News Influencing Decision Makers in BC
Bridgitte Anderson
Anderson, ICD.D, President & CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, has been selected as a 2026 recipient of the Western Canada Economic Forum’s THE WEST 20: Twenty Impactful Leaders in Economic Development & Business Growth in Western Canada.
Tom Plumb announced his retirement as CEO of Kinetic Construction Ltd, following nearly 27 years of dedicated service and leadership. Nick Rowbotham has been appointed as the Chair of the Board of Directors, Bruce Vasarhely has been appointed Director of Operations overseeing Vancouver, Victoria, and Courtenay offices and Craig Hewitt has been appointed Kinetic’s Vancouver Branch Manager.
Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of British Columbia, has joined the Board of Directors at Canadian Bureau for International Education.
Hilton Sue, KC, a partner at Oyen Wiggs, has been appointed King’s Counsel (KC) in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the legal profession in British Columbia.
Mike Walz
Mike Walz has been appointed the new CEO of Kinetic Construction Ltd.
Alison Jacquart and Timothy Tsang have joined the Karasick Crabtree & Murray Private Wealth Management team at IG Wealth Management in Surrey.
Micah Rankin, Charles Hutchinson and Jodi Michaels have been appointed Provincial Court judges by the Government of British Columbia.
Julia Lomonosova has been appointed as Stantec‘s Transit & Rail Lead for British Columbia.
Ian Hartley has been appointed the new Interim Dean at UNBC Faculty of Science and Engineering.
According to Insolvency Insider, real estate led all industries with 22 filings mentioned, followed by technology with 8 filings, and construction with 6 filings. 33 filings mentioned were in Ontario, followed by 12 in Alberta, and 9 each in British Columbia and Québec.
Kathleen Harvey is retiring from Destination BC at the end of January, following a 20-year tenure.
Amar Doman
Amar Doman, the founder and CEO of The Futura Corporation, will be inducted into the Business Laureates of British Columbia Hall of Fame on June 8, 2026.
Sandra Richardson, who has served as the CEO of the Victoria Foundation for 25 years, will be retiring this autumn along with the foundation’s 90th anniversary.
The foodservice contract for “Taste the Beautiful Game – BC Style,” which will take place during the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026TM in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, has been formally secured by the BC Restaurant & Foodservices Association (BCRFA).
IG Wealth Management will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2026.
PML Professional Mechanical Ltd. is celebrating 30 years in business.
BGO has acquired Oceanic Plaza, a 26-story, Class A office complex that is situated in the Financial District of Vancouver.
Minette Polepil
Minette Polepil has been appointed as Vice President, Regional Manager at National Bank Financial in British Columbia.
The Skills Immigration application fee structure of the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) has been revised as of January 22, 2026. The program now allows workers to petition for permanent residency in three streams: Skilled Worker, Entry Level and Semi-Skilled, and Health Authority.
Mining operations at the Eskay Creek gold-silver mine of Skeena Gold + Silver have been authorized to resume.
Harris Auto Group is proud to announce a donation of more than $200,000 to the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.
GAL AeroStaff Ltd has been approved as an employer authorized to hire foreign workers in British Columbia.
Genome BC and the Bradshaw Research Institute for Minerals and Mining (BRIMM) at UBC are collaborating to foster innovation in biotechnology and biomining.
The BC Children’s Hospital Foundation’s 2026 Choices Lottery has launched, and this year’s cash grand prize is the largest in the history of the lottery – $2.5 million. All proceeds support research initiatives at BC Children’s Hospital.
Avid Business Performance Group powered by ActionCOACH has been awarded the Best Business Coaching Services in Surrey by the Canadian Business Review Board (CBRB).
North Fraser communities mark the grand opening of the Éyameth’ Health Centre, enhancing access to integrated and culturally safe primary care services.
Kelowna International Airport, British Columbia’s second busiest airport, has unveiled its newly-completed terminal building expansion. This addition of over 60,000 sq. ft. aims to enhance passenger flow, comfort, and capacity in response to the growing demand for air travel.
The Northern Angel Summit 2026, organized by Northern Innovation Network, is formally accepting applications (https://northernangelsummit.ca) from both founders who wish to pitch and Angel Investors who wish to invest, following the success of its first year. This annual Summit, which starts on March 23, 2026, brings together innovators and local investors through a live pitch competition. The winner of the final round of pitches, held on June 26, 2026, at the Prince George Convention Centre, will receive a $100,000 investment in their company.
The British Columbia Hotel Association has announced the Polaron Energy Storage Incentive Program as a new Premier Program, administered in cooperation with Polaron Energy Corp. and endorsed by BC Hydro. Through battery storage, the program is intended to assist hotels in reducing monthly electricity costs, lowering peak demand fees, and enhancing energy reliability.
Applications are currently being accepted for the WeBC Pollinator Program, a volunteer initiative that is open to women throughout British Columbia who are interested in assisting others in discovering the support, mentorship, and resources that are available through WeBC and the entire ecosystem.
As per Insolvency Insider, “RBC has obtained a bankruptcy order against 145 Golden Drive Ltd., the company that held a 6.6 acre industrial property in Coquitlam’s Mayfair Industrial Park, after the British Columbia Supreme Court found it had ceased paying its debts generally. The ruling follows a $21.2 million receivership sale of the property that largely repaid the first mortgage lender but left the company facing an unsatisfiedRBCjudgment of approximately $11.6 million alongside millions in unsecured claims and unpaid taxes. While the Court dismissed parallel bankruptcy applications against two related Smith family holding companies, it concluded the evidentiary record against 145 Golden Drivewas materially different. BDO is the bankruptcy trustee. Counsel is Fasken for RBC and Brian C. Markus Law Corporation for the company.”
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