In his home office in Campbell River, Nehemiah Sloat sits with two high schoolers. He’s teaching them about mechanics as they dismantle old computers into basic components. Some of the parts will refurbish computers destined for low-income families and seniors, an initiative that Sloat started over 20 years ago.
“You can’t do anything without technology anymore,” Sloat says. “You can’t look for work, your kids can’t do schoolwork at home…. The importance of it can’t be stressed enough.”
H2iK Technology Solutions joins BC Green Business certification
Sloat’s business, H2iK Technology Solutions, is a member of BC Green Business, a certification program that recognizes businesses committed to reducing their environmental footprint and fostering community engagement. He joined the program in 2022 thanks to support from the City of Campbell River, which provides businesses with free membership. “Sustainability came from me wanting to keep my costs down. I don’t like waste. I already recycle as much as I can,” Sloat explains.
H2iK Solutions is one of fourteen BC Green Business members in Campbell River, part of a growing network of over 240 businesses provincewide. The program, run by the non-profit Synergy Foundation with support from strategic partners Vancity Credit Union and BC Hydro, has helped companies improve their environmental and social impact since 2013.
Growing Canadian products on Cortes Island
On Cortes Island, Lovena Harvey harvests rosemary on her family’s 2.5-acre homestead. The rosemary, added to bay leaves, will be dried, packaged, and distributed across Canada. These are two of the fifteen Canadian-grown products that Harvey sells as the co-founder of Gathering Place Trading Company, which specializes in ethically produced tea, herbs and spices, vanilla, and sea salt.
Supporting local agriculture over imports
“One of our company pillars is that we won’t import anything to Canada that can commercially grow here,” she says. “For example, Canada is one of the leading mustard seed growers in the world, yet much of the mustard we find in Canada is imported from India because it’s a little bit cheaper.”
All Gathering Place products come from family-owned or cooperative farms that use organic practices and non-GMO seeds. This social enterprise has been involved in environmental initiatives since its establishment in 2003, and seeking values-aligned suppliers is a necessity.
Using business as a vehicle for environmental change
“Right from the beginning we were looking for environmental initiatives to embrace,” Harvey explains. “I think the old adage of ‘business as usual’ is exactly that—it’s old, outdated, no longer true. We need to use business as a vehicle for change and consider in every action that we do, ‘How is this impacting the environment?’”
As a BC Green Business member, Harvey uses the environmental metrics from her annual assessment to track progress. “It gives us the juice to compete with ourselves,” she says. From rewarding staff for commuting by bike, foot, or carpool to supporting underfunded projects in each community she sources from, she is constantly finding new ways to increase impact.
Campbell River Whale Watching creates conservation awareness
Campbell River Whale Watching also creates a global ripple effect. They’ve been educating visitors about coastal ecosystems and conservation since 2008. With owner/operator Stephen Gabrysh doubling as the president of the North Island Marine Mammal Stewardship Association, it’s no surprise that he makes ecological preservation a business priority.
Tours are designed to inspire guests to adopt conservation practices. Onboard naturalists explain the importance of safe and ethical whale-watching and engage guests in submitting marine mammal sighting data to the Marine Education and Research Society and Wild Ocean Whale Society. For each guest, one square metre of old-growth forest in the Toba River Valley is protected through Wilderness International, which invites guests to register their names as a memento of their trip.
Achieving Biosphere certification through BC Green Business support
Behind the scenes, Campbell River Whale Watching provides extensive diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training and partners with organizations including North Island Pride and Campbell River Hospice. The company recently obtained Biosphere certification. Gabrysh credits BC Green Business for helping the company achieve this certification, which recognizes its commitment to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
“BC Green Business helped us amplify our commitment to sustainability,” he says. “Our membership has empowered us to build upon our achievements, look at different ways to minimize our environmental impact, and engage in meaningful community initiatives.”
How to get started with sustainable business practices
Sustainable practices have a place in every business. But how to get started?
For Harvey, it’s simple: “Start with small, tangible things. For instance, printing on double-sided or recycled paper. Using unbleached paper towels, composting.” She speaks from experience—all paper towels used at Gathering Place’s facility end up in her property’s compost system, enriching the soil to create happy plants and flavourful food.
Just as paper towels nourish the soil that grows Harvey’s rosemary, sustainable practices feed businesses and their communities. Small actions from businesses like H2iK, Gathering Place, and Campbell River Whale Watching create a vibrant, resilient, and sustainable local economy.
To learn more about ways to make a difference, visit bcgreenbusiness.ca
