Radium Hot Springs adventure entrepreneur recognized by BC Business magazine

Patrick Tolchard was also recognized as a Rising Star Business of the Year by the Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Patrick Tolchard — Photo courtesy BC Business/30Under30

A Radium Hot Springs entrepreneur, Patrick Tolchard, has been recognized by BC Business magazine as one of the province’s Top 30 Under 30 business people.

According to a bio published on the BC Business website, “Patrick Tolchard, grew up in Pitt Meadows, moved to Radium Hot Springs. . . He worked in sales and marketing for a whitewater rafting company and then for Fairmont Hot Springs Resort as a special events coordinator. When a former classmate, Krista Berg, visited the area to ski in 2014, the two began talking about opening a zipline park. They leased a derelict theme park and converted it to an ecotourism adventure and education destination.

To qualify for grants through the JMH&Co Start Up Company Pitch Competition, Tolchard re-enrolled at Medicine Hat College and obtained a diploma in entrepreneurship. In May 2017, he won $10,000 in the competition, plus a year of accounting services and the company’s first tax return from Johnston Morrison Hunter & Co., the accounting firm that sponsors the competition. They also received funding from Futurpreneur and from private investors. The park opened to the public on July 21.

Patrick Tolchard was recognized as a Rising Star Business of the Year by the Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce in October."

He also told BC Business, ". . .that Valley Zipline did $100,000 in tour sales in five weeks of operation, with 2018 sales projections of $343,000. It expects to add three to five members to the 18 full-time staff.”