The Founders

Thomas Bulter Anderson

Founder, Author, Techonologist

My name is Thomas Butler Anderson, but you may know me and my dog Dash from around the Cove, delivering e-bikes. I am the proprietor of Tom's eBike Rentals, which I started just this summer. I'm also one of the artisans on this site, as an author, and I came up with the idea for this eStore because part of the deal with my publisher was that I find a way to market my book.

Knowing what I know about the mechanics of how people find things on the internet—thanks to years of working for the Ontario government—it seemed almost impossible to generate any kind of "buzz" around my book without spending an amount of money that, frankly, was not in the budget.

It then occurred to me that if I were in this predicament, there must be other authors on the island sharing my quandary. And then—BINGO!—like a flash, it hit me: of course, there are more than just authors on this island. Maybe there was a way to start something that would benefit not just me, but all the folks on our beautiful rock who create equally beautiful work of all kinds.

If a large group of individuals can come together, then the ability to market our local wares to the world becomes a reality. Not only will our eStore help those looking for a specific vendor, but through extensive advertising we will reach customers who didn’t even know they loved Quadra.

So that is my goal: to create an online market where people from all around the world can sit in the comfort of their homes, relive the experiences they had here, and own a piece of that memory. But this idea was bigger than me.

I had a successful business years ago but now I needed someone who understood how to make a business run successfully in this market. Someone with a proven track record and a common-sense approach to counter my lofty ideals. The yin to my yang.

Enter James Durand...

James Durand

Partner, Founder, Columnist

Hi, I‘m James, I live just across the water in Campbell River and run a small, family owned, bike
shop with my wife Chenoa . . . and usually my two kids, Rhyley and Regan.
We moved from the mainland back in 2010 looking for a smaller community to start a family,
and all that is offered with a more relaxed lifestyle. We love it.


I never thought of myself as creative earlier in life, but after moving to the Island, I realized I like
to write and tell stories. About 15 years ago, I started writing a weekly article in the Campbell
River Mirror. To date, I’ve published approximately 700 columns, all built around biking, family,
and adventure . . . sometimes my opinions and “wisdom” sneak in there as well. With all the joy
it brings me to entertain our local community with some storytelling, I have recently decided to
expand it with a YouTube channel based on my life as a cyclist and father. Now I’ll try telling
some of my stories on video. Hopefully it entertains a few people???
I met Tom a few years back and I’m starting to believe in fate, because he and I work together
perfectly. His skill set and mine are vastly different, but our opposing strengths greatly
complement each other.
When Tom mentioned his idea of an online market place to me, I was instantly intrigued.

You see, I’ve been working on a web site for our small business for over a year. It has taken up
way too much time, energy, and finances, and at this point, it is still not ready and still won’t
include E-commerce. Frustrating to say the least.
With Tom’s ability and passion in the tech world, search engine optimization, and his brilliance
navigating through a computer, and my business experience, contacts, and point of view as a
small operator, combined with both of our desires to help community, we are forging ahead
and creating CoastalIslandMarket.ca.
I truly believe we can help you expand your reach, your sales, and your business, while you do
what you love to do.
Sincerely,
James