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Higashi’s timing seems impeccable

In what could be one of the best pieces of timing in the history of business development in Whistler, a local entrepreneur has opened a Bell outlet store.

Timing

: The ability to act or speak at the right time in order to achieve the great effect.

— Canadian Oxford Dictionary, 2002 edition

Teruyuki Higashi is selling phones and satellite services in Whistler and he started doing it just weeks before Bell Canada announced it would provide an unprecedented $200 million in money and services to become the official telecommunications supplier of the 2010 Olympics.

Higashi, who has been in Whistler for almost 10 years, admitted he did not know about Bell Canada’s plans to sponsor the Olympics when he, and a business partner from Squamish, hatched a plan to open the store. Nonetheless, Higashi and his business partners stand to benefit enormously from Bell’s Olympic deal.

Part of Bell’s $200 million plan was to greatly increase its presence on the ground in British Columbia, including Whistler where rival Telus has a big presence and owns the naming rights to the Whistler conference centre and some of the larger annual events.

But despite all that has been going on around him, Higashi was just happy to continue selling phones and satellite services last week.

"There was one guy doing satellite installations in these areas, he’s from Squamish and he wanted someone to open a Bell store up here because he wanted more installations and that guy contacted me and I said okay let’s do it," explained Higashi.

"He helped me to get the store and contacted Bell and now we’re opened. I did not know too much about the Bell (announcement), but it’s good."