Blog

This blog provides access to timely topics, information, and events of interest to the Vancouver Island/Coastal region manufacturing and learning/training communities.

The Territorial Acknowledgement – a Foundational Act of Reconciliation

As someone who chairs and/or leads business meetings on a regular basis, I have been encouraged and challenged to begin ...
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Systemic Racism against Indigenous Communities – A conversation with Adam Olsen – MLA Saanich North & the Islands

Systemic Racism…does it exist in Canadian society? You bet it does! During this podcast, Adam Olsen, MLA Saanich North & ...
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A conversation with Mavis Underwood from the Tsawout Nation about the pre-meeting Territorial Acknowledgement

Mavis Underwood is a teacher, elder, advocate, spiritual leader and community representative from the Peninsula based Tsawout Nation. Our discussion ...
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October 28th – Regional First Nations & Industry Relationship Building online Job Forum

For several years now, I have been involved with provincial and federal government funded Labour Market Partnerships working towards improving ...
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A conversation with Songhees Development Corporation CEO Christina Clarke about the pre-meeting Territorial Acknowledgement

Christina Clarke, CEO of the Songhees Development Corporation, has been a strong leader and remarkable advocate for developing Industry and ...
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A conversation with MLA Adam Olsen about the pre-meeting Territorial Acknowledgement

As someone who chairs and/or leads business meetings on a regular basis, I have been encouraged and challenged to begin ...
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Business leader Barry Roy talks relationship development & trust

In this heartfelt conversation with business leader Barry Roy, we discuss the intricacies, nuances and the vital importance of developing ...
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How to help ensure hiring & retention success for First Nations communities – An Industry perspective

Numerous Labour Market Partnerships (LMP) have been managed over the last several years between the Lower Vancouver Island (LVI) Advanced ...
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(blog) Emergent Youth & Female Leadership in the First Nations Communities – a conversation with Mavis Underwood from the Tsawout First Nation

I had the great pleasure of chatting with Mavis Underwood from the Tsawout Nation earlier this month. This podcast is ...
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(podcast) Emergent Youth & Female Leadership in the First Nations Communities – a conversation with Mavis Underwood from the Tsawout First Nation.

Consider listening to Mavis Underwood from the Tsawout First Nation - Community Leader, Advocate and Mentor - speak to how a ...
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SBC September 10th – Tamara Knott: Owner & Controlled Environment Farmer at Bright Greens & Steve Duck: Business Manager for the Sandown Center for Regenerative Agriculture

 Challenges fresh food to market - distribution challenging / processing in Island challenging high land costs older farm owners ...
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Shop Local Food – Coming of Age

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Westshore Business Corridor – A conversation

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First Nations Reconciliation – An Industry Perspective

Since late 2018, there has been consistent effort with our Lower Vancouver Island First Nations Communities towards developing better labour ...
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A conversation with Skeena MLA Ellis Ross – May 22nd

"The beginning of the middle" - we chat about: how COVID has impacted his representative community in Northern BC (Skeena, ...
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A conversation with Skeena MLA Ellis Ross – March 4th

"Northern Conversations" had the honour of interviewing Skeena MLA Ellis Ross  this past week. We reflected on his background & ...
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Adam Olsen – MLA Saanich North & the Islands – A conversation about Indigenous Relations in BC

We chat with Adam Olsen, MLA Saanich North & the Islands, Interim Green Party Leader, and have a great conversation ...
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SBC January 9th – The Cascadia Seaweed story

Happy New Year SBC members! I hope that you had a great holiday season and are ready to get going ...
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Lyle Henry – Relationships between First Nations & Lower Vancouver Island Industry – An Overview

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Town of Sidney – Housing Needs Assessment

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Lyle Henry, Employment Councillor, Songhees Nation

An introduction to employment relationships and opportunities between 1st Nations Communities and Industry on Lower Vancouver Island ...
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SBC December 12th – Scott Phillips, CEO of Starfish Medical

Good morning SBC members! This month's December 12th SBC meeting will feature Scott Phillips, the CEO of Starfish Medical (https://starfishmedical.com/) ...
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SBC November 14th – Lindsay Dault, the Owner/Manager of Country Bee Honey Farm

Good morning SBC members! This month's November 14th SBC meeting follows up on our most informative Agri-Tourism based meeting from ...
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Student / Industry Forum – Workforce Diversity LMP October 2019

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SBC October 10th – Paul Nursey, CEO Destination Greater Victoria

Happy October everyone! It's time for our Halloween month meeting…maybe I'll admit that it's finally Fall…LOL! This month we're going ...
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Epicure – The quintessential Peninsula manufacturing company

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SBC Thursday September 12th – Amelia Warren, CEO Epicure

Good morning everyone and welcome to our first Sidney Breakfast Club meeting of the Fall. It feels like the summer ...
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Times Colonist August 2019 – Peninsula Industry Sector Updates

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First Nations – Industry Bus Tour June 2019

Magical day today! Songhees / Tsawout / Epicure / Viking Air / Slegg Supplies / de vine Vineyards / Seastar ...
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SBC June 13th meeting – The ICC Group – “How to achieve overnight success in 35 years”

Hello Sidney Breakfast Club members. Our final SBC meeting before the summer break is next week, Thursday, June 13th so ...
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Podcast interview with Mitchell Morse of “The Fickle Fig Farm Market” in North Saanich

In our inaugural podcast highlighting Peninsula business, we chatted with Mitchell Morse of The Fickle Fig Farm Market. Denny Warner, CEO ...
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SBC May 9th Meeting – Pauline Finn, ED, Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea & Peter Garnham, ED, Sidney Museum

Time ‘n Tide Culture on the Saanich Peninsula Good morning Sidney Breakfast Club members and welcome to gorgeous weather on ...
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Radio Sidney – OCP based discussions specific to Economic Development

I (John Juricic) had the great honour of participating in several recent Radio Sidney "Peninsula Affairs" shows talking about Economic ...
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Parkland Track 2020

Case for Support ...
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SBC January 10th – Dr. Jennie Christensen, CEO & Co-Founder of TrichAnalytics

I can't believe that it's 2019…ya, that's OK, I'm not getting any older…LOL…Happy New Year everyone! Helping you get back ...
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SBC December 13th – Humaira Ahmed, Founder and CEO of Locelle

Happy holidays everyone. It's that time of year again and we might actually get some winter weather this week. I'm ...
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SBC November 8th – George Hanson, President of the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance (VIEA)

The Sidney Breakfast Club has been an active story-teller for Peninsula technology, manufacturing and retail businesses for many years. Yet ...
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SBC October 11th – Bill Collins, Chairman Quester Tangent

We're gonna have a slightly different format for our October 11th Sidney Breakfast Club meeting…lot's is going on in our ...
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Spotlight on Regional Business Issues

With a Municipal Election around the corner, what are the key regional business issues that impact Peninsula Manufacturers and Industry? ...
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SBC September 13th – Christopher Theeparajah, Account Manager & Aerospace Lead, Export Development Canada

Well…it feels like we last met just a few days ago, my how time flies! So after a great summer ...
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May 2018 – Viking Academy Aerospace Assembly training program

Viking Academy Viking Air Limited is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for consideration to the fourth ...
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Apr. 2018 – Lower Vancouver Island Manufacturing Sector in Times Colonist Capital Magazine

The Lower Vancouver Island Manufacturing Sector is featured in today's Times Colonist Capital Magazine - Viking Air, Titan Boats and ...
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Apr. 2018 – Coastland Wood Industries has prospered by being Innovative (author – Business Examiner Vancouver Island)

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Apr. 2018 – Launch of the Manufacturers Collaborative Learning Network (MCLN) and Communication Platform

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SBC April 12th – Tom Morin, CEO, Morinwood Manufacturing

Good morning Sidney Breakfast Club members. It's our April meeting already! We're excited to have secured Tom Morin of Morinwood ...
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Mar. 2018 – B.C.’s Newest Industry – Recreational Boating

Huge thanks to BC Business Magazine for the following articles ...
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SBC February 8th – “Innovation – The Human Element” – Campbell Black, President, Blackline Marine and Quadrant Marine Institute

We have incorporated an Innovation based theme for our Sidney Breakfast Club meetings this year. Key to understanding the “Innovation ...
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SBC Jan. 2018 Meeting – Dr. Tim Walzak, Director, Camosun Innovates & BC Regional Innovation Chair in Sport Technology

Good morning & Happy New Year everyone! I hope that you had a great holiday season and are ready and ...
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Dec. 2017 – Innovation – what does this actually mean for our community?

Last month's article was titled "Sidney has become the Industry Innovation Capital for Vancouver Island". This topic generated numerous conversations ...
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SBC Dec. 2017 – David Calveley – Chair, Sidney Economic Development Committee

Happy Holidays everyone! Our speaker this month will be David Calveley, Chair of the Sidney Economic Development Committee. The Sidney EDC ...
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Nov. 2017 – VMAC wins 2017 BC Export Award in the Manufactured Products Category

NANAIMO, BC - November 29, 2017 - VMAC has won the Manufactured Products Category at the 2017 BC Export Awards. The ...
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Nov. 2017 – Sidney – The Innovation Capital of Vancouver Island

Lower Vancouver Island's Peninsula based Economic Engine is geographically centered by the beautiful Town of Sidney. No longer just a ...
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Nov. 2017 – Sidney Breakfast Club – John Espley, Director of Marketing & Communications @ BCHAZMAT Management Ltd.

John Espley, Director of Marketing & Communications @ BCHAZMAT Management Ltd. Happy Halloween Season everyone! Over the years, we've had ...
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Oct. 2017 – Innovate 2017 – Live-stream & Photo gallery links

We hosted a great conference last Tuesday, October 24th at the Camosun Trades Center. Over 100 in-person and digital attendees ...
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Oct. 2017 – VMAC named Finalist in the BC Export Awards’ Manufactured Products Category

Great job superstar manufacturer VMAC! Can't help but engage in some selfish memories...one of my previous companies won a variant ...
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October 2017 – “Innovate 2017”

Innovate 2017: Manufacturing Innovation and Leadership Showcase Enhancing Manufacturing Productivity Through Training, Learning and Development Oct. 24th 2017 Enhancing Manufacturing ...
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Oct. 2017 – Camosun gears up for “Innovate 2017”

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July 2017 – Thank you VMACAir!

HUGE thank you to Chris Larsen, Sandra Amador & Jim Hogan at VMACAir in Nanaimo for hosting the 2nd in a series of ...
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June 2017 – Thank you Schneider Electric!

HUGE thank you to Lynn Brown & Anna @ Schneider Electric for hosting the Vancouver Island / Coastal Manufacturing Forum: ...
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May 2017 – Sidney Breakfast Club – The “Economic Gardening” organization for the early growth of Lower Vancouver Island’s Technology Industry

The Peninsula is renowned for its beautiful and active maritime, oceanographic and coastal environment. Whereas we're inclined to appreciate its beauty ...
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Apr. 2017 – Lower Vancouver Island Manufacturing Sector in Times Colonist Capital Magazine

The Lower Vancouver Island Manufacturing Sector is featured in today’s Times Colonist Capital Magazine – Specific Mechanical Systems & VRX ...
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Mar. 2017 – Housing, transit key to successful sector

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Mar. 2017 – To Innovate or not to Innovate…that is the question

Referencing this iconic Shakespearean quote seems appropriate given the state of today's Vancouver Island (VI) Manufacturing Sector. Recent political upheaval ...
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Jan. 2017 – Sidney Breakfast Club – David Fissel, Board Chair and Jan Buermans, Product Division Manager, of ASL Environmental Sciences Inc.

David Fissel, Board Chair and Jan Buermans, Product Division Manager, of ASL Environmental Sciences Inc. Happy New Year Everyone.  Welcome ...
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Feb. 2016 – Making it local, taking it global

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Oct. 2015 – Made on the Peninsula: The Economic Powerhouse at the Heart of Our Community

Made on the Peninsula: The Economic Powerhouse at the Heart of Our Community ...
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