Business

Irene Barlas-Rimar portrait . Photography by Lia Crowe

Secrets and Lives with Irene Barlas-Rimar

Always busy making great things happen

  • May 12, 2023
Irene Barlas-Rimar portrait . Photography by Lia Crowe
Writers Guild of America West member Victor Duenas pickets with others at an entrance to Paramount Pictures, Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in Los Angeles. The first Hollywood strike in 15 years began Tuesday as the economic pressures of the streaming era prompted unionized TV and film writers to picket for better pay outside major studios, a work stoppage that already is leading most late-night shows to air reruns. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Writers strike looks to be a long fight, as Hollywood braces

Hollywood writers picketing to preserve pay and job security outside major studios…

Writers Guild of America West member Victor Duenas pickets with others at an entrance to Paramount Pictures, Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in Los Angeles. The first Hollywood strike in 15 years began Tuesday as the economic pressures of the streaming era prompted unionized TV and film writers to picket for better pay outside major studios, a work stoppage that already is leading most late-night shows to air reruns. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Grandpa J's Seasoning. Lia Crowe photography

Taste of Greece

Vancouver sisters turn to their roots to spice up the seasoning industry

  • May 3, 2023
Grandpa J's Seasoning. Lia Crowe photography
February 22 2023 - Luke Mills and Laura Bolster photographed in their Megson Fitzpatrick offices on Redbrick Street for Boulevard Business Class story. Don Denton photography.

“Change is the only constant”

Laura Bolster and Luke Mills embrace the dynamic winds of change at Megson FitzPatrick

  • May 1, 2023
February 22 2023 - Luke Mills and Laura Bolster photographed in their Megson Fitzpatrick offices on Redbrick Street for Boulevard Business Class story. Don Denton photography.
Abdel Karim Awwad - Lia Crowe photography

It’s all about the experience

Abdel Karim Awwad is a master of etiquette, protocol and the creation of unrivalled customer experiences

  • Apr 28, 2023
Abdel Karim Awwad - Lia Crowe photography
Bottles of Bud Light beer are seen at a grocery store in Glenview, Ill., Tuesday, April 25, 2023. Bud Light may have fumbled its attempt to broaden its customer base by partnering with a transgender influencer. But experts say inclusive marketing is simply good business __ and it’s here to stay. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Bud Light fumbles, but experts say inclusive ads will stay

Bud Light may have fumbled its attempt to broaden its customer base…

Bottles of Bud Light beer are seen at a grocery store in Glenview, Ill., Tuesday, April 25, 2023. Bud Light may have fumbled its attempt to broaden its customer base by partnering with a transgender influencer. But experts say inclusive marketing is simply good business __ and it’s here to stay. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
FILE - A Bed Bath & Beyond customer enters a store in Mountain View, Calif., Wednesday, May 9, 2012. Bed Bath & Beyond has filed for bankruptcy protection, but the company says its stores and websites will remain open and continue serving customers. The beleaguered home goods chain made the filing Sunday, April 23, 2023 in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, listing its estimated assets and liabilities in the range of $1 billion and $10 billion. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

Struggling Bed Bath & Beyond files for bankruptcy protection

Filing comes as dozens of stores shutter across Canada

FILE - A Bed Bath & Beyond customer enters a store in Mountain View, Calif., Wednesday, May 9, 2012. Bed Bath & Beyond has filed for bankruptcy protection, but the company says its stores and websites will remain open and continue serving customers. The beleaguered home goods chain made the filing Sunday, April 23, 2023 in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, listing its estimated assets and liabilities in the range of $1 billion and $10 billion. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)
Langley Liquor Store was fined $7,000 after a minor bought alcohol there in a Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch sting. (Matthew Claxton/Langley Advance Times)

B.C. liquor store fined $7K for selling beer to a teen

Langley clerk sold alcohol to a minor in a sting operation

Langley Liquor Store was fined $7,000 after a minor bought alcohol there in a Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch sting. (Matthew Claxton/Langley Advance Times)
January 19, 2023 - Realtor Brianne Mactier stands on 1st Avenue, Ladysmith's main street.. Don Denton photo

Life and Style with Brianne Mactier

Positive energy is powerful

  • Apr 12, 2023
January 19, 2023 - Realtor Brianne Mactier stands on 1st Avenue, Ladysmith's main street.. Don Denton photo
Kelly Gillies at her Sona Wellness. Photograph by Darren Hull

Secrets and Lives with Kelly Gillies

Loving working in a wellness space

  • Apr 10, 2023
Kelly Gillies at her Sona Wellness. Photograph by Darren Hull
Farm fresh eggs from a vending machine? Who would have thought? And, yet, Doug Groenendijk has made it a reality. (Photo by Don Bodger)

B.C. farmer comes out of his shell to sell vending machine eggs

Vancouver Islands’ Doug Groenendijk says timing right to get cracking with a new venture

Farm fresh eggs from a vending machine? Who would have thought? And, yet, Doug Groenendijk has made it a reality. (Photo by Don Bodger)
(Black Press Media Creative)

TikTok fined $15.9M by UK watchdog over misuse of kids’ data

Britain’s privacy watchdog hit TikTok with a multimillion-dollar penalty Tuesday for misusing…

(Black Press Media Creative)
This photo shows a logo of a McDonald's restaurant in Havertown, Pa., on April 26, 2022. A report says McDonald’s has closed its U.S. offices for a few days as the company prepares to inform employees about layoffs. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

McDonald’s temporarily closes US offices ahead of layoffs

McDonald’s has closed its U.S. offices through Wednesday and told its corporate…

This photo shows a logo of a McDonald's restaurant in Havertown, Pa., on April 26, 2022. A report says McDonald’s has closed its U.S. offices for a few days as the company prepares to inform employees about layoffs. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
FILE - A sign bearing the Tesla company logo is displayed outside a Tesla store in Cherry Creek Mall in Denver, Colorado, Feb. 9, 2019. Tesla’s first-quarter vehicle sales in 2023 rose 36% after the company cut prices twice in a bid to stimulate demand. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Tesla sales rise 36% in first quarter, following price cuts

Maker delivered 422,875 vehicles worldwide from January to March

FILE - A sign bearing the Tesla company logo is displayed outside a Tesla store in Cherry Creek Mall in Denver, Colorado, Feb. 9, 2019. Tesla’s first-quarter vehicle sales in 2023 rose 36% after the company cut prices twice in a bid to stimulate demand. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
FILE - The Twitter splash page is seen on a digital device on April 25, 2022, in San Diego. Some parts of Twitter's source code, the fundamental computer code on which the social network operates, were leaked online, the social media company said in a legal filing on Sunday, March 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

Twitter hunts Github user who posted source code online

Some parts of Twitter’s source code — the fundamental computer code on…

FILE - The Twitter splash page is seen on a digital device on April 25, 2022, in San Diego. Some parts of Twitter's source code, the fundamental computer code on which the social network operates, were leaked online, the social media company said in a legal filing on Sunday, March 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)
Scott Thompson, founder of Mad Laboratory Distilling, works to keep grains moving from a hopper as they are fed to a mash tank while steam rises from a still being cleaned at the distillery, in Vancouver, on Thursday, March 9, 2023. Mad Lab switched to produce hand sanitizer during the pandemic but is now back to full-time production of alcoholic beverages.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

How did these companies survive the pitfalls of the pandemic pivot?

Many who turned to produce hand sanitizer, PPE in 2020 have struggled to transition back

Scott Thompson, founder of Mad Laboratory Distilling, works to keep grains moving from a hopper as they are fed to a mash tank while steam rises from a still being cleaned at the distillery, in Vancouver, on Thursday, March 9, 2023. Mad Lab switched to produce hand sanitizer during the pandemic but is now back to full-time production of alcoholic beverages.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Black Press Media File

UK bans TikTok on government phones on security grounds

British authorities said Thursday that they are banning the Chinese-owned video-sharing app…

Black Press Media File
People talk near a Meta sign outside of the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., Tuesday, March 7, 2023. Facebook’s parent Meta will slash another 10,000 jobs and will not fill 5,000 open positions as the social media pioneer cuts costs. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

A 2nd wave of layoffs at Meta 10,000 jobs are cut

Facebook parent Meta is slashing 10,000 jobs, about as many as the…

People talk near a Meta sign outside of the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., Tuesday, March 7, 2023. Facebook’s parent Meta will slash another 10,000 jobs and will not fill 5,000 open positions as the social media pioneer cuts costs. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Flair Airlines. (Photo via The Canadian Press)

Flair Airlines says 4 of its aircraft seized in a ‘commercial dispute’

Some flights may be impacted up until Monday

Flair Airlines. (Photo via The Canadian Press)
An Indigo bookstore is seen Wednesday, November 4, 2020 in Laval, Quebec. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

Indigo union demands more details on cyberattack, support for affected workers

Employees’ medical and immigration records part of February breach

An Indigo bookstore is seen Wednesday, November 4, 2020 in Laval, Quebec. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz