The Duncan RC Hobby Shop, located at 277 Government St., is moving to a new and larger location.
Owner Malcolm Butler said he will open his new location at 5797 Duncan St. on Feb. 1, the first anniversary of his acquisition of the hobby shop.
Butler, a retired naval logistics officer with the Royal Canadian Navy, said the new location will give him an additional 450 square feet of store space.
“It was a steep learning curve, but the first year was increasingly busy so I decided I needed more room to expand my inventory,” he said.
“There seems to be a lot more interest in hobbies in the Valley these days. We have a lot of trails, hills and fields and that gives a lot of opportunities for people who like hobbies to try things out.”
Two Cowichan businesses take home top prizes
Two Cowichan Valley Businesses took home top honours in their categories at the 18th Annual Vancouver Island Business Excellence Awards on Jan. 25.
Riot Brewing in Chemainus won in the Food & Food Production category, while Cobble Hill’s Creative Woodcraft was the winner in the Manufactured Wood Products category.
The sold-out event, held at Victoria’s Delta Ocean Pointe Resort, celebrated the best of the best of business on the Island for the past year.
Dodd’s Furniture, which has locations in Victoria and Nanaimo, was named Business of the Year, and Victoria’s Balance Home Cleaning took home Small Business of the Year at the event.
Home Depot in Duncan hiring 22 new employees
The Home Depot location in Duncan will be hiring 22 new associates this spring.
Overall, the home-improvement retailer plans to hire more than 1,300 full-time, part-time and seasonal associates across British Columbia to support its busiest selling season.
A press release said the company seeks enthusiastic associates who are passionate about helping customers and looking to join a winning team.
Home Depot will soon be hosting job fairs in all its 182 stores across the country, including Duncan. Candidates interested in working at Home Depot can visit the career website at www.homedepot.ca/jobs to view all current openings, scheduled career events, or to apply online from any device.
“Our unique culture, created by our people and values, sets Home Depot apart in our communities,” said Aliana Rozenek, Home Depot’s vice president of human resources.
“We’re committed to putting our associates first. Through experiential learning, mentorship programs, and extensive training, we create growth opportunities and provide the necessary tools to prepare our associates for every level of their career.”
B.C.’s Sun-Rype named Summer Games supplier
Kelowna-based Sun-Rype Products Ltd., a fruit-based food and beverage manufacturer, will be the official supplier of healthy food and drinks at the BC Summer Games in Cowichan this July.
In fact, the BC Games Society has chosen Sun-Rype to be the official supplier of food and drinks at summer and winter games in B.C. during the next three years.
Kelly Mann, president and CEO of the BC Games Society, said the choice of Sun-Rype will help ensure that BC Games athletes are fueled to perform at their very best.
“We are tremendously proud to welcome Sun-Rype to the BC Games family,” said Mann.
“While the Games have benefited from the generous support of Sun-Rype in the past, this ongoing commitment ensures that we can continue to provide healthy food choices for our athletes at every Games.”
New physical training centre opening in Duncan
A new physical training centre will soon be opening in Duncan at 3110 Gibbins Rd.
Wilfit Training, which is owned by Wilhelmina Toews, who has more than 20 years experience with personal and group health training in the Cowichan Valley, will open on Feb. 5
Wilfit Training will offer personal, group and corporate training, and Toews’s classes will be friendly for all, from beginners to advanced participants.
Toews said she has been working at Start Line Health and Wellness Group’s long-time location on Beverly Street, and she’s opening her business in conjunction with Start Line’s new second location on Gibbins Road.
Start Line specializes in a wide range of medical services, including physiotherapy, message therapy, kinesiology and athletic therapy.
“This opportunity opened up and I was more than pleased to take it,” Toews said.