John Thomson's I Didn't Know That!

Rumours and Things . . .

I am sitting here at the computer trying to make a decision on how I handle this particular story.

It was last Wednesday and I received some information from a close contact of mine regarding a new major retailer for Kelowna. I wrote down the information and then said are you sure? The reply was “yes.”

The world’s second largest improvement retailers Lowes is coming to Kelowna. The company according to this information has made a deal for a property. I have that site right in front of me on my notebook but I need to do a little more checking to make sure.

We already have three major retailers in the home improvement retail business in Kelowna.

We knew the U.S. retailer was coming west.  They opened their first Canadian store in 2007 and they now have 32 of them with New Westminster being the first one in B.C.

It was from their headquarters in N.C. they announced Canada was their next stop and there would be 100 stores across the country, their first six in Southern Ontario…

It is probably going to happen next week, and that is prices of produce from the U.S. will rise and I would suspect the price of Canadian produce would do the same.

First of all there is a drought in the major growing areas of America and the government is forecasting that 60 per cent of the crop is in danger. The corn crop damage is severe, and as you know when it comes to food products, corn is used in everything.
 
Drought conditions and heat have seared crops across the Mid-West and that is going to mean higher prices for grocery products containing corn, everything from cereal to soft drinks.

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They’re getting serious at Tobiano Golf in Kamloops about selling the award winning golf course. It has been in receivership since 2011. The Thomas McBroom designed course has won numerous awards and is in one of the most beautiful setting for a golf course.

NAI Commercial is handling the property and has stated they have 14 signed non-disclosure agreements from potential buyers. They come from Hawaii and Ontario and those parties have indicated they will tour the site immediately.

Still nothing from the Fred Couples designed The Rise in Vernon. There have been some rumours but this is a difficult deal to close on.

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Anderson Cooper has been in the news lately and I just ran across this piece while researching another. His annual salary from CNN is $11 million and his estimated worth is $100 million.  He just sold his remodeled home in New York for just under $4 million.

His mother is Gloria Vanderbilt.

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The boy from Minnesota, Bob Dylan, is playing to a sold out Cranbrook Recplex audience on Aug 12 and the event is sold out.

Bob Dylan was Bob Zimmerman in the early 60s before the name change. His tour stopped in Lethbridge and Lloydminister for shows, along with the upcoming Cranbrook date.

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I finally found out where headquarters is for the Safety Tub people. It is Nashville, Tenn.

The company has a service contract with a plumber in Burnaby. I should have some more news on this soon.

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Mel Kotler was a man of the people in everything he did. He was devoted in his life to giving back to the community, a lesson in life from his mother in Montreal. He just lost his battle with cancer.

He came to Kelowna after successfully launching the Fabricland franchise in Western Canada from the beginning of the new store in Calgary in 1977 and moving head office to Kelowna in 1985. He now had 60 stores and franchises across the west.  He retired from Fabricland in 2001. Traveled extensively with his loving wife Dina, an artist in her own right.

This gave the man who inspired many to direct his efforts back to the community he so loved.  Everyone involved worked harder to keep up with him.

Rest, my friend; you made the world a better place.

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Viva Musica Society has changed its programming this summer, including moving outdoors. They are calling it the Kelowna Summer Theatre Festival and they’ve got two great shows audiences this summer.

They open on July 19 with a madcap review called Golf: The Musical. Although it has been produced in over 50 countries, the Kelowna production will be its western Canada premiere. Called a "delightfully silly surprise" by the New York Times, GOLF: The Musical is a hilarious romp.

On July 26, the second show opens, Fortune’s Fools by New York playwright Frederick Stroppel. Taking aim at modern adult relationships, the play is about two couples, the first about to be married and the second intensely wary of committing to marriage. The result is a rocky road to romance for all involved.

Show times are 8 pm Wednesdays through Sundays until August 12.

The shows will be presented on the Outdoor Stage at the Rotary Centre for the Arts. Tickets are available at the RCA or online at SelectYourTickets.

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The phone rings. The caller says this is Anne.

This is a consulting service and we would like to talk with you for thirty seconds about our country’s debt.

All you have to do is press one and you could win a free trip to the Bahamas.

This was a robo call and this company I’m sure are American marketers and their calls relayed through a Canadian number - always come in that 3pm time whatever they are selling.

There must be a lot of Canadians falling for this scam.

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It was in 1989 that I started to bring major headline speakers to my business seminars and in some of those years we did six major events. This week two of my favorite speakers were in the news this week.

Stephen R Covey is the author of  “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” as well as several other books that together sold millions of copies. He passed away this week at age 79.  He was in two of our seminars.

Also this week came news from Tom Peters that his excellent book “In Search of Excellence” was going to be reissued.  He wrote the books many of used as the bible back then. This book is thirty years old this year.

Most of the young people in the business today have never read it or for that matter don’t know whom Tom Peters is.

Harper Collins is going to bring the book back into print in an e-book format. The publisher hopes the digital format will spark the interest of the next generation of business leaders. Will be available this fall.

May I recommend this is book as a must read. Wherever you order you books get on the list for a first copy.