Scents of Adventure

Carla Wilson
Times Colonist

Saturday, February 14, 2004



Chris Dysart is game for adventure. Perching on a pontoon bouncing along the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon or facing military checks in unstable areas of the world are just some of her memorable experiences.

Riding that pontoon while blasting through rough water was the best part of her week-long trip along the river, she says.

"It was such a rush."

Dysart, 52, caught the travel bug during a 1986 trip to Japan. Along with husband Herb Widdifield, Dysart enjoys adventure travel such as hiking in the Himalayas and in Chile, backpacking through China, and staying in a houseboat in Srinigar in the Kashmir valley. It was outside Srinigar on their way to an airport that they were stopped 13 times by government officials.

They've made it to Mount Everest's base camp and recently returned from New Zealand in time for Valentine's Day, the busiest time of the year for their three stores. Dysart and Widdifield own Brown's the Florist on Fort Street and in the Hillside Shopping Centre, as well as Sidney Florist.

Dysart proved she was willing to take on a challenge when she began managing the downtown Brown's the Florist store, then on the corner of Yates and Broad streets, after buying it in 1977 with Widdifield and two other partners, who are no longer part of the company.

She had been working as a secretary at UVic for five years and was ready for a change.

A year working in Widdifield's family greenhouses on the Saanich Peninsula led her in a new direction, one that she loved right away.

"It was bright and sunny and warm," she said. "In a greenhouse environment things grow so fast you can almost see it and I like immediate results.

"It is awe-inspiring that you can take care of something and two months later it is out the door and it is beautiful."

Dysart is active and enjoyed the physical aspect to the work. The discovery was a "total fluke" and one that has panned out well. The company expanded by buying Sidney Florist in 1980 and opening the Hillside store in 1996.

When she took on the job of running Brown's it was a "leap of faith. I knew nothing about retailing, absolutely zero."

Dysart credits her staff with teaching her the ropes. She has also taken business courses through Camosun College, UVic and the Federal Business Development Bank.

There were plenty of long hours. "In the early years, it was 24-seven. That was my life."

Dysart is soft-spoken and laughs easily and frequently. Her face lights up when talking about the best part of managing Brown's -- working with staff. She loves "watching other people doing things and watching people succeeding."

She likens herself to a band leader for employees.

Her office is in the Fort Street store but to keep in touch, Dysart spends one day a week each in the Sidney and Hillside stores doing everything from designing arrangements, to dealing with customers and sweeping floors. There's also a rotation system in place for the 15 employees to give them a better understanding of the business.

As the years have gone by, choices and tastes in flowers and arrangements have changed. When Dysart began in the business, there were only about six types of flowers available.

Now there's a huge variety available of flowers from around the world. Hand-tied bouquets are the store's biggest seller.

More women are buying flowers these days, she said.

Funerals used to be a large part of the florist business but that has dropped off because families often request donations to charities in lieu of flowers.

What's popular on Valentine's Day is what is in demand generally, she said. Walk into Brown's to find many types of flowers, with buckets filled with a variety of colours and types of roses.

Men like to buy red roses but many women prefer other colours, Dysart said.

Tropical flowers are popular, she said. "Orchids are really hot right now."

Several local flower growers supply Brown's, including Eurosa Gardens Ltd., of Greig Avenue. Jeanine Reemst, who handles sales for Eurosa, has been dealing with Dysart for a decade now.

"They support the local community and we benefit from that," Reemst said.

Reemst and Dysart meet several times a year to discuss business. "She is very organized, very honest and upfront ... I have a lot of respect for Chris."

So do her staff.

Brown's the Florist won in the retailer of the year category in the Vancouver Island Business Excellence Awards, presented last month in Courtenay and staff accepted on her behalf. They asked Doug Potentier, Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer, if he would take the award to Victoria and present it in person to Dysart.

He did that Wednesday morning at their Victoria Harbourside Rotary Club meeting.

When Dysart received the award, she credited the work of her employees, he said.

A past-president of the club, Dysart is a community minded citizen, Potentier said. In her business, she has instilled the value of customer service and is a dedicated worker.

ESSENTIAL DYSART:

- Born: Holland and moved to Canada at age three with her family. They lived first in Ottawa, then Vancouver and finally the family fell in love with Victoria, arriving here when Dysart was 13.

- Favourite flower: Doesn't have one. Whatever looks is the best quality at the time.

- Ideal day: Go for a jog and then play a round of golf.

- Her vow: If she promises to do something, it will happen. "My word is good."

- Plans for future: "Within five years, I think I will be retired."

- What will she do then: "I'd like to really get involved in community volunteer work." Dysart is already passionate about her work with the Victoria Harbourside Rotary Club.

- Why she loves to travel: "You learn so much about people and about the world and how it works. It makes you a better citizen of the world because you have a better understanding."

- Her travel wish list: Climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Visit Greece.

Ran with fact box "Essential Dysart" which has been appended to the story. Profile of Chris Dysart.

© Copyright 2004 Times Colonist (Victoria)