Rodrigo Leme, Biology Technician, and Creative’s Tofino-based staff accommodations
The housing crunch has hit many communities across British Columbia. Tofino and Ucluelet – two places many Creative crew members call home – are no exception.
To ensure Creative crew members, particularly those new to the team and relocating, have safe, affordable accommodations , the company decided to own the problem.
“Lack of affordable housing made it not only difficult for us to recruit new employees, but retain them as well,” says Graham Aspinall, Creative’s Financial Controller. “We knew we had to do
something to help our employees, and quickly.”
In December 2020, Creative purchased a five-bedroom house with a detached garage suite in Tofino. In April 2021, they added a four-bedroom rancher in Ucluelet. Rodrigo Leme, a Biology Technician at Creative, says without the company’s support in finding housing, he would’ve had to uproot and start over in another part of the province.
“When I moved to Tofino, a fellow Creative crew member offered me a place to rent, which was really generous. But, when he needed the space back for his family, I was stuck,” says Rodrigo. “Luckily for me, Creative had started the affordable staff accommodation program.”
Rodrigo was one of the first tenants in Creative’s Tofino property and used the stability to focus on the next steps of his career and life.
“Without having to worry about where I was going to live, I was able to commit to my goal of purchasing a home,” he says.
Not only did Rodrigo become a homeowner this year, but on June 10, 2021, the ex-pat Brazilian also became a Canadian citizen.
“Stable housing helped me to finally be able to enjoy the wonderful Vancouver Island lifestyle and settle down in this incredible place.”
