Brightening up a little part of town

Dr. Nish’s Cranbrook dental practice has built a brand new building—a move that is great for both his office and the community

1 of 3Dr. Nish is ready to welcome patients at his new location. — Kristen Mitchell photo

2 of 3The reception desk at Dr. Nish's new office makes a pleasant first impression. — Kristen Mitchell photo

3 of 3A fireplace and television help add to the comfortable homey feeling of the new waiting area. — Kristen Mitchell photo

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Many residents of Cranbrook, B.C., have been paying attention over the past year as an older house at a busy downtown intersection has been replaced with a sharp-looking building. As of October 21, 2013, the new owner, Dr. Dean Nish, has moved his dental practice into the brand-new office from the shared clinic that he’d been in for the last 21 years.

“We’ve had so many patients and even total strangers say that they’ve been watching the progress of our building,” said Nish. “It’s such a recurrent theme of people saying, ‘Wow, what a beautiful building,’ and we even get thanks from strangers (who tell us), ‘You’ve really brightened up this little part of town.’”

The office

Although the building has physically been in the works for about a year, it’s the result of a goal that Nish has had for quite a while. Finding an appropriate piece of land that was already zoned commercially was one specific challenge. Nish goes for a walk every afternoon and would keep a lookout for properties that were for sale and had potential. He calls the spot where his office now stands an absolutely ideal location.

“It’s great—there’s lots and lots of room,” said Nish, enthusiastically describing the new office. "It’s everything I’ve always wanted.”

The building is beautifully finished and Nish said that everything has been done very well. The result is a warm and spacious but engaging office space. The exterior features an attractive entrance and some excellent rockwork, just one piece of the construction that was done locally.

“I love the stonework—we have it on the exterior and the interior,” said Nish. “We used different shades on the outside and the inside. It was done locally as well. I tried to use as many local people as I could. Cranbrook has been good to us for 21 years and I wanted to be able to give back by having as many local tradesmen and materials from the area (as possible). This rockwork was all made by a guy up in Gold Creek (a subdivision of Cranbrook).”

Settling in

For the moment, Nish and his busy practice are the only occupants at the new location. However, the business is accepting new patients and Nish has intentionally built a facility that could easily host another dentist as he looks forward to eventually welcoming a partner to the location.

The extra space has been particularly nice, said Nish, who has outfitted an extra room in his new office. The waiting area is a particular hit with its fireplace, television and comfortable living room feel. The positive comments from clients and strangers alike just keep on coming while Nish’s office settles into its new location.

“I like the size of the community,” said Nish, explaining why he enjoys practising in Cranbrook.  “After hours, if I’m shopping or walking or going up skiing, I’m constantly running into patients. That’s just fun because, for the most part, my patients are my friends . . . I love interaction with people and that’s kind of what this town offers. I know it’s a city but it’s still small enough that you don’t go too far without running into someone and it’s nice to have that friendliness.”