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Undeterred by this initial setback, Casca-
dia—which harvests and processes seaweed
for a variety of applications, including crop
fertilizers and animal feed for land-based
farmers—has since grown to become North
America's largest seaweed cultivator.
Despite its impressive rebound, the com-
pany continues to face new hurdles. "It's
one of the worst years since 2008 for rais-
ing money," reveals Collins. "It's the roller
coaster of financial markets over the last two
to three years that make building a business
as a startup extremely challenging."
Cascadia's experiences touch on just a
few of the challenges confronting B.C. com-
munities as they steer through a business
environment that has only grown more
complex since the start of the pandemic.
However, the onset of the COVID-19 pan-
demic a year into the company's launch
didn't do them any favours: it scuttled a
scheduled trip to meet with the largest pro-
cessor of McDonald's Filet-O-Fish in eastern
North America, who were exploring add-
ing seaweed to their line of food products.
WHEN BILL COLLINS AND HIS BUSINESS PARTNERS
launched Sidney-based Cascadia Seaweed in
2019, they saw it as an opportunity to make a
positive impact on a planet facing a deepening
climate crisis. "We're trying to build a business
for the 22nd century and trying to prove that
people, planet and profits can co-exist in
harmony," explains Collins, co-founder and
board director of the aquaculture startup.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 30 ▶
SEA SUITE
Bill Collins co-founded
Sidney-based Cascadia
Seaweed a few years ago.
It's now North America's
biggest seaweed cultivator
