We were lucky enough to meet a beautiful and young, rising star from the Kootenays, Laela Heidt. She is competing in CBC's Searchlight where you can choose Canada's next greatest musical act.

Please take a moment to cast your vote for Laela and support our local talent! Click here to vote, scroll down until you see "Love Blind, Laela Heidt". You can vote once a day so keep coming back! Round one of voting closes at midnight on February 24th. The top 20 acts will be revealed on February 25th.

The winning artist will be featured in a CBC Music video session, paid to perform at a high-profile music showcase in Toronto, and will receive $20,000 in music equipment courtesy of Yamaha Canada Music.

Her is an excerpt from her bio:

Laela Heidt was born on a December afternoon in BC Canada. Now a young committed musician, singer, and foremost song writer. Derived from an early age, Laela found interest in words and music, that caught fire with her. At the age of three, after a long period of time she attempted to learn her older brother's piano songs by ear, that’s all it took for her mother to enroll her into piano lessons...At the age of 13 she left piano lessons with the condition of having her choice of an instrument she would play seriously. Laela was absolutely taken with the guitar at that juncture in time and still is today...By Fall of 2012 Laela had written over 56 songs. Constantly in search of something to help begin the young musicians career, she became discouraged after several unmentioned fall outs. One late October night, Laela sat down and wrote a song very personal to her life. Living in a social networking society, she felt the need to share it with the world. She posted her original song on Youtube, with her mother livid at her for breaking the rules of no original material going onto the internet; low and behold within 48 hours of posting she had been recognized by a scout in the Atlanta, Georgia. Within the weeks following he insisted on flying to Canada to meet with Laela and so her story begins. Currently Laela is being tracked by some major record labels.

Watch her recent video here. Catch her full bio here.

We'd like to start out by wishing you all a Happy New Year and all the best in 2013. Thank you for your continued support!!

If you are a property owner in BC, in the early part of January you will be receiving your property assessment. It is important to understand you assessment as it will be the basis of your property taxes.

Gina is extremely busy this year and thus will only be giving one course; at the Selkirk College - Trail Campus on Monday, January 14, 2013, between 6:00pm and 8:00pm (room number to be announced). It is a community service and is free but you must contact Selkirk College to register, please click here for more information.

Gina has worked for BC Assessment, been an advocate and an expert witness in the property assessment review process and has also been a panel member of the property assessment review panel. In this course you will learn how to ensure your assessment is correct, how to prepare and present to the property assessment review panel.

The course is geared towards residential appeal but is beneficial for commercial property owners too.