Case Studies/Past Work

Case Studies

Municipal Natural Assets Initiative Society

The Municipal Natural Assets Initiative (MNAI) is changing the way municipalities deliver everyday services, increasing the quality and resilience of infrastructure at lower costs and reduced risk. The MNAI team provides scientific, economic and municipal expertise to support and guide local governments in identifying, valuing and accounting for natural assets in their financial planning and asset management programs, and in developing leading-edge, sustainable and climate resilient infrastructure.

Recast has worked with this very valuable organization since 2018 providing Financial Controller services in a highly complex, project based system. We support the Executive Director and Board of Directors through the completion of all financial responsibilities including annual audits conducted by Grant Thornton.

Capital Regional District

The Salt Spring Island Community Economic Development Commission (SSI-CEDC) was established by the Capital Regional District with a mandate founded in the ultimate respect for SSI’s rural ambience, environment and unique quality of life to:

Develop and promote a sustainable economic strategy for Salt Spring Island
Preserve and strengthen existing businesses and attract new business
Advance and implement economic development initiatives, in collaboration with other public, private and not-for-profit organizations

Recast is working with the CEDC to conduct industry and market research, data analysis, writing funding and partnership proposals and grant applications, designing, implementing and reporting out on surveys, project management, food security projects, and COVID 19 research and updates for island businesses.

Thetis Island Farm Cooperative

This group of farmers, processors and consumers have established a multi-stakeholder cooperative on Thetis Island. In the development stage, Recast is supporting this organization to develop their accounting, inventory, POS and ecommerce systems with the goal of creating a 3 year budget, operations and cash flow plan.

Heritage Food Service Cooperative

When corporate takeovers and loss of infrastructure made earning a living nearly impossible for local farmers and ranchers, the Vancouver Island Heritage Foodservice Co-op was created to build them a regional client base other than grocery stores.

Founded in 2007, the Co-op educates island farmers on modernized business practices, with a goal of opening a variety of processing facilities to provide value-added food production services. With the help of government grants, the Co-op also works to promote locally produced food through various branding initiatives and enterprises while building and partnerships with like-minded groups.

From 2009 to 2011, Karin was the Project Coordinator, overseeing a team of 11, for the Island Taste Sensation Project, a multi-faceted project that provided the groundwork for a more secure food supply system on Vancouver Island. In addition to acting as Team Leader, Karin managed the finances of the project and made regular reports to funders and board members.

Finest at Sea

The leading provider of the finest quality seafood on the West Coast, Finest at Sea provides products that are 100% wild and are caught by their own fishermen through sustainable fishing practices. They have been operating since 1977 as F.A.S. Seafood Producers Ltd. Finest. At Sea was established as a ‘boutique-style’ seafood market in Victoria and has expanded to several locations in Vancouver.

As the interim Financial Analyst during 2019 to cover for maternity leave, Karin was responsible for the day to day financial activities with the goal of providing regular and intelligent reports to upper management. In addition, a brand new inventory system (Fishbowl) had been initiated just prior to departure of the other staff which required significant effort to bring it to a usable and functional level.

Back Forty Solutions

Karin worked in collaboration with Grant Henry, former Agrologist with the BC Ministry of Agriculture, thru the “Growing Forward” BC Ministry of Agriculture program creating business, marketing, production, value added and financial management plans for Vancouver Island farmers.