Dr. Ron Smith, a well known dentist in the Cowichan Valley, is the recipient of the prestigious Medal Of Honour from the Canadian Dental Association.
The Medal of Honour is considered the pinnacle award of the CDA.
“Its purpose is to recognize an individual who has given extraordinary service to the profession and to the CDA, resulting in significant change,” the CDA said.
“This award is intended to recognize outstanding service, leadership and humanitarianism at the local, provincial, national, and international level. Recipients must be dentists and must be members of the CDA.”
Smith is a past president of the BC Dental Association and the CDA, and has been active in multiple facets of the CDA’s work over a period of many years.
“Contributing to the betterment of my profession has been a rewarding experience in itself,” Smith said.
“I am honoured to have been selected by my peers for this prestigious award.”
Due to the distinctive and special nature of this award, there is no requirement for the award to be given in any one year.
According to the rules of the CDA, only one award will be given at any one time, and only two awards will be given within any five-year period.
There will only be 10 living recipients holding this award at any one time.
The award will only be given to living recipients and not posthumously.
The timing of the presentation of the award to Smith has yet to be confirmed, but may be held in April at the CDA’s AGM in Ottawa.
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A new vintage store, called Turn Back Time, has opened on Vimy Road in Duncan.
Owner Julie Stevens said her store does consignment work for local artists who work with furniture, home decor, garden wares and other artistic creations.
She said there are currently eight artist consigning their work from the store, located at 5220 Vimy Rd., but she can handle as many artists as come forward.
“We’ve just had our third weekend in business, and we’ve been busy since we began,” Stevens said.
“There is a demand for work from local artists and stores like this have become popular destinations in the region. But there’s only one other like us in Duncan, so we thought that we had something to offer here. It’s been a lot of fun so far.”
Turn Back Time is open Fridays through Sundays. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by appointment.
Stevens can be contacted at turn backtime@shaw.ca, or by calling 250-710-8991.
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Martin’s Clothing Store, located at 33 Station St. in Duncan, is planning to close for good on Aug. 28.
Owner Susan Martin said the COVID-19 pandemic was the “last straw” for the store, which, like many businesses, had to close for a period of time in the early stages of the pandemic.
She said business has been improving at the store in recent months, but she has decided to close it and return to bookkeeping.
Martin said anyone interested in taking over the business, and/or buying her remaining inventory, should contact the store.
In the meantime, she encouraged anyone who has outstanding gift certificates or credit at Martin’s Clothing Store to use them before Aug. 28.
“We are so thankful to everyone who has supported us over the years,” Martin said.
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White Spot and Triple O’s locations across B.C., including the Cowichan Valley, raised $212,574 for the Canadian Red Cross B.C. wildfire relief fund through the donation of $2 from every burger sold at their locations on July 29.
The money raised, which includes matched donations from the province and Ottawa, is intended to help those impacted by the hundreds of wildfires currently burning in B.C.
“White Spot and Triple O’s guests, franchisees and employees have a long-standing generous tradition of giving,” says Warren Erhart, president of White Spot Restaurants.
“When there’s a need, our teams and partners are always ready to help at a moment’s notice and our guests will always support in any way they can. Our thoughts and hearts go out to those who have been affected by the recent fires, and we are grateful to be able to contribute to the relief efforts.”
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Now through Aug. 31, Unsworth Vineyards will be donating, to the B.C. Hospitality Foundation, $1 per bottle of Charme de l’île Rosé, 2020 Rosé, and 2019 Pinot Noir sold.
The Mill Bay-based vineyard has $5,000 as its goal for the fundraiser for the BCHF, a charity that raises funds to support those in the hospitality industry facing financial crisis due to a health condition.
Unsworth plans to have $4,000 of the funds raised go to beneficiaries who apply for relief funding from the BCHF, and $1,000 will go to a scholarship for an up-and-coming B.C. wine-making or viticulture student.
“Enjoy the summer sipping Unsworth Pinot Noir wine, rosé, and sparkling while helping us support the BCHF, our charity of choice,” Unsworth said on its website.
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Canadian-based restaurant franchise Mr. Mike’s SteakhouseCasual, which has a location in Duncan, has developed a progressive advantage program to increase hiring and provide incentives for team members to stay and grow within the company.
The program includes three components consisting of MIKES Self Betterment Bucks, team-member health benefits matching and an extensive staff discount program.
All team members at Mr. Mike’s get a 40 per cent discount on their food bill when they dine at any Mr. Mike’s location, including up to three accompanying guests; Mr. Mike’s restaurants will match funds to all qualifying team members for its health benefits package; and every four months, all qualifying employees can submit for up to $250 to use towards their personal growth and goals.
A press release from Mr. Mike’s said the restaurant franchise recognizes that the Canadian hospitality industry has changed drastically over the last year and a half due to the pandemic.
The release said the MIKES Advantage program has been created to enhance the company’s hiring and retention strategy and will provide team members with much more than the regular hourly wage.
“We are excited to get this program off the ground and implemented in all Mr. Mike’s locations Canada-wide,” said Tony Zidar, SVP Operations for Mr. Mike’s.
“Currently, employees are seeking more than just an hourly wage, and by offering the MIKES Advantage program, we are hoping to help Mr. Mike’s stand out from its competitors by providing enhanced personal fulfillment opportunities while working at any of our locations.”
Additionally, Mr. Mike’s is now offering a referral program which allows employees to earn $200 if they refer someone who gets hired at any location.
For more information on Mr. Mike’s, go to www.mrmikes.ca/mikes-life/.