CAFE Member Profile
McCALL Bros.
by Chelsea Howard, CAFE VI Communications Specialist
Though it's one of the oldest businesses in Victoria, McCall Bros operates with an eye to the future. Now with a history of 93 years, David and James McCall started the business in 1921 at the site's present downtown location at 1400 Vancouver Street. Today, David Alexander McCall represents the third generation of family to take the helm of McCall Bros. Working alongside him are his nephew Craig Williams and son, Trevor McCall, who represent, incredibly, the fourth generation of family members directly involved in the business.
"Everyone in the family gets along extremely well. I love having my son involved, as well as my nephew, Craig. Family plays a large role, obviously," David says, “but my staff is just as important in offering compassion and support to the many families we serve”.
McCall's is more than just a local family business however; it is also an important member of Victoria's community and a huge supporter of civic interests.
"We've supported many causes, and I've been involved with a number of different groups. Our support has included many good causes such as Victoria Hospice, The United Way and The University of Victoria Scholarship Fund, to name a few. I have been a Director of Rotary, The Uplands Golf Club and The BC Funeral Services Association.I also served as President of The Union Club and The Capital City Executives Association”.
While David and his family are immensely proud of the business and what the family and staff has collectively accomplished, they are even more excited about what the future holds. Under the McCall umbrella is the beautiful Sequoia Gardens Memorial Centre in Royal Oak, where they will be relocating their main operations in the summer of 2016, following the construction of a state of the art addition.
"There is a movement towards celebrating life rather than mourning a loss. The bereaved want to connect with nature and have an uplifting venue according to the results of our consumer survey and focus groups. Sequoia Gardens can provide that. It will be a beautiful garden setting to have a celebration of life, either indoors or outdoors. We will continue to offer traditional church services if a family so desires."
The Vancouver Street location has been sold, but will remain open in the meantime to ensure continuity of service. “Once we have moved our main operations to Sequoia Gardens at Royal Oak, we will maintain an office in the downtown core where families can make arrangements or seek helpful advice and information”.
McCall's has achieved many accolades over the years, and chief among them is the fact that they are the "preferred family-owned funeral home and cremation centre in the region." McCall's won CAFE's coveted Family Enterprise of the Year Award in 2012.
“I am very pleased to be a member of CAFE. It is a wonderful organization. In the past, I have belonged to a PAG, and it was a great benefit. I was able to get a lot of great advice – advice on communicating with family members, advice on staffing, marketing, HR; really everything"
With a legacy like McCall's, it's no wonder the future looks so promising.