Stephanie and Aaron Van de Kemp presented their first “baby,” Cleanline Automotive, to the public on April 11, 2012—and they have an actual baby due in June.

Opening Cleanline Automotive has been a labour of love for this Ontario couple who recently settled in Invermere. Their eco-friendly automotive repair store is a natural fit for the Van de Kemps, who love the outdoors and are diligent about minimizing their personal environmental footprint. The response to their business has been strongly positive among local residents.

Stephanie gets excited when she’s on the hunt for green products to stock on Cleanline’s shelves and use in the shop. An example of such a product is windshield washer fluid, which the couple buy in bulk to eliminate the accumulation of recyclable plastic jugs. The Van de Kemps are exploring the possibility of making this washer fluid available for sale to individuals who bring in their own empty bottles. They have also switched from lead wheel weights to zinc ones, for environmental and economic reasons.

Using and stocking environmentally kind products that perform well and are cost effective for their clients in the long term is the Van de Kemps’ goal. The baby they are expecting in June gives them an immediate reason to achieve a cleaner, healthier environment.

The new Canadian Store is roughly 30,000 square feet and contains a Mark’s Work Wearhouse, an automotive centre, storage space and a garden centre.

The store was custom designed to fit into the Columbia Valley’s retail scene and has been in operation for a number of weeks after a soft opening earlier in the year.

Before the new store opened in Invermere the Cranbrook Canadian Tire location was the closest to the Columbia Valley.

With the addition of the Invermere store, Canadian Tire now has five locations throughout the Kootenays—Cranbrook, Fernie, Trail, Castlegar and now Invermere.

Canadian Tire is one of Canada’s largest and most successful retailers.

Imagine being treated for anything from attention deficit disorder to Lyme disease from the comfort of your home. No busy parking lots, no waiting rooms and no one rushing you through a five-minute appointment.

Invermere has gained the services of such a practitioner. Lauri Germain, DHHP, DMH, has relocated her homeopathic practice from Edmonton, Alberta, to the East Kootenay. Patients contact Germain via Skype or telephone for consultations and followups. Germain’s patients range from infants to the elderly, and live all over North America.

Her health and wellness background started in the optical field, then moved to nutrition. Finally, Germain attended Hahnemann Center for Heilkunst and Homeopathy in Ottawa for five years before starting her own career as a homeopathic doctor. She relocated from Edmonton to Invermere to be closer to her aging father, and is quickly settling in.

Germain spoke fervently about her work, likening it to a detective searching for hidden clues to solve the mystery that, in this case, is presented as physical symptoms.

“I look at what’s happening behind the scenes that is driving these symptoms, peeling away the layers of all the trauma (a patient’s) been through. I look at the state of mind and see how it’s affecting the physical body, then give remedies both to support the life force and to relieve symptoms,” Germain said. She described how people can still, years later, suffer the effects of a traumatic experience.

“I treat both sides of disease: the deeper reason, and the pathology,” said Germain. This can include dietary suggestions, homeopathic drops and some herbal remedies. “Everyone is so individual and that’s the beauty of this method,” she added.

To contact Germain, call 250-317-8162 or email laurishomeo@yahoo.ca. 

Greyback Constuction Ltd. has been working on a job site in Invermere for about six months, and the project manager, Craig Donoghue, anticipates that the project will be ready to receive fixtures this January. The opening date for the business is expected to be in the spring of 2012.

Donoghue said the Canadian Tire project in Invermere is roughly 30,000 square feet and he explained that the new facility will contain a Mark’s Work Wearhouse, an automotive centre, storage space and a garden centre.

To read the full story by Breanne Massey, click here.

The date is Monday, December 12, and the job fair will be held at the Best Western Hotel in downtown Invermere from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Applicants are encouraged to bring their resumes and various job descriptions are available for review at the Columbia Valley Employment Centre in Invermere.

Located at:

1313 7th Avenue, Invermere
Ph (250) 341-6889 Fax (250) 341-6809
Email: cvec@cyberlink.ca
Website: ekemployment.ca