Vancouver Magazine January/February 2023

LaSalle College Vancouver: For Those Who Dream of Design

Discover LaSalle College Vancouver, a member of Canada’s oldest design education network, now with B.C.’s newest creative campus.

It’s more than a school. Since the year 2000, LaSalle College Vancouver has served as an incubator for the dreams of students from all over the world.

Whenever you see cameras on the seawall shooting the next blockbuster film, taste a Michelin Guide rated menu, read about the next big designer featured at Vancouver Fashion Week, or catch your breath in a room that just fits, you’re discovering the talent of a LaSalle College Vancouver graduate.

LASALLE COLLEGE VANCOUVER

Y2K was a good year for creative arts education in British Colombia. LaSalle College Vancouver opened its doors, offering programs across the range of art, media and design disciplines. As a member of LCI Education, the col-

lege traces its roots back to Montreal, where it was founded in 1959. The group would go on to open Canada’s first fashion and design school before becoming a global network of 12 schools, with 23 campuses across 5 continents. LCI Education is rated as one of Canada’s best managed companies and is proud to be opening the most state-of-the art private creative campus in Canada by 2024.

“Our goal is to unlock your creative potential,” says Dr. Jason Dewling, president of LaSalle College Vancouver. “Our reward is seeing you thrive. Whether you’re interested in Game Design & VFX, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Audio & Film, Fashion or the Culinary Arts, LaSalle College Vancouver can help make your dreams a reality. We take your creativity and passion and help you

position it for employable skills.”

It’s a simple goal: help graduates build rewarding, lifelong careers. Celebrated by the Princeton Review and other industry giants as the #1 Game Design school in Canada 14 years running, it’s no surprise that LaSalle College Vancouver graduates make waves in their field.

When industry hiring partners think of top talent, LaSalle College Vancouver comes first to mind. With fashion and design in its DNA, the private arts college is fuelling the growth of the ever-expanding creative sector and helping British Columbia thrive as Canada’s new creative hub. When LCV graduates walk off the graduation stage and into the real world, they turn heads at top brands like Lululemon, Artizia, EA Sports, Sony, Fairmont, Paramount, Disney and more.

HOW DO YOU BUILD AN INCUBATOR FOR CREATIVITY?

There is a reason students from the college steal the show every year at Vancouver Fashion Week. LaSalle programs are designed with a one-to-one lab to classroom ratio, with crossdiscipline collaboration and industryleading experts as instructors. This high-touch, premium learning model shapes graduates with practical skills, and they don’t just know the theory— they live it. Offered in a more concise timeframe than public institutions, graduates emerge sooner, armed with high competency and feeling prepared for professional excellence.

The school takes pride in welcoming students that want to push the boundaries of ‘possible’. To create graduates that win Oscars and Grammys and are nominated for awards across the artistic landscape, educators and faculty have had to colour outside the lines.

BUILDING THE FUTURE OF CREATIVE EDUCATION

LaSalle College Vancouver has announced construction of its new, purpose-built education center, driven by technology, active learning and social engagement. The 108,000-squarefoot, seven-storey building is scheduled for completion in 2024. The vision was to create a space filled with light—the ultimate destination for immersive education. Designed to forge student passion into the next generation of art, media and design professionals, this is the place where creative dreams come true.

The new campus is committed to sustainability and designed to meet LEED Gold standards. It is Fitwel accredited, which means health and wellness have been engineered from the foundation up, providing spaces for humans to thrive physically as well as academically. The health first building will also be Accessibility

Certified Gold by the Rick Hansen Foundation, making it one of the most accessible campuses in Canada and a place for creative diversity to thrive.

Storeys of floor-to-ceiling glass reveal a welcoming atrium crowned with an ultra-modern suspended classroom—floating above the common area this dual-purpose lecture theatre and sound stage that will house digital film and video classes, while serving as the ideal stage for welcoming the next cohort of creatives, graduations and unforgettable events. A formidable digital lounge in the learning commons will be the envy of gamers across Canada. As one of only three schools in the country that offers a degree in fashion design, the campus will boast several makerspaces, ateliers to entice students hungry for experiential learning to dabble, build and explore creative collaboration. A seventh-floor rooftop meditation garden featuring Indigenous art will offer students and faculty a place to relax and find inspiration amid the buzz of the culinary department’s budding chefs, growing their own herbs, fruits and vegetables to harvest and prepare in the campuses very own fine-dining restaurant.

BUILDING FUTURE LEADERS

Twenty years from now, this timeless space will remain relevant and ready to support the best in design discovery across the Pacific Northwest. “We have put in the backbone infrastructure to allow maximum flexibility in the new building,” Dewling says. “Each room is outfitted for easy adaption of technology in the future.”

British Colombia’s newest creative campus has broken ground and is taking form. The campus will welcome its first cohort in 2024. Until the launch, all are invited to visit the current facilities and discover the passion that fuels the organization today. With four annual intakes, its always a good time to apply. For those who dream of design, class is now in session.

Learn more about LaSalle Vancouver at: www.lasallecollegevancouver.com

READY TO JUMP IN? Scan the QR code to discover current offers, experience a virtual tour and to sign up for your Vancouver Magazine exclusive ticket to the opening celebration of the new campus.

@LaSalleCollegeVancouver @lasallevancouver

HOT TAKE

It’s high time to hibernate—here’s everything you need to do absolutely nothing. favourite attendee, Fred Lee.

CITY INFORMER

Why is the City of Vancouver obsessed with Japanese beetles?

35

THE POWER 50

Our 22nd annual list of the 50 most powerful people (and groups of people, and maybe even a certain ongoing geological catastrophe caused by people) in Vancouver right now.

63

way: a hot spot for Chinese

78

NIGHTCAP

Take a cue from Archer’s menu and make this impressive alcohol-free cocktail.

REAL WEDDINGS

Hearing wedding bells? Get your big-day inspo, venue recommendations and best advice here.

Publisher Samantha Legge

Editorial Director Anicka Quin

Art Director Stesha Ho

Associate Editor Alyssa Hirose

Associate Art Director Jenny Reed

Assistant Editors Kerri Donaldson, Dani Wright (on leave)

Editor at Large Stacey McLachlan

Wine & Spirits Editor Neal McLennan

Contributing Editors Frances Bula, Melissa Edwards, Amanda Ross

Editorial Interns Karisa Cheng, Lydia Cotic-Ehn, Isabella Santamaria and Aastha Sethi

Editorial Email mail@vanmag.com

Sales Manager Anna Lee

Senior Account Executives Charie Ginete-Ilon, Brianne Harper, Mira Hershcovitch, Amy LaJambe, Gabriella Sepulveda Knuth, Sheri Stubel

Production and Studio Manager

Landon Spenrath

Digital Ad Coordinator Kim McLane

Production Coordination/Design

Nadine Gieseler

Sales Email s ales@canadawide.com

U.S. Sales Representation, Hayes Media Sales Lesley Hayes Tel 602-432-4868

Email le sley@hayesmediasales.com

European Sales Representation

S&R Media Sylvie Durlach

Tel +33 1 44 18 06 65

Email srmedia@club-internet.fr

Suite 130, 4321 Still Creek Drive, Burnaby, B.C. V5C 6S7 Tel 604-299-7311 Fax 604-299-9188

Chairman and CEO Peter Legge, OBC, LLD (HON)

President Samantha Legge, MBA

VP of HR/Admin Joy Ginete-Cockle

VP of Finance Sonia Roxburgh, CPA, CGA

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Director of Circulation Tracy McRitchie

Accounting Terri Mason, Eileen Gajowski

Circulation Kelly Kalirai

O ff ice Manager/Sales Coordinator Lori North Executive Assistant to the CEO Charie Ginete-Ilon

VANCOUVER MAGAZINE is published six times a year by Canada Wide Media Limited Suite 130, 4321 Still Creek Drive, Burnaby, B.C. V5C 6S7. Phone 604-299-7311;

The Balance of Power

We were still in the thrall of a feels-like-summer-but-it’sactually-October fall when we gathered our panel of advisors at Alberni Street’s Archer restaurant to discuss this year’s Power 50 list. We had the room to ourselves and our discussion was long, broad and frank, but it always came back to our central question: What does power mean in 2023?

For the team here at Vanmag, power is the ability to move the dial in our city—whether you’re the head of a telco that’s making waves in our health-care system, or the social housing developer who’s creating much-needed dwellings for our housing-starved city. And as we sifted through the hundreds of names that were put forward for consideration that night, it became clear that a theme was emerging: over the past year—or even less—there has been a big shift in power in this city.

Some of the new power players were immediately obvious. In a result Vancouver hasn’t seen in several election cycles, mayor Ken Sim delivered a full slate of councillors to city hall with his ABC party. Longtime Power 50 regular David Eby, with his reputation for getting things done, is now steering the ship—our province—from the top post after years of being the guy standing a few steps away from it.

There’s fire chief Karen Fry, the first woman to hold that role in Vancouver, who’s made complicated calls on the encampment on Hastings. And there’s veteran arts administrator Hank Bull, credited for being the force behind getting the Vancouver Art Gallery the extra funding it needed to build a new home.

And speaking of that 25-degree October we all experienced? Well, another theme was clear that night: while every stripe of politician now includes some form of climate mitigation strategy on their platform, we’ve yet to see decisive leadership for our climate emergency. We’ve lived through floods, fires, atmospheric rivers, heat domes—and unseasonably warm Octobers—but as you’ll see from our number one on the list this year, it’s obvious that the most powerful force among us is not taking direction from anyone. For all of our sakes, here’s hoping that by 2024 and beyond, that number-one player on this year’s list has some real social and political power rising up to push against it.

Coming Up Next Issue

k

The Chill Issue

Feeling a little tense? We can’t blame you. Between real estate prices and inflation and health crises, Vancouverites have plenty of reasons to be anxious right now. So we’re diving deep into the best ways to find your zen: think luxe massage treatments, hidden spas, peace-inducing product picks and more.

Veg-Style on Main Street

Gone are the days when Vancouverites upping their veggies were stuck with a green salad and a side of fries. Plant-based options are now essential to any modern menu in the city—and that’s especially true on Main Street, where restaurants are making magic out of meatfree dining.

On the Web

Wine Collab of the Week

Wine pro Kurtis Kolt dives into his favourite restaurantwinery collaborations, from a gorgeous syrah from Le Vieux Pin created for L’Abattoir’s PNW fare to Kismet Winery’s blend that’s the perfect match for Vij’s curry.

2019 CABERNET FRANC

Culture

By now, we think the “new year, new me” ethos is a boring cliché—but even if resolutions are outdated and the year is just a number, January is as good a time as any for a fresh start. So kick offthe year with innovative self-care essentials, Vancouver-designed puffer jackets and the best entertainment from local artists, authors and performers. Start your calendar the cool way.

Culture Hot Take

Hibernation Station

Sleep, slumber and slouch this month with our lineup of cocoon-approved picks that keep the cold outside and the cool within.

NOW OPEN

ARC’TERYX KITSILANO

2201 W 4th Ave.

From climbing to trail running, Arc’teryx’s new Kitsilano flagship stocks the largest selection of gear and apparel globally, including Veilance and System_A collections. Here, the store unveils its circularityfocused ReBird, the brand’s care and repair, resell and upcycling initiatives. arcteryx.com

1. Nothing says laissez-faire better than the rib-knit TNA New Rush cu ff ed beanie with darted crown in merino wool—an elevated way to top your top. $22, aritzia.com 2. Sleep the sleep of angels with Parachute’s new cloud-like cotton puff omforter made of 100-percent organic brushed cotton—and a recycled fill that equals 100 plastic water bottles. From $349, parachutehome.com 3. To commemorate the 10th anniversary of its iconic Beoplay A9 speaker, Bang and Olufsen is introducing a collaboration with Grammy-winning producer Swizz Beatz, artist Ferrari Sheppard and vinyl pioneer 12on12. “My Name Is Sarah” is a custom speaker cover on a limited run of 40 Beoplay A9 speakers . $4,999, bang-olufsen.ca for high-quality Canadian-made products for her Toronto-based Hammam Spa, Celine Tadrissi founded Céla, a line of cruelty-free skincare products like the new Glacier Clay collection, which features glacial oceanic clay and mineral water sourced from B.C.’s coast.

5. Vancouver-based The Sleep Shirt partners with American textile guru Marika Meyer for a limited-edition capsule collection that ranges from a sleeveless nightie to a classic kaftan to channel your inner Mrs. Roper. $170 to $440,

Culture The Ticket

access

comedy—and

Power Punchline

The CDC recommends a monthly dose of The Sasha Ha-Ha Show to cure the winter grumps.

Comedian Sasha Mark is full of jokes, but when he says he dropped out of school because an old guy in a dream advised him to do it, he’s not kidding. Mark was in his final year of education—with the goal of being a high school English teacher—when an elderly man entered his subconscious and showed him a different path. “I dropped out of school literally the next morning. It was such an Aries move,” says Mark.

Mark is Cree-Métis and was born and raised in

Winnipeg—and no, he’s not one of those famous Manitoban nepotism babies you’re always hearing about. “We didn’t have heat growing up as kids, so we had to go to bed in our parkas and our ski pants,” he remembers. He credits his sense of humour to his quick-witted younger brother: “I don’t think I’m funnier than him to this day.”

After taking a comedy writing class and stepping into Winnipeg’s stand-up scene, Mark soon found success in his radically honest humour. “Thomas King says, ‘The truth about stories is that’s all we are’— for me, it’s really important to talk about the experiences

that I’ve had, and to bring those on stage,” he says.

When he moved from Winnipeg to Vancouver in 2019, he brought his self-produced show, The Sasha Ha-Ha Show, with him. And when it comes to choosing lineups for these standup showcases, Mark’s refreshingly diverse arsenal of funny people reflects his values as a communitybuilding comedian.

“Barriers to access to comedy—and to stages alone—are difficult, and I’m trying to help dismantle that as best I can,” he says. “I want to emulate a fun, chill, backyard barbecue hang—a show that people aren’t intimidated to go to.”

Barriers to

to

to stages alone—are difficult, and I’m trying to help dismantle that as best I can.”

Explore the Rockies by Rail with Rocky Mountaineer

Colorado, with an overnight stop in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Vast canyons, inspiring deserts, natural archways and enchanting hoodoos are only the beginning. This route is filled with highlights best seen by train, including Ruby Canyon, Mount Garfield and crossing the Continental Divide. It includes optional curated packages with options to start or end in Las Vegas or Salt Lake City.

Some sights are just meant to see by train.

Relinquishing your complete focus to towering mountains, rugged wilderness and stunning waterfalls—while enjoying worldclass service and the luxury of glass-dome windows—on a rail adventure from Rocky Mountaineer will take you places personal vehicles have never been.

Rocky Mountaineer, headquartered in Vancouver, has been operating luxury rail journeys in Western Canada since 1990. It is the largest privately owned luxury tourist train company in the world. As the tourism industry recovers from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rocky Mountaineer has been experiencing a rebound in travellers

eager to appreciate the epic scenery along their rail routes.

The company has remained focused on strengthening the business foundations to prepare for future growth. “We have a long-term goal to build on our experience in Western Canada and to continue to expand our offerings to showcase new destinations,” says David McKenna, President & CEO of Rocky Mountaineer. “The first step in this growth was the launch of the new route between Denver, Colorado and Moab Utah, in 2021.”

Rockies to the Red Rocks is the company’s first standalone route outside of Canada. It journeys two days of extraordinary landscapes between Moab, Utah and Denver,

“When we were exploring options for a new route, we knew it needed to be in a special location with many of the same features we have in Western Canada—incredible scenery, iconic destinations and the ability to travel by day, over multiple days, through a region that is best experienced by train,” McKenna says. “In the years to come, we will see this established Canadian company become a global leader in tourism with a collection of compelling, memorable experiences to offer travellers worldwide.”

Rocky Mountaineer also offers three journeys that traverse Western Canada through mountain passes and scenic valleys and past scenic valleys and lakes to B.C. and Alberta’s spectacular landscapes. All aboard amazing.

Learn more about Rocky Mountaineer at: rockymountaineer.com

@RockyMountaineerTrain @rockymountaineer @rmountaineer

Experience wild, untamed nature, canyons carved by rushing water and mountains moulded by millennia in total luxury

Culture The Ticket

Samuel Fosso, ’70s Lifestyle, 1975–78, gelatin silver print. From As We Rise: Photography from the Black Atlantic (Aperture, 2021). © Samuel Fosso, courtesy JM Patras/ Paris.

GO

Kickstart the year with these hot events.

VMF WINTER ARTS FESTIVAL

DATE February 16 to 26

VENUE Various downtown locations

COST Free

Produced by the team behind the Vancouver Mural Festival, this 11-day event celebrates all that’s creative. Look out for daily live performances, interactive art, rotating food trucks and a licensed bar (see ya next year, Dry January). winterartsfest.com

cAS WE RISE: PHOTOGRAPHY FROM THE BLACK ATLANTIC DATE February 24 to May 21

VENUE The Polygon Gallery

COST By donation

This new exhibition reads like a family photo album: with subjects at ease and comfortable, not standing rigid and self-conscious for the camera. It’s drawn from the Wedge Collection, Canada’s largest privately owned collection committed to championing Black artists. thepolygon.ca

CREME DE LA CREME GRAND WEDDING SHOWCASE

DATE February 19

VENUE Fairmont Hotel Vancouver COST $50 CountDown Events brings together florists, caterers and the rest of the wedding world for this matrimony-focused spectacular. Get bridal inspo at the haute couture fashion show and food inspo at the many tasting tables. cremedelacreme.ca

2

QUEER LITTLE NIGHTMARES

David Ly and Daniel Zomparelli

This anthology of fiction and poetry celebrates monstrous queer icons—think werewolves, minotaurs and swamp creatures. Local contributors include Amber Dawn and Hiromi Goto. arsenalpulp.com

SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Liz Magor

Here’s your chance to get into the head of Vancouver-based (and internationally recognized) modern visual artist Liz Magor; find her essays, interviews and critiques of art within these pages. chapters.indigo.ca

BAD CREE

Jessica Johns

Fresh page-turners for 2023. 3

Find this suspense-filled debut novel from Nehiyaw author Jessica Johns on shelves starting January 10. Expect creepy crows, texts from dead people and the most terrifying thing of all: strong female relationships. massybooks.com

Culture About Town

Music and Art Make a Big Splash

Milestone events help fund music therapy programs and a performing, visual and media arts school for young creatives.

MUSIC HEALS STRIKE A CHORD GALA

1. Capping off an vening of music was a surprise performance by global superstars En Vogue

2. Canadian singer Kiesza was among the star-studded lineup that participated in the special night of music and fundraising at the Commodore Ballroom.

3. Local teen singing sensation Ivy Kettlewell kibitzed backstage with host George Stroumboulopoulos before performing to a sell-out crowd.

4. Music enthusiasts Anna Shala and Ashley Jeans showed their love for Music Heals at the annual Stingray Strike a Chord benefit concert.

ARTS UMBRELLA’S SPLASH GALA

5. David and Pamela Richardson were among the many Arts Umbrella supporters who donated to the bursary fund and purchased art, ensuring a record-setting night

THE SOCIAL CALENDAR

FEBRUARY 11

Feast of Fortune Elegant Lunar New Year dinner in support of St. Paul’s Foundation. helpstpauls.com

FEBRUARY 16

Dice and Ice Gala

The Vancouver Canucks off-ice soiree benefitting the Canucks for Kids Fund. canucks.com

6. Douglas Coupland mugs with Emily Carr’s Joshua McVeity. Coupland created a new print, Space Face (Ruth), in a limited-edition run of 40 to celebrate the milestone anniversary of Splash.

7. Six-time co-chair Christie Garofalo and her husband David made their own splash with their sartorial style

MARCH 4

Kidney Gala Eleventh annual dinner and auction returns to an in-person gathering at the Paradox Hotel. kidney.ca

WEEKENDS 6AM

Share worthy stories every weekend.

NORTH BY NORTHWEST

MARGARET GALLAGER WITH

Culture On the Rise

Puff Piece

A new, ethically focused outerwear brand brings the heat.

Adhere To Studios is at once a brand name and a mission statement: a reminder to Vancouver-based designer Alexandra Dean to stick with her values through each and every step of the manufacturing process. “I’ve got an ethical and environmental responsibility,” says Dean. “I can’t produce garments without factoring in how that’s affecting the world.”

A trinity of sustainability, functionality and aesthetic is a tricky one to balance, but the former Lululemon designer is giving her all to this solo project. “This is my opportunity to define a supply chain, to be sustainable and low-impact,” says Dean. “A small corporation has the ability to be nimble.” And so, recycled-synthetic materials are selected with longevity and durability in mind and processes are designed to be as eco-conscious as possible, while the designs themselves are intended to be both stylish and timeless.

Case in point: Adhere To’s first collection. The functional

and breathable 3L waterproof blazers (from $495) bring trench-coat vibes and high-tech performance, while two diligently crafted puffer jackets are poised to be instant fashion-cult classics: the

The Re:Down crop puffer is an on-trend take on a classic winter style, but one intended to stand the test of time with hard-wearing, sustainable materials.

Re:Down puffer and crop puffer (starting from $560) come in classic black and icy blue, made from three-layer fabric and filled with recycled 700FP down. Thoughtful details like inner straps (allowing the wearer to sling the puffer like a backpack when things heat up), thumbholes in the ribbed cuffs and fleece-lined pockets create an unbeatably cozy experience.

It’s an intentionally small collection, and future seasonal collections will follow suit. “I want every item to have purpose and function,” says Dean. “I don’t want to just create filler.”

I can’t produce garments without factoring in how that’s affecting the world.”

BC Greens Plan for Health Care

Nurses, in particular, have been raising the alarm about shortages, leading to dire conditions in hospitals with nowhere near enough nurses to meet the needs, she says. “There are beds, for example, in BC Children’s Hospital, that have never been used because there is no staff attached to those beds.”

Furstenau has been working relentlessly to push the current government to fix the healthcare system.

Under the current model, family doctors operate their practices as small independent businesses and bill the government for their costs.

and physiotherapists in their community health centre, while family doctors in Qualicum Beach might work with dieticians and occupational therapists focused on seniors.

A new system would also explore connections between health outcomes and factors outside of healthcare, such as housing, income, community infrastructure, education, access to nature, transit and human connection.

“All of these impact our health,” Furstenau says. “Applying a health and well-being lens to government decision-making helps create conditions across our province that keep people healthy.”

Nearly one million British Columbians are going without access to a family doctor, impacting their access to basic health support, like prescription renewals, and referrals to specialists for more complex issues, like cancer. They are forced to go to walk-in clinics or hospital ERs, facing excruciating wait times—or go without care and their issues get worse.

“Even when patients try to access a walk-in clinic or hospital ER, they have fewer and fewer options as more walk-in clinics close and hospital ERs shut down for extended periods of time because of staff burnout and shortages,” says Sonia Furstenau, leader of the BC Green Party. “BC’s primary care system is broken.”

“It’s a lot like if we told teachers they had to rent space for a classroom, hire admin staff, register students and teach them—then bill the government for everything,” Furstenau says. “It’s inefficient and unsustainable.”

The BC Green Party is proposing a new community health model where different types of physicians and healthcare practitioners work under one roof and collaborate on patients’ needs.

“A strong health care system lets family doctors focus on patient care,” Furstenau says. “BC Greens want government to provide the physical infrastructure of community health centres, so that family doctors can focus on patient care, alongside other healthcare providers.”

For example, family doctors in Whistler might work with sports medicine practitioners

Healthcare in the 21st century also needs to include proper mental healthcare, which is currently not covered by BC’s “universal” public healthcare system. “To access mental health support, British Columbians have to pay for it, frequently costing hundreds or thousands of dollars a month,” she says. “Most British Columbians cannot afford this, so go without the care they need.”

To learn more, visit: bcgreens.ca/healthcare_newsletter @BCGreens

The BC Green Party, led by Sonia Furstenau, includes mental health and community health in a holistic new healthcare plan for total well-being among British Columbians

Culture Reviews

The Great Return

The Broadway Corridor has quickly become a new hub for the best Chinese restaurant dining in the Lower Mainland.

Conventional wisdom says that Richmond is the centre of Chinese dining life, but a slew of ambitious restaurant openings have diners storming into Vancouver for the Lower Mainland’s best Chinese food—with even fussy, old-school regulars heading into the city for their daily dim sum fixes and dinner party blow-outs.

A cluster of highly regarded Chinese restaurants has established itself around the stretch where the Canada Line meets the Broadway Corridor, taking advantage of what will soon be a transportation hub once the Broadway Subway is complete. The Michelin Guide has also highlighted these superb Chinese restaurants, awarding one coveted star and two “recommended” statuses to restaurants in the area.

Of course, eating with family and friends is a cornerstone of Chinese culture, where part of growing up is learning the boisterous art of happy table chatter and the proper way to serve tea to your elders, and ensuring that your grandmother gets the first serving of the dish she likes best. Favourite restaurants are where the rituals of celebrating everyday life and special occasions become core memories for Chinese diners.

The following are some of the best places to dine in the city right now—along with a few suggestions on what to order.

iDen and Quan Ju De Beijing Duck House

An impeccably designed dining room is your first hint that every detail of your meal will be handled with care.

1

iDen

and Quan Ju De Beijing Duck House

2808 Cambie St. quanjudevancouver.com

In China, the Quan Ju De brand is absolutely synonymous with Peking duck: founded in 1864, the restaurant is credited with bringing this hidden Imperial delicacy to a wider audience. The Vancouver branch is designed to create a sense of arrival befitting modern China, while also reflecting local

ingredients and tastes (the ceiling features an inverted cityscape of Imperial Beijing, with the sails of the Vancouver Convention Centre set in the middle). Fraser Valley ducks are raised to exacting specifications and roasted to order, which can take up to 55 minutes. Order the duck when

you make your reservation to shorten the wait, because it’s a stunner: gloriously crisp lacquered skin, carefully rendered of fat, encases lushly succulent flesh. The coveted crispy breast skin is best eaten first with a dip of turbinado sugar, and tableside-carved duck slices are

folded into thin crepes with julienned cucumbers, green onions and a heady hoisin sauce. Let the duck take centre stage, and keep the rest of the meal simple: a beautiful bowl of duck soup, spinach braised in golden broth, citrusy mapo tofu with wagyu beef, and noodles. Vancouver’s Quan Ju De is the only Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant in Canada, so, to state the obvious: reservations are a must.

In China, the Quan Ju De brand is absolutely synonymous with Peking duck: founded in 1864, the restaurant is credited with bringing this hidden Imperial delicacy to a wider audience.

Chef’s Choice Chinese Cuisine

955 W Broadway

chefschoice1198.com

Outside of Greater China, Vancouver has a strong claim to being the last bastion of truly fine Cantonese dining. Chef’s Choice practices its craft at the highest levels, with astounding technical details that yield beautiful, pure flavours. (Executive chef Tommy Pang has decades of experience, including opening the famed Chef Tony’s in Richmond in the ’90s.)

Cantonese steamed soup dumplings, swollen with soup and held together in a gossamer-thin skin, are a must order at dim sum. The Gold Coin chicken—rich pork belly sandwiching chicken liver—is a Hong Kong BBQ classic not seen in Vancouver in decades. Though the Michelin Guide recommends the black tru ff le chicken, it’s the chicken with sticky rice you’ll see on every table: deboned chicken is layered with sticky rice and panfried to a gorgeous crispness. If your pocketbook allows, this is the place to indulge in king crab: it’s supremely fresh and cooked to a perfect sweet tenderness. Served in three courses, including garlic steamed legs, spicy fried knuckles and Portuguese curried baked rice, it’s the ultimate special-occasion meal. The room and service echoes old-school Hong Kong restaurants: intimate, discreet and elegant.

Dynasty Seafood Restaurant

777 W Broadway dynasty-restaurant.ca

Dynasty Seafood was originally a local outpost of Hong Kong’s legendary East Ocean Restaurant Group in the ’90s, when world-class Hong Kong Cantonese restaurants first opened in Vancouver. The restaurant excels in beautiful banquet-style dishes that are executed to tight standards, particularly vegetarian dishes. Whole stu ff ed napa cabbage is braised to a sweet tenderness; the giant vegetable “bao” is served tableside overflowing with shiitake mushrooms and black moss—a deeply meaningful dish conveying luck and prosperity. The restaurant’s signature showstopper is the IG-famous tower called Typhoon Shelter Dungeness crab; it comes served over sticky rice and showered with fried garlic, spicy chilies and crispy breadcrumbs. Dim sum standouts include the tru ff led mushroom dumplings, pork and crab dumplings and baked minced pork pies with black pepper. The gregarious front-of-house team may be the most adept in the city at working with diners unfamiliar with Chinese food. Many of the dishes need to be pre-ordered, and reservations are recommended.

Chef’s Choice

Chinese

Cuisine

Deep fried sticky rice topped with roasted chicken (right) is served in Chef’s Choice’s refined whitetablecloth dining room (below, left).

Typhoon Shelter Dungeness crab (middle right) is a photo-worthy showstopper; Dynsasty’s dim sum dishes (right) are among the best in the city.

Dynasty Seafood was originally a local outpost of Hong Kong’s legendary East Ocean Restaurant Group in the ’90s, when worldclass Hong Kong Cantonese restaurants first opened in Vancouver.

Culture Reviews

At first glance, A.Bento appears to be a Japanese restaurant (the name is a nod to their rice-based lunch boxes) but the menu from chef William Chen and co-owner Aaron Zhou is packed with innovative but deeply informed Taiwanese dishes. It’s a reflection of how Taiwanese culture holds tightly to its traditional values while embracing modernity with a smart ease. The oyster-shrimp pancake is a glorious remix of the classic Chiuchow dish, lifted with wok-seared Taiwanese cabbage and a savoury-sweet sauce sharpened with miso and sriracha. Chinese cooking does not often use black pepper, but the night market-style beef short ribs employ fistfuls, resplendent with a heady floral bite. For those willing to swim in deep waters, the stew of pork intestines, pork blood and tender beef brisket thrums with pickled cabbage and soybeans: it’s a classic Taiwanese comfort dish reflecting an agrarian respect for whole-animal cookery. Creative cocktails mix traditional teas with whiskies, gins and just enough tropical juiciness to balance the deep richness of the food.

Heritage Asian Eatery

1108 W Pender St. eatheritage.ca

Well, this one didn’t survive the Broadway construction—at press time they announced their closure—but, fortunately, their original West Pender location thrives. Vancouver was once dotted with Chinese wonton shops that provided quick and accessible but well-made noodles and rice dishes. Heritage updates that tradition without sacrificing hand-crafted care. The generously proportioned wontons have the proper snap of well-made alkaline noodles and the siu mai dumplings burst with juicy freshness. The house-roasted Chinese BBQ duck is one of the best in the city: tender and rich, and roasted throughout the day to ensure its fresh immediacy. The beautifully set ramen eggs have what the Chinese would call “sugar hearted” yolks, in reference to their melting, caramelly texture. Heritage Asian Eatery is not just making delicious food: it’s preserving traditional techniques and an approachable style of dining for future generations of Vancouverites.

Get your fix of Taiwanese (right), and don’t sleep on the unforgettable, night market-style beef shortribs (below, left).

Heritage Asian Eatery

The salt-baked chicken with char siu pork belly on rice and roast duck (right) is delicious. Order black sesame balls, siu mai and savoury radish cake (bottom) for the table.

Vancouver was once dotted with Chinese wonton shops that provided quick and accessible but wellmade noodles and rice dishes. Heritage updates that tradition without sacrificing hand-crafted care.

It’s a different world up here. Learn why.

With the midnight sun, you’ll have more diem to carpe.

Culture City Informer

Why Are There Anti-Beetle Signs All over the West Side?

Lock your doors and hide your daughters: Japanese beetles are on the loose!

Japanese beetles (gang name: Popillia japonica) were first detected in False Creek back in 2017. While Vancouver proudly welcomes immigrants from the world over, this is apparently where the city draws the line. Maybe if Japanese beetles contributed to the economy instead of gorging on all our fave crops it would be a different story, but they’re what scientists call the “bad boys of the entomology world,” skeletonizing the leaves of important agricultural species and then not even calling them in the morning.

Grapes, corn, berries, apples: these rascals are insatiable... but damn, do they look good as they’re ruining our farming economy. Practically as wide as they are long—no wonder these dudes exhibit such raw, short-king energy—they’re the same metallic green as the skort I wore to my grade seven graduation, with wings the colour of that skort after I left my bronze glitter gel pen in the pocket and sent it through the wash. Fuzzy white tufts of hair line their abdomens, but if you get close enough to see that it’s probably too late: they’ve already decimated your peach orchard. Get yourself to brunch with your best gal pals to talk over what went wrong.

No one knows where they came from (though if pressed I would wager: Japan?) but to combat the spread of this devastating pest, the Invasive Species Council of B.C. has posted signs all around the west side

explaining that they aren’t welcome here. One major problem with this method, of course, is that Japanese beetles can’t read. (Harsh but true!) But anyone who can read and also has spotted a beetle is urged to call the authorities. See something, say something! A dedicated hotline connects informants to the CFIA Japanese Beetle Response Centre, which is ready and waiting for whistleblowers at all (business) hours. When the Beetlebusters (CFIA, please call me about branding opportunities!) get a call about suspicious beetle-tivity, they spring into action by leaving a pheromone trap where

the bug was last seen. In my imagination, the Beetlebusters then do a stakeout in a van across the street to see if their ingenious honeypot has worked, but please see my Beetlebusters fan Tumblr account for more on that.

What’s always striking to me about these giant signs is that they exist when there are so many other things Vancouverites should be on alert about that do not get their own dedicated government publicity budget. Where are the posters warning us about dangerous members of society like drug kingpins (sorry, or queenpins, it’s 2023), or people who make calls on speaker-

The Future of Beauty: How One Medical Aesthetics Clinic is Changing the Game

SkinCasa gives patients dedicated space, customized service and a revolutionary clinic experience

aesthetics clinic that focuses on a highly customized, one-on-one patient experience, with the space and team dedicated completely to you during your appointment.

“My vision was to offer real and natural results with proper aftercare for patients instead of a drivethrough approach to aesthetics,” Bu says. “I wanted to create an experience in which both the owner of the business and the practitioners are invested. I want patients to walk into this small space and feel like they have finally found the clinic that they have dreamed of.”

Aesthetic medicine is a dynamic and ever-evolving industry driven by a range of factors, including technology, cultural attitudes and shifting beauty standards. With the rise of social media and the growing importance of self-expression, the industry is expected to continue to grow.

We have entered an era where there is no shortage of information, treatments—such as Botox, fillers, lasers, skincare and everything in between—and clinics that promise to have you looking and feeling younger. But with all the choices available, how do you decide?

Finding the top medical aesthetics clinic in your city can be a daunting task, but with a little research and some careful consideration, you can find a clinic that meets your needs and exceeds your expectations.

One of the first things to consider when searching for a medical aesthetics clinic is the practitioner’s

qualifications and experience. Look for a clinic that is led by a board-certified physician or nurse practitioner with experience in administering Botox, fillers and other medical aesthetic treatments.

Be sure the practitioner is licensed and certified by relevant organizations and has undergone training in the specific procedures that interest you. Perhaps the most important factor is a personal, customized approach that departs from the fast-paced, drive-through experience that has become typical in the industry. One clinic is therefore changing the game.

SkinCasa medical aesthetics clinic in Yaletown offers a new approach to treatments. The brainchild of local entrepreneur Sarah Bu, who, after experiencing disappointment in her own aesthetics journey, wanted to create a unique experience with a simple vision, Skincasa is a membership-based medical

When it comes to medical aesthetics, a personalized experience, a proper plan and one dedicated clinic are essential because every individual’s needs, goals and physical characteristics are unique. Patients require proper time, consultation and expertise, and their treatment plans can not be rushed.

A provider that develops a focused treatment plan to address the patient’s specific concerns is more likely to produce the desired results over time and avoid the common fear most patients have of looking “overdone”. An uninterrupted and fully focused approach allows for greater flexibility in adjusting the treatments as needed, ensuring that the patient is satisfied with the outcome.

To learn more visit skincasa.com

skincasa_medicalaesthetic

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Culture City Informer

phone on the bus? There’s only so much real estate on a telephone pole, I suppose, so the messages that do get posted have to be really important—a.k.a., in service of protecting the economy. If these beetles get around, they’re going to cause millions if not billions of dollars in damage, whereas if I drink the water from Lost Lagoon because I haven’t seen a sign telling me not to, no one will be impacted except the other people who live in my one-bathroom apartment.

Beetles mostly get spread around by landscapers, who inadvertently transfer them from district to district in bags of yard waste. The signs are helping to remind city crews to be mindful with soil and plants, I guess in the same way that my workplace often has similar notes and reminders for us as team members (e.g.: “Your mom doesn’t work here! Please clean up after yourself after using the Corporate Sobbing Chamber!!!”).

It’s hard to tell if the call for vigilance is paying off. Sure, 8,276 beetles were caught in 2018, and in 2020 there were just 214, but does that mean numbers are going down, or that the beetles are just getting smarter? Perhaps they’ve learned how to read after all and now they’re laying low—the wisest thing to do, really, when cancel culture comes for you. Got

Start the year on a delicious note.

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POWER FIFTY THE

As we dug into the research for our 22nd Annual Power 50, a clear theme emerged: by the end of 2022, we were seeing a big power shift. There were examples in municipal and provincial politics, of course hello new mayors and a new (if very familiar) premier but it’s also in our health care (see 8), our media ( 42) and the climate emergency. (You’ll soon see what number that is...) For this year’s Power list, we’re looking at those folks who are shifting the dial in communities all over the city some fresh, some familiar and some just handling new issues. Turn the page to discover who’s running our city in 2023.

1.THE CLIMATE CRISIS

This power player can wipe out infrastructure, threaten the health and safety of our most vulnerable and trash our economy in the process—all with no warning. From floods to fires, from seawall-crushing king tides to devastating crop failures, the climate emergency is making its uncomfortable presence felt in this city.

Not that environmental concerns are anything new (Vancouver’s “zero-waste by 2040” plan has been in place since 2008, and warnings about climate change have been sounding since the ’70s), but 2022 marked the first year that every serious civic political party featured a climate plan in their platform—even the right-leaning set. Washed-out highways rang alarm bells about just how vulnerable (and deeply unprepared) we are in the face of natural disaster and local linguistic tics like “atmospheric river” and “heat dome” are showing just how deeply climate change has impacted our experience, while Okanagan smoke is now just part of the forecast.

Climate will aff ect our natural resources (fishing, logging) and, in turn, our economy: the Canadian Climate Institute estimates that climate impacts will slow the country’s annual economic growth by $25 billion by 2025. While we’d have loved to name a person who’s leading the charge on climate mitigation strategies—and getting those in power to truly listen—for this number one spot, we haven’t seen that leader yet. But if power is the ability to attract attention, to change the conversation, to make your presence felt—and known, and feared—who else but the climate could we call #1?

John Horgan braved both COVID chaos and cancer treatment before (very reasonably) deciding enough was enough; in the fall he passed the torch to David Eby, who stepped into his position not just as a mid-term seat-holder but also as a premier with some big plans and a penchant for action. Eby came out swinging during the campaign with a major housing platform that a lot of people, left and right, spoke of as comprehensive and well thought out—the sign of someone who has rigorously studied all the policy options and come up with the best package. And then: he actually cut through the red tape and made policy a reality—not just on housing but on multiple fronts. In the first weeks alone, Eby removed rental restrictions in an attempt to ease the housing crisis, changed regulations to welcome more international doctors to help with our health-care shortage and introduced a new BC Affordability Credit to address the rising cost of living. He was also the first premier ever to have a swearingin hosted by a First Nation: a positive sign that reconciliation will be top of mind for the new NDP leader.

Eby has always been a takecharge guy (and, in fact, was #1 on our list in 2018, despite the fact that he wasn’t then holding the top position in the province)—and now he’s a take-charge guy with more firepower than ever before. Whether you’re on #TeamEby or still sour about his only competitor, Anjali Appadurai, getting banned from the race, you can’t deny he’s a politician who actually makes an impact on his community—and one who genuinely seems to listen to the people he’s responsible for leading.

Eby came out swinging during the campaign with a major housing platform that a lot of people, left and right, spoke of as comprehensive and well thought out—the sign of someone who has rigorously studied all the policy options and come up with the best package.

MST DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

PREVIOUSLY (AS MUSQUEAM, SQUAMISH AND TSLEIL-WAUTUTH NATIONS) #1, 2022 3.

The Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations landed at #1 on our list last year for their undeniable impact on both development and decolonization efforts—but in 2023, it’s once again their for-profit development arm (MST Development) that’s making their influence felt most intensely across the city. Collaborations continue on the new St. Paul’s, the rezoning of the Heather and Jericho Lands and the extension of the subway line as other long-term projects come to fruition—like the renaming of Trutch Street to Musqueamview. Reconciliation is not something we’ll achieve overnight, or without continued struggle, but with MST’s incredible political heft and leverage across all levels of government, progress feels possible... and powerful.

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THE VANCOUVER POLICE DEPARTMENT NEW

Including the police on this list feels like a lose-lose situation, to be honest. In one corner are social-justice advocates calling to defund the police and address systemic racism in the organization; in the other, a slew of folks arguing that crime has never been worse and the VPD is the only answer for protecting us all.

Whatever side of the divide you sit on, there is no denying that the Vancouver Police Department is a force to be reckoned with. Though the city employs 1,300-plus cops (with new mayor Ken Sim a step closer to fulfilling his campaign promise to hire 100 more), many of whom are likely just trying to keep their head down and do their job, the publicfacing players have been actively and aggressively pushing a pro-police stance—stirring up controversy in the process.

Adam Palmer and Howard Chow (chief and deputy chief, respectively) are active on Twitter, promoting and defending the organization with strategic stories of stranger attacks and getting into high-profile debates with Kennedy Stewart after the former mayor suggested the existence of systemic racism. (Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Association, is also regularly caught up in tweetstorms.) And then there’s Ralph Kaiser, head of the Vancouver Police Union: during the civic election, his group made the unprecedented move to organize a debate on crime issues and endorse the ABC party.

Beyond their increased presence in media (traditional and social), the VPD was a regular fixture in city council discussions this past year as the police accused the sitting mayor of creating a hostile environment or appealed to get their budget back (ultimately winning the missing $5 million). Said one Power 50 panellist: “They’re a big presence. They really shape the conversation.”

Fry is now two years into her role as chief of Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services—the first woman ever to hold the title. The pandemic was a trial-by-fire (har har) introduction to leadership, but one she bore with grace and grit; perhaps that’s why she was able to boldly step up and take charge of the mess that is the Hastings Street camp when no one else would. In July, citing a “catastrophic” fire hazard, she made the difficult decision to order the removal of tents on the streets. Critics noted the lack of alternatives for the unhoused population who would be displaced by the order, but Fry stuck by her decision, pointing to a need to protect housed residents in the neighbourhood who were feeling endangered by the sidewalk encampments. It takes strength and guts to make a call no one else wants to make—whether history respects it remains to be seen.

KAREN FRY CHIEF, VANCOUVER FIRE AND RESCUE NEW

Beyond their increased presence in media (traditional and social), the VPD was a regular fixture in city council discussions this past year as the police accused the sitting mayor of creating a hostile environment or appealed to get their budget back.

FIRED UP

The first woman to hold the role of chief of fire and rescue services, Karen Fry made the calls no one else wanted to make regarding the Hastings Street camp.

Telus Health is now available in 160 countries globally, and is announcing efforts to improve access to mental health care; it recently partnered with Walmart to offer digital integrated health services to 100,000 employees across Canada. ’

Sim City, indeed. After a steady four years of campaigning (and building a tenacious team through kitchen and living-room meetings), Sim and his A Better City party won the 2022 mayoral race. Won, perhaps, isn’t even the right word: they destroyed. Capitalizing on a commitment to “public safety,” ABC candidates beat every other candidate on the ballot for council, school board and park board. It will take some time to define the actual impact that Vancouver’s first Chinese-Canadian mayor will have, but he’s moving quickly—and city council has already approved one of Sim’s controversial promises: to fund 100 more police officers and 100 mental health nurses.

7.

Rising interest rates, record inflation and a likely recession: 2023 could prove to be challenging times for many developers. Those with diverse portfolios—like Westbank’s Gillespie, with residential, commercial and retail projects in Toronto, Calgary, Seattle, San Jose, Tokyo and Vancouver— stand a better chance of weathering the storm. So too do the politically connected. This past fall, Westbank and the Squamish Nation—co-developers of the 11-tower Senákw project in Kitsilano—secured a $1.4-billion low-cost loan from Crown corporation CMHC to keep that development 100-percent rental. According to our panel, Gillespie’s strong ties to federal Liberals helped seal the deal.

Telus appears to be recession-proof under president and CEO Entwistle’s steady hand—the company saw 10-percent growth last year, with $4.7 billion in profits earned in its third quarter alone—but, really, it’s the telecom’s intriguing innovations in health care (led by the steadfast Sihota) that have analysts taking note. Telus Health is now available in 160 countries globally, and is announcing efforts to improve access to mental health care; it recently partnered with Walmart to offer digital integrated health services to 100,000 employees across Canada. It’s not all rosy, however, and the Telus team has slid down the list this year because of it: as of press time, the B.C. government had filed a court injunction against Telus Health, investigating, among other things, alleged extra billing and concerns over reports that family doctors were closing practices and telling patients they would only see subscribers to the Telus service.

Of course, Entwistle and Sihota don’t do it alone: Schnarr is Entwistle’s second-in-command— the one who “gets things done,” says one source. Canadian Women in Communications named her their “Most Influential Woman in Vancouver,” and Schnarr certainly makes her presence felt with the Telus Future Friendly Foundation, helping launch community-first projects such as providing phones to at-risk women and funding nonprofit summer camps.

One winning campaign a year gets you accolades. Two winning campaigns? That turns a behind-the-scenes comms guy into B.C.’s most sought-after political mind. Last February, Allam—well-known in BC Liberal circles (sorry: in BC United circles, see #43)— helped Kevin Falcon secure a fifth-ballot win in the party’s leadership race. But Allam’s biggest triumph was steering October’s civic race for Ken Sim and ABC, helping Sim grab more than half of the mayoral vote and securing powerful ABC majorities on council, school and park boards. Allam crafted the winning message; now, as Sim’s chief of staff, he’ll discover how hard it is to put words into action.

MacPhail remains the go-to for the NDP on just about every problem they have. Reviewing Eby’s housing plan? No problem. Cleaning up ICBC? She’s your fixer. Currently, she’s in charge of reviewing BC Ferries; her first act was to cut loose CEO Mark Collins. “She’s just kinda everywhere,” noted one panellist, also pointing to MacPhail’s incredible social connections. “She has a very powerful network of female politicians and businesspeople that she can activate any time.”

To many, Kahlon was the logical frontrunner for premier when John Horgan stepped down— but in a somewhat cinematic move, the Delta North MLA counted himself out of the race to better support his family (cue Kahlon walking into the sunset, fists raised Breakfast Clubstyle). By stepping aside and giving David Eby his support, Kahlon practically handed the leadership to our now-premier. And while he rejected that very public role (for now), he’s still making moves in cabinet. When he was B.C.’s minister of jobs, economic recovery and innovation in November 2022, he introduced $33 million in government commitment to supporting rural communities through the Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program. As the newly appointed minister of housing—a brand-spankingnew cabinet position—he’ll be tasked with bringing David Eby’s goals of affordability into reality, including creating a plan to fulfill a major public housing development program.

There’s a fine line between respecting the unhoused community and keeping our parks clean and safe for all—and if anyone knows how to walk that line, it’s Rosa. As general manager of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, they’ve become the point person for finding balance, and were instrumental in getting the Parks Board to hire someone (BC Housing’s Betty Lepps) specifically to deal with homelessness in parks, while maintaining their own vigilant watch on the issue.

By stepping aside and giving David Eby his support, Kahlon practically handed the leadership to our now-premier. And while he rejected that very public role (for now), he’s still making moves in cabinet.

USING HIS WORDS

In addition to being an oft-quoted representative of the Squamish Nation, Khelsilem is an advocate for their language: he built and founded the first adult immersion school in partnership with Simon Fraser University.

13.

THE WORKERS NEW

The pandemic crystalized what we inherently already knew: a city needs people to function. It also made clear something else: work sucks. As service workers and 9-to-5 o ff ice jockeys alike practiced quiet quitting, moved out of the city to cheaper pastures and pursued new designations to avoid front-line-worker depression, Vancouver’s businesses started paying the price. Singaporean café Nancy Go Yaya is just one restaurant that had to close due to a staffshortage; the new remote-work world is also reshaping transit and impacting the viability of downtown businesses. The BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association reports a lack of 40,000 employees right now. The average front-line employee may not feel particularly powerful as they ring through groceries or take the late shift, but the truth is, what labour does en masse is critical for this city—and each individual decision about whether to work at home or come back to the o ff ice is fundamentally changing how this region works.

14.

KHELSILEM

COUNCIL CHAIRPERSON, SQUAMISH NATION PREVIOUSLY #18, 2019

As chair of the Squamish council, Khelsilem is probably the best-known voice from the Squamish Nation—likely because it’s a voice he’s happy to put to use regularly. It’s a rare politician who is willing to express their views strongly and openly, but Khelsilem isn’t shy about speaking up—whether about environmental issues, or to remind white Vancouver that it’s not the job of the Squamish Nation to solve their housing problems.

Louie made our list last year not for being the big boss of B.C.’s fifth-largest retailer but for speaking out on anti-Asian racism (it was passionate— and public—advocacy that the low-profile Louie wasn’t known for). He’s since proven that the advocacy wasn’t a one-time thing, this year writing a Vancouver Sun op-ed highlighting the importance of Chinatown and celebrating the work of the new Chinatown Storytelling Centre (read more at #19). In early 2022, Louie received Vancouver Community College’s Honorary Alumni award for his volunteer and philanthropic work—he started a foundation that now provides over $1 million per year in scholarships and bursaries to VCC students.

Vrooman was appointed in truly the worst of times (July 2020) for the airline industry, but has navigated YVR steadily through the COVID-19 pandemic. This past year, the airport saw the largest increase in travellers (168 percent) in its 90-year history. And despite plans for new development, the launch of the YVR digital twin (a virtual, interactive representation of the terminal) and 17 million passengers rolling through, sustainability was still part of the growth conversation in 2022: under Vrooman’s leadership, YVR became the first Canadian airport to achieve Level 4+ Airport Carbon Accreditation in September. It’s also worth noting that the poorly handled snowstorms of December led to very passionate scrutiny of the airport—when it comes to future preparedness for extreme weather, only time will tell.

As service workers and 9 -to -5 office jockeys alike practiced quiet quitting, moved out of the city to cheaper pastures and pursued new designations to avoid front-lineworker depression, Vancouver’s businesses started paying the price.

Is it

a Power 50 without Jimmy?

There’s no arguing the influence the business has (does running a $10-billion company that employs over 51,000 people mean anything to you?), but Pattison is also making big moves as a philanthropist: case in point, last November he donated a historic $30 million to the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation (the single largest donation since the organization was founded in 1978). Righthand man Glen Clark stepped down early this year, making this the first time in years that Pattison is on the list solo.

After five years as president (and a decade overall) at Fairview-based consulting firm Stratcom, where part of his job was managing the company’s NDP campaign work, Smith has launched headfirst into politics as Premier David Eby’s chief of staff. He’s historically proven his organizational leadership skills, both as a pollster for the federal NDP and by bringing out 60,000 voters to clinch Vision’s win in the 2014 civic election. Eby might be the face of the province, but when it comes to carrying out his ideas, Smith is the yes-man—and also the noman—who will determine how our city functions.

CO-FOUNDER AND CHAIR, VANCOUVER CHINATOWN FOUNDATION

PREVIOUSLY #20, 2022

Lee and the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation opened the Chinatown Storytelling Centre barely more than a year ago, and it’s already become a major tourist attraction and community hub for film screenings, book launches and cultural events. She and her team also brought 8,000 people to the neighbourhood for the 2022 Light Up Chinatown Festival, showcasing live music, local food trucks and a pretty rad salsa dance party. Lee continues to be a serious force in efforts to revitalize Chinatown and engage the community. And that force runs in the family: through the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation, her mother Lily Lee (a former nurse) donated $3.8 million toward a new DTES health centre in November.

Locke doesn’t set the world alight with her rhetoric. And she’s seen her share of political misses: elected a Surrey MLA in the 2001 Liberal landslide, Locke lost her next four races. But there’s something to be said for perseverance. In 2018, after a 13-year absence from politics, Locke won a Surrey council seat under Doug McCallum’s Safe Surrey coalition. She soon quit the coalition, criticizing McCallum’s opaque decision-making and his push for a new municipal police force. This, plus some McCallum drama with RCMP supporters, primed Locke to challenge the mayor—and eke out a win.

Eby might be the face of the province, but when it comes to carrying out his ideas, Smith is the yes-man—and also the no-man— who will determine how our city functions.

PREVIOUSLY #25, 2022/ NEW DR. JUNE FRANCIS

Both Blyth and Tao are respected (and controversial) advocates for the residents of the DTES, and have continued to speak out this year regarding the city’s mishandling of this vulnerable community. When fire chief Karen Fry (#5 on this list) issued an order for police and city engineering workers to remove encampment tents in July, Blyth criticized the police for creating chaos in a neighbourhood that is deeply wary of cops, while Tao pointed to the injustice of clearing the streets without providing the residents with any alternative shelter. Through their organizations, Blyth and Tao are working to find a compassionfocused and less intrusive solution to homelessness—it remains an uphill battle.

BOARD CHAIR, HOGAN’S ALLEY SOCIETY; DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE FOR DIASPORA RESEARCH AND ENGAGEMENT, SFU PREVIOUSLY #24, 2022

In her work for the Hogan’s Alley Society and beyond, Francis is a champion of revitalization efforts for the local Black community. The city signed a historic agreement with the society in September: the Hogan’s Alley block of Strathcona (currently home to Nora Hendrix Place, a temporary modular housing project) will become a community land trust, with housing, amenities and a cultural centre provided by HAS. That same month, Francis was also named chair of B.C.’s new Anti-Racism Data Committee. Plus, she continues to teach—through giving lectures and moderating academic panels, she informs and empowers her audience with anti-racism education.

The Kleins are siblings for sustainability: both are published authors of books focusing on the climate crisis, plus Seth is the director of strategy of the Climate Emergency Unit and Naomi is co-director of UBC’s Centre for Climate Justice. Documentary filmmaker Lewis is also UBC faculty (he’s associate professor in the department of geography) and Naomi’s partner. Seth’s partner is city councillor and climate justice activist Christine Boyle (#26 on this list). Okay, moving on from family trees to real ones—this trio helped set Anjali Appadurai’s climatefirst campaign in motion, and despite Appadurai’s disqualification from the NDP race, they remain respected local leaders in the green movement.

MICHELLE COLLENS AND VICTOR MONTAGLIANI

MANAGER OF SPORT

HOSTING, CITY OF VANCOUVER + FIFA VICE PRESIDENT/CONCACAF PRESIDENT NEW

This summer, Vancouver scored one of the 16 host city spots in the 2026 World Cup—with an assist, of course, from Montagliani and Collens, both key players in bringing the tournament onto home turf. When then-premier John Horgan benched the city from consideration back in 2018, Montagliani and Collens stayed in the game, advocating hard once Vancouver was offered a rebound bid in early 2022. This will be the first time the men’s World Cup kicks offin Canada—goals.

AVI LEWIS, NAOMI KLEIN AND SETH KLEIN CLIMATE ACTIVISTS NEW

Through their organizations, Blyth and Tao are working to find a compassion-focused and less intrusive solution to homelessness—it remains an uphill battle.

25. 26.

This trio was originally elected to council as members of the NPA, but Bligh left the party in 2019 after it took a “far-right” turn (new members were against a public-school policy to create an environment that is inclusive of LGBTQ+ students), and Kirby-Yung and Dominato followed in 2021. Their announcement—and the following campaigning—in support of Ken Sim and his ABC party played a large part in Sim’s win. The three were united in joining ABC, but didn’t always vote the same (particularly when it came to housing issues), and their decisions were something the public could reference to judge how an ABC city might look. Evidently, the majority of voters liked what they saw. Kirby-Yung, Dominato and Bligh now represent half of the returning city councillors.

Of the three opposition voices on council, Boyle carries the flag for the progressive left—and she’ll be holding Ken Sim’s ABC party accountable. She’s developed a well-earned reputation both for getting disparate voices onside and for getting things done. When former mayor Kennedy Stewart needed someone to rally the vote? That was Boyle. She was also instrumental behind the scenes in the city creating a task force for Vancouver to implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)—making it the first government in Canada to develop plans for it, which were released in October 2022.

If you had to predict which companies were going to lead the climate charge, you might not have looked to the financial sector. But with five ambitious climate pledges, one of which includes net-zero emissions by 2040—10 years sooner than the global target—Vancity is doing just that. Since taking on the role of leading Canada’s largest community-based credit union, Bergeron and her team hired their first chief equity and people officer, launched their Retrofit Program for Non-Profit Affordable Housing Providers and reset the organization’s Indigenous banking strategy to support financial resilience and self-determination. She was named top corporate leader in the 2022 BCBusiness Women of the Year awards for her ongoing dedication to building a future that’s cleaner and more equitable—and we think that’s pretty powerful.

PREVIOUSLY #2, 2022

It’s Ballem who continues to lead the province’s vaccination campaigns—who gets it when—but lately the focus has been on encouraging families to get their flu shot, with emergency wards overrun by kids with RSV and a particularly bad flu strain this year. She also chairs the Vancouver Coastal Health board—and it’ll be on VCH to figure out how to work with Ken Sim’s council on hiring the requested 100 nurses to pair with the 100 new police officers.

If you had to predict which companies were going to lead the climate charge, you might not have looked to the financial sector.

In the aftermath of the pandemic, the Creative BC matriarch had her work cut out for her to resuscitate a once thriving multi-billion-dollar B.C. film industry. And with 2021’s record-breaking $4.8-billion return, we’d say she hit it out of the park. Now, Gill isn’t wasting this opportunity for a fresh start. This past year, Creative BC partnered with Rogers Group to design the $1-million fund for Indigenous storytellers in B.C., and she helped bring about the Creative Pathways website, a resource to foster more diverse representation in the industry. Recently, Gill was appointed as one of the few Independent Advisory Committee members responsible for recommending qualified potential appointments to the CBC/Radio-Canada board of directors and received the Community Catalyst award from the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. Named one of Canada’s 100 most powerful women, Gill has a commitment to bringing multiculturalism to Hollywood North that’s become a catalyst for changing the way Canada sees itself.

Whatever big changes ABC wants, this is the trio that will actually make it happen. City manager Mochrie and deputy city managers Amrolia and Levitt are the ones handling all the big files—the big bureaucrats who watch the comings and goings of council and quietly go about keeping city hall chaos on track in the background.

She may be one of the youngest to hold a top B.C. role, but Salter has quickly developed a reputation as someone who gets things done—she’s viewed by insiders as a great new broom in the provincial government and a big shift from the “Dr. No.” reputation of those who previously held the role. Prior to her present position, Salter held the deputy attorney general role for 10 months and also created and chaired B.C.’s Civil Resolution Tribunal—the first in Canada—which enabled folks to keep minor strata issues and small claims out of the court system with the help of facilitators.

Unless you’re a first-time reader of this list, you knew Bob’s name would be here. The man who knows everyone continues to be a powerhouse in the modern art world—he’s been quietly building one of the most important social-justiceoriented collections in the world. His sale of the restored Wing Sang building, former home to his Rennie Museum, to the B.C. government (along with the Rennie Foundation donation of $7.8 million to help create the Chinese Canadian Museum) was an important move for the surrounding Chinatown neighbourhood. Son Kris now runs the Rennie Group empire, leaders in identifying demographic and housing trends for the region.

This past year, Creative BC partnered with Rogers Group to design the $1-million fund for Indigenous storytellers in B.C., and Gill helped bring about the Creative Pathways website, a resource to foster more diverse representation in the industry.

JILL EARTHY

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, INBC PREVIOUSLY #43, 2020

As head of the province’s newest Crown corporation, Earthy is poised to shape B.C.’s future: InBC has $500 million to invest and deciding where this money goes will reveal our province’s priorities. Earthy’s team launched their policy in September, and let it be known that the plan is to invest in every stage of business so long as it is strongly tied to B.C. The framework for selection? Driving climate action, innovating for the future, advancing meaningful reconciliation and elevating inclusivity. It’s a noble endeavour with a weight of responsibility that’s undoubtedly going to ruffle some feathers—and Earthy will have to adopt the rigid “I’m not here to make friends” attitude of an overtly competitive TV reality star. (She’s also currently pulling double duty as CEO of WeBC—formerly Women’s Enterprise Centre—a nonprofit organization that supports British Columbia-based women-led businesses.)

KARM SUMAL

CO-FOUNDER AND CHAIR, DAILY HIVE PREVIOUSLY #43, 2017

As co-founder and publisher of Vancouver’s leading digital media company—with upward of 24 million page views per month—Sumal is in charge of a pretty powerful soapbox. Daily Hive plays a big part in shaping the conversation among Vancouverites—especially millennials and Gen Z. Last September, the media platform was acquired by ZoomerMedia, a merge that granted access to a national audience that’s unrivalled in terms of demographic, online and social media reach and engagement. Time will tell how this will drive the online media company in the year to come.

TIM GRANT, MIKE MACKAY, COLIN BOSA AND RYAN BEEDIE

PRESIDENT/CEOS: PCI GROUP, STRAND DEVELOPMENT, BOSA PROPERTIES, BEEDIE DEVELOPMENT GROUP

GRANT, MACKAY, BOSA NEW; BEEDIE, PREVIOUSLY #33, 2020

These powerhouse B.C. developers all have real estate in their blood—they each took over their business from their respective fathers, and together they represent a legacy in real estate that continues to shape the provincial landscape. But it’s their planned rental housing projects on the horizon that unites them on this list—and the potential of those projects to bring much-needed relief to Vancouver’s critical housing shortage. There’s PCI’s mixed-use $1.2-billion milestone King George Hub redevelopment in Surrey, and the 212 rentals it’s bringing to Vancouver’s Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood. Strand’s Prior Street project will deliver a needed 264 rental units to the area (including 10 live/ work artist units) and Bosa Properties is revitalizing the Downtown Eastside with the Cohen Block project and planning 575 rentals for the West End with a two-tower project at the intersection of Harwood and Thurlow. Beedie is hoping to finally break ground on the long-awaited (and monumental) Granville Islandesque Fraser Mills waterfront community that will shape the future of Coquitlam.

MINDY WIGHT CEO, NCHKAY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

It’s a long road ahead for Canada when it comes to meaningful reconciliation, but Wight and the Nchkay Development Corporation (the business arm of the Squamish Nation) are taking B.C. to task and breaking new ground in the process. Sitting at the helm of Nchkay, the Squamish business influencer is bringing economic growth and prosperity to her nation by way of real estate and development. This past year, Wight brought on former BC Housing CEO Shayne Ramsay (last year’s #33 on our list) to help grow their real estate portfolio, which includes the history-in-the-making Senákw project—Canada’s largest Indigenous-led housing and retail development, planned for the south end of the Burrard Bridge. By partnering with Westbank (shoutout to our #7) and securing a $1.4-billion commitment from Trudeau, Wight and her executive team are taking back the land and securing their nation’s economic future while generating hundreds of jobs and affordable homes.

It’s 2019, Anderson has just become the first woman to take the top role in the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade’s 132-year history—and things are looking promising. Cue the pandemic and a two-year-long montage of ravaged B.C. businesses scrambling to stay afloat while the organization tries to help them weather the storm. Then cut to 2022, where new struggles—astronomical inflation, the war in Ukraine—add more strain on labour, supply chains and business costs. There’s no question that the job hasn’t been easy, but Anderson continues to be a strong leader and voice for B.C. businesses in the face of challenge after challenge. She criticized the 2022 budget for its dearth of financial specifics to go along with the proposed initiatives and for its lack of tax relief for pandemic-battered small- and mid-sized businesses grappling with surging costs. She also saw the GVBOT receive federal funding to deliver a conference on equity, diversity and inclusion that’s tied to a scale-up grant meant to bolster innovative businesses in Western Canada—a program that should help future-proof Vancouver’s economy.

38. 39.

As an early member of the Western Front, artist and arts administrator Bull clearly has deep roots in the local art community. And insiders credit his behind-the-scenes work as a Vancouver Art Gallery board member for getting the B.C. government to commit an additional $50 million to its new building—a feat most folks thought would likely never happen. Audain’s precedent-setting $100-million donation in late 2021 kept the new-building, architecturally significant VAG dream alive (his was the largest single donation to an art gallery in Canadian history). And the philanthropist continues to shape the art world with his Polygon Gallery in North Vancouver and Audain Museum in Whistler—both architecturally stunning buildings in their own right.

As head of Lu’ma Native Housing, Swain oversees projects and programs intended to help Indigenous communities in areas like housing, youth and culturally safe health care. With the province-wide housing shortage, Swain has had to get creative with partnerships and projects meant to bring immediate housing solutions for those who need it. And notable rapid housing initiatives this year for Lu’ma include temporary modular housing in Strathcona, a partnership with First United Church to redevelop its former church site and drop-in centre into an 11-storey, affordable housing for Indigenous residents, and the Sixth Street Indigenous and Swahili Housing Project, which will bring 96 affordable homes to Indigenous and Black seniors and families in New Westminster.

I learned how to access

and now I can stay in my apartment.

When I realized that losing my partner meant I couldn't afford the rent...

The former vice president, academic, for UBC is bringing Chinese history and culture to Canadians with the first-ever public Chinese Canadian Museum. This past year, Wong and her family contributed $1.1 million to the Chinese Canadian Museum Society of B.C., following a $25-million campaign launched to secure operations and sustainability and support renovations to the historic Wing Sang Building, which will house the museum. The purchase of the Wing Sang was made possible through $27.5 million in funding from the province and the support of Bob Rennie (#32), who gave up his museum and office space in the iconic building, one of the oldest in Chinatown, to house the museum—in large part due to Wong’s influence. The landmark project, along with the newly opened Chinatown Storytelling Centre, marks an important step in the city’s journey toward healing and efforts to counteract the rise in anti-Asian hate fuelled by racist pandemic rhetoric.

Another player behind the scenes who was instrumental in helping steer the Ken Sim and ABC campaign to victory, Pooni has proven to wield a quiet influence as a networker—one that only continues to grow. He’s on several influential boards— including the Provincial Health Services Authority, the Downtown Vancouver BIA and the Urban Development Institute—he has excellent contacts within the NDP government and he seems to have a finger in pretty much every proverbial power pie. As one of our panellists noted—his connections are reminiscent of Bob Rennie in his heyday.

Amir has become a force in the political conversation, often landing the big interviews— just about every politician clamours to get on his podcast and television show, This Is Vancolour. He’s a deft interviewer on the big issues, whether it’s Dr. Gabor Maté discussing addiction, trauma and childhood development or broadcast icon Tamara Taggart delving into the harassment of women in journalism. The selfproclaimed “curious, emotional and obnoxiously critical” pundit also shares his opinions as a freelance columnist for media brands like the Daily Hive and Vancouver Is Awesome, bringing critical insight to many hot-button issues in our city—like the opioid crisis, the past municipal election and the controversial police funding— in a way that’s accessible to all B.C.ers.

There was a time, late in Gordon Campbell’s tenure, when many saw Falcon as the future of the BC Liberals. When Campbell quit in 2010, Falcon ran to replace him—narrowly losing to Christy Clark, then exiting the political stage. In 2022, Falcon made a triumphant comeback—and already the political veteran’s savvy is on full display, putting the NDP on the ropes for everything from the Royal BC Museum rebuild to a controversial funding arrangement for autism. Perhaps his biggest victory: getting 80 percent of BC Liberal members to support a long-debated name change to BC United.

He cuts a controversial figure, Chip Wilson. But love him or hate him, the Lululemon founder continues to be a force as he buys and manages real estate all over Vancouver— particularly dominating East Hastings—and provides behind-the-scenes funding: in the civic election, he donated $380,000 to the Pacific Prosperity Network, an organization that aims to support right wing candidates (and the very same that sponsored a screening of the also-controversial “documentary” Vancouver Is Dying).

Three-time National Radio Television Digital News Association award-winner de Silva has worked for CBC and CKNW, and now she’s leading real change in her own newsroom. De Silva steers the ship at CityNews, prioritizing stories that reflect Canada’s diversity and focusing her own reporting on gaps in the family justice system. She’s not your traditional, stuff y newsperson: de Silva is both a journalist and an activist. She’s a former co-chair of the Vancouver Pride Society, and continues to support the queer community by organizing events and moderating panels. (Plus, she’s working behind the scenes to bring Canada Pride to Vancouver.)

Dilawri Group of Companies recently purchased Ferrari of Washington and Maserati of Washington, giving Canada’s largest auto dealership group its first U.S. stores and a presence in D.C., and opening the door to big new possibilities in the vibrant North American automotive marketplace. But beyond the success of his dealerships, it’s the philanthropic efforts from the Dilawri Foundation that puts this long-time entrepreneur on our list. The foundation has donated tens of millions to help charitable causes in health care, mental health, education, autism and public safety, perhaps most notably a $5-million donation in 2018 to the Vancouver Public Library Foundation to expand its children’s programs—the largest private donation ever to a public library in Canada.

Love him or hate him, the Lululemon founder continues to be a force as he buys and manages real estate all over Vancouver— particularly dominating East Hastings—and provides behindthe-scenes funding.

FASHION ICON

Jennifer Wong brings a fresh perspective to celeb-favourite fashion house Aritizia, after 38 years under its former CEO, Brian Hill.

47.

Your teen daughter is obsessed with it, but so is much of the celebrity world: Margot Robbie, Kendall Jenner and Meghan Markle are all Aritzia followers (not to mention the brand’s various subsidiary labels, including Babaton and Wilfred). It’s a name that’s put Vancouver on the fashion map after being so long associated with athleisure—and when founder Brian Hill stepped down as CEO this past May (after 38 years at the helm), Wong’s vision was clearly needed for the role. The media that covered the power shift loved to share that she started with the company as a part-time associate, but insiders note she’s been running the ship for years now, as president and COO.

48. 49.

An original co-founder of NFB/Interaction and CBC Radio 3, Dao continues to make waves where the arts and technology converge. For the Vancouver International Film Festival this year, Dao co-curated the interactive Signals —an exhibition that focused on the potential of creative technologies for storytelling (from holograms to wearable tech), and was the first of its kind for the fest. He’s put Vancouver on the global radar for technically innovative storytelling globally—and Signals, as he has noted, was the chance to celebrate that innovative work in our own backyard.

50.

Not since the glory days of Quatchi has Vancouver enjoyed such a loveable and handsome mascot. Hollywood heartthrob Reynolds continues his self-appointed role as Vancouver’s booster boy (even his Twitter handle, @vancityreynolds, shouts out his hometown), but his impact on our city goes far beyond a winning smile and an obsession for Nat’s Pizza. His nonprofit organizations, Creative Ladder and Group E ff ort, admirably aim to make creative careers accessible to marginalized groups, with mentorship programs, entry-level job matching and educational opportunities intended to help build a pipeline for long-term entertainment careers for all.

RYN

PAIGE FREWER AND CHRISTOPHER REED

STUDIOS

Eastside Studios has become an institution in the East Van queer community; here, you’ll find events like Warehouse at ESS, the Eastside Spotlight drag show and Queers and Beers. Run by Frewer and Broz, this accessible arts space promotes queer and trans voices through cultural events, DIY shows, queer dance parties, and community engagement with a focus on equity and inclusion. ESS regular Reed (a.k.a. Continental Breakfast) is part of the non-binary drag collective The Darlings and co-founded Queer Based Media, a production company that spotlights queer voices in Vancouver. Reed was also recognized on BCBusiness ’s 30 Under 30 in 2022 for their work in uplifting queer voices in the city.

Dao has put Vancouver on the global radar for technically innovative storytelling globally—and Signals, as he has noted, was the chance to celebrate that innovative work in our own backyard.

GoGoldfor

A golden wedding dress (complete with crown, of course) was just one detail that made Annalise and Richard’s wedding at Brix and Mortar shine.

REAL WEDDINGS 2023

to throw a great party and a wedding that we ourselves would want to be invited to. We made a few decisions with our guests’ experience in mind, from providing a taxi to taking the majority of our photos beforehand to eliminate the long wait between ceremony and reception.”

We

“Give yourself time to plan. Book one major item each month—venue, then photographer and so on—instead of trying to research everything all at once and getting overwhelmed.”

A guest list of 50 kept the night feeling intimate. “We really loved the choice to have a small guest list,” says Annalise. “We had more time for conversations with all of our guests, and it allowed us to be more in the moment.”

Florals from Sunflower Florist were peppered throughout the venue, though the vine-draped courtyard at Yaletown’s Brix and Mortar provided plenty of its own greenery.

wanted

—Annalise,

Venues for All!

If a beachfront destination wedding is your dream, good on you. But if you’re ready to declare your love locally, options abound. Whatever vibe you’re hunting for—gone-country cool, vintage glamour or modern romance—you don’t need to look too far.

IF YOU WANT TO KEEP IT COUNTRY...

Bird’s Eye Cove Farm

LOCATION: Duncan

MAXIMUM CAPACITY: 140

PRICE: From $400

Bird’s Eye Cove, a heritage farm nestled within 300 acres of land in the Cowichan Valley, is the destination for those on the hunt for a country-style wedding. Here, you can host your wedding in a traditional timber-frame barn, with rolling hills and ocean views as your backdrop. Catering for the reception is farmto-table (of course!) with dishes sourced from the venue and other local farms and businesses. Couples have various wedding packages to choose from—some of which include up to three meetings with the Blue Lily Events team or the option to stay in a romantic 900-square-foot couple’s suite. Arrive here in style on a seaplane that lands in Maple Bay, or take a ferry from the mainland. birdseyecovefarm.com

IF YOU WANT RUSTIC CHARM…

Minnekhada Lodge

LOCATION: Coquitlam

MAXIMUM CAPACITY: 50

PRICE: $143 per hour

If you often search for “rustic wedding ideas” on Pinterest but don’t want to exchange vows in a barn, look no further than Minnekhada Lodge. This idyllic property, originally built as a hunting retreat for Lieutenant Governor Eric Hamber in 1934, is just a 45-minute drive from Vancouver— and o ff ers both indoor and outdoor spaces. Most couples choose to say

“I do” on the covered patio before transitioning into the banquet hall for dinner and dancing. minnekhada.ca

IF YOU WANT HERITAGE GLAM... The Permanent

LOCATION: Vancouver

MAXIMUM CAPACITY: 250 standing;

130 seated

PRICE: From $4,000

Once home to the Bank of Canada, this landmark building in the heart

of downtown Vancouver is filled with glam heritage details: think ornate crown moulding, bronze chandeliers and tile mosaics. Couples can tie the knot underneath a jaw-dropping stained glass atrium and dance the night away in front of a vault door—a feature that looks particularly incredible when adorned with flowers and greenery. thepermanent.ca

ROOM FOR LOVE

(Clockwise from top) Bird’s Eye Cove Farm on Vancouver Island brings the country charm; the Permanent is the Art Deco venue of a design-lover’s dreams; Minnekhada Lodge is just a short drive from Vancouver but feels like a world away.

REAL WEDDINGS 2023

IF YOU WANT A WINTRY FAIRYTALE... Nita Lake Lodge

LOCATION: Whistler

MAXIMUM CAPACITY: 200 standing; 160 seated

PRICE: From $350 to $8,000

Nita Lake Lodge, located 4.5 kilometres from Whistler Village (away from the hubbub), is a picturesque resort surrounded by mountains and overlooking the glacier-fed Nita Lake. Though summer weddings are beautiful here, it’s the ultimate spot for a romantic, snowflake-laden winter ceremony. Couples can choose from a variety of on-site ceremony and reception spots, from the porte-cochère—an outdoor train-carriage structure made from Douglas fir and western red cedar—to the Aura patio, ballroom, train station or library. nitalakelodge.com

IF YOU WANT SUMMER-CAMP VIBES... Bodega Ridge

LOCATION: Galiano Island

MAXIMUM CAPACITY: 150

PRICE: From $5,000 to $25,000

Secluded and rustic, Bodega Ridge is a beautiful spot for an island wedding. Enjoy the natural beauty of the meadows, arbutus trees, fruit trees and wildflowers on this Southern Gulf Island, along with an armful of amenities (couples have exclusive use of their 22-acre property and guest accommodation). Have your ceremony on a bluffoverlooking the Trincomali Channel, followed by a marquee reception catered with local organic farm ingredients. And if you want to extend your stay past the wedding day, Bodega Ridge can set up activities for you and your guests, including yoga, kayaking and whale watching. bodegaridge.com

IF YOU WANT MODERNIST CHIC... The Polygon Gallery

LOCATION: North Vancouver

MAXIMUM CAPACITY: 500 standing; 180 seated

PRICE: From $6,250

If you’ve dreamed of saying “I do” in a minimalist, contemporary venue, look no further than the Polygon Gallery. Its rental package, available for the 2023 wedding season, will give you exclusive use of the 24,000-squarefoot facility—including the Main Floor Gallery, Seaspan Pavilion, TD Bank Group Gallery and Freybe Family Gallery. Artwork and wall colour is

subject to change depending on current exhibitions, so every wedding is pretty much guaranteed to have a di ff erent look and feel. thepolygon.ca

IF YOU WANT INTIMATE WHIMSY...

The Greenhouse

LOCATION: Abbotsford

MAXIMUM CAPACITY: 24

PRICE: From $2,000

This whimsical greenhouse provides the perfect blank slate for couples who want to design a one-of-a-kind ceremony. Owned by the team behind Woodpecker Rentals, the venue o ff ers a deluxe package that gives you access to a stunning collection of wood tables, chairs and benches to help pull your vision together. Plus, it can accommodate weddings in any season: the greenhouse has windows to let in cool air during the summer months and is equipped with a wood-burning stove to ensure winter weddings are as cozy as they are romantic. woodpeckertables.com

LOVE SHACKS (Clockwise from top) Nita Lake Lodge is a mountainside paradise; the Polygon Gallery

o ff ers downtown views for days; the Greenhouse brings the cozy intimacy; Bodega Ridge on Galiano Island is perfect for a close-to-home getaway.

Let’s Talk About LEGACY GIFTS

Legacy giving and estate planning can be daunting—professional consultation can help

Alegacy gift is what someone is remembered for. It is how they impact future generations and care for their community or causes long after they are gone. In many cases, it is a defining source of income

for organizations working hard to meet communities’ health and wellness needs.

“Arthritis Research Canada is dedicated to finding solutions that

help people overcome the challenges caused by arthritis—challenges that interfere with daily life,” says Patti Nakatsu, director of development for the organization. “Arthritis can prevent a person from working, being

Learn More:

willpower.ca/charities/ arthritis-research-canada

Leaving a legacy in your community

Leaving a legacy in your community

Leaving a legacy in your community

Supporting the upgrades and modernization of Burnaby Hospital makes a meaningful impact on health care for your friends, family, and generations to come.

Supporting the upgrades and modernization of Burnaby Hospital makes a meaningful impact on health care for your friends, family, and generations to come.

Supporting the upgrades and modernization of Burnaby Hospital makes a meaningful impact on health care for your friends, family, and generations to come.

Reine’s Legacy:

Reine’s Legacy:

Reine’s Legacy:

“Burnaby Hospital has been there for me and my family whenever we were in need of medical assistance. Also, like many in the community, I am so thrilled that soon there will be a revitalized Burnaby Hospital. It is what many of us [at the Auxiliary] have been working [towards] for decades and it is very satisfying to see everyone come together to ensure this transformational redevelopment. It is what we do... we look after each other.”

“Burnaby Hospital has been there for me and my family whenever we were in need of medical assistance. Also, like many in the community, I am so thrilled that soon there will be a revitalized Burnaby Hospital. It is what many of us [at the Auxiliary] have been working [towards] for decades and it is very satisfying to see everyone come together to ensure this transformational redevelopment. It is what we do... we look after each other.”

“Burnaby Hospital has been there for me and my family whenever we were in need of medical assistance. Also, like many in the community, I am so thrilled that soon there will be a revitalized Burnaby Hospital. It is what many of us [at the Auxiliary] have been working [towards] for decades and it is very satisfying to see everyone come together to ensure this transformational redevelopment. It is what we do... we look after each other.”

Reine’s dedication to supporting others through volunteering and donations has extended to her estate plans, where she thought it fitting to include a gift to Burnaby Hospital Foundation. The Foundation is raising funds for the redevelopment of the beloved community hospital into a modern campus of care.

Learn how you can create a lasting impact: bhfoundation.ca/legacy

Reine’s dedication to supporting others through volunteering and donations has extended to her estate plans, where she thought it fitting to include a gift to Burnaby Hospital Foundation. The Foundation is raising funds for the redevelopment of the beloved community hospital into a modern campus of care.

Reine’s dedication to supporting others through volunteering and donations has extended to her estate plans, where she thought it fitting to include a gift to Burnaby Hospital Foundation. The Foundation is raising funds for the redevelopment of the beloved community hospital into a modern campus of care.

Learn how you can create a lasting impact: bhfoundation.ca/legacy

(604) 431-2881

Learn how you can create a lasting impact: bhfoundation.ca/legacy

(604) 431-2881

(604) 431-2881

I want to support

I also want to support

Did you know it’s easy to do both? You have the WILL to make a difference for generations.

my family. arthritis research.

physically active and caring for young children. It can cause sleep problems, mental health issues and put people at risk for serious complications like heart attack and stroke. Legacy gifts support research that finds answers so that people can thrive, despite having arthritis.”

Choosing where to focus legacy giving can be daunting with so many worthy causes in need of support. Without the right kind of help, establishing a resilient legacy gift can seem almost impossible.

“It may be helpful to reflect on your values, the causes that have affected you or your loved ones or an underserved need you see in your community,” says Craig Hikida, vice-president, donor services at Vancouver Foundation. “For those who know exactly what they want their gift to achieve, it is important to allow flexibility so their chosen charities can always respond to future needs as they arise.”

Donors should consider how they can ensure that their values are carried into the future by an organization that shares them, recommends Maria Howard, CEO of Family Services of Greater Vancouver.

“If you’ve received support in the past or have benefited from a

particular cause, leaving a legacy gift is a wonderful way to ensure the organization of your choice can carry out its mission for many years to come,” she says.

Another tact is for donors to consider the services they want their loved ones and neighbours to have access to in a moment of crisis—like counselling, community connection, or literacy and life skills workshops—the things that make life a little easier in a stressful world.

For those with pointed interests, Family Services has four funds that donors can give to, based on what matters to them. The funds include the Healthy Families Fund, Empowerment Fund, Inclusive Communities Fund and Youth Services Fund.

For those who know more loosely the area where they’d like to focus their giving, Vancouver Foundation can help. Once a donor has decided on what their legacy will be, the how is the next consideration.

LEGACY GIFTING STRATEGIES

This is where consulting with a professional financial planner to ensure your personal and financial goals match is essential. “A professional can provide you

with various options and advice,” says Kristy James, president and CEO, Burnaby Hospital Foundation. “This can involve developing a strategy for charitable giving depending on your applicable assets.”

Different strategies will take advantage of various tax benefits, so it is important to be clear on how you plan to structure a charitable legacy gift to make the most impact.

“The fact is, when you pass, your estate is likely to be responsible for taxes payable,” James says. “Leaving a bequest in a will, appreciated securities or life insurance can reduce your personal taxes and increase benefits to your estate and its beneficiaries.

“And, while leaving a gift in your will is an emotional and practical decision, we have often found that donors who consult a professional can find a new realization about how they can support their charity

of choice, while also ensuring that their loved ones are taken care of.”

Nakatsu says it’s important for people to know that they can take care of their loved ones and support the causes they value most, because even a small portion of an estate can go a long way. “For example, 5% of an $850K estate translates into a donation of $42,500,” she says. “Imagine the difference a gift like this can make! We recommend donors speak with a professional advisor to get the best advice for their own particular situation.”

Professionals also help donors navigate the complexities of gift and estate planning and avoid unnecessary fees. “This grows your legacy and gives you peace of mind,” Hikida says. “A professionally drafted plan will help ensure your estate is protected from potential costly legal challenges, which can result from something as simple as ambiguity in the language used.”

Consulting with a charitable organization prior to including them in your estate plans is highly recommended, especially if you intend to place any restrictions on the use of your gift. Otherwise,

there is a risk that the charity may have to decline the gift in the future if the purpose can not be met.

A named endowment fund can be established at Vancouver Foundation to receive a gift and make regular payments of income to your chosen registered charities or support your selected area of focus. “This simplifies the distribution of your estate for your executor and ensures that the charities receive steady, ongoing support in perpetuity,” Hikida says. “Donors who can’t decide on a charity or cause can rely on Vancouver Foundation’s community expertise to fund charitable projects across BC, ensuring your legacy always funds current and emerging needs.”

Using the service of a professional will ensure the will is valid, including listing an accurate charity name, making sure the donor’s giving is going exactly where they intend.

“There are many ways to give a legacy gift, including bequests (cash gifts), naming a cause as the beneficiary of your TFSA, RRSP or life insurance policy, endowments, securities, and even real estate,” Howard says. “A professional can

Fulfilling a Dream

Vancouver Foundation eases the pressure of administering a fund after a spouse passes on

When Susan Eyford’s husband, Don, died in 2015, she faced the complexity of running a private foundation he had established to dispense funds for animal welfare, as well as environmental protection in B.C.

Despite a deep desire to contribute to these causes, Susan feared that administering the fund would take up all of her spare time at a point where she wanted life to be meaningful, not occupied by legalities. “All I could think of was the pressure of endless reporting, filings, and expense required to keep the foundation compliant and functional,” she says.

Fortunately, Susan’s lawyer, George Cadman, had a solution: dismantle the foundation and transfer the money supporting it to a Vancouver Foundation Donor Advised Fund, where it would be managed by professionals and developed to last in perpetuity.

Cadman, shareholder at Boughton Law Corporation, says, “Vancouver Foundation’s strong administrative capabilities and effective handling of funds is well understood to the legal and accounting professions.”

The transfer was completed last year. “It was a long process, but if I had to do it all over again I would jump at the chance,” Susan says.

A Donor Advised Fund enables individuals and families to establish a charitable endowment fund, receive a donation tax receipt, and then recommend grants over time to the charities of their choosing. Options are also available for the fund’s long-term planning, with

naming friends or family members as successors to the fund.

Susan says Vancouver Foundation has given her a profound sense of relief. “The organization takes care of everything, and they let me know several times a year how much money I have available to grant— and I grant it to whoever I want.”

As for her fund being in perpetuity, Susan says, “After my passing, Vancouver Foundation will invest the money and property I have left them in my will to ensure a steady rate of return, and these returns will continue to benefit animals and the environment.”

Calvin Fong, director, donor services at Vancouver Foundation, points out, “We have nearly 900 donor advised funds but more importantly we’ve been doing this for over 75 years. That means we give donors a sense of security and longevity.”

Fong adds: “It’s been said that making money is easy but giving it away is difficult. We make it easy for charitable people like Susan.”

Now 77, Susan enjoys life with friends and her daughter and loves nothing better than granting funds to different organizations (a donkey refuge in Chase B.C. was a recent recipient). Moreover, she derives great satisfaction knowing her long-standing desire to give back will continue long after she’s gone.

“If my husband were still alive today, he would be thrilled to know our good fortune is helping others and will continue to do so well into the future,” she says.

Learn more about Vancouver Foundation at vancouverfoundation.ca vancouverfdn vancouverfdn vancouverfdn

With

We opened our doors as a drop-in centre during the 1918 flu pandemic and have responded to the needs of the Downtown Eastside ever since. Our community meals program dates back to the Great Depression and our legal advocacy and tax programs were launched in the ‘70s. We still run these flagship programs today, and provide essential services and programs that foster community connection and healing. We believe all people deserve to be treated with dignity, regardless of circumstance.

If you agree and want to make a significant impact in the Downtown Eastside, here are some ways you can help support a neighbourhood where everyone’s worth is celebrated and all people thrive.

PARTICIPATE IN A LEGACY PROJECT

We’re redeveloping our site into a purpose-built facility with four floors of services and amenities and seven floors of below-market housing. By making a one-time gift or multi-year pledge, you can be part of a legacy project that will impact lives for decades to come.

SUPPORT LONG-TERM PROGRAMS AND CAPACITY BUILDING

Our monthly donors provide stable and reliable revenue that enables us to develop long-term plans with greater certainty and grow our capacity. Becoming a monthly donor also enables you to witness the impact of your contribution over several years and invest in programs that last.

LEAVE A BEQUEST

Considering your legacy more broadly, a bequest is a tremendously generous and thoughtful contribution that can be put towards our programs, our building and capital costs, or the area of greatest need.

Make dignity part of your legacy.

1923: The Welfare Industries delivered essential supplies, like our community drop-in and help desk do today.

2022: Our food truck delivers community meals streetside.

2025: The new First United will offer 40,000 square feet of services and amenities.

a history dating back to 1885, we know all about building legacies.

help you navigate what will make the most sense for your unique situation.”

Jennifer Shang, director, donor relations for Variety – the Children’s Charity of BC, says another option is leaving a gift of assets other than cash to save capital gains and estate taxes, and therefore make a bigger impact than you previously thought possible.

Or consider establishing a donoradvised fund through which you can donate a lump sum now but spread it among various charities or distribute it over several years. “This effectively creates a pseudo foundation for a fraction of the cost of setting up a private foundation,” Shang says. “You receive the tax receipt when you make the donation and can then allocate the funds to any of Canada’s registered charities.”

IN-HOUSE LEGACY PLANNING PROFESSIONALS

Arthritis Research Canada works with donors to ensure that any specific wishes related to their gift are understood and honoured, and

that we acknowledge their generosity in a way that is meaningful to them.

Similarly, Burnaby Hospital Foundation has professional staff and a community of volunteer professionals, including lawyers, accountants, financial planners, and notaries, who can discuss your specific circumstances about estate planning.

“New to Legacy Giving this year, Burnaby Hospital Foundation has joined Will Power, a national public education campaign to inspire people to think differently about charitable giving,” James says. “This campaign aims to educate the public about making gifts in their wills and has, alongside estate planning professionals, created helpful materials such as a free online webinar that explains the legacy planning process and benefits. Our staff are excited to help connect the public to these resources and help them understand legacy giving in a new way.”

Variety – the Children’s Charity of BC has also partnered with Willfora, a free resource to help make creating

or updating a will easier than ever. Willfora allows you to create a legal will online in 20-minutes or less, at no cost to you.

“This way, you can take care of those you love, while helping create a future where special needs kids in BC are thriving, achieving their full potential and having their needs met every single day,” Shang says.

Learn more at:

Family Services of Greater Vancouver fsgv.ca/legacy

Vancouver Foundation vancouverfoundation.ca

Burnaby Hospital Foundation bhfoundation.ca/legacy

Variety – the Children’s Charity of BC variety.bc.ca/donate-now/plannedgiving

Arthritis Research Canada arthritisresearch.ca

Culture Nightcap

Warm and Dry

Like tangy jams, sour lemonade and strawberry rhubarb pie, some flavours just feel like spring. So while we wait for the fair weather that feels so far away, a few sips of this Dry January-friendly, jeweltoned mocktail from Archer restaurant will spice things up. The tart sweetness of the rhubarb syrup contrasts with the sharp, earthy-sweet zest from the beet juice, creating a drink that’s light and complex with hints of natural spice. It’s a refreshing (and alcohol-free) glass of sunny days to come.

ARCHER’S RHUBARB SOUR

MAKES ONE GLASS

1 oz rhubarb syrup

(see recipe below)

½ oz beet juice

1 oz lemon juice

1 oz pasteurized egg whites

Soda water

Optional: Lumette non-alcoholic gin

METHOD

1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 15 to 30 seconds.

2. Strain back into the shaker with no ice and shake vigorously again until the foam is frothy.

3. Double strain into your favourite glass or coupe and top with a splash of effervescent water or non-alcoholic gin.

HOMEMADE

RHUBARB SYRUP

1 cup water

1 cup fresh or frozen rhubarb

1 cup sugar

METHOD

1. Add water and rhubarb to a pot and bring to a boil.

2. Turn off he heat and let rhubarb soak for 10 to 15 minutes; add sugar and stir until dissolved.

3. Strain and enjoy. Keeps in fridge for one week.