Nexstream 3.0 Finalists

FABIAN DE LA FUENTE — VICTORIA, B.C.

Solaires are using innovation to reach net-zero emissions goals faster. They are developing the next generation of solar cells made from perovskite which are capable of revolutionizing the way the sun’s energy is converted into electricity and broadening the possible applications for solar technology.

Solaires’ Solar Ink™ can be coated on different surfaces and used in a roll-to-roll manufacturing process. With a sustainable and scalable manufacturing process, Solaires can bring to market innovative perovskite technology that delivers greater stability, versatility and lower costs compared to conventional silicon solar cells. The opportunity for printing onto curved or flexible surfaces is a clear advantage of this product too.

Finding alternative energy sources for the region will continue to be important for households and businesses who sometimes lose power in the winter. It is exciting to see the development of renewable energy companies right here on Vancouver Island and in BC!

MARK ANSON — PORT ALBERNI, B.C.

Managing our natural resources sustainably and encouraging projects that honour those resources by adding value to them has been an important goal of the NexStream challenges.

Mark Anson and his team at Timber Tiles have created a ceramic tile alternative that adds tremendous value to our beautiful softwoods compared to exporting raw logs. Timber Tiles’ first production facility is in Port Alberni, and it would be a great pleasure to see additional production facilities pop-up near other sources of wood in communities across the province, including Campbell River.

The innovative process that Mark’s team has developed results in very little waste and a product that is carbon negative, LEED certified, has no VOCs and is dimensionally stable across a range of interior applications. The product is easier to install than conventional tiles and creates a warm but modern aesthetic. More specifically, it showcases the grain of our BC softwoods in a unique and geometrically interesting way. The natural variances in grain and colour create an inviting patina that we believe designers and architects will seek out for special applications.

Equally impressive is the community minded manner in which Mark and team have built their company. This project is clearly aligned with provincial goals for economic development in forestry and good forestry management practices.

SHANE BEAR — EDMONTON, A.B.

New Energy’s vision is to provide clean, reliable, affordable, renewable, and environmentally responsible base load power to the world. Whether to reduce remote communities’ reliance on fossil fuels, add to an existing mix of grid connected power sources, or to provide power where none currently exists, we at New Energy believe in providing environmentally responsible energy solutions that harness the power available from nature.

Hydrokinetic power is not only an excellent source of renewable energy because of its minimal impact on the environment, but it also has the added advantage of being a continuous energy source. As a result, hydrokinetic power can be used as a reliable standalone energy source or as a complementary energy source for powering critical systems –e.g.refrigeration of food and medicine, pasteurizing water, or powering telecommunications, in locations where no power currently exists.

New Energy is making a difference by providing economical, sustainable and environmentally responsible power to the world –The Power of Nature.

EMILY & LIV — CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C.

Emily and Liv are exceptionally talented graphic designers who work under the name Sister Sister. Like many of us, they have gone through challenging times where they needed their pain to be acknowledged without being trivialized; though well intentioned, the common cliches and platitudes printed in greeting cards can sometimes hurt more than they help. “Everything is going to be OK” is not always what one needs to hear.

The two sisters put their graphic design expertise to task and spent countless hours researching and designing a new line of cards. The outcome is a new line of cards that are uniquely honest and empathetic. They call them the ‘Dark + Twisty’ line. The print quality and paper is exquisite and the language, imagery and mood emote deep compassion and empathy without, in Emily’s words, ‘Toxic Positivity’.

On top of their exceptional quality, we find it inspiring that Sister Sister is Island Good certified and that they have moved all of their card and marketing collateral production to Campbell River!

Emily and Liv’s cards can be purchased online at their ETSY, or at several retailers in Campbell River, such as Wildflower & Co in the Tyee Plaza.

LOVENA HARVEY — CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C.

It’s hard to describe the energy you will encounter when you walk into The Gathering Place in Campbell River. Although it’s a sophisticated business with cutting edge food processing, quality control and order fulfilment capabilities, it’s also a joyful place to be where you can’t help but be inspired by all of the laughter and the shared passion for cooking!

Ryan and Lovena began their business on Cortes Island nearly 20 years ago. While they grow many of their Canadian-sourced herbs on a family farm there, business growth and kids going to school in Campbell River required a larger processing facility and presence in Campbell River. The Gathering Place now offers a full line of spices and herbs that are all carefully curated, blended, packaged and distributed out of Campbell River. The herbs and spices in each package can be traces all the way back to its source, thanks to innovative software developed with collaborators, in-house. They are continuously improving process to deliver the highest quality of product possible.

More importantly, a caring set of values for people and planet guide each decision that Lovena and Ryan make. For example, they meet every farmer from who they source, and they only source from sustainable food gardens as opposed to monocultures. This permaculture approach to farming ensures that local ecosystems remain intact and that the farms themselves remain more sustainable and resilient.

Because the team believes in minimizing environmental impact and supporting Canadian farmers, they will always source Canadian if there is an option.

FERGUS BAGLEY — CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C.

ByteDeck is a learning management system created BY teachers and students FOR teachers and students. It’s thoughtfully laid out and encourages students to learn at their own pace by exploring modules in a ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ format. Carefully considered grading is integrated to reward students in ways that encourage continued learning and progress at a pace and in a way that suits their particular learning style.

We had the privilege of participating in a live demonstration of the software in person, at Carihi. It was clear to us that teachers working together to build and share media could also leverage each-other’s work to deliver more variety and rich curricula for their students to learn from in their quests.

We are very excited to see what the future will hold for ByteDeck and its continued development by the ByteDeck team and students who’re returning to Campbell River to work on this project as engineers! Tylere, Avi and Fergus are exceptionally passionate about making sure that our school systems continue to pursue exceptional learning outcomes for our students! Thank you for sharing all of your passion for education with the NexStream program!

ROB MACNEILL — CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C.

Rob, Bob and Tom at U4EO have created a vertically integrated program that includes a number of non-profit and for-profit companies that gives students in Campbell River the opportunity to learn industrial sewing, parachute rigging, skydiving and advanced product design and manufacture!

And, if that sounds like a lot to keep track of, it’s because it is! Though it may be challenging to see how all of those learned skills fit together, a day with this team at their industrial sewing centre at Robron School and their ever-evolving skydiving centre at the Campbell River Airport, will both inspire you and clarify the situation.

First, students enter U4EO through a number of classes that Rob offers to the school district. Rob has over 60 industrial sewing machines, sergers, embroidery machines and other equipment needed to produce high quality sewn items. Rob trains the students on operating and maintaining the equipment and immediately gets them into developing a project of their own choosing. They learn the workflows of designing and producing a product from scratch. Over 3000 students have come through this program.

Next, some students stay on to enter a work placement program to further hone their skills in upholstery and sewing by working on boats, cars, planes and many other products that are made out of one of the associated companies called Vertical Madness. Several students from Rob’s program now have successful careers in upholstery and industrial sewing!

After their initial exposure to sewing, Rob gets the keen students out skydiving. If something has been thrown out of a plane, you can be sure that Rob, Bob and Tom have been involved in doing it through their time in the armed forces. They provide a safe place for kids to learn how to ‘jump’; this pushes the students out of their comfort zone! From there, students pursue a number of passions and/or work opportunities in the sport of parachuting, including parachute rigging and the manufacture and repair of highly technical jump gear for sports jumpers as well as the military. Rob and his team are actively pursuing several large military contracts that will continue to bring important work to this region. On the rigging side of things, the U4EO team has recently trained and certified the youngest parachute rigger in Canada! She is now able to take on military contracts, search and rescue work as well as other job opportunities at skydiving centres across the country.

SHARON KARSTEN — CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C.

'Walk With Me' is a social innovation and research framework working towards community wellness in small cities. It brings together members of community from all walks of life to listen to stories while walking in-community. Following the walk, participants sit together in circle and share a meal. Elders share opening remarks and then each person is invited to share their own experience with the larger group.

Several members of the NexStream team had the privilege of joining ‘walks’. We had the opportunity to listen, over headsets while we walked, to the stories of our unhoused community and of community members who struggle with addiction. Each walk was thought-provoking and emotionally powerful and it is no surprise that this innovative method of bringing people together has engendered deeper empathy between members of community, as well as meaningful follow-on projects that hope to build stronger bonds and care for all members of our city.

Several meaningful projects have evolved from Walks in Campbell River. They include the training of frontline workers at Island Health and at North Island College - many students have been invited to participate in walks so that they can better know an important part of the community that they will serve as healthcare providers.

Another project is The Turtlepod Project, which is a response to the need for a warm, dry, safe shelter for the unhoused community. The Turtlepods are currently in development and provide an alternative to tents and shopping carts - enabling protection from the elements for people and their possessions. Great care is being exercised by the team in the design of the carts and their civic integration. The project is still in the prototype phase. The first prototype, released February 2022, was designed and built by Werner Karsten, with exterior painting/design by Shawn Decaire. Darcy Honey and Shawn Decaire also served on the Design Team. It has been a privilege to see the passion with which the team is tackling this work.

Last, the Art Hive is yet another exceptional outcome of the Walk with Me process in Campbell River. The inspiring team at the Campbell River Art Gallery have provided a space where artists living unhoused in the downtown core work together weekly to produce beautiful pieces that can be sold.