Victoria’s Catherine Nickerson, principal of Nickerson Consulting Services, has been named a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. Nickerson, whose company focuses on government-funded capital construction and renewal projects, is one of 37 new Fellows named in 2017. Others include a designer of the Vancouver SkyTrain, a Toronto living wall pioneer, a Montreal expert on heritage materials conservation and two Winnipeg architects reimagining that prairie city. The College of Fellows of the RAIC, bestows Fellowship in recognition of outstanding achievement based on design excellence, exceptional scholarly contribution, or distinguished service to the profession or the community.
Mill Bay woman wins human resources honour
Mill Bay’s Ilka Bene, assistant vice president of human resources at First West Credit Union, has been named HR Professional of the Year by the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources of B.C. and Yukon.
The award is given annually to a human resources practitioner who demonstrates leadership, achieves business results and improves their organization's bottom line. “I’ve dedicated more than 30 years to HR — the last 15 with Island Savings, a division of First West. Through this time I've seen the impact of thoughtful, strategic HR practices and believe it makes all the difference to the success of any organization and the people who work there,” Bene said.
Pacific Trekking on the move
Pacific Trekking, an outdoors retailer founded just over 30 years ago, has moved from its long-time location on Government Street to 688 Broughton St., into the space formerly known as Tony’s Magic and Trick Shop. Owner Frank Fuccenecco opened the new location April 1. He said the move was prompted by the sale of the Government Street site and that the new location gave him the opportunity to downsize and better organize and display his inventory of outdoor clothing and accessories. Pacific Trekking was founded in 1984 by Guy and Patricia Jutras in Duncan and moved to Victoria two years later.
New executive for newcomers club
The Victoria Women’s Newcomers Club has named its new executive — president Esther Silver; vice-presidents Fran Ackerman and Lynn Hewitt; treasurer Lauren Buchner; and secretary: Trudie Lazaruk. Executive co-ordinators include Debby Sollway, Marion Robertson, Becky Walz, Caroline Anderson-Zsolay, Margaret Bell and Pat Preston. The club was established
20 years ago and has a membership of more than 150 women who have relocated to Victoria in the past three years from places across Canada, the U.S. and Europe. It is a volunteer organization where women new to the city build friendships and knowledge of the community through social, cultural and outdoor activities.
