is the key piece of the puzzle,” Ian explains. “There’s a lot of talk out there about how we need to be doing more of this, but the process to get land use designation changed – to make it more appropriate for today’s market – takes a really long time. It’s a complex process. It involves a lot of people. A lot of input is required.” “For example, that three-unit project we’re doing now – it’s taken us two years to get the variance permits. We’re not even at the building permits stage. Those two years comes with a cost. Not just for us, but for the community. If we were building now, we’d be spending more money in the community. We’d be buying supplies, we’d be hiring trades. That’s not happening right now. That’s something that’s too often overlooked.” To address the situation, Ian is part of a current Canadian Home Builders Association (CHBA) initiative where, along with the City of Vernon, they have formed a developer’s workgroup to tackle the issues of processing and permitting of change of land use for multifamily, infill housing in the region. There have already been some notable successes within the first year of operation. Regarding that industry participation, Ian feels that membership of professional organizations such as the CHBA is a “definite must for any builder or developer that wants to be taken seriously.” “Being a member of the CHBA opens doors to a varied group of professionals not only at the operations level, but also at the strategic level, and leveraging this knowledge and access to information gives a definite boost to builders.” Lastly, Ian says that the company’s goal is to continue to disrupt – “in a good way” – the residential construction industry. They want to continue raising the standard for quality in their price bracket, and they want to continue making homes that are more attainable to more buyers. They also want to continue getting better and more efficient, Ian concludes: “We come from a technological background, and we’re always looking to improve on our processes. I used to be a project manager implementing software systems. I still always do a post-project analysis. We always ask ‘What can we do better next time? What can we do differently? How can we improve?’ Ultimately, we want to do what’s best for the homeowner, and we’re always considering what that means.” DECEMBER 2022
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