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January 6, 2010

Contest winner gets Power Smart on Gabriola Island

Global Morning News Team Power Smart Contest winner Doug Hamilton, a fishing charter operator, shows off a salmon caught off Gabriola Island.

Posted by Rob Klovance

Not many people have the luxury of a local wood supply large enough to fuel a 450-gallon wood-fired boiler. Then again, how many people do you know live in a place where a guy can own a Blu-ray player and not have any titles to view?

Oh, the wonders of island living.

Not that it bothers Gabriola Islander Doug Hamilton in the least. Asked which movie will be his first on the Blu-ray player he won as part of an energy-efficient price pack through a Global Morning News Join Team Power Smart contest, he just shrugs and laughs.

"Who knows?," says Hamilton. "We'll see what comes to the island."

A home builder/cabinet maker who also operates a fishing charter business, Hamilton was elated to discover that he'd won a bunch of energy-efficient components – worth about $5,000 – as the contest winner. On that list is a 46-inch Panasonic ENERGY STAR-rated TV, a 15.4-inch MacBook Pro laptop, a Linksys wireless N router, an Epson Artisan 810 Printer and that aforementioned Panasonic Blu-ray player.

Hamilton is particularly jazzed about the computer, as he was on the verge of replacing his existing "eight or nine-year-old" Apple laptop. And he's loving the wireless printer, along with the rather large, but efficient, second TV. He's anticipating that, because the devices are energy-efficient, theymay help him deliver on the Team Power Smart target of reducing his electricity consumption by 10% over 12 months.

It's not that energy efficiency is new to Hamilton, who leaned on his home advantage – he lives on a wooded, 5-acre lot – to install a wood-fired boiler a couple years ago. Instead of using electric heat, he now fires up the big boiler once in the morning and once at night, and uses the hot water's heat – distributed through a forced-air system throughout his 3,000-square-foot home – to stay warm and comfortable.

"It's awesome – we don't use electric heat anymore," he says. "On [winter] days like this, you can fire up the boiler, heat up the water once and you don't need to fire it again. You can use the heat in the water for a second heating of the house."

That boiler also heats the outdoor pool that is part of the new Manana bed and breakfast operation Hamilton has launched with partner Judy White. "We provide a deluxe breakfast with a varied menu that could include french crepes stuffed with chevre and blueberries topped with a berry coulis, or eggs benny with locally caught and smoked salmon," says Hamilton, jumping at the chance to promote the B & B.

The contest win seems to have capped what was a pretty good 2009 for Hamilton. The salmon his customers caught last year were in the 20-pound range, up from the usual 12 to 15 pounds.

"It was really good here last year," he says. "It's not like the West Coast, but the advantage here is you can go outside the harbour, two minutes and you're fishing."