by Darren Davidson
Happy 2024 folks, hoping 2023 was a good one for everyone whether on the home-front, the cash register or the markets. As is annual tradition, The Buzz takes a big ol’ a-through-z look back at the last 12 months, and a peek into the annum ahead.
A — If it’s not open as you’re reading this, it will be soon. Amanda’s Restaurant, a North Shore hospitality staple for the past 20 years, has moved back into town. Contractors have been hammering on a major renovation at the former Max and Irma’s location on Kootenay Street for the past few months. Back in literally the last century, the Kwan family purchased the well-known Seven Sea’s restaurant on Baker Street, renaming it after their daughter in 1986. In 2002, Amanda’s moved across the bridge.
Artificial intelligence. Rossland tech guru, Kootenay internet service pioneer and Bitcoin boss Brian Fry knows the AI frontier. In 2015, Fry sold Rackforce — back then Canada’s largest cloud provider — for $33 million. Fry told Kootenay Morning, Kootenay Co-op Radio’s current affairs show, that despite its enormity, AI will be manageable. He counters critics who say AI engines will devour literally all the planet’s energy sources, with $1 trillion slated for data centre development in the next five years — thanks to swaths of micro grids and load-balancing agreements with Big Power. The former national team downhill racer has some big ideas on how technology could move our mountain towns, particularly those with industrial pasts, into new futures.
B — Did you miss this year’s Business Excellence Awards courtesy the Nelson and District Chamber of Commerce? What an all-star line up. Here’s who took the hardware home:
Business of the Year went to Kalesnikoff and owner Ken Kalesnikoff; the Hospitality Excellence Award was won by The Royal and owners Kyle Chambers, Nicole and Marc Forest Smith; the Tourism Excellence Award went to Nelson Kootenay Lake Tourism and executive director Dianna Ducs; The Retail Excellence Award was given to Hippersons and Home Building Centre. The Non-Profit-Community Organization Award went to the Kootenay Career Development Society and executive director Jocelyn Carver; Ashman’s Smash Burgers and Fries owners Aron and Mandy Ashman landed the Rising Star Award; Kays Road Contracting and owners Matt Hanlon and Jeff Harker won the Professional Service Award; Cannabis kings and queens Woody Nelson took the Technology-Innovation Excellence Award; And lastly but not least-ly, Save-On-Foods, store manager Shane Warman and assistant manager Brad Sayers took the Inclusive Employer Award.
C — Cost of living. A September poll by CIBC found that 61 per cent of Canadians have adopted some sort of cost-cutting behaviour this last year, with 46 per cent cutting back on non-essential spending such as entertainment and dining out. Rents are up across Canada as demand has outpaced supply, rising 10.8 per cent to $2,004 in March, according to rentals.ca.
It’s not all gloomers and doomers though — 39 per cent of respondents said they are feeling “content or happy” with the way things are when asked to describe their current outlook on life.
Cannabis. While struggling a bit, the Slocan Junction’s Antidote Processing facility has helped newly licensed producers like Kootenay Quantum bring their first harvest to market. Velvet Kavanagh, founder of Phenologic Consulting, reports that Kootenay Cultivar product is going to market for the first time. Ymir’s Sweetgrass Cannabis has expanded with a third production facility ready this year 2024, with new exports slated for Australia. Sweetgrass Mint Chocolate Chip and Woody Nelson’s Rainbow Driver flower strains are landing rave reviews.
“Nationally, the sector continues to be volatile,” says Kavanagh. “There are a lot of opportunities, but recent closures highlight the difficulty of operating successfully. “
In March the Health Canada’s Expert Panel will table recommendations to Parliament as part of the Cannabis Act review. Preliminary information released shows that the panel has taken note of the challenging business environment.
D — Couple of quick hits here. South Slocan’s Dam Inn has been sold to Slocan Valley Co-op. Dan Thompson of Rokform Solutions was recognized by the City of Nelson for his pioneering work in sustainable building practices, especially his advocacy for the use of low-carbon concrete alternatives. In the development front, watch the next two Year in Review columns for updates on Culos Development’s 85-unit Shoreline project, Vendure Retirement Communities six-storey seniors housing project on Vernon Street, the 75-bed Nelson Health Campus and the $14.6-million, 29,000 square-foot Gerrard Station building on Government Road, vacant now for over two years.
E — Equality, elected officials and executive directors. When it comes to women in the workplace, and more to the point, women in positions of power, the West Kootenay currently boasts quite a squad: Katrine Conroy, Kootenay West MLA since 2005 and currently Minister of Finance; Brittny Anderson, Nelson-Creston MLA since 2020, currently Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism to the Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport and the premier’s Special Advisor on Youth; Nelson Mayor Janice Morrison; RDCK Chair and Area D director Aimee Watson, Salmo Mayor and RDCK vice-chair Diana Lockwood; Columbia Basin Trust Chair and Kootenay Career Development Services executive director (ED) Jocelyn Carver; Community Futures Central Kootenay ED Andrea Wilkey; Nelson Museum, Archives and Gallery new ED Jennifer Dunkerson.
F — In 2022, as part of its State of the Sector Case Study series the Nelson Chamber interviewed the owners of 29 food and beverage venues. (There are toughly 70 restaurants, pubs and cafes in Nelson, Salmo/Ymir, South Slocan, Harrop/Procter, Balfour and Ainsworth.) There’s some good news, and some bad news on the menu. While server and cook labour is far easier to find today than it was during and after the pandemic, managers haven’t been. The high costs on products and necessities like insurance haven’t waned — they were up between 2021 and 2022 by over 33 percent. Eight out of 10 restaurants needed government subsidies to survive COVID. Some barely did, other didn’t.
G — A goodbye at Gerick. After starting out in the bike business way back in 1983, Gerick Cycle and Ski owner Ross McNamara has pulled out of the peloton, selling the iconic outdoor store to right-hand compadres Charles Arnold and Mark Weigeldt. “They’re really good guys, and they’re both invested in the community,” says McNamara, who over his 30 years here was pivotal in organizing Nelson’s first mountain bike events, including the Fat Tire Fest. Arnold and Weigeldt, longtime local yokels, have nearly 40 years experience at the shop between them. The Gerick name has been synonymous with Kootenay cycling, skiing and scorpion-level wipe outs year round since the Klassen family open the first of five shops, starting in Trail back in the ‘80s.
See you next week for part two of three. Happy New Year everyone.