested in heavily, with new ice arenas,
pools, fields, courts and stadiums serving
everyone from the novice skater to Canadian
national team athletes, including the most
recent addition of Rugby Canada’s national
headquarters and training facilities.
“Recreation is very strong on the West
Shore, which it needs to be for young
families,” he says.
Balancing the responsible growth
Colwood, Langford and View Royal have
embraced, the neighbouring communities of
Metchosin and the Highlands have strived to
retain their rural nature, Spinner notes.
“I think we’re very lucky because we have
two rural communities that don’t want to
grow,” and offer rural amenities such as
locally grown food that people want.
Looking ahead to today’s families’ future
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needs, the West Shore is also developing its
services for seniors, from recreation facilities
geared to older residents, to medical services
and senior-friendly housing that will allow
residents to stay in their community, close to
children and grandchildren.
Some of the Capital Region’s largest
developments are taking shape here,
including the $1-billion Capital City Centre
in Colwood, encompassing nearly 14 acres
and with zoning approval for up to 3.8
million square feet of mixed-use space to
be developed in multiple phases over the
next 15 to 20 years. In Langford, Westhills
is a 517-acre sustainable, master planned
community of new homes, town homes,
condominiums, parkland and more than
six million square feet of commercial space
being built in phases over the next two
decades. In View Royal, Eagle Creek Village
is a 14.5-acre mixed-use project featuring
183,000 square feet of commercial/office
space, 130 residential units and a three and
one-half acre park.
Throughout this period of growth, “the
greatest infrastructure deficit [has been]
transportation,” Spinner says, explaining
that the rush hour commute today averages
around 45 minutes for those working in
Saanich and Victoria. Local officials and
residents are working to find solutions, with
ideas ranging from light rapid transit to a
version that uses the existing E&N railway
line. The West Shore Chamber of Commerce
is also studying the viability of a commuter
ferry that could cover the short distance
via water between Colwood and downtown
Victoria.
Looking forward, the next wave of
economic development will be high tech,
Spinner predicts. While Victoria has seen
a number of technology businesses locate
downtown, as those younger employees have
children, the West Shore will be an attractive
location for tech businesses, offering many
of the same benefits as downtown but greater
affordability and family-friendly amenities.
Plans are in the works for a new high
tech park that will be able to accommodate
this expected growth, along with a possible
“clean tech” park to support the many green
initiatives taking root in the West Shore and
surrounding neighbourhoods.
How To Get There
Hotel • Casino • Show Theatre • Absolute Spa • Fitness Centre
Restaurants • Lounges • Pool • Free Parking • Free WiFi
8811 River Road • Richmond • BC • riverrock.com
8
Pacific Coastal Airlines offers
several flights every day between
Vancouver South Terminal and Victoria
International Airport. Visit www.
pacificcoastal.com for details.
SOAR
February • March 2013
BUSINESS ROUNDUP
PCA GOLF TOURNEY
GEARS UP TO TOP
RECORD FUNDRAISING
P
lans are forging ahead for Pacific Coastal
Airlines 21st annual Memorial Charity
Golf Tournament, and organizers say it’s
going to be better than ever.
“Everyone had such a great time last
year and it’s just going to keep growing,”
said Shawn Warneboldt, one of the event’s
organizers.
While several details are still being
finalized, the tournament will definitely take
place in June in the Lower Mainland.
Last year’s event, held at Greenacres Golf
Course in Richmond, saw 130 golfers raise a
record $35,245 — a substantial increase over
the previous year when $17,000 was raised
by 100 golfers. This year, the goal is to draw
in 144 golfers and top last year’s amount.
“We doubled our record in one year,”
noted Warneboldt, adding that the
tournament has a more corporate feel
now than in past years — “it’s become a
networking event in addition to being a
great time.”
Pacific Coastal has been holding the
tournament since the early 1990s, and
supporting the same charity — the Source
Club Society in Powell River — since 1997.
In total, the airline has donated $197,000 to
the society, which provides educational and
life skills programs to people with mental
illness.
Like last year, this year’s tournament
package will include a patio lunch, shotgun
start, putting and chipping contests,
followed by a pre-dinner reception, awards
banquet with fabulous prizes, as well as
silent and live auctions, with some great
items up for grabs.
Various sponsorships are available,
starting at a $1,000 each, and organizers are
also looking for prize donations. Anyone
interested in donating a prize or purchasing
Last year’s Pacific Coastal Airline’s Memorial
Charity Golf Tournament was a huge success,
raising ove $35,000.
a sponsorship — “all for a great cause,”
says Warneboldt — should email golf@
pacificcoastal.com.
Watch the PCA website towards the end
of February at www.pacificcoastal.com
for more information, registration and
sponsorship opportunities.
DETOX: OUT WITH THE
CITY, IN WITH NATURE
A
new travel package at Nimmo Bay
Wilderness Resort this spring aims to
detoxify guests, replacing the stress of the
city with the relaxation of nature.
“Nimmo Bay exists in harmony with
nature,” says Becky Eert, who runs the
isolated resort near Port McNeill with her
partner, Fraser Murray. “The power of the
waterfall, the coziness of the protected bay
and the intensity of the wildlife is sure to
open up the eyes of our guests, who are
looking to relax and reconnect.”
From May 1 to June 30, 2013, guests of
DFO GOES ONLINE WITH LICENSING SERVICES
B
eginning in 2013, the department’s commercial licensing services have moved from the
counter to the internet, enabling fishermen to obtain and renew commercial fishing
licences, and to access other in-season services online.
Fisherman can now pay their licensing fees, vessel registrations and reissuances online,
using their bankcard or credit card. They can use the same system to request and receive
licences, and access approval of representatives and issuance of licence conditions.
Fishermen who prefer to pay fees using cash or cheque may still do so at any national
bank. However, these fishermen must still register an email address to receive payment
notifications.
Between January 1 and March 31, licensing services will be available through the new
system as well as at the counter to ensure a smooth transition for licensing transactions.
February • March 2013
PACIFIC COASTAL AIRLINES
the three- or four-day City Detox Package
will enjoy a full day of guided marine
adventure, one or two days of guided
kayaking or hiking, and a day of unguided
resort activities.
“Pair all of this with a health-focused
cuisine and as much or as little activity
as you want and you are sure to feel
recharged.”
The package includes accommodation in
private cabins; gourmet meals and house
alcohol; hiking and kayaking; and the use of
resort amenities. (Transportation, premium
alcohol, massage and spa treatments,
gift shop purchases, fishing licenses and
gratuities are extra.) The City Detox Package
starts at $813 per person, per day.
“It’s an excellent way to relax and
reconnect; and it’s flexible,” says Eert. “It’s
perfect for couples looking to truly get away
from their fast-paced lifestyles, for friends
looking for an incredible weekend away or
for corporate groups looking for a new way
to build their team connections. With this
package, guests can tailor their visit to match
their energy level and interests.”
Nimmo Bay Wilderness Resort is a
luxurious fly-fishing and wilderness
adventure destination, set at the foothills
of Mount Stevens along the Great Bear
Rainforest.
Family-owned and operated for more
than 30 years, the resort draws anglers
and adventurers alike. Forbes Magazine
named Nimmo Bay resort as one of the top
10 eco-resorts in the world. To get there,
take a Pacific Coastal Airlines flight from
the Vancouver Airport’s South Terminal
to Port Hardy and board a helicopter
to Nimmo Bay. (The resort will arrange
transportation.)
SURVEY HELPS BOOST
CRANBROOK BUSINESS
T
he Cranbrook & District Chamber of
Commerce received 295 responses to an
online survey developed to help members
“highlight barriers to doing business in
Cranbrook, and provide recommendations
on how those barriers can be removed.”
Chamber president Lana Kirk thanked
the business leaders who took the time to
complete the survey, noting they “came from
all sectors of area business, [ranging] from
new businesses, to those which have been
operating for more than 20 years.”
Kirk said the survey results will be used
as a focal point for the chamber’s advocacy
efforts over the next two years.
9
COMOX VALLEY | ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
A FOOD LOVER’S DELIGHT
FOOD AND BEVERAGE
INDUSTRY DRIVING
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
IN THE COMOX VALLEY
By SUSAN LUNDY
FAST FACTS
10
SOAR
February • March 2013
Susan Lundy photo
I
n peak season, the Blackfin Pub in
Comox is a hub of activity, serving
between 400-600 people a day. Perched
at the water’s edge, overlooking a tangle
of boats in three separate marinas, and
located right at the foot of Fisherman’s
Wharf, the pub has the advantage of
spectacular views and easy access to
boaters, other visitors and locals. Inside,
it’s a cozy combination of wood, light
and colour, augmented by huge, seaview
windows, a cheery fireplace and attention
A kitchen upgrade at Blackfin Pub in Comox is just one of many recent investments in the food and
to small details, which owner Edd Moyes
beverage sector throughout the Comox Valley.
describes as one of the cornerstones of the
which, in its fourth year, continues to increase popularity.
pub’s success.
Other recent regional investments in the food and beverage
Recently, Moyes — who bought the pub eight years ago with
industry in the Comox Valley include a multi-million dollar
his wife, Lisa — shutdown for 10 days, hired a small army of
infusion from the development of Prime Chophouse and Wine Bar
tradespeople and undertook a more than one hundred thousand
dollar renovation to upgrade the kitchen, refrigeration and electrical in Courtenay. A new apple pressing business, called Pressing Matter,
is up and running with investment by Natures Way Farm and Blue
systems and refresh the décor.
Moon Winery; and also new to the area is a artisan yogurt making
The Blackfin Pub is one of many
business called Tree Island Gourmet Yogurt. Coastal Black Estate
businesses in the food and beverage
Winery expanded to add an outdoor oven and selective food menu,
sector in the Comox Valley investing
• The Comox Valley Regional
and supported creation of a new annual event called Flavour: The
heavily in improvements to their
District covers approximately
North Island’s Gourmet Picnic, which sold out last year and returns
businesses. In recent months an
1,800-square kilometres from
again this September. The development of Shelter Point Distillery
unprecedented multi-million dollars
Oyster River to Fanny Bay and
also marked a huge investment in the region and it is one of only
worth of new investment in this sector
includes the municipalities
two whisky distilleries in Canada.
has been seen throughout the area.
of Courtenay, Comox and
Other recent examples of new investment or expansion in the
The growth and renewal of investment
Cumberland; as well as Denman
area include Comox Eatery, Domo Sushi, Smittty’s, Flying Canoe
speaks loudly to the healthy nature of
and Hornby Islands, Mount
West Coast Pub, Hot Chocolates and Cake Bread Artisan Bakery,
the economy of the valley, says Moyes,
Washington and a number
Starbucks, Thrifty Foods, Superstore and Walmart. As Moyes points
adding, “We are investing now because
of charming rural and coastal
out, these companies wouldn’t be making large investments if they
we can see what it will look like three
communities.
didn’t see a booming future.
years from now. . . this place is going to
All this activity goes hand in hand with the Comox Valley
take off.”
• Populations: Courtenay, 25,116;
Economic
Development and Tourism office’s active promotion of
Moyes is one of the forces driving
Comox,13,504; Cumberland,
the
area
as
place to invest in the agrifood industry. This has led
the Comox Valley as a culinary tourist
3,355; other areas, 23,007 for a
to
an
infl
ux
of niche growers in areas such as organics, sprouts,
destination
—
something
that
fi
ts
well
total of 65,052.
wasabi, cranberries and malting barley; in addition to production in
beside a booming agribusiness industry,
vegetables, dairy, shellfish and grapes — to name a few.
and a new Economic Development
The economic development office was created in 1988 with the
Strategy that identifies agrifood and beverage processing as a top
mission to, “Encourage responsible expansion of the economic
economic growth priority.
base of the Comox Valley with the intent of enhancing wealth and
He comes with a resume that includes a stint as president of the
employment opportunities.” It identifies the Comox Valley as one
Tourism Victoria, vice-president of the Oak Bay Marine Group,
of the fastest growing rural communities in BC and lists several
president of Victoria Estate Winery and general manager of Crown Isle
key sectors — such as air transportation and resort development as
in Courtenay. He was instrumental in obtaining a parking variance in
Comox that will benefit patrons and allow expansion of restaurants, and prime for investment.
“Food and beverage continues to be an important sector,” notes
is on the advisory committee of the annual Comox Valley Dine Around,
Susan Lundy photo
John Watson, executive director at the
economic development office. And related to
this, is a “big focus on land use for agriculture
and expansion of business through exporting.”
Comox Valley Economic Development
is aggressively promoting the area as a
destination for agri-investment, using tools
such as beautifully rendered “lure” brochures,
the Comox Valley Growers Guide (used
as a farm direct sales piece, and as a tool
to demonstrate to investors, the depth and
range of producers in the region), trade
shows and an extensive website at www.
agrifoodcomoxvalley.com
It’s easy to see why the valley is prime for
agricultural investment.
Affordable and abundant land is key, and
there are 40,000 hectares of agricultural land
in the Comox Valley with only 33 per cent
currently in use (compared to 90 per cent in
many other regions). Most of it sells for about
one-third of the price of agricultural land
elsewhere, such as the Fraser Valley.
“From the 2006 census to 2011 the number
of farms increased from 497 to 530, while
farm gate sales exceed $31 million, which
doesn’t include value added product sales like
wine and cheeses,” said Watson.
The Comox Valley also offers excellent
Edd Moyes, right, talks with a patron at Blackfin Pub. Moyes has been active in promoting the area as a
culinary destination.
soil conditions, water, a gentle climate, and
crop diversity, with over 180 different crop
commodities grown there.
The new Comox Valley Airport (YQQ)
has also played a key role in investment and
tourism growth, by opening up access to
a large market of over two million people,
with daily flights to Vancouver, Calgary and
Edmonton.
Key industry stakeholders have played
a critical role in the development of these
various initiatives, from producers, chefs,
wineries, tourism businesses to the Ministry
of Agriculture, Comox Valley Farmers’ Market
and Comox Valley Farmers’ Institute, notes
Watson.
In addition to a year round Comox Valley
Farmers’ Market, there are annual culinary
focused events including Comox Valley Dine
Around and the Comox Valley Farm Cycle
Tour, created to drive awareness around farm
product accessibility and to support expanded
economic activity at these farms.
Also supported by the economic
development office though in-kind support
are the area’s BC Shellfish Festival, Flavour,
and Mount Washington Alpine Resorts’
culinary festivals. .
The North Island’s Gourmet Picnic.
We are your “home” base.
Friendly, personalized service and daily
direct flights to Calgary, Edmonton
and Vancouver. Plus, seasonal charters
to Puerto Vallarta all winter long.
www.comoxairport.com
February • March 2013
PACIFIC COASTAL AIRLINES
11
COMOX
COMO
CO
MOX
X VA
VALL
VALLEY
LLEY
EY | TOURISM
ARTS, CULTURE, HIS
DIVERSITY REIGNS IN VALLEY ATTRACTIONS
By SUSAN LUNDY
T
charm and special beaches.
Hawkins says the region is also
considered a “mecca” for bird watchers
and naturalists. “Geocaching is growing
in popularity plus cycling and hiking have
always been a big attraction,” she adds.
There are several beaches, both seaside
and along the Tsolum or Oyster rivers,
as well as regional and provincial parks.
Comox Lake is also a big draw that offers
camping, boating and fishing.
“Imagine starting your morning with a
paddle on the Courtenay estuary, followed
by a round of golf at Crown Isle Resort, and
then an afternoon of skiing . . . all in one
day, all in one place,” says Hawkins.
As an agricultural hub with a diverse
range of value-added food products —
from goat cheese and bison to wines,
whiskey and gourmet chocolate — it
benefits from culinary tourism, aided in
part by annual events such as the Comox
ourism in the Comox Valley is a lot
more than sun, snow and powder at
Mount Washington Alpine Resort
— and given the many things to do, visitors’
might even need to extend their stay.
In addition to all the activities that go
hand in hand with a beautiful natural
setting and moderate climate, the area is
packed with history and cultural offerings,
a booming culinary industry and a full
line-up of festivals and events.
visit lots of smaller and private galleries and
“Certainly Mount Washington is a year
artisans. Native art is featured at iHos Gallery
round tourist destination — with snow
among others, reflecting the fact the eastern
sports in winter and mountain biking and
shore of Vancouver Island was home to the
hiking in summer — but it’s not the only
K’ómoks people for thousands of years. There
game in town,” says Dianne Hawkins,
is also the K’omoks First Nations traditional
president and CEO at the Comox Valley
Big House, which hosts many public events.
Chamber of Commerce.
Each of the valley’s three communities
Indeed, according to the Comox Valley
offer things to do and see in association with
Economic Development and Tourism
their unique histories.
group, the area “has probably
According to the Chamber website
the most diversified tourism
(www.comoxvalleychamber.com),
economy on the north island
the 1852 discovery of coal near what
and mainland coast, drawing
is now Cumberland “resulted in
visitors from many different
entrepreneurial-spirited miners and
markets. [It] offers a wide
‘get rich quick’ hopefuls flocking to
range of experiences, including
the area.” By 1890, the population had
skiing, salmon and freshwater
boomed to 10,000, and the Village of
fishing, swimming, hiking,
Cumberland was established in 1898.
scuba diving, cycling and golf.
Cumberland remained an “economic
The climate for investment and
powerhouse for decades,” but by the
support for various tourism1960s, coal mining no longer provided
related businesses is very
employment, and a dramatic decrease
positive.”
in population ensued.
Adds Hawkins: “The word
However, according to the
‘unique’ may be a cliché, but
chamber, a resurgence in recent years
it is one that well-suites our
has marked it as one of Vancouver
community.”
Island’s “communities with a future.”
Part of that is the fact
the Comox Valley has three
Photo courtesy of Tartan Media Group It draws hundreds of people annually
as a premier mountain biking
Aerial view of the Comox Valley; at top, historic Cumberland
downtowns, each offering
destination,
and highlights its history at
a different experience. There’s
the Cumberland Museum and Archives and
Valley Dine Around and BC Shellfish
Courtenay, a regional centre for business,
through various historical walking tours. The
Festival, plus a year-round farmers’ market.
recreation and tourism; Comox, a seaside
town also features some great eateries and
A lively schedule of more than 50 annual
community and home to the Canadian
artsy shops.
performing arts and arts events, such as
Armed Forces Base (CFB) Comox 19
The award-winning Courtenay and
Wing; and Cumberland, whose history-rich the highly touted Filberg Festival (August)
District
Museum and Paleontology Centre
charm and affordable housing options have and Vancouver Island Music Festival (July),
is
another
place to experience the valley’s
draw thousands of people to the area. And
resulted in a recent revitalization. And just
history.
Here
you can “take a fossil tour and
those with a hankering for the arts can stroll
a short ferry ride away are Denman and
travel 80 million years back in time and
through the Comox Valley Art Galley or
Hornby islands, each offering a unique
12
SOAR
February • March 2013
BC DATEBOOK
STORY
CAMPBELL RIVER
POWELL RIVER
Fashion Inferno 11
Mar. 2
Film Festival
Feb. 19-24
North Vancouver Island’s premier fundraising
event in support of the B.C. Professional
Fire Fighters Burn Fund. A ladies’ night out
presented by Campbell River Fire Fighters,
IAFF Local 1668. Campbell River Community
Center, 6 p.m.
FMI: 250-286-6266
Comox Valley Dine Around
Feb. 20-Mar. 17
Now in its fourth year, this event celebrates
local cuisine and continues to increase in
participation and popularity.
FMI: www.discovercomoxvalley.com
CRANBROOK
Susan Lundy photo
How To Get There
Pacific Coastal Airlines offers several flights
every day between Vancouver Airport’s
South Terminal and the Comox Valley Airport. Visit www.pacificcoastal.com for details.
February • March 2013
PACIFIC COASTAL AIRLINES
69th Powell River Festival
of the Performing Arts 2013
Feb. 23-Mar. 9
Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Powell River,
the event supports the development of the
community’s amateur performers. Held at
various theatres. FMI: www.clubrunner.ca
COMOX VALLEY
browse the galleries to delve into the stories that
make our history come alive,” notes its website at
www.courtenaymuseum.ca.
Early pioneers arrived in Courtenay (incorporated
in 1915) after the gold rush in the 1860s, and its
early economy depended on logging and farming.
Immigration and a post-war baby boom in the mid1900s resulted in significant population growth, along
with the resulting demand for new homes, schools
and businesses. In 1996, it gained the distinction of
being the fastest growing city in all of Canada.
In Comox, European settlers arrived in 1862
searching for gold. The first Comox wharf was built
in 1874, followed by the opening of a number of
commercial enterprises and inns. Soon after, a navel
training base was established, marking the start of
Comox as a military town. Incorporated in 1946,
Comox has a marina and ocean-related businesses and
attractions. Visitors can walk the Comox Harbour docks
to check out boats and buy fish directly from fishermen.
There’s also the Comox Air Force Museum and the
Filberg Heritage Lodge and Park.
History buffs will also want to take in the Royston
Wrecks, located along the waterfront just south of
Courtenay.
Here, one can see the remnants of more than a
dozen old ships that were once used as a breakwater
to protect the log booming grounds of Comox
Harbour. The first ship hulks were sunk in the late
1930s and over the next 25 years more were added,
including whaling boats, schooners, navy frigates,
freighters and tugs.
For visitors and residents alike, the Comox Valley,
y,
it seems, has much to explore.
Annual film festival held at the Patricia
Theatre. Check website at www.prfilmfestival.
ca for film info, tickets & more.
Swan Lake
Feb. 21
Ballet Jorgen Canada celebrates its 25th
anniversary season with the world’s most
renowned classical ballet, Tchaikovsky’s Swan
Lake, at the Key City Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
FMI: www.balletjorgen.ca
Business Excellence Awards
Nominations
Until Feb. 20
VICTORIA
Understanding Transition
to the PST
Feb. 4
On April 1, 2013 the province returns to
PST. Join representatives from the Ministry
of Finance to discuss how this transition will
affect your business. Sponsored by the Greater
Victoria Chamber of Commerce, the event
runs from 1-3 p.m. at 100 - 852 Fort St.
FMI: 250-383-7191
VANCOUVER
Buildex Vancouver
Feb. 13 - 14
Cranbrook and District Chamber of Commerce
welcomes nominations of companies and
business people whose significant business
achievements have made an important
contribution to the economic and social
well-being of the Cranbrook area.
FMI: www.cranbrookchamber.com
BUILDEX Vancouver is one of Canada’s largest
tradeshows and conferences, welcoming over
13,000 design, construction and real estate
management professionals each year. Over
600 exhibits and more than 50 educational
seminars take place all under one roof at the
Vancouver Convention Centre.
FMI: www.buildexvancouver.com
WILLIAMS LAKE
Fly Fishing Stillwaters
Mar. 16
PENTICTON
Aboriginal Business Match
Feb. 18- 21
Annual event takes place at the Penticton
Trade and Convention Centre, Penticton/
Okanagan (Sylix) Territory, B.C.
FMI: www.aboriginalbusinessmatch.com
All-day seminar with Brian M. Chan at the
Thompson Rivers University Campus. Tickets
are $45 per person and are available at Blue
Mountain Gunsmithing/Sandpiper Fly Fishing,
365B North Mackenzie Avenue.
FMI: email homewaters2011@gmail.com
Reach an influential audience.
To advertise in
Contact Oliver Sommer
Director, Advertising Sales
250.480.3274
osommer@blackpress.ca
13
PROFILE | SPORT FISHING
FISHING FOR ADVEN
LODGE OWNER BARBARA KELLY FOLLOWS
HER ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT TO BECOME A
PIONEERING WOMAN IN RIVERS INLET
By JENNIFER BLYTH
I
t was the mid-1980s when Barbara Kelly, a school teacher and
principal originally from England, thought she’d try her hand at
the fishing lodge business on the central coast of British Columbia.
Not that fresh starts and new challenges were anything new to Kelly,
who had embarked on a variety of
adventures with her family over the
previous 20 years.
At age 24, Kelly was teaching math
and geography at a London high school
when she and her husband decided
to follow her parents to Australia.
After teaching in a Sydney high school
for several years, Kelly sought new
adventures. It was a co-worker who
sparked the idea of Canada, she recalls.
“He said, ‘I’m going to Canada,’ and
he showed me all these brochures . . . I
Barbara Kelly is seen above with thought, this all looks so fantastic and I
“scrapbook” photos from Rivers haven’t been there.”
Inlet Sportsman’s Club.
Landing in Vancouver with her
husband and children, without a job
or a home to go to, a chance discussion pointed the family in the
direction of Vancouver Island, where two teachers were needed in a
small mill town.
“It was 1968 and the sun was baking down when we arrived in Port
Alberni with two kids and two suitcases,” she says. “The people were
amazing — they were kind, they were family-oriented, they were hardworking. I couldn’t think of a better place to go. We fit right in because
they welcomed us.”
Kelly spent 14 years in Port Alberni, including 10 years as principal
of an elementary school. During that time she also completed her
master’s degree at the University of British Columbia and undertook
Montessori training. By 1982, though, life was changing. Newly single
and with her children off at university, Kelly found herself looking in
Located in the
Powell River
Airport
604-485-4131 or 1-800-319-6919
7516B Duncan St., Powell River, BC V8A 1W7
14
new career directions when the school district closed her school.
Spending the next while volunteering in the emerging area
of computer education, Kelly was a doctoral candidate at UBC
when she was presented with an additional possibility that would
complement her study time.
“I skied with a fellow at Mt. Washington and he wanted
to go into the fishing lodge business and we decided that the
biggest salmon on the coast were at Rivers Inlet,” recalls Kelly,
who became the sole owner several years ago when her partner
retired. “It’s been a fantastic, wonderful experience.”
Not that she really knew what she was getting into at the time.
“It didn’t seen so onerous to me then because I thought it was
just summer. I thought people would just phone up and say they
wanted to go fishing.
“How naive was I?” she laughs. “I learned to fix generators
and answer a radio phone, and I learned if you give
fishermen big hearty meals, good equipment and comfortable
accommodations, they’ll come back for more experiences.”
A family affair from the start, Kelly’s older son, Dominic, was
her first guide, while son Simon today helps run the lodge.
“I did all the cooking for the first few years,” she says, pointing
to a photo taken in the small kitchen. “We produced excellent
food. I used to guide, too, in between cooking, cleaning and
fixing the generator!”
While Kelly doesn’t handle quite as much of the day-to-day
operations any more, she does head up to the lodge to train the
staff each season. Keeping the facilities fresh and maintaining
a close eye on the service guests receive is key to the resort’s
longevity and success.
SOAR
February • March 2013
TURE
Kelly built all new accommodations in 2005 and 2006
and emphasizes with all her 14 to 18 staff the importance of
working hard and providing guests with a good experience;
that philosophy is reinforced with the young people she
hires.
“Hard work will get you where luck won’t,” she notes.
“I always try to hire students so I know they’re going
to use that money wisely and get a good education,” she
explains. “One of my girls is in her third year of medical
school in Toronto and to get into medical school she wrote
all about how her experiences at Rivers Inlet changed her
life.
“You can’t go into this kind of business unless you’re
willing to work hard. I think that’s been key to most people’s
success,” says Kelly, who has also been an important figure
in the Sport Fishing Advisory Board and the Rivers Inlet
North Coast Salmon Enhancement Association, a group of
lodge owners who contribute themselves to enhancing the
region’s fish stocks with an annual release program.
And close to 30 years after welcoming that first guest, she
says, “we’ve had a lot of fun.”
Photo courtesy of Rivers Inlet Sportsman’s Club
IF YOU GO:
Rivers Inlet Sportsman’s Club is a fly-in trophy fishing lodge
served by Pacific Coastal Airlines charters. Located on the
central coast, on the mainland across from the northern tip
of Vancouver Island, the total in-flight time to the lodge from
Vancouver is about two hours. The lodge accommodates up to
40 guests in its new guest rooms and serves three hearty meals a
day in its newly appointed dining room. For more information,
visit www.riversinlet.com or toll-free, 1-800-663-2644.
\ǸɜȐɑȘɑɄȽɜ
Powell River’s
Specialist!
...at BC’s best-kept secret
Xbufsgspou!ejojoh!po!cfbvujgvm!Qpxfmm!MblfÊ!!
Xifsf!mpdbmt!csjoh!uifjs!hvftut
6233 Powell Place, Powell River, BC
0UBs"ISTro 604.483.2001
wwwSHINGLEMILLCAsINFO SHINGLEMILLCA
February • March 2013
PACIFIC COASTAL AIRLINES
604.483.1633 Call (anytime)
www.kathybowes.com
15
AQUACULTURE
SALMON FA
IT’S ALL ABOUT SCIENCE AND CERTAINTY
E
merging from behind the long shadow of the
Cohen Commission, BC’s salmon farming sector
is surging into 2013 fully focused on expanding
stewardship benchmarks and a drive to achieve a
regulatory framework that sustains growth.
In 2012, the industry was largely captive of the
prolonged $26 million Cohen Commission inquiry into
the collapse of the Fraser River sockeye run. Much to
the disappointment of anti-fish farming activists, the
Hon. Bruce Cohen did not lay the fate of the misplaced
sockeye on the doorstep of the
province’s salmon farmers and the
industry was content, as it has always
been, to let science rule.
The agenda moving ahead unfolds
on two fronts: continued expansion
of the process of certification and
lobbying the federal government for an
Aquaculture Act.
BC Salmon Farmers Association
Executive Director Mary Ellen Walling
says her members understand that
farming the sea for healthy protein
with BRIAN KIERAN sources is not an option — it is a
necessity. “The challenge is to do it in a
way that is respectful of the environment.”
Obviously, convincing anti-fish farm forces in the
environmental movement that this is possible, is
an uphill battle. But Walling believes her members’
continuing progress achieving environmental and
organic certification of marine farms, hatcheries and
processing facilities is a step in the right direction.
In this regard, 2013 has started well. The Global
Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) recently announced that
Mainstream Canada has become BC’s first salmon
farming company to achieve “two-star” Best Aquaculture
Practices (BAP) certification of its processing plant in
Tofino. Its Brent Farm near Campbell River was the
world’s first salmon farm to receive BAP certification.
BAP is an internationally recognized certification
program based on achievable, science-based and
continuously improving performance standards for the
entire aquaculture supply chain.
Grieg Seafood has also been notified by GAA that it
has attained BAP certification for an additional three
salmon farms. This brings Grieg’s total certifications
to 11 farms that have undergone a voluntary audit of
social responsibility, environmental performance, food
safety, animal welfare, and bio-security processes by
independent GAA auditors.
THE KIERAN REPORT
16
BC Salmon Farmers Association
Executive Director Mary Ellen Walling
Resource sector entrepreneurs appreciate that
achieving certification, such as BAP or ISO, comes at
a cost, a high cost. It makes the need for operational
certainty even more acute. Walling says it is no longer
acceptable for her members to endure the uncertainty
of surviving on year-to-year fishing licenses when “we’re
not even a fishery.”
Walling says, in order for the industry to move
forward in Canada, it needs a solid piece of aquaculture
specific legislation. She says this issue is “in pretty sharp
focus” for federal officials because it is unwieldy to
attempt to build a regulatory framework in a fisheries
act that doesn’t name aquaculture. There’s one mention
of aquaculture in federal legislation and that’s in the
Bank Act.
In 2010, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans
started granting the sector one-year fishing licenses.
“One of the things we are looking for is, obviously,
longer-term licenses. It’s just not acceptable to have
millions and millions of dollars invested in the industry
for one-year fishing licenses,” Walling tells me.
From the salmon farmers’ point of view, building an
environmentally sensitized portfolio of certifications
and establishing a sustainable regulatory environment
is essential if the sector is going to farm the seas to help
feed a growing global population.
Walling says: “As the population ages, we are looking
for healthier protein sources and fish and seafood
are that source. We have an opportunity in Canada
and BC to be world leaders in producing seafood in a
sustainable way.”
SOAR
February • March 2013
ARMING
Photo courtesy BC Salmon Fishing Association
Aboriginal Aquaculture
A
Association
A
“First Nations will play a key role in the development and
management of a healthy and sustainable aquaculture sector.”
Sustainable - Environmental - Stewardship
www.aboriginalaquaculture.com
Innovation and commitment:
serving fresh BC salmon
every day
marineharvestcanada.com
February • March 2013
PACIFIC COASTAL AIRLINES
17
PACIFIC COASTAL AIRLINES
PCA GIVES A BIG NOD OF THANKS
VALUED CUSTOMERS
HONOURED AT SPECIAL
PCA EVENT
Pacific Coastal Airline loves its customers
and on November 20, the airline treated some
of its business partners to a night of prizes,
networking and tantalizing food. Held in
Victoria at the ever-popular Blue Crab Bar
and Grill (Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel
& Marina) the evening of “treats and greets”
gave PCA a chance to express its gratitude to
the many people who help make it all happen.
President Quentin Smith was on hand to
welcome guests, and everyone appeared to
enjoy the evening of great food and excellent
company. PCA plans to hold similar events in
communities around the province throughout
the next year. Here are just some of the people
who attended the November event.
Rahim Khudabux, Lori Muñoz and Mark Smith.
Kate Musgrove, Keri Vincent and Nicole Beaton.
Alysha Moniz and Leah Plasterer.
Rick MacKinnon, Quentin Smith and Penny
Sakamoto.
Jim Anderson, Anthony Dompierre and Charlene
Bablitz.
Scott Roberts and Judy Laird.
Michelle Wellwood and Sylvia Curie.
Kiyo and Carol Itakura.
Coleen Noble and Sharon Desjarlais.
Susan Morrison and Gerri Taschuk.
Roy McKenzie and Dee Dalton.
Shirley Kozak, Cynthia Davo and Mitchell Voth.
Don Landels and Svein Haugen.
PHOTOS by
GUNNAR FREYR STEINSSON
18
SOAR
February • March 2013
Doc Creek
Namu
M
Ha cNa
rdy ir C
Inl ree
et k
ROUTE MAP
Joe’s Lodge
Ole’s
Adam’s Har
bour
Pruth Bay
S
MASSET
Bay
lla
nnery
be
let Ca
Sheemahant R
Kil Rivers In
iver
O
Ge
Riv we
Mac nesee Creek
hmell
ho ers In ekeno
let
tb
Res
o lt
ort
Ba
y
B
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Haida Gwaii
Duncanby Landing
b
Nekite River
Sportsman’s Clu y
Naysash Inlet
Ba
B ay
Go o s e
a re t
Wyclees Lagoon
M a rg
L
o
n
g
Lake
Trevor L
ak
Chief Nolis Bay
Boydell Lake e
Belize Inlet Seymour Inlet
y
Woods Lagoo
Warner Ba und Wakeman Sound
n
on So
Creasy Bay Actae Turnbull Cove
Kingcome Village
Clayd Nimmo Bay
Jennis Bay
on Bay
Quatse Bay
y
nle t
Shawl Bay
Drury I van Ba d
i
n
l
Thompson Sou
Sul
Sou Echo Bay
nd
way Shoal Harbour Scott E lainLondon Po
int
G re e n
Cov e C
reek
e
Gilford Ba
l fo
Sointula
rd
Mins y
trel Isla
Vi l l
Alert Bay
Port McNeill
nd
age
ANAHIM LAKE
Klemtu
WILLIAMS LAKE
BELLA COOLA
PORT HARDY
Gi
BELLA BELLA
Hakai Pass
Rivers Inlet
A
PCA Destinations not shown on map
- Jenny Inlet
- Ocean Falls
- Tom Bay
ALBERTA
ay y
Broughton Archipelago
PORT HARDY
d
n Islan
dleto
ding
Pen awsons Lan
D Good Hope
Finn Ba y a
Wadhams
yB
Johnson Bay
Sle e p e B
hi n
Su ns
A
B
Port McNeill
CAMPBELL RIVER
POWELL RIVER
COMOX
CRANBROOK
VANCOUVER SOUTH TERMINAL
CANADA
TRAIL
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
VICTORIA
MAIN PACIFIC COASTAL HUB
WASHINGTON
AIRPORTS
FLOATPORTS
Destinations
Pacific Coastal Airlines: Route Map October, 2011
Tail Art
Continued from page 5
but civilian airliners have adopted the
practice in more recent years — albeit not
usually with pin-up girls.
The tarmac outside Pacific Coastal Airlines’
headquarters at the South Terminal of YVR is
a long way from the front lines of the Second
World War.
But the inspiration of war-era nose art is
very much present in the airline’s distinctive
blue-on-white paint scheme.
When the subject of tail art came up, in the
airlines’ infancy, the Smith family wanted to
ensure they told the “tale” of BC. More than
a dozen white symbols depicting some aspect
of British Columbia’s active lifestyle have
been painted on Pacific Coastal’s planes.
The latest tail art rolled out in mid-August,
when aircraft C-GCPZ received a new paint
job. It is the latest chapter in that ongoing
tale, and its author is a Pacific Coastal
employee.
Ryan Parenteau is Pacific Coastal’s heavy
maintenance supervisor at the YVR hangar.
He joined the company in 2010 and has
nearly a decade of aircraft maintenance under
his belt.
When the company purchased a Beechcraft
February • March 2013
1900C from North Cariboo
Air, it needed a new paint
job. Parenteau approached
management and suggested
that instead of a designer
coming up with the new
paint scheme, the company
should hold a contest.
He thought it would be a
great way to engage Pacific
Coastal employees and have
them explore their own
relationships with the company as well as
their ideas of what the company represents to
its customers.
Parenteau entered the contest too, even
though he has no graphic design experience.
When Parenteau isn’t working shift work
at the South Terminal, he can be found on
his mountain bike in the North Shore or
Whistler, often with fellow maintenance
personnel. It is from these excursions that he
drew his inspiration for a mountain biker as
the latest tail art.
“I think Pacific Coastal’s tail designs
represent many things, so it was difficult to
choose just one thing that was iconic to BC,”
PACIFIC COASTAL AIRLINES
Susie Quinn photo
says Parenteau.
“I tried to think of something that
represents the communities we serve, and our
customers. Something that would be relevant
in the future and something I have a personal
connection with.”
Some of the communities served by Pacific
Coastal, like Trail and Nelson, are renowned
for their mountain biking, he adds.
The design contest drew 47 entries, from
polar bears to cityscapes, surfers and hockey
players, a company spokesperson said.
Parenteau’s design was chosen because it
represents a popular west coast sport as well
as a large community of outdoor enthusiasts
in BC.
19
PARTNERSHIP GIVES
HOPE IN THE AIR
PACIFIC COASTAL
DONATES BC FLIGHTS TO
CANADA-WIDE CHARITY
BY SUSAN LUNDY
W
ithout Hope Air and Pacific
Coastal Airlines, little Jayden
Millar’s story might not have a
happy ending.
The two-year-old, who lives with her
family in Williams Lake, was born with a
benign tumour on her lip, and she needs
regular treatments at BC Children’s Hospital
in Vancouver — a nine-hour drive from
Williams Lake. Her mother, Amanda Bird,
says her family can’t afford to fly Jayden to the
appointments and a lengthy bus ride would be
impossible with the energetic youngster.
However, through Hope Air and PCA,
Jayden and her mom have been able to fly
to Vancouver free of charge, eliminating
overnight stays in the city and accessing the
healthcare that Jayden needs.
Hope Air, operating in Canada since 1986,
is a national charity that provides free flights
to people who cannot afford the cost of an
airline ticket to get to medical expertise or
specialized medical technologies that usually
exist only in larger urban centres.
And PCA is an essential component of
Hope Air, donating numerous flights each
year.
“Pacific Coastal has been a great supporter,”
says Doug Keller-Hobson, executive
director of Hope Air. “It offers a very strong
partnership in B.C.”
Communications manager CK Des20
Did you know?
• The top Pacific Coastal Airline routes for Hope Air
client flights in 2012 were: Trail to Vancouver (74);
Cranbrook to Vancouver (43); Masset to Vancouver
(35); Williams Lake to Vancouver (25); plus seven
other routes, ranging from one to six flights each.
• The top five reasons that people need flights
from Hope Air and Pacific Coastal Airlines are:
cancer, neurological care, orthopedic, vision
related and injury.
Grosseilliers notes that PCA’s broad range
of destinations, especially to small isolated
communities, is a huge asset to clients,
who don’t have to travel too far to get to an
airport.
In 2011, PCA donated 61 flights; in 2012,
that number jumped to 180. Hope Air also
purchases flights from PCA, amounting to
178 flights in 2012 and 109 in 2011.
PCA’s flight between Williams Lake and
Vancouver has proven to be a life-saver for
Amanda and Jayden.
“Amanda was quite honest with Hope
Air about what her family would have done
if they had not been able to get Jayden to a
plastic surgeon to correct the growth on her
top lip,” DesGrosseilliers notes: “She said:
‘we probably wouldn’t have gone because I
wouldn’t be able to buy a plane ticket since
money is very tight.’”
For the cost of the plane ticket alone,
Jayden might have had to endure the growth,
and complications from it, for the rest of her
life.
Hope Air’s office and call centre is based
in Toronto, where a small paid staff and a
large contingent of 40-50 volunteers oversee
operations. Volunteers are integral to the
organization, including volunteer pilots
who fly their own planes, a volunteer board
of directors and volunteer “ambassadors”
— clients who have used Hope Air and are
willing to speak about their experiences.
Another “ambassador” is Tara Jordan, a
program coordinator at the John Howard
Society in Campbell River, who works with
vulnerable youth. She says Hope Air solved
a huge logistical problem for one of her
volunteers.
The volunteer, now a young woman in her
20s, suffered a brain tumour as a teen and
is now limited in what she is able to do. She
now volunteers as a mentor to a young child
through Jordan’s program.
“She is a wonderful and amazing, happy
person,” says Jordan. However, she is unable
to drive and due to her circumstances has
limited income. Once a year, she has to travel
from Campbell River to Vancouver for a
doctor’s appointment to ensure the tumour
hasn’t returned.
Even considering a trip to Vancouver
from Campbell River is stressful and
overwhelming for the young woman. Unable
to afford the cost of a flight, she was looking
at a “very long bus” ride and overnight
accommodation in Vancouver.
“She has no idea how to get there,” says
Jordan, who ultimately helped the young
woman fill out the Hope Air application.
“She was ecstatic and relieved” when the
approval came through. Via Hope Air, she
accessed a direct flight from Campbell River
to Vancouver, attended her appointment and
made it back home all in a single day.
Hope Air says most of its clients live at —
or below — the poverty line, and many would
have no option other than to drive or take a
bus for up to 12 hours (or more) each way
to access healthcare in urban centres. Many
of these clients say they would indefinitely
postpone their medical appointments
without access to the free flights.
Photos courtesy of Hope Air
CHARITY IN THE AIR
Jayden Millar is on of the many recipients of aid
from Hope Air and Pacific Coastal Airlines.
SOAR
February • March 2013
BUSINESS PROFILE
SPIRIT BEAR COFFEE
A BUSINESS THAT’S PERCOLATING
By BENJAMIN YONG
S
pirit Bear Coffee president Paul
Biglin didn’t have a typical childhood.
Originally from the UK and with a
father in the construction business, Biglin
spent his formative years growing up on
an aboriginal reserve in northern Alberta.
While not First Nations
by blood, he says the
culture continues to have a
profound influence on both
his personal and business
life.
“I grew up wearing
moccasins, dancing in
friendship circles and
Paul Biglin
learning the ways of the
world from an aboriginal aspect,” says Biglin.
“My father was brought on to look after the
infrastructure on the reserve. We ended up
staying there for a number of years and all my
friends were First Nations. I never thought
anything of it when I was younger until we
moved to the city when my father took on
another job.”
Starting out in the culinary world by owning
his own catering company in the late 1990s,
Biglin, 46, took his first steps towards the
coffee business when he shared kitchen space
with a local coffee roaster in St. Albert, AB.
“I eventually moved my office to the space
and ended up answering his phones, and I
got interested in the coffee. I was drinking
the coffee and I fell in love with it. I ended up
buying into the business with my three current
partners, one I’ve known since I was three
years old.”
That was in 2006 — today, the company,
with a majority 54 per cent aboriginal share, has
moved its headquarters to Coquitlam, BC and
distributes to over 200 locations such as hotels,
restaurants and cafes across Canada.
Spirit Bear is the official coffee roaster for
Whistler Blackcomb as well as the Vancouver
Parks Board. In February, Spirit Bear will
be sponsoring and providing the coffee at
the annual 2013 Aboriginal Business Match
held in Penticton, BC. Biglin says it’s a great
opportunity to bring the company’s strengths to
the communities and show that the opportunity
is there.
When asked how he found the name for the
business, Biglin says it just came to him. He and
his partners spent a lot of time as youngsters in
nature crossing paths with bears a time or two,
and the thing that sealed the deal was a dream
he had one night.
February • March 2013
Photo courtesy of Tartan Media Group
“I woke up at four in the morning and I had a
vision of a spirit bear. It was at that point I called
up my partner; and two or three days later we
had a game plan. We reached out to Bill Helin,
a world-renowned artist, who does all of our
artwork in First Nations culture. He provides us
with the story line so we’re being respectful and
true to form. It’s important for us to ensure that
we have our story straight,” says Biglin.
The story doesn’t end with the name
on the sign — the individual blends of the
coffee have actually been matched to the
taste profile of various characters in First
PACIFIC COASTAL AIRLINES
Nations communities. For instance, Biglin
says, the raven is known in the culture as the
creator. In the coffee world, everything starts
with espresso and was thus named after the
powerful bird.
Philanthropy is also a core business value at
Spirit Bear. Besides working frequently with
wildlife rescue organizations, the company
donates five per cent of all gross revenue to the
Great Bear Rainforest. Last July, Biglin says, he
had a life-changing experience at the Smithers,
BC Northern Lights Wildlife Society, which
the company also supports. The society had a
rare white Kermode bear, also known as a spirit
bear, which was ready to be released back into
the wild.
“We purchased a GPS collar and released him
in northern B.C., about 500-metres away from
where he was picked up as a cub.”
Next on the horizon for the business is the
expansion into other liquid treats. First to roll
out will be hot chocolate in a couple of months,
and then by the summer time a new lineup of
teas. For more information, visit the website at
www. spiritbearcoffeecompany.com.
P 604-371-4442 I F 604-371-4445 I C 778-246-2327
www.spiritbearcoffeecompany.com
#101 - 9555 - 194 A Street, Surrey, British Columbia Canada V4N 4G4
21
Q&A
Chief Richard Harry
Executive Director of the
Aboriginal Aquaculture Association
C
hief Richard Harry of the Homalco First Nation has been a
commercial fisherman for over 40 years. He was born and
raised on the coast of British Columbia and has fished most
of his life.
As the Chief for over 20 years, he successfully worked towards
a vision of providing economic opportunities, employment, social
development, training, a working government as well as homes and
services for the Homalco people.
In 2003, he along with five other founding members, established
the Aboriginal Aquaculture Association, recognizing that
aquaculture had the potential to alleviate poverty and restore coastal
First Nations to thriving, self-sustaining communities through
increased employment, revenue and control over ancestral lands.
Q: WHAT IS THE MANDATE OF THE ABORIGINAL
AQUACULTURE ASSOCIATION?
A: The association is here to assist, support and facilitate the
meaningful participation of First Nations in sustainable
aquaculture development. It serves as a coordination, certification
and resource body. The AAA provides guidance and advice in
support of economic development, addressing the specific interests
and needs of First Nations interested or involved in aquaculture
development. Its mandate is to promote aquaculture development
that supports First Nations communities, culture and values.
Q: HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED?
A: I am a founding member of the organization. The association
was established recognizing that aquaculture development had
the potential to revitalize the economies of Coastal First Nations.
We could no longer rely on the traditional resource sectors as
they were in decline. Aquaculture development could provide
our communities with much needed economic opportunities,
including jobs and opportunities to further develop capacity in
management of the aquatic resources.
Q: WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACING THE
INDUSTRY TODAY?
A: In order to meet global demand for seafood it will be necessary
for the industry to grow, and First Nations want to be a part of
that. First Nations no longer want to be on the outside looking
in, but are interested in direct participation in the development
of sustainable aquaculture. Industry and government are
beginning to recognize the benefits of being more inclusive of
First Nations. Kitasoo, Ahousaht and Quatsino First Nations are
all positive examples where First Nations and the aquaculture
22
industry have worked cooperatively, resulting in mutually
beneficial relationships. For First Nations, this has meant
increased employment, revenues and other social and economic
development spin off benefits.
Q: WHERE DO YOU SEE THE MOST OPPORTUNITIES?
A: First Nations are in a unique position to take the lead with
expansion of the industry. First Nations have much to offer to
potential partnerships, including access to production sites, and
a rapidly growing youth population to fill the many direct and
indirect jobs. For those of us who have worked in fisheries, it is
a natural fit as we already have many of the skills needed and
it is done in our own back yards. There are also tremendous
opportunities for new and emerging species such as geoduck and
sablefish.
Q: WHAT ELSE DO PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
YOUR ORGANIZATION?
A: The AAA has developed a certification program called the
Aboriginal Principles for Sustainable Aquaculture (APSA). It is an
independently audited, First Nations driven initiative that ensures
aquaculture is carried out in a manner that respects First Nations
culture and values, and protects aquatic resources. Key elements of
the standard include transparency and First Nations inclusiveness,
social, environmental and economic responsibility. And finally the
AAA is guided by a set of principles — first and foremost among
them is respect for each First Nations’ autonomy. While Some
First Nations have looked to aquaculture as a potential economic
opportunity for their communities, others may not yet be ready,
and we respect that.
SOAR
February • March 2013
21st Annual Memorial Charity Golf Tournament
June 2013
Last year you helped us raise $35,245.00 for
the Source Club of Powell River.
Join us this year to make an even bigger difference.
For registration and sponsorship details
visit pacificcoastal.com
A T R I V E R S I N L E T, B R I T I S H C O L U M B I A
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