Archipelago buyout complete
Archipelago Marine Research has completed a management buyout with new owners who were already working with the 42-year-old company.
Gord Snell is now president and chief executive, Wes Wong is chief financial officer and Scott Buchanan is vice-president following a May agreement with founders Brian Emmett, Howard McElderry and Shawn Stebbins.
New owners are already in senior positions within the company. The past owners will scale back their roles.
The founders will continue to advise the new owners to assist with the transition for the foreseeable future and will be on the board of directors, a statement said.
Headquartered in Esquimalt, the company specializes in marine resource management services and has more than 120 employees.
Services include fisheries observers, electronic monitoring programs and equipment for commercial fisheries, and environmental assessment services.
The company has worked in Canada, Europe and Asia Pacific.
Events at Saanich farm put on hold
Saanich farmer Rob Galey has gone to great lengths to diversify his farming operation and make it a tourism destination.
Over the years, he has built a small railway though the farm, added the world’s “tallest gnome” at 26 feet and offered a popular corn maze, Pumpkinfest and Halloween festival.
But Galey says he is putting all agritourism events at the farm on Blenkinsop Road on hold until after Labour Day, and is not planning for any events until more is known about the pandemic.
Art gallery’s board takes on new look
A new president and four new directors have been elected to the board of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.
Chris Lawless was elected president at the gallery’s first virtual board meeting, succeeding Christopher Jones.
Lawless is executive in residence at the University of Victoria’s Gustavson School of Business and is the former chief economist of the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation. He also served the province’s Finance Ministry from 1982 to 2001, and at the Library of Parliament as an economist and adviser to House of Commons and Senate committees.
Mona Chai, Donna Jones, Patricia Lortie and Nikki Macdonald were elected for their first two-year terms on the board.
Five current board members agreed to remain: Robert Coulter, Anne Minnings and Norbert Gilmore will serve their second terms, while Lynda Gammon and Lawrence Graham will serve their third.
Christopher Jones will remain on the board as past president for the next year. He and board member Coulter received life memberships to the AGGV in recognition of their substantial service to the gallery.
