The deal, anounced Nov. 5, marks a major step in Pembina’s efforts to commercialize Cedar LNG, which it is developing in partnership with the Haisla Nation. Under the agreement, Pembina will provide transportation and liquefaction services to Petronas through a synthetic tolling structure, which Pembina says supports Petronas’ existing natural gas production operations in Canada.

“This agreement further validates Cedar LNG and highlights the strong demand for global export capacity given the clear advantages of Canadian West Coast LNG, including competitively priced feedstock and advantaged shipping distances to Asian markets,” said Stu Taylor, Pembina’s Senior Vice President & Corporate Development Officer.

Petronas, through its Canadian subsidiary, is already one of the largest natural gas producers in the country. The agreement secures a long-term outlet for its gas, while providing Pembina with a stable, take-or-pay revenue stream.

“This milestone reflects Petronas’ long-standing commitment to our investment in Canada and our continued effort to fortify our global LNG supply portfolio,” said Shamsairi M Ibrahim, Vice President of LNG Marketing and Trading, Petronas Gas and Maritime Business. “We welcome this partnership with Pembina and the Cedar LNG project, as it underscores Petronas’ role as an integrated energy player and demonstrates our dedication to responsibly monetize our gas resources.”

The agreement is also a key part of Pembina’s strategy to re-market 1.5 mtpa of capacity it committed to in June 2024 to help secure a final investment decision on Cedar LNG. With the Petronas deal now signed, Pembina expects to finalize arrangements for the remaining 0.5 mtpa by the end of 2025.

Cedar LNG is a US$4 billion floating liquefied natural gas project with Indigenous ownership through the Haisla Nation. It remains on schedule and on budget, with construction targeted for completion and in-service by late 2028.

At the Canadian Tourism Awards held on Nov. 20 in Gatineau, Que., the resort was named Business of the Year.

“As a Canadian family-run business, this is an incredible honour,” said Big White owner and CEO Peter Plimmer. “I am humbled by this recognition, and proud to accept it on behalf of our entire team.”

Each year, the Business of the Year award highlights organizations that show a strong business performance, operate at a high level of customer service and show a commitment to supporting Canadian tourism. It is one of 12 honours awards at the annual event.

“This isn’t achieved by one person,” added Plimmer. “Whether someone has worked at Big White for one season or for 40, I am grateful for their dedication and proud to share this award with them.”

Copper Quest Exploration has entered into an agreement to purchase a 100 per cent interest in the Kitimat Copper-Gold Project, located approximately 10 kilometres northwest of Kitimat. The 2,954-hectare property is accessible by logging and exploration roads, and lies close to tidewater, rail lines and high-voltage hydro infrastructure.

“This project is ideally located with exceptional infrastructure, in a proven geological belt known for hosting major copper-gold systems,” said Brian Thurston, CEO of Copper Quest.

The property lies within the Skeena Mining Division, in a mineral-rich zone known as the Stikine Terrane. Copper Quest plans to focus its exploration on the Jeannette Cu-Au Zone, where previous studies suggest the presence of a larger porphyry copper-gold system.

Drilling on the property has revealed consistent copper and gold deposits between roughly 100 and 120 metres below the surface. Three key drill holes showed over one gram of gold per tonne of rock and around half a per cent copper. According to Copper Quest, the results suggest a strong near-surface deposit that remains open at depth and may extend beyond the areas tested so far.

Under the terms of the acquisition, Copper Quest has until Jan. 5, 2026 to complete its due diligence review. If the purchase proceeds, the company will issue two million common shares to the vendor, Bernie Kreft, on Jan. 6, 2026. The agreement includes a 2.5 per cent net smelter return royalty, with 40 per cent of that royalty eligible for repurchase by the company for $1 million. A finder’s fee will also be paid as part of the transaction.

Kreft is a Canadian prospector and entrepreneur known for his appearance on the Discovery Channel’s Yukon Gold television series.

Copper Quest said it plans to use artificial intelligence to integrate historic and modern geological data to guide further exploration. That may include mapping, sampling and geophysical surveys such as ground magnetics, induced polarization and passive seismic methods. A follow-up drill program is also being considered to test priority targets within the mineralized zone.

The company announced Tuesday (Oct. 29) that the funds include amounts CRA withheld during the appeal, plus accrued interest.

The appeal was resolved in March, when the B.C. Supreme Court ruled that Seabridge’s expenditures qualified under the B.C. Mining Exploration Tax Credit (BC METC) program and awarded the company reimbursement of trial costs.

“We are pleased to have had our interpretation of the Income Tax Act confirmed and to have the BC METC challenge behind us,” said Seabridge chair and CEO Rudi Fronk in a statement.

“We now look forward to resolving CRA’s larger denial of flow-through mining expenditures that we renounced to investors.”

The CRA had originally disallowed $15.8 million in claimed expenses, but the court later found the costs were incurred to establish “the existence, location, extent or quality of a mineral resource,” according to Seabrdige. More than 92 per cent of the company’s claimed expenses were upheld.

Seabridge is now seeking to recover an additional $9.4 million paid to CRA in tax, penalties and interest tied to a separate dispute over flow-through share deductions for its 2014–2016 exploration programs. The company says the expenses in question are of the same type as those validated in the BC METC ruling and believes CRA should reverse the related reassessments.

Seabridge Gold is a Canadian exploration company with offices in Smithers and is focused on large-scale gold and copper deposits, primarily in northwestern B.C.’s Golden Triangle.

Its flagship KSM project near Stewart is one of the world’s largest undeveloped gold-copper deposits. The company also owns the nearby Iskut project, which is being explored for additional gold-copper potential

His decision to give up drinking has been, in his mind, life-saving.

“I wouldn’t be alive if I was still drinking,” Renfrew, now 19 years sober, told The Morning Star.

In walking the walk, Renfrew has led others down the path of sobriety by example. It’s a path he also grooms professionally. He’s an addictions and recovery counsellor who has run his private practice, Ten66 Recovery, for about seven years in Vernon.

And now, Renfrew has made going alcohol-free easier for Vernonites by opening a non-alcoholic beverage store in town.

Sobr Market opened doors at 1077 Fairweather Rd., on Sept. 19. It’s the first Sobr Market franchise in Western Canada, and it carries only non-alcoholic beverages.

Renfrew saw an article featuring Sobr Market and, liking the concept, he reached out to ask the owners if they were interested in franchising out west. About nine months ago the owners agreed, and now Vernon has a dedicated store for those looking to enjoy beverages that merely have a flavourful kick, not an alcoholic one.

For Renfrew, who is continuing his addictions recovery counselling while on this new entrepreneurial pursuit, the appeal of Sobr Market is that it gives people in town more options.

“There’s a lot of people that are either choosing to reduce, people who are choosing to stop for medical reasons, in pregnancy, breastfeeding — there’s a whole bunch of reasons why people do stop consuming alcohol,” he said. “But for a lot of those people, they still want to be be able to have the taste and enjoy a mocktail every once in a while.”

The store fills a gap in the market. While other liquor stores in town have non-alcoholic selections, Sobr Market is a standalone business, detached from any alcoholic products altogether.

Renfrew believes that makes the choice to go non-alcoholic easier for people than if alcoholic drinks are just an aisle away.

As a successfully recovering alcoholic himself, and as a counsellor who deals with alcoholism among other issues, Renfrew understands the stigma that can come with giving up alcohol. He thinks his beverages can help with that.

Take, for instance, a scenario in which a person looking to quit or reduce alcohol is invited to a house party. What do they bring with them?

“If you show up with a six pack of Coke, sometimes there’s people there who are like, ‘What are you doing? Why’d you just bring Coke?’” Renfrew said. “If they show up with a six pack of non-alcoholic, a lot of people won’t even ask.”

The non-alcoholic market has been growing in recent years, to the point where Renfrew felt Sobr Market would be a viable business. So far, business has been good, he said.

“The non-alcoholic world I feel is a really neat and really powerful community, and I think that there’s a lot of support that’s there,” he said.

Renfrew is looking to combine this alcohol-free space with his sensibilities as a counsellor. He sees himself as someone who can assist people on their journey, whatever that looks like.

“In terms of this being a safe space, that is 100 per cent my vision,” he said.

The non-alcoholic Captain Morgan rum tastes like Captain Morgan rum. The alcohol-free tequila mimics regular tequila’s kick, without the hangover.

But there are other options for those who may have recently stopped drinking and, as Renfrew suggested, might be triggered were they to try mock hard liquor. There are cider and beer options that are a bit more easy-going and a good stepping stone into the alcohol-free world.

Renfrew is behind the counter ready to help people make these decisions, should they want help.

There wasn’t anything like Sobr Market around when Renfrew quit drinking in 2006. He’s hopeful that people with a wide array of goals, or those who simply prefer abstinence, will check out his store and see if there’s anything there for them.

There are plenty of Canadian beers and ciders, wines from Italy and Germany, and bottles from big-name brands on the shelves.

Renfrew said when looking at statistics, he’s found that this generation of youth is choosing to abstain from alcohol at a higher rate. While he’s not against drinking and would never judge anyone who drinks, he said that’s a positive development in his eyes.

He even has a sign in the store that he once saw, which reads: ‘Drink like you won’t wake up in a bush.’

“As soon as I saw it I laughed, ‘cause I was like, I have slept in a bush,” Renfrew said with a smile.

Beyond putting an end to hangovers and the sinking feeling that comes with waking up somewhere unfamiliar, sobriety has given Renfrew the chance to enjoy life more fully, and to open up a business venture he hopes will be a success.

READ MORE: Vernon addictions counsellor wants to build treatment centre, but needs help

READ MORE: Okanagan sommeliers’ non-alcoholic beverage business booming

Eleanor von Boetticher, founder of Pro Elvis Jumpsuits, is one of a handful of the show’s alumni businesses that will be profiled during the broadcast Thursday, Oct. 16, at 8 p.m. 

Von Boetticher appeared on the fifth episode of the show’s fourth season in 2009 when Pro Elvis Jumpsuits was just a fledgling company looking for an angel investor or a dragon to help it get off the ground. 

Instead of taking part ownership of the company, dragon Brett Wilson offered a loan, which gave von Boetticher the boost her company needed. Today the company has seven employees who help create costumes for Elvis impersonators around the world. 

“In those beginning couple of years it was just me, and then, after Dragon’s Den, we started hiring people and preparing to expand,” von Boetticher said. 

The loan helped the company buy the materials to expand into a ready-to-wear line of costumes, which allowed it to increase production beyond the custom-fitted suits which took longer to produce. 

“The demand was definitely there and one of the major obstacles for people was having to wait months to get a costume made as opposed to weeks,” she said. 

On any given day, the company, which still makes and ships all of its products in Nanaimo, will ship to Australia, Asia and elsewhere, but more than half of its business still comes from south of the border. 

With success comes complexity.

“With the volume that we’re doing now it’s always a challenge to keep track of everything. There’s major logistics in terms of keeping supplies on hand, shipping, keeping track of customer likes and dislikes and fit and everything,” von Boetticher said. 

U.S. impose tariffs add a “whole other layer” she has to navigate.

“It’s changed the whole shipping landscape to the States for us. So it’s not just us learning, but it’s also keeping the customers informed, as well, of what’s happening,” she said. “It’s definitely time-consuming and costing us right now, but hopefully, as things sort of settle down and people learn and when we learn what this landscape is about, it should sort itself out.” 

Nearly 50 years after his death, Elvis Presley’s popularity remains strong as does the desire to impersonate him. Von Boetticher said the King’s fan base remains loyal and there is a huge worldwide following for his impersonators.

“Our customers have fans who go and see every single one of their shows and it’s not just a fan base for Elvis, these Elvis tribute artists have a fan base just for them as well,” she said. “You see in the Port Theatre there’s regular Elvis shows that keep on coming through and they fill the theatre.” 

The annual Penticton Elvis Festival packs in thousands of fans and professional and non-professional Elvis tribute artists from around the world. 

“I was just on the phone this morning with a new customer who works at the Little Elvis Chapel in Vegas,” she said. “We’ve outfitted most of the people who work through there, but yeah, getting married by Elvis in Vegas is still a big thing.”

Von Boetticher said it's her understanding that CBC's segment on Elvis Pro Jumpsuits will be about seven to eight minutes long. A production crew came to Nanaimo in June to film her family and footage from around Nanaimo.

“They were interested because the kids were babies when we first were on the show and now they’re grown up, so there’s lots of family shots on Westwood Lake, so we’ll see a little bit of Nanaimo."

Von Boetticher said launching a business is no small task and she’s eager to show Nanaimo and Canada what the company has accomplished since its first Dragons’ Den appearance more than 15 years ago. 

“I’m really grateful in all the ways Nanaimo has given us a home … There’s just so many other small creative enterprises in the city here that have contributed to what we do over the years, as well, and I feel like Nanaimo’s really fostered this business and helped us grow,” von Boetticher said. 

Starting Oct. 6, passengers looking to travel to Calgary can book the new scenic Vancouver-Kelowna-Calgary route.

The new route will stop in Sicamous, Revelstoke, Golden, Lake Louise, Banff and Canmore, allowing passengers to travel between B.C. and Alberta without any overnight layovers.

• Sicamous, B.C. – 1229 Eagle Pass Way (Shell Station)
• Revelstoke, B.C. – 1872 Trans-Canada Highway (Petro-Canada)
• Golden, B.C. – 1417 North Trans-Canada Highway (Petro-Canada)
• Lake Louise, Alta. – 200 Village Rd. (Shell Station)
• Banff, Alta. – 100 Gopher Ave.
• Canmore, Alta. – 1602 2nd Ave. (Northwinds Hotel)

"Ebus is committed to making travel more accessible and stress-free for Canadians," Lisa Davis, vice president of Motorcoach, said.

"It's about giving people more choice, more convenience, and a travel experience they can rely on."

Glen Desjardine, Ebus BC operations manager, celebrated the news of the new route.

"This new route gives travellers more flexibility to move between B.C. and Alberta while enjoying the incredible scenery of the mountain corridor."

Both companies operate in the province’s mineral-rich Golden Triangle. Seabridge is developing the large-scale gold and copper KSM project, while Tudor is advancing exploration on nearby mineral claims known as the Treaty Project. The dispute centres on land where Seabridge plans to build underground tunnels through claims in which Tudor holds an interest.

Tudor filed a Notice of Civil Claim in B.C. Supreme Court on Sept. 22, which Seabridge said in an Oct. 3 press release challenges the province’s authority to impose a conditional mineral reserve on Tudor’s claims. The reserve—established in connection with Seabridge’s Mitchell Treaty Tunnels (MTT)—prohibits interference with the tunnels’ construction, operation, or maintenance.

The company has previously argued that the restriction prevents it from developing its Treaty Project claims, which lie beneath the tunnel route, resulting in a loss of economic value.

With the new legal action, Joe Ovsenek, president and CEO of Tudor Gold, said he hopes all parties can come up with a practical solution that will allow Seabridge to continue with the KSM Project while allowing Tudor Gold to advance Treaty Creek.  

"We have a new team at Tudor Gold with a significant amount of experience exploring, developing, and mining in the Golden Triangle," Ovsenek said. "In assessing the various aspects of the Treaty Creek Project, we filed the claim as we believed it was necessary to preserve our rights impacted by a limitation period; however, we believe the best path forward is to resolve this dispute through negotiation."  

Tudor is seeking a court declaration that the reserve does not apply to its claims, or that the province exceeded its authority in granting Seabridge use of the land. Failing that, Tudor is seeking compensation for expropriation or damages related to misrepresentation, according to Seabridge.

“We are confident that the Province has acted within the law and that the various authorizations for the MTT are appropriate and reliable,” said Seabridge chair and CEO Rudi Fronk.

“This latest action is one of a number of legal challenges Tudor has made over the years opposing our MTT rights. In every instance, the BC government has reconfirmed our approvals and our understanding of the legal aspects of these matters.”

The tunnels—two 23-kilometre-long corridors connecting the east and west sides of the KSM site—cross approximately 12.5 kilometres of Tudor’s mineral claims.

“While this action proceeds, we will continue to advance our current plans for the KSM Project for the benefit of our shareholders, local communities and the First Nations who have so strongly supported our progress,” said Fronk.

Seabridge holds a 100 per cent interest in several North American gold projects, including the KSM and Iskut properties located in B.C.’s Golden Triangle.

Could the celebration bridge the gap between vegan and non-vegan lifestyles?

Last year on Oct. 4, the day to celebrate the pinwheels of spice and sugar, Cobs sold nearly 10,000 of the sticky sweet rolls.

There are a half-dozen Cobs among the dozens of popular boutique bakeries dotting the landscape of Victoria, from storefronts, to malls and farms.

That buffet of offerings suggests a love of the “ultimate comfort food,” says Gabriela Aguilar, manager at Cinnaholic in Victoria.

The vegan baker has the perfect bun for those seeking a plant-based option, even offering a deal on its Old Skool bun to celebrate the day.

“That’s our classic roll – it’s just the bun with a good vanilla frosting. It’s simple, but that’s the point. It’s perfect for people who love the classics or don’t want too many flavours at once. You can never really go wrong with it,” Aguilar said.

Cobs sells the roll with a cream cheese icing, unlike in Sweden, where it has been suggested the cinnamon bun originated, and they are topped with sugar.

“While cinnamon buns might not be a health food per se, cinnamon spice contains manganese, dietary fibre, calcium, iron, and zinc – so, at least they have some health benefits,” Cobs notes.

Whether made by a favourite coworker, your mom, or the bakery down the street, show us your buns. Email newsroom@vicnews.com.

“If you’re in the mood to try different spots, I’d say check out around downtown, there are excellent bakeries,” Aguilar said.

The September launch on Barnet Highway was, yes, a milestone moment for Milestones, first opened in Vancouver in 1989.

Today, dishes of food created in the Test Kitchen, if successful, "will propel new menu options and the expansion of the Fraser Bar concept to other cities and locations across the country," according to a news release.

Created by head chef Jeff Dell, the menu is split between best-selling Milestones favourites (Sweet Chili Chicken Bites, Wham-Bam Shrimp) and new recipes including Samosa Poutine, Kettle Chip Nachos, five different forno pizzas, Lobster Frites and also weekend-brunch dishes (the Pear & Coconut Waffle sounds amazing).

New to the second floor is Fraser Bar, an intimate, prohibition era-style cocktail bar that boasts a menu even more exclusive and interesting than the downstairs Test Kitchen, with several pages of bites and cocktails. Get there for $5 drinks during Happy Hours from 3 to 6 p.m., then 9 til close.

Special days include Meet-up Mondays (four bellinis and two starters for $40) and Date Night Wednesdays (menu for two starting at $75).

“I’ve been entrusted with a very special role,” Dell says. “I can assure you we’re not taking this trust lightly. Our team is working intensely to find the right new recipes, and to gather feedback from the people whose opinion matters most to us — our local patrons.”

In B.C., Milestone restaurants are open in Langley, Abbotsford, Surrey (two locations), Coquitlam, Kelowna, Langford, Tsawwassen, Victoria and West Vancouver; the Whistler location is closed for renovations, according to a post on milestonesrestaurants.com/locations.

Milestones Test Kitchen is operated by Pacific Rose Hospitality Group in partnership with Foodtastic, the company behind Milestones and more than 20 other brands including Freshii, Pita Pit and Second Cup.