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2019 Floating Home Champion - Kelly Fishbrook
Fishbrook Award.jpg

Dave Coulter with Kelly Fishbrook

The Floating Homes Champion Award—initiated in 2017—recognizes individuals or organizations who have been significant advocates for, and have advanced the mission of the association—which is to promote and protect the sustainability of floating homes, our communities and our lifestyle. 

As you will recall, our first two recipients were Delta’s MLA (at-the-time) Vicki Huntington—for her more than two-decades of advocacy on our behalf, with politicians and the many regulators that govern us; and Frank Archer (a current FHA Director and Treasurer)—for his more than three-decades of volunteerism for the FHA (including as your president), helping to mature the association into the official, non-profit entity we are today.

This year, the Floating Homes Champion Award is going in a slightly different direction. And by that I mean it’s going to someone who has distinguished themself by their outstanding contribution in the form of advice, support and business services to the membership and our communities. These critical business services—be they in the areas of construction, renovation, insurance, finance, real estate or safety (to name a few)—also play an important role in shaping and securing our existence, and our sustainability. 

This (soon to be named) Floating Homes Champion, first got on board back in early 2003, when he joined one of the Big Five (banks that is) as a mortgage specialist and took over a unique and somewhat unloved file called “floating homes”. And love it he did. So much so that this person single handedly fought many of our battles for us—be it the punitive legal fees charged on mortgage documents (associated with sales/mortgages 15 years ago), the lack of refinancing options on our homes due to the Federal gov’t (due to their lumping us in with mobile parks), and the CMHC limitations on mortgage insurance (which is capped and thus not available to all). 

 

And this doesn’t include his biggest battle, which was with his own head office in Toronto, convincing them that they should continue to service our sector.

Also noteworthy over the past 16 years with us—over and above the fact that he has provided financing for floaties in virtually every floating home community if BC—this individual has advised and supported the establishment of floating home communities as far afield as Yellowknife - NWT; Toronto - Ontario; San Francisco - California; and Colombia - South America (although he forgets where exactly).

I’m talking here about RBC Mortgage Specialist, and FHA member, Kelly Fishbrook. Please join me in thanking and congratulating this year’s recipient of the Floating Homes Champion Award – Kelly Fishbrook.

© 2022 Floating Home Association of BC. 

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