Bud and Vivian Walker, who founded the Great Canadian Dollar Store in 1993 and headquartered the national discount chain on Victoria’s Jutland Avenue, have sold the franchise business.
The Walkers said a deal was made with Kevin Kane of Quispamsis, N.B., who operates 30 stores in Atlantic Canada and has been a franchise member since 1997 and an agent for the company in the region. No financial details were released.
The Walkers said that Kane will maintain the Great Canadian Dollar Store’s head office in Victoria.
Great Canadian has 94 stores across Canada in eight provinces and the Yukon, including 22 in British Columbia. The company has 12 Island stores, six of which are in Greater Victoria.
The highest concentration of stores is in New Brunswick, which has 33.
The Walkers said they were pleased to be handing off the business “to someone as well known and respected as Mr. Kane. We are sure that under Mr. Kane’s guidance that Great Canadian will continue to be a leader in the franchised dollar-store sector.”
On the move
Maycock Eyecare has welcomed Dr. Toby Vallance to its team of optometrists. Vallance earned his doctorate of optometry with honours from the University of California at Berkeley in 1997. He comes to Victoria from Alberta, where he operated two eye clinics in downtown Calgary. An active member of Canadian Vision Care, Vallance has made several trips to less-developed countries over the last 18 years, providing free eye care to more than 6,000 individuals in need. Call 250-384-4175.
Burton leads sanctuary
Kathleen Burton has taken the position as executive director at the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary. Burton, who was most recently at Mount St. Mary Hospital Foundation, takes over the role as Swan Lake puts together a strategic plan to see it well into the next 40 years. “I look forward to leading the team, and meeting with stakeholders, volunteers and community partners who share an interest in the rocky, oak-forested highlands of Christmas Hill and the marshy lowlands surrounding Swan Lake,” she said.
NI College gets new trades leader
Chris Udy is the interim director of trades, technology and industry training for North Island College. Udy is a journeyman metal fabricator, Level-A welder and is Red Seal certified.
