Setting up shop in this town can be a risky undertaking at the best of times. Sometimes it's anybody's guess what separates the winners from the losers but there are more than enough success stories to guide our inquiry.
Although the Test of Metal is not a business in the conventional sense, it has become a major contributor to the local economy. This year the race took all of 25 minutes to sell out. Nearly 1,000 riders will navigate the gruelling course in June and more than 300 volunteers will make sure the whole show comes off without a hitch.
The first such event, known as the Brodie Test of Metal, was held in 1994. When that race was discontinued, Cliff Miller, Squamish Off-Road Cycling Association (SORCA) founder and president, subsequently took over the rights and incorporated the Test as a company, channelling any profit above what is required to run the race back into the community to help promote and develop mountain biking and trails.
Back in 1965, Owen Carney translated dumpsters into dollars by launching a business collecting other people's garbage. The operation now manages waste and recycling facilities on behalf of Squamish, the Whistler and Pemberton transfer stations and the Whistler compost facility. Carney's Waste Systems, with 30 trucks and 70 employees, has become a benchmark for the industry. Owen Carney is also one of the founding members of the Whistler Weasel Workers, an internationally recognized non-profit society dedicated to setting up ski racecourses and the support and organization of ski racing competitions.
In 1991, Don Smith took a chance and decided to open a gym in a strip mall beside Save-On Foods. Twenty years later, with 6,000 square feet of floor space and an array of free weights, treadmills, state-of-the-art cross trainers, stair-climbers, spin bikes and rowing machines, and more than 600 members, Club Flex Athletics is one of the most successful and longest-surviving fitness facilities in town. On most days the place opens at 5 a.m. and closes at 10 p.m. to give the membership the best possible workout window.
Fifteen years ago, Dave Fenn and his partners tapped into the craft-brewing renaissance by opening the Howe Sound Brew Pub in a sector controlled, for the most part, by suds juggernauts like Molson's and Labatt's. The Brew Pub proponents harnessed the brain power of John Mitchell, the granddaddy of micro-brewing in Canada, and haven't lost a step since. Besides acquiring a reputation for its diverse selection of award-winning ales, the Brew Pub has become a community entertainment hub.
Across the road from the old B.C. Rail yards, Don Evans' passion for trains and his ability to attract major funding from all levels of government has translated into the West Coast Railway Heritage Park, an internationally recognized Squamish attraction. After the recently completed $5 million Roundhouse and Conference Centre was opened, local MP John Weston said, "I have seen the best of Squamish emerge in highlighting heritage, volunteerism, and community spirit. This one-of-a-kind conference centre will bring Canadians and people from around the world to Squamish's doorstep."
When everything is said and done, through a combination of personal vision, drive, and the ability to harness the required support networks, these five entrepreneurs have made their mark on the local business landscape.
