October 28, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

When photographer and webmaster Ric Wallace left Ontario for Canada’s west coast, he didn’t know he’d be calling White Rock, BC his new home, let alone creating a line of postcards to promote White Rock. But visitors to his website WhiteRockBeach.ca often commented that his images should be on postcards. Knowing there was a limited market for these images, the successful sales have spun off into his latest line of nationwide “Wildlife of Canada” postcard series, as well as a holiday-themed White Rock postcard.

Starting with 30 White Rock Beach designs, Ric now has 41 different postcards for sale in about a dozen stores in town, as well as online on four websites. The postcards have a “Virtual Edge” over other locally-produced postcards because of the inclusion of UPC barcodes, as well as a QR code featuring a website containing lots of photos, videos, and links for people to check out. To Ric’s surprise, businesses in Tsawwassen and Langley, while gladly selling Vancouver-themed postcards, weren’t interested in retailing postcards that promoted White Rock. With the summer tourist season ending, Ric expected sales to drop off; surprisingly, sales in the first half of October had actually increased from the month prior.

Ric seizes every opportunity to let people know what he does as he shares his love of White Rock, including a recent visit to the dentist for some desperately needed repair work for a broken tooth. With a few postcards in hand, Ric visited Dr. John Rogers of White Rock Dental Clinic, letting them know the postcards were available at nearby Semiahmoo Mall. It was Dr. Roger’s use of a pencil-like camera to produce digital images of Ric’s dental issues that convinced him to he’d found his dentist. Dr. Rogers appreciated the sample postcards – one of the large white rock on the beach – and showed Ric how that rock inspired the dental logo for White Rock Dental Clinic.

Two weeks later when Ric returned, Dr. Rogers asked if Ric was the same person who had given him the White Rock postcards. The dentist had just returned from a vacation in Kenya, and he showed Ric a photo of a Kenyan tribesman, standing in front of a mud hut, holding his postcard. Never having seen a seagull before, the villagers admired another popular postcard known as “The Bird Dance” – an image of a seagull on the beach. Dr. Rogers happily regifted the postcards to the eager villagers.

After hearing the Kenya story, Ric thought it would be both a boost for White Rock tourism and his postcard sales if others act as goodwill ambassadors like Dr. Rogers did and share the Spirit of White Rock while on their next trip. Naturally, not everyone can afford vacations to faraway places such as Africa, but anyone can share them via Canada Post.

With the popularity of some of the bird and animal postcards, Ric decided to expand his postcard business and create the Wildlife of Canada series. He now has 41 different postcards with 13 of the bird postcards created from images taken at the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Delta, BC. They were proud to have some of their local residents featured on the postcards and a plug on the back.

The latest postcard creation, suggested by a previous customer, is a “Season’s Greetings” card of the White Rock pier, available until the end of the holiday season. With the current economy, anyone can share some gifts of WhiteRockBeach.ca and WildlifeOfCanada.com postcards and help carry the tourism torch for White Rock and Canada.

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For more information contact:

Ric Wallace, Virtual Edge Communications
604-259-0105
PO Box 75214 RPO White Rock, Surrey BC V4A 0B1

Note: High res images are available of Kenyan holding postcard, as well as a collage of the postcards.

These are some of the current White Rock Beach & area postcard retailers:

1. 1. WhiteRockBeach.ca- Buy Online - We ship worldwide
   2. The White Rock Beach Gallery - Waterfront Promenade Gallery – (weather permitting)
   3. Mr White Rock - Ric Wallace 604-259-0105 - VISA, MasterCard, Debit & CASH
   4. White Rock Pharmacy, 102 – 1440 George St., White Rock BC V4B 4A3
   5. Sunnyside Evergreen Pharmacy - 2397 King George Blvd. Surrey BC V4A 5A4
   6. Pier Souvenirs  - 14969 Marine Drive, White Rock BC V4B 1C3
   7. Ethical Addiction Apparel  (Ocean Park) - 1558 128th Street, Surrey, BC V4A 3T7

NOTE: Some retailers will have limited Greeting card selections due to space. Please support the above local businesses that support out efforts.

Our best selling Christmas Postcard and Greeting cards are now on sale in selected stores and online.

Season's Greetings Postcards

[products skus="VEC-1041,VEC-1063-SG, VEC-1065-SG, VEC-1067-SG, VEC-1069-SG, VEC-1095, VEC-1096"]

Season's Greetings Greeting Cards

[products skus="GC-VEC-1041,GC-VEC-1063-SG, GC-VEC-1065-SG, GC-VEC-1067-SG, GC-VEC-1069-SG, GC-VEC-1095, GC-VEC-1096"]

Merry Christmas Postcards

[products skus="VEC-1105,VEC-1107, VEC-1109, VEC-1111, VEC-1113, VEC-1114"]

Merry Christmas Greeting Cards

[products skus="GC-VEC-1105,GC-VEC-1107, GC-VEC-1109, GC-VEC-1111, GC-VEC-1113, GC-VEC-1114"]

[WOC-retailers]