Modern Country Interiors furniture store in Duncan has a new name and a new owner.
Nenagh McCulloch, 24-years-old, took over the business last week from the retiring Kim Shockey, who ran it for 18 years.
McCulloch said she has decided to part ways with the other two Modern Country Interior stores in Calgary and Saskatoon and strike out on her own, and is renaming her store Modern Coastal Interiors.
She said the business will keep making custom-made furniture as it has always done, but she intends to give it a “coastal flavour” that is reflected in its new name.
McCulloch said the store will feature display art from local artists that will “complement” the business and give customers ideas about decorating their homes, along with the furniture.
“I saw a great business opportunity and decided to take it,” McCulloch said on her first day of being the boss on July 29.
“Making the store independent of the other two made sense to me, and it makes the running of the business less complicated. We will continue to make locally made furniture that is all custom made. Customers will still come in with an idea and a dream, and we’ll make it come to life for them.”
Aerie Resort to reopen as Eyrie in September
The Malahat’s world-class Aerie Resort, closed since 2010, will reopen in September as the Villa Eyrie Resort.
The luxury hotel, known for its fantastic views, has been acquired by a group affiliated with the GAIN Dealer Group, which owns the new Vancouver Island Motorsport Circuit racetrack in the Cowichan Valley.
Peter Trzewik, a spokesman for the dealer group, said the resort has been completely renovated and, despite its connection to the racetrack, will be open to the general public as well.
“The resort’s pub will have a motor sports theme, but the connection to motor sports in the rest of the resort will be kept low key,” he said.
“The fact is the Cowichan Valley is very beautiful and has lots of visitors, but it lacks hotel space.”
Lauded internationally, the award-winning Aerie Resort opened in the early 1990s and was expanded in subsequent years before finally closing in the wake of a challenging tourism climate.
Mr. Mikes staff gives back with farm work
The staff at Mr. Mikes Steakhouse in Duncan spent much of the day weeding gardens and helping out with other chores at Providence Farms on July 26.
Owner Chad Conrad said the restaurant was closed for the annual staff party that day, so he thought it would be a good contribution for the community if he and his staff spent three hours before the party volunteering at the farm, which runs a therapeutic program for people with mental health or developmental problems.
“I’ve always found that fundraising for causes and volunteering are the pillars of any business, so I felt it was the least we can do to give back to the community,” Conrad said.
“About 20 of my staff participated and everyone had a great time.”
Nanaimo Volkswagon earns Wolfsburg award
Harbourview Volkswagen in Nanaimo has earned a prestigious Wolfsburg Crest Club Award for 2016 from Volkswagen Canada.
The dealership, which is owned and operated by the Wynia family and serves the mid-Island region, including the Cowichan Valley, was one of just 14 Volkswagen dealerships in Canada to win the award this year.
The award highlights the top performing dealerships and employees in Canada for their exemplary performance.
Harbourview Volkswagen has won the award five times in recent years.
Sjon Wynia attributes the success of the dealership to its “great team” of employees.
“They’ve been with us a long time, and we couldn’t do it without them,” he said.
London Drugs a getting into lemonade
The London Drugs location in Duncan is partnering with the Canadian Red Cross in the “Lemonade for Change” program this summer.
All the London Drug stores in Western Canada are inviting kids, aged 10 to 18 years old, to participate in the program.
The program is about youth using their entrepreneurial spirit to donate funds raised to the Canadian Red Cross to aid in relief efforts in their communities.
By participating, youth have the opportunity to win prizes, including tickets to WE DAY Vancouver and WE DAY Alberta, two global-minded events that will be held this fall.
From now until the end of August, participating young entrepreneurs will be tasked with re-imagining the traditional lemonade stand and leveraging their social-media prowess and their personal networks to help raise awareness of their own Lemonade for Change business.
“With this modern twist on the lemonade stand, youth can get their creative juices flowing and encourage their communities to join them in their fundraising efforts,” said Kim Nemrava, vice-president of the Canadian Red Cross BC & Yukon.
“Whether it’s a forest fire or another disaster or emergency, funds raised through the program will help the Red Cross and local communities be ready during times of great need.”
robert.barron@cowichanvalleycitizen.com