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POWER FIFTY Who runs this city? Meet the change-makers and power players shaping our world in 2022.
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FE ATURES
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The Power Fifty From pandemic leadership and philanthropic efforts to anti-racism work and Indigenous reconciliation, these are the folks who hold the cards. And we can’t wait to see what they do next. Mover and Shaker Power 50 lister Carol Lee opened the new Chinatown Storytelling Centre in 2021. More on page 38.
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City 15 At Issue The Building Community Society has a plan for the DTES, but not everyone’s on board. 18 Squad Goals Meet the women behind The Broadscast: they’re changing the hockey podcasting game.
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Culture 24 City Informer There’s no denying it— Stanley Park belongs to the coyotes now. How did we get here?
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65 The Ticket Vivek Shraya’s How to Fail as a Popstar comes to Vancouver. Plus chocolate workshops, art exhibits and more. 68 On the Rise Jewellery designer John Velten is building a community of Indigenous artists.
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22 What It’s Like To Teara Fraser is the first Indigenous woman in Canada to start her own airline (and she launched during the pandemic).
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70 The Dish Fried chicken, we’ve got our eyes (and mouths) on you. 72 Reviews Did someone order a Vancouver House special? We tackle three new rooms in the landmark twisting tower.
74 Love Letter A nostalgic ode to Chinatown’s Lunar New Year parade.
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The best way to support a community is to be a part of it. At the heart of every community, you’ll find organizations fueled by committed people who are passionate about building a better future for us all. Congratulations to all the Vancouver Magazine Power of 50. We are inspired by your leadership and commitment to make a difference in the region’s economic growth and prosperity.
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Coming Up Next Issue
Our Power 50 List is A 21-yearold institution at the magazine, and as you might expect, determining just who those 50 folks are each year is a bit of a journey. It starts with gathering intel from as many sectors in Vancouver as we can—and this year the timing of that process allowed us to gather together to share a dinner with a dozen smart and connected people from several of those sectors. For many of us, it was the first such gathering we’d had in 18 months, and the novelty of it was a treat. (As I write this note under the renewed isolation of Omicron, the elastic nature of time these days makes that late-October dinner seem so very, very long ago.) That gathering is always an inspiring brainstorm, resulting in both a (very) long list of names to consider for the Power 50, and more than a few story ideas for the magazine itself. We leave the dinner with several hundred names to consider (as a few in attendance noted, we really had our work cut out for us this year), and then we dig into the research. This year, we recruited award-winning journalist Frances Bula to assist in the deep dive that takes those hundreds of names down to the final 50 you see in this issue. But at the beginning of all this work, that advisory panel dinner always starts with the same question: What is power in 2022? And that question remains an ever-present beacon as we narrow down to the final 50 for a given year. At Vanmag, we define power as someone who has both impact and influence in our communities, and you’ll see that principle reflected in the list this year: the policy analyst who’s ensuring that disabled people have a seat at the table for climate change mitigation; the advocates in Strathcona Park who found housing for 600 folks in the encampment; our Indigenous leaders, holding influence at all three levels of government in this province. Last year’s Power 50 was titled “Power in the Time of COVID,” and yet here we still are, nearly two years into the pandemic. As we continue to face its evershifting challenges, I commend and thank everyone on this list for the work that you do in shaping our city. And I look forward to that thrill we all feel when, sometime soon, we can celebrate that success together once again.
5 Ways to Fix Vancouver’s Housing Market There’s been a lot of talk, for a very long time. We’re looking at what’s worked around the world to shift our ever-more-inaccessible housing market into one that just might make owning—or renting at a less devastating rate—a possibility.
On the Web Getting COVID-19 Made Me Hate Myself Assistant editor Alyssa Hirose shares a vulnerable look at the mental and physical toll the disease can take on a person after 21-plus months of following the rules.
On the Cover
In our top spot on the Power 50 this year is the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. For the cover photo (from top left), Chief Wayne Sparrow (Musqueam), Khelsilem (Squamish) and Chief Jen Thomas (TsleilWaututh) all brought regalia and blankets that held cultural and personal significance.
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VA N M AG .C O M/C I T Y
G O O D CA S T I N G / VA I N C O U V E R / A I R I N G E QUA L I T Y / T H E B I T E S T U F F
City Big Plans Larry Beasley helped create the Building Community Society to address housing issues in the Downtown Eastside.
Eastern Promises
Behind the Building Community Society is a collection of revered older Vancouverites who think they have the right plan for the Downtown Eastside. But not everyone is signing on. Nathan Caddell
PAUL JOSEPH
by
You won’t find Larry Beasley or Mike Harcourt on the Power 50 list in this issue. The former was a featured top-10 player during his time as the city’s codirector of planning in the mid-2000s, while the latter was premier in the ’90s and likely would have been a top-5 fixture if the list had existed back then. But the two men, now both in their 70s, are still wielding a particular kind of power in this city, working behind the scenes to try to address housing concerns in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Harcourt has been an ally via various housing support initiatives designed to alleviate homelessness in the area for years and, in 2006, he helped establish (with the late Milton Wong, among others) the DTES Land Use Development Principles, which was funded by the Real Estate Foundation of BC and the Vancouver Foundation with the mandate to find solutions for housing in the DTES. The working group commissioned studies on how to house the most vulnerable until Wong’s death in 2011, when it largely disbanded. A couple of years ago, however, the group rebranded under the Building Community Society banner. Beasley stepped on as a board member, joining
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an 11-person roster littered with high-profile names like former St. Paul’s Hospital head of psychiatry Dr. Bill MacEwan, former Carnegie Community Centre director Ethel Whitty and former Globe and Mail western editor Paul Sullivan. As this new incarnation, BCS has taken on the task of trying to help the 300 or so people most at risk in the Downtown Eastside find housing, overcome drug addiction and manage their mental health issues—and restabilize their lives in a way that works for them. “Two years ago, when I joined the board, we came to the conclusion that things were getting worse rather than better, despite the very best efforts of the non-profits and the street workers and all the people down there,” says Beasley. So, he and his fellow BCS members came up with a plan to “try and reconceptualize and help government reorganize to help serve people with those three interconnected difficulties,” Beasley explains. “To serve them better, and hopefully to give them something better than just that street life, to give them some hope.” The result is a plan with, as Beasley says, “six or seven dimensions,” including a welcome centre at which patients could get treatment. It also calls for a multidisciplinary support team that “would be assigned to a person and stay with them, day in and day out.” Funding, says Beasley, would ideally be linked to the individual. “If the funding is related to the person, everyone is going to try harder to stay with that person.” BCS, which is privately funded by donors around the city—including philanthropists Dave and Pamela Richardson, Concert Properties and the Beedie Foundation, among others—also envisions an oversight panel, made up of key
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agencies including all three levels of government. And BCS, as part of that panel, would help stabilize the program and alert the government when things weren’t working. “We don’t intend to take it all on as an organization,” Beasley explains. “What we’re trying to do is say, ‘Government, do your job differently.’ And that wonderful group of nonprofit organizations that are already doing work, it would help them to realign into this new way and have much more success in what they’re doing already. There are people doing dimensions of all this right now, but it’s disconnected.” To that end, Mike Harcourt has been meeting with the provincial government, hoping to gain some traction for the BCS vision. He thinks the message is being well received. “Within three years we can have people being treated properly, and have a good number of them ready for re-training and back into work or back into a life that’s free of drugs,” argues Harcourt. “That’s the end goal—to have people leading as high a quality of life as possible.” The provincial government, including Housing Minister David Eby and Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Sheila Malcolmson, has reportedly been receptive to the idea, and Harcourt thinks that an announcement trumpeting upcoming new housing for the province’s most vulnerable is mere weeks away. Whether that would include an adoption of the BCS recommendations remains to be seen, but the former premier is optimistic. For its part, the City of Vancouver hasn’t yet shown its hand on how it might cooperate with BCS going forward. “The local government doesn’t really deliver low-income housing,” says Harcourt. “It can do its best, but it can’t afford by itself to solve the problem.”
The city politely declined to comment on BCS, as did Vancouver councillor Jean Swanson, who has spent the bulk of her time—both in and outside of government— advocating for the city’s most vulnerable. Karen Ward (on this year’s Power 50), a drug policy advisor and board member of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, issued only a short statement when asked for a comment on the work BCS is doing. “I’d like them to stop. It’s not a positive contribution at all,” said Ward. Asked if he’s worried about pushback from community voices who may resent the idea of perceived elitists trying to sweep away the people they don’t want to see, Harcourt says that BCS has boots on the ground in the area to hear and respond to such feedback. “We’re assessing some of the criticisms and apprehensions that people have about what we’re proposing,” he says. “We’ve been talking to people for weeks now, in and around the DTES. But we’ve also put years’ worth of work into analyzing the problem and solutions, both immediate and long-term.” The members of BCS envision taking their plan province-wide— Harcourt notes that the solutions presented by the group “have been pretty well accepted” by the BC Urban Mayors’ Caucus. Beasley, meanwhile, stresses that the strategies BCS is putting into action now are not intended to lay blame for any effort that has come before. “We believe that the people down there are working hard against all odds, and are piecing it together as best they can given the government arrangements that are there,” he says. “The ultimate objective is that those who are the most at risk, who are falling through the cracks the most, are beginning to get stabilized and have help.”
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Squad Goals The Broadscast is fun, smart and here to stay, much to the delight of many and the chagrin of a vocal few. Nathan Caddell
in vancouver, the toxicity of hockey culture has been hard to ignore over the past couple of years. In May 2020, there was former Canuck Brendan Leipsic’s misogynistic and generally repulsive group chat messages that were leaked to social media, prompting the Washington Capitals to release the forward. He was subsequently signed by a Russian team. Then, in June 2021, Canucks forward Jake Virtanen was accused of sexual assault for an incident that allegedly took place in 2017. Virtanen was also released and subsequently signed by a Russian team. The Leipsic incident served as the jumping-off point for The Broadscast, a Vancouver-based hockey and sports culture podcast put together by an all-female team. “We were really upset about the way that was covered. It was very much from a male perspective, and we thought we should do something,” recalls Vancouverite Georgia Twiss. She’d been chatting with four other female sports fans on Twitter—fellow BCers Samantha Chang, Vanessa Jang and Dani Huntley, as well as Mallory McFall, who lives in Kansas City—about doing something together. “And from there, by the time the COVID bubble came around, we decided it was now or never.” Almost right away, The Broadscast found an audience. “I
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g e org i a t w i s s ,
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don’t think we expected that it would blow up as much as it did,” says Twiss. “When we started it, we had, like, 1,500 followers on Twitter in the first week and hadn’t even dropped an episode. We didn’t know what we were doing, but people were excited; it was just the right time for us.” Chang adds that the group “wanted it to feel like you were listening to your girlfriends sit and talk about sports.” With segments like “no hockey, just soaps”—based on an ill-advised NHL ad campaign that promised “no soap operas, just hockey”—and “hot or not,” that goal was more or less accomplished and The Broadscast routinely hit over 1,000 listens a week. The podcast—now hosted solely by Twiss, Chang and McFall, with some supporting work from Jang— has lured in some serious guests as
well. Twiss is a talented graphic designer, and she printed up shirts emblazoned with “Motte Girl Summer,” honouring Canuck Tyler Motte (proceeds went to mental health initiatives). Motte bought a bunch of the shirts and subsequently showed up on the podcast. They also landed a couple of Nashville Predators, including captain Roman Josi. It’s hard to not consider The Broadscast to be the polar opposite of Spittin’ Chiclets—the popular Barstool Sports hockey culture podcast hosted by former NHLers Paul Bissonnette and Ryan Whitney that’s known for its off-the-cuff interviews with current and former players, as well as for its casual misogyny. But Twiss thinks it’s important that her group has shown that Chiclets isn’t the only pod that can have interesting conversations with players. “One of the things that frustrates me with Chiclets is that people say they listen because they’re able to hear from players and what they’re like,” she says, noting that Barstool is notorious for its bigotry. “We asked
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“When you’re on Twitter as a woman, you normalize a lot of stuff. And for me, the sexual harassment got to a place where I was just like, I can’t do this anymore, it’s crazy.”
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of media people stepped in, said it was super fucked up. I know a lot of them didn’t realize how bad it was or didn’t fully understand. But since then, for me at least, it’s been much better.” Adds Chang: “I don’t think any of us are particularly thin-skinned. We’re not playing victim. There was one guy who looked up where my husband works—he knew things about my life that I didn’t share and it got really graphic.” There have also been more than enough recent incidents in the hockey world—the reveal that former Chicago Blackhawks player Kyle Beach was sexually assaulted by a member of the coaching staff, the Montreal Canadiens drafting a prospect convicted of sexual misconduct—to add to the toxicity that can be hockey culture. “I realized at one point that there wasn’t a week where we didn’t put a trigger warning on a podcast for a long time,” says Twiss. “And part of
Tyler Motte, ‘If someone gets traded, do you kick them out of the group chat,’ and we joked with Roman Josi about this Visa interview he did in which he said he had never read a book. I really reject the idea that you have to be on Spittin’ Chiclets to get these fun stories.” The Barstool of it all has been hard to avoid for women navigating their way through a sports media atmosphere that can be unwelcoming, to say the least. When former host Huntley criticized Canucks’ star Elias Pettersson for appearing on Chiclets, the fallout was ugly. “She got death threats, people calling her office, the whole thing,” recalls Chang. The group was already no stranger to online hate. “When you’re on Twitter as a woman, you normalize a lot of stuff,” says Twiss. “And for me, the sexual harassment got to a place where I was just like, I can’t do this anymore, it’s crazy.” Twiss left Twitter for about four months. “A lot
that is pretty frustrating, because you’re like, I just don’t want to talk about this stuff anymore. But at the same time, if we don’t, no one does. It’s a weird balance, and that’s been challenging.” Of course, there’s also been plenty of positive feedback—enough to keep the group going. “Reviews that mean the most to us are when we get people who say, ‘You’re validating my fan experience, because the other media I consume doesn’t speak to me or the issues I’m interested in,’” says Chang. “We had one from a girl who said she plays the podcast for her dad and then they talk through some issues that she wants him to learn about.” As for the actual team they spend most of their time covering, Twiss would like to make some amends to her listeners. “We get people who are like, ‘I became a Canucks’ fan because of your podcast,’” she says. “And we will forever apologize to them for that.”
SUGGESTION BOX What’s one thing you’d change about Vancouver?
MO AMIR
Host of This Is Vancolour on CHEK News
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We should stop calling it one of the most livable cities in the world. I owe my privileged life to the unceded, traditional First Nations land upon which Metro Vancouver is built. However, I wince at Vancouver peacocking as one of the world’s most “livable” cities, usually by Anglocentric, listicle metrics. On top of years-long crises of housing being increasingly
unaffordable and illicit drug toxicity deaths, Vancouver suffered a heat dome, wildfire smoke, an atmospheric river and toilet paper/fuel hoarders in 2021—not exactly the hallmarks of “livability.” To be “livable” as a city is an ambition that requires persistent work, not a postcard slogan that rings hollow for more and more people.
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W H AT I T ’ S L I K E T O Teara Fraser (left) and aircraft maintenance engineer Alisha Sohpaul.
What It’s Like to Decolonize the Sky Métis pilot Teara Fraser is the first Indigenous woman to own and operate her own airline in Canada. Between delivering supplies to remote communities during COVID, offsetting carbon emissions and being industry leaders in equity and sustainability, she and her team ensure that their work in the air does some good for the Earth—and for the people on it. as told to
Alyssa Hirose
my passion for this industry started when I was 30 years old. I went on a trip to Africa, and travelled in a small aircraft for the very first time. It was so inspiring to witness the land, and its stories, from the air. But beyond the outside, I was curious about the inside of the aircraft—how an airplane flies, what all the buttons are for. I said, “This pilot’s got the coolest job I’ve ever seen!” It ignited an idea about what was possible. So I came home and started my flight training. Starting an airline in a global pandemic has been enormously challenging. We were trying to keep up with all the changes, and trying to make responsible decisions. And then it became about how we can serve. We started an airlift campaign where we delivered supplies to remote communities. We launched our own aircraft maintenance organization. Now, we’ve commenced scheduled service—we are tenacious as heck. Our clientele may be nurses working in an isolated location 22
or a corporate team travelling together, or we might be delivering people and film equipment to a site. Iskwew Air sees ourselves as the bridge between traditional air transportation and the sustainable technology of the future. We’re stepping into our role as Indigenous innovators in advanced air mobility, and building a system that centres equity and sustainability. What COVID has shown us is that there are lots of systems that are not working—let’s not build it back the way we had it. Flying a plane is straight-up cool. It holds a lot of awe and wonder, and at the same time a lot of responsibility. We’re interested in seeing how emerging technologies can uplift Indigenous stories, sovereignties and stewardship. Iskwew Air is a founding member of the Canadian Advanced Air Mobility Consortium. The consortium works to redefine the way we move, and to create infrastructure that is accessible and resilient. We want to see Indigenous peoples leading in this innovative space, decolonizing and decarbonizing the skies for future generations. We’re being mindful about how we can walk more softly on Mother Earth. For example, we track our emissions, and then we offset them by contributing to projects that prevent the
What COVID has shown us is that there are lots of systems that are not working— let’s not build it back the way we had it. equivalent emissions from being released into the atmosphere. All of our offsets benefit the Great Bear Rainforest, which is right here in British Columbia. Last March was when we launched our aircraft maintenance organization—so now we’re not just flying planes, we’re also fixing them. Only 2.3 percent of aircraft maintenance engineers are women, and less than half of a percent are women of colour, so I’m very proud to have our maintenance commission run by Alisha Sohpaul. We have a small team, and absolutely everybody has been working hard through these challenging times. There is nothing that happens without community, and Iskwew Air has been able to persevere because we have smart, resourceful, generous and loving humans working alongside one another.
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Stacey McLachlan Byron Eggenschwiler
illustration by
There comes a time in every reporter’s life where her colleague will turn to her, wide-eyed and innocent, and ask: “Where do coyotes come from?” After cursing the Alberta school system for not doing a better job on reproductive health education back in the 1980s, you’ll sit him down and calmly explain what happens when a mom coyote and dad coyote love each other very much. Then he’ll tell you he meant the Stanley Park coyotes, specifically. You know, the ones that have been attacking people, unprovoked, for the past year? Why aren’t you reading the news? Have you forgotten it’s literally your job? Also, can you not use the word literally when you’re paraphrasing—I’m a 50-yearold man and don’t speak that way? Okay, okay, let’s remember I’m not on trial here! I’ve never bitten anyone (unprovoked) (this year)! Let’s get this angry mob focused back on the wily coyotes who have taken over our city’s biggest park and turned it into their personal playground and buffet. To be clear: Stanley Park’s coyote problem is no joke. Forty-plus people have been bitten between December 2020 and now, many in broad daylight on the seawall as they were just minding their own business 24
“Most Vancouverites don’t even mind co-habiting with these furry neighbours.” training for the SeaWheeze Virtual or attempting to see if the Girl in a Wetsuit sculpture is wearing a bathing suit under her scuba gear. There have been coyotes in Stanley Park for years, co-existing in harmony alongside the park’s other notable wildlife—Ultimate Frisbee players—but it’s only during the pandemic that they, in wrestling parlance, have “turned heel.” With more people using the park as a result of the pandemic and leaving more garbage and alcohol around than previously, coyotes have grown accustomed to a certain lifestyle… and are starting to get a little greedy. Yes, feeding coyotes is technically illegal, but people assume there are no restrictions around feeding racoons or squirrels (or, should you be so inclined, Ultimate Frisbee players) so the tasty treats humans bring around for these critters (or toss into
the trash cans at Second Beach) wind up creating a smorgasbord for the coyotes, too. In other words: they’re foodies! Cut them some slack! Lashing out at humans is actually incredibly odd behaviour for coyotes. The U.S. Humane Society even reports that you’re more likely to be killed by a rogue golf ball than you are to be attacked by a coyote in North America in any given year, but obviously the Stanley Park coyotes did not read the “fun facts” page of the organization’s website. They’ve adapted comfortably to the West Coast lifestyle, like many other predators do (e.g., Toronto finance bros), but coyotes aren’t actually native to Canada. Once upon a time, you’d find them only in the deserts and grasslands of the American Midwest. But European settlers came along and decimated both their natural habitats (via overdevelopment) and
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EDITOR’S BOX natural frenemies (the wolf). So with open spaces, new food sources and pesky lupine rivals out of the way, coyotes were finally free to roam, and being supremely adaptable, they now inhabit almost every kind of environment in the continent. So, yes, like most historical issues I cover in this column, it is Whitey’s fault, in a roundabout way, that we’re in the middle of a coyote bite-orama. On behalf of my stupid colonizer ancestors: oops. Coyotes were first noted in Metro Vancouver in the 1930s, and then the first sighting in Vancouver proper happened in the ’80s. Today, the Stanley Park Ecology Society produces a map of coyote sightings and these little stinkers have really made themselves at home here in the big city: you’re as likely to spot one at Queen Elizabeth Park as you are in Dunbar. The things is, most Vancouverites don’t even mind co-habiting with these furry neighbours. One 1997 survey found that most people felt the animals enhanced their lives. I suspect coyotes can get their polling numbers up again, if they can keep their teeth to themselves like the rest of us. The B.C. Conservation Officer Service practiced some extreme measures to encourage that behaviour: in September, it closed the park for two weeks to cull the population. Only a handful were caught, but that’s apparently enough to teach the others a valuable lesson and the park is now re-opened. Next time you’re braving the walking trails, make sure you’re alert, but also have some empathy for our furry friends: COVID’s been tough on all of us, as it turns out.
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BMO BMO is is proud proud to to sponsor sponsor Vancouver Vancouver Magazine’s Magazine’s salute salute to to this this year’s year’s 50 50 most most powerful powerful and and influential. influential.
Learn more Learn more at BMO.com at BMO.com
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C OV E R STORY
Though 2021 proved to be a year unlike any other, one thing remained reassuringly unchanged: the fact that during the course of determining our annual Power 50 list, someone, inevitably, will ask the question, “What is power?” Pandemic or no pandemic, the answer is always slightly hard to pin down—but damned if we don’t try anyway. Generally speaking, we like to define power as impactful and influential, but power, in 2022, seems to lie less often in the CEO office—although the global influence of Vancouver’s tech and resource industries can’t be ignored—and is found instead among those who use their platforms to uplift others. To be powerful today is to be generous, to wield one’s impact with grace and to affect change on scales large and small. So here, on the tail of an undefinable year, we’re pleased to present a list that’s one of a kind: introducing the 2022 Power 50. written by Frances Bula, Nathan Caddell, Alyssa Hirose, Stacey McLachlan, Neal McLennan, Matt O’Grady and Anicka Quin
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OPPOSITE PAGE: TANYA GOEHRING
Power Players Clockwise from left: Chief Wayne Sparrow of the Musqueam Band, Khelsilem, council chairperson for the Squamish Nation, and Chief Jen Thomas of the TsleilWaututh Nation.
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MUSQUEAM BAND, SQUAMISH NATION AND TSLEIL-WAUTUTH NATION PR E V I O USLY ( A S MST DE V ELOPM E N T C OR P OR ATION) #6, 2020
Call it a sign of the times. Last July, Vancouver city council agreed to rename Trutch Street after receiving a request from Chief Wayne Sparrow on behalf of the Musqueam people. Joseph Trutch was B.C.’s first lieutenant governor and helped bring the province into Confederation—but he was also “a racist and the chief architect of racist policies which inflected immense and longstanding harm to First Nations People,” as the unanimously passed motion read. The street will soon get a new name chosen by the Musqueam. In 2021, the influence of the First Nations who have lived here since long before Vancouver existed—the Musqueam, Squamish and TsleilWaututh—could be seen far beyond decolonization efforts. It could be seen in revamped plans for the new Vancouver Art Gallery building, announced in November, which included an Indigenous-led design— something lacking from the original plan—with local artists Debra Sparrow, Chepximiya Siyam’ Janice George, Skwetsimeltxw Willard “Buddy” Joseph and Angela George engaging with the gallery and its architects, Herzog and de Meuron. And, with the Lil’wat Nation, they’ll be steering the first Indigenousled bid to host the 2030 Olympic Games in Vancouver and Whistler. And within the next decade, the Indigenous imprint will be seen across the region. MST Development Corporation—the for-profit development arm of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations—is partnering with Concord
MST has given Vancouver’s First Nations tremendous leverage with all three levels of government— including, yes, the power to rename streets.
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DR. PENNY BALLEM EXECUTIVE LEAD FOR B.C.’S COVID-19 IMMUNIZATION EFFORTS; BOARD CHAIR, VANCOUVER COASTAL HEALTH PR E V IO USLY #13, 2 02 0
Pacific on the redeveloped St. Paul’s Hospital site. It’s helping to build 9,000 homes at Jericho Lands. And through a memorandum of understanding with the city and UBC, MST has committed to help extend the Broadway subway line to the university’s Point Grey campus. And that’s not including projects outside MST’s purview, like the Squamishled Seʼnákw development in Kits (6,900-plus proposed homes) or the Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh site near BCIT (with 5,000 proposed homes and a new film studio). MST has given First Nations in Vancouver tremendous leverage with all three levels of government— including, yes, the power to rename streets. But as one of our panellists explained, reconciliation is about more than new street signs: “It’s about the process of changing names, which invites a conversation and opens up a dialogue—and presents an opportunity for a new story to be told.”
We were due for some good news in 2021, and we got a helping of it in the form of COVID-19 vaccines. Rolling out the doses proved challenging in most jurisdictions around the world, and Vancouver wasn’t an exception. But Ballem, the former deputy health minister who was recruited by the Province of B.C. to steer its vaccine rollout, rolled with the jabs like Muhammad Ali, recruiting some 1,400 laid-off hospitality and tourism workers to help with non-clinical work at mass vaccination clinics. There were lapses, like failing to deliver some 200 doses to the Nuxalk Nation in central B.C. For the most part, though, a matter of actual life and death was capably handled.
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JOHN HORGAN PREMIER OF B.C. PR E V I O USLY # 2 , 2 02 0
After helping his party dominate an election like it never had previously, Horgan and his tight-knit inner circle presided over a few controversies, including the Fairy Creek and Wet’suwet’en blockades and an initiative to impose a fee on freedomof-information requests. But while the premier’s popularity took a polling hit, it still ranked high among his peers—throat cancer be damned. And the majority he holds (plus a flailing BC Liberal Party) will allow him to continue doing whatever he wishes, like a newly announced five days of sick leave for all workers.
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DARREN ENTWISTLE AND JUGGY SIHOTA
PRESIDENT AND CEO + VP, CONSUMER HEALTH, TELUS PR E V I O USLY # 4, 2 02 0; #4, 2 019
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TAMARA VROOMAN CEO, VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT/SFU CHANCELLOR PR E V I O USLY # 7, 2 02 0
After taking the top job at Vancity Credit Union in 2007 right before the global financial collapse, corporate Vancouver’s favourite fixer took the helm of YVR a few months after the pandemic. So far, the reign has been one of sober evaluation, including the tough choice to temporarily halt some of the corporation’s expansion efforts. One has to assume the call to institute COVID testing at the airport was a touch easier. Smooth sailing might be an exaggeration, but at the very least the skies are opening up. YVR saw over a million combined arrivals and departures in August of this year—the first time it had even come close to the mark since March 2020.
Even the pandemic couldn’t stop Telus from once again bringing in more revenue than any other company in the province. One of the major drivers of that was Telus Health, which saw doubledigit revenue growth under Sihota’s steady hand. The department has seen around one million new virtual customers in the calendar year, representing a 64 percent increase over last year. Meanwhile, longtime Telus president and CEO Entwistle continues to pursue the principles of social capitalism, including a recent $1 million toward flood and mudslide relief in B.C.
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EBY: TANYA GOEHRING
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DAVID EBY ATTORNEY GENERAL AND MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR HOUSING PR E V I O USLY # 2 3, 2 02 0
Horgan kept the power close when he gave Selina Robinson (#14) the finance minister post and handed over the housing file to the already very busy Eby. So far, Eby has fought hard for BC Housing-supported projects around the province, including those in Port Moody and Penticton. He also promised to shutter homeless camps in Vancouver and Victoria and subsequently find housing for their residents. Eby was able to support those working on the ground to get it done—something politicians of the past didn’t or couldn’t do.
EBY: TANYA GOEHRING
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TERRY HUI CEO, CONCORD PACIFIC PR E V I O USLY #16, 2 02 0
It might be the relative calm before the storm for Concord Pacific in Vancouver, but the storm is brewing. The developer will soon be bringing the 1.8-millionsquare-foot Quantum Park to life on the former Molson Brewery grounds on Burrard. It’s also purchased the St. Paul’s Hospital site (for $850 million) and has massive projects in many suburbs, like a new tower in Metrotown that will be Metro Vancouver’s tallest. That project will include the world’s largest bike amenity, part of Concord’s push toward sustainable urban infrastructure. The fate of another massive swath of land—the Plaza of Nations site—is unknown, as Hui and Singaporean billionaire Oei Hong Leong engage in a legal battle.
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AQUILINI FAMILY
BRANDT LOUIE
AQUILINI INVESTMENT GROUP
CEO, H.Y. LOUIE AND LONDON DRUGS
PR E V IO USLY #1 0, 2020
PR E V IO USLY # 7, 2 02 0
The Vancouver Canucks can be aptly summed up in Francesco Aquilini’s recent tweet: “Frustrating night.”A thorough house cleaning (new coach, new GM) looks to be turning the team’s fortunes around— but it remains to be seen how the resurgent COVID will hamper ticket sales going forward. It’s a good thing “Aqua Man”—as some fans call him—has plenty of other places to turn his attention, including his family’s restaurants, hotels and numerous other ventures, like its working relationship with the MST Development Corporation. Astoundingly, the cutthroat business acumen the family has become known for is finally taking hold with the Canucks.
Household names producing household items is the name of the game for the bowtie-adorned Louie, who oversees both London Drugs and IGA. Usually preferring to keep a low profile, Louie has seen a year of speaking out, as he penned an editorial in the Vancouver Sun on how COVID has amplified anti-Asian racism and delivered a keynote speech at the Youth Forum for Asian Representation. London Drugs may have lost thousands of dollars of merchandise in flood-related shipping container mishaps, but for the fourth-biggest employer in B.C., it’s a relative drop in the bucket.
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CEO/PRESIDENT + COO, PATTISON GROUP
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PR E V I O USLY #1 5, 2020
Pattison’s empire saw a big increase in revenue during the pandemic, as grocery stores like Save On and Buy Low thrived and forestry giant Canfor rode lumber prices to record operating income. He also continued to pour money into philanthropic endeavours and was vocal about both the urgency of climate change and the shortsightedness of federal proposals to tax the wealthy (he thinks it will only result in people and companies fleeing for the U.S.). It’s good to know that, at age 93, both sides of his mouth are working. Clark remains one of the rare B.C. business leaders with NDP ties and is well positioned to lead Pattison Group into the future.
MIKE FARNWORTH PUBLIC SAFETY MINISTER AND DEPUTY PREMIER NEW
It wasn’t a shock when the premier appointed Farnworth as deputy premier while the big boss dealt with the fallout of being diagnosed with throat cancer. The most experienced NDP MLA in government, Farnworth has also stick handled public safety—a contentious file when certain restaurants and businesses refuse to engage with its very concept. But the reviews haven’t been all kind, with the province taking heat for not doing enough to warn residents of the extreme weather that wiped out communities.
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FRANK GIUSTRA MULTIPLE INDUSTRIES PR E V I O USLY # 1 2 , 2 02 0
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ADRIAN DIX AND DR. BONNIE HENRY HEALTH MINISTER + PROVINCIAL HEALTH OFFICER PR E V IO USLY #3, 2020; #1, 2020
Though many optimists hoped that 2021 would mean the end of pandemic protocol, life had other plans. And through vaccine rollouts, second- (and third- and fourth-) wave spikes, school re-openings and the endless tussles over mask mandates, Dix and Henry did their best to hold down the fort—a seemingly thankless and gruelling job without end. But their steadfast presence offered a comforting assurance during a topsyturvy time. Dix is the no-emotion voice of the pandemic, expressing condolences over deaths, announcing hospitalization and surgery numbers endlessly (it’s his ministry that has to keep adjusting the balance of what they can do to keep surgeries going); Henry is the one taking the flak for lose-lose decisions, even as everyone continues to hang on to her every word. We may not have known how any week would go, but we could count on this dry, dutiful duo to explain it to us calmly and patiently.
Is it a Power 50 list without Frank Giustra? With his fingers in a range of fascinatingly diverse pies, billionaire Giustra quietly continues his reign of influence in the city. (Plus, he kicked off the year suing Twitter for defamation—how’s that for power?) While he’s spending most of his time these days on philanthropic efforts (chief concerns including agriculture and human rights), his mining interests, Thunderbird Entertainment Group and private equity investments continue to churn out the big bucks and impact both our resource and entertainment economies.
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IMAGE CREDIT
JIM PATTISON AND GLEN CLARK
DIX & HENRY: COURTESY OF BC GOVERNMENT
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DIX & HENRY: COURTESY OF BC GOVERNMENT
Hall of Fame Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Minister of Health Adrian Dix have continued to be the most visible duo guiding us through the pandemic.
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SELINA ROBINSON PROVINCIAL FINANCE MINISTER NEW
It’s going to be Robinson steering the province through the difficult post-COVID economy. As a key member of Horgan’s now-powerful inner circle, she’s in control of one of B.C.’s most pivotal jobs. After all, the NDP government’s previous decisions have had big impacts on the Lower Mainland—from temporarily eliminating the school tax for businesses to deciding how federal money should be distributed to cities. The flipside? She’s the one who has to defend spending decisions and face criticisms about shortfalls, which will be many as everyone fights for post-COVID dollars.
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BOB RENNIE RENNIE GROUP PR E V IO USLY #11, 2020
This list is mostly made up of pods: there’s developers over here, politics over there, arts on this side and activists on the other and, for the most part, never the twain shall meet. Which is why Rennie—capable of being named to the list under numerous different pillars—is such an anomaly: he knows everyone. His gravitas on the world art scene (he’s a trustee with the Art Institute of Chicago and president at the Tate Americas Foundation) continues to bring the international glow to our often-regional scene. (The Barkley Hendricks/Lorna Simpson show at his Rennie Museum garnered a lot of global buzz.) And on the bill-paying side, his Rennie Group is riding the continued wave of COVID exuberance, as is his growing real estate brokerage.
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ANNE NASER PRESIDENT AND CEO, WORKSAFEBC NEW
In the thick of the pandemic, it became WorkSafe’s job, for the first time ever, to enforce public-health orders instead of just the usual steel-toed-boots type things—and, suddenly, CEO Naser had a big, big responsibility on her hands. But she stepped up to the plate, and soon had government admirers applauding her even-handed approach to safety and wellness. Insiders say that her work was invaluable in keeping as many businesses open as possible while continuing to protect workers—an almost-impossible balancing act that Naser helped pull off.
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IAN GILLESPIE FOUNDER, WESTBANK PR E V IO USLY # 2 1, 2019
There are bigger developers in town, and there are probably more profitable ones, too. But anyone who’s caught a glimpse of Vancouver House at just the right angle from Fairview Slopes or taken the time to really look at the models for the complete reimagination of an entire sector of the city known as Oakridge knows there are no more ambitious ones. Gillespie’s now-signature mix of international architect and “important” public art has become so familiar to us that it frequently elicits eye rolls—he gets more love in his other hubs of Toronto and Tokyo than he does here—but his enviable connections at all levels of government and his quiet participation with the Squamish Nation in the Seńákw development on Burrard mean his influence in the city will be around for a long while.
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Meggs helped orchestrate the risky provincial COVID election that succeeded beyond almost anyone’s wildest dreams (which wasn’t easy—just ask Justin Trudeau). Not only are the BC Liberals in shambles, but in Meggs’s own party, anyone who posed a possible challenge to Horgan’s authority has either been brought into the inner circle (see Eby, David, #6) or banished to the forgotten back benches. The result is that the next few years will see an unprecedented ability for a small number of individuals—all vetted by Meggs—to make huge decisions on what B.C. will look like going forward.
CO-FOUNDER AND CHAIR, VANCOUVER CHINATOWN FOUNDATION PR E V IO USLY # 28, 2019
Restaurateur and entrepreneur Lee has long been a champion of Chinatown and cultural revitalization efforts, but the opening of the Chinatown Storytelling Centre in November was a tremendous step forward. The stunning new space shares the voices of 150 Chinese immigrants, with ongoing stories, immersive exhibits and archival films that spotlight adversity, resilience and community. Last year also saw the beginnings of construction on 58 West Hastings, the Downtown Eastside’s largest social housing project, spearheaded by Lee. When completed, the project will have 230 units and space for wellness, life skills and mentoring programs. She’s making a big impact, and we’re not the only ones that think so—she was one of 16 Canadians inducted to the Order of British Columbia in 2021.
While Negrin’s name may not pop up too often in the news, insiders credit him with executing the nitty-gritty details of the MST Development Corporation’s very busy action plan. Behind the scenes, Negrin (who cut his teeth with Aquilini Development and Construction), helped drive a successful process for the early plans for development at Jericho and the Heather Lands project.
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CAROL LEE
LEE: MILOS TOSIC © MAGNIFISSANCE MAGA ZINE
CEO, MST DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
PR E V IO USLY #3 8, 2019
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CHIEF OF STAFF, BC NDP
DAVID NEGRIN
CHAIR, POLYGON HOMES
Even before Audain and his wife, Yoshiko Karasawa, donated $100 million to the VAG—the largest gift to an art gallery in Canadian history— he was a mainstay on this list. Initially it was for his helming of Polygon Homes, one of the largest and most successful multi-family developers in the province, but as he transitioned away from the day-to-day operations, Audain’s philanthropy kicked into overdrive. He established the Grizzly Bear Foundation several years back, but the visual arts have been his main beneficiary, with dozens of galleries and museums benefitting from his large largesse. In 2016 it was assumed that the funding and opening of the Audain Art Museum in Whistler would be his crowning achievement in philanthropy, but last year’s VAG gift shows that the arts’ greatest benefactor ain’t done just yet.
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MICHAEL AUDAIN
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LEE: MILOS TOSIC © MAGNIFISSANCE MAGA ZINE
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GRAND CHIEF STEWART PHILLIP PRESIDENT, UNION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA INDIAN CHIEFS PR E V I O USLY # 2 0, 2 02 0
While Indigenous rights and reconciliation still have a long, long, long way to go, this past year and the discovery of unmarked residential school graves brought the injustices and struggles of Indigenous people in Canada to the forefront like no other. And while the province is made of a quilt of different Nations with different perspectives on social justice, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip continues to act as a fiery and outspoken representative for the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, slamming the “colossal lack of leadership in the country” and calling on the province to declare an indefinite state of emergency.
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JUSTIN McELROY
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DR. JUNE FRANCIS
MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS REPORTER, CBC
SPECIAL ADVISOR TO THE PRESIDENT ON ANTI-RACISM, SFU
NEW
NEW
Somehow, someway, “Who is ready for some charts?” became a rallying cry for an entire generation of BCers who, instead of turning to nightly broadcasts, daily newspapers or government briefings, instead turned to a single Twitter account to inform them of how COVID is impacting their province. And somehow, someway, a kid from Victoria on the autism spectrum who first gained popularity by ranking everything from breweries and parks to municipal pins became an authority on the biggest issue in a century. Despite the prominence, smart money is on McElroy continuing to walk that finest line of being a serious journalist and designing a periodic table based on Disney songs.
The marketing professor (and chair of the Hogan’s Alley Society board of directors) has been a strong advocate at the forefront of local discussions on racism. In July, Francis became special advisor to the president on anti-racism at SFU. Following her appointment, the university committed to hiring 15 more Black faculty members and signed the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion. While acknowledging small victories, Francis remains focused on the ongoing work of anti-racism (for example, after the United States’ Ahmaud Arbery verdict in November, Francis urged those of us north of the border to address the racial discrimination in Canada’s justice system).
Somehow, someway, “who wants to see some charts” became a rallying cry for an entire generation of BCers.
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DRUG CRISIS WARRIORS SARAH BLYTH, OVERDOSE PREVENTION SOCIETY; DR. PATRICIA DALY, VANCOUVER COASTAL HEALTH; KAREN WARD, CITY OF VANCOUVER; ANDREA WOO & MARCUS GEE, GLOBE AND MAIL N E W
COVID-19 often eclipses our city’s other public health emergency, but determined local leaders are keeping Vancouver’s drug toxicity crisis in the public eye. Moving coverage from reporters Woo and Gee goes beyond the typical facts and figures (that, frankly, readers tend to ignore). Executive director of the Overdose Prevention Society Blyth held the VPD accountable for prejudice, while City of Vancouver drug policy and poverty reduction consultant Ward called for a national safe supply program and drug decriminalization. Chief medical health officer Daly recommended a compassion club model put forward by people with lived experiences, and the Vancouver-based Drug User Liberation Front is a growing leader in the safe supply movement.
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SANTA ONO PRESIDENT AND VICE-CHANCELLOR, UBC PR E V I O USLY #32 , 2 02 0
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ACUITAS THERAPEUTICS
MLA, DELTA NORTH
NEW
NEW
Two years ago, Cullis’s work was known only to a small number of the scientific community, but when you learn that the UBC prof just received the 2021 Prince Mahidol Award for medicine for his pioneering work on mRNA vaccines (and its attendant $100,000 prize), you can see how his profile has rocketed far past academia, especially given that everyone who had a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine got to witness his handiwork. The widespread recognition his achievements gained has also helped bolster UBC (and the region in general) as a growing destination for the cuttingedge biotech sector.
Here’s an interesting metric when it comes to hidden power: which MLA has the most lobbyists who’ve registered to try to sway them to their causes? It’s not Eby (he has 104) or even the premier (125) but instead the former Olympic-fieldhockey-player-turnedrepresentative-of-DeltaNorth Kahlon, who has a stunning 164 lobbyists vying for his attention. He’s only 42, but he’s already not only in cabinet (minister of jobs, economic recovery and innovation) but is also reputed to be one of the few MLAs who might see an occasional invite into Horgan’s tight inner circle.
DR. PIETER CULLIS
RAVI KAHLON
Just holding down the fort during COVID-19 would’ve been applause-worthy enough for the president of UBC, but Ono wasn’t content to simply maintain status quo in 2021. Instead, he worked with the city and MST Development Corporation to sign a memorandum of agreement supporting the UBC line, and made a big announcement in the fall about establishing a $70-million satellite campus in Surrey. But even beyond development plans, Ono’s outspoken commitment to mental health and his vulnerability about his own struggles are qualities that have shifted the conversation about stress and burnout at a high-pressure institution.
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PETER DHILLON PRESIDENT AND CEO, RICHBERRY GROUP OF COMPANIES PR E V I O USLY # 4 9, 2 02 0
B.C.’s “cranberry king” has long been one of the province’s most revered business leaders and philanthropists and has donated heavily in areas like health care, animal welfare, education and sport. At a time when many high-profile business operatives seem to be battling lawsuits or controversy of some kind, Dhillon became a title funder of UBC’s Centre for Business Ethics. The Burnaby native is the only member of the board of directors for the Bank of Canada west of Saskatchewan and has been using his considerable influence to advocate for the agriculture sector as a whole. How he’s able to position the industry’s strife in the wake of the floods (and how hard he has been personally hit by the damage) remains to be seen.
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SHARON GREGSON PROVINCIAL SPOKESPERSON, $10aDAY CHILD CARE CAMPAIGN NEW
Gregson has been fighting for accessible universal childcare for decades, often with no sign that she was getting anywhere. But the last two years changed everything: $10aDay Child Care is now a thriving pilot program, helping over 65,000 families and with broader access on the docket for the coming years. Although much of the reason for that was a combination of the pandemic’s impact on working women and the federal Liberals making good on a previous promise, her advocacy as the campaign’s spokesperson helped make B.C. one of the first to sign on in a joint agreement with the feds.
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STRATHCONA PARK ADVOCATES SANDRA SINGH, GM, ARTS, CULTURE AND COMMUNITY SERVICES, CITY OF VANCOUVER; DONNIE ROSA, GM, VANCOUVER BOARD OF PARKS AND RECREATION NEW
Houselessness is (unfortunately) nothing new in this city, but the battle for Strathcona Park crystalized a long-simmering issue in a fresh light, and the advocacy from a rag-tag band of activists deserves some serious kudos. The tent city popped up in the spring, after residents were displaced from two other city parks, and when the Park Board started dusting off old anti-structure bylaws, a handful of frustrated citizens stepped into the line of fire. Stephanie Allen (see #36) directed the BC Housing team, who sat at tables at the camp for days to find housing for 200 people; Singh, general manager of arts, culture and community services for the city, had her people building relationships on the ground; and then there was the general manager of the Vancouver Park Board itself, the hired-after-the-fallout Rosa, who tried to balance safety with compassion and (by all accounts) found a decent middle ground. The goal overall? Prioritizing a harm-reduction and reconciliation approach (including working with Indigenous leaders to perform daily morning ceremonies on site).
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DENNIS LOPEZ CEO, QUADREAL NEW
While there are some very rich people on this list, the truth is that individual wealth is chump change compared to managing public money, like the $61.2 billion in real estate assets that Lopez’s QuadReal manages for its stakeholders. This clout will see the opening of the The Post, their redevelopment of the old Canada Post site on Georgia, open for some 3,000 Amazon employees next year, as well emphasizing their Green Bond framework, an environmental overlay to their business that supports its goal of reducing the company’s carbon footprint by 80 percent in Canada by 2050.
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UVic Executive Training
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JANICE ABBOTT AND SHAYNE RAMSAY CEO, ATIRA WOMEN’S RESOURCE SOCIETY + CEO, BC HOUSING PR E V I O USLY # 2 9 / #39, 2 02 0
Given how important housing is in this province, it’s a cheat that we put these two powerhouses together simply because they happen to be married—however, this year they’re further joined by the increased slings cast their way. For Ramsay, who’s chaired the behemoth that is BC Housing since 2000, it was on the hefty cost overruns at the Regent and Balmoral Hotels. For Abbott, who runs the respected nonprofit Atira Women’s Resource Society, it was the conditions of the properties the for-profit Atira Property Management controls, and then for evidently barring The Tyee writer Jen St. Denis—who broke the initial story—from their premises. Neither was a good look, but both seemed used to it: no one gets into housing in the province expecting wine and roses (although Ramsay’s $350,000 compensation buys plenty of both).
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PHYSICIAN AND VOLUNTEER WITH THE SOUTH ASIAN COVID TASK FORCE NEW
As the provincial government worked to keep race-based COVID data under wraps, Jawanda led the local South Asian COVID task force to investigate the numbers themselves—she predicted that the pandemic was disproportionately affecting racialized and lower-income populations. A later leak of neighbourhood-level data proved that to be true, as hot zones in the Fraser Valley and elsewhere demonstrated. Instead of the I-told-you-so the B.C. health officials probably deserved, Jawanda doubled down on education efforts, speaking out in the media and making videos, TV and radio ads and even TikToks to mobilize the South Asian community. Jawanda is also the co-founder of the This Is Our Shot campaign, which launched in August with the goal of fostering vaccine confidence. It worked.
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NEW
Ask any restaurateur: prior to COVID, B.C. was one of the most repressive jurisdictions on the planet when it came to making a buck off selling booze. But the pandemic saw owners reeling from shutdowns and mixed messaging, and Guignard (with his experience as a parliamentary chief of staff no doubt coming in handy) and his industry group ABLE BC were able to use the carnage to wrestle one of the biggest concessions from the BCLS—the ability to buy liquor at wholesale prices—and it will have significant and ongoing impact in the financial health of every restaurant in this province.
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STEPHANIE ALLEN VICE-PRESIDENT OF STRATEGIC BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND PERFORMANCE, BC HOUSING; CO-FOUNDER, HOGAN’S ALLEY SOCIETY PR E V IO USLY #8, 2020
This is Allen’s fourth year in a row on this list, and it’s no wonder she’s a regular: she continues to be a powerful and respected voice at BC Housing and in the community (whether that’s through public speeches, media interviews or Twitter). She’s a realistic and compassionate problem-solver. Allen was a key member of the team that closed the encampment in Strathcona Park last spring—not by making a heavy-handed decree forcing people out with nowhere to go, but by personally connecting residents of the park with housing and resources. In 2021, Allen received a BC Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Award for her outstanding work.
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ISOBEL MACKENZIE SENIORS ADVOCATE, PROVINCE OF B.C. NEW
Mackenzie was front and centre in the two most prominent disasters for seniors in 2021: the pandemic and the heat dome. She’s been publicly and consistently advocating for comprehensive sick pay, increasing staff and more efficient infection control protocols in long-term care and assisted living homes (including releasing a 45-page report with seven recommendations in October). During the heat wave, as unscrupulous profiteers made money selling AC units for thousands of dollars, she doubled down on her work and drew media attention back to older residents, the group most vulnerable to the sudden increase in temperature. Her hard-hitting and heavily covered reports ensure that seniors’ issues remain top of mind.
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IMAGE CREDIT
DR. MADHU JAWANDA
ABLE BC
ALLEN: TANYA GOEHRING
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JEFF GUIGNARD
IMAGE CREDIT
ALLEN: TANYA GOEHRING
Stephanie Allen was a key member of the team that closed the encampment in Strathcona Park last spring— not by making a heavy-handed decree forcing people out with nowhere to go, but by personally connecting residents of the park with housing and resources.
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MARCEL SWAIN CEO, LU’MA NATIVE HOUSING SOCIETY NEW
Swain has run Lu’ma for over 30 years, creating housing opportunities, youth programs and medical resources for Indigenous families and individuals with low or moderate income. But recently, the organization has been making huge strides: their latest development, a 23-unit affordable rental building, is the first of its kind in East Van. Every tenant’s rent is 15 to 30 percent below market rates. Swain is also the co-chair of the Metro Vancouver Aboriginal Executive Council, an organization that advocates for the 70,000-person urban Indigenous community, addressing policy and program issues on their behalf.
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NEW MEDIA CZARS ERIC PETERSON, TULA FOUNDATION; FARHAN MOHAMED AND ANDREW WILKINSON, OVERSTORY MEDIA GROUP N E W; PR E V IO USLY #4 3, 201 7; N E W
When tech guys decide to put their wealth toward shoring up great reporting, we’re here for it. Andrew Wilkinson is the investor behind Overstory Media Group, launched in 2021 with former Daily Hive founder Farhan Mohamed. The duo is bringing localand investigative journalism-focused newsletters to communities as far east as Calgary and west to Victoria, hiring a swack of journalists. Eric Peterson used his techcompany fortune to create the Tula Foundation, which funds both environment and science-focused Hakai Magazine (and the Hakai Institute). And, as of 2018, it’s the sole funder for the award-winning Tyee.
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LAIRD CRONK PRESIDENT, BC FEDERATION OF LABOUR PR E V IO USLY #4 8, 2019
With Cronk at its helm, the Federation of Labour has managed to successfully push the province on mandated sick days (employers are now required to provide five paid sick days to employees) and minimum wage in a tougherthan-usual time. But Cronk has been building bridges internally, too: insiders say he’s managed to unite the federation (with second-in-command Sussanne Skidmore by his side) in a way that it hasn’t seen for a while. Especially with an NDP government whose core members are old-style left-wingers with close ties to and a strong appreciation of unions, he’s in a strong position to thrive.
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GABRIELLE PETERS DISABILITY WRITER AND POLICY ANALYST NEW
Peters has become a strong voice for those fighting for representation and equal treatment for the disabled community, always advocating from an intersectional point of view. That wheelchair path down at English Bay that makes the waterfront accessible? That’s thanks to Peters’s research and advocacy. An active planning commissioner with the city, she doesn’t shy away from challenging the status quo: Peters has spoken out on issues from street patios that are positioned on sidewalks rather than parking spots (they’re not an unalloyed good—sidewalk patios block accessibility for disabled and unhoused residents, and can further isolate them), and against the city’s decision to end virtual meetings—a move that would have made it impossible for her, as an immunocompromised individual, to continue to be a part of the Planning Commission. She’s fought for her rightful place at the table on issues like active transport and climate change—including being asked to deliver a statement at COP26 on her experience during last summer’s heat dome. “Disabled people won’t survive climate change if it isn’t in the plan for us to do so,” she said. “And you can’t plan for us without us.”
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SPOKESPERSON, SAFE SCHOOLS COALITION BC
CHAIR AND CEO, B.C. SECURITIES COMMISSION
PRESIDENT, POONI GROUP
NEW
NEW
Martins was one of many parents who chose the school district’s “Option 4” (remote learning from home) in September 2020. She spearheaded efforts to ensure that children would still feel connected to their school community, founding the support group Option 4 Families of Vancouver later that fall. But in 2021, it was Martins’s vaccine advocacy that gained recognition: as part of the Safe Schools Coalition—a group of parents and teachers campaigning for mask mandates as well as for ventilation and filtration improvements in schools— she has been calling on the government to prioritize COVID-19 vaccinations for children, and on parents and caregivers to speak up for their kids. She’s become a recognized local voice in pandemic measures for children.
The bad old days of the VSE and Howe being the only street in the world that was shady on both sides are thankfully long gone, but that doesn’t mean our securities industry is not in need of ongoing oversight. Leong spent 15 years as a Vancouver corporate lawyer before making the leap to becoming the province’s securities regulator, where she makes sure those bad old days remain a distant memory while also helping to bring some gender equality (half of the BCSC’s employees are women) to the traditionally clubby world of finance.
KYENTA MARTINS
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BRENDA LEONG
GARY POONI NEW
His name almost never appears in mainstream media. But Pooni is the development consultant—and selfdescribed proponent of livable and resilient cities, with his Pooni Group—who is behind some of the most complex projects in the region. If Westbank’s Ian Gillespie (#17) was able to get a new tall rental apartment building approved on Vancouver’s west side after several nights of public hearing, it’s because Pooni’s company got renters and businesspeople and homeowners from the area to come out in droves. He knows how to rally local support, and he works with most of the major developers in the region.
Brenda Leong makes sure those bad old days remain a distant memory, while also helping to bring some gender equality to the traditionally clubby world of finance.
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MARY ELLEN TURPEL-LAFOND ACADEMIC DIRECTOR, UBC INDIAN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL HISTORY AND DIALOGUE CENTRE NEW
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JERRY DOBROVOLNY CAO, METRO VANCOUVER NEW
Pardon the expression, but Dobrovolny’s really been making waves when it comes to Metro Vancouver’s water. When the contract for North Van’s new wastewater treatment plant proved too delayed and too pricey, Dobrovolny made the very rare move to cancel the deal entirely and regroup. When a father and son were killed in an unexpected torrent accidentally released from the Cleveland Dam, Dobrovolny fired three employees and announced the swift implementation of warning sirens along the Capilano River. And he’s not sugar-coating the exponential growth in utility fees expected for Vancouverites (65 percent by 2026) in the coming years. Love it or hate it, he’s not going with the flow.
When the Liberal government of Gordon Campbell named Turpel-Lafond as the first representative for children and youth in 2006, most expected it to be one of those political appointments that looks good and accomplishes little—but such niceties don’t appear to be part of her DNA. She became a vocal and tireless supporter of the rights of children, frequently embarrassing the government who backed her, and, if anything, she ratcheted up her advocacy when, in 2018, she was named inaugural director of the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre at UBC. Since then Turpel-Lafond has become an integral voice in bringing the stain of residential schools into the spotlight and demanding that those in power accept responsibility. In November 2020 she released her investigation into racism in B.C.’s health-care system, and again the information and her recommendations were unflinching in highlighting the systemic racism faced by Indigenous people in B.C.
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ARRAN AND RATANA STEPHENS FOUNDERS, NATURE’S PATH NEW
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it’s rare that the folks who make it get the recognition they deserve. Entrepreneurs Arran and Ratana Stephens have set a standard for recognizing that their employees at Nature’s Path are essential: at the start of the pandemic, every team member got a $2 an hour raise. Then, they installed virusdestroying ultraviolet lights at their three plants. You could argue that all this was to ensure the company’s well-being, but the Stephens’ commitment to health went beyond their employees—this past year alone, they donated $3 million to VGH’s Withdrawal Management Centre and another $1 million to establish the Stephens Family Fellowship in Gastroenterology. In 2021, they were appointed into the Order of B.C. for their efforts.
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RYAN REYNOLDS ACTOR PR E V IO USLY # 25, 202 0
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KENNETH WYSE/ KENDALL GENDER FINALIST, CANADA'S DRAG RACE NEW
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COYOTES PAW PATROL, STANLEY PARK
Before bringing Vancouver to the national stage as one of the top three contestants in Season 2 of Canada’s Drag Race, Kenneth Wyse’s drag queen alter ego Kendall Gender had been tearing it up in our local scene. She was the first drag queen to do a half-time performance at the World Rugby Sevens, and acts as the queer ambassador for Fairmont Hotels. And as far as her run on RuPaul’s Canadian competition goes, she not only slayed with her looks and brought biracial pride to the mainstage, she won our hearts for doing it with kindness, too—building up her fellow competitors and engaging in dialogue rather than fighting for the cameras.
Many thanks to our local Hollywood representative for being on standby for any call to action from either our leaders—Horgan asked him to convince young people to stop partying, and he did (“please don’t kill my mom… or David Suzuki”)—or from his own compassion (calling for donations to the Red Cross fund to help those hurt by late November’s floods). He’s Vancouver’s greatest champion—but more impressively he’s also making change in our local film industry. The Group Effort Initiative he launched provides paid, onset training opportunities targeted at BIPOC and other marginalized communities at any career stage.
It takes an awful lot of influence to shut down Vancouver’s biggest park, so consider us impressed with the wild coyotes who successfully pressured the Park Board to close up Stanley Park in early September. Attacking innocent civilians in broad daylight so frequently that humans are banned for a month from experiencing the woods or seawall? That’s what we call a power play. (Thankfully, though 40-plus park-goers were attacked, no one was killed or seriously harmed. Mercy: a true power.)
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C R E AT E A L E G A C Y
Gift for the Future
Leaving a part of your estate to charity ensures support for the causes that move you, well into the future.
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PHOTO: BC CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
W
e all strive to live our best lives. We work hard, play hard, and whenever possible, we do good—and for many, the idea of extending that good into the future is part of the long-term vision of a fulfilling life. Enter legacy giving—leaving behind part of one’s estate after passing and ensuring that the organizations and communities that inspire us in life continue successfully into the future.
BC CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL Hilary Beard, director, Gifts & Estate Planning at BC Children’s Hospital
Foundation, says a legacy gift might be the largest gift a donor makes, making each legacy decision very important and valued by the foundation. “Thoughtful planning, assisted by experienced advisors, can provide gifts that are able to improve child health through treatment, equipment and research, to name a few,” she says. “As the only children’s hospital in the province, legacy gifts are a vital way in which all BC’s communities may ensure each child in the future receives the best medical care possible.”
Beard admires Dr. Mavis Teasdale, the sole pioneer hematologist and oncologist from the 60s who’s legacy to the foundation created her named endowment. Dr. Teasdale’s dedication lives on to continue the fight against childhood cancer. Wills are powerful tools in legacy planning, allowing individuals to make thoughtful decisions—often with family input—about how to divide their estate.
VGH & UBC HOSPITAL FOUNDATION Angela Chapman, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation president, thinks of individuals such as Vincenzo Special Feature
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“Arthritis can prevent a person from working, being physically active and caring for young children,” says Dr. Diane Lacaille, the organization’s scientific director. “It can cause sleep problems, mental health issues and put people at risk for serious complications like heart attack and stroke. Legacy gifts directly support research to find answers to these lifechanging problems so that people can thrive despite their arthritis.”
PHOTO: ANGELA CHAPMAN, VGH & UBC HOSPITAL FOUNDATION PRESIDENT
Albanese, an Italian immigrant who left everything behind in post-war Italy to pursue a dream of a new life in Canada. He worked throughout his entire life, helping build Vancouver and a future for his family.
While Arthritis Research Canada has made significant progress in arthritis treatment, there is still much to be done to lessen pain and disability and help people live well with arthritis. Legacy giving makes this possible. “Our multi-disciplined research team is conducting over 100 studies aimed at preventing arthritis, facilitating
“He chose to leave his estate to his family and his community,” Chapman says. “This included a legacy gift to VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation to support the future of health care. His bequest gift funded a number of health care programs, state-of-the-art equipment and new technology that allows patients and health care teams to access live medical interpretation in over 240 languages.” Albanese’s family shared with Chapman’s team that he wanted to support those who needed it the most. “He loved Vancouver and wanted to take care of others in our province, and he thought there was nothing better than the hospital that provided the most specialized care,” she says. “His story is just one of so many who are making a difference.”
ARTHRITIS RESEARCH CANADA Arthritis Research Canada depends on legacy gifts for advancing its goals to find solutions that help people overcome the challenges caused by their arthritis—challenges that interfere with daily life.
PHOTO: ARTHRITIS RESEARCH CANADA
early diagnosis, finding better treatments and improving quality of life,” Lacaille says. “We are giving people the tools they need to continue to live full lives even with arthritis.”
BURNABY HOSPITAL FOUNDATION Legacy gifts are also critical to Burnaby Hospital Foundation providing funding for urgently needed medical equipment. Currently, the foundation is underway with a $30 million transformational campaign called A Proud History, A Bright Future to create Phase 1 of a stateof-the-art facility to meet the health
care needs of the community and for generations to come. “Donors often cite the thousands of patients that will benefit from their legacy gift as a primary reason to choose Burnaby Hospital as a beneficiary of their estate,” says Sylvia Zylla, Legacy Giving for Burnaby Hospital Foundation. “In a typical year, Burnaby Hospital cares for over 200,000 patients with diagnostic, medical and surgical procedures. It also has one of the busiest emergency departments in the Fraser Health Authority.”
VARIETY BC Variety - the Children’s Charity imagines a future where BC’s kids with special needs are thriving, achieving their full potential and having their needs met every single day. “Legacy gifts will provide help and hope to BC families who have children with special needs,” says Cally Wesson, Variety BC CEO. “They ensure that Variety is always there to step in for these families where healthcare ends, to be able to say “Yes!” when they need it most. Your gift gives kids the opportunity to thrive and reach their unique potential.” Variety - the Children’s Charity has been helping children in British Columbia for more than 55 years. Legacy gifts ensure that Variety continues to help BC’s kids by providing education support, specialized therapies, medical equipment and supplies and mental wellness counselling. How to choose from many charitable organizations doing good work is an important question. A legacy gift can be powerful for creating lasting change, which means the first consideration should be organizations and institutions that have made a difference in a donor’s life and the lives of family and friends. The second consideration is how to plan legacy gifts so the transition is clear and smooth for families.
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C R E AT E A L E G A C Y
business. A legacy gift, say 20% of an estate, can integrate into current planning, and the yearly contribution reduces taxes payable today. “An official tax receipt is issued every time new contributions are made to the foundation, allowing the donor to enjoy an immediate tax benefit with the flexibility to recommend a gift to the charities of their choice when they are ready,” Esplen says.
PHOTO: BURNABY HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
That means paying attention to the details when creating a Will or other documents. BC Children’s Hospital Foundation can provide helpful pros and cons on choosing an executor, as well as advice on deciding on a gift amount. “Ensure your lawyer or notary records the correct legal name in your Will or other designated asset document and check in with your charities if you are unsure,” Beard says. “Consider making your legacy a percentage, so you do not have to worry about changing paperwork if you need to use your funds.” Discussing the beneficiary list with professional advisor(s) is the next step, as there are some planning techniques that can help reduce the tax liability that an estate could incur. “It’s important for people to know that they can take care of the ones they love and support the causes they value most,” Lacaille says. “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. “We recommend donors speak with their professional advisors to get the best advice for their particular situation,” Lacaille adds.
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“Legacy giving not only leaves a lasting legacy after someone passes and keeps their memory alive in the community, but it also provides tax advantages,” Wesson says. “Due to Canadian tax regulations, funds that would typically go to the Canada Revenue Agency in taxes can instead be donated to a charity—ensuring that people who believe strongly in a cause can continue to support its mission even after they’re gone.”
NICOLA WEALTH MANAGEMENT Tim Esplen is a director of Nicola Wealth’s Private Giving Foundation (PGF). He says one of the best ways to ensure more funds are ultimately available to the end charities is through a PGF—an alternative to a private foundation, allowing donors to enjoy administrative convenience, cost savings and tax advantages while conducting their charitable giving.
The advantage here is that the donor is making donations and receiving tax credits in the years when his income is likely the highest it ever will be, as opposed to in retirement. If the business owner decided to sell his business at a later date, once he has taken advantage of all other tax planning available, he can also donate a portion of the securities outstanding to the DAF to reduce the taxes owed on the sale and generate a bigger donation. “The Nicola Wealth Private Giving Foundation provides more flexibility in donating and the opportunity to continue giving for as long as the need endures,” Esplen says. “It is a chance to leave a lasting legacy that is built around the spirit of charity and philanthropy, and it is a way to ensure that the worthwhile causes we hold dear continue to find the support they deserve.”
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“Ultimately, more good is done for a cause that the client cares deeply about,” he says. “That is the real power of the Nicola Wealth PGF.” A donor establishes a donor advised fund (DAF) with PGF by entering into a Deed of Gift and making an initial gift. A DAF allows a donor to donate funds in years where they have a larger profit, a large capital gain or are selling part or all of their
PHOTO: BURNABY HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
2022-01-10 12:27 PM
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C R E AT E A L E G A C Y
Leave a legacy. Transform health care. A gift in your will helps save and improve lives in BC. Leaving a gift in your will offers vital support to our world-class hospitals and health care centres. You empower critical research, equip our health care teams with cutting-edge technology, and help transform care for all British Columbians.
For more information, contact: Charlene Taylor, Director, Gift & Estate Planning 604 875 4917
vghfoundation.ca/legacy
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Help kids like India stay strong.
Your Will can help do that.
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GIVING
IN-KIND How to maximize your charitable giving long into the future
E
veryone knows that smart wealth management is part of the secret to financial success. That’s why even once we have achieved financial independence, we continue to steward our wealth, maximizing returns and minimizing risk, fees and taxes. But what about giving money away? Are we as prudent with our donations as we are with our investments and, most importantly, do we ensure the funds we donate go as far as they can? Ethan Astaneh, wealth advisor and client relationship manager at Nicola Wealth, says we certainly ought to. Responding generously when a charity we treasure makes the ask is fabulous and maximizing the impact of our donations is even better. “Having an integrated plan is critical when considering charitable giving in an estate plan,” Astaneh says. “At the end of the day, your capital at death will be divided between individuals, charities and the government. Having an integrated plan can mean that your family and charities receive more, thus reducing the amount paid to governments for taxes or probate fees.” One universal misunderstanding that leads to higher than
necessary taxes and fees is individuals giving cash instead of giving units of securities held in taxable investment accounts “in-kind”. But in-kind donations can be a game-changer in stretching your dollars to the maximum. “The reason is giving in-kind avoids any capital gains associated with selling the securities to give cash,” he says. “So, you are effectively giving with before-tax dollars, whereas with cash donations you are giving with after-tax dollars.” He also suggests a donor-advised fund or setting up a foundation if you have plans to give on an ongoing basis. “The advantage of a donoradvised fund or a foundation is greater flexibility in tax planning,” Astaneh says. For example, suppose you plan to give $10,000 per year to registered Canadian charities for the next 10 years; however, you happen to be facing a large tax event in this calendar year and you expect to be in a lower tax bracket in subsequent years. “You can donate $100,000 up front and in-kind this year, to front-load the tax benefit against your high income this year, yet still you can distribute the $10,000 per year to charities
from the donor-advised fund or foundation,” Astaneh says. “While the capital ‘waits’ in the donor-advised fund or foundation—for future distribution to charities—it can be invested and grow, which enhances the benefits that charities will receive.” Since the donor-advised fund or foundation is itself a charitable entity, it does not pay any tax on investment gains. That means the $100,000 you were planning to give away over the next 10 years was transferred to a donor-advised
fund or foundation to realize the tax benefit up-front, yet still you have the flexibility to distribute to charities over time. For individuals who are in the highest marginal tax bracket on an ongoing basis, consider buying Flow Through Shares as part of an ongoing giving strategy. Since Flow Through Shares are a speculative investment that provide tax benefits, it is critical to review this strategy with a wealth professional to ensure suitability and to understand the various options.
Created by Vancouver Magazine in partnership with NICOLA WEALTH MANAGEMENT
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“Under this approach, an individual can buy Flow Through Shares to realize tax benefits, and concurrently they can give securities in taxable accounts in-kind,” Astaneh says. “Combining these two strategies delivers the most tax-effective method for giving—it can cost an individual in the highest marginal tax bracket in BC as little as $1 to give $1,000 to charity.” This arrangement will not suit every donor, but it gives you a glimpse of the possibilities when you combine the
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expertise of your accountant and financial advisor to harmonize your financial plan and leverage your giving to greatest effect. Be sure to work with an advisor to develop an integrated financial plan that incorporates not only retirement saving but tax planning, succession planning for your business (if applicable), estate planning and charitable giving, so all the moving parts work together. You’ve worked too hard to let your legacy get diminished now and after you’re gone.
Learn more at: nicolawealth.com
This material contains the current opinions of the author and such opinions are subject to change without notice. This material is distributed for informational purposes only. Forecasts, estimates, and certain information contained herein are based upon proprietary research and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product. All investments contain risk and may gain or lose value. Please speak to your Nicola Wealth advisor for advice based on your unique circumstances. Nicola Wealth is registered as a Portfolio Manager, Exempt Market Dealer and Investment Fund Manager with the required provincial securities commissions.
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INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS
Rising Up
yo sa lif m fa to av
Independent schools in BC are uniquely positioned to make the best of change and forge a brighter path forward
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PHOTO: BRENTWOOD COLLEGE SCHOOL
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o one has felt the pandemic like children. From strained social interactions to routine disruptions and missing extended family members, our youngest have had to navigate a changing landscape with more than a few curveballs. For many, school has been the staple, and BC’s independent schools have been uniquely positioned to move forward in constructive ways, often leveraging pandemic related pivots to forge new paths to even brighter student experiences.
BRENTWOOD COLLEGE SCHOOL
Brentwood College School in Mill Bay is back to its fully functioning tripartite system that places academics, art and sports in set blocks that run all day until 6 pm, six days a week and ensure students an interdisciplinary education without having to compromise cross-curricular activities. PHOTO: BRENTWOOD COLLEGE SCHOOL
“This structure really provided us with the foundation to forge ahead and offer the boarding and school experience that we thought was so essential for
PHO Special Feature
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young people at Brentwood College School,” says Liam Sullivan, deputy head, student life “When you think of wellness and the mental health impacts many young people faced, we are so happy that we were able to offer a sense of community that wasn’t available for many students in Canada.”
“There is a freedom that you feel across our campus that wasn’t there last year,” Sullivan says. “Just like everywhere, there was a depletion of positivity and energy because of what was happening, but this year feels much better and brighter.”
Bentwood is well positioned to manage change, regardless of a pandemic, because it is 100% committed to boarding. “Our boarding numbers far outweigh our day population, and our whole structure is devoted to the student experience all day, every day,” Sullivan says. “Because of that if we need to talk about change or innovate, we are all here together.”
In the spring of 2020, when all schools had to shift to remote learning, Glenlyon Norfolk School in Victoria launched GNS GO! (Gryphons Online)—a platform that allowed students to continue their learning for the remainder of that year.
While the end of the pandemic can’t come soon enough, the school is currently dealing with far fewer constraints than it was last year. The focus now is the vaccination program, which has been adopted and allows the rest of Brentwood’s activities to flow freely.
GLENLYON NORFOLK SCHOOL
Although GNS was operating full-time, in person last school year, it remains poised to be able to deliver GNS GO! again, if necessary. “Last year, we continued to offer a robust co-curricular experience for our students,” says Trevor Mannion, director of enrollment at GNS. “We put on virtual events, live streamed or recorded
performances, or simply continued to train and stay engaged while having fun through intramural sports.” Moving forward, GNS will continue its policies around health and safety and managing communicable diseases, and it will keep the school nurse role and additional mental wellness support indefinitely. GNS’s ability to pivot stems from its greatest asset: its people. “In many situations, our parents and guardians were unable to come to campus last year, and so they remained connected to the school through our communications,” Mannion says. “Now that they are beginning to have opportunities to come back to campus, they are more eager and engaged than ever before, and that continues to strengthen a wonderful partnership. Our students and employees have proven very resilient, and the pandemic bonded us closer together as a community.”
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INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS
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#choosetobe
Where Students Choose To Be
Created by Vancouver magazine in partnership with Glenlyon Norfolk School
The fact that students choose Brentwood is what makes this place so special. Because when a student truly wants to be here, and they’re surrounded by a family of like-minded friends and supporters, we believe they can choose to be ... anything.
Join us for a virtual open house | Register at brentwood.ca/info Co-ed | Boarding | Day | Grades 8-12 | University Prep | Vancouver Island | BC
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Glenlyon
CREATED BY
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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
GLENLYON NORFOLK SCHOOL
weekends,” says Chad Holtum, Head of School at GNS. “Wherever they live in BC—Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, or in the Vancouver area—our partnership with Harbour Air helps students stay connected with their families.” The IB curriculum is known for being highly sought after by universities in BC and around the world, especially because of its rigor and focus on interdisciplinary learning. It’s not just about knowledge acquisition, but about developing a deep understanding of the content and connections. “When students are learning about real world topics, such as climate change, they learn to look from historical, geographical, social, and literary perspectives,” Mannion says. “That helps students take what they are faced with in life, upack and understand it, and work toward making real change.” At GNS, a successful student experience relies on a strong partnership between staff, students
THINK BIG, LIVE SMALL Glenlyon Norfolk School in Victoria, BC, offers the advantages of the IB Diploma curriculum and homestyle boarding in a smaller, more intimate city environment.
“When I think of learning outcomes for our students, it starts with learning in an environment where there are fewer distractions and where the focus Created by Vancouver magazine in partnership with Glenlyon Norfolk School
is on being well-rounded students and developing
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skills in all areas of school,” says Trevor Mannion, Director of Enrolment at Glenlyon Norfolk School (GNS) in Victoria, BC. “This creates and shapes young adults who are well prepared for university and beyond. These are the kind of kids we want to be our future leaders—engaged and curious.” Due to high demand for the IB Diploma program in Vancouver, gaining access to this exceptional curriculum can be challenging on
and parents. “Concepts that we cover in school are reinforced at home, and the values expressed at home around the dinner table are shared values with the school,” says Cole Carlson, Deputy Head of school at GNS. “This is important for students looking at Gryphon House. We look at aligning student and family values because it’s not just the experience we are creating for kids; we are creating it with them.” All GNS students all have access to a great support system that includes faculty and staff, and integrated leadership and mentorship opportunities through their peers. Student success is evidenced by the high success rate GNS students have entering university. In 2021, the graduating class of 63 students was offered over $1.6 million in scholarship awards and an average of four post-secondary acceptances per student. Can’t wait to find out more? Visit the school’s website to connect with the Admissions Team and learn more about what GNS has to offer. ■
the mainland. GNS’s boarding program means students can access this curriculum while
LEARN MORE: mygns.ca
remaining close to their families.
CONNECT:
This September, GNS opened Gryphon House,
FACEBOOK: mygns
its homestyle boarding program that houses 24
INSTAGRAM: mygns
students from grades 8-12 along with two teachers
TWITTER: glenlyonnorfolk
in a beautifully renovated heritage home in Oak Bay, just moments from the GNS campuses. “It is well positioned for students living throughout BC who want the flexibility to travel home on
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VANESSA HEINS
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I N D I G E N O U S A R T / C H A M PI O N C H I C K E N / VA N C O U V E R H O U S E E AT S
VA N M AG .C O M/C I T Y
Culture THE TICK E T
FAIL EPIC
VANESSA HEINS
National bestselling author Vivek Shraya is well-known for writing, but the Calgary-based multidisciplinary artist has always had a love for the stage. “I started out as a musician, and being a writer is something that sort of happened along the way,” she shares. Her upcoming one-woman show in the PuSh Performing Arts Festival covers her popstar journey—but not in the rags-to-riches style of most musical memoirs. “For me, it felt really important to tell a story of what it means to not have your dreams come true,” says Shraya, “especially in a culture where we are obsessed with being resilient. You’re not supposed to reveal your heartbreak—you’re not supposed to say that you’ve failed.” She titled the show How to Fail as a Popstar, and describes it as an “antisuccess story.” That said, the show isn’t a total bummer: with cheeky humour and down-to-earth joy, it celebrates the comedy of tragedy. There’s storytelling, music, movement and sass, and, ultimately, it’s relatable. “Most of us have wanted something and haven’t been successful,” says Shraya. “And for me, this play is a gesture in giving people the space to own their failures.”
PAGE TO STAGE Shraya’s latest book, People Change, hit shelves this January. In it, the artist explores her long-standing fascination with the reinvention of change. Actor Elliot Page calls it “a deeply generous and honest gift to the world.”
HOW TO FAIL AS A POPSTAR DATE February 1 and 2 VENUE Performance Works pushfestival.ca
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Culture
THE TICKET
Intangible Thread at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
Feeling 22 Fresh events and old favourites to keep your calendar hopping in the new year. Alyssa Hirose
GORILLA THEATRE DATE Every Saturday VENUE Tightrope Theatre COST $20 tightropetheatre.com This wild and wacky show at the city’s newest comedy venue is made up of expert improvisors competing for the audience’s praise (delivered in the form of bananas, because, you know, gorillas). The comedian with the most bananas at the end of the evening wins. DINE OUT VANCOUVER DATE January 14 to 31 VENUE Restaurants across the city COST Varies dineoutvancouver.com If you’re feeling a bit stuck in your ways, resto-wise, this annual fest is the answer: over three hundred participating restaurants offer their best dishes at fixed prices (and it’s easy to filter by budget). Official menus go live on January 6; start planning date night now.
The Drunken Chocolatier’s Tempering Workshop
Dine Out Vancouver
INTANGIBLE THREAD DATE January 14 to March 30 VENUE Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden COST $16 for adults vancouverchinesegarden.com Local artist Xiangmei Su grew up watching her mother weave in her hometown of Suzhou, China, and her latest exhibition is inspired by that traditional craft. Sixteen paintings and one installation explore themes of identity, migration and modernity. Sew cool.
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African Fashion Week
CHOCOLATE TEMPERING WORKSHOP DATE January 22 and February 19 VENUE Drunken Chocolatier COST $83 drunkenchocolatier.com ’Tis the season for learning something new, and knowing how to temper chocolate is a pretty awesome (and dare we say sexy?) skill. Carina Chao, otherwise known as the Drunken Chocolatier, teaches you how in this workshop. MATRIARCHS UPRISING FESTIVAL DATE February 14 to 19 VENUE Scotiabank Dance Centre COST By donation thedancecentre.ca This powerful fest shines a spotlight on contemporary Indigenous dancers Sophie Dow, Jeanette Kotowich, Animikiikwe Couchie-Waukey, Bella Waru and Christine Friday. Don’t miss the workshops and masterclasses, too. AFRICAN FASHION WEEK SHOW DATE February 19 VENUE BMO Theatre’s Newmont Stage COST From $49 afwv.ca African designers based in the Lower Mainland and beyond share runway-ready looks at this event presented by the African Fashion and Arts Movement (AFAM Vancouver). There’s also live music, a marketplace and a silent auction benefitting youth development and empowerment programs in Lagos.
INTANGIBLE THREAD: SE YMOUR ART; DINE OUT: THREESIX T Y PHOTOGRAPHY; AFRICAN FASHION WEEK: MELISSA CISNEROS
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Culture
ON THE RISE
LIGHT-BULB MOMENT
Jewellery designer John Velten crafts wearable art out of North Vancouver.
I can translate drawings to jewellery, and that opens up the doors for others.”
i Velten’s own designs include the Foundations ring (left) and Deep Wisdom pendant (above), and he’s working on an engraved authentication system for his work—no replicating allowed!
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Alyssa Hirose
John Velten’s bold and fantastical childhood drawings led teachers to push him toward the arts—but instead he started a career as an electrician at the age of 17. “I thought there wasn’t any money in art,” he remembers. But two years out of high school, with 3,800 hours and half an apprenticeship under his belt, he knew electrical work wasn’t for him. “I was seeing people who were 40, 50, 60 years into the field who seemed unhappy,” he says. “I didn’t want to end up that way.” Velten, who has Dene ancestry, quit his job and started a mentorship with Tahltan artist Alano Edzerza, then another with Haida artist Rick Adkins. He founded his own company, Northwest Styles, in 2016, and has practiced in painting, digital art, carving, metalwork, glasswork, 3D modelling and animation. The 26-year-old’s latest endeavour is First Nations Gallery, a jewellery company that forges Indigenous designs out of precious metals. Velten does all of the fabrication himself with a laser machine. Each necklace, ring and bracelet holds meaning—the Foundations ring, for example, has a beaver motif symbolizing strong beginnings, and the Deep Wisdom pendant’s design came from a run-in with an owl. Besides his own designs, Velten works with over 30 Indigenous designers to create wearable art— whether or not metalwork is their thing. “I can translate drawings to jewellery, and that opens up the doors for others,” he says. He’s long retired from the electrical field, but still sparking inspiration.
PORTRAIT: TANYA GOEHRING
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PORTRAIT: TANYA GOEHRING
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Culture
THE DISH
WINNER, WINNER
DRINK THIS
We’re living in a golden age of golden chicken. After years in the hinterland, not a week goes by anymore that a new spot doesn’t pop up, paint still drying on the sign, to offer some variation of dredged, breaded and lovingly deep-fried poultry. There’s Fighter Chicken and Rib & Chicken in Marpole, Chirpyhut in the Cambie Village, and C&T on Burrard, with Le Coq Frit just around the corner on Broadway and Donky a few blocks east— and that’s just the tip of the drumstick. But it wasn’t always biscuit wheels on a gravy train bound for Nashville in July. Before this current onslaught, before the quantum shift of Downlow or the pioneering of Juke, there was Zabu, one of those oddball spots on lower Robson with a weird font and worse decor—but they had vision. They brought the Korean Fried Chicken (KFC) phenomenon to town, dressed with either the original light soy, the trendsetting Zabu hot or one of their eccentric variations: the puffed rice of Sal Sal chicken or the chili garlic of Yang Nyum. And, notwithstanding the competition they face from literally every quadrant of the city, the place still nails it night in, night out (there’s never been any lunch service here) like the OG of KFC. Zabu Chicken, 1635 Robson, zabuchicken.com by
Neal McLennan
DEVINE ANCIENT GRAINS, $ 72 What is an “alt whisky”? Well, in some ways it’s the most local way to craft spirits: it eschews the strict guidelines from the old world (“Scotch whisky shall...”) and instead lets a curious distiller pick and choose their grains and techniques and improvise. In this bottle’s case, it means there’s barley, spelt and then some real esoteric grains, like emmer, khorasan and einkorn. The result is like no whisky you’ve ever had—and that’s the point. This isn’t some single-malt wannabe, it is its fully formed own thing. I was on the blind tasting panel that awarded this whisky gold medals in both 2020 and 2021—medals it earned for its lively cereal notes and uncommon civility given its young age. It tastes just like... itself.
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MadeInVa
WE’RE LOOKING FOR VANCOUVER’S BEST MAKERS! Vancouver magazine’s 2022 Made in Vancouver Awards spotlight the city’s best homegrown goods, from artisanal hot sauces to handcrafted bags to eco-chic outerwear. This is your chance to share your locally made products with our esteemed judges and our editorial team; winners will be featured in the July/August issue of the magazine.
OUR 2022 CATEGORIES INCLUDE... FOOD Sauces, oils/vinegars; preserves and spreads; sweet and savoury snacks D R I NK Beers and spirits; cocktail mixes; shrubs and bitters; non-alcoholic bevs
BE AU T Y Makeup; skincare; haircare; self-care
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ENTER NOW AT madeinvancouverawards.com ENTRY PORTAL OPENS: MARCH 7, 2022 DEADLINE: APRIL 15, 2022
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REVIEWS
THE DEETS
Autostrada
GLASS ACT
1481 Continental St., autostradahospitality.ca
Love it or loathe it, Vancouver House’s facade is part of our urban landscape—but does the troika of new restaurants located there elicit the same sort of emotions? Neal McLennan
It was mid-April and social media was hopping with news about a flood on the 29th floor of Vancouver House gushing downward to the levels below. But instead of the usual heartfelt expressions of sympathy one normally associates with such events, there was an evident and disconcerting vein of glee: “I love the water feature!” wrote one real sweetheart. The incident was par for the course for Westbank’s flashy tower, the twisting metal rising up from a formerly dowdy stretch of North False Creek. The project was greeted with oohs and aahs when it was announced with architect-ofthe-moment Bjarke Ingels back in 2016. But a sizeable portion of that goodwill soured as rumours of it being marketed to offshore owners first and its overtly luxe leanings began to appear increasingly out-of-step in a city where the divide between the haves and have-nots seems to grow each year. Even hiring Rodney Graham, one of the most acclaimed artists the city has ever produced, to do a public art installation elicited a backlash. But does this animus apply to the restaurants that have moved into the new zone? A stroll through the compact area—they’re trying to brand the microhood “the Beach District,” notwithstanding the lack of, you know, beaches—reveals a very slick, modern little footprint clad in metal and glass that wouldn’t feel out of place in London’s Kings Cross. And the restaurants appear to be hopping.
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The cozy Autostrada
The menu is recognizable to anyone who has been to either of the other two Autostradas— there are a few dishes missing and a few new additions—but for the most part it’s an exercise in “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” (The spot briefly had acclaimed chef Stefan Hartmann at the helm, but they amicably parted ways last spring.) And it’s a wonderfully tight menu anchored by classics—tuna crudo, bucatini cacio e pepe— that allows the willing to branch out into more esoteric shapes (the fazzoletti, or kerchief pasta, has quickly become a signature) and daily specials that skew more adventurous.
The vitello tonnato is an exercise of restrained perfection.
But it’s the two pillars of execution and value that have this place perpetually slammed. On that first pillar, all I can say is that, over the course of four years and now three Autostradas, I’ve not only never had a bad meal, I’ve never had a bad dish. The vitello tonnato is an exercise of restrained perfection—not mucked up with any “signatures” Syme might want to impart on an iconic dish, just perfectly cooked, thinly sliced veal topped with a tuna sauce that’s exactly briny enough to provide balance without being showy. The duck and anchovy ragu is a Venetian-inspired wonder—there’s not a tomato in sight, and the anchovy quotient is aggressive but perfectly offsets the duck’s richness. And then there’s the service. Even in the teeth of the staffing crunch, all three Autostradas seem to engender a rare devotion among their workers and the service is the beneficiary. An example: I order a glass of Castello di Albola Chianti— at $14, it’s near the top of their reasonable by-the-glass prices—and I spy the bartender grab the three-quarters-full bottle, uncork it, give a quick sniff and then reach down to open an entirely new one. It was refreshing in the face of my ongoing pet peeve toward so many wine-by-the-glass programs—namely, that “not gone bad” is not the same as good. It speaks to a place that is intensely customer focused: from
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ÇA MARCHE: JUNO KIM; LINH CAFÉ: SUE-LEE WIGHT
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My guess is that when Westbank was plotting their commercial tenants, they assumed that the outpost of David Chang’s Momofuku empire would be the catalyst that drew people to the area. Well, thanks in part to COVID, there’s still no Momofuku and with both the restaurant and the developer staying mum on the status, I think it’s fair to say it ain’t opening soon, if ever. In its place (figuratively, not literally) is a different outpost—Lucais Syme and Dustin Dockendorf’s third Autostrada—that has filled the void and proved such a draw that I’m eating at the bar, by myself, on a rainy Tuesday at 5 p.m. I tried for weeks and weeks to get a reservation but it proved impossible. Seriously, even shooting long into the future and opting for Mondays and Tuesdays, I was still relegated to either the before-5:30 or after-8:30 time slots. But even at 5:00, the place is already half full, and by the time I leave 75 minutes later, it’s packed. The room isn’t huge—it seats 74—but they’ve clearly captured the attention of the locals: one fellow solo patron is clearly here for his weekly spot and a family with young kids is in one of the banquettes for what also looks like a standing reservation. It feels like the potential of Coal Harbour as a neighbourhood is finally being realized here—20 blocks to the south.
AUTOSTRADA INTERIOR: HAK AN BURCUOGLU; AUTOSTRADA FOOD: BRITNE Y GILL
Culture
relatively compact and requires you to think of cider more like wine and less like beer (at least in terms of how much it will cost you), which is fine, because the 500 ml of Salt Spring Wild Dry Cider was a perfect pairing with the food. When I visited they were just doing dinner, which is a shame because—apologies to all of Brittany—to the North American palate, crepes work best as breakfast food. They have just opened for lunch, which is great, and hopefully they can get some of that eggs-for-dinner marketing money because there’s nothing wrong with crepes at dinner, but as much as I’m proud that we have this sort of spot, I do wonder about the crepes-and-only-crepes theme in regards to long-term viability—whereas Autostrada eases right into the let’s-go-theretwice-a-month zone, right now, Ça Marche seems more like once-a-year territory.
Linh Café
1428 Granville St., linhcafe.com
The clean, well lit Ça Marche
If you’re here, you’re having crepes and cider, and what’s wrong with that? the menu to the wine list to the servers. And the customers, at least from the view of my 5 p.m. Tuesday solo reservation, are responding in kind.
Ça Marche
ÇA MARCHE: JUNO KIM; LINH CAFÉ: SUE-LEE WIGHT
AUTOSTRADA INTERIOR: HAK AN BURCUOGLU; AUTOSTRADA FOOD: BRITNE Y GILL
1471 Continental St., camarchecreperie.com Just up the street is Ça Marche, the ode to Brittany from Maxime Bettili (Au Comptoir) that comes in the form of buckwheat crepes paired with cider. When people ask me whether Vancouver is a “world-class city,” my new response will be to ask them if their city has a Breton crepes-and-cider house. Like Au Comptoir, it nails that Gallic je ne sais quois perfectly, save for the banks of halogen lights by the windows, which illuminate the charmingly designed spot like it’s being used in a Hallmark movie called Love, Brittany. Still, it’s a wonderfully esoteric concept and while there are a few outliers—there’s a single beer on tap and buckwheat blini are available if you order caviar—if you’re here, you’re having crepes and cider, and what’s wrong with that? The saucisse ($19) mixes pork and beef sausage with bacon, pea shoots, gruyere and pepper relish and, unlike most of the other crepes, it’s folded over like a burrito. It arrives unaccompanied on a beautiful ceramic plate, and it’s homey and enjoyable (even considering that adding heat to pea shoots is not my fave idea). The jambon cru ($24) is the more traditional layout, with a nicely cooked egg in the middle of the crepe and the ends folded over. It comes with prosciutto, burrata, arugula and splash of basil-infused olive oil—it’s very Instagrammable, especially given how bright the place is. It’s another homey dish, although a few notches up the elegance scale. Dessert? Tk tk More (super tasty) crepes. The cider list is
Classic moules at Linh Café
If anything, stepping into the neighbouring Linh seems even more Français than Ça Marche. The room is gorgeous, with bistro chairs, on-point curved banquettes and soaring ceilings, all anchored by a beautiful marble bar that one can easily imagine F. Scott Fitzgerald passing out on. This is the fancy offshoot/new location for Kitsilano’s Linh Café and, if anything, the story—Vietnam native Tai Nguyen emigrates to Vancouver and falls under the tutelage of our great French chefs before finally opening his own French-Asian fusion spot—is more impressive than the decor. But while the West 4th location always played the role of scrappy upstart, this new location is whole new level in price and sophistication, and so far it seems to be seeing really good support from the residents of the tower as well as from students at the attached word jumble that is University Canada West. At first glance the vast majority of people seem to be gravitating toward the pho, which at $17 is one of the lower-priced items on the menu. I think about it, until I spy the shaking beef (it’s since been removed from the menu) and, despite a $29 lunch dish also seeming very Fitzgeraldian, I go for it. The dish was popularized by Charles Phan of San Francisco’s legendary Slanted Door and consists of cubes of tenderloin seared in a wok (the “shaking”) with fish sauce and garlic. But when my dish arrives, there’s a major disconnect: no cubes, definitely no tenderloin, just thinly shaved beef shreds that one might expect from the Edo Japan in the Pacific Centre food court with an overturned bowl of limp, lifeless rice. And then, despite my resolve to not be a prickly pain in the ass, the questions start flying: why are we eating with cheap paper napkins at these prices? Why are the glasses from Ikea? Why... I take a breath. The service has been so friendly, my wife’s burger, though small and pre-formed, is tasty and the fries with it are top-notch. Everyone else seems to be having a great time. I fear that our default these days—with buildings, with restaurants, with someone who voted differently than you—is to go nuclear as the first step, go for the cutting sound bite, the clever riposte... but sometimes not putting the boots to something is so much more rewarding.
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LOV E LET TER
by
Tammy Kwan
The author (left) with her sister at the Chinese New Year parade in 2003.
Homesick for a Vancouver Lunar New Year I was around five years old when I decided I didn’t like the annual Chinese New Year parade in Chinatown. The extravagant showcase of lion dancing, the firecrackers, the God of Wealth handing out lai see (lucky red envelopes)—all decidedly a crowd favourite. But I hated the loud noises, the crowded streets and—as clearly evidenced by my grimace in most of the photos over the years (sorry, mom)—my mother asking me to smile for the camera. But my extended family and I were there every year, rain or shine. As early immigrants from Hong Kong, they didn’t have many cultural events in the city, and just once a year the ritual of watching brightly coloured lions dance to the beat of the drums and cymbals as we all munched on some nutty sesame fritters—well, they could feel a little closer to home. We stopped going to the Chinese New Year parade after my grandparents passed away in the early 2000s. As a grumpy 12-year-old kid, I was happy to no longer have to head to Chinatown in the winter, huddling with my sister to stay warm as we waited for a glimpse of the festivities on the streets. But I recently moved to Singapore, and the distance has had me longing for everything I did love about our Lunar New Year celebrations. Like how we’d visit each of our relatives’ homes to bai leen (give greetings and best wishes) for a prosperous start to the new year. In turn, we’d receive those lucky red envelopes from family members, monetary gifts to wish us good luck for the coming year. If we didn’t make reservations at Kirin at Starlight
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Casino to take advantage of its attentive service and incredible egg custard tarts, then my mom would be cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Her elaborate family feasts could easily feed 10—with each dish and ingredient being auspicious to bring good fortune. There was always dried sea moss, or fat choi, because it sounds similar to “gaining wealth” in Cantonese. Abalone, whole fish and chicken were central, symbolizing a surplus of wealth, abundance and family togetherness. And while we’ve never been a particularly religious family, we’d visit the International Buddhist Temple to pray for a prosperous year ahead. There, the expansive flower market was a gorgeous sea of red, decked out with lanterns, Lunar New Year windmills and calligraphy banners alongside potted orchids and lucky bamboo. This Februrary, for the first time in many years, I’m not going to be in Vancouver to celebrate Lunar New Year. And while I expect my new home in Singapore is surely going to ring in the Year of the Tiger on a grand scale, my family won’t be with me. I won’t be there to inhale the freshly made New Year’s rice cakes my mom makes—sweet, piping-hot perfection on a cold winter morning. I won’t catch up on life and laugh with cousins I only see twice a year. And I won’t get to count all the lucky red envelopes my sister and I receive from our relatives. I’ll be homesick for my Vancouver New Year traditions—even the loud and obnoxious Chinese New Year parade in Chinatown. Next time I’m back to watch it, I’ll be happily huddling for warmth with my sister, enjoying every last moment.
COURTESY TAMMY K WAN
Longing for family and traditions from halfway across the world.
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AN ICONIC ADDRESS DESIGNED TO MOVE YOU.
55km of biking & hiking trails
Canada’s mildest, most temperate climate
Canada’s largest indoor/ outdoor clay tennis centre
ULTRA RECREATIONAL LIVING
COURTESY TAMMY K WAN
OVER 50% SOLD OPENING WEEK! Just minutes from downtown Victoria, you’ll live your best life in a pristine resort community. Overlook two Nicklaus Design golf courses, explore miles of hiking and biking trails and experience Canada’s largest indoor/outdoor red clay tennis centre. Masterful architecture, unparalleled shared amenities and modern, sophisticated residences converge to create this best-in-class property in One Bear Mountain.
36 Holes of Nicklaus Design golf
ONE BEAR MOUNTAIN IS MARKETED BY BLUEPRINT GLOBAL AND BROKERED BY FIFTH AVENUE
OFFERED FROM $700,000 - $2 MILLION+
onebearmountain.com
250-853-0333 | hello@onebearmountain.com In our continuing effort to improve and maintain the high standard of the One Bear Mountain development, the developer reserves the right to modify or change plans, specifications, features and prices without notice. Materials may be substituted with equivalent or better at the developer’s sole discretion. All dimensions and sizes are approximate and are based on architectural measurements. As reverse, flipped, and/or mirrored plans occur throughout the development please see architectural plans for exact unit layout if material to your decision to purchase. Illustrations, renderings, photos and marketing materials provided are an artist’s conception and are intended as a general reference only, not to be relied upon, and are subject to change without prior notice. Please ask one of the helpful sales staff to reference the most recent set of architectural construction drawings for most up to date dimensions and other details. Please refer to disclosure statement for specific offering details. E.&O.E.
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