Leadership Changes At Alair Homes
MARK MACDONALD
NANAIMO – Church Pickard Chartered Professional Accountants has joined Doane Grant Thornton LLP, effective November 1.
Grant McDonald is the principal of Church Pickard, at 25 Cavan Street downtown. The firm has been serving the community since 1940. Doane Grant Thornton has offices across the Canada, and in Victoria, Duncan, Courtenay and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.
“By combining forces, we’ll be able to offer more extensive resources, in addition to a wide breadth of additional tax and advisory services that will allow us to better meet the evolving needs of our clients,” says Grant, adding those services include valuations, enterprise risk management, mergers and acquisitions, succession and estate planning, corporate restructuring and business transaction structuring.
Grant McDonald
Frank Allen has announced that Arbutus Financial Services has rebranded to become Waypoint Benefits and Financial Services. The former Frank Allen Financial Group became part of Arbutus Financial Services, which joined Canada’s third largest insurance brokerage, Navacord, in March, 2022. The new group is also joining forces with Dehoney Financial Group, a local Navacord partner, effective November 1. Erin Gunn is now the President, and the new group will operate independently from Waypoint Insurance.
The Nanaimo Foundation recently distributed $635,000 to nine local organizations. The list of recipients includes $225,000 to the Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society for the Local Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program for Newcomers, $150,000 to the Nanaimo Association for Community Living to support administration costs, $50,000 to the Cedar Opportunities BC Society (Coco Cafe) to increase work hours for staff, $50,000 to the Growing Opportunities Farm Community Cooperative to support planning and organizational development, $51,000 to the Gabriola Hope Centre to facilitate therapies for children with disabilities, $57,000 to the Ladysmith Family and Friends Society to add a staff position, $31,500 to Nanaimo Foodshare Society to provide food access programs, $4,000 to Altrusa to provide newborn needs for low income families, and $16,500 to Island Deaf and Hard of Hearing Centre to support wages for Audiologist and clinic staff.
Alair Homes, founded 17 years ago, announces key leadership changes. Founder and CEO Blair McDaniel will now serve as Chairman, with Rob Cecil, who joined Alair in 2013 and has served as President and Chief Development Officer, now becoming President and CEO. Stu Hopewell is now the Chief Compliance Officer, with Duane Johns becoming Chief Operating Officer. The company now has over 100 locations throughout North America.
Arbutus Music owner Richard Leighton is retiring at the end of November and closing the Metral Drive store. Richard has operated the store since the building was constructed in 2002.
Nanaimo desperately needs industrial land and is going to get a shot in the arm as Harmac Pacific is proposing to make 98.3 hectares of their property into industrial zoned property. Harmac is a subsidiary of Nanaimo Forest Products Ltd. and has submitted an application for rezoning to the City of Nanaimo for 950 and 1260 Phoenix Way.
Nanaimo area breweries earned hardware at the Canada Beer Cup in New Westminster on October 18. Rusted Rake Brewing Co. of Nanoose took home gold with their Angler IPA in the North American IPA category, and Longwood Brewery of Nanaimo took home a bronze for their Stoutnik in the Imperial Stout category, and Ladysmith’s Bayview Brewing Company took home a gold medal. At the BC Beer Awards the next day, Longwood, Rusted Rake and Bayview also won awards.
Former Nanaimo Mayor John Ruttan has been awarded a Freedom of the City honour from the City of Nanaimo. A former president of Tourism Nanaimo, Ruttan also was the long-time owner of Nanaimo Travel downtown.
Cody Andreychuk, a product of Nanaimo Minor Baseball Association (NMBA), has been named the new head coach of the Nanaimo Night Owls of the West Coast League baseball club. Cody, whom I coached on the NMBA Royals many years ago along with George Kelly, is currently the head coach of the University of Pikeville Bears in Kentucky. He takes over from Greg Frady, who stepped down from the Night Owls in October.
Dr. Sarah Shepherd-Medves has joined the team at Advanced Health + Sports Clinic. Born and raised in Nanaimo, Sarah has practiced in Campbell River the past five years. She is a graduate of the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College.
Lara Keating has joined the sales team at RE/MAX of Nanaimo.
A major commercial and residential development at the corner of Turner Road and Uplands Drive is before the City of Nanaimo. The five-storey, V-shaped building will include 82 rental units and a commercial building that will include a small restaurant, financial institution and offices.
A tip of the hat to long-time Nanaimo businessman and Turley’s Florist owner Jim Turley, whose wife Marianne passed away due to cancer in 2021. Jim also served on Nanaimo city council. A true community builder, Jim has been involved in a Rotary Club member amongst other meaningful organizations, and he has announced he will be donating about a quarter of his estate to the B.C. Cancer Foundation and the Vancouver Island Symphony.
The Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation has announced it has successfully completed its most ambitious fundraising campaign ever, exceeding the $10 million goal it set for the NRGH Critical Care Unit. NDHF Board Chair Tony Harris says “Reaching this incredible fundraising milestone ahead of schedule is a testament to the community’s generosity, dedication, and collective effort in supporting the Critical Care Unit. This is just the beginning. The board remains deeply committed to working alongside the Foundation, actively advocating for and supporting the immediate and overdue further infrastructure upgrades required at NRGH.”
VMAC Chief Financial Officer Brent Johnston led the way at the Toss The Boss fundraiser at WildPlay Nanaimo, bungy jumping from 150 feet over the Nanaimo River to raise money for the Nanaimo Brain Injury Society. Local business leaders raised over $52,000 to fund programs supporting brain injury survivors this year, with VMAC contributing over $3,800 of that total.
VMAC is also teaming up with Alair Homes for the 4th annual Great Pumpkin Toss at Arbutus Meadows Farm this year. Donations will be forwarded to the Nanaimo Child Development Society and Loaves & Fishes.
Mark MacDonald is President of Communication Ink Media & Public Relations Ltd. mark@communicationink.ca