Vernon Chamber of Commerce 2013 1

Welcome To Vernon

Situated between three lakes in South-Central British

Columbia, Vernon is the largest city in the North

Okanagan Regional District, with a population of

39,000 and a trading area of 83,000.

We call it homemovetovernon.ca

When you land at YLW, you land in the heart of the Okanagan.

Just a ski, swing and a sip away from some of the most amazing experiences in Canada.

YLW is an international airport perfectly located in the midst of a four season playground.

Land at YLW, your link to amazing.

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SeattleLos AngelesLas VegasPhoenixLos CabosPuerto VallartaCancunIxtapas-Zihuatanejo

ylw.kelowna.caylw.kelowna.ca/mobile

YOUR LINKto Amazing.

ylw.kelownaairport @ylwkelowna

YLW non-stop flights

Vernon Chamber of Commerce 2013 3

Nestled among three lakes in south-central British Columbia’s Okanagan

Valley, Vernon is the largest city in the North Okanagan Regional District, with a population of 39,000 and a trading area of 83,000.

Set among hills rolling down to Okanagan, Swan and Kalamalka Lakes, Vernon stuns visitors with breathtaking scenery. Often called the most beautiful lake in Canada, Kalamalka is famous for its emerald tones.

Incorporated in 1892, Vernon is the oldest city outside the Lower Mainland, and a sense of history endures. It’s conveniently located

555 kilometres west of Calgary and 472 km east of Vancouver, on Highway 97, and with a quick connection to the Trans-Canada Highway. It’s just 47 km north of Kelowna, the Okanagan’s largest city.

Vernon is the North Okanagan’s shopping hub and growing at a steady pace with a variety of business pods, educational opportunities, a major hospital, and sports that centre around water, mountains and greens.

Vernon was named number one entrepreneurial city in B.C. by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. MoneySense Magazine

called it the third best city in B.C. for prosperity, affordable housing, weather and lifestyle.

For an overview see www.investvernon.ca/documents/moving_to_vernon_english.pdf.

About Vernon

4 Vernon Chamber of Commerce 2013

Mayor’s Welcome

The City of Vernon is set at the foot of the Monashee Mountains

at the north end of Okanagan and Kalamalka Lakes in the Okanagan

Valley, British Columbia. Vernon is a welcoming city with a pleasant

climate of warm summers and moderate winters, quality healthcare,

diverse transportation and an educated workforce. We’re home to

Sparkling Hill Resort and the largest spa in Canada with the only

cryotherapy chamber in North America.

Take a culinary tour of the city exploring orchards, vineyards,

meaderies and distilleries, tasting the Okanagan. Vernon has a broad

cross-section of quality restaurants and shopping.

Enjoy the outdoors at Predator Ridge and The Rise golf courses,

fishing for lake trout, road cycling, hiking ribbons of green and

mountain biking. In winter or summer, just twenty-five minutes East

of downtown, enjoy the sunshine at BC’s second largest ski resort,

Silver Star Mountain Resort. In winter, ski the trails at Sovereign

Lake, a world-class Nordic Centre. Twenty-five minutes South of

downtown, enjoy a scenic drive along Kalamalka and Wood Lakes

to access Kelowna International airport and the University of BC

Okanagan.

Upgrade your skills or studies at Okanagan College. Pop in to

a jazz club or the Performing Arts Centre for artistic expression

of a whole other kind. Take the kids to the new Regional Library,

the Okanagan Science Centre or The Greater Vernon Museum and

Archives.

Rob Sawatzky

Mayor of the City of Vernon

Vernon is a great place to work, live, invest, raise a family and visit. Come to Vernon and make it yours.

Vernon Chamber of Commerce 2013 5

Vernon Directory

Many visitors have asked us to provide information about living, working,

doing business and relocating here. This interactive digital magazine

is your starting point to explore Vernon’s attractive advantages and

the unique lifestyle. We are a small city, with a

relaxed pace of life, but we are also plugged into the fastest fibre optic network in the country.

Many highly skilled professionals call Vernon home, as do hundreds

of businesses ranging from small going concerns to international head offices.

If you’re looking for a high quality of life, Vernon is hard to beat.

CliCk here for the Vernon Chamber business DireCtory

Find Everything You’re Looking For On Vernon’s Best Business Directory

www.vernonchamber.ca

6 Vernon Chamber of Commerce 2013

Investment opportunities abound for the entrepreneurial spirit in Vernon, and an excellent

tax revitalization scheme makes investment attractive.

New commercial buildings or older renovations get amazing tax breaks. The new-century business climate in Vernon focuses on information technology and global enterprises, fuelled by business people who can live anywhere they want.

The Vernon lifestyle makes it an appealing “anywhere.”

All kinds of business helps are available in the city’s Economic Development Office.

Current major employers include Interior Health, the school district, Tolko lumber enterprises, City of Vernon, Silver Star Mountain and large retailers such as Kal Tire and Walmart. There are more than 3,100 licensed businesses.

The city is projected to grow 18 per cent in the next 15 years.

Investment OpportunitiesStart with these business support services:

Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce. . . . . . . . . . www.vernonchamber.caCommunity Futures of North Okanagan . . . . . . . . . . . . www.futuresbc.comInvest Vernon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.investvernon.caOur Okanagan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ourokanagan.caSouthern Interior Development Initiative Trust. . . . . . . . . . www.sidit-bc.caDowntown Vernon Association . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.downtownvernon.comOneStop Business Registry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.onestopbc.caSmall Business B.C.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.smallbusinessbc.caBusiness Development Bank of Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.bdc.caCanada Trade Commissioner . . . . . . . . . . www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/bc.

Vernon Chamber of Commerce 2013 7

It’s easy to find a home in Vernon you’ll be excited about.

Choices range from waterfront to valley view to urban or a combination. Whether you’re looking for an affordable bungalow, convenient townhouse or condo, spacious family home, or pure luxury, you’ll find it in Vernon’s housing mix.

There are still opportunities to live in rural settings in the countryside surrounding Vernon.

A representative single family detached house valued at $380,410 paid taxes of $2,441, and the median price of a single family

dwelling was $236,500 in 2010. Vernon offers about half the North Okanagan’s housing stock, majority of apartments and a good variety of rentals.

The city is being re-invented as more compact, so you can live in settings that are less reliant on vehicles, with walking corridors to business, shopping, services and leisure.

With a steady real estate market reported by the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board, and continuing low interest rates, it’s a buyer’s market with good possibilities of finding your dream home.

OMREB reports there’s good selection and great opportunities to get into a home at an attractive price. OMREB, with 1,006 Realtors and 93 real estate offices, is your source to start home shopping.

See www.vernonchamber.ca/business-directory/real-estate.html, where you’ll find appraisers, mortgage brokers, property managers, realtors and more.

Check www.realtor.ca and www.icx.ca. For Okanagan-wide statistical real estate information, see www.omreb.com.

Place to Call Home

8 Vernon Chamber of Commerce 2013

You want to be confident your family is well cared for and Vernon has that

covered. Vernon Jubilee Hospital provides

core medical and surgical specialty services, including 24-hour emergency and trauma services, cancer, acute and obstetrical care.

VJH recently underwent major

expansion. The $180-million Polson Tower opened in 2011, adding 231,000 square feet of hospital space. Outpatient and day care services have been integrated.

Both Kelowna and Vernon hospital expansions were under the project team of B.C. Ministry of Health, Interior Health, Central Okanagan Regional Hospital District, North Okanagan Columbia Shuswap Regional Hospital District and Infusion Health.

Vernon offers more than 100 physicians, a ratio of 1.84 doctors to 1,000 population, plus 31 dentists.

Three public and community health centres provide services for mental health and addictions,

public health nursing, Aboriginal health, home and community care, residential and assisted living facilities, laboratory and diagnostics.

There’s a strong community of alternative health services and health food stores.

Vernon is sometimes called the Health and Wellness Capital of Canada. The name is boosted by Sparkling Hill Resort, the European-style wellness centre that offers spa treatments and a team of professional health consultants in a dramatic facility overlooking Okanagan Lake. See www.vernonchamber.ca/membership-directory/sparklinghill.com.

Health Care

Transportation

It’s easy to hop from Vernon to almost anywhere in the world. Kelowna International Airport

(YLW) is at Kelowna’s north edge, making this international transportation hub as close to Vernon as to most Kelowna points. It’s a 37-km drive from Vernon to this customs entry point, with direct flights to six domestic and five international destinations. The airport handles more than a million passengers and 90,000 aircraft

movements annually. Kamloops Airport is semi-

international and just 90 minutes away. Vernon has a smaller regional airport with 20 industrial enterprises on airport lands.

For rubber-meeting-road transportation, Greyhound Bus has a Vernon terminal near B.C. Transit’s hub, a system that offers service throughout Vernon. There are easy connections north to Salmon Arm or south to Kelowna.

Vernon sits on Highway 97, the longest north-south route on the continent, which winds through the province’s heartland and connects California with the Yukon. Vernon’s link to Highway #1, the Trans Canada Highway, is just 60 km north. In the commercial traffic picture, several carriers serve Vernon and major industries in the B.C. Interior and Pacific Northwest.

Vernon Chamber of Commerce 2013 9

F eeding both mind and spirit is important to Vernon people, so a well-balanced plate of

opportunities is offered. There are 14 elementary schools

and five secondary schools under School District 22, serving Vernon, Coldstream, Lavington, Lumby and Cherryville, and an Alternative Learning Program. There are three independent schools in Vernon.

For post-secondary education, students don’t need to leave their home community. Okanagan

College has its main North Okanagan campus in nearby Coldstream, called Kalamalka Campus, and operates a trades training facility in downtown Vernon and the Airline Engineer Building at the airport.

The college will be home to a new sports facility and outdoor track, able to host province-wide games. The University of B.C. Okanagan with 6,000 students and a 350-member faculty is just 37 km south on Kelowna’s edge, with

direct transit service. UBC-O offers eight faculties and schools.

Specialty schools include centres for massage, hair design, transport training, equine therapy and more. For a fuller list see www.vernonchamber.ca/membership-directory/education.html.

When it comes to feeding the spirit, Vernon offers 74 places of worship, ranging from Anglican, Baptist, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, United and Presbyterian, to Muslim, Sikh and more.

Education and Worship

10 Vernon Chamber of Commerce 2013

Recreation and Leisure

Just glimpse Vernon’s breathtaking setting and you’ll know that your leisure longings

can be satisfied. Gorgeous lakes invite water sports, mountains beg for snow sports, and green slopes lure golf aficionados. With 1,903 hours of average annual sunshine, and only 322.7mm annual rainfall, opportunities abound.

Whet your appetite at Polson Park for general recreation, tennis and picnics, Kin Beach Park and Paddlewheel Park for swimming, boating, picnics and sailing. Ellison Park offers camping, hiking, rock climbing, fishing, cycling and swimming. At Kalamalka Beach or Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park, you can do all that plus tennis or volleyball. Sun-and-fun lovers are fans of Swan and Mara Lakes.

Silver Star Ski Resort is known world-wide for downhill and Nordic skiing, mountain biking and hiking, and Sovereign Lake for cross-country and snowshoeing. See www.vernonchamber.ca/membership-directory/

recreation-and-sports/skiing-and-snowboarding.html.

If you love to swing a club you’ll find your bliss at courses listed at www.vernonchamber.ca/membership-directory/recreation-and-sports/golf-courses.html. Predator Ridge Resort defines what a B.C. Golf Vacation is all about, with 36 holes of championship golf and upscale dining. SCOREGolf voted The Ridge Course as Canada’s Best New Golf Course for 2010.

Visit the century-old Vernon Golf and Country Club, set among towering poplars and weeping willows. The course lies between downtown Vernon and Kalamalka Lake with a meandering creek and stunning views.

Consider Spallumcheen Golf and Country Club, known as the North Okanagan’s golfing gem. The two courses feature lush green fairways and challenges for golfers of any level.

For other types of recreation don’t overlook Vernon Civic Arena,

home of the Greater Vernon Minor Hockey Association, and offering a range of recreation programs. See also the Centennial Outdoor Rink and visit Marshall Fields for soccer and baseball.

Vernon offers a spectrum of recreation programs and facilities for indoors and outdoors. See www.vernonchamber.ca/membership-directory/recreation-and-sports.html, and pick your pleasure. Also check www.greatervernonrecreation.ca.

When you’re ready to treat yourself to a great meal, Vernon offers a wide range of eating choices from fast food to fine dining: See www.vernonchamber.ca/membership-directory/restaurants.html; www.tripadvisor.ca, which reviews 136 Vernon restaurants; and www.tourismvernon.com, for maps.

For wineries see www.vernonchamber.ca/membership-directory/wine-beer-a-liquor.html.

Vernon Chamber of Commerce 2013 11

Vernon offers exceptional quality of life, from events that sparkle with fun to

history that pours from the pages of time. Historic murals lead you through the city, inspired by heritage photos.

The sense of history began with founder Forbes George Vernon, who developed Vernon Ranch, later called Coldstream Ranch. History is amplified at nearby O’Keefe Ranch, once a 20,000-acre cattle ranch, a destination for walking into Okanagan past.

Greater Vernon Museum features Interior Salish exhibits, including fur traders and gold prospectors.

To appreciate the natural environment, visit the Allan Brooks Nature Centre on the hilltop commonage, with a 360-degree view of two valleys, five eco-systems and three lakes.

For a fuller artistic and cultural picture check the Vernon Centre

for the Performing Arts, Vernon Community Arts Centre, www.vernonarts.ca; Arts Council of the North Okanagan, www.vernonartscouncil.ca; and the Vernon Public Art Gallery, www.vernonpublicartgallery.com.

Artists, potters, photographers, wood carvers, musicians, writers, quilters, painters, spinners, rock hounds, gardeners and the like find Vernon a haven, with classes in all these pursuits.

You may find your niche at the Powerhouse Theatre or Vernon Public Library.

Signature event Vernon Winter Carnival has offered fun for more than half a century, and in summer the Funtastic Sport and Music Festival has hosted Canada’s largest slo-pitch tournament for 27 years.

For agricultural experiences check www.vernonchamber.ca/business-directory/agriculture.html. You’ll find tours at Davison

Orchards, representing the fruit industry, alive and well in Vernon. Visit Vernon Farmers Market, one of the oldest in the Okanagan.

Many people who are able to pick anywhere they want to live choose Vernon. It’s a community that offers the full package for an unbeatable lifestyle. Honour for the senior culture is combined with young energy, entrepreneurial spirit and families who look to the future.

Welcome to your new home!

Arts and Culture

Okanagan Landing Sailboat Race

14 Vernon Chamber of Commerce 2013

The City of Vernon is the economic anchor of the North Okanagan, serving a regional population of more than 100,000. With a municipal population of approximately 39,000, Vernon has maintained small-town laid back feel while offering still offering an abundance of commercial and retail services.

Vernon has a diverse economic base, with employment being generated from a large professional services sector, the traditional resource sectors of forestry and agriculture, as well as the tourism, technology, manufacturing and service sectors.

The city is headquarters to a number of made-in-Vernon success stories, including Kal Tire, Tolko Industries and Okanagan Spring Brewery. Kal Tire opened their new 80,000-square-foot head office

in October 2012 while Tolko’s 55,000 square-foot head office was completed in 2008.

Vernon’s economic strength however remains in its thriving small business sector.

The Thompson Okanagan is the fastest growing region in the Province of BC for small business with over 3,500 new businesses starting in the past five years alone.

It is no surprise that the area is known for its strong entrepreneurial attitude as many people are attracted to the lifestyle the region offers. Vernon itself was recognized in 2010 as the most entrepreneurial city in British Columbia.

The City of Vernon has been focusing much of their recent efforts on promoting the redevelopment and revitalization of two key areas; the City Centre and the Okanagan Lake Waterfront.

City CentreThe City Centre is the heart of

the region and a source of local pride. In 2010, the City of Vernon began a process to develop a vision and plan to enhance the area. It was clear throughout this process that residents wanted to ensure the City Centre continued to be enhanced and becomes a vibrant location where people of all ages and backgrounds can live, work and play.

The plan, adopted in 2011, speaks to building on the solid foundation by generating additional new business and job opportunities, providing additional housing options, creating streamside trails and green space while enhancing the arts and entertainment in downtown that will draw additional residents, employees and visitors to the area.

Vernon had seen significant private and public sector investment in the downtown in recent years including Tolko’s corporate office, Nixon Wenger four storey office building, the Sterling Medical Building and the new Vernon branch for the Okanagan Regional Library that opened in 2012.

To further encourage development and revitalization, the City of Vernon enacted a revitalization tax exemption to assist in attracting additional investment to the area. This has led to several new developments including the Silver Rock Professional Office Building which was completed in 2013.

Diversity of the City

Kevin Poole Manager of Economic Development and TourismDirect: 250-550-3249ecdev@vernon.ca www.investvernon.ca

Vernon Chamber of Commerce 2013 15

E C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T S E R V I C E S V E R N O N

Businesses in Vernon continue to grow with over 300,000 square feet of new commercial space developed in the past two years. With competitive tax rates coupled with world class recreation at your door step it’s easy to see why.

Contact us today to find out how your company can join in the success.

250-550-3249 | ecdev@vernon.ca | www.investvernon.ca

Okanagan Lake Waterfront

The City of Vernon and neighbouring communities are situated alongside three lakes; Kalamalka, Okanagan and Swan. The three lakes provide a variety of outdoor activities for residents and tourists alike, however, there are limited opportunities for new commercial and residential development. Recognizing this, the City of Vernon undertook a Waterfront Neighbourhood Centre Plan for the lands adjacent to Okanagan Lake. The goal is to create a waterfront that caters to residents and visitors through a mix of commercial, residential and recreational uses. Since the adoption of the plan, the City of Vernon has created a revitalization tax exemption to encourage new development and is currently exploring additional opportunities to

assist in facilitating development in the area.

With a strong sense of community and beautiful Okanagan location, Vernon offers an ideal business climate and a desirable place to live.

To find out how you can join in the success contact the City of Vernon’s economic development office and Kevin Poole, Manager of Economic Development and Tourism at 250-550-3249.

16 Vernon Chamber of Commerce 2013

Community Futures North Okanagan is a regional community-based not-

for-profit organization offering a comprehensive selection of business services, employment assistance and economic development initiatives that support our North Okanagan residents in creating sustainable livelihoods.

Community Futures North Okanagan has been operating in the region for over 27 years, the last 17 years from our building in downtown Vernon.

Some of the services residents

can expect to receive from Community Futures North Okanagan include:

Business Services and Entrepreneurial

Supports

business loans – Whether you need money to start your own business, purchase an existing business, or expand or develop your business, Community Futures North Okanagan can help. We have loaned in excess of $20 Million to support new start-ups, and allow succession

of existing businesses throughout our regional communities.

entrepreneurial Coaching – Starting or expanding a business? Community Futures can offer business assistance in many areas and will also direct to other resources in the region. We coach in areas of financial and business planning, business viability analysis, marketing and sales, exporting and importing, human resources, and other business topics.

business Workshops – Community Futures offers business workshops on a variety of subjects, including Business Succession Planning, Human Resource Management, WorkSafeBC, Multi-Generational Workplaces, Working with Generation Y, and more.

Working in Vernon

Home of Community Futures in downtown Vernon

Vernon Chamber of Commerce 2013 17

business exchange – Community Futures coordinates a bi-weekly peer-mentoring forum of small business owners and corporate sponsors who share expertise, experience and problem-solving skills. Participants gain access to training, professional knowledge and strategies to enhance business management.

self-employment services Community Futures offers self-employment services which include business concept development, marketing and financial forecasting, business plan development, and business implementation, to support entrepreneurs in developing successful and sustainable businesses.

Government support Programs for business – There are numerous government sponsored programs available to assist small businesses to become competitive. Community Futures helps business owners with wage subsidies, employee training programs, job creation and placements, internship and technology supports.

Visit: http://futuresbc.com/businessServices.php for more information on Business Services.

Employment Assistance Services

the employment Program of british Columbia (EPBC) is delivered by Community Futures North Okanagan. The “one-stop” EPBC model serves all North Okanagan job seekers, providing self-serve resource centres, job posting boards, employment workshops, one-to-one employment

supports, skills training, self-employment assistance, and apprenticeship supports. There are also specific employment services designed for youth, persons with disabilities, immigrants, Aboriginals, survivors of violence and people living in rural areas.

For more information, visit: http://futuresbc.com/employmentServices.php.

the employ Program is designed for youth aged 16 - 30 who face barriers to employment. Employ assists youth in attaining the broad range of skills, knowledge

and work experience they need to be successful in today’s job market.

Community Economic Development Projects

Community Futures North Okanagan engages with community economic initiatives and projects whenever possible. Some of the current projects include:

Vision north okanagan (Vno) – This regional economic development committee meets every month at Community Futures. The VNO membership comprises all the economic development based positions in our communities. VNO strives to communicate, collaborate and support economic development in our region.

youth achievement and appreciation festival (yaa fest) – In partnership with the Community Based Youth Services Team, YAA Fest celebrates the youth of our region. The festival is held in May every year at Polson Park.

our okanagan – This is an online tool that connects local business and consumers, celebrating the unique products and services offered throughout the Okanagan Valley. Our Okanagan can be found at www.ourokanagan.ca.

shareD – A peer-mentoring service for executive directors of regional non-profit organizations, providing professional development, advice and mentoring to build the capacity of the area’s non-profit sector.

it sector enhancement – The North Okanagan region offers many advantages that support the development of new and existing IT businesses.

Visit: http://futuresbc.com/ecDevProjects.php for information on Economic Development Projects.

18 Vernon Chamber of Commerce 2013

Okanagan Natural Medicine has been located in Vernon since 2006 and the city

was chosen primarily because of lifestyle.

Dr. Chris Spooner and Dr. Shelby Entner, the naturopathic physicians behind Okanagan Natural Medicine, simply wanted to live here. Reasons to locate in Vernon stacked up, but one emerged at the top.

“Lifestyle choice was first,” said Entner. They have both lived in bigger cities of more than a million people, and the atmosphere offered by a smaller population centre of 39,000 with a trading area of about 83,000 is like a breath of fresh air. Pace is a little slower, people know and care about one another, and there’s a sense of community that sometimes gets lost in the bustle of big cities.

Dr. Spooner and Dr. Entner established Okanagan Natural Medicine in hopes of providing a unique experience for unique people, and that seems to go better in a smaller, family-centred community.

“People are unique and one-size-fits-all health care is not the answer. To us, good medicine starts with taking the time to dig deeper and understand who you are and your concerns,” said Spooner.

They brought a wealth of experience to Vernon. They’ve been helping patients make research-based natural medicine a part of their health care for 25 years.

They like to blend conventional medicine with complementary and traditional medicines. To do that right, they take time to develop a relationship with patients, with a view to providing safe and effective integrated medical care.

“Understanding how diet, lifestyle, emotional health, genetics and a lifetime of experiences and exposures can affect the healing process is an important first step in helping the body to recover and heal,” said Spooner.

Part of the lifestyle choice that prompted the decision to locate in Vernon for Dr. Spooner and his wife Melissa as well as Dr. Entner with her husband Ryan and their children Aiden and Senna, was about when the doctors are not working, about their leisure time. A huge attraction to Vernon was the great outdoors, especially the proximity to lakes and ski hills.

Water and snow sports are a big lure for both Spooner and Entner. The turquoise waters of Kalamalka Lake are impossible to resist for

water sport lovers, and Swan and Mara Lakes are also close by. Silver Star Ski Resort, with all the white powder of your dreams, is about a 20-minute drive from city centre.

Vernon also appealed to Entner and Spooner because it’s close to their family members in neighbouring communities. There are easy drives or plane hops to Kamloops and Vernon, and that played a role in the location the doctors chose.

“We enjoy the business atmosphere in Vernon,” said Entner, citing lots of community involvement in companies. They also appreciate how Vernon’s companies that take care of their employees. It’s a pleasure to be part of that kind of business dynamic.

Clearly, Okanagan Natural Medicine has been doing many things right.

They were named by Okanagan Life Magazine as winner of the Readers’ Choice Best Naturopathic Clinic award in 2012.

As well, they’ve stacked up awards and recognitions from the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce.

A Healthy Place For Professionals

Dr. Chris Spooner and Dr. Shelby Entner

Vernon Chamber of Commerce 2013 19

Justin Jackson calls himself a passionate starter. He started

life in Alberta where oil rigs call to so many young men. But Justin chose pixels instead. It was a career path that would enable him to live anywhere he wanted.

Justin and his wife started a family and now have four young children. The youngsters became another powerful reason to choose a desirable place to live. Juggling his pixels and expertise led Justin to become a product manager at a software company called Industry Mailout, with offices in Edmonton and Toronto. It is a web-based service that helps companies create email newsletters that build deeper, more loyal connections.

Justin also hosts a new podcast called Product People.

When you do most of your work in cyberspace, your real-time space can be almost anywhere, and Justin negotiated with his company to let him work remotely. No surprise – he chose Vernon, B.C.

Four solid reasons caused the Jacksons to pick Vernon. “First, it’s a beautiful place to live. I think it’s the hidden gem of the Okanagan. Most people drive through and don’t realize how

many beautiful spots are around Vernon. The lakes, beaches, mountains and natural areas are amazing,” says Justin.

“Second, Vernon is a great place to raise a family.” Justin and his wife talked to people who were already raising kids in Vernon and learned how much they loved it.

“Third: recreation!” Justin’s whole family loves to ski, and can get from their home to Silver Star Mountain in about 20 minutes. He notes there are few places anywhere in North America where you can do that. They also love beach activities and hiking, and find great options within a 15-minute drive.

“Fourth: I really like the actual city of Vernon. I think it has lots of potential. It’s a good size, not too spread out.” Justin rents a little downtown office and bikes to work most days. Many residential communities are within walking distance of the city centre.

Justin can’t stop himself from starting. He helped start a community called Startup Vernon for people who work in technology. Entrepreneurs, designers, developers, IT services people and more get together monthly. They do Geek Beers or go for lunch and swap ideas.

Has Justin had any second thoughts about living in Vernon, since his company is based so far away? His answer: “We love it. We never want to leave.”

Justin calls for management habits to change to enable more people to do what he’s doing.

“To give remote working an honest chance, there need to be a paradigm shift.” Working remotely is centuries old, harking back to times when at-home craftsmen produced goods for merchants.

If You Could Live Anywhere

Come Explore, Discover, Learn and Play!Perched atop the grasslands just south of Vernon is the Allan Brooks Nature Centre. ABNC offers outstanding 360 degree views of the valley and Okanagan, Swan and Kalamalka Lakes as well as educational displays, general public and children’s programs and special events from April thru October. It`s your place to relax, reflect and reconnect with the joys of nature.

Mon to Sat: 9am to 4pm Tues/Wed evenings Aug-Sept: 7pm - 9pm

250 Allan Brooks Way, Vernon, BCabnc.ca  •  250-260-4227

Embrace your sense of place

It changed with the Industrial Revolution when production was centralized in cities. But the Information Age has changed it again.

“Knowledge workers don’t work in factories, we work at desks in front of glowing screens. We don’t make goods with physical materials, but rather things made out of bits.”

This kind of production isn’t dependent on location. That’s why people like Justin can live in a place like idyllic Vernon and work wherever.

20 Vernon Chamber of Commerce 2013

Kal Tire is now so big it could go anywhere in the

world, but it keeps home base in Vernon, where it was born 60 years ago.

When Tom Foord founded the company in 1953, he had no idea it would eventually reach around the world. Today it’s Canada’s largest independent tire dealer and the largest commercial tire dealer in North America. Kal Tire has 240 tire locations, stores, warehouses and retread facilities from B.C. to Ontario, and a Mining Tire Group that

operates on more than 150 mine sites in 19 countries. There are 5,300 team members globally.

Tom embraced a civic spirit all his life and established seven guiding principles, called aims, which captured his personal values and formed the company’s foundation.

One of those aims is “to build long-term relationships.” That’s what Kal Tire continues to do with its home town.

Rob Foord, the founder’s son and president of the company today, said, “We’re

looking at the 60-year milestone as a unique opportunity to support the well-being of our communities, and the people who helped make Kal what we are today.”

Another aim is to “continually improve every aspect of our company, recognize our responsibility to our customers, each other, our communities and the environment.”

That’s why Kal Tire invests in extensive tire recycling programs and community recreation such as Vernon’s Multiplex, now Kal Tire Place.

With such success, you’d think a company this size would headquarter in Toronto or even New York, someplace that shows Kal Tire plays with the big boys.

Instead, they stay in Vernon. In six decades, they’ve never seen a reason to move, and they’ve seen lots of reasons to stay put.

“It’s a small city and we feel part of the culture here. We’re a company with family values and many of our families come from small towns,” said Tracy Cobb, director of communications, pointing out that people feel at home here.

But there’s more.

Management has made repeated decisions over the years to stay in Vernon for a specific purpose.

“The company wanted to maintain its commitment to Vernon and to B.C. Many team members have deep roots in the community,” said Cobb.

Kal Tire believes you don’t mess with roots without a very good reason.

Roots build the kind of spirit among team members that Kal Tire likes to foster.

Besides that, it’s close enough to Kelowna International Airport (YLW), just a 37-minute drive from Vernon, for Kal Tire people to go anywhere they need to go. YLW has direct flights to six domestic and five international destinations.

In many ways, Kal Tire people feel they have the best of both worlds: Nearby international connections and an idyllic community to sink roots into.

At the heart of Kal Tire is a culture steeped in values, and the core value is commitment. Kal Tire is committed to fully support each employee’s career, so the Vernon people can feel secure in the community they love to call home. After all, Vernon is Kal Tire’s home too.

Big Business in a Small City

Vernon Chamber of Commerce 2013 21

“The Real Estate Matchmaker!”Lisa Houle

Don’t just wish you lived here . . .

Pack Your Bags!

250-309-9855LisaHoule.ca

22 Vernon Chamber of Commerce 2013

Resources and Contacts

For more information contact:George Duffy, General managerGreater Vernon Chamber of Commerce#102 2901-32nd Street, Vernon BC V1T 5M2 P: 250-545-0771F: 250-545-3114E: manager@vernonchamber.cawww.vernonchamber.ca

kevin Poole, managereconomic Development and tourism3400 30 Street, Vernon, BC V1T 5E6P: 250-550-3249F: 250-260-5866E: info@investvernon.cawww.investvernon.ca

norm metcalf, General managere: normm@futuresbc.comLeigha Horsfield, Business Services Coordinatore: leigha@futuresbc.comCommunity futures north okanagan3105 33rd Street, Vernon, BC V1T 9P7P: 250-545-2215 F: 250-545-6447

Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce. . . . . . . . . . www.vernonchamber.caCommunity Futures of North Okanagan . . . . . . . . . . . . www.futuresbc.comInvest Vernon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.investvernon.caOur Okanagan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ourokanagan.caSouthern Interior Development Initiative Trust. . . . . . . . . . www.sidit-bc.caDowntown Vernon Association . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.downtownvernon.comOneStop Business Registry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.onestopbc.caSmall Business B.C.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.smallbusinessbc.caBusiness Development Bank of Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.bdc.caCanada Trade Commissioner . . . . . . . . . . www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/bc.

4801 - 27th Street, Vernon, BC V1T 4Z1P: 250.542.3321 F. 250.549.4252

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