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Category: Business

An American in Kelowna – Getting to Know Right-Wing Mayor Colin Basran

An American in Kelowna – Getting to Know Right-Wing Mayor Colin Basran

Calling Colin Basran, Kelowna’s newly elected and youngest-ever Mayor, a right winger would not be an inaccurate statement.         Allow me to explain. On the second Friday of January, Elaine and I had a chance to sit down with Mayor Basran in his City Hall third-floor office. We were invited guests looking to network and get the skinny on Kelowna’s slender skipper. We barely broached the subjects of his political persuasions or party caucuses. Ho hum. I…

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An American in Kelowna – Family Matters at Big White Ski Resort

An American in Kelowna – Family Matters at Big White Ski Resort

Riddle me this: “Two Skis walk into a ski resort without any intention of snapping on skis or getting a lift up the ski slopes in order to ski down like ski bums……”         The two Skis would be Jim + Elaine. The ski resort would be Big White (www.bigwhite.com). The rest of the story would be us experiencing firsthand the family-friendly atmosphere and Gondola rides at Big White Ski Resort.       Many thanks to…

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An American in Kelowna – Dr. Joy to the World of Branding

An American in Kelowna – Dr. Joy to the World of Branding

For me, it had been a long, long time since I had a chance to have a cordial conversation with a tenured full professor on a bustling college campus.       That all changed with a December finals-week meeting with Dr. Annamma Joy. Born in India, this Canadian citizen is a Professor of Marketing and Faculty Research Coordinator in the Faculty of Management at the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO). She’s a self-described “globetrotter” who has lived and taught…

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An American in Kelowna – our Meeting with Ron Cannan, Privy Council (PC) and Member of Parliament (MP)

An American in Kelowna – our Meeting with Ron Cannan, Privy Council (PC) and Member of Parliament (MP)

“Please rise for The Honourable Ronald D. Cannan, PC, MP.” Just kidding, we didn’t have to do that! However, Elaine and I felt fortunate being able to schedule a meeting with Mr. Cannan at his Kelowna office on Friday, November 14. We had crossed paths with our local leader, Privy Council (PC) and Member of Parliament (MP), 72 hours earlier at the Remembrance Day 2014 ceremony in City Park. A couple of warm handshakes and friendly banter turned into a…

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An American in Kelowna – No Phone, No Permit, No Problems

An American in Kelowna – No Phone, No Permit, No Problems

Oh, the horror?!       Can you imagine heading into 2015 without a mobile device or tablet at your beck and call?         I  can. Come January and the foreseeable future, welcome to my quieter world. I haven’t coddled a personal mobile marvel in my knotty palms since July. No texts. No calls. No apps. No selfies.           Oh, the humanity – how do I live?     I’ll tell you how I live….

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An American in Kelowna – The Wizard of Koz……and Netnography

An American in Kelowna – The Wizard of Koz……and Netnography

Elaine and I were eager to learn and expand our digital dexterity. On a November Tuesday night – we attended a Visiting Speaker Series at Kelowna’s Rotary Centre for the Arts on Cawston Avenue. The Faculty of Management at the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO) was the presenting sponsor. The topic du jour had a salacious bent:  “The Brand Ménage à Trois – An Intimate Engagement with the Social.” Sounded intriguing. Would we be blushing at any point?! All…

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