Woodgrove Centre Owner Expresses Interest In Buying Hudson’s Bay
MARK MACDONALD
NANAIMO – Weihong Liu, the owner of Woodgrove Centre has announced on Chinese app Rednote that she’s in negotiations to purchase Hudson’s Bay, which recently announced it was in heading towards bankruptcy and has received court approval to liquidate all but 6 of its department stores across the country. Weihong Liu’s Central Walk company bought Woodgrove Centre from Ivanhoe Cambridge in 2020. She also owns Mayfair Mall in Victoria, Arbutus Ridge in Cobble Hill and Tsawwassen Mills on the lower mainland.
The Wayne Procter Group is growing again, as it has purchased Riot Brewing in Chemainus, and has turned it into a new brewery named Serious Brewing Co. The Group owns Gas ‘n Go service stations, General Stores and Serious Coffee locations throughout Vancouver Island. Riot closed its doors in January 2024 in Chemainus Village Square.
Krystal Growth Partners has purchased Seair Seaplanes. Seair was founded in 1982 and has three operation bases, in Nanaimo, Vancouver harbour and Richmond. Krystal was started by Terry Holland in 2004 and focuses on a broad range of transactions from 100 percent ownership to partnerships in companies.
Coldstar Solutions Inc. has been sold to Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL), of which Mid Island Co-op and Peninsula Co-op are members of their network, although they are independently and locally operated. Coldstar has a major distribution centre at the Nanaimo Airport and has been providing trucking, warehousing and grocery/produce wholesaling to supermarkets and stores throughout Vancouver Island, the lower mainland and the Gulf Islands for over 25 years under the ownership of founders Kelly and Jennifer Hawes. ColdStar’s head office is in Victoria, and it also has a warehouse in Comox. FCL ownership took place as of March 14.
The new Nanaimo Subaru building next to the Island Highway near Rutherford Road is readying for a planned April 1 opening, says Chris Erb of SupErb Construction, which is building the structure.
The sparkling new Divers Lake Dental building is nearing completion, next door to their long-time premises on Shenton Road. R.W. (Bob) Wall Contracting Ltd. is the builder.
Ken Hammer
Congratulations to Ken Hammer of RE/MAX of Nanaimo for being nationally recognized as a finalist for the Realtor Care Awards.
Dodd’s Furniture has sold its building on Uplands Drive and has announced it will be closing its Nanaimo furniture store there.
Kerry’s Corner Auto Sales has opened a location in downtown Nanaimo, across Nicol Street (Trans Canada Highway) from Nicol Street Pawnbrokers.
Petroglyph Development Group has begun deconstructing the former Howard Johnson/Tally Ho hotel building at the corner of Comox Road and Terminal Avenue.
President and vice-chancellor Deborah Saucier has announced she’ll be stepping down from her position at Vancouver Island University on April 4. Chief Financial Officer and Vice-President of Administration Emily Huner will be the interim acting president.
Maison Cookware & Bakeware now has two locations, across from each other, in Metral Station at 6338 Metral Drive.
Harris Used Vehicle Super Centre is open for business at 4100 Wellington Road, which is the former location of Wheaton Hyundai, which is now in its new location on Kenworth Road.
Congratulations to Rachel Mason upon marking five years at St. Jean’s Cannery.
A tip of the hat to IWCD and Knappett upon another successful Dirt Cup hockey game, the third annual, which raised $112,500 for four local charities. Nanaimo Child Development Centre, KidSport Nanaimo, Nanaimo Ladysmith Schools Foundation and Nanaimo Hospital Foundation will be recipients of the funding from the fun-filled event, held at Oceanside Place in Parksville.
A great organization that flies beneath many peoples’ radar is 100+ Women Who Care Mid-Island, which member Connie Cyr, who notes the group has donated over $415,000 to local charities. They chose Jesse’s Gift Foundation for its March donation recipient. Connie is co-owner with Karen Linder in KC’s Boutique in Longwood Station in Nanaimo.
Harris Quarter, the latest mixed-use project from the Tony Harris Group, has received the thumbs up from the city of Nanaimo. It will include a five-storey building with 85 rental units, along with an 8,000 square feet commercial building. It is going to be built at the corner of Uplands Drive and Turner Road.
A 102-unit multi-family development has been proposed for property at 3400 Barrington Road, as DHK Architects recently submitted plans to the city’s design advisory panel. The four storey-wood structure will include one, two and three bedroom units along with underground parking. DHK Architects also brought forward plans for 106 housing units at the corner of Linley Valley Drive and Turner Road. It is a multi-use project that would have 63 residential units in one at the corner of Turner Road and Linley Valley Drive, and 42 units in a four-storey apartment building fronting Linley Valley Drive.
Kinetic Construction is building a new four-storey building for the Salvation Army at 19 Nicol Street. The new building will include a commercial kitchen and 52 emergency shelter beds, 21 for the Salvation Army’s correctional residential facility program, and 15 more beds for vulnerable people living in poverty.
Brian Frith, the first manager of the Thrifty Foods store that opened in Harbour Park Mall, now Port Place Mall, has passed away.
Kudos to entrepreneur Marcia Turner, founder of Daxgedim Haanak’ Consulting, who was recently presented with a University of Victoria Distinguished Alumni Award. Her company specializes in advancing equity and knowledge systems for Indigenous peoples.
Xtend continues to grow, as they have rentals, tool sales and a gravel mart at Xtend Lantzville at 6860 Metro Road, along with Xtend Nanaimo at 1910 East Wellington Road and their location just south of the Nanaimo Airport, Xtend Cassidy. The company started in Ladysmith, but no longer has a location there.
Mark MacDonald is President of Communication Ink Media & Public Relations Ltd. mark@communicationink.ca
