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VANCOUVER - TORONTO __ ISSUE 13 __ FALL 2026

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__ ABOUT ALEPH

THE WORLD OF ALEPH

ALEPH is a Canadian luxury lifestyle and culture magazine with a presence in Vancouver and Toronto, celebrating the people, stories, and experiences that shape contemporary Persian life in Canada and beyond. More than a publication, ALEPH is a platform where culture, creativity, business, and luxury intersect. Through compelling storytelling, exclusive interviews, and thoughtfully curated editorial content, we spotlight influential personalities, visionary entrepreneurs, accomplished professionals, and remarkable individuals whose journeys inspire and redefine success. Our pages explore the finest in fashion, automotive excellence, architecture, design, fine dining, travel, arts, and culture. From globally recognized luxury houses to emerging creative talents, ALEPH brings together the brands, ideas, and experiences that resonate with a sophisticated and culturally connected audience. With a growing presence across Canada, a strong digital community, and a distinctive print publication, ALEPH offers an exceptional bridge between prestigious brands and the Persian market. We create meaningful opportunities for businesses to engage with an ambitious, influential, and highly connected community that appreciates quality, innovation, craftsmanship, and exceptional experiences. At the heart of ALEPH is a commitment to celebrating Persian identity while embracing a global perspective. We believe in the power of independent media to amplify voices, recognize achievements, inspire conversations, and connect communities across cultures and generations. Rooted in Persian heritage. Inspired by the world. Connected through ALEPH. ALEPH Magazine is published by ALEPH MEDIA, a Canadian creative agency specializing in branding, marketing, advertising, and content production, bringing together editorial vision and creative expertise to build meaningful connections between brands and audiences.

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(Licensees Max Mara) maxmara.com

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For Ashkan Khatibi, art began long before it became a profession. Raised in a family where literature, music, painting and cinema were deeply valued, he encountered stories before the age of two, began learning piano as a child and discovered theatre while still in school. By 17, he was studying art at university. Less than a year later, he was performing professionally on stage, and soon after, receiving recognition for his acting.

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“For me, art has become more of a tool to keep fighting.”

Iranian actor, singer-songwriter and director

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It was the beginning of a career that would move fluidly across theatre, music, writing and film. But in Khatibi’s telling, the story of the artist cannot be separated from the story of the country in which that artist was formed. Years of restrictions, censorship and political pressure gradually altered his relationship with both Iran and his work. He describes being detained outside his home, subjected to violent interrogation and confronted with a series of accusations related to his political expression. After further interrogations by different authorities, he came to a conclusion he had resisted for decades: remaining in Iran was no longer possible. Leaving, however, did not mean leaving his identity behind. In Italy, Khatibi found the space to continue working as an artist. He composed music, wrote screenplays and plays, produced theatre, made short films and worked on documentaries. What he describes is not simply the continuation of a career in another country, but the rediscovery of what creative freedom can feel like after years of restriction. Yet exile also changed the purpose of the work. Khatibi speaks about theatre with near-sacred reverence. For him, it is a concentrated expression of life itself. But there is one thing, he says, that stands above it: human life. That distinction has become central to the way he now understands his role as an artist. Art remains essential, but no longer as an isolated pursuit of artistic achievement. It has become a means of participation, connection and resistance. He still insists on quality and on respecting the audience, but the work now exists within a larger moral framework. That commitment has extended far beyond the stage. Khatibi describes raising funds and coordinating support for Iranians injured during protests, including people requiring urgent and long-term medical treatment. What began through personal networks grew into a wider effort involving supporters outside Iran. The work, he acknowledges, has been exhausting, financially demanding and often overwhelming. Still, he speaks about it not as charity, but as responsibility.

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The same shift can be heard when he talks about teaching. Once, the ambition may have been to train exceptional actors. Today, he says, helping younger artists preserve their hope and desire to live can matter even more. And yet theatre continues. His productions have travelled through Italy, Europe and Canada, where performances took on a different emotional weight in front of large Iranian audiences. He describes the collective response as unlike anything he had experienced in more than three decades on stage. The performance was no longer simply a performance. The room carried memory, grief, displacement and a shared longing for a different future. That experience is also shaping his new work, including a bilingual Italian-Persian play inspired by the life of an Iranian woman and centred on the experience of Iranian women. It is another example of the place where Khatibi now seems most comfortable creatively: where private stories meet collective history. Throughout the conversation, he is wary of being turned into a hero. He rejects the culture of easy labels and repeatedly redirects attention toward those who have faced far greater risks inside Iran. Courage, in his view, is not an exceptional quality belonging to a few people. It can spread. It can be learned from others. Perhaps that is the clearest way to understand the Ashkan Khatibi who emerges from this conversation. The artist is still there, deeply committed to theatre, creation and teaching. But ambition has changed shape. Once, he says, he imagined being remembered in the history of theatre as a great acting teacher. Today, that matters far less. What matters is reaching the end knowing he did what he could. For Khatibi, freedom is no longer an abstract political idea or a distant destination. It has become the measure against which almost everything else is judged, including art itself. And for an artist who has spent his life on the stage, perhaps the most consequential role is now the one he has chosen beyond it.

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“The only thing that makes me happy is to understand and believe that we have moved one step closer to freedom.”

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__ PUBLISHER’S NOTE

When the Art Becomes an Act of Freedom.

is one of resilience, conviction, and an unwavering commitment to his beliefs. For him, art has become more than a profession. It has become a way to stand for something greater than himself. His story also reminds me of a hope that connects millions of Iranians around the world: the hope of seeing our homeland free. A country where people can express themselves without fear, where artists can create without censorship, and where future generations can pursue their dreams without limitations. No matter how far life has taken us from Iran, I believe this is a dream we continue to carry together. As we celebrate the power of artistic expression, I am particularly proud that Aleph is supporting Modern Iran and the AvantGardes, 1948–78, an important upcoming exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery. This remarkable presentation celebrates the creativity, innovation, and cultural contributions of Iranian artists during a transformative period in our history. It is an opportunity to introduce a broader Canadian audience to the richness of Iranian art and to remind ourselves of the extraordinary cultural heritage we share. In this edition, we also celebrate the remarkable achievements of Iranian talent here in Canada. Our feature on architect Foad Rafi’i explores the vision and creativity behind some of the buildings that have helped shape Vancouver’s skyline. His journey is another reminder that our community’s contributions extend far beyond cultural boundaries, leaving a lasting mark on the cities we now call home. Art has always been more than a form of expression. It is a reflection of who we are, where we come from, and what we believe in. Throughout history, when voices have been silenced

But perhaps the most exciting chapter for Aleph in this edition is one that we have been dreaming about for some time.

and freedoms challenged, art has often found a way to speak.

For the first time, Aleph Magazine is expanding beyond

It reminds us that creativity has no borders, that identity cannot

Vancouver and arriving in Toronto.

be erased, and that even in the most difficult circumstances, the human spirit continues to find ways to express itself. This belief is at the heart of our latest edition of Aleph Magazine. Our cover story features Ashkan Khatibi, an extraordinary Iranian artist whose journey is a powerful reminder of the relationship

between art, courage, and freedom. From his celebrated career in

Farhad Mehrabi, Publisher

Iran to the difficult decision to leave his homeland, Ashkan’s story

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__ CONTENTS

Ashkan Khatibi

The Architect Behind Two Skylines

Modern Iran & the Avant-Gardes 1948-78

Miraas

Cadillac Vistiq 2026

The Art of Getting Lost

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48 ALEPH MAGAZINE

__ MASTHEAD

President & Editor in chief Farhad Mehrabi Founding Partner, Toronto Shayan Mousavand Art Director Roya Momeni Account Manager Saloumeh Raeesi Cover Design Artist Roya Momeni Layout Design Artist Saloumeh Raeesi Copy Editors Lauren Kramer Photographers Mohammad Rezaei, Shayan Gharibpour Videographers Mohammad Rezaei, Arian Rahimian, Armin Abbasi, Mehrshad Sherafat Video Editors Mohammad Rezaei, Nina Zarabi, Arian Rahimian, Armin Abbasi Digital Artists Matheus Wohlenberg, Elham Mehrparvar Web Specialist Zin Ng Marketing Specialist Mehran Omrani Sales & Marketing Maryam Zaribafan, Penny Dizad Advertising Inquiries 236 808 6748 info@alephmagazine.com info@alephmedia.com Executive Office

Issue 13 — Fall 2026

On The Cover Our cover features Ashkan Khatibi, an artist whose journey reflects the intersection of conviction, resilience, and personal freedom. Standing beside a horse, a symbol of freedom, strength, and an untamed spirit, Ashkan embodies strength without dominance and freedom without control. Together, they represent two independent spirits, united by dignity, resilience, and the instinct to remain true to their nature. His portrait captures a quiet yet powerful presence, reflecting the courage to stand by one’s beliefs and a spirit that refuses to be confined by expectations or circumstances.

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With the generous support of: Arya & Hamid Eshghi - Mowafaghian Foundation

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted by any form or by any means, including photocopying or other electronic or mechanical methods, without prior written permission of the editor, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

A Note of Gratitude We at Aleph Magazine would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Hamid Eshghi and the Djavad Mowafaghian Foundation for their generous support. Their commitment to meaningful impact, rooted in a legacy of compassion, resilience, and purposeful giving, continues to inspire not only our work, but the broader community we serve. We are honoured to be supported by an organization that so powerfully believes in the value of health, education, and community advancement.

Mowafaghian Foundation

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FOAD RAFII — Architect and the principal of RAFII ARCHITECTS INC 20

ALEPH MAGAZINE

Four Decades of Architectural Influence in Vancouver and Calgary.

For more than four decades, Foad Rafii has helped shape the way

Rafii’s legacy is not defined by one signature tower. It is found

Western Canadian cities look, grow and live. His work is closely

in compact homes that feel carefully resolved, slender buildings

woven into Vancouver’s modern identity, yet his influence may be

that preserve light and views, and developments that respond to

even more visible in Calgary, where a remarkable concentration

their surroundings rather than overpower them. His work helped

of his residential projects transformed the downtown and Beltline

advance a practical, elegant and people-centred approach to

skyline.

high-density urban living.

When Rafii began practising, Vancouver had not yet become

daylight, framed views and landscaping integrated into dense

internationally recognized for its approach to urban density.

urban settings. These ideas allowed the city to grow vertically

Former industrial lands and waterfront districts were being

while remaining connected to the public realm and natural

reconsidered, while high-rise residential living was beginning

environment.

to define the city.

Rafii has always acknowledged that cities are shaped collectively

Established in the mid-1980s, Rafii Architects became part of

by architects, planners, developers, builders and communities.

that transformation. The firm contributed to residential and

Still, he has spoken with pride about his contribution.

mixed-use projects as Vancouver explored how to accommodate growth without losing its relationship to the mountains, water and open sky. The architectural language that followed is now familiar: slender towers, lower street-level podiums, generous

“I am proud to have contributed to that movement,” he has said. His role was not simply to add new towers, but to help develop a more thoughtful model for living within them.

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KOUROSH DEPARTMENT STORE Pahlavi Avenue, Tehran, Iran

ARCHITECTS — Behrouz Ahmadi & Foad Rafii

At the centre of Rafii’s work is a consistent principle: architecture

every square foot must contribute something. As Rafii described

must serve daily life. “To me, function is way more important

it, the goal is to achieve “maximizing economy of space through

than anything else,” he has said.

clean, judicious design.”

His buildings are modern and visually composed, but they are

Efficiency does not mean sacrificing comfort. Good proportion,

rarely driven by spectacle alone. The plan comes first. Rooms,

natural light, practical circulation and purposeful layouts can

windows, circulation, storage, balconies and shared spaces

make a modest home feel calm, open and complete. Whether

are designed around how people will actually use them. This

designing a single tower or a larger mixed-use community, Rafii

approach is especially important in cities where land is limited

begins with the experience of the resident.

and housing is expensive. Smaller homes require discipline, and 22

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Rafii’s work also reflects a careful understanding of context. New

street. It does not require new architecture to imitate the past,

development inevitably changes a neighbourhood, but it does

but it does require a thoughtful response to its surroundings.

not need to disregard what is already there. Discussing a multi-family project in Point Grey, he explained,

preserve space between buildings, while podiums create a more

“We wanted to ensure the architecture was respectful of the

human scale at street level. Terraces and planted areas soften

neighbourhood.”

the transition between architecture and landscape. The result

That respect is expressed through scale, setbacks, materials, landscaping and the relationship between a building and the 24

Across Rafii’s portfolio, slender towers reduce visual weight and

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is work that contributes to the skyline without forgetting the pedestrian, the neighbour or the resident within.

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PARK WEST

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A mixed-use development in downtown Kelowna featuring a 34-storey

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towers, 258 homes, retail spaces, townhomes, and luxury amenities.

parking stalls.

A skyline is seen from a distance, but architecture is experienced

Rafii’s later projects reflect that shift, with amenities and

through kitchens, balconies, lobbies, courtyards and sidewalks.

landscapes designed as extensions of the home. At Park West

Rafii’s work connects these two scales.

near Lions Gate, elevated gardens carry the natural character of

Projects such as Domus, Mondrian, Pomaria and Donovan helped establish a restrained architectural language based on proportion, light and livability. Over time, residential expectations changed, and condominium towers became more than collections of private units. Residents began to expect spaces for wellness, work, gathering and recreation.

the North Shore upward through the development. In Victoria, landscaped terraces help Hudson Place One respond to the city’s heritage and scale while introducing a new presence on the skyline. These projects show that density and access to nature do not need to exist in opposition. A tall building can still provide greenery, outdoor space and a strong sense of place.

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Although Rafii’s name is closely associated with Vancouver, Calgary

Rather than reproducing Vancouver’s architecture, Rafii adapted

may be where his architectural influence is most concentrated.

its strongest principles to Calgary’s climate, scale and evolving

As design architect for Calla, Drake, Luna, Mark on 10th, Nova,

identity. His work helped support the city’s transition from

Stella and Waterfront, he helped reshape downtown Calgary

an office-dominated downtown into a more complete urban

and the Beltline during a defining period of residential growth.

environment where people could live closer to workplaces,

Together, these projects introduced a more refined and urban approach to condominium living, with efficient layouts, slender

His influence also extended to Austin and Victoria through

tower forms, thoughtful amenities and greater attention to

projects such as Spring and Hudson Place One. Yet Calgary

residents’ daily experience. His presence became so visible

remains the clearest example of how profoundly his architectural

that one commentator jokingly suggested renaming part of the

vision helped shape an entire city.

Beltline “Rafiiville.” 26

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How a generation of Iranian artists transformed cultural tension, political upheaval and inherited traditions into a modernism of their own.

What does it mean for a culture with centuries of artistic history to become modern? For Iranian artists working in the three decades after the Second World War, the question was neither theoretical nor easily answered. Modernity was arriving rapidly, accompanied by urban growth, new technologies, international exchange and sweeping political change. At the same time, Iran possessed an artistic and intellectual inheritance too deep and distinctive to be left behind. The result was not a simple choice between tradition and progress. It was a period of extraordinary experimentation. Modern Iran and the Avant-Gardes, 1948–78, an exhibition organized by the Vancouver Art Gallery and guest curated by Pantea Haghighi, turns its attention to this complicated and fertile moment. Bringing together approximately 80 works by more than 30 influential artists, the exhibition traces the development of an Iranian modernism that emerged through Hossein Amanat, Shahyad Tower (now Azadi Tower), Tehran, Iran, 1971, Photo: Courtesy of Hossein Amanat

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painting, sculpture, photography, drawing, mixed media, architectural documentation and ephemera.

PANTEA HAGHIGHI Guest Curator at the Vancouver Art Gallery

A MODERNISM OF ITS OWN More importantly, the exhibition offers a way of understanding modernism beyond the familiar centres of Paris, London and New York. Iranian artists were never merely importing a Western aesthetic. They were absorbing international ideas, questioning them, resisting some and transforming others. Cubism, Abstract Expressionism and other modernist movements entered into

That distinction matters. For much of the twentieth century, histories of modern art were written as though innovation travelled outward from Europe and North America toward the rest of the world. The work gathered in Vancouver tells a far more complex story. Modernism was not a single language exported from one cultural centre. It developed differently wherever artists confronted their own histories, ambitions and changing societies.

conversation with Persian calligraphy, poetry, mythology, Islamic

Iran offers a particularly compelling example because its artistic

architecture, craft traditions and folk culture. What emerged from

transformation unfolded amid profound political tensions.

that exchange was neither wholly Western nor conventionally traditional. It was distinctly Iranian. ALEPH MAGAZINE

Siah Armajani, Prayer for the Sun, 1962, oil on canvas, Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection, Gift of Abby Weed Grey G1975.81, Photo: Courtesy of the Grey Art Museum, New York University, the Estate of Siah Armajani and Rossi & Rossi

POLITICS ENTERS THE STUDIO One of the defining events of the period was the 1953 coup d’état. Before the coup, Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh’s government had emphasized Iranian sovereignty in the face of foreign interference. Questions of independence and national identity inevitably entered cultural life as well. Some artists began reconciling international modernist forms, including Cubism, with visual elements that were recognizably Iranian. After 1953, the contradictions multiplied. Western influence expanded as Iran underwent rapid modernization, while state support helped modern art and architecture flourish. Yet rapid

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Mansour Ghandriz, Simurg, c. 1961–64, oil on burlap, Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection, Gift of Abby Weed Grey, G1975.94, Photo: David Brunetti Photography

development existed alongside political repression and growing resistance to both Western influence and the direction in which the country was changing. For artists, this was fertile but unstable ground. How could a painting be modernist without surrendering its cultural memory? Could abstraction carry a specifically Iranian identity? Was tradition something to preserve, something to reject, or material from which an entirely new visual language could be constructed? There was no single answer, and the strength of the period lies partly in that refusal of uniformity.

Leyly Matine-Daftary, Untitled, 1974, oil on canvas, Courtesy of the Estate of Leyly Matine-Daftary, Photo: Annik Wetter, © Estate of Leyly Matine-Daftary

TRADITION AS A LANGUAGE OF EXPERIMENT Artists moved freely between cultural vocabularies. Some discovered pathways into abstraction through forms already embedded within Iranian visual culture. Calligraphy, for example,

Massoumeh Seyhoun, Composition #13, 1967, enamel and lacquer on canvas, Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection, Gift of Abby Weed Grey, G1975.113, Photo: Courtesy of the Grey Art Museum, New York University

This neo-traditional approach did not attempt to recreate an idealized past. Its importance came from the opposite impulse: traditional material was taken apart, reinterpreted and placed within an entirely new artistic context.

could be liberated from its literary function and approached

Other artists resisted belonging to a particular school altogether.

through gesture, rhythm, repetition and movement. Behjat Sadr,

Their work was shaped more strongly by individual vision, personal

Reza Mafi and Seyed Mohammad Ehsaey each found ways of

experience and international encounters. Together, these parallel

bringing the expressive possibilities of writing into a modern

directions reveal just how inadequate it would be to describe

pictorial language.

Iranian modernism as one movement with a single aesthetic.

Elsewhere, geometry provided another bridge between histories.

The exhibition’s scope makes those differences visible.

Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian transformed the mirrored surfaces and geometric traditions associated with Iranian shrines and palaces into mesmerizing modern compositions. The resulting works feel simultaneously ancient and radical, disciplined and luminous.

Names now widely associated with twentieth-century Iranian art appear alongside artists whose contributions remain less familiar to international audiences. Parviz Tanavoli, Charles Hossein Zenderoudi, Marcos Grigorian, Bahman Mohassess, Sohrab Sepehri, Siah Armajani and Iran Darroudi are presented

By the mid-1960s, another tendency had become increasingly

within a broader constellation that includes figures from painting,

visible. Artists such as Mansour Ghandriz, Parviz Tanavoli and

sculpture, architecture and other disciplines.

Faramarz Pilaram drew from folk culture, traditional craft and vernacular imagery, treating cultural inheritance not as an obstacle to modernity but as a source of invention. ALEPH MAGAZINE

Top: Iran Darroudi, Untitled, c. 1960, oil on burlap, Collection of Houman M. Sarshar, Photo: Courtesy of Houman M. Sarshar

Bottom: Manoucher Yektai, Untitled, 1962, oil on linen, Collection of Karma Gallery, Photo: Courtesy the Estate and Karma Gallery, © The Estate of Manoucher Yektai

Featured artists include Hossein Amanat, Massoud Arabshahi, Siah Armajani, Iran Darroudi, Kamran Diba, Seyed Mohammad Ehsaey, Parvaneh Etemadi, Abdol-Aziz Farmanfarmaian, Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Mansour Ghandriz, Marcos Grigorian, Nahid Hagigat, Farideh Lashai, Reza Mafi, Leyly Matine-Daftary, Sirak Melkonian, Ardeshir Mohassess, Bahman Mohassess, Nicky Nodjoumi, Ruyin Pakbaz, Faramarz Pilaram, Behjat Sadr, Abolghassem Saidi, Sohrab Sepehri, Houshang Seyhoun, Massoumeh Seyhoun, Jazeh Tabatabai, Parviz Tanavoli, Mohsen Vaziri-Moghaddam, Manoucher Yektai, Charles Hossein Zenderoudi and Jalil Ziapour.

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REWRITING WHO BELONGS IN THE STORY The exhibition also gives overdue space to women artists whose roles in Iranian modernism have often been diminished or excluded from major historical surveys. Behjat Sadr, Leyly Matine-Daftary, Massoumeh Seyhoun, Parvaneh Etemadi, Farideh Lashai, Nahid Hagigat and other women were not peripheral observers of this transformation. They were participants in defining it. Their presence complicates a history too often told through a predominantly male canon and reveals a cultural landscape far richer than traditional accounts have suggested. Guest curator Pantea Haghighi has spent years examining this history. Her engagement with Iranian modernism has included the 2018 exhibition Modernism in Iran: 1958–1978 at Griffin Art

Canada is now home to a large Iranian diaspora, while Vancouver itself has meaningful connections to this artistic history. Two artists included in the exhibition, Seyed Mohammad Ehsaey and Parviz Tanavoli, live in Vancouver. Haghighi’s curatorial research has also developed here. What might otherwise appear to be an exhibition about a distant place and historical period consequently becomes part of a living cultural conversation. For younger Iranian Canadians especially, the exhibition may reveal a version of Iran rarely encountered within mainstream Western institutions: not Iran represented primarily through revolution, geopolitics or contemporary conflict, but Iran as a place of intense intellectual curiosity, experimentation and artistic ambition. There is something powerful in that encounter.

Projects in North Vancouver and the Vancouver Art Gallery’s major

For some, these works may evoke a cultural memory inherited

2023 exhibition devoted to West Vancouver-based Iranian artist

through parents and grandparents. For others, they may offer a

Parviz Tanavoli. Now pursuing doctoral research at Simon Fraser

first encounter with a chapter of Iranian history that has remained

University, Haghighi expands that investigation considerably with

largely absent from the walls of major Canadian institutions. And

Modern Iran and the Avant-Gardes, 1948–78, the most significant

for audiences without a personal connection to Iran, they offer

exhibition of Iranian modernism presented in Canada.

another way of seeing the country: through the imagination of

The larger scale allows the exhibition to do something particularly valuable: to situate individual artists within the political and cultural environment that surrounded them without reducing their work to politics alone. The relationship matters because these artists were creating amid forces much larger than the studio. Nationalism, religion, modernization, foreign involvement, technological development and changing social expectations were reshaping Iranian society. Art registered those tensions, sometimes explicitly and sometimes

its artists.

BETWEEN MEMORY AND POSSIBILITY The artists of Modern Iran and the Avant-Gardes were not trying to resolve the contradiction between past and future once and for all. They were working inside it. Tradition could be questioned without being abandoned. International influence could be embraced without requiring imitation. Identity itself could remain unsettled.

indirectly.

Perhaps that is why the work still feels relevant.

As Haghighi observes, the politics of the period contributed

The question facing those artists more than half a century ago

to an era of the vernacular and ultimately to the possibility of

has hardly disappeared: how does a culture move forward without

creating “a modern art for Iran.”

becoming detached from the histories that formed it?

WHY THIS HISTORY MATTERS IN VANCOUVER

Their answer was not a manifesto. It was a body of work.

The exhibition ends in 1978, at the threshold of the Islamic

And somewhere between an inherited past and a future they could

Revolution and a profound transformation of the cultural

not yet see, Iranian modernism found a voice entirely its own.

environment in which much of this work had developed. The upheaval that followed fundamentally altered the country and sent many modernist artists into exile. That ending gives the exhibition particular weight in Vancouver.

MODERN IRAN AND THE AVANT-GARDES, 1948–78 December 11, 2026 to May 2, 2027, Vancouver Art Gallery ALEPH MAGAZINE

Great Dentistry Starts with Great People & Lots of Experience

“Known as ‘Super Gentle,’ I believe in combining

“My philosophy is simple: exceptional dental care should

advanced dental techniques with a gentle, detail-oriented

always come with compassion and comfort. Drawing on

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over 25 years of experience, my education at UBC, and

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the winning piece. For generations, Bolandian Jewellery has brought timeless elegance to life through exceptional diamonds, precious gemstones, and 18K gold jewellery. From distinctive collections to custom designs, discover a world of beauty rooted in family tradition and a passion for fine jewellery.

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Life Gets Busy. Stay Polished.

Sara Amjadian, nail artist and the founder of Sara Beauty Lounge, is a seasoned beauty expert with nearly two decades of experience in the industry. Known for her dedication to delivering top-notch beauty services, she has built a loyal clientele through her meticulous attention to detail and passion for enhancing natural beauty.

sarabeautylounge.ca • (604) 773 0967 • 1425 Marine Dr #120, West Vancouver, BC V7T 1B9 ALEPH MAGAZINE

STEVE PARR Estate & Corporate Lawyer Founder of Parr Business Law

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Founded in Vancouver by entrepreneur and lawyer Steve Parr, Parr Business Law brings a practical, business-minded approach to legal counsel. Having built and sold a company before launching the firm in 2017, Steve understands the opportunities and challenges entrepreneurs face from both sides of the table. Today, Parr Business Law helps owners and families navigate corporate structuring, contracts, transactions, estate planning and succession with clarity and confidence. With a focus on long-term relationships and straightforward advice, the firm is there to help clients grow their businesses, protect what they’ve built and plan for the legacy ahead.

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SLIDING SYSTEM DOORS WINDOWS CURTAIN WALL

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the individuality of the people who live in them.

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means “Heritage” in Farsi

a contemporary expression of PERSIAN DINING With locations in West Vancouver and downtown

From intimate dinners and evenings with friends to

Vancouver, Miraas Restaurant & Bar brings a

business gatherings and special celebrations, Miraas is

contemporary perspective to Persian cuisine while

designed as more than a place to dine. Food, atmosphere,

remaining closely connected to the flavours, traditions

service and presentation come together to create an

and hospitality that define it. The name Miraas, meaning

experience that feels polished yet welcoming.

“heritage” in Farsi, reflects the philosophy behind the restaurant: preserving the character of Persian culinary culture while presenting it in a refined, modern setting.

ALEPH MAGAZINE

Persian heritage, thoughtfully presented.

ALEPH MAGAZINE

Persian flavours, contemporary vision At the centre of Miraas is a menu built around the depth

The bar adds another dimension to the experience,

and variety of Persian cuisine. Marinated and grilled

with a curated selection of cocktails and spirits that

meats, fragrant saffron rice, fresh herbs, slow-cooked

complement the richness of the cuisine and the energy

stews and carefully composed appetizers are prepared

of the restaurant. Together, the kitchen and bar create a

with an emphasis on quality ingredients, precision and

dining experience that moves naturally between tradition

presentation. Traditional recipes remain the foundation,

and a more contemporary style of hospitality.

while contemporary techniques and plating give each dish a more refined expression.

ALEPH MAGAZINE

MOHAMMAD SALMANI Founder of Miraas Restaurant & Bar

the vision behind Miraas Miraas is the vision of Mohammad Salmani, whose

For Salmani, the restaurant experience is not defined by

experience spans restaurant management, high-end

food alone. It is the combination of cuisine, surroundings,

catering and wedding planning across Iran, Dubai and

service and hospitality that gives Miraas its identity. His

Canada. His approach brings together the authenticity

goal has been to create an environment where quality

of Persian culinary traditions with the standards and

remains uncompromised, Persian culture is represented

attention to detail of international hospitality.

thoughtfully, and guests feel equally comfortable arriving for a special occasion or simply an evening out.

ALEPH MAGAZINE

an experience beyond the plate

The atmosphere is an important part of Miraas. Both

That experience is carried through every part of the

restaurants combine contemporary design with warmth

restaurant, from the first welcome to the final moments

and energy, allowing the spaces to work equally well

of the evening. The kitchen, bar and front-of-house teams

for an intimate dinner, a lively evening with friends or

work together behind the scenes, creating a sense of

a business gathering. The result is an environment that

consistency, attention and hospitality throughout the

feels sophisticated without becoming overly formal.

guest experience.

ALEPH MAGAZINE

Miraas beyond the restaurant Miraas also extends its culinary experience beyond its

individually, allowing Miraas to bring an elevated Persian

dining rooms through high-end catering. Building on its

dining experience into settings beyond the restaurant.

foundation in catering and event hospitality, the brand

Whether experienced in one of its Vancouver dining

serves private celebrations, weddings, corporate

rooms or at a private event, Miraas continues to build its

events and exclusive gatherings. The same attention

identity around a clear idea: honouring Persian culinary

given to the restaurant experience carries into each event,

heritage while presenting it through a contemporary

from culinary quality and presentation to polished service

approach to dining and hospitality.

and careful execution. Each occasion is approached

ALEPH MAGAZINE

The Main Chef at Miraas West Vancouver Branch

Salad Bar at Miraas Downtown Vancouver Branch

behind every experience Behind every service at Miraas is a professional team

Miraas, where the quality of the food is matched by the

working in rhythm across the kitchen and dining

way it is prepared, presented and served. That same

room. Back-of-house staff bring precision, consistency

level of coordination carries beyond the restaurant into

and careful timing to every plate, while the front-of-

Miraas catering, where culinary execution and polished

house team combines attentive service with a strong

service come together for celebrations, weddings and

understanding of the menu and the guest experience.

private events.

Together, they create the seamless hospitality that defines

ALEPH MAGAZINE

Management & Front-of-House Team at Downtown Vancouver Branch

WEST VANCOUVER BRANCH | (604) 902 8085 • 1579 Bellevue Ave, West Vancouver, BC V7V 1A6 DOWNTOWN BRANCH | (778) 918 8085 • 961 Denman St, Vancouver, BC V6G 2M3 MIRAAS CAFÉ | (778) 986 8085 • 961 Denman St, Vancouver, BC V6G 2M3 ALEPH MAGAZINE

Beyond the numbers. into the business. iAccounting

Led by Kaveh Alborz, CPA, CMA, with over 25 years of professional experience, iAccounting provides comprehensive accounting, tax planning, cloud bookkeeping, and financial advisory services to individuals and businesses, with a specialized focus on healthcare professionals, including dentists, medical doctors, and other healthcare specialties. By combining financial expertise with innovative technology and personalized service, iAccounting empowers clients to make informed financial decisions, optimize their tax positions, and achieve sustainable financial growth with confidence.

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Chartered Professional Accountant 56

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iAccounting.ca (416) 858-8787 7191 Yonge St #402, Thornhill, ON L3T 0C4

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Insurance Broker

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and businesses navigate important financial decisions through

Behnam Hajianmotlagh bring a personal, client-focused

personalized insurance and financial planning solutions. From

approach to financial protection and planning. By understanding

life, critical illness, and disability insurance to health coverage,

each client’s unique needs, priorities, and long-term goals, they

employee benefits, investments, and retirement planning, the

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company offers guidance designed to protect what matters

solutions that support financial confidence through every stage

today while preparing for tomorrow.

of life.

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Fall/Winter 2026 Collection

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EUGENE

KALEE

Hybrid Knit & Light Down Jacket

Lightweight Quilted Down Coat

RUDSAK’s Fall/Winter 2026 collection moves through a world in transition. Destinations explores the space between where we are and where we are going, reflecting the shifting identities, ambitions and experiences that shape modern life.

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FRANCIE Reversible Teddy Coat

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JANELLE Leather Bomber Jacket

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NICO Wool Coat

The world moves.. you become.. RUDSAK

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Featured Timepieaces for her THE OYSTER PERPETUAL LADY‑DATEJUST for him THE OYSTER PERPETUAL DAY-DATE 40

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CANADA’S LUXURY WATCH DESTINATION

A fine watch is rarely chosen for time alone. It

From Rolex and Patek Philippe to Audemars

speaks to taste, craftsmanship and the moments

Piguet and Richard Mille, each piece is selected

worth remembering. For nearly a decade,

with an eye for distinction. With locations in

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an international network.

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• exclusivetimezone.com • (236) 334 3434 • 1208 Homer St #123, Vancouver, BC V6B 2Y5 ALEPH MAGAZINE

“Inspiring the Growth of Outstanding Humans”

A truly transformative education begins with the intention of an

of real-world inquiry. Beyond the classroom, immersive outdoor

aligned community. At Brockton School in North Vancouver,

education, athletics, an internationally recognized World Music

an independent Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 education is

Program, over 60 dynamic co-curriculars, and much more, create

shaped around the understanding that every student, family,

a place where students explore their passions and build lasting

and community member matters. In this environment, learning

memories. Added to this is an expansive and growing alumni

for life becomes natural as young people build the confidence

network that contributes to the overall experience.

to discover their strengths, thrive, and shape their futures.

Under Head of School Karen McCulla, Brockton has continued to

Its mission, “Inspiring the Growth of Outstanding Humans,”

foster a culture where academic ambition and personal growth go

reflects a commitment to developing inquisitive, connected and

hand in hand. Ultimately, the school’s goal is not only to prepare

prepared young people alongside a comprehensive academic

students for a meaningful post-secondary journey, but to help

foundation. Given the outstanding ratio of students to staff

them become purpose-filled, inspired people who are capable of

(6:1), Brockton offers a highly personalized and holistic learning

thriving and making a positive impact in an ever-changing world.

experience. As a global leader in offering all four International Baccalaureate programmes, including the innovative Career-related Programme (CP), Brockton transforms education into a continuous journey

Photos by John Sinal

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Head of Brockton School

brocktonschool.com (604) 929 9201 3467 Duval Rd, North Vancouver, BC V7J 3E8 ALEPH MAGAZINE

The Driving Force Behind MY BEAUTY SECRETS

Founded by Ela Khorvash, My Beauty Secrets is a West Vancouver clinic dedicated to advanced aesthetics, wellness, and personalized care. Ela leads a skilled team specializing in facial rejuvenation, body sculpting, massage, acupuncture, osteopathy, and laser therapies. Blending science with artistry, My Beauty Secrets helps clients enhance their natural beauty, restore balance, and feel more confident in their own skin.

(604) 245 5009 | mybeautysecrets.ca | 585 16th St #106, West Vancouver, BC V7V 3R8 68

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Personal Real Estate Corporation Leila Khorvash is one of Vancouver’s most trusted and top-selling

quality and construction. Leila’s business is built on integrity,

real estate agents, known for her deep market knowledge, sharp

dedication, and exceptional results, earning over $100M in sales

negotiation skills, and unwavering commitment to her clients.

in the past few years, almost entirely through referrals. Leila and

With a background in engineering and a decade of experience

her trusted team of experts deliver a seamless, high-value real

with building codes, she brings a unique understanding of home

estate experience from start to finish.

leilakhorvash.com (778) 873-4500 2996 Lonsdale Ave, North Vancouver, BC V7N 3J4 ALEPH MAGAZINE

ALEPH MAGAZINE

LUXURY GOES ELECTRIC

With three rows, strong electric performance and a cabin built around comfort, the 2026 Cadillac VISTIQ brings a more practical side to Cadillac’s electric lineup. Cadillac has spent the past few years building out its electric range, but the VISTIQ fills an especially important space. It is a proper three-row SUV, with room for up to seven passengers, yet it still has the design, technology and road presence people expect from the brand. That combination is what makes the VISTIQ interesting. It is not trying to be an electric vehicle first and a luxury SUV second. Instead, the electric powertrain simply becomes part of a vehicle designed for families, longer drives and everyday life.

ALEPH MAGAZINE

STILL VERY MUCH A CADILLAC

Photos by Cadillac Canada

There is no mistaking the VISTIQ for something else on the road.

information are all brought together in one wide interface rather

Cadillac’s familiar vertical lighting is here, along with a broad

than being split across a collection of unrelated screens.

stance, clean body lines and the kind of proportions that give a large SUV presence without making it look bulky.

a technology showcase. Heated, ventilated and massaging front

Choreographed exterior lighting adds some theatre, and available

seats come standard, along with heated second-row outboard

23-inch wheels give the VISTIQ even more visual weight. But the

seats. There is also five-zone climate control, a panoramic glass

overall design remains fairly restrained. It looks modern without

roof and 126-colour ambient lighting.

trying too hard to announce that it is electric. The same thinking carries into the cabin. The centrepiece is Cadillac’s curved 33-inch Horizon Display, which stretches across much of the dashboard and includes Google Built-In compatibility. Navigation, media and vehicle 72

Around it, the VISTIQ feels more like a comfortable lounge than

ALEPH MAGAZINE

Those details matter more in daily life than many headline features do. A comfortable seat on a long drive, separate climate settings for passengers and a cabin that feels calm at night are the kinds of things people actually notice after living with a vehicle for a while.

SPACE WITHOUT GIVING UP THE EXPERIENCE

Three-row SUVs have a difficult job. They need to carry people,

There are seven USB-C ports, for example, which is not a

luggage and all the things that come with family life, but luxury

glamorous specification, but anyone who has travelled with

buyers still expect the interior to feel special.

several passengers knows how useful it can be.

The VISTIQ seats up to seven in its standard configuration, while

The available AKG Studio Audio System is considerably more

available second-row captain’s chairs create a six-passenger

indulgent. With 23 speakers and available Dolby Atmos, it takes

layout. Cargo space reaches 80.2 cubic feet with the second

advantage of the naturally quieter character of an electric vehicle

and third rows folded, giving it the flexibility expected from a

to create a more immersive listening experience.

vehicle of this size. Importantly, Cadillac has not treated the third row as an afterthought. The glass roof extends toward the rear of the cabin, and comfort and connectivity features are spread throughout the vehicle.

ALEPH MAGAZINE

TECHNOLOGY THAT MAKES DRIVING EASIER

The VISTIQ comes standard with Super Cruise, Cadillac’s hands-

The VISTIQ offers an EPA-estimated range of 450+ km with

free driver-assistance system for compatible roads. The driver

its standard 11.5 kW onboard charger. Cadillac also lists a

still has to remain attentive, but on long highway drives the

maximum DC fast-charging rate of 190 kW, capable of adding

system can take some of the routine work out of maintaining

up to approximately 129 km of range in about 10 minutes under

speed, lane position and following distance.

appropriate conditions. VISTIQ comes with a built-in NACS port

Google Built-In serves a similarly practical purpose. Rather than adding technology simply for the sake of having it, the system

giving its drivers access to the Tesla charging network – no adapter required.

brings familiar navigation and connected features directly into

There will always be more planning involved in an electric road

the vehicle. For an EV, that becomes especially useful when

trip than simply stopping at a gas station, but the goal here is

planning longer trips.

clearly to make that planning as uneventful as possible.

74 ALEPH MAGAZINE Photos by Cadillac Canada

MORE POWER THAN YOU MIGHT EXPECT

For something designed to carry three rows of passengers, the

Perhaps the strongest thing about the VISTIQ is that it does not

VISTIQ is seriously quick.

make electrification the entire story.

Its dual-motor all-wheel-drive system produces a Cadillac-

Yes, it is quick. Yes, it has a large curved display, hands-free driving

estimated 615 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque in Velocity

technology and an electric powertrain. But it is also a spacious

Max mode. Cadillac quotes a 0–60 mph time of 3.7 seconds,

three-row SUV with comfortable seats, useful cargo space, plenty

which is remarkably quick for a vehicle of this size. It can also

of charging ports and the flexibility to handle ordinary family life.

tow up to 5,000 pounds when properly equipped. Those numbers are impressive, but they are probably not the most important part of the VISTIQ’s performance story.

That may be where Cadillac’s approach to electric luxury makes the most sense. The VISTIQ still has the presence and sense of occasion expected

Electric motors deliver power smoothly and almost instantly,

from the badge, but much of its appeal comes from things that

which suits a luxury SUV particularly well. There is no need for

make everyday driving easier: a quiet cabin, useful technology,

the vehicle to feel aggressive all the time. The power is simply

generous space and effortless performance.

there when needed, whether that means joining a highway, passing another vehicle or carrying a full cabin up a steep grade. Available features such as Air Ride Adaptive Suspension and

The 2026 Cadillac VISTIQ is not trying to reinvent what a luxury SUV should be. It simply takes the things people already want from one and brings them into Cadillac’s electric era.

Active Rear Steering on higher trims also show that Cadillac has paid attention to how a large SUV feels from behind the wheel, not just how quickly it accelerates. ALEPH MAGAZINE

ALI M. FARD Registered physiotherapist & founder of Zone4 Physiotherapy & Wellness Centre

Your wellness, our experties. 76

ALEPH MAGAZINE

Ali Mohammadi Fard is a registered physiotherapist with

valuable experience assessing and managing acute injuries in

over two decades of experience helping people recover from

real time, where quick and accurate decisions can make a major

injuries, restore mobility, and return to the activities they enjoy.

difference in recovery.

As the founder of Zone4 Physiotherapy and Wellness Centre in North Vancouver, he leads a multidisciplinary team focused on delivering personalized, high-quality care.

Today, Ali brings that same level of attention and expertise to every patient at Zone 4. Together with a team of experienced practitioners, he combines hands-on treatment with modern

Ali’s approach begins with one essential principle: effective

rehabilitation techniques and technologies, including dry

recovery starts with understanding the true cause of an injury.

needling, shockwave therapy, and high-power laser therapy.

Over the years, he has developed extensive experience treating both everyday conditions and complex musculoskeletal and sports-related injuries.

Zone 4 offers a comprehensive range of services, including physiotherapy, acupuncture, massage therapy, osteopathy, kinesiology, personal training, counselling, and more. By

A significant part of Ali’s expertise comes from his work in

combining clinical expertise, professional sports experience,

professional sports. He has served as a physiotherapist for

and advanced treatment methods, Ali and his team help patients

Mahram Basketball, Paykan Volleyball, and Iran’s Men’s National

recover effectively, move with confidence, and achieve lasting

Volleyball Teams, including the B and U21 teams. Working

results.

alongside athletes during high-level competitions gave him

ZONE4 PHYSIOTHERAPY & WELLNESS CENTRE

(778) 999-0899

• zone4physio.ca

147 16th St W Suite 300, North Vancouver, BC V7M 1T3 ALEPH MAGAZINE

With years of experience in automotive sales, Parsa

Sales Manager at North Shore Mitsubishi (236) 330 6611 • parsah@northshoremitsubishi.ca 78

ALEPH MAGAZINE

Hashemzadeh brings extensive product knowledge and is dedicated to helping you find the best Mitsubishi deals.

NORTH SHORE MITSUBISHI

2026 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PHEV

Electric when you want it. Gas when you need it. AWD wherever you go.

northshoremitsubishi.ca • (604) 624 0640 • 1695 Marine Dr, North Vancouver, BC V7P 1V1 ALEPH MAGAZINE

Dr. Soroush Liaghat GENERAL DENTIST IG @drsoroush

Axiom Dental (604) 969 3599

•

axiomdental.ca

630 Mountain Hwy, North Vancouver, BC V7J 2L6 80

ALEPH MAGAZINE

Dr. Reza Entezarion GENERAL DENTIST IG @dr.entezarion

Great dental care is about more than the treatment itself. It’s about feeling heard, comfortable, and confident in every decision along the way.

BOOK YOUR VISIT

At Axiom Dental, Dr. Reza Entezarion and Dr. Soroush Liaghat bring a thoughtful, personalized approach to every appointment. From preventive care and routine dentistry to cosmetic and restorative treatments, each experience is tailored to the individual, supported by modern technology and a commitment to precision and comfort. Because the best dental experience isn’t simply about taking care of your smile. It’s about taking care of you. ALEPH MAGAZINE

Your Trusted Chartered Professional Accountant

Business and finances rarely stand still. Neither should your accounting strategy. UniEdge CPA helps turn complex financial and tax matters into clear, confident decisions, giving you a stronger view of where you are today and where you can go next. Led by Ali Jafari, Owner and Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), UniEdge CPA brings together experienced guidance, precision, and a forward-thinking approach. From accounting and compliance to tax planning and long-term strategy, every solution is tailored to your goals. We look beyond the numbers to identify opportunities, anticipate challenges, and provide the insight you need to move forward with confidence. Because better decisions begin with greater clarity.

uecpa.ca • (778) 279 1779 1590 Bellevue Ave #200, CHARTERED PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTANT

ALEPH MAGAZINE

West Vancouver, BC V7V 1A7

CPA,MA

Managing Partner at UniEdge CPA Ali brings over 20 years of experience in financial management and advanced tax planning, delivering strategic guidance for individuals and businesses.

ALEPH MAGAZINE

Some things should linger.

P E R F U M E RY H O U S E

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Discover Your Signature Scent

Rooted in nearly 70 years of family perfumery tradition, NEEX brings three generations of fragrance knowledge into a modern Toronto perfumery house. Led by third-generation perfumer Parsa Moore, who has more than 30 years of experience, NEEX creates original and inspired fragrances using high-concentration perfume oils, with a focus on depth, longevity and individuality. Each fragrance is developed in Toronto, combining longstanding perfume tradition with a contemporary approach to accessible luxury.

neex.ca (647) 706 9001 Fairview Mall | NEEX Perfumery 1800 Sheppard Ave E, Toronto, ON M2J 5A7 ALEPH MAGAZINE

86 ALEPH MAGAZINE Kalamalka Lake in Vernon — Photo by Destination BC

Written by Lauren Kramer

Four Days of Adventure in British Columbia’s Okanagan

“If there is a paradise on earth, it is this,” wrote the famous

tastings with lakeside dips. As a traveler who much prefers to be

Indian-Persian poet, Amir Khusrau in the 13th century. He had

active, I needed more, and I found it on two wheels, biking the

Kashmir on his mind, but had he been looking over British

old railroads. These ‘rails to trails’ routes traverse hundreds of

Columbia’s Okanagan, with its shimmering lakes, soaring

kilometers of the Okanagan valley, offering jaw-dropping views,

mountains and tidy rows of grapevines baking in the hot desert

historical insights, and a chance to inhale and taste the fragrance

sun, he would undoubtedly have used the same words.

of this rich land. With just four days, I chose select routes, rented

Most visitors to the Okanagan work their way through the region’s many wineries, following boozy itineraries that alternate wine

a bike, called on bike concierges in the valley for drop-offs and pick-ups, and hit the trails on an unforgettable journey.

ALEPH MAGAZINE

day one

Where the Water Turns Blue.

Predator Ridge Resort and GolfCourse — Photo by Destination BC/Andrew PennerHubert Kang

Predator Ridge was my starting point, an expansive Vernon

of the Syilx and Secwepemc people. On a magnificent spring

golf resort whose concierge bike service won me over. Minutes

afternoon we walked through ponderosa pine forest, stopping

after check-in and a quick change of clothes, a resort van loaded

to admire groves of bright yellow arrowroot wildflowers.

with my rental bike picked me up outside the lobby, leaving the rolling greens and golfers in the rear view mirror as we headed for Mile Zero of the Okanagan Rail Trail.

as an anti-fungal,” she explained. “There’s yarro, which stops bleeding, and juniper berries, great for cough medicine.” We

The trail begins on the aquamarine waters of Kalamalka Lake,

stopped for a drink of her sweet wildflower tea, a mix of dried

a marl lake whose limestone reflects the sunlight, creating a

fireweed, rosehip, clover and stinging nettle. “These plants

deep azure hue. My 18km route to Oyama was blissfully flat, with

provide us with food, tools and incredibly powerful medicine,”

steep granite rock faces on one side and quiet, turquoise coves

she said quietly, gesturing at the forest. “See that desert parsley?

on the other. Large trout swam lazily in the shallows, curious

It saved my mother’s life.”

marmots peeked out from the desert brush and a gopher snake slithered across the path. Other than that, the trail was mine, a sanctuary of peace beneath the deep blue skies.

We paused at Rattlesnake Point, the trail summit, to look out at the lake and the parched mountains, their slopes plummeting towards the water. Dolha walked towards an old juniper tree that

In the late afternoon, I left my bike with the concierge and met

clung defiantly to the hillside and took out her drum. A swallow

Laura Dolha to hike the trails of Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park.

dipped and dived above as she chanted a haunting Syilx melody,

Dolha, owner of Ancestral Heartbeat Tours, leads indigenous-

one that lingered in the air long after her final drumbeat.

inspired hikes where she shares the culture, traditions and folklore

“We use arrowroot to clear congestion, and the sap of pines

ALEPH MAGAZINE

day two

Suspended in Time.

Kalamalka Lake in Vernon — Photo by Destination BC

The pace of life picks up in Kelowna, a bustling city where boats

On two wheels you have time and space to appreciate small

and jetskis zoom around Lake Okanagan and foodies steep in

details, like the perfect symmetry of the wooden trestles, and the

the rich flavours of farm-to-table cuisine and wine. We checked

sheer engineering skill required to create passageways across

into the historic lakeside Hotel Eldorado, a boutique property

this ridiculously steep, challenging terrain. Beneath the trestles,

founded by the socialite Countess Bubna in 1912. Its walls

the slopes plunge into ravines with tumbling creeks. Fallen logs

are covered with old photographs of the garden parties she

litter the landscape like matchsticks and the air is fragrant with

once hosted, and that party atmosphere continues to this day.

the sweet scent of pine.

Vacationers flock here to enjoy lakeside dining, rooftop pilates and the boats and jetskis lined up for rent in the Eldorado marina.

My guide Ben Voss gestured to the rocks, where dynamite blasted a railway passage through the mountains in the early 1900s.

But it was the biking I was after, specifically, the Myra Canyon

“Labourers came from Italy, using horses and wheelbarrows

Trestles.

to remove the broken rocks and build the railway,” he said.

Myra Canyon Bicycle Rentals picked me up from the lobby this time, driving 2,000 feet up a forest service road where my bike

“The stone ovens they built along the trail, to bake baguettes, remain to this day.”

was waiting. It was another blue-sky day as I began an 18km route that traverses 18 dramatic trestles and two tunnels built into the mountains in 1912.

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day three

Echoes Along the Rails.

Naramata Inn — Photo by Destination BC/Hubert Kang

I left the traffic of Kelowna for the quiet, picturesque streets of

I was up early the next day, ready for pickup by staff from

Naramata, a village 90 minutes away and not far from the start

Penticton’s Freedom Bike Shop. With an e-bike loaded and ready

of my third and longest ride, along the Kettle Valley Rail Trail.

to go, we ascended a snaking gravel road to the Chute Lake

I’d booked a room at the Naramata Inn (naramatainn.com), a

Lodge, the drop-off point for my third and last ride - 60km of

charmingly quirky, 12-bedroom property that dates back to 1908.

the Kettle Valley Railroad. This trail slopes gently downhill all the

It’s steps from Lake Okanagan’s beaches and Naramata Village,

way to Penticton, much of it through forests where old-growth

where a bakery, restaurant, general store and library are the only

ponderosa pines still stand tall. I heard woodpeckers knocking

indications you’ve reached centreville.

on tree trunks as I whizzed effortlessly along the path, on my

The inn served as a girls’ school during World War Two, and like many historic old buildings, there are often unusual sounds in the

The 483-meter semicircular tunnel is, quite possibly, the coolest

passageway. Staff at work during the quieter hours report hearing

tunnel you could ever bike through. Built in 1913 for the

girls laughing, running and playing, but that paranormal activity

railroad, it was barred up for years until May 2025, when safety

feels welcoming rather than ominous and threatening, they say.

improvements finally made it accessible to the public. Inside, it’s

Walking through the inn is a step back to a time of clawfoot tubs, old-style door locks and a sun-drenched communal patio where guests can meet and greet. One of the highlights of a stay is dinner at Bistro Lapin Perdu on the main floor, which offers classic French fare May through November. I tucked into a nicoise salad patio-side on a magical evening, watching the light fade and the mourning doves coo goodnight. 90

way to the Adra Tunnel, one of the KVR’s highlights.

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deep, dark and chilly. Motion-activated lights illuminate the path and the sound of a train whistle plays on speakers somewhere deep inside the tunnel. A chandelier mid-way is another surprising touch of quirky fun in Adra Tunnel. Soon after exiting you’re at jaw-droppingly beautiful views of the lake and the city, with turkey vultures on the thermals nearby.

day four

The Luxury of Stillness.

Breakfast at Wayne and Freda — Photo by Destination BC/@vancouverfoodieKang

On my last day in the Okanagan I surrendered a bike in favour

For dinner, head straight to Elma (eatatelma.com), a Turkish

of a kayak. A paddle on Lake Okanagan on a still day is a tonic

restaurant on Lakeshore drive. While Penticton has many culinary

to the soul, a chance to connect with the beauty of the water.

gems, Elma is one of the most talked-about, both for its upscale,

Leaving the beach, I paddled towards the parched cliffs, exploring

beautiful interior and its fabulous Turkish dishes infused with

small, secluded coves where I could swim in private, with nothing

fresh Okanagan ingredients. We dined family style on pide,

but the birds to break the silence. Above came the sound of

paçanga rolls, grilled octopus and kebabs, sipping carefully

an airplane transporting visitors from Calgary and Vancouver,

crafted cocktails to take the edge off a warm evening.

and in the distance the engine of a boat hummed on the lake. Civilization wasn’t far off, but the Okanagan is an expansive region, with so many sanctums of peace and natural beauty. Like I did, you’ll find it’s easy to reach, but hard to say goodbye. EAT — Wayne & Freda (wayneandfreda.com) is Penticton’s

Pick up everything you need for a meal-to-go from the Okanagan Table (www.theokaganagantable.com) in Kelowna. Its chef, Rod Butters, a longtime restaurateur in the valley, was inducted in the BC Hall of Fame for his culinary work, and his to-go section is stocked with delicious soups, curries, sauces and proteins.

favourite breakfast and lunch spot, a cute eatery on Westminster Ave serving artfully crafted lattes along with breakfast sandwiches, smoothies, freshly baked pastries and lunch bowls.

VERNON

KELOWNA

PENTICTON

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