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November 28, 2014

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Encouraging Economic Development and Diversification in Prince George, BC

November 2014 'On the Move' Newsletter

Each month, Initiatives Prince George distributes an e-newsletter called 'On the Move' that connects

people with news about economic activity in Prince George and the surrounding region, as well as

with information about events, services and opportunities that are of value to local and regional

businesses. During 2014, a 'New Business of the Month' will be highlighted in each e-newsletter. If

you have an idea for an article in an upcoming e-newsletter, please submit it to Christina Doll at

doll@initiativespg.com for consideration .

New Business of the Month: Loved Always Children's Consignment Boutique

A stone's-throw from Specialty Avenue in

downtown Prince George, Loved Always

Children's Consignment Boutique fits in

seamlessly with the many distinct retailers in

the area. In fact, co-owners Trish Bella and

Robyn Beauregard's business, located at 372_ Quebec Street, is quite unique in the city. The store is a

consignment clothes boutique, carrying items for newborns, teenagers and even soon-to-be mothers.

The owners strive to make the experience as easy as possible for buyers and sellers. For buyers,

Trish explains, "The clothes have already been vetted when you are coming in to shop, meaning you

don't have to go through them to see what is worn or over-used. We have already done that for

you."

In addition, the brand names that the store carries are appreciated by some shoppers, while the low

prices are beneficial for others. "We have people who come in and immediately recognize the name

brands and are very happy to see them at a much discounted price than regular retail. But we also

have the families who are on budgets who like that our prices are very affordable, but that they have

been vetted and that we have quality items," says Trish.

Loved Always often receives a sizeable share of brand new clothes. Trish says sometimes children

grow so fast that they don't have a chance to wear all the clothes that are purchased for them. In

other cases, "the clothes may have been a gift that gets put in the back of the closet because it may

be a little while until the child is able to wear it. Often the clothing gets forgotten and then it comes

in here and it is brand new." This new apparel is sold at a much lower price than it would be in a

retail store.

Meanwhile, sellers don't have to deal with the hassle of selling the clothes themselves, which involves

everything from strangers showing up at their homes during odd hours and potential buyers missing

appointments. " In this way, it is not your personal t ime and space that you are opening up to

strangers," Trish notes.I

n addition, the store's location presents a benefit for the business, as the presence of other similar

retailers in the area is what helped draw Trish and Robyn to the city's core. "When we were looking

for a location, we kept coming back to the downtown," says Trish. "We really like the area for the

independent retailers, and there has been a lot of support from them. Many of the other business

owners came by to welcome us to the area."

Finally, the store has proven to be a centre for social interaction. Parents come in with their toddlers

and inevitably end up chatting with each other while their children play on the floor. Grandmothers

have also been in the store at same time, sharing stories and experiences of their grandchildren.

"With it being a small and quaint store, people are quite willing to just start talking," Trish describes.

"A lot of times we have babies, toddlers, and children in here, so it seems to be a very easy

atmosphere for people just to be able to talk to each other. And that's what I would like to see, that

welcoming piece of it, and then people do come back."

To find out more about Loved Always Children's Consignment Boutique, visit their Facebook page.

Join us for the 2015 Market Expansion Forum ---=-----------------·-------.--------------

Initiatives Prince George is once again hosting the annual Market Expansion Forum to connect

supply and service providers in Prince George and the surrounding region with major projects in

northern British Columbia.

Registration is now open for the third Market Expansion Forum, which will be held a day in

advance of the Premier's BC Natural Resource Forum on January 20, 2015. This event will:

• Give major companies investing in northern BC the opportunity to outline their project's procurement

processes, schedules and opportunities to the Prince George and regional supply chain;

• Provide Prince George and regional businesses with clear information on the processes, schedules and opportunities to provide goods and services to major companies completing projects in northern BC;

Provide an overview of the Forest industry, outlining the logistics required to support forestry in the

region along with projects, categories and professional services required to maintain a strong Forest industry.

Register online by December 21 , 2014 to attend the Market Expansion Forum and receive an

early bird discount. Registration for the event closes on January 12, 2015.

Countdown Begins to 2015 BC Natural Resource Forum

Prince George-Mackenzie MLA and co-chair

of the 20 IS BC Natural Resource Forum

Mike Morris strongly suggests that anyone

wishing to attend this prestigious event Jan 20

-22, 2015 in Prince George should register

now at bcnaturalresourcesforum.com.

Morris recalls that many people who didn't

register early for the 2014 Forum were

disappointed they could not attend the

luncheons because they were sold-out.

Delegates to the 2015 BCNR Forum will hear

from former BC Attorney-General Geoff

Plant, federal Natural Resources Minister

Greg Rickford, First Nations and industry

leaders and receive updates on the mining,

forestry, transportation, education and skills

training sectors. Morris expects a standing­

room only crowd for the LNG Projects

Update session on Jan 21. Development of an LNG Industry in BC has t he potential to be a game­

changer for our province and country. Everyone across northern BC, from Fort Nelson to Prince

Rupert, is waiting anxiously to hear when the first LNG project will proceed. One of the new events

at the 2015 BCNR Forum is the Minister's Breakfast on Wednesday, January 21. Delegates will hear

from some of the Natural Resource Ministers about the challenges and opportunities for 2015 and

beyond.

Morris advises people to give friends and family an early Christmas gift and register soon for the 2015

BCNR Forum!

Doing Business in China

Over 20 people interested in forging business

partnerships in China attended the first in a

series of workshops about doing business in

emerging international markets. The session

was hosted by Initiatives Prince George in

partnership with the Prince George Airport,

Northern Development Initiative Trust, the

Prince George Chamber of Commerce and

Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters. See

the November Economic Update Report

for details.

Post your Employment Opportunities on 'Move Up Prince George'

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Explore job opportunities in Prince George

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Are you hiring? Create an employer account for FREE on moveupprincegeorge.ca and reach

potential employees in Prince George and across Canada.

The 'Move Up Prince George' campaign is being advertised in five Canadian cities including

Vancouver, Victoria, Edmonton, Toronto and Windsor, as well as through targeted social media and

online advertisements, giving you access to a large pool of potential skilled candidates.

FREE recruitment and retention tools are also available for all employers to use to direct

potential candidates to the Move Up Prince George website to learn about living in Prince George.

Offset the Cost of Training your Employees

If you're an employer, you can offset the cost

of training your employees by applying for a

Canada-British Columbia Job Grant. This is a

cost-sharing program that provides employers

with up to two-thirds of the cost of training

to a maximum government contribution of

$ I 0,000 per grant.

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All employers who plan to train people for new or better careers in British Columbia can apply for

this grant. Eligible training must meet the needs of the business and lead to a guaranteed job in BC.

This includes, but is not limited to:

Essential skills training; Technical training; Business training; Management and leadership training; Short-term certificate training.

For more information and to complete an application form for a Canada-British Columbia Job Grant,

visit the WorkBC website.

Online Tool Launched to Match BC Apprentices and Employer Sponsors

A new tool is available to help apprentices in

British Columbia find an employer sponsor.

The Apprentice Job Match tool will make

it easier for apprentices to find the

appropriate on-the-job training they need to

boost their skills and achieve certification in

their chosen trade.

The online Apprentice Job Match tool is located on WorkBC's website, which has over 20,000

visitors daily and I 0,000 job postings. There are currently over 37,000 registered apprentices in BC

and over 9,400 employer sponsors.

The tool was launched by the Industry Training Authority (ITA) and WorkBC in early November.

The introduction of the Apprentice Job Match tool is part of ITA's increased efforts to better

support apprentices through the apprenticeship pathway and to increase continuation and completion

rates across the province.

'Love Downtown PG' Program Now Accepting Applications

A new marketing tool for locally-owned,

independently operated businesses in

Downtown Prince George will be launched in

early 2015. Geared toward retailers,

restaurants and storefronts, the Love

Downtown PG program is modeled after

the Small Town Love program, a highly

successful "shop local" movement that has

been launched in over 15 northern BC

communities.

Qualifying Downtown Prince George businesses can apply online to be a part of the Love Downtown PG campaign. Businesses will receive a professional photo shoot (from Bobbi Carpino

Photography) and a professional write-up which will be featured on the Love Downtown PG website. Funding for the project is provided by Northern Development with ongoing marketing,

promotion and website hosting costs covered by the Downtown Business Improvement Association

(Downtown PG). Cost for participants is only $ I 00, which will be earmarked for a launch event.

Northern Development and Downtown PG are currently working with over 40 businesses to

prepare their profiles for the launch of the website. Businesses that are interested in being featured

on the website are invited to fill out an application form available on the Love Downtown PG

website.

Local Nominations for Small Business BC Awards

SMALL BUSINESS BC

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Every year, the Small Business BC Awards recognize the contributions and achievements of BC

small business owners. Several Prince George businesses have been nominated for a Small Business

BC Award. Congratulations to the following nominees:

• Game Quest - Premier's People's Choice Nominee Nancy O's Restaurant - Best Community Impact Nominee

• playGROUNDS Cafe - Best Concept Nominee Shiraz Cafe and Restaurant - Best Immigrant Entrepreneur Nominee

• Simply Inspired Events and Decor - Premier's People's Choice Nominee Topaz Bead Gallery - Premier's People's Choice Nominee

You can support these businesses by voting for them in their award nominee category before

November 30th on the Small Business BC Awards website.

Free Customer Service Training for the 2015 Games

Northern BC Tourism, Destination BC and

Tourism Prince George have teamed up with

the 2015 Canada Winter Games to offer a

free Customer Service Training Workshop.

The Remarkable - YOU! workshop has been

developed by WorldHost Training Services

and will be offered in Prince George and

throughout northern BC until the Games are hosted in Prince George in February 2015.

This 3.5 hour workshop is open to 'front counter' staff, volunteers, community members and anyone

interested in showing off their community in the best light. Participants learn how to meet visitors'

needs and how to make others feel valued and welcome. Once 60% of a business' staff completes a

WorldHost Workshop, they are awarded a 'WorldHost Recognized Business' certificate and window decal.

Let's make Prince George a WorldHost community! Check the calendar of currently-scheduled

Remarkable - YOU! sessions being facilitated locally by Tourism Prince George and register for the

session that works best for you.

Help UNBC Students 'Pave the Way'

University of Northern British Columbia

students need your support to achieve their

goal of offering free public transportation in

Prince George during the 2015 Canada

Winter Games.

Studen·ts are working to raise $2, I 00 for each of the 18 days of the Games, for a total of $37,800 by

January 15, 20 I 5. This will enable the City of Prince George to provide free transit to everyone

throughout the 2015 Games. Offering free transit will:

• Improve air quality by decreasing pollutants and vehicle congestion; • Increase spectator turnout and citizen participation at competitions and community celebrations;

Assist with limited parking capacity; • Optimize safe travel for both the community and spectators from across the country; and • Increase transit use in Prince George during and beyond the 2015 Games.

You can help UNBC students pave the way for free transit by sponsoring a day of transit service

($2,100) or by making any donation amount via the UNBC donors page, or by donating your cans

and bottles to the Nechako Bottle Depot or the PG Recycling and Return-it Centre by mentioning

that proceeds should go to 'UNBC Students Pave the Way.'

For more information, contact Emily Harrison, UNBC Canada Winter Games Sustainability Manager

at emily.harrison@unbc.ca.

The Wood Innovation and Design Centre is Open!

Photo Credit: naturally:wood®, Brudder Productions

One of the tallest contemporary wood buildings in North America has officially opened in downtown

Prince George. Construction of the 29.5-metre, six-storey high Wood Innovation and Design Centre

(WIDC) began in 2013. The project involved 13 different BC companies working collaboratively and

created 250 jobs throughout the province. A variety of wood products from across BC were used in

constructing WIDC, including Douglas-fir, cedar, hemlock, pine and spruce, as well as engineered

wood products produced in BC.

The University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) will occupy the first, second and third floors,

including a lecture theatre on the main level. UNBC is developing two new master's programs in

engineering that are expected to be offered at the WIDC beginning in September 2015. Occupancy

plans are being finalized for the remaining floors. The Media and Broadcast Centre for the 2015

Canada Winter Games will also be located in the WIDC, enabling the Province to highlight the

innovation of the WIDC to the country.

Have an Idea for an E-Newsletter Article? Our monthly e-newsletter provides updates on Initiatives Prince George activities and events, as well

as information about resources available through other local organizations.

If you have an idea for an article in an upcoming e-newsletter, please submit it to Christina Doll

at doll@initiativespg.com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Initiatives Prince George Suite 201 - 1300 First Avenue Prince George, BC V2L 3Y3

Ph: 250.564.0282 Fax: 250.649.3200 www.initiativespg.com

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