The owners of Maple Bay’s Urban Valley Tees are doing their part to help the people of Humboldt, Saskatchewan, get through their tragedy.
Lisa Duncan-Reda, co-owner of the company which is known for its custom-made, one-of-a-kind apparel, said she and her husband Mike Duncan felt the need to contribute however they could to the cause after the bus crash that killed 16 members of the Humboldt Broncos hockey team and supporters.
She said they decided to buy three T-shirt designs from a designer in Saskatoon and offer the T-shirts at cost for $5 each to their customers, if they donated to the Broncos GoFundMe page.
“We sold right out by noon on Wednesday (April 11), and after 48 hours, we had put out close to 100 tees,” she said.
“With requests still coming in daily, we will continue making them into next week.”
Duncan-Read said the issue is close to their hearts because their 13 year-old daughter Ella plays softball, rugby, rowing, wrestling and dance and commutes for every sport except school wrestling.
“When the 16th person passed away, we really thought of how valuable and short life is,” she said.
“We certainly don’t do this for attention. We see it as a small contribution from a small business in an amazing community.”
Panago donating cash from pizza sales to Nourish group
During the weekend of April 20-22, the Duncan Panago franchise will be donating $3 from every large pizza, $2 from every medium pizza, and $1 from every small pizza sold to the Nourish Cowichan Society.
The NCS is a charitable society dedicated to ensuring that the Valley’s school children have access to healthy meals.
Matthew Huotari, owner of the Duncan Panago franchise, is a member of the society who volunteers every week making nutritious muffins, waffles, sandwiches, wraps, and more for local school students.
He said his restaurant has a goal of raising $20,000 by Sept. 1, just before the new school year, for the NCS which is in the process of building a new kitchen for all of its volunteers to make healthy meals at École Mount Prevost.
“We’re hoping to raise about $3,000 with our fundraiser on April 20-22. and we have other fundraisers planned before Sept. 1,” Huotari said.
“It’s our way of giving back to the community.”
Artisan’s Nest hopes to expand after move to City
The Artisan’s Nest Collective has moved from Whippletree Junction, where it has operated for four years, to 20 Station St. in downtown Duncan.
The Nest, as it’s commonly called, is a group of local artists that share studio and retail space in one location.
Spokeswoman MyraJean Marshall, who is a textile artist, said the decision was made to move to Duncan because it was considered a better, more centralized location in the Valley with more vehicle and foot traffic.
She said the Nest currently has about 20 local artists, including painters, woodworkers, jewelers, potters and more, under its roof, and the hope is that the number will increase to about 30 by the end of the summer.
“Retail space is expensive and then there’s banking, customer service, marketing, janitorial, maintenance and the list goes on,” Marshall said.
“The Nest is our answer to that necessary balance. We are committed to playing well with others and hope that more cool kids will join us as we work hard and play hard in our proverbial sandbox.”
The Nest will host a shop-warming event on the weekend of May 5-6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, and the public is invited.
“Come down to the Nest and meet the artists, hear some great live music and try out our appetizers,” Marshall said.
B.C. government takes steps on fraud prevention
The province is taking steps to strengthen enforcement and prevent fraud in B.C.’s investment markets, announced Finance Minister Carole James on April 16.
The province is introducing amendments to the Securities Act that will allow the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada and the Mutual Fund Dealers Association to enforce penalties as court orders against investment dealers who wrong investors.
“Many British Columbians invest their life savings in the securities market and they expect their money will be safe from fraudsters,” James said.
“We’re taking action to protect people who invest by giving self-regulatory organizations the tools they need to collect fines and deter fraudulent behaviour.”
The amendments introduced will give IIROC and the MFDA the ability to file decisions directly with a court of law.
Filing in court means they will be able to pursue outstanding fines, and order a person to comply with decisions made by these national self-regulatory organizations.
In recent years, IIROC and the MFDA have been granted the power to file fines in court in other major securities markets in Canada.
In Alberta, IIROC has reported seeing an increase in fine collection rates since being given the ability to file court orders.
robert.barron@cowichanvalleycitizen.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
