Kamloops, B.C., company slays industry giants to win acoustic guitar of the year | Canada News Media
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Kamloops, B.C., company slays industry giants to win acoustic guitar of the year

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Growing up in a family-run music store, Mike Miltimore was comfortable as a preteen pulling apart guitars, understanding how they worked and putting them back together.

He has fond memories of flipping through the Musical Merchandise Review magazine to see what products industry insiders from across North America picked as the best each year.

“We would wait for the award section to come out to see if our products that we had in our store were listed in there and if what we voted for was one that won,” he said.

“It was always an exciting moment. My dad would wait for me to get back from school so we could look at the magazine together.”

Decades later, Miltimore’s own Kamloops, B.C., company has triumphed over industry giants to see one of its models named by the magazine’s subscribers as acoustic guitar of the year.

Riversong Guitars and its River Pacific P2P GA design beat out Taylor, Yamaha and Martin guitars to walk away with the title.

Miltimore said it’s the first time a Canadian company has won in the category.

“It’s a true David versus Goliath moment. Their coffee budget, I am sure, in probably one month, is more than our entire marketing budget,” Miltimore said of his competitors.

“It’s a bit of a testament to innovation, to building quality product, to doing something outside of the box, that the dealers and the industry voice has voted us as being not only a contender, but the winner.”

In celebrating the River Pacific, the magazine writes that the guitar is “both visually stunning and remarkably comfortable to play.”

“Every now and again, a smaller brand manages to sneak up and eke out a win in categories traditionally dominated by ‘the big boys’ and this year Mike Miltimore’s team of Canadian craftspeople did just that,” the magazine says.

The patented adjustable neck runs through the body of the guitar, allowing it to better resonate with less bulk.

“(The neck) can be adjusted precisely for string height so it doesn’t hurt your fingers, so that it can accommodate for different humidity and temperature changes, or just your playing style, whether you want to play slide guitar, or fingerpick or electric-style guitar,” he said.

Miltimore said since the winners were announced, his company has been flooded with orders and messages of support from Canadians.

“For me, this award is not just an award for Riversong Guitars, or for the Kamloops area, or B.C. It’s an award for small-town Canada that really puts us on the map,” he said.

“And for us to win, that is a win for all of us and that’s a thing that means a lot to me.”

— By Ashley Joannou in Vancouver

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 6, 2022.

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RCMP arrest second suspect in deadly shooting east of Calgary

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EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.

Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.

Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.

Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.

Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.

RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.

Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.

“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.

But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.

“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.

While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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26-year-old son is accused of his father’s murder on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast

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RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.

Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.

The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.

It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.

Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.

The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Metro Vancouver’s HandyDART strike continues after talks break with no deal

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VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.

Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”

However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.

McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”

About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.

McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.

He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.

The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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