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An Estonian man was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison Friday for participating in ransomware attacks that caused more than $53 million in losses
was convicted of facilitating computer intrusions
fraudulently obtaining goods and funds and monetizing stolen financial account information
In addition to his prison sentence, Berezan has been ordered to pay more than $36 million in restitution, according to prosecutors.
Investigators found evidence of Berezan’s ties to ransomware activity when they searched his electronic devices. Prosecutors say they determined Berezan participated in at least 13 ransomware attacks, yielding him about $11 million in cryptocurrency. Seven of Berezan’s victims were based in the U.S
Recent tallies suggest ransomware hackers are growing more demanding and receiving bigger payouts, even as victims reporting ransomware crimes to the FBI account for a relatively low percentage of complaints compared to other cybercrimes
Berezan used the profits to buy two Porsches
Police also found more than $200,000 and electronic devices storing bitcoin worth about $1.7 million
He pleaded guilty in April 2021 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution and conspiracy to commit access device fraud and computer intrusions
Prosecutors said Berezan was an active member of an “exclusive” online forum for Russian-speaking cybercriminals
They allege that Berezan participated in the forum
which was used to exchange cybercrime tips and tools
“This case is a prime example of how the Department of Justice can leverage its traditional tools —criminal investigations and prosecutions — to combat ransomware,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite Jr
of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division
“Many of the world’s ransomware players began as fraudsters engaged in other types of online crimes
and this case demonstrates that their crimes will catch up to them.”
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Following multiple calls to the Whitecourt RCMP about vehicle break-ins in June
Justice David Crabbe appeared before the Whitecourt Court of Justice on Tuesday
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentCrabbe
entered several guilty pleas and was sentenced to 165 days
“I’m sorry for doing what I did,” Crabbe told the court
Crown counsel Christine Palmer told the court that following the reported vehicle break-ins
a man was found passed out in a Dodge Ram that didn’t belong to him
and police found a Samsung tablet that had been reported stolen
but that same month the Whitecourt RCMP received another call from downtown Whitecourt
Counsel Gord Collins confirmed guilty pleas to possessing illegally-obtained property worth over $5,000
possessing property under $5,000 (the tablet) and prohibited weapons possession (the butterfly knife) for the first incident
Crabbe pleaded guilty to violating his release order and theft worth under $5,000
“I will accept the guilty plea,” Justice Jeffrey B
listing “mitigating factors” including an injury Crabbe received in custody after falling out of bed
Palmer said Collins’ argument didn’t seem unreasonable
The Whitecourt Court of Justice heard the case of Kyle Berezan
who is in custody in Fort Saskatchewan and appeared by CCTV
Counsel Lionel Chartrand entered guilty pleas to substance possession and two counts of failure to abide by release conditions
specifically by violating a no-contact order and having a pocketknife
RCMP responded to a domestic incident and Berezan was found with methamphetamine in his pocket
police searched a house in Edson and found Berezan hiding with a small blade on him
Berezan was also charged with assault with a weapon
uttering threats of bodily harm and unlawful confinement
Palmer said the 105-day sentence would amount to time served
appeared in-person at the Whitecourt court to plead guilty to failing to extinguish a fire during a Woodlands County fire ban
police received a report of a break and enter at a Pembina gas plant in the Windfall area near Whitecourt
were found burning copper wire over a fire
Xiathane Bruno-Stevens and Shanda Vivian-Bigstone were charged with possessing illegally-obtained property worth over $5,000
possessing break-in tools and breaking a fire ban
Chalifoux followed Bruno-Stevens’ lead on Sept
“I was just standing by (the fire) because I was cold,” Chalifoux told the court
“He has definitely learned his lesson,” Pugh told the court
Champion issued a fine of $360 and the other charges against Chalifoux were withdrawn
Palmer said charges of possessing stolen property are withdrawn against Daniel Stephen Campbell, co-accused with Sarah Moreau. The matter was to go to trial Dec. 16. Lawyer Robert Kassian raised no objections to the charges being withdrawn or forfeiting items seized during the investigation
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An attempted break-in at a local consignment store has resulted in a wave of support for a couple of small business owners
co-owner of Taste of Time Consignment on 119 Avenue
said whomever tried to break into her store on Monday
Wray and Berezan haven’t seen a paycheck since Christmas
We just haven’t been getting the sales consistently enough,” said Wray.”It’s been paying for itself and our bills
new furniture starts flying in and they find themselves overflowing
It took three months for them to see the furniture start coming in
READ ALSO: B.C. RCMP find break-and-enter suspect sleeping on couch
ALSO: RCMP ask for help in identifying suspect of Maple Ridge break and enter
They were beginning to ask themselves if they could keep going or were they going to have to close the business
And then the attempted break-in took place
Wray and Berezan took pictures and posted what happened online
They felt it was the final straw and explained in the post what a tough go they have had this year
within a week they had 9,000 hits – as opposed to the 200-300 they would usually get
this last week has improved,” said Wray of business in the vintage
antique store which has everything from home decor
She is now very hopeful that something good will come out of this negative event
Wray will be out of pocket $1,000 to fix the window and is hoping a new government program targeting crime against small businesses will help
although she doesn’t expect that police will find the person or persons who did this
she is buoyed by the support from the community
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is nicknamed the “shrimp spa” because of the perfect water conditions engineered for the facility
Companies like Berezan Shrimp Farm in Langley
whose farm is nicknamed the “shrimp spa” because of the perfect water conditions engineered for the facility
has big plans to become a world class operation in closed-containment
Warren Douglas is proud of the operation’s sustainability
allowing customers to know exactly where their shrimp comes from
something more and more consumers are demanding
is proud of the operation’s sustainability
Berezan plans to make operations even more environmentally sound by making its own feed
producing fertilizer and lowering water consumption from its current level of 11 litres per minute
The farm brings in baby shrimp from a certified hatchery in Florida when they are about 20 days old and smaller than the nib of a pen
More than 100 tanks are stacked vertically
replicating practices used in vertical farming
The shrimp currently take about four months to mature under computer-controlled conditions
It’s a system of indoor aquaculture that generates far more shrimp per cubic metre of water than open pond farming or other aquaculture techniques
Twenty-five kilograms of shrimp can be grown using just one cubic metre of water
Small pulses of tiny feed particles are sent to the tanks continuously through an automated system
Feed includes mostly vegetable-based ingredients and only small amounts of fishmeal and oils
Shrimp are raised using recirculating aquaculture systems (referred to as RAS)
a popular technique for closed-containment
Water exchange is limited and biofiltration is used to reduce ammonia toxicity
clean water through recycling and maintains a healthy growing environment for shrimp
Douglas acknowledges that there are challenges associated with this kind of operation
The first few growing cycles required experimentation with water temperature and salination
operation intensity and general trouble-shooting and adjustments
But the enthusiasm of the 11-member team at Berezan farm is contagious and no problem appears to be without a solution
Chefs and retailers from around Metro Vancouver are expressing interest
The large shrimp are delicious and firm as confirmed by a post-tour office cooking session
Closed-containment shrimp farms offer a climate-friendly protein alternative to animal agriculture
which produces huge amounts of greenhouse gas emissions
consumes massive volumes of water and causes a lot of pollution
The environment benefits substantially when more people cut down on meat and other carbon-intense animal products
Feeding as many as nine billion people by 2050 will mean turning to sustainable protein innovations
The Berezan Shrimp Company is poised to be one of those innovators
Ask the B.C. government not to renew salmon farm tenures
Rosanna Davison and Anastasiia Berezan gave a powerful joint interview where they opened up about their extraordinary connection
Rosanna Davison kept in touch with her Ukrainian surrogate Anastasiia Berezan after she gave her and husband Wesley Quirke the gift of their daughter Sophia in November 2019
There was a possibility that they would meet again when Anastasiia amazingly said she’d like to carry another child for them, a sibling for their little girl (as Rosanna previously told us on our podcast A Little Birdie Told Me) but when Rosanna became pregnant with her twins Hugo and Oscar
But Rosanna and Anastasiia could never have thought that the next time they would meet would be in Ireland as Anastasiia escaped the war in Ukraine with her five-year-old daughter Milana
Speaking in an interview with Irish Country Magazine (where the full interview can be read in Ukrainian here)
who is known as Nastia to family and friends
opened up about her ‘shock’ of her country being thrust into war and reveals her heartfelt thanks to Rosanna
Rosanna’s father Christ de Burgh and everyone else who made their journey to Dublin possible
I’m very grateful to them for everything they’ve done
I cannot even find the words to describe how it was when we arrived here.”
A post shared by Rosanna Davison (@rosanna_davison)
Rosanna knew that she had to help the woman who had made her dreams of becoming a mother come true as soon as she heard war had broken out
In the interview she says that she had been repeatedly thinking back to the day that Sophia was born “thinking I wish I could give her something more.”
Anastasiia and her family’s journey to Ireland was long and arduous
“there were a lot of explosions.”
“We went to the market and the prices were three or four times higher than before
They had to reach the Polish border before Rosanna was able to help, and their trip was made more difficult because of Layla,the husky, who Rosanna arranged with the Department of Agriculture for, a crate and vet appointments. She says, “it was a big logistical challenge”, but eventually, they made it, and Rosanna was at airport to greet them
even though they have a comfortable place to live here
in an apartment owned by Rosanna’s parents
Katya has work and Milana is settled in preschool
Anastasiia says it’s “mentally hard” to be in their position when their families are still fearing for their lives in Ukraine
But Anastassia and Rosanna’s story of reciprocal gift giving in the most major of ways is proof of human kindness and connection in the most extraordinary of circumstances
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Forest gardens or food forests are created using perennial plants such as fruits
greens and flowers in order to utilize any size of space to make a shaded
harvestable and beautiful space in a backyard or on a patio
permaculture expert and certified teacher Ron Berezan has been teaching individuals
groups and cities how to make a small urban yard
a community space or a large acreage farm into a self-sustaining
regenerating ecological system that produces food
while at the same time mitigates changes in climate
"A food forest is a perennial food system as opposed to an annual garden that you plant every year and arranged in a way that is similar to a forest
in that it's multi-storied; it has plants of many different types that support each other and contribute to an overall kind of forest ecology," said Berezan
"The idea is that we're creating a highly productive system that requires fewer inputs than a normal garden does
and can have all kinds of different yields or harvests from food to also medicinal plants."
who is teaching a course on food forests at VIU’s tiwšɛmawtxʷ campus in mid-March
transformed a space called Sycamore Commons located at St
Paul Anglican Church in Townsite into a food forest with more than 100 species of perennial trees
shrubs and herbaceous plants along with fellow permaculturist Erin Innes in 2011
"We have so many amazing choices of edible perennial species in this region
starting at the upper storeys of fruit and nut trees
that we are familiar with," said Berezan
"I really love it and not that many people grow it here
The other fruit tree often neglected is the pawpaw
so one can get into some of the lesser known species as well."
blackberries and currents are great to plant
"Asparagus is a really great one for early harvest and is a perennial
and edible perennial greens," said Berezan
"It's a different kind of gardening though; it's one in which one's mindset changes a little bit
in that we're trying to create a longer term
stable system that doesn't require a ton of human intervention on a regular basis."
Berezan said most of the effort goes into the original design and planning and getting things going
and if the design works well then work is reduced
"I've just come back from Cuba and on part of this trip we visited a rural site about five acres in size that has thousands of plants I first saw 12 years ago when it had just been planted," said Berezan
"Now [the site] is like walking through a jungle
avocado trees and coffee in the understory with coconuts poking through."
Although plants grow faster in the tropics
Berezan said in reality our coastal temperate zone also has plants that grow year round
"We lived in Edmonton before coming to Powell River
and in a few short years transformed an open-lot we were living on into a very productive
biologically diverse food forest," said Berezan
“That's the other benefit of creating this type of garden
is that they create a lot of habitat for other creatures and also sequester a lot of carbon in the process."
food forests are a part of food security in a community as well
but that doesn't mean he shun's the traditional vegetable garden
"It's another piece of local food security
having a diversity of sizes and locations of highly productive food systems
which isn't to say we don't want vegetable gardens," he said
"I think [food forests] are a really good model for our region; people should know that this option is available to them."
Berezan emphasized that not everyone has the time or energy to manage an intensive vegetable garden
so a food forest can be a good solution to that
"There are so many properties around that are large
and plenty of one- and two-acre properties that are quite difficult to maintain for people especially as they age," said Berezan
"So making something like a food forest can be a good solution for land use that also has a lot of benefits."
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Port Moody residents will get their first look on Jan
31 at a mixed-use development proposed for the 3200-block of St
is holding a community information meeting in the Inlet Theatre Galleria from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Ralph Berezan said the project would be comprised of three residential towers of 20
The towers would sit atop podiums with 50,104 sq
Berezan said he has owned the properties since the 1970s
They’re currently occupied by light industrial and commercial tenants like an auto repair garage
Koko’s Activity Centre and Brew Street Craft and Kitchen
Berezan said the arrival of SkyTrain’s Evergreen Extension made the time right to realize the site’s potential
“I think it’s even better we build these clusters of housing around these rapid transit stations,” Berezan said of the site’s location just a few hundred metres west of the Inlet Centre SkyTrain station
Redevelopment of the properties would require an amendment to Port Moody’s official community plan as well as rezoning
The site is east of Port Moody’s new transit-oriented development area that runs between St
which will transform the six square blocks around the Moody Centre station to a dense
pedestrian-friendly neighbourhood of multi-family residential buildings from six to 26 storeys
The amendment to the city’s official community plan for that area was adopted by city council Nov
30 after a contentious two-and-a-half hour public meeting and vigorous debate that raised the spectre of the area turning into another cluster of towers like Burnaby’s Metrotown or the Burquitlam neighbourhood in Coquitlam
Berezan’s project would represent the first incursion of highrises along St
Johns but he said people have to look past that to the amenities that would come with the development
including the possibility of a grocery store
And while he couldn’t say whether a reborn pub might be part of the plan
Berezan did say he still owns the licence for a beer and wine store at the site
The plan for the property also includes the enhancement of Pigeon Creek
Berezan said he acquired the stretch of property through which the creek runs just a couple of years ago at the city’s behest so its restoration could be part of any future redevelopment
“You have to be serious about creating a nice place for the people that are going to be living there,” Berezan said
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as pleasant a gentleman as you could ever hope to encounter
deals with the misconception – and subsequent reaction
Article contentWhich is typically: “Oh god
Berezan was a member of the Calgary Flames in the late-1980s
nowadays he can often be found in the championship company of Lanny McDonald
But a trade – three days before the National Hockey League’s deadline – whisked him to the Minnesota North Stars
far removed from the locals’ title run in the spring of 1989
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“I can’t say I’ve struggled with any of it,” says Berezan
but it’s a wedding ring – it’s not that other ring
Even when I’m with those other guys and they’re showing people their Stanley Cup ring
it’s not like I have a sick feeling or anything.”
Particularly since Berezan himself had invited the relocation
general manager Cliff Fletcher summoned the young centreman to his office
“Cliff was like a father figure,” says Berezan
“I wasn’t scared to death to talk to the GM
Perched together on a couch and pleasantly chatting
Berezan mentioned that he’d sure like to play more
Coach Terry Crisp didn’t seem to have much faith in him
Let’s see how it goes the next couple months
what if I find you a good place to play?’ ” recalls Berezan
Berezan got word that he and Shane Churla had been swapped for Brian MacLellan and a fourth-round pick (which turned into Robert Reichel)
the Edmonton native was sitting in a plane bound for Minneapolis
“I think it was weeks before anyone even knew I was gone.”
Eager to reboot his career – albeit with a 21-30-14 club
a far cry from the 44-15-8 Calgarians – Berezan tugged on his familiar No
21 for practice at the Met Center in Bloomington
not every locker-room has leadership,’ ” he says
had stocked the Saddledome with inspirational figures
I could take my lead from half the guys in that locker-room.”
had been his initial trip into the North Stars’ public-relations bunker
envisioning the dressing-room scene after his first skate in Calgary
Peplinski and McDonald are scribbling names on the white-board
Berezan is scheduled to visit the Children’s Hospital – and this mandate is not from team brass
I thought it worked that way with every team – till I got to Minnesota.”
then rolling through Los Angeles and Chicago to reach the Stanley Cup series against Montreal
“There was a push-pull … I wasn’t trying to watch too closely,” says Berezan
who’d rented his condo to newcomer Sergei Pryakhin
more players are soon to be flung into Berezan’s boat
being downgraded from legitimate contender to also-ran
Fletcher and Al MacNeil freighted Berezan’s farewell with class
“But if the message is delivered in a cold-hearted
this-is-the-business-screw-you kind of way
“The end of (my time with) San Jose was a registered letter to my door
‘A phone call would have been nice.’ And you remember that.”
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Blueberry Commons Farm Cooperative has been operating in Wildwood for five years
A few years ago the group acquired 16 acres of land within City of Powell River bordering on parks
and members of the cooperative have been moving along with plans to build a cohousing development
Co-founder of Blueberry Commons and permaculturalist/educator Ron Berezan is inviting the public to an open house on Thursday
from 6 to 8 pm to take a tour of the land and farm
"We welcome anyone curious about co-housing to tour the land
view home and site plans and speak with current members about this unique project," said Berezan
All members own their own homes and a share of common amenities including the land
the cooperative has been given the green light to begin construction on the first phase of housing development in the month of August
with anticipated move-in dates for June of 2025.
Berezan said Blueberry Commons has openings for additional members and that the first phase will see development of five homes plus a new yurt that will be used as a common space
For more information, email [email protected], call 604.223.4800, or go to blueberrycommons.ca
Blueberry Commons is located at 6619 King Avenue in Powell River
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According to the Chilliwack Progress, Hemlock Resort located in Harrison Lake, British Columbia will receive $1.5 billion in enhancements over five phases throughout the next half century. The enhancements will increase the resort’s lodging from 1,076 units to over 20,00 units, 23 new chairlifts, an 18-hole golf course, a mountain biking system, and much more.
The main goal of this face-lift is to transform Hemlock Resort into a year-round destination for outdoor enthusiasts. This major enhancement is made possible by the Berezan Management Ltd, along with the Sts’ailes First Nation, and the environmental assessment of the resort was done by Pottinger Gaherty environmental consulting firm.
“Hemlock Resort has been an important contributor to the local economy for decades. With this new master plan, Hemlock is better positioned to support continued economic development and tourism in the Fraser Valley as a unique all-season resort,” said Chilliwack-Hope MLA Laurie Throness.
Although, one may think that $1.5 billion could fix all of Hemlock’s issues, there’s one issue that money can’t fix and that’s the weather. The resort was unable to open up for the 2014-2015 season due to a lack of snowfall. Berezan Management Ltd is hopeful that enhanced snowmaking technology can solve those issues and keep the resort open.
“One out of nine years we didn’t open, and of course that’s very expensive when you do that, because you keep staff around, all year you have the staff, so it’s a pretty expensive little venture,” said resort owner Ralph Berezan.
Number of Lifts: 1 surface lift, 2 double chairs, and 1 triple chair
Area Details: Alpine Skiing, Night Skiing, 13Km Cross Country Skiing, Snow Tubing, Snowboarding, Terrain Park, and Snowshoe Trails
The Berezan Management Ltd is hopeful that 23 new chairlifts and a housing unit increase of about 1900% will increase revenue and bring in skiers from all over the world.
Greedy bastards want their cut. Maybe British Columbia should work more on conservation of their gorgeous natural areas…they have enough ski resorts.
PS – I’m a skier and a backpacker / backcountry camper – the more substantial the wilderness and level of protection, the more I’m interested!
Calgary is home to many avid fly fishermen
but few are as keen as Dan and Joanne Berezan
When not casting in the Pincher Creek area
you might find them whipping a line back and forth in Patagonia or any number of locations in Southeast Asia
says conversation at the fishing lodges they visited often turned to clothing and the challenges of deciding what to pack
It was during a trip to Argentina that the Berezans first considered the idea of designing clothing that would be suitable for wandering the foothills around Mendoza and at dinner in Buenos Aires
After talking with other guests they heard how women at the camps found their favourite fashionable jeans uncomfortable and wanted more functional, attractive attire. The Berezans believed they could design clothing that would meet both needs, and with the encouragement of their guide launched Dolly Varden Outdoor Clothing.
Dan’s background is in corporate finance in the oil and gas sector
Joanne was a senior environmental planner with Terra Environmental Services and still works for CH2M
Soon the new business was consuming all of Dan’s time
then a manufacturer willing to handle small batches at the outset
Their products are the result of a lot of dreaming
Needing fabrics that would stretch but not be baggy
and cool and dry wherever you might travel
fashionable Hoodies and shirts with zipper pockets at chest level able to hold items such as a cellphone or passport
Marketing of their clothing line began at U.S
although Joanne said it’s difficult selling to big retailers
About 80 per cent of orders are through Instagram
In their first full season offering 13 products
they sold more than 8,000 items and are preparing to launch new designs and products this summer
Enjoying the success of their new business
the entrepreneurs have launched another venture — Primo Valley Beef Company
co-owned by the Berezans and former NHL player Dean Kennedy
The company sells meat direct from rancher to consumer
and in Calgary and area it’s delivered right to the buyers’ doors
The freezer packs offer three sizes of 100 per cent grass-fed Angus cattle
Melcor REIT’s board of trustees has appointed Calgary real estate executive Andy Melton as president and CEO
He will step down as board chairman but will remain a trustee
The appointment coincides with the announcement of Darin Rayburn as president and CEO of Melcor Developments
An attempt to set a record for the unsupported fastest known time of the Sunshine Coast Trail was not completed
Ron Berezan launched his attempt to set the record on June 4
hoping to traverse the 180-kilometre Sunshine Coast Trail in 72 hours
Unsupported meant Berezan would carry all his own gear
and could receive no help or pacing from anyone
I had a knee injury crop up towards the end of my first day on the trail at the 58-kilometre point that made it impossible for me to continue,” said Berezan
“It was very disappointing because all else was going super well and I had excellent energy and good pacing
“I am determined to heal up and give this another shot
Berezan was using his walk to help raise funds for Powell River’s Miklat Recovery Society
The intent was to raise $10,000 to help purchase a van for the society
A Kelowna liquor store has avoided a penalty after selling alcohol to a minor thanks to robust systems in place to prevent it from happening
The Berezan Liquor Store at 200-210 Highway 33 was caught in an undercover sting on July 12
selling a can of cider to a minor and not checking for ID
Ownership of the liquor store admitted to the incident but claimed the defence of diligence
The Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch accepted that argument, and on Jan. 11, set aside the penalty.
which operates numerous liquor stores and pubs across B.C.
uses a mystery shopper program to test its own staff for checking ID
The Rutland liquor store had been mystery shopped 151 times in 12 years
The “fails” were followed up with the staff
The program comes with significant financial cost for the company
The Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch also noted that staff at the liquor store had been trained on checking ID and were expected to keep a log book of refusals of service
Cash registers include pop-ups that prompt cashiers to ask for ID
“No system can be 100% perfect and personal issues may arise that even the best systems cannot prevent,” said Dianne Flood of the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch
the cashier was not feeling well and only stayed at work due to being unexpectedly short-staffed
The cashier had an excellent prior work record and had illustrated a good understanding of his responsibilities in both his quarterly reviews and the mystery shopper program
The licensee had little reason to think a contravention might occur.”
Flood ruled that the store’s ownership had been “very diligent and thorough in its employee training and systems in place to prevent the sale of liquor to minors.”
“While there is always room for improvements
I find the defence of due diligence has been established.”
government on November 12 approved a master plan for a $1.5 billion ski resort expansion at Hemlock Resort in the Fraser Valley
Langley’s Berezan Group intends to build the all-season project
in five phases and in collaboration with both the local Sts’ailes Band and the province
Summer activities would include mountain biking
There would be an estimated $500 million capital investment in Phase 1 of the expansion
A further estimated $1 billion is expected to be pumped into the project through its build-out
Berezan has invested $10 million into upgrading the existing infrastructure for 217 home owners
Currently there are 1,076 beds and four ski lifts
The resort would increase the controlled recreation area to more than 6,000 hectares from 350 hectares and add about 20,000 beds and 23 lifts by the late 2070s
“I am pleased we have achieved an agreement with the province to allow Hemlock Resort to become a summer as well as a winter playground
and we will be bringing new year-round activities to our enlarged recreation area,” said Berezan Group CEO Ralph Berezan in a release
“After working with the Province and Sts'ailes
The plan also includes the potential for waterfront development on Harrison Lake
including a marina and what is described as a “First Nations-themed residential village.”
hailed the project’s potential for job creation
“This collaborative and innovative approach to integrated resource management between the province
proponent and First Nation will help ensure Hemlock Resort continues to provide year-round jobs and outdoor fun for local residents and visitors to the Fraser Valley,” he said
“All-season resorts provide great recreation opportunities for families in communities throughout B.C.”
contribute $1.3 billion to the province's economy
Developers of other resorts, such as the Valemount Glacier Resort and Garibaldi at Squamish
are waiting for the province to approve their resorts' master plans.
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A Fraser Valley entrepreneur marked the recent opening of the Critical Care Tower lobby at Surrey Memorial Hospital with a landmark gift to the hospital foundation
In honour of Ralph and Lorraine Berezan’s $2-million donation to Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation
light-filled space is now named the Lorraine and Ralph Berezan Lobby
Ralph Berezan is a longtime supporter of the hospital
as well as a successful businessman with roots in the Fraser Valley
He has been an active member of the foundation’s board of directors for five years
The Berezans’ donation is part of the foundation’s Building Foundations Campaign
The funds from this campaign will be used to purchase 20 per cent of the equipment needed for the tower
which is scheduled to be completed and open for patients in June 2014
For more information about the Critical Care Tower, visit www.smhfoundation.com/learnmore
An Alberta business specializing in local farm-to-table food deliveries has paved a path to fulfilling orders in Edmonton
launched its expansion into Alberta’s capital
While producers and food makers from Edmonton have been on the platform for some time
customers in the city and several surrounding communities now have access to weekly deliveries
“We started to work with Edmonton vendors because some of our Calgary vendors had reached their capacity,” he said
“Then we started getting a lot of requests and a lot of interest from people in Edmonton about what we do.”
The business originally served communities in and around Calgary after launching at the end of 2019
and soon found mounting interest from customers seeking farm-fresh food deliveries
likely due to restrictions following the COVID-19 pandemic
“That sort of forced everyone to search for us
but we’ve been able to retain most of those customers,” he said
The business works by connecting with and vetting Alberta farmers
ranchers and artisans who set their own prices for food products listed on the platform
natural and regenerative farming practices that steer clear of chemicals such as pesticides and hormones
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Customers then purchase the product through Cultivatr
which manages the orders on a “just in time” basis
those tomatoes don’t actually get picked until you order them,” Berezan said
meat orders are fulfilled in a slightly different process in the interest of practicality and to curb food waste
“We work with a producer knowing that they’re not going to sell a whole cow instantly,” he added
vacuum-packed and frozen properly so that you can thaw quickly at home.”
Edmonton customers may recognize products from local businesses such as Meuwly’s Artisan Food Market as well as El Chorizo Latino
The latter joined the platform about a year ago after visitors from Calgary sought the businesses’ homemade Latin-American sausage in their hometown
“They were very helpful in allowing us to get our product over there
and giving us that reach that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible for us logistically at this time,” Martin said of Cultivatr
using the platform to source ingredients for his products
which is “incredibly difficult to find,” he said
“It sort of brings a lot of local producers together,” Martin added
it’s also a data-driven tech company that surveys customers to identify popular products
and uses computer systems to predict demand
“We’ve actually developed a machine-learning platform that allows us to do some forecasting around how much we’re going to need on any given day,” he said
“That’s the real beauty of our platform: it’s not about telling vendors what to grow; it’s about telling them how much we need and when.”
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A private liquor store in Kelowna is among three owned by the same parent company to recently unionize
Employees at the Berezan Hospitality Group’s liquor store in Rutland on Roxby Road successfully certified as unionized before the B.C
Stores in Port Moody and Surrey joined them in being represented by the Service Employees International Union in the days later
Employee of the Kelowna store Cody Dilullo says he reached out to SEIU Local 2 after becoming a keyholder for the store without getting a raise
“I asked them for just like a standard raise for the additional responsibilities
And they said they couldn't give me one
And that struck me as odd because that's a lot of additional responsibilities,” Dilullo said
“I started talking to my co-workers saying
because I wanted clearly defined roles and clearly defined wage increases for additional responsibilities,” he continued
it sort of unraveled additional issues and additional reasons that we wanted to do this.”
Dilullo says the workers would also like minimum staffing requirements put in place to help with employee safety in addition to improved training
Around the same time that the three stores were certifying, the Berezan Group granted all non-unionized stores a 10 per cent raise, triggering an Unfair Labour Practice complaint from the union
following a meeting between Berezan and the union
Berezan moved to grant the 10 per cent raise to the unionized stores as well
told Castanet on Friday they always intended to grant the raise to the unionized stores but were unable to after they certified
“This is something we’ve been working on for a very long time,” he said
but is satisfied the unionized stores will now also get the raise
“Everyone's gonna be stoked about the news
But I think this is just barely acceptable
This just lets us stand with the rest of employees
so we can start bargaining from the same positions,” he said
Buckingham declined to comment on Berezan’s relationship with the union moving forward
Dilullo says he is hopeful that the unionization drive will spread to the other Berezan liquor stores in B.C
“We're really excited for the store's continued success,” Dilullo said
“That store has been in that location for almost 30 years
And we really want to see a bright future because
there's some history in those walls.”
The formal vision to transform a small ski resort
nestled in the mountains between Mission and Agassiz
into one of the largest ski resorts in B.C
was recently passed by the Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD)
Council adopted a new Official Community Plan (OCP) for the Hemlock Valley on March 17
setting out the blueprint to turn a 6,300-hectare area around Sasquatch Mountain Resort into a huge resort community
“(The plans) present a compelling vision for a major expansion … that will
transform Hemlock Valley into a dynamic four season resort community,” the OCP says
touting the benefits to the regional economy
tourism and outdoor recreation needs in the Fraser Valley
Development of the 15 to 20-year OCP was triggered by the provincial government’s approval of the Berezan Group’s Hemlock Resort Master Plan in 2016 – a seven-year endeavor started after the resort was purchased in 2006
RELATED: Hemlock Resort plan gets green light
The master plan’s projections have commercial and service space growing from 16,000 to 280,000 square feet in nine development nodes when the build-out is complete in some 50 years
It aims to grow the resort’s daily visitor capacity from 1,600 to over 16,000
expand available bed units from 1,000 to nearly 20,000
and have 23 lifts and 283 runs over 1,100 hectares of ski terrain
It’s a massive $1.5 billion long-term plan
encompassing an area spanning from the current ski lifts down to the shores of Harrison Lake
and administration and employee facilities
The OCP is meant to serve as a “near to medium term” guideline for managing this growth
It divides Hemlock Valley into three distinct neighbourhood plans – Hemlock West
Hemlock East and Hemlock North – for land use planning
the first focusing on Hemlock West and expanding the immediate facilities with an estimated capital investment of $500 million
Each phase will be contingent upon a slew of conditions and approvals from multiple government agencies
The developer signed on to official commitments as part of the provincial approval process
which were informed through consultations with the FVRD
local Indigenous governments and community stakeholders
The commitments include balancing bed units to resort capacity
environmental management assessments and plans
and a host of other infrastructure upgrades and studies relating to water and sewer systems
Development proposals will only be considered after the commitments have been fulfilled to FVRD’s satisfaction
There is even the possibility the area will need to be incorporated into a resort municipality
a future study will be needed to address the “ongoing questions” related to governance
Challenges are also acknowledged in the OCP
Development will be taking place in sensitive alpine environments
there are limited infrastructure and community services
“The costs and complexities of development will be high,” the OCP says
noting the FVRD’s tax base cannot afford to subsidize the infrastructure requirements
including the cost of comprehensive planning prior to development
The OCP also states there are external variables associated with the long-term plan that can’t be controlled
and the impact of global warming on the viability of the mountain resort
RELATED: Fraser Valley Regional District releases draft Hemlock Valley OCP
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along with fellow royalty to represent the city as part of the 2015-2016 Youth Ambassador team
won the Miss White Rock crown at last Friday’s awards gala at Coast Capital Playhouse
was selected as the 2015 Friendship Ambassador
Rounding out the team – which will represent White Rock in events in the community and also through B.C
and in Washington State – will be ambassadors Audrey Woo
who is going into Grade 12 at Earl Marriott Secondary in September
said she was surprised to hear herself named Miss White Rock
after the choices for Friendship Ambassador and the two princesses were announced
“I was just excited to hear who it was going to be,” she said
adding that she had enjoyed getting to know all the other contestants through the preliminary judging events
“We all get along very well – everyone is super-nice and very friendly. I was very surprised
because all the other girls are very talented
Any one of them would have done a good job as Miss White Rock
“I don’t think it really sank in until the next day
Berezan said the gala – and her win – was also exciting for a lot of family members who had come out to support her
“My sister and parents and aunt and uncle and cousins were there,” she said
adding that she has three younger siblings; Connor
Berezan said she was also very grateful for the sponsorship of the White Rock Players Club
“I’ve been going to see the Christmas pantomime since I was very young
It’s a real family tradition and I love going to it.”
Berezan said what attracted her to the Youth Ambassador program was the opportunity to volunteer
“I’m really looking forward to giving back to the community and learning a lot from the people I meet,” she said
Although she has lived on the Peninsula her whole life
she found she learned a lot during the events leading up to the awards gala – including many facts about White Rock’s history and its appeal as a tourism destination
A keen musician – she plays piano and sings – she has also been an enthusiastic soccer player for 11 years
although she no longer plays competitively
Program co-chair Debbie Ward said the gala also paid tribute to White Rock parade float creators Deanna Pedersen and Laverne Hogg
who have rebuilt the ocean-themed vehicle this year to make it more resilient for travelling to out-of-town parade events
A revived float-touring schedule – upcoming stops this summer include Nanaimo
Penticton and New Westminster – has created even more chances for the youth ambassadors to travel and rotate duties through the year
“It hasn’t been like this for at least two decades,” Ward said
“The ambassadors used to travel quite a bit through the program – but now they go wherever the float’s going.”
And Berezan said that’s that’s just fine with her
“I’m really excited to travel around to all these places – and it’s really an honour to get to represent White Rock.”
Casual hockey fans may have already forgotten
but this current NHL season got off to a slow start
While negotiations between the players and the owners dragged on – and the reality of a shortened hockey season dawned – a charity that helps hundreds of terminally ill children in B.C
said Samantha McQuade of the Berezan Hospitality Group
The short season has impacted donations to Canuck Place Children's Hospice
which is operated by a non-profit organization
and offers palliative and respite care in a home-like environment to children and teens
Ralph Berezan organized Friday night 50/50 draws at three Berezan Hospitality Group locations
the Golden Spike in Port Moody and the Wheelhouse in Surrey
money that was recently donated to Canuck Place
which is building a new location in Abbotsford in order to double its current capacity for aid
adding Ralph Berezan challenges other businesses to follow his lead by supporting Canuck Place
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As more people embrace farm-to-table cooking
many consumers are looking for locally produced
while many Alberta ranchers are producing that very product
after a long day of running a cattle ranch
few of them have the time or resources to market their cattle in a way that reaches that target customer
who owns a cattle ranch near Pincher Creek was facing exactly that challenge
He knew he was raising top-notch cattle with what are considered fashionably old-school methods
but he needed a modern way to get his beef to people’s tables
who played in the National Hockey League from 1982 to 1995 for teams including the Winnipeg Jets and the Edmonton Oilers
When he and his wife Tammy fulfilled that dream shortly after his NHL retirement
Kennedy was determined to do things the right way by raising cattle with humane and sustainable practices
While he’s spent the last two and a half decades committed to the simplicity and hard work of traditional ranching practices, Kennedy felt he wasn’t being compensated for that hard work when he sold to traditional livestock markets, since the system doesn’t market the benefits of his practices directly to the consumer.
“We’re doing what I believe is a very high level of management regarding what is humane in handling the cattle,” Kennedy says. “We rotate our grass, we have solar pumps for the water sources. But it was frustrating because it didn’t feel like we were being rewarded for those efforts.”
Kennedy knew there had to be a better way to get his beef to the customers that would appreciate it. By sheer serendipity, a couple named Dan and Joanne Berezan purchased the acreage next to Kennedy’s ranch and agreed to let Kennedy graze his cattle on their land.
The Berezans had moved to the Pincher Creek area after leaving their Calgary oil and gas jobs to run an outdoor performance ecommerce clothing company called Dolly Varden. The neighbours developed a friendship and, sensing a business opportunity, joined forces to market Kennedy’s traditional practices in a decidedly modern way.
Their new company, Primo Valley Beef Co. sells beef raised by Kennedy on a 3,200 acre tract of land (the two family’s respective properties as well as some grazing land leased from other neighbours), that’s been cut by craft butchers and dry-aged for 21 days.
Primo Valley’s products are sold online at primovalley.ca and then hand-delivered by the Berezans. The approach is poetically intergenerational — the traditional rancher gets jetted into the Internet and social media age, while the younger ecommerce experts get schooled in rural rancher life.
“We deliver all the products ourselves. Even though it’s a technology-based business, we still want to have a personal relationship with our customers,” Dan Berezan says. “It’s part of rural life — down here you have to look someone in the eye when you shake their hand and those values are what we want to establish in our product.”
Practically speaking, Kennedy and Berezan also wanted make purchasing easy and cost-effective for customers. Typically, people who buy direct from ranchers need to buy a full side of beef, which is a huge financial commitment, leaves them with cuts that they have no idea how to use, and requires more freezer space than they typically have.
Primo Valley’s model is based on smaller freezer packs that range from 15 pounds to 64 pounds (7 kg to 30 kg) of pre-cut beef (a variety of steaks, ground beef, stew meat, and roasts), which is much more manageable. Since there’s no bricks and mortar store and the partners do the delivery themselves, the prices are substantially lower than typical grocery store beef.
Berezan also has a background as a chef, so he plans to include recipes so that customers know what to do with each cut and is also working on forming partnerships with restaurants chefs to do some events on the ranch.
As for Kennedy, he’s happy that his younger partner can handle technical aspects like web development and social media so that he can continue to focus on ranching in the way that’s always come naturally to him.
“It’s exactly the same beef that we’ve always eaten here at the ranch,” Kennedy says. “It’s a very high quality of dry-aged beef and that’s hard to find. It kind of goes back to many years ago when most people used local butchers. So we are sort of retro in what we’re doing.”
A newly signed partnership to develop a 6,000 hectare expansion of the Hemlock ski resort is a result of three years of negotiations between the Sts'ailes first nation and Langley entrepreneur Ralph Berezan
But over the 60 year term of the contract Sts'ailes Chief Willie Charlie said it will bring changes that will transform the way his people live
For this reason Chief Charlie emphasized that "the benefits we were able to negotiate are going to equal or be greater than those impacts."
The Sts'ailes Healing Centre hall on Morris Valley Road was filled to capacity for the signing ceremony on March 9
and guests included representatives of other first nations
provincial government ministries and neighbours of the Sts'ailes
The ceremony followed Sts'ailes customs and included traditional songs and dances
but there were also good-natured exchanges of jokes and barbs between Charlie and Berezan
demonstrating the respectful fondness for each other that the two men have built over the three years of negotiations
The proposed development area is massive at 6,000 hectares and will extend the existing Hemlock ski resort to the western shores of Harrison Lake
In addition to the new mountains opened to skiing and a web of ski lifts
"It's a development that's going to take 60 years (to complete)," said Berezan
noting that the application is still awaiting final approvals from senior levels of government
"The Sts'ailes are not the only government I have to report to
The ministries are watching me like a hawk and have to give me their approvals — that's what I've got my lawyers for," said Berezan
Berezan has committed to replacing one of the older lifts at Hemlock with a new quad chair lift by the fall of 2013
"It's a start towards this project," said Berezan
who also presented a $100,000 cash gift to the Sts'ailes Legacy Fund that day
the enormity" of the impacts of "this very significant milestone for the Sts'ailes..
it will have impacts forever on our people and once it starts we can't get it back."
Hemlock is projected to provide 22,000 jobs over the 60 years
"I go to the school and I tell young people you can be whatever you want to be in our own territory
the environment policy is incorporated in the contract
to help us maintain the integrity of our territory
"We are always willing to roll up our sleeves and do our share of the work
to stand up for what we think is right and not expect something for nothing
very clear and sometimes very loud," said Charlie
"I also want to acknowledge Ralph Berezan for setting the tone and example for others that want to do work in our territory."
Rosanna Davison with her surrogate Anastasiia Berezan and family
Rosanna Davison has shared a picture with her Ukrainian surrogate who arrived safely in Ireland recently after months of being trapped in her war-torn home country
When the Russian invasion first began in February
the former Miss World contacted Ukrainian woman Anastasiia Berezan
with whom she and husband Wes Quirke had her first child
via gestational surrogacy in November 2019
She asked Ms Berezan to come and stay with Sophia and twins Hugo and Oscar (1) but shortly after
the woman’s home city of Kherson was surrounded
the model and online influencer said Anastasiia and her family were stuck in a “terrifying” situation
in an Instagram post this evening the former Miss World said Anastasiia and her family had landed on Irish shores after a “long and traumatic journey”
after a long and traumatic journey out of Ukraine
my daughter’s gestational surrogate Anastasiia Berezan arrived safely into Ireland with her family,” Ms Davison wrote
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“Wes and I first met this incredibly brave
kind woman in Kyiv in 2019 just before she gave birth to our little girl
we couldn’t even find the words to express our gratitude for giving us our much longed-for baby
She gave us the greatest gift of all and now it was our turn to help her
It took two months to finally escape Kherson City in the south of Ukraine and it was a huge logistical challenge to get them from Poland to Germany and then to Ireland with their Husky
“But we did it with the help of some very generous
including my wonderful parents and lots of my friends have been so generous with their time and support - you know who you are and I can’t thank you enough!”
Ms Davison added: “They’ve been settling into their new home in Ireland and finding their way around too
There’s been so much support in the community for Ukrainian families in Ireland
and they really appreciate all of the kindness
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A Vancouver company is proposing a massive development at Big White Ski Resort that would see a 17 storey hotel built
Artist rendering of the development (Photo Credit: Berezan Development)
by Berezan Development is called Chateau Blanc and would include 363 suites
The luxury hotel and residential building would also have four diamond standards rooms with separate storage facilities
a 612 underground parking garage and boast stunning views
Construction of the underground parking garage has already begun (Photo Credit: Berezan Development)
The project would encompass 420,000 square feet and it is already underway at the resort as phase one and two of construction began several years ago
This is the second time Berezan has attempted this development at Big White
the first proposal in 2006 included a casino
Artist rendering of the development (Photo Credit: Berezan Development)
According to spokesman Babu Kadiyala right now the company is looking for feedback from resort users and the community
“There are no firm dates for construction; we are gauging the market right now,” said Kadiyala.”We are asking people to register online with their interest in the project.”
A billboard has gone up at Big White directing interested parties to the Berezan website where they can register and sign up for more information
The proposed development has already gained zoning approval for the majority of the project
Berezan is owned by Lower Mainland millionaire Ralph Berezan
The initial cost for the project was slated at $200 million
but it is unclear how much it will cost to develop this scaled down version of Chateau Blanc
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