community futures northern b.c. magazine 2015

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complimentary2015Features • Initiatives • Business Profiles

Growing the NorthInspiring stories of entrepreneurial success and community development

THE THREE BREWMIGOS

Wheelhouse Brewing Co. proves a great addition

to B.C.’s growing craft beer scene.

THE GUY WITH THE TWISTED TATTOOTwisted and Tortured Inkworkz Trevor Tordorowich triumphs over adversity.

NortherN

ACHIEVING SUCCESSJunior Achievement helps grow Northern B.C. business.

TURKEY FARMING IS NOT JUST FOR THE BIRDS

Family Tree Farms flies high.

1.888.303.2232 ǀ www.cf-edp.cawww.communityfutures.ca

Everyone can use a hand along the path to success

The Entrepreneurs with Disabilites Program (EDP) helps level the playing field for people with disabilities seeking to start, improve or expand a business.

See us about financing to buy and grow your business.

1.888.303.2232 ǀ www.cf-edp.cawww.communityfutures.ca

Everyone can use a hand along the path to success

The Entrepreneurs with Disabilites Program (EDP) helps level the playing field for people with disabilities seeking to start, improve or expand a business.

See us about financing to buy and grow your business.

4 Community Futures Northern British Columbia 2015

CONTENTSProFIles/Messages/Features

Published byDel Communications Inc.suite 300, 6 roslyn roadWinnipeg, Manitoba r3l 0g5

PresidentDavid Langstaff

associate PublisherJason Stefanik

Managing editorShayna [email protected]

Contributing WritersJillian MitchellCarly PetersMatt Di UbaldoJon Waldman

sales ManagerDayna Oulion

advertising salesRobert Barmanovich

Production services provided bys.g. Bennett Marketing serviceswww.sgbennett.com

art DirectorKathy Cable

Design/layoutDana Jensen

advertising artSheri KiddJoel Gunter

Copyright 2014.Del Communications Inc. all rights reserved. the contents of this publication may not be repro-duced by any means, in whole or in part, without prior written consent of the publisher.

Publications mail agreement #40934510return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:DEL Communications Inc.suite 300, 6 roslyn roadWinnipeg, MB r3l 0g5email: [email protected]

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in and the reliability of the source, the publisher in no way guarantees nor warrants the information and is not responsible for errors, omissions or statements made by advertisers. opinions and recommendations made by contributors or advertisers are not necessarily those of the publisher, its directors, officers or employees.

PrINteD IN CaNaDa 11/2014

NortherN

Features5 Community Futures Northern B.C. managers’ message5 Community Futures Northern B.C. office directory6 looking to buy or sell a business? Venture Connect can help

INItIatIVes11 Do have a cow: 4-H18 local farmers are growing economic sustainability in Northern B.C.: Beyond the Market26 sometimes joining a mob is a good thing: Cash mob32 If you build it, they will come: Community space in Vanderhoof39 Paddle on! the Quesnel Canoe Club Boathouse41 seeing green: the Baker Creek enhancement society West side Community garden44 achieving business success: Junior achievement

BusINess ProFIles8 smashin’ through restrictions: smashin’ smoothies9 It takes two: the last spike Motel10 the three brew-migos: Wheelhouse Brewing Co.12 second chances: Dark Horse Car audio13 agrilicious! road’s end Vegetable Company14 a serving of success: Pop’s Pizza and Pasta15 Far out! Farside logging ltd. and Brookside resort16 Finding flow: Zikhara Yoga17 Vital transportation business stays in local hands: the alaska Marine Highway terminal19 Catching an opportunity: goldstream Publishing20 the dreamer: longhouse gift shop21 You got served: the Chetwynd Bistro22 the guy with the twisted tattoo: twisted & tortured Inkworkz24 sweet success: Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt Prince george27 Hidden treasures: Haida gwaii trader28 all for one: Northwest Integrative Healthcare Centre29 Hit the trails with Xcaliber Cycle30 Keep on trucking: l&N trucking ltd.31 Blank canvas: exposed expressions tattoo studio33 Better business through relationships: silvertip Promotions & signs Inc.34 turkey farming is not just for the birds: Family tree Farms35 Pencil and hammer: riverbend Construction and renovations36 local restaurant feeding families while fostering sustainability: Phat Daddy’s Family restaurant37 ‘Inked: Black Cat tattoo38 on the road again: Be a grizzly Contracting40 If a tree falls in the forest, does it it make money? BKB Cedar Manufacturing42 all in the family: all-West Crane & rigging ltd.45 B.C.’s version of Cesar Millan46 Blooming in business47 Creating a splash in Burns lake48 rocketing into business

50 Index to advertisers

Community Futures Northern British Columbia | 1-888-303-2232 5

Managers’ MessageNortherN

Community Futures Cariboo Chilcotin266 oliver street, Williams lake, B.C., V2g 1M1toll-free: 1-888-879-5399Fax: 250-392-4813www.cfdccariboo.com

Community Futures North Cariboo335a Vaughan street, Quesnel, B.C., V2J 2t1toll-free: 1-877-992-2322Fax: 250-992-7700www.Cfquesnel.com

Community Futures Fraser-Fort George1566 seventh avenue, Prince george, B.C., V2l 3P4toll-free: 1-800-661-2055Fax: 250-562-9119www.cfdc.bc.ca

Community Futures Stuart NechakoBox 1078-2750 Burrard avenue, Vanderhoof, B.C., V0J 3a0toll-free: 1-800-266-0611Fax: 250-567-5224www.cf-sn.ca

Community Futures Peace Liard904-102 avenue, Dawson Creek, B.C., V1g 2B7toll-free: 877-296-5888Fax: 250-782-8770www.communityfutures.biz

Community Futures of the Pacific Northwest100-515 3rd avenue, Prince rupert, B.C., V8J 1l9 toll-free: 1-877-622-8288Fax: 250-622-2334www.communityfuturesprincerupert.com

Community Futures Nadina2430 Butler avenue, unit a, Po Box 236, Houston, B.C., V0J 1Z0toll-free: 1-800-556-5539Fax: 250-845-2528www.cfnadina.ca

Haida Gwaii Community Futures1587 Mcleod street, Massett, B.C., V0t 1M0toll-free: 1-888-328-5594Fax: 1-888-626-7345www.haidagwaiifutures.ca

Community Futures 16/37101-4734 lazelle avenue, terrace, B.C., V8g 1t2Phone: 250-635-5449Fax: 250-635-2698www.1637cfdc.bc.ca

Welcome to the 2014 edition of Northern B.C.’s Community Futures magazine. our offices in Williams lake, Quesnel, Prince george, Van-derhoof, Dawson Creek, Prince rupert, Houston, Masset, and ter-race have contributed stories highlighting some of the successes Community Futures has had a pivotal role in supporting, in both busi-ness and community economic development.

Community Futures supports economic stability and diversity in B.C.’s northern communities using a variety of programs that include busi-ness training, coaching, and loans. We also work with community-based initiatives to help build capacity and sustainability through men-toring and financial support.

Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur, a seasoned business owner, or a member of an organization that supports your local com-munity, we are here to help you grow and succeed. to find an office near you, go to www.communityfutures.ca.

We are proud of our achievements over the past year, and hope that you enjoy reading these stories and learning about the positive ini-tiatives that are happening in rural communities all across northern British Columbia. We look forward to another great year serving the small communities that we love, making them even better places to live and do business.

Community Futures offices can be found in Northern B.C. at the following locations:


Venture Connect was born out of six differ-ent Community Futures organizations in the island and coastal regions of B.C. in 2012. Business advisor Darrell goertzen says a survey of businesses in the region identified an alarming demographic shift. they learned that of the one-in-four business owners cur-rently looking to move on from their busi-nesses, 90 per cent were looking to retire. also alarming is that 31 per cent of the retir-ees were focused on closing their business without seeking a buyer. as these statistics are consistent throughout the province, many Community Futures organizations have partnered with Venture Connect.

“they [the owners] started their businesses with the mindset that they would run them for 30 or 40 years. this is how they support their families,” says goertzen. “today it’s quite different, and young business owners

are developing business plans with short-term exit strategies. the emphasis is on creating, building, selling and moving on to something else.”

goertzen says 75 per cent of business transactions fail in part because the owner has not invested the necessary time and re-sources into developing a succession plan. the Venture Connect team offers seminars in the region designed to educate business owners, community leaders and economic development partners (funders) about how to prepare for the sale.

Venture Connect has been successful in off-setting this shift and helped with the sale of many businesses that would have otherwise

closed. “a prepared business just shows better,” says goertzen.

Venture Connect works with individual own-ers; helping them find buyers, teaching them how to work with realtors and how to ap-proach that model employee who the owner thinks would be a good fit to take over. of course, in this case, the employee may find financial resources and mentorship from the Community Futures program as well.

“We also work with immigrant entrepre-neurs,” says goertzen. “regardless of their background, we look to discover what skill sets a potential buyer has, and present them

with businesses for sale that match.”

Looking to buy or sell a business?

Venture Connect can helpBy Matt Di Ubaldo

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If you are a traveler you know you can count on a McDonald’s on every street with its friendly neighbour Mr. tim Horton’s just down the block. these are some go-to stops for most people on the go, but when you are on a new restrictive diet, stopping in at these types of locations isn’t always as welcoming.

a few years ago, Kim Kaytor was a busy soccer mom. Her daughter was on a rec-reational soccer team that frequently trav-eled most of the province. so, when Kaytor was put on a restrictive diet and cleanse for health reasons, her grab-and-go op-tions were slim.

“I was doing a lot of traveling and it was very difficult for me to find any place that would allow me to find whole nutritious food that caters to specific dietary re-straints while I was traveling,” she says.

she wasn’t alone. the more people with dietary needs she talked to, the more she realized their needs weren’t being met in an “on-the-run fast food” market.

she adds, “I began to see a need for a place that could provide whole organic meals, smoothies, and juices that were sugar free and could be dairy free for peo-ple who were on the move. going through

that entire situation, of traveling and seeing

a lack of options, I decided to pursue start-

ing my own business in a juice, smoothie,

and coffee bar.”

at the time, Kaytor worked for the govern-

ment in forestry. Wanting a change, and

seeing this need in the market for organic

and healthy fast food, she quit and sought

start-up help from Community Futures.

“Definitely couldn’t have done this without

them. We were able to go through Com-

munity Futures for a loan to start up the

business. the other thing that was a bit of

a surprise to me, but a good surprise, was

working through the business plan and

seeing all the numbers on paper. It actually

gave me more confidence than I thought.”

after getting multiple reviews and feed-

back on her business plan, Kaytor had ev-

erything in place to start. Instead of going

to a bank for a loan, she took advantage of

Community Futures’ loan service.

“Community Futures is more interested

in getting businesses up and running, and

are willing to take more of a risk with you.

they will put that chance in you and your

business,” she says.

smashin’ smoothies has now been open

for a year and a half, and Kaytor says they

are still growing and look forward to more

help with the organization.

“our client base has definitely grown. We

still have people coming to us for the first

time, but we are still learning and we are

at a point where we want to review our

business plan again with Community Fu-

tures.”

Smashin’ through restrictionsTo cater to those with dietary restrictions, Kim Kaytor opens up Smashin’ SmoothiesBy Samantha Sommerfield

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Your direct link to all the latest news, flight information, weather conditions,

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It takes twoOwners of the Last Spike Motel create a home away from homeBy Jillian Mitchell

on april 7, 1914, the last spike of the grand trunk Pacific railway, Canada’s second trans-continental railroad, was driven one mile east of Fort Fraser. a stone’s throw from this historic site is the last spike Mo-tel.

the modern motel at 761 Highway 16W is much more than a place for weary travelers to lay their heads; it’s a place to call home, just as the motel’s owners ron and Vita adair, have done for the last three years.

the adair’s purchased the former North-gate Motel in 2011 with the help of their local Community Futures, and have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of building their busi-ness over the years.

“the banks said ‘sorry’, so I made an ap-pointment over at Community Futures. they

loaned me the money that I needed—and I’ve paid that back,” says ron of his financial journey to entrepreneurship.

owning a motel comes naturally to Vita, a scottish lass who worked extensively in the healthcare industry, and her husband of 20 years, ron, an Irishman who worked in business all his life.

“When the opportunity came to buy the motel, we decided it would be a different venture for us,” says Vita. “I have to say, I didn’t realize just what an enjoyable busi-ness it would be. ron and I share everything 50 per cent, whether it’s cleaning the rooms or helping people out. two people running this business is just perfect.”

officially opening its doors November 2011, the 14-room, european-inspired, fully fur-

nished motel boasts many amenities—satel-lite tV with high-definition channels and the outdoor picnic area are guest favourites— at a reasonable $80/night and upwards. the motel also includes 11 kitchenettes complete with a full-size fridge and stove, and two rooms with handicap accessibility. the couple often caters to both short- and long-term clients, particularly those in the construction and service industry.

“What we’ve got here is more like a family,” Vita says of her motel’s clientele. “We’ve got people coming back again and again from all over the world. everybody’s known by their first names around here.”

ron echoes his wife’s sentiments. “the most important thing is that it’s a very com-fortable place for our guests to live. It’s the people that make the home.”


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If it takes two to tango, then it takes three to brew—beer, that is.

In 2008, three amigos decided to try their luck in home-brewing. Five years later, their efforts have resulted in Prince rupert’s first mi-crobrewery, the Wheelhouse Brewing Company, a “little brewery at the end of the road on the left side of B.C.”—or more aptly, a highly sought-after brewing company at 217-1st avenue east.

“We all contribute to the day-to-day operations of the brewery—cleaning and filling bottles, filling kegs—but we’ve each taken on a more specialized role,” says partner James Witzke, who in addition to working as an environmental assessment coordinator, is responsible for the brewery’s marketing endeavours. Partners Craig outhet, a marine planner, and Kent orton, a traditional Chinese medicine prac-titioner, take care of the company’s brewing and finances, respec-tively.

the trio opened the brewery doors in December 2013 after the completion of a three-year entrepreneurial journey which involved, in tandem, a two-year business plan process, a year-long search for the appropriate real estate and sufficient funding, and a year-long de-

sign and construction process of the new brewing facility.

Witzke says the journey was deliberately slow and methodical. “We started very slowly building our business plan to make sure our ducks were in a row,” he says.

after weighing many pros and cons, the partners selected Community Futures as their financial backer. “We felt that Community Futures would really go that extra mile to help us succeed,” he says. “there’s so much additional support that you wouldn’t find in a bank. they have the development and success of the com-munity and the region in mind, and that’s what we’re interested in.”

today, the three friends continue to reap the fruits of their entrepre-neurial journey. their many customers, who often remark that visit-ing the brewery is like going back to the 1970s (in a good, rustic kind of way), have developed an insatiable palate for the company’s locally inspired beer, like the West Coast-inspired gillnetter golden ale, a tribute to rupert’s proud fishing heritage. Bolder varieties such as the team’s scurvy Dog spruce ale made with handpicked sitka spruce tips, which in essence renders the great White North into bottle-form, is also highly sought-after.

onsite at the rustic wood-themed 1,400-square-foot facility, the com-pany’s beer is available for in-house sampling or off-sale by the bottle, keg, and growler (two-litre bottles).

“We’re really grateful for the place we’re in, up here in the North,” says Witzke. “We wanted to offer something to our community, to give back as a community-involved business with beer that people in our region would be interested in.”

as the beer-loving residents of the North would agree, the partners have definitely hit their mark.

The three brew-migosWheelhouse Brewing Co. proves a great addition to B.C.’s growing craft beer sceneBy Jillian Mitchell

L to R: Kent Orton, Craig Outhet and James Witzke.


INITIATIVE

It’s not everyday that a teenager takes out a loan for a cow, or steer rather. But that’s exactly what Meghan Mufford has done three times through a partnership between Community Fu-tures and the 4-H program in Quesnel.

Mufford, who has been in 4-H since she was five, has raised everything from guinea pigs to sheep to pigs to steers, along with learning skills such as public speaking and budgeting. she receives a $1,000 loan each year, which goes toward grain for her steer (her current steer is named ragnar).

“I highly recommend this program to anyone in 4-H as this makes it possible for me to do a project and achieve my best,” she chimes.

the 4-H program is a youth-oriented program geared towards people aged six to 21 in all sectors – farming, rural, and urban. 4-H members learn many life skills such as public speaking, partner skills working on demonstrations and judging, as well as experiencing record keep-ing and financial planning.

“4-H members gain self-confidence and build self-esteem. In the community, they become role models for other children and youth,” states gwen Dillabough, 4-H leader in Quesnel.

originally, Dillabough had approached Community Futures to see if they would support the program by donating towards a 4-H plaque for their annual awards on achievement weekend. Community Fu-tures complied, but they also came back with another proposal - the possibility of having 4-H youth acquire a loan for their livestock proj-ects. It was to be given at the beginning of the project year and paid back at the end of the project year. this would help any youth that did not have any financial means to experience a livestock project.

“as a leader for our 4-H club, I have promoted the loan program within our club. We have had several members able to purchase and feed their 4-H projects for the year. In my family, both of my children

have used the program. I advertise the program every year to the other 4-H clubs and in our club because it is a program that I believe in,” she states. “several 4-H members would not have been able to experience the program without the support of Community Futures. their assistance means a lot to our 4-H family and the rest of the

community.”

Do have a cowCommunity Futures helps 4-H participants achieve their goals.By Carly Peters

The 4-H program is a youth-oriented program geared towards people aged six to 21 in all sectors – farming, rural, and urban.


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there are times when experience trumps education. In the case of John Vinc-zencz, owner of Prince george’s Dark Horse Car audio, his career history in the automotive industry and passion for music made the decision to go from an MBa to business owner an easy one.

Vinczencz has a long history of being in school. He has an alberta college background in marketing management, as well as years at uNBC taking human resources management. He was also working towards an MBa, but knew that potentially his back injuries could keep him from being full-time employable.

“after four back surgeries and now living with osteoarthritis of the spine, I know

there will be times when I am unable to work due to immobility,” he admits. “the question for me was ‘what can I do that I love and someday make a wage at and still be a productive part of society?’ I love music and the reproduction of mu-sic. as a teenager I really enjoyed car audio so the idea was to take a passion from my earlier years and share it with people.”

as a heavy-duty mechanic with a back-ground in automotive mechanics and addi-tional experience working with fiberglass, paint, electrical, and car audio sales at J&a stereo, he decided to combine experience with passion, and opened Dark Horse Car audio.

“I knew that this business was my second chance and I wanted to do the same for others and help people who were likely to encounter barriers to employment due to injury or disease. Dark Horse Car audio is all about second chances,” he says.

as with many small business owners, Vinczencz found himself in the situation of having to fund his start up out of his own pocket. this involved leveraging his personal credit. early in his second year he realized that it was time to see about managing the debt load in a more effec-tive way. Community Futures Fraser-Fort george helped Vinczencz bundle the credit card and additional debit the company ac-quired during start up into one manageable payment instead of several payments with high interest.

“I still get help and advice from Community Futures. they have valuable experience and are a great resource when it comes to helping strengthen our business. For example, we are currently looking at pur-chasing lifting equipment to help our staff who have disabilities, and plan to work with Community Futures to expand our existing business,” he states, explaining he hopes to open a second location within North-ern B.C. “I would recommend [Community Futures] to anyone looking to open a new business. If at first you don’t succeed in re-ceiving funding try, try again. there is no such thing as failure, just the failure to try. When someone says it’s impossible, dig your heels in and prove them wrong. let their doubt become your driving force.”

Second chancesCommunity Futures helps Dark Horse Car Audio thrive in Prince GeorgeBy Carly Peters

I still get help and advice from Community Futures. They have valuable experience and are a great resource when it comes to helping strengthen our business.


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terri smith has a taste for the finer things in life, but those finer things are not what one would expect.

organic carrots, salad greens, peas, cab-bage, cauliflower, fennel, tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, leeks, garlic, beets—these are the things that get smith’s heart all a-flutter, and her 80-acre homestead and garden near Williams lake, B.C., at the end of a 15-kilo-metre dirt road, has brought her unimagi-nable happiness.

“I grew up on a cattle ranch in the Cariboo, and when you are raised with the land it gets into your blood,” says smith, who initially went to university to become a literature pro-fessor before succumbing to her love of the land—and food.

today, the uncertified, biodynamic (organic) farmer, along with her trusted sidekick ama-deus the goat, operates a delectable gastro-nomic world right in her own backyard. “I wanted to live in such a way that I could help rather than hurt the earth,” she recalls of her decision to pursue organic farming. “and I wanted to learn about food; I wanted to feed people.”

With the help of Community Futures, smith

funded her dream garden project, growing and marketing vegetables without chemicals. smith shares that the team at Community Futures Williams lake was there every step of the way, from the business plan to busi-ness training to the loan that started the busi-ness. “Without Community Futures, none of this would have been possible,” says smith, who started the business with her partner Christopher robinson in 2009. “I am so full of gratitude towards everyone at CF-Williams lake. Without programs like theirs, my dream would not have been possible.”

today, smith is the sole proprietor of the farm, having bought out her partner in 2012. Her one-acre veggie crop is fruitful—and veggieful—and she and amadeus make regular appearances at markets like the oli-ver street Market or the Cariboo growers’ Co-op. she also provides her 50 market garden clients with a Community supported agricultures (Csa) box program, whereby clients get a box of freshly picked veggies each week.

“I love the Csa model as it allows me to plan for the upcoming season knowing that I have a certain amount I must grow for the boxes,” smith says. “It is great to see my share-

holders each week when they pick up their weekly bag at market. I love the feedback and I love that personal connection to people. I love that people get to be a part of a farm.”

adding to her farm family, smith invites in-dividuals from the WWooFers (Worldwide Workers on organic Farms) all season to help out. During her five years with the program, smith has hosted over 50 people from over 10 different countries. “I love to share my love of gardening with people,” she boasts.

another of her loves is food. as such, next on the list for the organic farmer is a play on the traditional Bed and Breakfast—Dinner and Bed at road’s end Vegetable Farm, featur-ing a phenomenal dinner cooked up by smith and an overnight stay in accommodations soon to be adjacent to her rustic-log solar-powered home, which previously belonged to her grandfather.

“I adapt and design recipes, and the food here is incredible (if I do say so myself),” she says. “the joy of food and of hosting trav-elers has led me to my next steps into the future of this farm.”

Agrilicious! Elegant everyday eating at Road’s End Vegetable CompanyBy Jillian Mitchell

Terri Smith and her family. Photo by amy Moroni Quarry.


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tony Yan is an experienced restauranteur who cut his teeth in the Vancouver restaurant scene before seeking the quiet, relaxed pace of small-town life.

Yan, a married father of three, moved his family to Fort st. John, B.C. and opened Pop’s Pizza and Pasta early in 2013.

He has one full-time and three part-time employees, and enjoys more time with his family.

“We enjoy living in a small town. everything is within walking dis-tance, and my family spends a lot of time with me at the restaurant. My oldest is almost 20, and contributes a lot to the business.”

Yan came to Fort st. John via Vancouver, where the restaurant scene is much more competitive.

“I saw an opportunity to start fresh in Fort st. John. Now, thanks to Nicole [eherer] from the Community Futures program, I am prepar-

ing to open a second location in taylor.”

Yan was introduced to Community Futures when Nicole paid a visit to his restaurant. to date, he has received loans to help with the expansion and he relies on Nicole for business advice.

“When I am not sure about something, or I have a question, I phone her and she always helps me get the answers I need,” he says. “she has been a good mentor.”

the new location is scheduled to open in september 2014, and Yan is grateful to Community Futures for helping him expand his busi-ness. He is excited to offer the community new jobs, and looks for-ward to becoming part of the taylor landscape.

although he hasn’t ruled out future expansions just yet, he says that if he wants to open new locations, he’ll reach out to Community Futures first.

A serving of successPop’s Pizza and PastaBy Matt Di Ubaldo


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It may not look like a resort at the moment, but Brookside resort, a general store and rV park in the Cluculz lake area, 45 minutes west of Prince george, is getting a makeover now that it has a new owner.

Percy Wright took over the resort on November 1, 2013 and have been fixing it up ever since. Wright’s first venture, Farside logging ltd., was established in 1999 where he logged for 10 years for Canfor in Fort Nelson before they closed the plant. He then moved to Vanderhoof and soon after bought Brookside resort.

“the main reason I bought it is because there’s lots of acres and lots of room to expand the park. We are doing improvements to

the place and upping the value of it,” says Wright, who adds that Farside does the landscaping business in the area.

to finance buying the resort, Wright turned to Community Futures stuart Nechako for a loan because the banks had trouble justifying the expense.

“Because we sell gas, it’s a higher risk. Community Futures can justify the value of it as opposed to what the banks can do. Finance compa-nies work off your history; I went from logging, a business that was doing four million a year to less than one million, so my financials didn’t look good to a financial company,” he says. “Community Futures doesn’t look at what I did before, but what I can do tomorrow.”

Far out!Farside Logging Ltd. and Brookside ResortBy Shayna Wiwierski


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Practicing the art of yoga sometimes takes a lot of balance. running a business is much the same. Friends and business partners tobie Wick and samantha Kasdorf seemed to have found a model that has worked for both kinds of practices with the help of Community Fu-tures Pacific Northwest.

the transition from recreational hobby to full-time business seemed like a natural progression as both Wick and Kasdorf were drawn to yoga at a young age.

“Coming from an athletic background, I was first drawn to yoga for the physical benefits, primarily to increase strength and flexibility. What I discovered was a lot more. the more I went, the more ben-efits I discovered on and off the mat. I fell in love with the beauty,” expresses Kasdorf.

“Yoga has been a constant part of my life for the last 20 years,” states Wick. “I started when I was 17 in the exact location of our studio. When my family and I moved back to Prince rupert in october 2012, the first thing I did was try to find a studio. there were a couple of teachers offering classes by preregistration, which was a difficult thing for me to commit to having a two-year-old daughter, so I started practicing at home.”

soon she heard of another person teaching locally. It was Kasdorf who had decided to start up Zikhara Yoga as a small business on the

side out of the local museum in Prince rupert, so Wick started taking a few of her drop-in classes. the ladies quickly became friends and after Wick completed her instructor training in February 2014 they started chatting about joining forces.

“We really wanted to create our own niche, offering our students op-tions of styles, times and teachers, not limiting them,” explains Wick. “We also discussed what we liked about the larger studios in the city.”

the girls had the talent and yoga know-how, but they needed a little extra help with creating their vision. a small loan from Community Futures gave the business partners the means to create the studio they’d dreamed of, supporting the initial set up, renovations, inven-tory, and marketing.

“We are so grateful for the support we have received from everyone at Community Futures,” says Wick, adding everyone at Community Futures have been very supportive and warm with any questions the business partners have.

“today, I’m proud to say that the studio has grown and flourished into more than I could ever hope for,” states Kasdorf, adding it’s re-ally great to have additional instructors Jamie Wessel and Barb long as part of the team. “I strongly believe in yoga’s healing powers and hope to inspire others towards uncovering their physical and mental strength.”

Finding flowFriends turn their passion for yoga into a successful business with the help of Community FuturesBy Carly Peters


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When the current owners of Coriphen enterprises, who operate the alaska Marine Highway terminal in Prince rupert, B.C., decided they were ready to retire and sell their business, one of their employees, Kathy Basdeo, saw the perfect opportunity to step up and realize her dream of owning/operating her own business. she had all the skills necessary and had built up a good relationship with the current own-ers over the last couple of years – which made her an ideal fit for the transition.

“My biggest barrier was securing financing for this venture,” says Basdeo. “I had some personal savings to invest, but when buying into a small medium-sized enterprise, it just wasn’t enough to get started.”

after being turned down at her financial institution, Basdeo ap-proached amber sheasgreen, the business development coordinator at Community Futures Pacific Northwest. together, they reviewed the financial situation of the business, brainstormed purchase offers, and outlined a succession plan involving both parties to ensure a smooth transition for operations and all staff.

“Kathy displayed drive and determination from day one,” says sheas-green. “any hiccup we came across in the planning process she con-fronted head on, and continued pushing forward in order to reach her goal.”

the sellers had faith in Basdeo and wanted to see their business con-tinue to succeed, and together they were able to work out a succes-sion plan that fit everyone’s needs. With a busy summer season just around the corner, Basdeo received her last bit of training required and took over terminal operations in January 2014.

“I am proud to say I own and operate my own business now, thanks to the help from Community Futures. amber was a pleasure to work with, and never gave up on me when things appeared dismal.”

the Prince rupert alaska Marine Highway terminal operations em-ploy two full time, two part time, and four seasonal employees, which by the end of the busy summer season in 2014, helped immensely.

“I had the perfect staff for all areas of the operation. From dock works to traffic control, to even a bilingual staffer who excelled in customer service, we had many compliments and happy customers. I look for-ward to many more years in this business.”

Vital transportation business stays in local handsThe Alaska Marine Highway Terminal

“I am proud to say I own and operate my own business now, thanks to the help from Community Futures. Amber was a pleasure to work with, and never gave up on me when things appeared dismal.”


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Beyond the Market is an economic development strategy designed to support local farmers and promote the growth of the industry in the Highway 16 region of Northern B.C. since 2010, project coordina-tor Jillian Merrick has worked to enhance the farming industry, build cohesive relationships between farmers, food processors and food service providers, as well as promote the industry and its products to new markets.

Merrick claims there was a sudden need for economic development in 2010, when the u.s. housing market crashed and a mountain pine beetle infestation devastated the forestry industry in the region. Farming was then seen as a viable economic development initiative.

Beyond the Market has a renewed contract to 2016, and Merrick is building on the successes they’ve enjoyed to date.

“We’re actively promoting agriculture in the area. We’ve been able to recruit farmers to the region who come from areas where land prices are unreasonable,” says Merrick.

she says farming has a long-term start-up time. It can take anywhere from three to eight years to be able to operate independently. a lot of new farmers are still working other jobs while they grow the farm.

“there are a lot of stakeholders who are aligning with our initiatives, and we’re pleased to be able to foster those relationships,” says Mer-rick.

“the B.C. real estate Foundation has a special trust dedicated to the promotion of good agricultural land-use policies. the omineca Beetle action Coalition is doing a great job of harmonizing local government initiatives, ensuring sustainable, long-term economic development that benefits the entire region.”

Merrick also advises groups who want to buy from local farms on how to work with farmers. each type of farming has its busy times and it’s downtimes. For customers, understanding when those times are will help.

“salespeople don’t call restaurant owners during the lunch or dinner hours because they know they’re busy. It’s the same principle,” says Merrick.

When asked what’s next for Beyond the Market, Merrick says the focus is on knowledge sharing and community engagement.

“We’re going to help farmers learn what’s working for others in their industry. also, technology is changing so fast, and showing them what’s out there, and what it can do for them is important,” she says.

Merrick still offers management and business coaching for new farmers, and promotes outreach and community engagement on the farmers’ behalf. Beyond the Market has a mobile book farm and ag-ricultural bookstore. It’s present at community events across the re-gion, and offers valuable resources for sale at lower-than-retail costs.

she also visits local schools and engages students with a “name that vegetable” challenge.

“It’s a great way to teach the kids about what’s being grown in the region,” she says.

Local farmers are growing economic sustainability in Northern B.C.By Matt Di Ubaldo

Charlotte and Sandy of Spring Lake Farm have beef, eggs, honey and baked goods. They make their full time living off of their farm and are looking at partnering with young farmers in the near future. At the Fort St. James Farmers Market.

When asked what’s next for Beyond the Market, Merrick says the focus is on knowledge sharing and community engagement.


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What started as a master’s degree studying lakes over 15 years ago soon turned into an innovative small business for a Prince george entrepreneur.

sean simmons, owner of goldstream Publishing, started his flagship product, the angler atlas, in 1999 shortly after completing his university degree.

“My background is biology, and when I was doing my mas-ters, I would work with government data and they collected maps and data on lakes across the province and country. so I set up a deal with the provinces – B.C., alberta, and on-tario – to use their government-collected data and started publishing maps, and around each map I would tell a story,” he says.

What started as just a few maps around Prince george soon grew to over 80,000 maps across Canada and the united states. the most detailed areas of coverage are in British Columbia, alberta, and ontario, where they provide thousands of depth charts and topographic maps. In addi-tion to their own content, they also rely on their members to contribute their own photos, comments, and map markers for the many lakes in their catalogue. revenue is generated from advertisements that are sold to businesses related to the lakes.

to keep up with technological advances, simmons created Map Jungle, which is a geospatial platform that collects data and information about locations. every record in their system has a location attached to it in its capacity. Based on the success of their first app, the company created gyyde, which turns maps into mo-bile tours.

“It’s a mobile audio tour that uses gPs to determine when to tell you a story. For example, for an historic walking tour of Prince george, you would follow the gPs and automatically as you get to the next point of interest it will tell you a story about that point,” he says adding that they had their first trial of it last year and then hired designers from emily Carr university of art + Design for a redesign to make the user interface more friendly. “It’s designed to load up as many tours as you want. We work with tourism organi-zations and business improvement organizations to build tours of places they want to promote.”

simmons has had many experiences working with Community Futures Fraser-Fort george throughout the years. When he first started goldstream Publishing he took advantage of the differ-

ent programs to help start the angler atlas. since then, he has worked with Community Futures in other capacities, both profes-sionally and personally.

“For what they do, they are very helpful, especially if you are new and you need some basic things about business. It’s helpful, you get the foundations of business, and also the basics.”

Catching an opportunityGoldstream PublishingBy Shayna Wiwierski

Your trusted adviserKPMG’s team of professionals are here to serve your business needs. Contact us to find out how we can help your business.

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kpmg.ca


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there are always people who dream bigger than their town, and find a way around obstacles that may surround them. It’s safe to say rose russ is one of them.

“I always had big dreams even though my math and english skills were poor coming out of high school, but my ability to sell was what I did best... I enjoyed it and was interested in it,” she says.

so when she was approached by her brother and uncle 27 years ago to start up a small gift shop business, she agreed right away. they all had skills that would make opening a gift shop on Haida gwaii Island fairly easy.

“the theory was that I can sell things, my uncle could build things, and my brother was good at carving. We figured all of us combined could make a good partnership for a business,” she remembers.

It was then that they decided to open longhouse gift shop.

But, russ didn’t want to stop there. Her ambitious mind eventually grew restless and she started looking at other business opportunities.

10 years after opening the gift shop, russ noticed a need for more clothing options on the island. It was perfect timing she notes, as a property was being built on the main section of the island.

“It’s like they say: location, location, location,” she laughs.

Not only perfect timing for her shop’s location, but it was also around this time that Community Futures opened up in Haida gwaii, and as a result, russ was able to seek start-up help from them.

“they were very helpful and were actually a couple doors down from the shop,” she says, adding, “they were able to get me started with things like proposal writing and such. sky Cantin was helping me at the time and was very helpful. she is still a very good friend to this day.”

With Cantin and the rest of Community Futures’ help, russ was able to start her clothing store called Jovi’s Wear.

the store has been open for 10 years now and has now relocated to be right beside longhouse gift shop, where she now runs both businesses.

russ was not afraid to dream big, and credits programs like Commu-nity Futures for helping the small business owners and the dreamers.

she tells those who want to start a business this advice: “Have a dream. I mean there is more than one door out there... some people just have this vision and if they could just get over that last hump, they’ll be okay.”

russ adds that sometimes entrepreneurs need a little help and that is where Community Futures comes in.

“Not every young person has the resources, and they can help you with that. I am very excited for Community Futures in our community and on our island.”

The dreamerRose Russ didn’t let obstacles get in the way of her dreams of being a small business ownerBy Samantha Sommerfield

Russ was not afraid to dream big, and credits programs like Community Futures for helping the small business owners and the dreamers.


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Food has been a part of every stage in Peggy Cooper’s life - from cooking in the kitchen as a child, to a steady career managing restaurants, to now owning her own bistro.

“My mom came from a family of 16, so cooking was a way of life for her. and when I was a child my grandparents lived with us, so family was always at our house. as one of the girls, I had no choice but to be in the kitchen,” she laughs.

Cooper took that life experience and turned it into a career taking on roles as a manager of McDonald’s and two other restaurants, one of which was the Chet-wynd Bistro, a unique establishment lo-cated inside the town’s public library.

Her husband’s job took the couple away from Chetwynd for a few years, but when his contract was up, they decided to move back “home”. While she was gone, the bistro had changed hands several times with little success, and had eventually shut down.

“When I moved back I had people saying ‘you have to open the bistro’,” she states, adding it was Fay asleson, director at the Chet-wynd library, giving her a real positive push. “she would say ‘you can do this.’ she gave me such tremendous support.”

she identified that the town had a need for healthy, home-cooked food, and decided to create a menu with fresh sandwiches, daily soups, gluten-free options, and even old family recipes, like her grandma’s puff wheat cake.

With all the affirmations from friends, and a purposeful menu, Coo-per sat down with mentor ana Peasgood to work on a business proposal to re-launch the bistro. Peasgood recommended also en-listing the help of Community Futures Chetwynd for both business advice and financial assistance.

“Community Futures was absolutely amazing. they were very ex-cited about the business and very supportive. they would check in on me and send along information,” states Cooper, who adds she also received a small start-up loan.

the Chetwynd Bistro re-opened under Cooper’s management in March 2013, and within the first year was nominated for Business of the Year by the town of Chetwynd.

While she didn’t take home the award, her business model of su-perior customer service and quality food has kept her top of mind with customers. she also attributes her success to having the sup-port of her staff.

“My crew is amazing, and the customers are treated like one of the family,” she says.

Cooper adds she’s had some great mentors along the way that have helped shape her business perspective - from her time with Ira Brick at Ira’s Deli, to sid Johnson, the owner of the McDonald’s she managed, positive employers have given her the tools to suc-ceed in her own business. she’s also quick to mention that Com-munity Futures is also top of her list, especially when she gives advice to other fledgling businesses.

“I’ve recommended Community Futures to at least three people, and I will continue to do so because it was just such a positive experience.”

You got servedThe Chetwynd Bistro brings healthy, home-cooked food to the town thanks in part to Community FuturesBy Carly Peters


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FILE The guy with the twisted tattoo

Twisted & Tortured Inkworkz’s Trevor Todorowich triumphs over adversityBy Jillian Mitchell

It has been said that, in life, challenges are actually opportunities in disguise. For tattoo artist trevor todorowich, this mantra most definitely rings true.

twelve years ago, a life-altering back injury while working at an albertan manufacturing plant forced todorowich to return home to William’s lake, B.C. to live with his mother—a difficult situation for any 24-year-old bent on independence. With limited finances, a great deal of bodily pain, and an uncertain future, todorowich invariably had much time to reflect on his life’s purpose. It was during this time that he rekindled his long-lost love of art, some-thing he had put on the backburner while he worked to make end’s meet.

tattooing, he admits, seemed almost second nature. (He has, af-ter all, acquired well over 100 hours of work on his own canvas). “I found tattooing very interesting and fun to be on the other end of the machine and a hobby ensued with a very small group of friends,” he says.

a rich emotional exchange with a client, who came to the budding tattoo artist for a memorial tattoo, invariably sealed the deal on todorowich’s life’s trajectory. “For the first time since my injury I felt my life had a purpose,” he admits. “I know now that tattooing entered my life to save it.”

as luck would have it, a new tattoo shop concurrently opened in town—add to that, the owner had offered todorowich a job as an artist.

“this opportunity led me to Community Futures (CFDC) and an entrepreneurship program,” he says. “CFDC also assisted me with a loan to help with my start-up costs and helped me develop a clear action plan to get the ball rolling.”

after six months, however, the tattoo shop folded and todoro-wich again found himself back at square one. “I had to start my business all over again,” he recalls. “If not for the support of my mother, the ball would have stopped. I simply can not thank her enough.”

todorowich’s shop, twisted & tortured Inkworkz, at 525 Borland street, opened late-october 2009, a record month-and-a-half af-ter the preliminary shop’s folding. and though business started gradually, the artist is today well sought-after.

“My business card walks out the door on my clients’ flesh and with their experience shared with me,” says the tattoo artist whose

I just recently had a client contact me from Switzerland to book an appointment, as they will be in the area.


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preferred style is black and grey dark art and portraiture. “I have many clients from Quesnel, 100 Mile, Prince george, Kam-loops, and many places throughout British Columbia and alberta; I just recently had a client contact me from switzerland to book an appointment, as they will be in the area.”

todorowich admits that the sky’s the limit for twisted & tortured Inkworkz. In the near future, however, he plans to organize guest spots at shops across B.C. and al-berta.

“tattooing is my passion; I will never stop learning and growing. I cannot think of any job that is even in the same ballpark,” he concludes. “the stories I have heard, the emotions I have shared glancing through my guestbook or flipping through my port-folio, bring back so many memories shared with my amazing friends and clientele.”

looking back on his experiences, todoro-wich humbly offers the following advice to future like-minded entrepreneurs. “once you start, you can never stop, the ball will only roll as far as it is pushed,” he says.

“If you want to start your own business, spend a lot of time thinking about how you are going to do it, have a solid plan of ac-tion and order of events in place. Be pre-

pared for when that plan falls apart—how to pick up the pieces and put them back together—because things almost never go as we think they will.”


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“Funny thing is I hate all yogurt,” laughs Mar-garet Jex about the first time she stepped foot in a Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt shop. luckily, after a few of the store’s sample cups she changed her tune (“I realized very quickly that this did not actually taste like yo-gurt.”). this indulgent trip also changed the course of her career path.

Jex and her husband Ben both had jobs at Canfor Plateau sawmills when she decided to go back to school in 2009 to complete the applied Business technology program. she worked as an executive assistant for Nechako Valley Community services soci-ety (NVCss), and then st. John Hospital, a very corporate environment.

Sweet successHow sampling a snack turned into a lucrative businessBy Carly Peters

“Taking care of all your fuel needs on the North Coast and Haida Gwaii.”

HEAD OFFICE KENT AVENUE: 2582 Kent Avenue S.E., Vancouver, BC V5S 2H8 | Phone: 604-321-9171

MASSET: Located at the foot of Main Street on the government dock

Phone: 250-626-3328 www.northarm.bc.ca

• Coastal bulk fuel, lubricant & propane sales and delivery• Coastal freight & machinery transportation• Land based fuel supply in Masset for home heating,

commercial and industrial customers• Freight terminalling


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“I learned a lot, but was not very happy. My boss at the time suggested that I open my own business. I, of course, did not pay much attention to the suggestion,” she says, adding she returned to NVCss.

In 2012, during spring break, Jex and her daughters went to grande Prairie, alberta to visit her brother, who introduced them to a cute little shop called Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt.

“I was impressed right away with the cus-tomer service, atmosphere, free samples of yogurt, and the self-serve concept,” explains Jex. “We sat down to enjoy our treat and I observed that the store was packed with all sorts of people all different ages, everyone was smiling and happy.”

later on that night she called Ben about her yogurt revelation.

“I told him I was going to open one of these stores. He kind of laughed at me, but when I got home I showed him all the information. He was impressed and told me to give it a shot, so I did.”

Jex got approval from the shneer brothers, who at the time owned the franchise rights to Canada, now she just needed the funds. their local bank manager suggested the pair meet with tammy lyell at Community Fu-tures stuart Nechako.

“teaming up with Community Futures was the best decision I’ve made as a new busi-

ness owner. I was supported and prepared for the huge life-changing event that was about to take place,” she states, adding that thanks to the help, she operates a successful location in Prince george, which offers 14 different flavours of frozen yogurt, as well

as a sorbet machine (completely dairy-free) and a no-sugar-added option for diabetics. “they continue to offer advice and always are there to help my business succeed. I would definitely recommend this service to a new business owner.”

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For the latest economic development news or any other info please contact:Economic Development Offi ceT: 250.242.4242 | [email protected] | www.InvestTumblerRidge.ca

Teaming up with Community Futures was the best decision I’ve made as a new business owner. I was supported and prepared for the huge life-changing event that was about to take place.


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Jasper Nolos was reading up on localism and came across something called a cash mob - an event designed to drive traffic and generate sales for a local business. always seeking ways to bolster the local economy, Nolos decided to give it a try.

He partnered with the local chamber of commerce in Prince rupert, B.C., and, us-ing their list of business excellence award nominees, decided to approach the owners of an antique shop called the argosy. they reacted with optimism and enthusiasm, agreeing to participate in this new initiative.

Nolos had to swear them to secrecy, as the location of a cash mob is not typically revealed until the time of the event. Par-ticipants were recruited using posters, bro-chures, and word-of-mouth chatter about the event. the most extensive marketing for

this was done via social media through ru-pertreigns, a community events promotion tool developed in partnership with Commu-nity Futures of the Pacific Northwest and the chamber of commerce.

“I was happy to see a couple dozen people show up for the cash mob,” says Nolos. “We all marched to the argosy. CBC showed up to cover the story too. We had balloons and a radio reporter in tow. so as we walked there, our crowd drew attention from oth-ers, and more people followed us.”

the only details participants knew ahead of time were that they would be taken to a local business, and were asked to spend a minimum of $20 at the business. they also knew there would be a celebratory luncheon after the cash mob was finished.

the event was considered a suc-cess by both Nolos and the own-ers of the argosy.

“a local woman told me that if she hadn’t participated in the cash mob, she would have likely never entered the argosy and never discovered that the store sold art by local artists,” he says.

Nolos is now planning his third cash mob. Participating busi-nesses get a window decal indi-cating they were cash mobbed, and people are asking when the next one is. He admits there is a challenge related to how to incor-porate service industries in the initiative. “How do we organize a cash mob for a hairdresser? I can’t imagine 22 people waiting for a haircut,” he says.

“We’ve taken to social media seeking suggestions for who to

mob next. Voters use the hashtag #spend20 and nominate their favourite businesses.”

Cash mobs will now be a quarterly event in Prince rupert, noting that there are benefits to other businesses in the community as well.

“our last cash mob, for the Icehouse gal-lery, was also a success,” says Nolos. “But we actually had more people show up for the luncheon. so the restaurants are also cash-ing in!”

“the chamber of commerce has done a good job of promoting the idea to their member-ship by communicating the successes of this initiative to the business community. We’ve received calls from nearby communities, looking to learn how to execute cash mobs there.”

Sometimes joining a mob is a good thing!Cash mob generates business for local shopsBy Matt Di Ubaldo


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garage sale hunting and thrift store shop-ping is in shellene Van der Beke’s blood.

“every time I go down to the lower main-land to visit my family, it’s Value Village time. I love thrift stores. I love flea markets. there is nothing more fun than someone’s ‘junk’ turning into somebody else’s trea-sure!” Van der Beke boasts.

as a result, it was a natural step for the Haida gwaii resident to organize a flee market of her own with her then-compa-ny Huckleberry Home and garden Care. and, it was the positive response from that event that made her think of starting a website company focused on a “garage sale” ideology. that is when Haida gwaii trader was born.

Haida gwaii trader is a website commu-nity for buying, selling, and trading items with members as diverse as the items for sale.

“If they know how to use a computer, they can sign up for a free membership; there is no age restriction, the sky’s the limit,” she laughs.

Her company is now four years old with a website and monthly magazine.

growing every day, Haida gwaii trader

currently has 1,400 registered members and also proudly promotes many local and off-island businesses. Van der Beke re-members the first steps it took to start her business.

“Haida gwaii trader started out with its first ad being a washing machine for sale. I remember doing a radio interview over in Prince rupert and got my first advertising customer, r&r rewind. I was so excited!”

Van der Beke credits Community Futures for helping nurture Haida gwaii trader. they were able to give her an affordable micro-loan at a time when it mattered most.

“they were there when I was wanting to expand and they helped bring my ideas to life. Working with the professionals there gave me a higher level of focus and ac-countability. they make you feel valued, worthy, and supported.”

she adds, “My loan officer really believed in me and was interested in what I was doing. I felt like a professional with her,

where other places I’d feel like an amateur. I felt like a bad number in the bank, but Community Futures knew who I was when I walked in the door.”

Van der Beke notes that at Community Futures, they aren’t just lenders but also mentors.

With the loan she received, she expanded and restructured the real estate section of her website to make it more user-friendly and include more features to benefit her customers’ needs.

“Community Futures genuinely wants you to succeed and that gives you confidence, which is half the battle of owning and op-erating a small business.”

she concludes, “If you have an idea, even if it is the wildest idea, these folks are ap-proachable and very professional. If they don’t directly have the resources you are looking for, they have an impressive web of information and referrals they can give you to help achieve your goal.”

Hidden treasuresHaida Gwaii Trader By Samantha Sommerfield

Haida Gwaii Trader started out with its first ad being a washing machine for sale.

Van der Beke credits Community Futures for helping nurture Haida Gwaii Trader. They were able to give her an affordable micro-loan at a time when it mattered most.


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Back (L to R): Morgan Reinsbakken, Catherine Barrette, Lana Garner.

Front (L to R): Baby Freya, Dr. Candice Griffith, Devin Pollitt, Fia Persson, Kate Nee.

Missing from photo: Dr. Daniel Yee, Dr. Richard Lutz, Sandy Nelson, Elissa Marcus, Dr. Linda Marshall.

Photo credit: Fia Persson of Vintage shutter Photography.

Baby Freya is a regular visitor at her par-ent’s wellness clinic, Northwest Integra-tive Healthcare Centre in terrace, B.C., her presence a true testament to the work-life balance advocated by mom and dad, Dr. Candice griffith and Devin Pollitt.

located in the heart of terrace, B.C., at 4724 lazelle avenue, Northwest Integrative Healthcare Centre offers a collaborative and integrative approach to health and wellness, one that aims to support physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness. Much like it takes a community to raise a child, griffith and her team have adopted the philosophy that healing requires multiple healers and a variety of perspectives.

“My intention with the healthcare centre has a lot to do with treating people with the respect they’re looking for in that jour-ney—and not treating them as a disease,” griffith says. “really spending the time to

get to know them and be part of that team to move them forward and take them through a physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, or even belief-centred change.”

For as long as griffith can remember, she harboured an inner desire to become an en-trepreneur. “I definitely wanted to start my own business,” shares griffith, who after eight years of university in toronto returned to terrace, where she spent some of her formative years. “I had the vision to create an integrative centre, but financially I knew that I should start small.”

two years ago, while griffith was working in terrace at a small practice alongside a chiropractor, she scratched that inevitable entrepreneurial itch when she and her husband found and purchased a building that complemented her vision. “We put our minds together, did up a business plan, and Community Futures 16/37 was able to see

my commitment to my community and to my practice,” she says. “I was really grateful [for their financial assistance and support].”

today, the healthcare centre offers a myriad of services, such as naturopathic medicine, registered massage therapy, acupuncture, herbal remedies, art therapy, reflexology, homeopathy, counselling and life coach-ing, chiropractic, food-allergy testing, and healthcare advocacy. of the clinic’s suc-cesses, griffith says, “We would not be where we are now if it wasn’t for the sup-port of our staff and practitioners that we’ve had in the clinic.”

In future, Pollitt, who currently serves as the centre’s director of operations, has plans to offer additional clinical counselling ser-vices through the centre once he garners his master’s degree in social work. add to that, the couple plans to make their mark on terrace’s booming mineral and resource sector.

“We are developing a plan for corporate wellness that provides primary sector in-dustries with the support they need as em-ployers and employees to do the work they need to do,” Pollitt says. “We can’t reduce a patient’s health to [one variable]; a person’s health is affected by a multitude of variables and we’ve created an environment where we can address as many of those variables as possible.”

All for oneNorthwest Integrative Healthcare Centre brings collaborative health to TerraceBy Jillian Mitchell


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every entrepreneur has a story, and for entrepreneurs Mark guillet and Carrie ste-venson, co-owners of Prince george-based motorcycle repair shop Xcaliber Cycle, theirs is one of victory.

“We have never looked back,” says guillet of his and stevenson’s decision to ride the entrepreneurial path. “We enjoy our new business still today as much as the first day we opened.”

guillet recalls that the road to opening the motorcycle repair shop on 1st avenue was initiated through friends’ encouragement. “We had a few customers, business own-ers and some very great friends that re-ally helped us make the decision to do this venture,” says guillet, who along with ste-venson, is a former long-time employee of Harley Davidson in Prince george.

though the couple initially had their reserva-tions about opening what would be the city’s second aftermarket repair shop, those res-ervations quickly dissolved when the estab-lished shop unexpectedly decided to close and the city found itself in the market for a Harley Davidson bike mechanic. taking a leap of faith, the team put their combined 25 years of experience to the test and decided to pursue their business dream.

During the initial planning process, guil-let and stevenson heard about Community Futures from a friend and became intrigued by the organization’s offerings to budding entrepreneurs. “We decided to go for a visit and we sat down with Community Futures’ business analyst who gave us to much in-spiration on going on with this business venture,” stevenson says. “He sent us home with some paperwork, which enabled us to complete our business plan and business loan with them.”

Xcaliber Cycle officially opened its doors in april 2012. today, the business specializes in full engine repairs and custom bike-build-ing services for both V-twin engines and, more recently, metric-style engines. the de-

cision to branch out from the V-twin engines was again in response to customer demand.

“as word spread around, we found that we were seeing a lot of the metric-style bikes [Honda, suzuki, Yamaha, etc.] coming to the door. People were asking if we could also service and take care of them as well.”

this year, the team has added Harley David-son extended warranties to their list of ser-vices. again, it was a matter of responding to

their customers’ wish lists, a response that the duo sees as integral to success in busi-ness. “We feel that to maintain a successful business in this day and age is to be able to give your customers the service they de-serve and come to you for,” adds stevenson. “If they have a concern, or maybe there is something that needs to be addressed that was overlooked, we want to hear from them. our ultimate goal is to continue to grow as our customers’ demands and needs grow.”

Hit the trails with Xcaliber CycleBy Jillian Mitchell

Now is the right time to invest in Prince George.Contact us to learn about the opportunities.

Initiatives Prince George Economic Development Corporation

Tel. 250.564.0282 | www.initiativespg.com |


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lloyd Kerr has been in the trucking industry for most of his life, so it was pretty obvious that he would start his own business sooner than later.

Kerr founded l&N trucking ltd. in Pouce Coupe, B.C. three years ago with wife Nan-cy. the trucking company has two trucks, and hauls low-bed heavy equipment and gravel trailers, as well as rig mats for the oil patch. Kerr handles the hauling, while Nancy does the administrative and business work.

“there’s lots of opportunity here and I like being my own boss. there’s lots of opportu-

nity up here to make money; so far it’s been pretty good,” he says.

the 58-year-old mostly hauls rig mats and equipment for strad energy services, a leading provider of energy services and solutions to various sectors of the North american oil and gas industry. strad is their main client, however, they also haul for a va-riety of other companies as well.

Kerr says his experience in the industry pri-or to starting his own company made it a bit easier to connect with companies for work.

“It was fairly easy, you just have to keep at ‘er. I worked for several different outfits be-fore working for strad, so yeah, it takes a little bit of time to get started.”

Community Futures Peace liard gave Kerr a loan for their first truck. Currently, the com-pany has two trucks and a second driver. Kerr only has positive things to say about the organization.

“When I bought my first truck, I went to Community Futures for a loan and they helped me out. they have been really good, I recommend them 100 per cent.”

Keep on truckingL&N Trucking Ltd.By Shayna Wiwierski


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It doesn’t take a long walk from the Com-munity Futures office in Williams lake to find one of their success stories. Just take a look across the street and that is where you will find Danarae latin, owner of exposed ex-pressions tattoo studio.

latin says she was a born and raised artist, but she never thought she would branch off into tattooing.

“It was just something that came to me one day and I thought I would give it a go. a fam-ily friend of mine did tattooing on the side, so I hooked up with him and he kind of showed me the ropes a bit.”

latin went to school for advertising, but knew that it would not give her a career in the small community of Williams lake. so, she decided to take her part-time hobby a little more seriously.

“I wanted to find something to do with art that I can actually make a living out of, but I knew if I wanted to do [tattooing] as a ca-

reer, I’d need training. so then I took off to New York and did some schooling there to get my certification,” latin says.

a three-week fundamentals course con-firmed that what latin taught herself to do was up to industry standards.

latin then made the trip home with a certi-fication in hand and the formal skills needed to open a studio. But, something she was not educated in was owning and operating a business. that was until she found out about Community Futures from a friend.

she says, “It’s pretty intimidating going for something like this [and opening your own business], but with [Community Futures’] help with building my business plan it really got the ball rolling. I don’t think I’d have the structure I have now if it wasn’t for them.”

latin says that the push she got from the classes at Community Futures got her out of her comfort zone.

“everyone was in the same boat but so sup-

portive of each other. everyone in the build-ing was very helpful. If you needed help with anything, they were right there to help you. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the push I got, I don’t even know if I would be where I am today.”

exposed expressions tattoo studio has been open for about two-and-a-half years now. latin says the response she gets from the community is very positive.

“I’m super busy. I’ve got awesome clients, and they keep coming back, so that is good. It’s a fun business, that’s for sure.”

she says that when she talks to people wanting to open businesses of their own, she tells them about Community Futures.

“everything is put into easy steps. Just go in and talk to them. they make you feel very comfortable even if you are a little shy and unsure cause it can be kind of intimidating. But, just being there for an hour, it [feels]

very comfortable and homey.”

Blank canvas Exposed Expressions Tattoo Studio By Samantha Sommerfield

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INIT

IATI

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Karen scheffers saw a need for community space and economic diversification in Vanderhoof, B.C. – a space that would reflect the creativity, ingenuity, and diversity of local community members. a space sustained by business ten-ants, yet diverse enough to host a Zumba class, while still being a meeting place for seniors and allowing local artists a place to showcase their work. the old community centre was demolished six years ago, and with it went a popular gathering place.

“We recently hosted an event with the local arts council and were forced to rent a warehouse. People look forward to events like these,” says scheffers. “our community needs a gathering place.”

after completing a sustainable community development course, scheffers became motivated to take action. she says that change comes from people. While there are gov-ernment programs designed to help, she says people need to take action to improve their own communities.

the local arts council agreed to host a stakeholder meeting to brainstorm. the ideas were used by scheffers to ensure the community space proposal was inclusive.

“Community Futures helped me develop a business plan ad-dressing a temporary solution for this gap in services in my community. they are a forward-thinking organization that provided me with resources and case studies to get me started,” she says.

the result of her collaboration with Community Futures to date is a solid business plan with credible financial state-ments to back it up.

“I’m not a financial expert. tammy lyell [of Community Fu-tures] stepped up and took the lead on that part. she un-derstood my vision and lent her strengths where I needed them.”

scheffers credits Community Futures with connecting her to a myriad of financial resources, both at federal and provin-cial government levels. “they provided me with direction for funding of local ventures,” says scheffers. “lyell has been a great mentor and sounding board during this process.”

scheffers’ plan is now under review with the local govern-ment.

If you build it, they will comeLocals partner with Community Futures to develop plan for new community spaceBy Matt Di Ubaldo

Scheffers credits Community Futures with connecting her to a myriad of financial resources, both at federal and provincial government levels.


“success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.”

gord shaben can certainly attest to this mantra. the multitude of challenges year in and year out could have had him throw in the tow-el had it not been for one very special man at Community Futures.

after moving to terrace to work construction and a short stint at the Ministry of transportation geotechnical, shaben was laid off and decided it might be time to start his own business.

“I always wanted to work for myself, even though I was forewarned about 12-hour days. I soon realized those and more. Dedication to my customers became the key,” he explains.

His original business Blue ridge graphics began in 1985 out of a garage where he lived five miles out of town, with a dream, a bit of equipment, no customers, and $15,000 in bank debt. eventually he moved into town and worked out of his basement before moving into an old heritage building where he lived upstairs, then back to a garage on Keith avenue. after nine years, shaben created a new company, Blue ridge Ventures ltd. by joining up three companies with “new partners”. Four months in he found himself minus a business and out of a job.

“Devastating, heartbreaking, lesson learned,” he recalls. “good partners are hard to find.”

at the encouragement of many of his customers and suppliers, shaben started silvertip Promotions & signs in 1995.

“In about 1999, I wanted to expand and buy much-needed equip-ment. I’d heard about 16/37 Community Futures and small Busi-ness Development and decided to go see what they had to offer,” he states, adding this is where he met larry Jones who became a mentor in business, a good friend, and very large part of silvertip’s success. “He patiently walked me through many business plans, expansions and loans with unwavering support and faith in me even when I had a hard time keeping the faith myself.”

the big test came in 2006, when the opportunity came up to buy out silvertip’s main competition, Blue ridge Ventures ltd.

“larry and I put on our thinking caps, our noses to the grindstone, and went about the enormous task of building an ambitious busi-ness plan,” he recounts. “We managed to combine all the resourc-es we could muster and finally succeeded in doing something I’d dreamed about for almost 10 years. that was putting a sign above the door ‘uNDer olD MaNageMeNt’. since then, with hard

work, solid direction, and stickability, we’ve never looked back.”

silvertip now has two locations and 10 dedicated professionals who help customers succeed with effective promotional advertis-ing products, corporate branding, and fine signage.

“Community Futures has helped us every step of the way for the last 15 years. We are very fortunate to have an organization that is so much more than a lending institution,” says shaben. “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff and directors over the years for putting up with my antics, believing in me, and never giving up with their constant support. It’s with a heavy heart that we all try to fill the hole that larry (Zeek) Jones has left with his passing. You had ‘yes energy’ before it was fashionable. I owe it all to you ‘Buddy.’”

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Better business through relationshipsSilvertip Promotions & Signs Inc. found advice and friendship within Community FuturesBy Carly Peters

FINE


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Family tree Farms was born from the desire of Melanie Dydynsky and shawn Jennings to run an organic and sustainable farm in B.C.

they moved with their kids from the West Coast to Quesnel in 2008, and after much consultation with the local community, decided turkey farming was for them.

Dydynsky discovered Community Futures at a local business expo. she was intrigued

by their program to assist with the develop-ment of a business plan and signed up.

Dydynsky credits Community Futures with helping them develop and stick to their plan.

“they helped us find start-up loans from Farm Credit Canada and have loaned us the money we need to purchase feed and support other operating costs for the last few years,” she says.

“Farming is definitely a hard industry. Com-munity Futures has been part of our success every step of the way. We have always felt like they wanted us to succeed,” says Dydynsky.

Dydynsky has taken courses offered by Com-munity Futures to help her business, such as accounting. she says they are close to being able to fully fund their own operations, but un-til then, is grateful for the financial support and mentoring available to them.

“We’re close to not needing to borrow money from them anymore,” she says. “at that point, we can look at localizing services, like slaugh-tering. Now we have to drive our turkeys four hours away for slaughter. We’d like to have that service brought to us, but that costs more money.”

their farm is gMo-free and certified-organic, resulting in high-quality, nutritious products from the farm. as their business grows, their goal of sustainable farming evolves with it. Dydysnky co-hosts an annual seedy saturday in the community, which is funded by Com-munity Futures. seedy saturday events pro-mote the trade and sale of plants and seeds to encourage preservation and sustainability in their respective regions.

“We really appreciate our relationship with Community Futures. We recommend them to all the other farmers we talk to. I didn’t real-ize how great of a resource they are until we needed them.”

Turkey farming is not just for the birdsFamily Tree Farms flies highBy Matt Di Ubaldo

“We really appreciate our relationship with Community Futures. We recommend them to all the other farmers we talk to. I didn’t realize how great of a resource they are until we needed them.”


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shad Marshall will admit he’s pretty good with his hands - as a journeyman carpenter he certainly should be - but when it comes to paperwork, he’s still working on those skills.

When he and partner george Hein started riverbend Construction and renovations in 2004 neither one were prepared for the business side of running their own company.

“We had both done jobs for other people, and decided that we could do it ourselves,” states Marshall, who had worked for over 15 years in the residential and commercial construc-tion industry holding positions as foreman and general manager. “But we were both carpenters, and we needed help to set up the business properly.”

the pair had heard a commercial for Commu-nity Futures on the radio and thought it would be a good avenue for the new business own-ers who knew how to do the actual manual labour, but lacked the administrative skills.

“It’s one thing to do the work, it’s another to run the business,” admits Marshall. “Commu-nity Futures helped us with a business plan and got us thinking about every aspect of the business side – from bookkeeping to dealing with paperwork. When you are working five to six jobs at one time, keeping up with the paperwork and the paper trail is critical.”

He states even though riverbend Construc-tion and renovations is well established now after seven years, he still appreciates the speakers and seminars Community Futures offers.

“they really get you thinking about things in business you’ve not thought of before. the more you can learn about running the busi-ness end, the better off you’ll be,” he con-cludes.

Pencil and hammerCommunity Future helps new business owners build their skillsBy Carly Peters

With the majestic Rocky Mountains as a backdrop, Hudson’s Hope’s array of landscape and wildlife is a unique region in today’s busy world...

For more information, contact our Visitor Centre:250-783-9154 (May - September)250-783-9901 (Off Season)

Email: [email protected]

Take the scenic hudson’s hope loop:

• 4 Municipal campgrounds (open May - September)• Dinosaur Lake • Cameron Lake• King Gething • Alwin Holland• 3 private RV parks

Enjoy a variety of scenic camping options:

• Museum• Historical Touring• Fossil Displays• Annual Fishing Derby• Outdoor Swimming Pool

• Walking Trails• Hiking• Baseball Fields• ATV Trails• Skating/Curling Rinks

• WAC Bennett & Peace Canyon Dams

• High School Rodeo• Cross Country Skiing at

Cameron Lake

Community Futures helped us with a business plan and got us thinking about every aspect of the business side.


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after 25 years in the restaurant business, Pat Materi decided a change of pace was need-ed. He was running six chain restaurants in the gVa, and was missing the passion that first pushed him to work in the industry.

so Materi partnered with David and Christie lindstrom in 2013 to open Phat (Pretty Hot

and tempting) Daddy’s Family restaurant

in Vanderhoof, B.C.

they approached a local bank for a start-up

loan and was directed to Community Futures.

“the bank told us they could help after we

were in business for two years,” says Materi.

after about three months working with

tammy lyell from Community Futures, they

had a viable business plan and had secured

the loan they needed to get going. Materi

and the lindstrom’s haven’t looked back.

“restaurant chains in major centres are tough

to compete with. I decided to let them fight it

out,” says Materi. “Here, we’re part of the com-

munity. everyone knows us for our stuffed

burgers, our ‘breaky’ bowls; and our kids room

is a real hit, especially with parents!”

Phat Daddy’s welcomes community groups

regularly, who use the meeting rooms to

gather. the local rodeo association and the

Kinsmen Club both regularly meet there,

among others.

always community-minded, Materi sources

as much local products as possible.

“We get all our meats cut fresh from the lo-

cal Co-op. they make our chorizo sausage

too,” says Materi. “local produce is also

plentiful and fresh.”

Materi says Phat Daddy’s employs 18 full-

and part-time staff. He’s found his passion

for the restaurant business again, and the

trio are considering opening a second loca-

tion in a nearby community in the future.

He’s pleased that lyell brings her kids to the

restaurant on occasion.

“I always tell people who are thinking about

starting or buying a business to contact

Community Futures. I’m so grateful for their

help with Phat Daddy’s. I want to tell them

thanks for believing in us.”

Local restaurant feeding families while fostering sustainabilityPhat Daddy’s Family Restaurant in Vanderhoof serves up wicked foodBy Matt Di Ubaldo

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When Denise lauzon saw the need for a tattoo studio in Fort st. John, she jumped on the chance.

“I worked in grande Prairie in 2007 for a year and saw a need for it up here. [In Fort st. John] the market is 20 to 50 year olds, and that’s a big market for tattoos. there’s a big economy here – gas and oilfields, and I experienced that also in grande Prairie,” says lauzon, a seasoned tattoo artist who took her apprenticeship in Chilliwack, B.C. after moving from to-ronto, ontario.

lauzon is the owner of Black Cat tattoo, located at 10008 88th street. the tattoo

shop is only one of two in Fort st. John, with the other location being in the town for the past 15 years. lauzon opened her modern tattoo studio five years ago and says that the response has been over-whelming.

“It’s hard breaking into a smaller commu-nity, especially when there was already a [tattoo studio] here for so many years. I ignored any negativity and stayed posi-tive and kept going,” she says, adding that she offers two appointments a day – 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. – and is open tues-day through saturday. she also brings in guest tattooists.

Wanting to expand her professional port-

folio, lauzon turned to Community Fu-

tures to invest in professional photogra-

phy and set up a website.

“I have been tattooing for over 10 years

and I haven’t had a professional portfolio

done up. I want to venture to other parts

of Canada with it, so I went to Community

Futures for a loan to get that done,” she

says, adding that the organization was

supportive of her work. “It was a really

good experience, they were just open to

listening to my story and they saw that I

stayed with my art for so long.”

‘InkedBlack Cat Tattoo in Fort St. JohnBy Shayna Wiwierski


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Brent raphael, owner of Be a grizzly Con-tracting, has been on the road for over 11 years. Having been introduced to the log-ging industry at a young age, he was fa-miliar with getting product where it needed to go. But when he came up against an in-jury and broken-down truck he wasn’t sure where to turn. that was until he learned of Community Futures.

“I started working in the bush when I was just a kid. I used to go out with my father. He was a faller and I used to help. My job was to help push the trees and pack my dad’s gas and oil,” he recalls, adding his logging career continued when he was 15

and started bucking on a landing for a log-ging company. “eventually I was running a grapple skidder, and went from one logging company to the next, running skidders for about 18 years or so.”

after a back injury forced him to stop work-ing on the skidders, raphael started driving a logging truck. unfortunately, the truck’s motor broke down and he was once again faced with uncertainty.

During a casual conversation someone mentioned a local company, Community Futures that gave out loans to business owners and entrepreneurs in need. raphael took a chance and asked Community Fu-

tures stuart Nechako for a loan to rebuild the old truck’s motor and transmission to get him back on the road.

“I would have went bankrupt if it weren’t for the loan that they gave me to rebuild my mo-tor on my old truck,” he states, adding when his back injury began to bother him again, he returned to the organization for another loan on a newer truck. “I needed one with an air ride suspension, which rode a little bit smoother and didn’t hurt my back. I went to them for the loan and they approved it. they have been kind of a saviour for me. I wouldn’t be running my own business if not for them.”

On the road againA Community Futures loan helps rebuild not just a truck, but a businessBy Carly Peters


INITIATIVE

even if you don’t live near the lake, the Ques-nel Canoe Club still ensures you can get out on the water.

It all started back in 2008 when sylvia gra-ham and a few others decided that Quesnel needed a dragon boat. Weighing in at about 1,000 pounds, this 48-foot boat took some effort to get moving, but by the power of 20 paddlers, it soon became a popular sport in the town.

“right now we have 100 people [who are part of the club] and our goal is to have a

competitive festival here in Quesnel,” says Cathy Briggs, treasurer of the Quesnel Canoe Club, who adds that the boats they use hold 22 paddlers who paddle together, completely in unison.

For many years, the boat was passed around and docked with many resi-dents until 2013 when the club acquired a new fiberglass boat. With two boats

under their belt – the original weighing 1,000 pounds and the new one 500 – the need for a home soon emerged. thus, the club turned to Community Futures for a kickstart fund to raise money for a $63,000 boathouse.

“We got $15,000 from Community Futures. I know the manager here, so I know they are very involved in community projects. We ap-plied and met and they were very generous to kickstart us with the $15,000. With our other grant applications it was nice to say that we already had the money from Com-

munity Futures and that we are viable and people believe in us.”

the boathouse is located in Pioneer Park in Dragon lake. Built in December 2013, the structure is 24-feet by 60-feet and 14-feet high, which is big enough to hold the two boats and their equipment. the club also plans on renting out some space, and the surrounding park is set up such that they can hold festivals there as well.

“It’s important to the area because it offers a recreational sport that is available to ev-eryone to do. It’s inexpensive, we have all the equipment, and we provide instruction. It also gives people an opportunity to be out on the water. If you don’t have a boat or live on the lake, you don’t get that. the sport is available to everyone and there is potential to bring other people into the community if we

can hold festivals as well,” she concludes.

Paddle on!The Quesnel Canoe Club builds new boathouse thanks to Community FuturesBy Shayna Wiwierski

With our other grant applications it was nice to say that we already had the money from Community Futures and that we are viable and people believe in us.


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raj Basran has been logging in the robson Valley of British Columbia for 10 years. When some of the three mills in town that processed his products for market closed down, it slowed the output of Basran and his crew.

Basran saw an opportunity to resolve this problem while diversifying his product line. He looked into purchasing one of the defunct mills, and started searching for ways to make his vision a reality.

“We knew if we could get one of these mills up and running again, we’d have a shot at some pretty big contracts. But someone actually went in and stole all the copper wiring, so we had a lot of work to do to get it operational,” he says.

Basran needed funding, so he reached out to Community Futures.

“they helped us fast track our funding needs. the banks wanted us to jump through so many hoops, and I really think we’d still be waiting for that money today if we went that route,” says Basran. BKB Cedar began operating in september 2013, and used a loan from Community Futures to offset an almost three-month delay in shipment, and ulti-mately, sales of their products.

“Community Futures also loaned us money to pay good living wages so we could attract skilled workers right away,” he says. “We also needed to re-establish a market, so we started knocking on doors to build a new client base.”

they ended up reaching out to the former marketing manager of a now-defunct post and fencing company, who helped them make some valuable connections.

“We’ve moved 30 loads of post and rail in our first year, and have sold a lot of Western red Cedar Mulch, which is used for landscaping,” says Basran.

BKB Cedar is now on the cusp of landing multi-million dollar contracts in the u.s., where there’s a shortage of the cedar products they pro-duce. He’s looking to add a second shift at the mill and to double the size of his staff. He’s planning to increase wages and add benefits for his employees.

“We’re growing, we’re contributing to the local economy, and we’re creating good jobs. Community Futures helped us do that, and we’re

so grateful.”

If a tree falls in the forest, does it make money?BKB Cedar Manufacturing proves money does grow on treesBy Matt Di Ubaldo

Community Futures also loaned us money to pay good living wages so we could attract skilled workers right away.


INITIATIVE

sometimes all you have to do is make lemons into lemonade.

recognizing an unused green space in an area in Quesnel, the Baker Creek enhancement society, an organization that promotes aware-ness, stewardship, and restoration of the local environment, developed the West side Community garden, a space to harness food growth and interact in the community.

“In that part of our community there is a nice productive space that grows vegetables instead of a weed patch,” says erin robinson, manager of the Baker Creek enhance-ment society, who says that the Quesnel Climate action Committee spearheaded the project. “Beyond growing food, it’s a nice place for community members to come together and produce food. Daycare users come down to hang out and learn where food comes from. It gets people volunteering; you can pitch in and volunteers come down and work in the garden.”

the community garden produced 200 bags of produce in the 2013 growing season and there is active participation from community groups, such as the tillicum Friendship Centre, the grace Young activity Centre, and the North Cariboo Family Programs society, Metis association. Currently, there are 67 members in the West side garden Committee, which rose from the original 10 when it was first created.

the society turned to Community Futures for $10,000 of funding money to build a fence and a shed for an area for composting that will divert waste from the landfill by five per cent in the first year. robinson thought it would be a good fit to approach Community Futures since the project fosters social, environmental, cultural and economic values, something in tune to what the organization promotes.

“the [community garden] brings First Nations, disabled people, single parents, seniors all together where they can come to this space and participate in food production and processing,” she says. “above and beyond a green space, it acquires skills that sup-port the development of agriculture-related projects that adds to long-term sustainability in our community.”

Seeing greenThe Baker Creek Enhancement Society West Side Community GardenBy Shayna Wiwierski

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Husband-and-wife team Jerry and Barb van Halderen have been following an entrepreneurial path since 2006, after the couple pur-chased Quesnel-based Webb’s Crane rentals ltd. since then, the van Halderens have taken their business, which they aptly renamed all-West Crane & rigging ltd., to new and exponential heights.

“In the past year, we have completely doubled the size of our fleet,” says travis reed, all-West Crane & rigging business development manager, who officially began working for his stepfather and mother

this year. “growth has just been wild this year, and there’ll be consid-erable growth in our near future.”

In 2009, the couple sought out the assistance of their local Commu-nity Futures chapter to assist with the purchase of the building where the business is currently located. “It is a 15,600-square-foot building perfectly suited for housing cranes and for warehousing,” he says.

today, the specialty crane service provider located at Quesnel’s 1891 Campbell Crescent boasts an inventory of cranes designed for use

All in the familyFamily-owned All-West Crane & Rigging Ltd. achieves exponential growth in 2014By Jillian Mitchell

L to R: Lyle Musyowski (truck driver), Eric Bellerose (rigger), Doug Smith (mechanic), and Jerry van Halderen (CEO) standing in front of All-West Cranes new link-belt TCC1100 crawler crane.


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in both small residential jobs and heavy-industrial projects. their fleet ranges from a spydercrane mini-crawler crane to a 8.5-ton carry deck crane, an 18-ton boom truck, a 55-ton boom truck, nine rough-terrain cranes (40 ton, 50 ton, 65 ton, 90 ton, and 130 ton), and one 110-ton telescopic crawler crane.

“Basically any industry where they need to lift something, we can help,” says reed, whose brother and sister, robbie and Moni-ca, also joined the family business as an op-erator and bookkeeper, respectively.

equipped with a team of 20 employees, the Cor-certifiedi company is also a certi-fied distributor of Diversified Product, DICa outrigger Pads, and Caldwell group lifting solutions products.

to their credit, all-West Crane & rigging is one of the only crane-lift companies in B.C. using 3-D lift planning technology, whereby three-dimensional lift renderings and anima-tions are generated. “through this technol-ogy, we account for all variables to ensure the lift can be done safely and efficiently,” reed explains.

admittedly, reed attributes the company’s many successes to their build-it-and-they-will-come philosophy, as well as to their be-loved home base in B.C.’s North.

“Quesnel is an amazing place to start a busi-ness,” he says. “It’s a community where we have lots of support, low costs and in-town

and out-of-town work. and, with growth in certain industries like oil and gas and min-ing, [these industries] need to be drawing their services from somewhere.”

Naturally, the family of entrepreneurs believe wholeheartedly in giving back to the com-munity in which they live and work. as such, the van Halderens have taken on active roles in the Quesnel skyfest society, as president and vice-president, respectively. the duo assists in organizing and coordinating the community’s bi-annual air show, which of-fers a big tourism boost for the area.

“attendance more than doubled in 2013 and we expect it to double again in 2015,” reed shares of the biannual air show. “It’s a good community event, and it’s really cool. our lineup for 2015 is already booked and we have the best performers in the business.”

i the Certificate of recognition (Cor) pro-gram is an occupational health and safety accreditation program that verifies a fully implemented safety & health program, which meets national standards.

L to R: Travis Reed (business development manager) Barb van Halderen (CFO), Jerry van Halderen (CEO), Tiffany Pelletier-Schuker, and Jaymon Schuker (operator & foreman) at the Hoover Dam.


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throughout British Columbia, there is a movement afoot, one that is helping open middle and high school youths’ eyes to the world of business; and through programs like Junior achievement, these young minds are engaging in record numbers.

Junior achievement is a global non-profit organization whose purpose since 1955 has been to educate young prospects on the world of business education. With a found-ing purpose, as stated on Junior achieve-ment’s B.C. website, “to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global econ-omy”, the organization has guided count-less individuals into the industry. Courses offered through the program include In-vestment strategies, Business Basics: a Business of our own, and economics for success.

How successful has the program been? amy Hudson, Junior achievement B.C.’s northern regional manager, provides some insight.

“last year in B.C., Junior achievement reached over 32,500 students in over 1,100 classes throughout the province,” she re-ports.

the numbers are all well and good, but the true measure of influence comes not in who participates in the program, but those who attest to its success. this is where the mark of Junior achievement is really seen, as Hudson demonstrates.

“through a survey done with the Boston Consulting group, over 75 per cent of Ju-nior achievers say that Junior achievement was a critical driver of their work success,” she reports. “over 65 per cent of students indicate that Junior achievement had a sig-nificant impact on staying in high school, and over 70 per cent of achievers cite Ja as having a significant impact in develop-ing their financial literacy skills, and on their desire to be an entrepreneur.”

the numbers are staggering to say the least, but are perhaps not surprising when

you look at Junior achievement’s struc-ture. as a non-profit group, the organization depends on a strong core of experienced professionals who will dedicate their time to training tomorrow’s leaders. Fortunately, this has come in spades for the organization that has 120 chapters globally.

“Junior achievement programs and our amazing volunteers really empower youth to succeed by building their confidence by fostering an entrepreneurial mindset and enhancing their financial literacy and work-readiness skills,” says Hudson.

Northern influence

Where Junior achievement’s impact is be-ing felt in particular is in Northern B.C., where the influence the organization has had in the region is remarkable. Hudson re-ports that in the space of just four years, the number of Junior achievement programs has blossomed with a 30 per cent increase.

It’s not surprising how successful Junior achievement has been, given the growth in the territory.

“Northern B.C. is one of the fastest-grow-ing economic regions in Canada right now and Junior achievement gets youth ready for business,” Hudson says. “We provide students in grades 5-12 with quality edu-cation surrounding financial literacy, entre-preneurship and work readiness.

“the current opportunities throughout Northern B.C. are amazing. I believe both teachers and volunteers see these oppor-tunities and want to give students the tools to become the next generation of leaders, which is exactly what Junior achievement strives to do.”

and as Junior achievement continues to grow, so too will Northern B.C.’s standing as an emerging economic hub.

Achieving business successJunior Achievement helps grow Northern B.C. businessBy Jon Waldman


Celebrity dog trainer Cesar Millan once said, “aggression is not a breed thing. It’s a state of mind, and it comes from how the human is with the dog.” telkwa resident Cheryl Mcrae couldn’t agree more.

Mcrae is the proprietor of Dog Digs, a dog boarding kennel and day care, specialized in working with aggressive dogs and dogs with other behavioural issues. the business, located at round lake road in telkwa, B.C., opened in 2010 due to an injury forcing a change of occupation, as well as her love for dogs.

“I used to work on ranches caring for peo-ple’s horses, but then suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery and the doctor advised doing something a little less physi-cal. I went to Community Futures Nadina for business advice, knowing there was a de-mand for quality dog boarding in the Bulkey Valley,” she says.

the dog owner of six (all rescue dogs) at-tended the Dog Psychology Centre in santa Clarita, California in april 2013 to train for seven days with Cesar Millan. she took that training home with her and practices Millan’s teachings at her kennel. as intelligent, feel-ing beings, dogs have needs. When these needs are not met, it can create a variety of unwanted behaviours, she says.

“I’ve never met a dog that can’t be turned around. at least not yet! Between work at vet clinics and volunteering with the North West animal shelter here, I have had expo-sure to animals that arrive in dire straights, seemingly due to not having received the time, patience and understanding required to ensure they are acceptable members of society. For some of these dogs, euthani-zation is looked at as a viable option. this is what motivates me to take them on, and hopefully create a better alternative.”

Mcrae is considering expanding her kennel

next spring, as the eight individual indoor kennels have been full all summer. Cur-rently, she works seven days a week, 365 days a year. she has one valued employee helping her out, and despite the long hours, she loves what she does.

the dog enthusiast may have gotten some training from the dog man himself, but she needed a different form of training to get her business up and running, so she went to Community Futures Nadina. Community Fu-tures gave her a loan to construct the build-ing, as well as invaluable business advice. she did her business plan with their guid-ance and ended up winning the regional

District of Buckley-Nechako (rDBN) start-up Business Contest in Vanderhoof in 2011. Dog Digs owes its success in large part to the time and effort Community Futures in-vested in Mcrae and her business idea.

she says the future holds more work – an expansion, as well as possibly teaching courses for dog owners.

“Not so much training, but more psychology. the dogs are already perfect at being dogs; the onus is on us to have a better understand-ing of how their species operates. they are not underlings, but a nation of their own, trav-eling alongside us. I love to promote positive change in the human/dog relationship.”

B.C.’s version of Cesar MillanDog Digs helps turn around “ruff” dogs in Telkwa By Shayna Wiwierski

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lorinda Vanderheide started her business Blooming arrangements in January 2013. “I’ve always had a passion for flowers and flower arrangements,” says Vanderheide. “I absolutely love bringing smiles to people’s faces, and flowers do that.”

Blooming arrangements designs flower arrangements for anniver-saries, baby showers and for any other special moment. Vanderhe-ide says, “We customize flower arrangements to suit each customer whether they have dramatic or simple tastes.”

Vanderheide works with her sister Cheryl gatzke who has been working at the shop for almost a year. “one of our favourite arrange-ments is when we incorporate candles within the flowers,” says Van-derheide.

Community Futures Nadina helped Vanderheide get her home-based business into a store-front location. “they gave me a starter loan to renovate the building Blooming arrangements is currently in,” says Vanderheide, adding that they are located in Houston B.C. on 3398 10 street. “Without Community Futures Nadina, I wouldn’t have been able to afford to start my own business at the time.”

Vanderheide learned about Community Futures Nadina through her friends. “I went with Community Futures because they have reason-able rates and credits,” says Vanderheide. “I could tell that the people at Community Futures really wanted to help me and they want to help the community which is nice and I really appreciate it. I would recommend

Community Futures to anyone starting up their own business.”

Blooming into businessFinding a place to start By Samara Funk

Blooming Arrangements designs flower arrangements for anniversaries, baby showers and for any other special moment.


Blain Cunningham and his son Daniel have always wanted to own a sporting goods store together.

“I was talking to my brother-in-law about starting my own busi-ness and he suggested that I should get in contact with Com-munity Futures,” says Blain. “I thought why not? It was a good time to start.”

With the help of Community Futures Nadina, Blain and Daniel started up Woods N’ Water sports & recreation in Burns lake in april 2013.

Both men are avid about the outdoors. “It’s important to enjoy the outdoors all year round, so we try to make it as easy as pos-sible for our customers to get everything they need right here in Burns lake,” says Blain.

Woods N’ Water sports & recreation provides hunting supplies, snowshoes, and hiking gear. “We also sell boats, fishing materi-als, camping equipment, and anything else that you’ll need to enjoy the outdoors,” he adds.

Community Futures Nadina helped Woods N’ Water with the start-up mode, including their first kayaks and rental boats. the shop now has two full-time employees and three part-time em-ployees.

“I will definitely work with Community Futures again if I ever need an extra boost for my business,” Blain says. “It’s great to have that initial help and support when you’re first starting

out.”

Creating a splash in Burns LakeCommunity Futures helps fund a long-time dream for father and sonBy Samara Funk

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les Willson came across his business by accident.

“I was running an exploration camp and I happened to notice that the local septic ser-vice was for sale,” says Willson. “I like the fact that the opportunity just happened to come along and I took it as a new adventure.”

Willson purchased the septic business with his wife roberta, and together they formed a company called red rocket services in august 2013. the business currently pro-vides septic services, portable toilet rentals, hot shot and expediting assistance.

“I’m the only act in town, so business is doing great,” he says, adding that he is currently the only employee at red rocket services. “I can’t find anyone in town who can stand the smell. I like working alone because I can work on my own schedule and run the business to suit my ambitions for it.”

Without Community Futures Nadina, red rocket services wouldn’t be in business. “the banks wouldn’t completely finance me and it wouldn’t have ever happened otherwise,” he says, adding that they had

a very good experience while working with Community Futures Nadina.

“the people were very personable, and if they had ideas, they would offer their ser-vices.”

red rocket services is thriving in Houston, B.C. and Willson is reaping the benefits of being a business owner.

“I have a reliable amount of clients that fol-lowed the purchase of the septic company, and I’ve gained a few more while running red rocket services.”

Rocketing into business An unexpected career changeBy Samara Funk


Why do Business with Community Futures? Why do Business with Community Futures?

Compared with other traditional source

financing options, the businesses of Community Futures’ clients grow faster and last longer. The Statistics

Canada business number review showed that CF-assisted businesses outperformed a comparable group of businesses that did not receive help. CF clients showed higher employment growth and revenue growth

– with 76 per cent still in business five years after start-up, compared to

just 60 per cent for other businesses.

CF takes a grassroots

approach to lending; we understand the community,

its needs, and supporting entrepreneurs. Our loan

products are tailored specifically to respond

to each of these.

Community Futures supports entrepreneurs

at all stages of their development, whether they’re

just starting out and need business planning tips, or are a

mature business looking to grow to the next level.

Community Futures has a wide variety of

services and tools available to help entrepreneurs and small business owners achieve their

goals, including business support, business planning and loans, as well as self-employment

assistance.


INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

BC Diesel generators & Fuel Bladders ............................................................................................36

BDC .............................................................................................................................................................6

City of Dawson Creek ........................................................................................................................... 12

City of Quesnel ....................................................................................................................................... 31

City of Williams lake ............................................................................................................................... 7

Community Futures ePD ........................................................................................................................3

District of Hudson’s Hope ....................................................................................................................35

District of Kitimat ...............................................................................................................................oBC

District of tumbler ridge .................................................................................................................... 25

Fort st. John & District Chamber of Commerce ........................................................................... 17

Hawkair aviation services ltd. ........................................................................................................... 41

Herold engineering ............................................................................................................................... 40

Initiatives Prince george ......................................................................................................................29

Integris Credit union ............................................................................................................................ 23

KPMg ........................................................................................................................................................ 19

Mcelhanney Consulting services ltd. ............................................................................................. IFC

Nisga’a lisims government ...............................................................................................................IBC

North arm transportation ltd. ...........................................................................................................24

North Peace regional airport ............................................................................................................ 40

Northern lights College ...................................................................................................................... 43

Northern rockies regional Municipality ...........................................................................................29

Pacific Coastal airlines ......................................................................................................................... 31

Prince george airport authority ..........................................................................................................8

silvertip Promotions & signs Inc. ......................................................................................................33

traxler Haines .........................................................................................................................................36

triton environmental Consultants ..................................................................................................... 20

WorkBC employment services Centre – Mackenzie .....................................................................47

community futures northern b.c. magazine 2015

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