by Darren Davidson
Last time The Buzz covered business items under the A-to-Fs. Here’s part two, G to M, of our year in review. To read part one, click here.
G — Grass. Despite the collapse of the Nelson Cannabis Collective, there’s lots of economic promise left in the Kootenay market. Nate Kube’s Green Light Solutions, located in the former Can Filters building on the North Shore, is reporting great progress. Health Canada’s latest licence application stage for Green Light’s high-end cannabis brand Woody Nelson “went fabulous” Kube says. Green Light has designed one of the most technologically sophisticated facilities in the country. Their CBD brand, LoFi, is selling well in B.C.
Antidote Processing Inc. principals Che LeBlanc, Kevin McBride, Gary Krempl and Shannon Ross, all legacy market veterans, expect to be in their new building out at the Slocan Valley junction by spring.
Ymir’s Sweetgrass, billing itself as Canada’s Best Craft Cannabis, has had its licence since May 2020, a new 6,000 square foot facility and a concise website. Kootenays Finest is growing slow and steady too.
Keep in mind Community Futures Central Kootenay launched the nation’s first Cannabis Business Transition Advisory program. Provincial and federal government economic development bosses know all about the Kootenays’ legendary and well-earned reputation as experts on Canada’s newest un-guilty pleasure.
H — Hospitality. To anyone who’s served a hot meal or a cold pint to patrons in need of a little TLC over the past 20 months, here’s to you. Some of your customers haven’t been much fun to deal with. And the masks sure make it tough to offer a simple smile. Congrats to the city for approving patios so quick, and to all the restaurant, pub and diner owners who’ve managed to keep the lights on. The sector saw insurance premiums soar, labour forces decimated by CERB and new less-than-enjoyable server responsibilities like vaccine passport checking and the need to utter bizarre directions like ‘please folks, no dancing.’ The latest provincial health orders are another blow to business. Hang in there folks.
I — Indicators. It’s said that liars make numbers. But numbers don’t lie. Here are a few stats that tell no tall tales: The Kootenay Association of Realtors reports that residential sales dollar volume in November was 35.6 per cent higher as compared to the first 11 months last year. Residential unit sales were up by 15.5 per cent at 3,783 units and the average residential home price was up 17.3 per cent to $447,497 since the start of 2021. Luxury home sales — a shack selling for more than $1 million — are up 160 per cent from the end of 2020. Most buyers are looking for homes between $300 and $400,000.
On The Bug versus Business front, here’s what B.C. businesses told the BC Chamber of Commerce MindReader survey last month. While 82 per cent of businesses reported being in good or acceptable shape — a decline from 94 per cent in 2019 — 46 per cent of respondents said their business will emerge from the pandemic stronger than before. However, recruitment and retention continue to be a challenge, with 47 per cent saying it’s the most difficult challenge they face.
J — Jam-packed. That’s the state of the Columbia Basin’s backcountry. And for everyone who relies on a government tenure to run a logging operation, mine, heli or cat-skiing lodge, snowmobile, quad or outfitting guide business, that’s sobering news. Ditto for the increasing number of folks who just love to get out there for decreasing supplies of solitude and fresh air. Outdoor writer Jayme Moye penned a great piece in the 20th anniversary issue of Kootenay Mountain Culture that reported there are now 199 commercial tenures between Valemount and the US border. That’s leading to plenty of conflict in regards to who gets to do what where. Veteran backcountry guide Dave Lussier said it best when he told Moye, “The bathtub is full.”
According to outdoorindustry.org, 2021 outdoor recreation participation, already slated for immense growth in numbers and resultant product and service demand before the pandemic, showed the largest one-year growth on record from 2019 to 2020.
A quick aside… Meadow Creek’s Carole and Brad Karafil remember what it was like when the backcountry was a little more barren. After 25 years, the founders of White Grizzly Cat Skiing sold the business this past fall. They’ll be helping the new owners transition through this season.
K — Kootenay Career Development Society. Even with the expiration of CERB and the economy stopping and starting on its way out of the pandemic, the labour shortage is a very real thing. The nation was warned — before COVID — that Canada’s aging workforce, less than adequate immigration and other major indictors were going to leave employers at a deficit. COVID has made this worse. If you’re looking for workers, or for work, organizations like KCDS, Community Futures CK Workforce Support, Work BC, the Nelson and District Chamber of Commerce Economic Recovery Advisor program and the Columbia Basin Trust’s Business Basin Advisors are literally waiting to help everyone out. There’s a lot of provincial and federal funding on the table. But it’s not going to be there forever. Visit discovernelson.com/recovery for details.
L — Lucky. For now. With floods, fires and viruses making for some stormy business seas, Chambers of Commerce across B.C. have been stressing the importance of Business Continuity and Emergency Preparedness plans for businesses of all sizes. Those plans are easy to find, as is advice on how to put them together. You need them before trouble arrives, not after. B.C.’s Economic Trust of the Southern Interior organization (ETSI) recently held a meeting of all their economic recovery advisors. The stories, direct from reps in Merritt, Hope, the Fraser Valley First Nations and Princeton, were staggering.
Hope housed 1,200 people for a number of nights when travellers were trapped by the floods. Princeton’s rep reminded the group that Highway 8 sustain severe damage in 23 places. Merritt’s rep relayed reports of damage to sewage and gas lines, contaminated water and homes and businesses filled with four feet of thick, stinking mud. As the Princeton rep pointed out, even with nearby farmers’ able to supply product, due to purchasing agreements, local grocery store chain’s produce and fruit shelves were near empty. Some businesses’ profits had already been halved by the pandemic, The floods washed away the remaining half. Like people, businesses don’t prepare to fail. They fail to prepare.
M — Media. When it comes to journalism and its importance to local communities, our media landscape has had a good year. And that’s good news for everyone.
Veteran newsman Greg Nesteroff has returned to the senior reporter role at The Bridge FM. He’s going head to head with old friend and competitor Drew Wilson, who returned to EZ Rock last year. Residents in New Denver, the Slocan Valley and Kaslo have greatly benefitted from veteran reporter John Boivan’s coverage for The Valley Voice, as has Bruce and Deb Fuhr’s Nelson Daily site, with the bolstering of reporter/photographer Tim Schafer’s role. Both The Voice and Daily have been helped by the federal government’s commendable Local Journalism Initiative program — aimed at filling huge gaps in ‘news deserts’ —in rural and inner city media markets badly damaged by shrinking profits in the traditional-versus-digital media revolution.
Kootenay Co-op Radio brought CBC reporter Keili Bartlett on board in 2020 thanks to the LJI as well. KCR has bolstered its news coverage with nine local interviews a week on its Kootenay Morning current affairs show. LJI stories also make it to readers of The Nelson Star, whose own news staff — editor Tyler Harper and reporter Bill Metcalfe — collected a number of provincial awards for their work last year. One downside, veteran Kootenay bureau CBC reporter Bob Keating retired. And the regional position isn’t being refilled. Freya Magazine publisher Patrica Smuga has been joined by GeoLyn Mantei, who’ll take on business and sales development. The next issue of Freya, A Kootenay Woman’s Collective is out in January.
That’s it everyone — see you for the next instalment of our year in business review.