business magazine spring 2015

SUNSHINE COAST

BUSINESSMAGAZINE

Spring 2015 • Vol. 02 No. 01

WITH

BEHIND THE SCENES

Coastal CraftPAGE 10

MINDING YOUR BUSINESS

on Social MediaPAGE 6

WHERE

PAGE 24

Business as

PAGE 28THE FLOUR PEDDLER

WHEREWHEREArt

COMMERCEMEETS

(UN)USUAL

Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Spring 2015 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

04

06

10

12

16

18

21

22

24

26

28

Publisher’s Message

Minding your Business on Social Media

World Class Craft

New Home Construction

Cast in Stone

Natural Edge

Earth Friendly

Festival Finesse

Where Art Meets Commerce

Pender Harbour Spirit

Business as (UN)usual

The Sunshine Coast Business Magazine is published twice a year by The Local Weekly Newspaper.

Cover Photo Courtesy of: Coastal Craft

#213 - 5710 Teredo StreetSechelt, B.C., V0N 3A0Phone: 604-885-3134 Fax: 604-885-3194Email: [email protected]

This material written or artistic may not be re-printed or electronically reproduced in any way without the written consent of the Publisher. The opinions and statements in articles, columns and advertising are not necessarily those of the Publisher or staff of the Local Weekly. It is agreed by any display advertiser requesting space that the ownerʼs responsibility, if any, for errors or omissions of any kind, is limited to the amount paid by the advertiser for that portion of the space as occupied by the incorrect item and there shall be no liability in any event greater than the amount paid for the advertisement.

LocaltheweekLy

Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Fall 2014

12

Whether you have a set of stock plans, an

architect you’re working with or just an

idea and a sketch and Longman’s in-house

design team help to create the plans, they

will work with you to design the home.

Through the design phase they work with

you to decide your home’s layout, its style,

Each project was completed on time, within

budget, and the end product exceeded our

expectations” -- S. Stinson

Longman Developments Ltd will work

with you through the entire design pro-

cess, from choosing and purchasing the

lot to picking paint colours for the walls. Building a new home can be one of

the most expensive and stressful

experiences in your life. Being your

own general contractor becomes

a stressful, second full-time job. Managing

sub-trades, keeping them on time, keeping

the whole process on budget, dealing with

government departments and inspectors

is a major undertaking. It can be very re-

warding but it comes with costs and risks.

“Having a house built could be a very scary

process. However with Longman Develop-

ments everything has been hassle free. Our

house is being completed to a very high stan-

dard, it is coming in on time and on budget.”

-- D. Boutilier

For more than 20 years Longman Develop-

ments Ltd has been building homes. They

have developed a Fixed Contract construc-

tion process that guarantees your home

will be built on-time and on-budget. With a

Fixed Contract Agreement, prior to the first

shovel touching dirt you will know what is

going to be built, how much it is going to

cost and when it is going to be completed.

“We have hired Longman Developments on

three separate home renovation projects.

NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION

WITH A FIXED CONTRACT AGREEMENT

Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Spring 2015

18

complete the work of art are available based on the clients’ preference. Steve’s favorite finish is done using BC beeswax, natural walnut oil and carnuba wax as opposed to toxic petroleum product oils says Steve. “I have used many products in my woodwork-ing days including the spray on finishes, but I prefer a natural oil and wax finish. The end products have a life of their own and are more natural and warmer to the touch.”Trained as a machinist, motorcycle mechanic and carpenter in his early days Steve started his wood working business in 2003. His in-spiration? Gustav Stickley, a 1900’s furniture maker. Steve was impressed with the mis-sion and craftsman style created by Gustav

Willgoose Millwork, Steve’s woodworking company, is located in Halfmoon Bay. Most of the wood he uses in his portfolio of designs comes from the Sunshine Coast. His specialty! Solid Slab Tables. Large trees that Steve sources locally are milled into thick slabs that take over two years to dry. From there the slabs spend 30 days in his kiln before they can be worked into a dining table. Steve’s design and spe-cial care along with his clients specifications results in one of a kind products each with a character of its own. And specific finishes to

E ver wonder what happens to some of the massive trees we see lying on the ground after a storm, or the stately maples removed from cleared property?

Well meet Steve. Chances are the next time you see one of those trees you could be sitting around a spectacular natural wood dining table having dinner with a friend or neighbor. And Steve will be the guy who got the table there, from an ancient fallen tree to a six foot live edge thick cut slab dining table.

Photo Courtesy of: Willgoose M

illwork

NATURALEdge


22

context, or to link readings with anecdotes.

“Some writers are more comfortable doing

that than others. Some are polished stand-

up comedians!”

You can imagine that the programming

and booking alone could be a full-time

task.

The Sunshine Coast festival, now in its 33rd

year, is unique among others in Canada.

Most writers’ gatherings feature groups of

three or four writers comprising panels and

exploring themes. But in Sechelt, almost all

of the 21 events are one writer at a time.

“This format is quite unique and it’s really

beloved, both by the audience and by the

writers, Davidson said.

Beloved enough to sell 9,000 tickets a year

for an intense three-day, four-night writers

and readers love-in.

How do you build a skill set that enables

you to manage such a production?

Davidson, now 58, moved to the Coast

in the early 90s, and commuted to arts

Canadian writers only — would seem a

daunting enough task on its own.

“It’s a tricky thing because we want to pres-

ent writers of a wide range of genres, and

writers at various stages of their careers.

We also need the writer to have the pro-

file that comes with a current book, or for

other reasons, to draw in a crowd, because

there are 450 seats in the venue (the Pavil-

ion at Sechelt’s Rockwood Centre).

“Within that group, my goal is to achieve a

balance of gender, and a representation of

ages, a cultural diversity, represent regions

of the country.” Davidson said.

And crafting the festival lineup doesn’t end

there.

“We have to program a writer who has the

ability to really engage and hold an audi-

ence,” said Davidson. “What doesn’t work

is for someone to just put their head down

and read for an hour.”

People do want to hear the work read,

Davidson explained, but ideally the writer

also has the ability to have a conversation

with the audience and put their work in

Who would ever guess that

the Sunshine Coast Festi-

val of the Written Arts—the

country’s longest-running

gathering of Canadian writers, attracting

thousands of reader-fans to Sechelt every

year—is a virtual one-man band?

Actually, one woman.

Jane Davidson, producer of the hugely

popular festival since 2007, readily and

gratefully credits the organization’s “very

engaged and involved” board of directors.

Not to mention the 200 dedicated volun-

teers and the services of a few highly skilled

temporary staff hired for a few weeks just

prior to the August event.

But for most of the year, the make-or-break

responsibility rests with Davidson, the only

full-time employee.

“I book the writers, I order the Porta-Pot-

ties, and I do everything in between, the

marketing, the publicity, the fundraising,”

said Davidson.

The intricate balancing act of lining up more

than 20 writers — the right writers, and

A skilled hand

guides the Coast’s

annual Written Arts

shindig

FINESSEFINESSEFINESSEFINESSEFINESSEFINESSEFINESSEFINESSEFINESSEFINESSEFINESSEFINESSEFestival

Page 12

Page 18

Page 22

SUNSHINE COAST

BUSINESSMAGAZINE

Featuring: The Signature Aluminum 65' Concord Motoryacht


W elcome to Spring 2015! With our theme of Behind the Scenes, the Sunshine Coast Business Magazine is pleased to reveal and write about things that usually happen without really being seen. More specifi cally, while we all enjoy attending our festivals and events,

or marvel at the kind of boating crafts being produced, or share in the intrigue of being introduced to some of our eclectic entrepreneurial younger generation, how often do we really get the inside story. We are pleased to say these business people are our neighbors, they are a strong part of our local economy, and they are local producers of our lifestyle and culture on the Sunshine Coast.

Jeremy Dunn is an expert in social me-dia. He walks us through the benefi ts of social media in business today and also advises on what to do if your business is targeted by unwanted attacks.

We introduce you to Jeff Rhodes, a most unassuming gentleman who runs a re-nowned yacht building company right here in Gibsons and who is one of the most successful boat builders in West-ern Canada.

Following the path of the Hergesheimer brothers of Roberts Creek will certainly captivate you and keep you spellbound as you read their amazing story from entrepreneurism to the written word.

Join us as we visit the Business of the Arts where Jane Davidson shares the skills needed to produce one of the country’s longest-running gathering of Canadian writers; the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts. Nancy Cottingham Powell talks about event marketing on the coast in Where Art meets Commerce; she organizes the annual Sechelt Arts Festival and we get insight into the work involved in putting on this extraordinary art show.

I could go on but enough said. Enjoy the inside stories as much as we did putting them together for you!

“I’m convinced that about half of what

separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is

pure perseverance”

- Steve Jobs

CONTRIBUTORS...

Rik Jespersen is a journalist, editor and television producer who has worked with various print, online and broadcast media across Canada over the past 30 years. He lives in Roberts Creek.

RIK JESPERSENCONTRIBUTING WRITER / EDITOR

Christina Johnstone is a Graphic Designer with 11+ yrs experience in the news industry. She produces the White Rock Real Estate Advisor and produces the Sunshine Coast Business Magazine. She spends her time between Sechelt and White Rock.

CHRISTINA JOHNSTONEPRODUCTION / GRAPHIC DESIGN

Susan Attiana is Publisher of the Local Weekly and the Sunshine Coast Business Magazine. She has 30+ years experience in the newspaper, media and magazine industry in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. She lives in Sechelt.

SUSAN ATTIANAPUBLISHER / EDITOR

FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK...

We wish to thank the following Sunshine Coast Businesses for their time and support:

Jeff Rhodes - President Coastal Craft, Donna McMahon - Gibsons Chamber, Kim Darwin - Sechelt & District Chamber, Leonard Lee - Pender Harbour & District Chamber, Jane Davidson, Nancy Cottingham-Powell, Steve Willgoose, Dennis Wilkinson, Andrea Routley - Caitlin Press, Jeremy Dunn - BC Salmon Farmers Association,

David Longman - Longman Developments, Ian & Jane Macdonald - Vaka Marketing and all other advertising supporters of this publication.

BEHIND THE SCENES

THE SUNSHINE COAST BUSINESS MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED

TWICE A YEAR BY THE LOCAL WEEKLY NEWSPAPER.


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your organization who’s interested in it and committed to doing it because when you’re in a small community like the Sunshine Coast, nothing beats the personal touch. The one thing that social media does give you is the ability to further those personal relationships into a digital environment. If you’re a business in Vancouver, you may have 300 or 400 people in your Facebook group. You might have 40 or 50 people in a smaller community like Gibsons or Sech-elt. But those 40 or 50 can be very loyal to your business and interested in your news when you share it. And Instagram can be a really eff ective way to keep people connect-ed with your business. It helps personify it. Small businesses often have a big fear the social media is going to be very laborious and a burden on their business. But because it can all be done from a smartphone, it can

be managed quite effi ciently.

SCBM: There are probably half a dozen major social media platforms out there, with Face-book, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Linked In, etc. How does a small business decide which social media to choose or should they develop a presence on them all?

JD: If you’re in a small business, you probably shouldn’t try to be everywhere. The good news is that Facebook and Instagram—because Facebook owns both—are quite easily linked and have a lot of synergies. If you’re not a business that is very picture friendly or image-heavy, then Instagram might not be a great place for you because it really re-lies on a picture. Facebook is the world’s most popular social net-working site. There may be some question if it has the relevance or engagement it had fi ve years ago, but there’s defi nitely no questioning the reach Facebook has. It’s generally the place to

T he use of social media like Face-book, Twitter and others has grown exponentially in the past fi ve years, and almost all businesses could

benefi t from a presence on them. But it can be tricky and sometimes confusing to man-age.

Sunshine Coast Business Magazine sought out some practical advice from Jeremy Dunn, a former vice-president with Laura Ballance Media Group and a former asso-ciate with Curve Communications. Dunn is currently Executive Director of the B.C. Salm-on Farmers Association.

Sunshine Coast Business Magazine: Where does a small business start with social media?

Jeremy Dunn: You need to have someone in

start. Twitter is a unique tool, it’s growing its audience all the time and one that allows for immediate user feedback that seems to pro-mote conversation more than other sites.

SCBM: How frequently should business peo-ple be posting?

JD: You want to do it regularly. You want to have at least one or two a week. But your content, whether it’s 140 characters on Twitter or it’s a posting on Facebook, has to be relevant to your audience. It’s what you want to share with them but it’s also about what they want you to share, because if people aren’t engaging or aren’t reading it, then you’re not reaching your goals. If you don’t have interesting content to share, don’t over-share for the sake of getting your name out there, because you’re a borderline spammer at that point.

SCBM: How do you evaluate the eff ective-ness of your social media use?

JD: Typically, you evaluate it by the level of engagement. Is your content being Shared? Is it being Liked? Are you adding people to your Facebook page? Actually buying adver-tising on Facebook, if you’re looking to grow your audience, is very reasonable and very eff ective. A lot of times, people have a hard time building that initial network. And ad-vertising works very well. Online metrics ar-en’t an exact science but on Twitter, it should be a goal to make your tweets interesting enough for people to retweet. It should be a goal to have a social media infl uencer—people who have a big following—retweet your content.

SCBM: What if you get someone bad-mouth-ing your business on social media? Whether they’re unhappy customers or just trolls, is there any recourse or strategy you recom-mend?

JD: This one is challenging for both busi-nesses and individuals. The recommended action is to have a short policy in the “about” section of your Facebook page that lets the community know what is and what is not acceptable on the page, for instance, no personal attacks, no profane language, etc. If people cross the line then the post is de-leted. If people are trolling you on Twitter, respond to it as an inappropriate comment. If it persists, block the individual and let your followers know why you’ve done this. If the person is bringing up a legitimate business such as a customer service issue, this is your chance to show your network you are aware, responsive, and working to solve issues.

BUS INESSon Social Media

MINDING YOUR


Jeremy Dunn - Executive Director of the BC Salmon Farmers Association

Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Fall 2014 7

SCBM: What about hashtags. How important are they?

JD: Hashtags are important if you’re look-ing to be searchable. They’re certainly not a must. If you’re tweeting and you want to be seen in a larger conversation, may-be there’s a hashtag #sunshinecoastbc. Or people might follow that hashtag because they like images of the Sunshine Coast, so if you’re posting an Instagram photo that matches that theme, then you want to use that hashtag.

SCBM: You often might see, especially on Twitter, people or companies reposting the same material frequently over the period of a week or so. Is that a good strategy?

JD: What’s happening there is people or companies are using services like Hootsuite, a fantastic service, which allows you to time your tweets. Instead of tweeting in real time, you can take half an hour and set up, say, 10 tweets to go out at certain times over the next week. So you’re not having to think about this on an ongoing basis.

SCBM: But on Facebook, is it best to post just once?

JD: Yes, keep it down to one post, and en-courage Liking and Sharing. If you have 12 people in your company, and those 12 peo-ple Like the post (although you shouldn’t insist that your people do that, necessarily), but if they’re engaged with the post and they Like or Share it, then those people’s social networks are seeing that post as well. The goal here is that you have an engaged group that wants to share your content and wants to add to that conversation. Every-body in your company should at least know that you’re involved in social media and what you’re trying to achieve.

SCBM: It doesn’t have to be hard to do, does it?

JD: I’ve spent a fair bit of time in training peo-ple in local government and small business-es on social media. I’ve found generally that people who haven’t been engaged there on a regular basis make it more complicated than it has to be. A fantastic resource for this is Small Business BC, which off ers seminars on a fairly regular basis on social media mar-keting and communications that are very good. If people in small business haven’t had any training and can’t talk their kids into training them, then Small Business BC is a great place to go.

- RIK JESPERSEN

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Paris Gaudet, Executive Director of Innova-tion Island, said: “We’ve done these courses in diff erent communities through our re-gion and the one in Gibsons had highest attendance to date. This speaks to the level of interest and need. You have a lot of folks who are really creative and innovative. Our objective is to support them to get to the next level.”

The Gibsons Chamber of Commerce wel-comes this terrifi c opportunity for local entrepreneurs to gain access to resources and expertise. This is a great example of building partnerships to leverage maxi-mum economic development benefi t from existing programs, people and resources.

Kudos to the SCtechhub, Community Futures and Sunshine Coast Communi-ty Foundation for sponsoring this event. When local organizations work together we can do great things.

- DONNA MCMAHON Executive DirectorGibsons & District Chamber of Commerce

are 65% higher than the BC average.

In February, the Coast welcomed three rep-resentatives of Innovation Island for meet-ings in Sechelt and an all-day Startup 101 course in Gibsons. That course drew a sold-out house of over 40 entrepreneurs to gain business insights from start-up experts Graham Truax and Ean Jackson.

Y ou don’t have to live on the Sun-shine Coast very long before you get tired of explaining to people that we don’t live on the island! But

we are fortunate to be lumped in with Van-couver Island when it comes to accessing Innovation Island (www.innovationisland.ca), a business accelerator program based in Nanaimo.

Why focus on technology? The tech sec-tor now employs more people in BC than oil, gas, forestry and mining combined. It is the fastest growing industry in the province, with over $23 billion in an-nual economic impact, and wages that

Start-Up 101Draws a

Sell-Out Crowd in Gibsons

Photo Courtesy of:Richard Hoath, SCteckhub

Photo Courtesy of:Richard Hoath, SCteckhub


T he Gibsons Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a new group called Coast Makers, which is rapidly gaining momentum. (www.coastmakers.com)

Makers are enthusiasts who use a blend of old crafts and new technologies (especially 3D printing, 3D modelling software and advanced materials) to create new tools, ob-jects, or artwork.

The Makers Group is a great opportunity for students to be mentored by artisans and people who work in tech re-lated occupations or are retired from high level careers in business and industry. They help young people to learn and experiment in technologies where the opportunities are ex-panding explosively, much the way that computers took off forty years ago.

Having an active Makers community here is also an attrac-tor for innovative and creative people who are thinking of relocating to the coast. The demographic that the Sunshine Coast wants to attract and retain--people under 50 who cre-ate their own jobs or bringing jobs with them--is attracted by lifestyle and amenities. And among those amenities are the social and professional networks that create community.

The Coast Makers are holding a major meet-up on Sunday, May 31 at Kinsman Hall in Gibsons, which will be open to everyone interested. They also plan to work with partners such as Sunshine Coast Recycling to fi nd novel ideas and methods for repurposing/remanufacturing recycled materi-als into potential com-mercial products.

Geeks + Junk = Gold? We hope so.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE THE GIBSONS CHAMBER

OF COMMERCE

Dave ChisholmPresident Gibsons Chamber of Commerce

Bringing a Business

to ?

Bringing a BusinessBringing a BusinessBringing a Business

?Gibsons

Here are some reasons why you should!

Contact us for resources and information about moving, buying or starting a business,

or working from home.

CONVENIENT Only 2 hours from VancouverAFFORDABLE Affordable housing pricesRELAXED A slower pace of lifeCONNECTED World class fibre optic internetSMART Electric vehicle charging stations and a geothermally heated subdivisionACTIVE Outdoor recreation abounds year-roundCULTURED Outstanding arts and culture

Insert you & your laptop

HERE

Gibsons & District Economic DevelopmentData about our region

www.gibsonsanddistrict.ca

Gibsons Visitor Information CentreOpen year round - 417 Marine Dr (across from Molly’s Reach)

www.gibsonsvisitorinfo.com [email protected]

1-866-222-3806 / 604-886-2374

Gibsons & District Chamber of CommerceOpen weekdays, 10 to 2 in Sunnycrest Mall 604-886-2325 [email protected]


boats leave the factory fully ready to frolic.

“When we fi nish them, they have the pillows, the shams, the bed-ding, the wine glasses, they’ve got it all,” said Rhodes.

Coastal Craft’s orders come mostly from North America, with the bulk on the west coast, from Alaska to California. But word does get around. The Concord currently in production will be delivered to its owner near Boston in early 2016.

Marketing for the company is 21st Century style, with website and social media components. But the real deals get done by attending boat shows, which have Rhodes and some of his staff criss-crossing the continent to attend several times a year.

“Boat shows are a must. People need to be able to get on board, touch and feel, meet us, meet the crew, see the boat, get that emotional connection that you don’t get from the internet or even reading a story in a magazine about the boats,” he said.

While Rhodes has no plans to move the company, he could fore-see expansion to a satellite operation someday, but not to the city or Vancouver Island, but maybe in the southern U.S.

“They’ve got healthy ship-building industries going on there. They’ve got the manpower, they’ve got the resources. The cost of living is a lot lower. Costs are a lot lower and resources are plen-tiful, for a lot of the trades we’re looking for to build boats,” said Rhodes.

Even if that kind of expansion were to come about, the Sunshine Coast operation would always remain the jewel in the crown.

“Coastal Craft in Gibsons would be the developing parent compa-ny of anything we’d be doing anywhere else in the world,” Rhodes said with conviction. “This will always be the fl agship company.”

- RIK JESPERSEN

O ne of the most successful boat-builders in Western Canada is located right here on the Sunshine Coast, and business is so good that the company is expanding into a whole new line of vessels.

Coastal Craft has specialized for the past decade in crafting gor-geous aluminum-hulled yachts ranging from 40 to 65 feet in length, and generating millions of dollars in annual revenue. Now company president and CEO Jeff Rhodes says it’s time to open up a parallel production line for the kind of boats the company started out making back in the day.

“Our heritage business was building commercial boats—water taxis, crew boats, patrol boats, things like that,” said Rhodes, in his offi ce at his factory in Upper Gibsons. “We stopped doing that 10 or 12 years ago and began focusing on recreational boats. Just this year we decided to get back into that market, on request from some of our early customers. So we’re gearing up, we’re doing more hiring.”

The company already has nearly 50 employees. Rhodes said be-ing located here—as opposed to a major centre like Vancouver—has not made it diffi cult to fi nd the right people.

“Fortunately, the Coast is full of very talented craftsmen. That was one of the reasons I decided to start the company here, because I knew there was raw talent around.

“The level of skill we have in this building is quite unique in the industry. To fi nd this level of trades and level of quality, you really have to look to the Netherlands or to France, where you’ve got a culture of boat-building at a very high level.”

Rhodes, who turns 48 this year, was born in North Vancouver, but has had lifelong connections to this area.

“My mom’s parents bought in Roberts Creek in the 50s. My Dad’s parent’s were here in the early 1900s,” he said.

Since starting the company in 1996, Rhodes has put together an assembly-line staff and what he proudly calls “an excellent upper management team” to churn out several boats a year. The yachts range in base price from $1 million for a 40-footer to $3.5 million for the 65-foot Concord, which takes one full year to build.

Pricey, sure. But these aluminum-hulled gems last virtually for-ever, leaving the usable life of the much more common fi bre-glass-hulled pleasure boats in their wake.

“It’s similar to building a house with bricks compared to wood,” is the analogy Rhodes likes to use.

The prices refl ect the time-consuming processes involved in shaping and marrying aluminum pieces together, followed by a painstaking “fairing” process that smooths the thousand welds. Then comes a complex fi nishing and painting regimen.

FULLY OUTFITTED

All the wood joinery that is involved in custom-made interiors is designed and created by hand at the factory, where all electron-ics, navigation and yacht systems are also installed. Coastal Craft’s

CRAFTWORLD-CLASS

Local businessman Jeff Rhodes ships a unique product


COASTALCRAFT.COM 604.886.3004

BEST MOTORYACHT, 60–69 FEET2014 Aim Marine Group Editor’s Choice Award

THE SIGNATURE ALUMINUM 65’ CONCORD. HAND BUILT IN GIBSONS, BC.

Client: Coastal CraftSize: Full Page (no bleed)8”× 10.125” Publication: Sunshine Coast Bus MagDate: 19-03-15

File Name: 1540_CC_SCBM_FP


Whether you have a set of stock plans, an architect you’re working with or just an idea and a sketch and Longman’s in-house design team help to create the plans, they will work with you to design the home.

Through the design phase they work with you to decide your home’s layout, its style,

Each project was completed on time, within budget, and the end product exceeded our expectations” -- S. Stinson

Longman Developments Ltd will work with you through the entire design pro-cess, from choosing and purchasing the lot to picking paint colours for the walls.

B uilding a new home can be one of the most expensive and stressful experiences in your life. Being your own general contractor becomes

a stressful, second full-time job. Managing sub-trades, keeping them on time, keeping the whole process on budget, dealing with government departments and inspectors is a major undertaking. It can be very re-warding but it comes with costs and risks.

“Having a house built could be a very scary process. However with Longman Develop-ments everything has been hassle free. Our house is being completed to a very high stan-dard, it is coming in on time and on budget.” -- D. Boutilier

For more than 20 years Longman Develop-ments Ltd has been building homes. They have developed a Fixed Contract construc-tion process that guarantees your home will be built on-time and on-budget. With a Fixed Contract Agreement, prior to the fi rst shovel touching dirt you will know what is going to be built, how much it is going to cost and when it is going to be completed.

“We have hired Longman Developments on three separate home renovation projects.

NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION

WITH A FIXED CONTRACT AGREEMENT


the type and colour of the siding, roofi ng, fl ooring, walls, ceiling and trim paint. This includes the layout and style of the kitchen and bathroom cabinets, the material and colour of the countertops, the bathroom tub and shower tile, the fi replace type, size and locations, the heating and hot-water systems used, etc. The goal of the design phase is to develop a construction plan for the home you want at the price you can af-ford.

“From the initial drawing up of the plans to the fi nal completion of our home Longman Developments and their trades were very professional and did an incredible job both on the interior and exterior of our home.” -- C. Jones

Once the design and layout of your home has been decided, Longman Develop-ments Ltd then puts together the Fixed Contract Agreement which will detail what will be built, when it will be completed and how much it will cost. Once you’ve signed the agreement they will get to work and you can relax until it’s time to call the moving company to move your furniture and eff ects into your brand new home. Your home is covered by a 2-5-10 National Home Warranty governed by the Home-owners Protection Offi ce.

“Without any hesitation, we can truly say that you can count on every member of the Longman team to provide friendly, reliable, quality service each step of the way on your path to your new home.” - G. & B. Parker

Building Excellence on the Coast

www.blueheronvillage.ca

www.cedargardens.info Custom Home Construction

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY DEVELOPMENTSMULTI-DWELLING RESIDENTIAL PROJECTSNEW HOME CONSTRUCTIONSCUSTOM RENOVATIONS

604.886.2272 www.longmandevelopments.comLongman Developments Ltd. 511 Pratt Rd, Gibsons, BC V0N 1V0

David Longman - President


L ong before the words, “economic development” became popu-lar, the Sechelt & District Chamber of Commerce has promoted and driven economic development in Sechelt and surrounding

areas. We are business and professional men and women who have joined together to promote the civic, commercial and industrial prog-ress of this community. We have been and will continue to be a major factor in promoting and enhancing the social and economical climate in which we all live and work.

It seems like the words “economic development” are heard everywhere these days as communities work to build a more reliable future. If one searches for the definition of economic development, you’ll find that it doesn’t have one set definition; Loveridge and Morse defined it as “a sustained community effort to improve both the local economy and the quality of life by building the area’s capacity to adapt to economic change”; David Dodson, MDC, Inc. defined it as “the process by which a community creates, retains, and reinvests wealth and improves the quality of life”. What I really like about both of those definitions is that they both relate to an improvement in “quality of life”.

WHY IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IMPORTANT

TO A COMMUNITY?

Indeed, the ultimate goal of economic development is to improve the quality of life for all the people who live in a community (prov-ince or country) through things like high quality schools, effective public safety, exceptional medical care, diverse recreational op-portunities, clean water, good roads, and much more. It is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Therefore, preserving, promoting, and improving a community’s educational system, natural envi-ronment and community aesthetics, and civic life must be an inte-gral component of its economic development strategy.

While business and industry recruiters certainly play an import-ant role in the economic development of a community, so do the engaged community citizens. It is important to note that not all economic growth is desirable. A proper conception of econom-ic development must embrace the concept of “sustainability” — meeting the needs of the current generation without compromis-ing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. That is, our goal should be to grow employers, jobs and incomes with-out compromising the future of our natural resources and assets.

Finally, it takes a whole community to grow and improve a com-munity. We, at the Sechelt & District Chamber of Commerce, will continue to be an integral part of improving the quality of life for our whole community.

Sechelt Innovations Limited is a group of dynamic business leaders focused on developing an innovative and sustainable business environment in our community.

We’ll help you construct and evaluate the business case for moving to Sechelt, and we’ll enable you to get things done once you decide to locate here. We’re experienced and capable, and we’re up for the challenge.

Get us working on your team, call 778.458.3044 today.

> Latest in � bre optic technology

> Unique outdoor recreation lifestyle

> Proximity to Vancouver, one of the most beautiful cities in the world

> Lively environment for business, arts and Shishalh culture

> Dynamic people

SECHELT HAS ASSETS

Unit #103 - 5674 Teredo St., Sechelt, BC V0N 3A0Ph: 778.458.3044 | [email protected]

Follow us at Twitter (@silecdev) and Like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SecheltInnovationsLtd)

Top left, Sarah Doherty, SideStix; top right, Josh Ramsey, To� no Air; bottom left, Aaron Joe, Salish Soils; andbottom right, Capilano University Sechelt Campus.

Sechelt InnovationsGROWING COMMUNITY

> Small community living

> A� ordable housing

Kim Darwin, President Sechelt & District Chamber of Commerce


kind home. They fi nd the Rockhouse is a big help in persuading clients to hire them.

“We have lots of meetings right here. Peo-ple look around the house. We fi nd it sells,” said Leung.

“A lot of clients come to us because they have a tough building site. And they see this house and say ‘Oh, I’m sure they can handle it.’ Even if they don’t have diffi cult sites, they see what we have done and it gives them a lot of confi dence.”

Sandrin and Leung attached the house right to the rock face, which is framed like a large painting on the back wall of the living room.

The rock also feels close enough to touch through the strategically placed windows in the master bedroom and in the shower.

“You’ll see a lot of rock in foundations in houses around Vancouver, in basements and usually as fl oors, not as walls,” Leung said.

I t’s called the Rockhouse, and no, it’s not a nightclub. It’s a home—built right into the face of a rock that towers more than 100 feet above the Village neigh-

bourhood of Sechelt.

The daring and unique design is the work of architects Ana Cristina Sandrin and Howard Leung. Five years ago, they took up the challenge of creating a single-fam-ily dwelling on an empty quarter-acre lot on Salmon Drive, one that happened to feature a ten-storey wall of granite at the back of the property.

The couple, who had met while studying architecture at UBC, were based in Vancou-ver at the time and it was never their inten-tion to live on the Coast.

“We designed the house to sell, but we fell in love with it,” said Leung.

So they moved to Sechelt, where they now operate their own company, Sandrin Leung Architecture, from their one-of-a-

CAST INStoneBesides its beauty, the granite provides a moderating climatic eff ect.

“It’s always about 15ºC. In the summer it’s cool, so it’s kind of nice. And in the winter, it’s warmer than the outside air.”

As their property line actually extends back past the rock face, Sandrin and Leung have built staircases right into it, leading up to a series of large fl at areas. They’ve established a patio and garden on the fi rst shelf and plan to build a 100-sq-ft yoga studio on the next one up. The view from up there takes in both the Georgia Strait and the Sechelt Inlet.

The couple are fully aware of the artfulness of their home design, so much so that they made the home itself a stop on the Coast’s annual Art Crawl.

You can learn more about the couple’s work at www.sandrinleung.com.

- RIK JESPERSEN

Rockhouse Photo Courtesy of: Rik Jespersen


Date

Pebbles 1131

We are located in Downtown Sechelt with fantastic views of Georgia Strait, only a short walk from shopping, pool and Sechelt recreation centre.

Highway 101 at Trail, Sechelt

604-885-5811 or 1-866-868-5811

www.driftwoodmotorinn.com

Stay & Dine on the

Waterfront

Date

Pebbles 1131



604-885-5811 or 1-866-868-5811


Stay & Dine on the

Waterfront

Date

Pebbles 1131



604-885-5811 or 1-866-868-5811


Stay & Dine on the

Waterfront

Date

Pebbles 1131



604-885-5811 or 1-866-868-5811


Stay & Dine on the

Waterfront

Date

Pebbles 1131



604-885-5811 or 1-866-868-5811


Stay & Dine on the

Waterfront

We are located in Downtown Sechelt with fantastic views of the Georgia Strait, only a short walk from shopping, the pool and the Sechelt Recreation Centre. We offer 28 comfortable rooms including waterfront suites, plus the popular Pebbles Restaurant offering breakfast, lunch and dinner on the Sunshine Coast.

ADVERTISEMENT PROOFThis is the first proof of your advertisement in newCOASTER Magazine for your approval. If you would like any

changes made, or approve of the ad as is, please let us know within two days of receipt of this proof. Thank you again for advertising with newCOASTER Magazine.

This proof is for design and layout approval only. It is simply a copy of the final ad, therefore this proof is not representative of the final production quality. Two proofs will be provided free of charge. A fee of $25.00 will be charged for every additional proof.

newCOASTERA NEWCOMER’S GUIDE TO THE LOWER SUNSHINE COAST

1.877.299.9492 • www.newcoastermagazine.com

2 Waters Publishingconcept 2 design 2 creation

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Rentals7 days a week

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Cube Trucks • Boxes & Packing Supplies Heated Storage Units

Boat & RV Covered Storage


ADVERTISEMENT PROOFThis is the first proof of your advertisement in newCOASTER Magazine for your approval. If you would like any

changes made, or approve of the ad as is, please let us know within two days of receipt of this proof. Thank you again for advertising with newCOASTER Magazine.

This proof is for design and layout approval only. It is simply a copy of the final ad, therefore this proof is not representative of the final production quality. Two proofs will be provided free of charge. A fee of $25.00 will be charged for every additional proof.

newCOASTERA NEWCOMER’S GUIDE TO THE LOWER SUNSHINE COAST

1.877.299.9492 • www.newcoastermagazine.com

2 Waters Publishingconcept 2 design 2 creation

www.2waterspublishing.com

PrimeServing The Sunshine Coast

Cars & Passenger Vans • Pick Up

Trucks & Cargo Vans • Cube Trucks • Boxes & Packing Supplies • Heated

Storage Units • Boat & RV

Covered Storage


www.primerentals.ca

Rentals7 days a week

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complete the work of art are available based on the clients’ preference. Steve’s favorite fi nish is done using BC beeswax, natural walnut oil and carnuba wax as opposed to toxic petroleum product oils says Steve. “I have used many products in my woodwork-ing days including the spray on fi nishes, but I prefer a natural oil and wax fi nish. The end products have a life of their own and are more natural and warmer to the touch.”

Trained as a machinist, motorcycle mechanic and carpenter in his early days Steve started his wood working business in 2003. His in-spiration? Gustav Stickley, a 1900’s furniture maker. Steve was impressed with the mis-sion and craftsman style created by Gustav

Willgoose Millwork, Steve’s woodworking company, is located in Halfmoon Bay. Most of the wood he uses in his portfolio of designs comes from the Sunshine Coast. His specialty! Solid Slab Tables.

Large trees that Steve sources locally are milled into thick slabs that take over two years to dry. From there the slabs spend 30 days in his kiln before they can be worked into a dining table. Steve’s design and spe-cial care along with his clients specifi cations results in one of a kind products each with a character of its own. And specifi c fi nishes to

E ver wonder what happens to some of the massive trees we see lying on the ground after a storm, or the stately maples removed from cleared

property?

Well meet Steve. Chances are the next time you see one of those trees you could be sitting around a spectacular natural wood dining table having dinner with a friend or neighbor. And Steve will be the guy who got the table there, from an ancient fallen tree to a six foot live edge thick cut slab dining table.Photo Courtesy of: W

illgoose Millw

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Photo Courtesy of: Steve Willgoose Photo Courtesy of: Steve Willgoose


and initially started creating similar pieces. But eventually Steve’s eye and design took a life of its own with a more west coast style and a live edge fl air of natural home grown maple wood and bark. From there his business has evolved into custom woodworking for large or small projects. From custom kitchens to bathroom vanities, to wood tables, cutting boards or picture frames you are likely to fi nd that Steve has built it.

Today, the fully equipped millwork shop and Steve’s own renovated home, sits on a nice 12 acre parcel of land right off the

winding Highway on the Sunshine Coast halfway between Sechelt and Madiera Park.

Steve today focuses on building live edge tables (natural edge tables), thick slab tables - big or small, mirror frames, kitchen islands and fi replace mantles. If you are con-sidering a new build or have renovations on your mind and want the look, warmth, tex-ture and feel of natural wood in your home take a look at Steve’s products online at www.willgoosemillwork.com.

- SUSAN ATTIANA

Photo Courtesy of: Steve Willgoose

Photo Courtesy of: Steve Willgoose Photo Courtesy of: Steve Willgoose

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604-885-7595

A warm & personal welcomeThe warm and friendly greeting that Welcome Wagon delivers

is brought into over 400,000 homes a year, where the hand of friendship is extended personally and with heart. Whether

you are purchasing or renting, newcomers to the Sunshine Coast are always delighted with our basket of Community Information and gifts from participating local businesses.

WE ALSO VISIT FAMILIES WITH NEW BABIES!

For your personal welcome to the Sunshine Coast please contact

JUDITH604.886.9896

(From Gibsons to Halfmoon Bay)

[email protected]


I ts that time of year again! Time to decide how your outdoor space will look and feel! As your mind wanders thinking about

plants, fl owers, bushes, trees or shrubs, colour selections, shade or no shade, low mainte-nance or no maintenance, one ultimately ends up visiting various nurseries and this can be an onerous task every spring.

But what if you don’t have the time, or your yard has been screaming for a makeover for years, or the kids have left home and you want to rede-sign your outdoor living space with a more se-rene look and feel? Maybe you have just fi nished your new build and want a landscape designer who can turn your vision into reality. Do you see a large patio, a calming water feature, new step-ping stones or specialty stonework leading up to your patio? Perhaps you have wanted to get rid of the slope in your yard and replace it with a low maintenance design.

Meet Dennis Wilkinson, owner of The Third

Little Pig. Wilkinson is an award winning landscape designer who has been trans-forming gardens and landscapes for over 30 years. He originally studied at the University of Guelph where he learned the Science of Horticulture and received an Associate Di-ploma in agriculture with a horticulture ma-jor. He has been revered for his outstanding creativity, knowledge and design.

Wilkinson’s full service design team asks the right questions, listens to your thoughts and

wishes and creates the landscape design you have been looking for. The attached photos demonstrates the kind of expertise you can expect from The Third Little Pig Contracting Ltd. Take the guess work out of it and talk to Dennis who will provide you with the answers you have been looking for. Ask him about one of his specialties, West Coast Japanese, where he works with wood, stone and water!

- SUSAN ATTIANA

EARTH Friendly

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context, or to link readings with anecdotes.

“Some writers are more comfortable doing that than others. Some are polished stand-up comedians!”

You can imagine that the programming and booking alone could be a full-time task.

The Sunshine Coast festival, now in its 33rd year, is unique among others in Canada. Most writers’ gatherings feature groups of three or four writers comprising panels and exploring themes. But in Sechelt, almost all of the 21 events are one writer at a time.

“This format is quite unique and it’s really beloved, both by the audience and by the writers”, Davidson said.

Beloved enough to sell 9,000 tickets a year for an intense three-day, four-night writers and readers love-in.

How do you build a skill set that enables you to manage such a production?

Davidson, now 58, moved to the Coast in the early 90s, and commuted to arts

Canadian writers only — would seem a daunting enough task on its own.

“It’s a tricky thing because we want to pres-ent writers of a wide range of genres, and writers at various stages of their careers. We also need the writer to have the pro-fi le that comes with a current book, or for other reasons, to draw in a crowd, because there are 450 seats in the venue (the Pavil-ion at Sechelt’s Rockwood Centre).

“Within that group, my goal is to achieve a balance of gender, and a representation of ages, a cultural diversity, represent regions of the country.” Davidson said.

And crafting the festival lineup doesn’t end there.

“We have to program a writer who has the ability to really engage and hold an audi-ence,” said Davidson. “What doesn’t work is for someone to just put their head down and read for an hour.”

People do want to hear the work read, Davidson explained, but ideally the writer also has the ability to have a conversation with the audience and put their work in

W ho would ever guess that the Sunshine Coast Festi-val of the Written Arts—the country’s longest-running

gathering of Canadian writers, attracting thousands of reader-fans to Sechelt every year—is a virtual one-man band?

Actually, one woman.

Jane Davidson, producer of the hugely popular festival since 2007, readily and gratefully credits the organization’s “very engaged and involved” board of directors. Not to mention the 200 dedicated volun-teers and the services of a few highly skilled temporary staff hired for a few weeks just prior to the August event.

But for most of the year, the make-or-break responsibility rests with Davidson, the only full-time employee.

“I book the writers, I order the Porta-Pot-ties, and I do everything in between, the marketing, the publicity, the fundraising,” said Davidson.

The intricate balancing act of lining up more than 20 writers — the right writers, and

A skilled hand guides the Coast’s annual Written Arts shindig

FINESSEFINESSEFINESSEFestival

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Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Fall 2014 23

administration jobs at institutions like Vancouver Playhouse and the Charles Scott gallery.

Then came the big mid-life gig: General Manager of the Vancouver Writers Festival, the biggest international confab of scribes in Western Canada. Davidson did that for six years, teeing her up perfectly for the Coast job.

“It was so good. I learned so much there. But when this opportunity came along it was like, ‘Yes!’”

Davidson manages a budget of just over $200,000 for the non-profit society and charity that is the Festival. Half of that is earned through ticket sales, food and bev-erage sales and program advertising.

“We also get funding from the Canada Council, the BC Arts Council, Department of Canadian Heritage and the District of Sechelt.”

The money has to go a long way. Despite the promotional value of a much-loved event like this one, publishers don’t pay the freight. The Festival covers all writers’ expenses, and pays them a modest hono-rarium.

And the society’s reach goes well beyond the August event.

“We also do a lot of things in schools throughout the year. We have a program called Celebration of Authors, Books and Communities. Our main partner is the school district and we take writers into classrooms. We reach about 1,000 students a year,“ Davidson said.

Then there’s the two aboriginal storytelling festivals she’s helped produce in the last two years. And there’s a spoken-word men-torship program, with a goal of a two-day spoken-word festival in June, featuring stu-dent artists and their professional mentors.

It’s a busy life, but there are few complaints from Jane Davidson.

“I know how lucky I am to have this job. I love it.”

The 2015 Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts runs from Aug. 13-16. Information on this year’s roster of writ-ers is available at www.writersfestival.ca Ticket sales begin May 27.

- RIK JESPERSEN

T he Pender Harbour Chamber Music Festival is sailing into its second decade with an out-standing repertoire which in-

cludes gems from favourite classical composers including Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and Mendelssohn and contem-porary composers such as Malcolm Arnold, Paul Schoenfield, and Allan Gilliland. In keeping with its reputation of presenting internationally known artists, the Artistic Director, Alexander Tselyakov will again welcome an outstanding ar-ray of musicians for 2015 including the Juno award winning Gryphon Trio; Or-der of Canada recipient, James Camp-bell, clarinet ; Terence Tam, violin whose playing has been described as “an as-tonishing mixture of precision and ease”. These artists will be joined by, Allene Hackleman - horn, Yariv Aloni - viola, Pamela Highbaugh Aloni - cello, Dylan Palmer - double bass.

www.penderharbourmusic.ca | 604.989.3995

11th Annual

PenderHarbourChamber Music FestivalAugust 13 – 162015

School of Music, 12952 Madeira Park Rd, Madeira Park, BC

The Eleventh Annual PHCMF is delight-ed to announce an exciting initiative; they are including young BC artists, newly establishing their careers. Pender Harbour’s, Rose-Ellen Nichols - mezzo soprano, recently acclaimed for her per-formance as Pauline Johnson in Tobin Stokes’ Pauline, will perform along with Vancouverite, Jenny Dou - piano and Halfmoon Bay’s, Simon Gidora - violin. These young performers will delight audiences at the free Friday afternoon concert newly entitled Rising Tide as well as sharing the program with the com-plete roster of performers during the weekend.

The concerts will range from the serious to the light hearted and are sure to tempt the most discerning audiences. All the performances take place in the Madeira Park School of Music August 13th – 16th, 2015. Further information is available at www.penderharbourmusic.ca or by phoning 606-989-3995.

2015 MUSIC FESTIVAL

THE PENDER HARBOUR CHAMBER


Arttent on it and actually have a proper audio system and a green room back stage. But it was really low-budget.”

The budgets are still tiny by Vancouver standards, but Cottingham Powell and arts marketing expert Diana Robertson have teamed up to bring the festival a long way.

It’s now billed as, “the Sunshine Coast’s leading-edge performing and visual arts festival,” providing 10 days of accessible arts programming, with prominent First Nations components.

Venues include Raven’s Cry Theatre, the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre, Tems Swiya Museum and Seaside Centre.

“There were more than 65 artists that were engaged last year, either perfor-mance-based or visual artists,” said Robert-son. “All are paid an honorarium.”

That comes from a festival budget that was just over $86,000 in 2014.

“The District (of Sechelt) provides approx-imately one-third of that, the rest of the revenue we raise or earn from corporate sponsorship, big individual donors and ticket sales. Almost all of that money gets spent in our community,” said Cottingham Powell.

Robertson said big corporate sponsors in-clude Sunshine Coast Credit Union and the Royal Bank of Canada.

“There’s a handful of legal fi rms and ac-countants that have come in, along with Westland Insurance. We’re hoping to broaden that, but there really isn’t a big base of potential sponsors on the Coast,” said Robertson.

Getting all that together requires about 45 volunteers and a dozen or so contractors, including Robertson and Cottingham Pow-ell. There are no full-time employees.

A big part of the success of the festival is the move from August to October (this year, the 15th to the 25th), where it connects directly on the calendar with the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl, a phenom-enally popular and lucrative celebration of Coast creativity in its own right.

W hen Nancy Cottingham Pow-ell started the Sechelt Arts Festival in 2004, the dialogue between the arts and busi-

ness was anything but creative.

“Most businesses on the Coast had no clue what event marketing was. They were used to giving money and getting a tax receipt, or not. That was it,” Cottingham Powell said.

There was no sense of splashing logos around a performance site or gallery, or of tying in corporate branding in any way.

“If the business donor got thanked at the event, then that was it,” she said. “I sort of brought the whole sponsorship thing to the Coast. When I fi rst did it in 2004, no-body had ever seen anything like that be-fore.”

A California native and now a long-time resident of Sechelt, Cottingham Powell learned the ropes of entertainment pro-duction in Vancouver, starting with Expo ’86, then moved through a number of en-tertainment production positions, includ-ing entertainment manager at the PNE, and managing producer of Music Fest Van-couver (along with husband Ross Powell), Celtic Fest Vancouver and the Pacifi c Ba-roque Orchestra, among others.

She recalls that performance art produc-tion on the Coast was surprisingly rustic, even just 10 years ago.

“It was a diff erent beast then. It was an out-door event in Hackett Park in the summer,” Cottingham Powell said. “I was the fi rst per-son to bring an outdoor stage and put a

The heart and brains behind the Art Crawl is Linda Williams, arguably the queen of arts boosters and volunteers on the Coast. A native of the Fraser Valley, Williams is having anything but an idle retirement. She also produces the Crawl’s detailed bro-chure, the Purple Banner Guide to artists on the Coast, the monthly Arts & Culture Calendar and is a founder and webmaster of the Coast Cultural Alliance.

The Art Crawl involves artists willing to open their studios to the public for one weekend (this year, Oct. 16th to the 18th), and is a shining example of art happily meeting commerce.

“We started fi ve years ago with 75 studios. We had 6,000 studio visits and the artists made $30,000,” said Williams. “Last year we were up to 141 studios. We had 20,000 vis-its, and sales were about $165,000, direct to the artists.”

The budget is a relatively paltry $20,000, much of which comes from the Sunshine Coast Regional District. Williams used to ask for arts grants but last year, at the sug-gestion of then-SCRD board member Don-na Shugar, submitted an application for economic development money.

“Because that’s what it is,” said Williams. “The Art Crawl really feeds into economic development.”

No doubt about it. An increasing num-ber among the studio visitors are from off Coast, so there’s measurable impact on restaurants and local motels and B&Bs. And once they’re on the radar of Lower Main-land art-buyers, Coast artists continue to benefi t from after-sales.

“The Sunshine Coast has moved from be-ing thought of as ‘little Sunday artists,’” said Williams. “Now, some of the galleries in Vancouver and beyond are coming to search out the artists that we have here.”

Money derived from and devoted to the arts on the Sunshine Coast will never rival that of education, health care or govern-ment administration. But with an unusual-ly high per capita incidence of visual and performance artists here, it is a growth in-dustry.

As Nancy Cottingham Powell puts it: “We don’t have logging anymore. So arts, cul-ture and tourism, they’re our natural re-source now, the things that can provide jobs for people.”

- RIK JESPERSEN

THE SUNSHINE COAST

WHERE

COMMERCEMEETS

Nancy Cottingham Powell & Diana Robertson


Proud of the company we keep.

N E W H O M E S • R E N O V A T I O N S • C O M M E R C I A L • R E M O T E

604 740 0424 spanidevelopments.com

P R O M I S E S K E P T. S I N C E 1 9 7 8 .


Budget. Our grant requests are complete and we have our work-ing committees in place.Spring is also the season when our not for profi t groups get ready for their outdoor festivals and events. Two upcoming dates to note are the Lions Easter egg hunt on April 5 followed by the April Tools Wooden Boat Challenge on April 25. Two new events have been added to our community calendar this year: the Mountain Grind Sunshine Coast on April 25 to 26 and Pender Harbour Days on July 10 to 12. A complete listing of events can be found on our web site at http://www.penderharbour.ca/community-events-calen-dar.html. While at that site have a look at the main page and enjoy the sample pictures and articles that are forwarded from our Face-book and Instagram pages. We are very pleased with the work Judy Renouf has done to estab-lish and maintain our new Chamber/Pender Harbour Facebook page and are thrilled with the quality material appearing there. Please visit https://www.facebook.com/penderharbouranddis-trict to learn more about our community and the specials being off ered by our merchants.Mike Ryan has recently established and is maintaining a Cham-ber/Pender Harbour Instagram page and while it can be viewed by a PC, portable devices like smart phones and tablets provide the best viewing experience. The pictures and videos being post-ed there are provided by local talent and include works by Ev Steele and Windows Gallery/Heather Adams. Go to http://insta-gram.com/pender_harbour/ and enjoy the people, scenery and nature at its best.Our Chamber is proud to serve the Pender Harbour area and do our part to support and promote our Sunshine Coast.

Leonard LeePresident

PRESIDENT’SPender Harbour and DistrictChamber of Commerce

MESSAGE

F or all of us on the Sunshine Coast, Spring brings renewal and fresh opportunity. Our loggers and fi shers are out working and really appreciate the warmer weather. We welcome the longer days, the return of the rufous hum-

mingbirds, the sounds of the songbirds, the sight of newborn wildlife and the cheerfulness of friends coming home after choos-ing to experience winter in warmer climates a little south of here.The Pender Harbour and District Chamber of Commerce is meet-ing spring with some new initiatives to encourage the economic wellbeing of our area. We have major plans to enhance our web-site, Facebook and Instagram pages. We are providing content to various publications in an eff ort promote our area. We are provid-ing signs for our businesses and community festivals. Our core in-frastructure support will continue as we operate our Visitor Centre in Madeira Park and provide washroom facilities in Madeira Park and Garden Bay. We owe a big thank you to our SCRD and the Har-bour Authority of Pender Harbour for their unwavering support of these projects.Many of the heavy yearly responsibilities are already behind us. We have held our AGM and have a full slate of Directors and Of-fi cers in place. We have completed the necessary reports to close off 2014, prepared our 2015 work plans and approved our 2015

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this was one of the most challenging food products for J.B. MacKinnon and Alisa Smith to source when doing their now internation-ally renowned 100-Mile Diet. Where do you fi nd fi elds of wheat within a hundred miles of Roberts Creek? Oh yes, the Flour Peddler was the missing piece – our local food buff et was complete. Chris Hergesheimer had identifi ed a demand for locally grown and freshly milled fl our and supplied that demand.

But no, this is not the glorious rags-to-artisanal fl apjacks story you might expect. How does a small-scale miller, with expensive grains from small-scale growers, compete with the big guys – Prairie wheat and Quebec mills?

After fi ve years, Chris had pretty much had the biscuit. He was putting time into a business that was never going to pay off , despite his commitment to the environmental and social values of his mandate. He also found that jug-gling a small business with a growing family and postgraduate studies was overwhelming. He and his family could not endure another season at the markets.

But the Flour Peddler had another asset – Chris’s brother Josh. Josh wasn’t about to let his brother throw in the apron. Committed to their cause, and believing in its value despite

I n 2008, a small-scale fl our miller from the Sunshine Coast created a handmade bike mill to attract a dedicated farmers’ mar-ket following. Chris Hergesheimer want-

ed to challenge the belief that there is only one way—the big way—to grow, process and market grain and fl our. For Chris and his family, it wasn’t about profi t, but connecting a community to its food producers for better health, lower impact on the environment, and the kind of fl apjacks only fresh-milled fl our can make. You may know him as the Flour Peddler.

“I started the Flour Peddler to off er people the experience of buying freshly milled fl our from grains grown in BC,” Hergesheimer explains. “People just gravitated towards it, and I real-ized that for a lot of people it was also about interacting with the producer of their food.”

This idea led to a very busy schedule for Chris. For the next fi ve years, he presented educa-tional talks to elementary school children, sourced locally grown fl our from farmers throughout southern BC, and peddled – and pedalled – his fl our at farmers’ markets all over the lower mainland. Before getting from Rob-erts Creek to Cloverdale or wherever the mar-ket was for him on some Saturday, he must mill the grain the night before, bag the fl our, affi x labels – and not only Chris, but his family, too – wife, mom, dad…

To local foodies at farmers’ markets, this guy had it together. He presented us with the holy grail of local food: locally grown fl our. Indeed,

the dismal economic outlook, they devised a plan to deliver the bike mill to a tiny village in South Sudan.

It is not the typical evolution of a small busi-ness. Investment banker John Theissen once suggested to the Hergesheimers, “Make it about freshness, not geography”—buy the lower cost Prairie grain, a larger mill, scale up. But this strategy runs counter to the Flour Peddler’s belief in the benefi ts of local food.

So how did this all lead to South Sudan?

Chief William Kolong is a friend of the family who came to Canada as a refugee as one of the legendary Lost Boys, the name given to thou-sands of children who fl ed fi ghting during Su-dan’s civil war, which lasted twenty-two years. One day Chris asked him if a bike mill would help his community by giving them a chance to mill their own grains and work together to create a cooperative business. Kolong an-swered, “My brother, if you promise to come to my village someday, I promise we will make it happen.”

A crowd-funding campaign, a meeting with an investor, an article in the Vancouver Sun and many bags of fl our later, it happened. In 2013, the Hergesheimers travelled from the rainforests of Roberts Creek, BC, to the

Continues with The Flour Peddler, from Roberts Creek to South SudanBUSINESS AS (UN)USUAL

Chris Hergesheimer demonstrates the bike mill to the Panlang Womens Cooperative in South Sudan

Chris Hergesheimer pedals the bike mill in Vancouver


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J.B. MacKinnon, co-author of The 100-Mile Diet, describes it as “Food writing meets true adventure in this book that sees the globe with local eyes. From Canada’s west coast to the heart of South Sudan, The Flour Peddler reveals that local eating isn’t just about food–it’s about the way we relate to the people and places in our lives.”

It is a lively read, an adventurous and heart-breaking story, and told with a voice that is both intelligent and completely disarming.

And what is next for the Hergesheimers? Busi-ness as (Un)usual continues. Combining their diverse backgrounds and expertise in fl our milling, travel in South Sudan and other parts of Africa, journalism, land and food systems, political science, economics (it is a long and im-pressive list of credentials), they have created Continuous Cycle, a consulting fi rm that off ers services on a broad range of issues relating to food security, environmental assessment and community empowerment, with clients such as Vancouver Coastal Health, FarmFolk City-Folk, Persephone Brewing and more.

Pedalling a stationary bike mill may not propel you, but it certainly takes you places.

Submitted by: Andrea Routley - Caitlin Press

bustling streets of Kampala, Uganda, and fi -nally onwards to the village of Panlang in the northwestern corner of South Sudan.

But for these seemingly undauntable commu-nity organizers, this was just the beginning.

They celebrate the launch of their book, The Flour Peddler: A Global Journey into Local Food from Canada to South Sudan (Caitlin Press), later this month, which tells the story of these two community-minded entrepre-neurs as they set out to build and deliver their bike mill to this rural women’s cooperative in Panlang. Chris and Josh come face to face with the realities of life in South Sudan when war breaks out and their microcapitalism mis-sion becomes a race to leave the country be-fore violence makes escape impossible.

Part grain-chain analysis, part bare-all ex-posé, The Flour Peddler is a gripping story that explores the trends and issues of local food systems as well as the challenges and power of alternative food movements. For the Hergesheimer brothers, it is also a journey of surprising adventure, from broken-down mar-ket vans, fraudulent bus tickets and hungry bears to a Russian helicopter, an attempted coup and a heart-wrenching homecoming.

The Flour Peddler - Talk & slideshowJune 4 • 6 pm

Gibsons Public LibraryBooks for sale at event

Continuouscycle.ca Caitlin-Press.com

Sunshine Coast Business Magazine • Spring 201530PROOF # DATE COMPLETED: February 16, 2015V4MEDIA: MagazineSIZE: 3.5 x 4.625COLOUR: 4 colourPUBLICATION: Coast Life - Spring 2015CLIENT: AJ Pumps

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PROOF # DATE COMPLETED: February 16, 2015V4MEDIA: MagazineSIZE: 3.5 x 4.625COLOUR: 4 colourPUBLICATION: Coast Life - Spring 2015CLIENT: AJ Pumps






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