Vancouver Magazine, November/December 2021 by Canada Wide Media

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

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SPONSORED REPORT

Left: FIRST UNITED’s current building at the corner of Hastings and Gore. Above: FIRST UNITED community member Angelo and his dog, Kale.

MOVING FIRST FORWARD

FIRST UNITED’s $30 million site redevelopment campaign is your chance to help another person connect, heal and thrive For over 135 years, FIRST UNITED has meaningfully engaged with its community and neighbours in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES), in the face of extreme poverty, historical and personal trauma, mental illness and oppression. Today, FIRST UNITED envisions a neighbourhood where every person’s worth is celebrated, and all people thrive—and it needs your help. FIRST UNITED launched a project in 2017 to redevelop its site at 320 East Hastings into a multi-storey, purpose-built space that will offer four floors of programs and services operated by FIRST, and over 100 units of below-market rental housing for Indigenous Peoples operated by Lu’ma Native Housing Society. “The total cost of the project is $65 million,” says FIRST

UNITED Executive Director, Carmen Lansdowne. “Our portion is $30 million, and we’ve already raised over 70 percent of that. With the launch of our First Forward campaign, we’re excited to invite more of the Greater Vancouver public to join us to move FIRST forward and help us do this incredible work.” The new 40,000-squarefoot FIRST UNITED will include two drop-in spaces, a commercial kitchen and dining area, legal advocacy and tax program spaces, multipurpose spaces, public showers, a day sleeping room, an interfaith sacred space, outdoor decks, a computer lab and administrative offices. The project breaks ground in early 2022, with the new building expected to open in 2024. During construction,

FIRST UNITED services will be relocated to nearby satellite locations. FIRST’s responsive services support thousands of DTES residents each year. Its current facility, a church built in the 1960s, is known as “the church of the open door” for its inclusive, low-barrier approach. Last winter, FIRST UNITED community members Angelo and Sandy, and their dog, Kale, were living in a tent in East Vancouver. They’d struggled with their previous landlord and a lack of housing options. “We both had pneumonia,” Angelo says. “When it rained, we were damp all the time. And when night comes, it gets real cold. When we found FIRST UNITED, it was an absolute blessing. Without their help, I don’t know if we’d still be here.”

FIRST UNITED helped Angelo, Sandy and Kale to find shelter, and provided them with hot showers, fresh supplies, and three meals a day. FIRST also helped connect Angelo and Sandy to medical care and, six months later, housing. “We have a roof over our heads and food in the fridge,” Angelo says. “We’re happy. If you can see it in your heart to give, you should know that your help could change somebody’s life. I know it changed mine.” LEARN MORE Firstunited.ca firstforward@firstunited.ca

CONNECT Facebook: @FirstUnitedDTES Twitter: @FirstUnitedDTES

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CIT Y INFORMER

Who Lives in Vancouver’s Fieldhouses? by

Stacey McLachlan Byron Eggenschwiler

illustration by

When you get into journalism, you expect to face certain challenges in your career: uncooperative interview subjects, tight deadlines, discovering there are almost no opportunities to work “What a scoop!” into an everyday conversation, et cetera. But struggling with all-consuming jealousy while reporting a story was a surprising new hurdle to face. Did you know it’s almost impossible to see the keyboard when you’re seething with real-estate-induced envy? It makes it incredibly difficult to slc$a9&6vr gpa! But despite the fact that I am frothing at the mouth with a bad, perhaps incurable case of Property Value Fever, it is my sacred duty as a reporter to tell you there are people in this city who live in multi-bedroom heritage homes... in Vancouver’s most beautiful parks... for free. Now, I know most of the time when you say you’re “jealous of someone getting to live in the park,” you’re baiting your NIMBY-ass Boomer uncle into a fight about Oppenheimer, partially to provoke a candid discussion about the city’s historically terrible treatment of the unhoused, but also to hopefully get kicked out of your cousin’s lame baby shower. (Why is the theme always “the miracle of birth” and never Venom: The Movie, ugh!) In this case, however, I’m referring to the caretakers who live in

“Twenty-two lucky caretakers still cling to this insane property loophole.” the parks’ beautiful, beautiful, did-Imention-rent-free fieldhouses. There are currently 56 fieldhouses sprinkled across Vancouver’s 230-plus parks, many built as early as the 1920s, when the attitude toward zoning could best be described as, “whatever, dude.” At one time, a caretaker lived in each of these little homes, entrusted by the city to keep a watchful eye over the grassy knolls, tend to repairs and refurbishments, and make sure the Canada geese weren’t getting too horned up. In exchange for their duties, this merry band of custodians received full board in the most unique addresses in the city. And in many of the parks, this tradition of live-in stewardship continues. We’re the only city in Canada to use this barter system for park care (is this a brag? It feels like a brag), but the arrangement won’t last forever. Back in 2006, city council elected to

pause the caretaker program, and has not added any new caretakers in the years since. The days of dreaming big about living at the park are slowly being phased out... though 22 lucky caretakers still live in the fieldhouses today, clinging to this insane property loophole with a vice-like grip you can’t help but admire. Gwen Marriott is one of these legendary park residents. She and her husband put their names on the waitlist in 1990, and in 1998 (at that point, with two kids in tow) they got The Call. Moving to the park allowed Gwen to go down to part-time at her day job, and 23 years later (now retired) she and Mr. Marriott still live at Beaconsfield—in an 850-squarefoot, two-storey, three-bedroom home many would have happily traded their two children for. The seven-acre park is essentially their backyard. And over the past

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two decades, the Marriotts have kept that backyard squeaky clean, locking up the washrooms (who knows what the geese will do if they get in there!), reporting vandalism and making repairs. They’ve been the eyes and ears of the park, but also the hands: hands forced to hold various tools or garbage bags in exchange for real estate. One catch: caretakers do need to pay tax on the rental value of the house each year, which, to be clear, has done nothing to stop a covetous rage so strong that I had to stop writing this story multiple times to make sure my ears weren’t bleeding. While some of the unoccupied park fieldhouses are now used as stations for park rangers, others have been converted to artist studios, clubhouses for sports teams and community centres through the city’s Fieldhouse Activation Program. These community groups act as noble tattletales when trouble is afoot, and mobile janitorial crews take care of the dirty work. So if you too are harbouring a fantasy of park life alongside a burning, itching feeling that you were born decades too late, there’s a solution: team up with a gaggle of geese to steal the janitors’ keys and overthrow the Hastings Little League to take control of the finest Vancouver property money can’t buy. Sure, the catch is that once you barricade yourself inside with your goose brethren, you likely won’t be able to leave again... but with a sweet residence like this, who would want to? Got a question for City Informer? stacey.mclachlan@vanmag.com

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Together, let’s celebrate and support small businesses.

PHOTOGRAPHY: CLINTON HUSSE Y; ST YLING: NICOLE SJÖSTEDT

At the heart of every community, there are hard-working and passionate local business owners, creating jobs and supporting the economy with their innovation and talent. We are proud to support and celebrate your success.

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Neighbourhood Gift Guide

PHOTOGRAPHY: CLINTON HUSSE Y; ST YLING: NICOLE SJÖSTEDT

All our love for the local! From city-ready apparel to cozy winter reads to edible stocking stuffers—plus, the best theatre tickets, art classes and more—this is the only Vancouver gift guide you’ll need in 2021.

SHOE IN Raincouver weather isn’t kind to sneakers—but this cleaning kit is. Find it on Main Street, page 34.

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Main Street—it’s your best bet for eclectic stocking stuffers, all-natural skincare and the coolest local art. Don’t forget your walking shoes and eco-friendly reusable tote bag.

Sneaker Cleaning Kit Front and Company, 3772 Main St. It’s the sort of thing that’s very useful, but also very boring to spend your own money on. Be a hero and toss this kit ($28) in your sneaker-savvy buddy’s stocking. frontandcompany.com

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GIFT GUIDE | MAIN STREET

Pond Life by Hiller Goodspeed Lucky’s Comics, 3972 Main St. A hardcover collection of 146 charmingly lo-fi doodles (on pressing topics like cardboard boxes, haircuts and “understanding”) from Vancouver illustrator Hiller Goodspeed ($39). luckys.ca 1

Craft Beer Growler Brassneck Brewery, 2148 Main St. In a busy block of breweries, Brassneck manages to stand out with not just a rotating selection of beers on tap, but also a few new designs on its growler bottles, often featuring illos from local artists (bottles from $3, beer prices vary). brassneck.ca

SNEAKER HEADS

Vitruvi Stone Diffuser Nineteen Ten, 4366 Main St. Crafted from matte ceramic, the ultrasonic essential oil diffuser ($119) from cult fave Vitruvi is both an olfactory and visual pleasure—especially in this warm honey hue. nineteenten.ca 4

WHILE YOU SHOP... EAT HERE

The Arbor, 3941 Main St. May as well stay on Main for dinner, right? Plant-based comfort food from the Acorn’s sister resto fits the bill on a cold winter’s night. thearborrestaurant.ca 5

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G Ceramic and Co. Bowl Coco et Olive, 3707 Main St. When the Main Street café repurposed its seating area into a homewares market during COVID, it stacked the shelves with pieces (prices vary) from Vancouver potter G Ceramic and Co. Stock up while you can. instagram.com/cocoetolive

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Knife Sharpening Class Knifewear, 4215 Main St. Regularly scheduled courses ($100) cover the knife sharpening basics, and the shop offers special sessions just for women and nonbinary people. knifewear.com 12

International Chips Snack Land, 3011 Main St. Shop the finest junk food from around the globe. Maybe we can’t travel much right now, but tom yum soup-flavoured Lays and Dublin’s own Tayto crisps can transport us in their own special way. 778-379-9667 7

Vintage Treasure Hunt Mintage Mall, 245 E Broadway A voucher to explore the curated racks of Mintage shows that you know the real gift is the thrill of the hunt. mintage-mall.business.site 13

East 29th Vital Serum Fig, 3570 Main St. Concocted by a Vancouver makeup artist, the all-natural serum ($88) does it all: hydrates, smoothes wrinkles and, uh, elast-ifies. figface.com 8

Slouchy Cardigans Woo to See You, 3671 Main St. A medley of cute button-up sweaters lines the racks at Woo— maybe you’ll get lucky and stumble across this knitted mushroom number ($205). wootoseeyou.com 11

Kinto Kakomi Rice Cooker Vancouver Special, 3612 Main St. The heat-resistant ceramic pot ($110) goes from stovetop to table in style, while the cleverly engineered system of lids puffs every grain to perfection. vanspecial.com 10

Catalina Pitcher Much and Little, 2543 Main St. The enamel splatterware pitcher ($83) is well suited for a sunny, lemonade-fuelled afternoon on the patio, but trust us: it works just as well for egg nog. muchandlittle.com 9

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GIFT GUIDE | SOUTH GRANVILLE

Street Smart For the happy homebodies on your list, this is the route to walk: modern tableware, stunning decor and stylish accessories await. Popcorn Knit Sweater The Latest Scoop, 2928 Granville St. Winter in Vancouver is famously grey, but at least it’s sweater weather. This super-soft “popcorn knit” pullover ($70) has a fuzzy texture that goes with everything. thelatestscoop.ca 1

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Habanero ENTERTAINER Margarita Mixer Burkehille General Store, 2822 Granville St. Burkehille started as a temporary pop-up inside the Caposhie clothing store, but shoppers loved it so much that it’s here to stay. There’s a rotating cast of local home goods, beauty and wellness products, plus select international picks, like NY-based Hella Cocktail Co.’s Habanero margarita mix ($45). instagram.com/burkehillegeneralstore 2

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Sway Dinnerware Set West Elm, 2947 Granville St. Add a pop of personality to your giftee’s table with this funky dinnerware set ($213 for set of 12). If adorable speckled stoneware isn’t their vibe (boring), West Elm has plenty of understated tablewares, too. westelm.ca 3

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Chef’s French Oven Le Creuset, 2997 Granville St. Get a little festive with the foodie in your life and gift this 4.1-litre classic chef’s French oven ($299) that can be used for making stews, sauces and even baking. Le Creuset’s new Holly collection (read: red) is limited edition, but we’re welcoming bold colours all year long. lecreuset.ca 4

WHILE YOU SHOP... EAT HERE

Heirloom, 1509 W 12 Ave. Juice Bar, 2861 Granville St. If you get an early start shopping, you’ll be ready to eat right around brunchtime—the vegetarian Heirloom’s classic hash with poached eggs, Beyond sausage, sautéed broccolini and roasted red pepper should do the trick. No time for brunch? Down the street is Heirloom’s juice shop, where you can grab a quick “Iron Man” (kale, parsley, cucumber, green apple and ginger). heirloomveg.ca 5

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Prints by Tafui Zebraclub, 3101 Granville St. You can’t miss Tafui McLean’s art in this store—or rather, on this store. The gorgeous black and white (of course) mural on Zebraclub’s exterior is courtesy of the local painter, and you can pick up her prints ($60) inside. zebraclubvan.com 7

GIFT AN EXPERIENCE

Buona Notte Stanley Theatre, 2750 Granville St. The Stanley is an obvious choice for entertainment in SoGra. (It’s also been closed for over a year, so why not show some love to the local theatre staples we’ve missed so much?) Tickets to the Arts Club’s Made in Italy (from $39, running January 13 to February 13) sound like just what the doctor ordered (assuming it’s not too soon for medical-related clichés): it’s a delightful musical about a ’70s-era Alberta teen who is inspired by the likes of Rocky Balboa and John Travolta. artsclub.com

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Vesper Glassware EQ3, 2536 Granville St. These ultra-thin glasses (from $10) scream classic. They come in all the staple shapes and sizes: tumblers, highballs, martinis, coupes—plus an angled take on red and white wine. They’re up for the most elegant of holiday toasts (or your weird uncle’s weird speech). eq3.com 8

Pyrrha Signature Talisman Hills Dry Goods, 2741 Granville St. Besides looking cool and being cast in recycled precious metals right here in the city, Pyrrha’s talismans (from $199) make extrathoughtful gifts: each one has a special meaning (they make over 100 different symbols, but our favourites are knowledge, new beginnings and “don’t forget to live”). hillsdrygoods.com 10

Daily Bouquet Queen Bee Flower Shop, 2820 Granville St. This little store is packed with plants—orchids, succulents and seasonal flowers are bursting from every corner. Get the freshest blooms in their daily bouquets (from $65) for a stunning holiday centrepiece. queenbeeflowershop.com 9

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GIFT GUIDE | GASTOWN & CHINATOWN

Historic Holiday

TEE DEVOTEE

It’s tough to find a pair of ’hoods more rich in culture and history than this dynamic duo: get your one-ofa-kind, charmingly local, and food-themed gifts here. 2 W

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Vancouver Special Shirt Blim, 115 East Pender St. Hyper-specific graphic tees? Yes please. Blim screenprints their wares in-house and offers regular workshops so you can, too—or you can get a pre-made stunner like this Vancouver Special shirt ($35) by artist Chantale Doyle. blim.ca 1

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Survey II Backpack Herschel, 347 Water St. The rainy commute is no match for this new weatherresistant backpack ($130). The fabric exterior is 100-percent recycled, incorporating 12 post-consumer waste bottles, so your trusty laptop will stay dry. Available starting December 9. herschel.com 2

Artisan Jasmine Collection Treasure Green Tea Company, 227 E Georgia St. There’s teabags (yawn) and looseleaf (basic), but for the most elegant and soothing tea-drinking experience, artisan tea balls are the way to go. These hand-tied bundles ($35 for set of 7) from Chinatown’s 40-year-old tea shop have tiny flowers that bloom when you add hot water. treasuregreen.com 3

Dim Sum Candles Foo Hung Curios, 168 E Pender St. Alright, these are verging on too-cuteto-burn territory, but you know what they say: you dim sum, you lose some. The bao and dumplings set ($45) is made using the same techniques as their edible counterparts, and they come in a bamboo steamer basket. Freaking. Adorable. foohungcurios.com 4

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GIFT GUIDE | GASTOWN & CHINATOWN Hunting by Stars Massy Books, 229 E Georgia St. This Indigenous-owned bookstore is chock full of Canadian reads, like Métis author Cherie Dimaline’s new sequel to the The Marrow Thieves. Hunting by Stars ($17) follows 17-year-old French, a teen dodging “recruiters” in a post-apocalyptic world where only Indigenous people have the ability to dream. massybooks.com 5

Vintage Quilt Chore Jacket The Block, 350 W Cordova St. For the one on your list with inimitable style, there’s one-of-a-kind chore jackets (from $495) made in Vancouver by designer Shawna McLennan. Each one is upcycled from a vintage quilt—think a hug from grandma, but make it fashion. theblock.ca 6

GIFT AN EXPERIENCE

Art All Around Skwachàys Lodge, 31 W Pender St. Really amp up your gift game with a staycation in Canada’s first Indigenous arts hotel. On top of a gorgeous art gallery and gift shop (you can definitely guilt your giftee into buying you something, you know, as a thank-you), Skwachàys has themed rooms—we’re obsessed with the cozy Tlingit Hat Room—and cultural activities like sweat lodge and smudge ceremonies. skwachays.com 7

Artbedo Prints Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden Gift Shop, 578 Carrall St. We’re swooning over these vibrant storefront prints (from $5) by local artist Artbedo, also known as Mikayla Hong. A portion of the proceeds from each print go to local charities like the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre and the Chinatown Foundation. vancouverchinesegarden.com 8

WHILE YOU SHOP... EAT HERE

Calabash Bistro 428 Carrall St. It was during our draft of the best burgers in the city that we discovered the Caribbean masterpiece that is the Calabash Bistro’s jerk beef and oxtail burger— we’ll take our burgs with mango salsa from now on, thanks. calabashbistro.com 9

Building Blocks MAKE Vancouver, 117 Water St. This officially-not-Jenga building block set ($67) is about to become the most sustainable game in the, well, game: it’s made by ChopValue using recycled chopsticks from local restaurants. makegastown.com 10

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GIFT GUIDE | WEST END/DOWNTOWN/YALETOWN 3

CULTURE VULTURE

Urban Legends

Lu Yo or lis th w bl va fo Ita

If you’re feeling all malled out, grab some fresh air with a stroll around downtown. From city-savvy apparel to an owlfocused tour of the great outdoors, this ’hood has the best of the concrete jungle.

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Occupying Chinatown Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby St. Whether you start with a tour of the current show— Soul Power from Jan Wade—or head straight to the gift shop, you’re winning. Local artist Paul Wong’s new art book ($80) may look striking lounging on a coffee table, but crack it open and find a beautifully detailed exploration of Chinese Canadian identity— think 110 colourful images of family, food and our rapidly changing Chinatown. vanartgallery.bc.ca 1

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12 Days of Christmas Calendar Lush, 1020 Robson St. If ever there was a time to soak in a bath bomb, it’s now, and Lush’s handmade version is really the gold standard. This advent calendar ($115) is full of the scents of the season—egg nog, candy cane... cinnamon roll?—in shower gels, body butter and, yes, bath bombs. lush.ca

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Truff Hot Sauce Variety Pack Lucifer’s House of Heat, 779 Denman St. You’re likely either a hot sauce person or you’re not—but for those on your list who dose every dish, Lucifer’s is the go-to in Vancouver. Get schmancy with this Truff kit ($90)—there’s a hit of black or white truffle in each bottle, and varying degrees of heat. All are perfect for spicing up a slice or anything Italian. lucifershouseofheat.com 3

GIFT AN EXPERIENCE

Market Bag Fine Finds, 1014 Mainland St. One of the original Yaletown go-tos, Fine Finds is loaded with local—at least 18 jewellery designers, as well as bestselling Blume teas and gorgeous Hollow Tree candles. Carry your civic pride with a neighbourhood-branded Market tote ($45). finefindsboutique.com 4

Agrium Hoody Arc’teryx, 813 Burrard St. This fresh high-performance jacket ($500) from an outdoor apparel favourite is made using a plant-based liner and a process called dope dyeing, which saturates the yarn itself with colour and results in less water waste. It’s minimum environmental impact with maximum coziness. arcteryx.com 5

Super Basic Pin Little Sister’s Book and Art Emporium, 1238 Davie St. Little Sister’s has been an anchor for Davie Village’s queer community since 1983, and it’s a rich source for everything from LGBTQ+ reads to excellent attire and erotica—and great gifts, like these Vancouver-made, statementmaking enamel pins ($20). littlesisters.ca

MA XINE’S: K YOKO FIERRO

Owl Prowl Stanley Park Ecology Society, 610 Pipeline Rd. Know a seawall stroller who wants to get to know the inner sanctum of the park’s ecology a little more? The Stanley Park Ecology Society offers regular seminars each month on subjects like Things You “Otter” Know as well as BIPOC birding groups, but if walking with strangers isn’t their thing yet, you can also give a gift certificate to a more custom, private tour—or a totally virtual one, too (from $100). stanleyparkecology.ca 7

E-Bike Rental Cycle City, 646 Hornby St. If you, like us, have been a little jealous at those powered cruisers that let you barely break a sweat climbing the Lions Gate Bridge, maybe it’s time to test the waters yourself. Rent a pair of ebikes from Cycle City ($34 for 2 hours), and you and your giftee are perfectly positioned to head straight from here to the heartbreak hill of Prospect Point in Stanley Park. cyclevancouver.com 8

WHILE YOU SHOP... EAT HERE

Maxine’s, 1325 Burrard St. From the gorgeous brass bar to the note-perfect rattan café chairs on the patio, the Ste. Marie-designed Maxine’s will have you swearing you’re dining somewhere on the Seine. And that alone would be enough—but the food is lovely, too. Stay on-theme and go all-in on the steak frites with perfectly peppery watercress salad, or just pop by for happy hour for a glass of rosé and some people watching on Burrard. maxinescafebar.com 9

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GIFT GUIDE | COMMERCIAL DRIVE

1 3

When you’re stuck for ideas, try wandering the Drive—from specialty foods to wacky homewares, this is the neighbourhood for the wonderfully weird. Curious Eye Rainbow Mug Gatley Lifestyle Store, 1136 Commercial Dr. Browsing Gatley is like grocery shopping when hungry—you’ll almost always find something to impulse buy. And while whoever you’re shopping for probably doesn’t need a mug—like you don’t need cheesy breadsticks until you see them sitting there, glowing bright orange—the Rainbow mugs (from $52) from East Van’s Curious Eye Pottery are hard to resist. Simple, bright, fun. And yeah, they always sell out—so move quick. gatley.ca 1

Specialty Flour Bundle Flourist Bakery, 3433 Commercial St. Know someone who really made baking their personality during COVID? Stupid question, of course you do. Technically on Commercial Street (not Drive), Flourist has become a destination in the city for its heavenly baked goods. And now your bread-obsessed giftee can take their baking game to the next level with Flourist’s specialty bundle of top-ofthe-line flours ($58). It really is the gift that keeps on giving, especially if they bake you stuff. flourist.com

COFFEE LOVER

Modern Imagination Rainbow Tray Dilly Dally, 1161 Commercial Dr. What’s good for the adults is good for the kids, too. One of the most adorable—and educational—items at kids store Dilly Dally is the Rainbow tray ($67) from Squamish-based husband-and-wife duo Modern Imagination. The set comes complete with coloured felt balls so kids can build their own ’bow. dillydallykids.ca 3

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WHILE YOU SHOP... EAT HERE

Vennie’s Sub Shop, 1692 Venables St. 7 La Grotta Del Formaggio, 1791 Commercial Dr. There’s no shortage of food options on the Drive. And since we can’t recommend just one, we’ll call out two different sandwich shops on opposite ends. Vennie’s Sub Shop on the northern side comes from the minds behind Downlow Chicken Shack and offers a variety of delicious breaded options. Meanwhile, the old bastion of tradition and taste that is La Grotta Del Formaggio remains undefeated and inimitable. vennies-sub-shop. square.site, lagrottadelformaggio.com 6

Wana Brands’ Citrus Yuzu Gummies Kiaro, 1666 Graveley St. You can find a litany of fun stocking stuffers in the form of cannabis gummies and drinks at Kiaro, but these citrus yuzu gummies ($8 for 2 pieces) offer both THC and CBD. And they taste good to boot. Be careful with consumption, as always, and choose your audience wisely on this one. kiaro.com 4

GIFT AN EXPERIENCE

We’re All Mad Here The Cultch, 639 Commercial Dr. The much-loved holiday favourite East Van Panto goes through the looking glass when a bored Alice follows a White Rabbit into a Grandview-Woodlands Wonderland. Rumour has it the Jabberwocky haunts the shuttered Storm Crow Tavern. Show runs November 24 to January 2. thecultch.com 8

Werewolf in Vancouver Cocktail Collective Goods Bistro and Grocer, 3532 Commercial St. Also on Commercial Street is the newly opened Collective Goods, with its foodie paradise grocery. There are more than a few items that are sure to satisfy the culinary crusader in your life, but the pre-made cocktail bottles are a can’t-miss move. The Werewolf in Vancouver ($40) packs together chili, maple, black walnut bitters and, you guessed it, moonshine for what’s sure to be a howling good time. collectivegoods.ca 5

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GIFT GUIDE | KITSILANO W 2ND AVE

Shopping Survival Kits

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Glow On Skincare Saje Natural Wellness, 2252 W 4th Ave. Saje made their first foray into skincare this fall, and (no surprises) their essential oil-focused concoctions are all kinds of soothing. The Glow On oil cleanser ($26), moisturizer ($40) and face oil ($44) leave faces hydrated and happy. saje.com 1

W. BROADWAY

SKINCARE OBSESSED

Nano Puff Pullover Patagonia, 1994 W 4th Ave. This ready-for-anything pullover ($209) is perfect for the outdoorsy pal on your list. It’s super lightweight but incredibly cozy, and made with 55-percent recycled insulation (and a totally recycled polyester shell). patagonia.ca

Catalyst Sports Bra Knix, 2076 W 4th Ave. This breathable, high-impact sports bra ($98) is in it to win it. According to Knix, it outperformed 800 other sports bras in their testing—that’s worth a (comfy) jump for joy. knix.ca 4

Inline Incense Block Sort, 2550 Stephens St. It’s good vibes only with this oblong incense holder ($78) from local designer Yusho Nishioka. The sleek aluminum piece is one of many minimalist local and Japanese home goods at Sort—check out their stationery, teapots and cute animal decor, too. sortdays.com 2

Friends Are Friends, Forever Kidsbooks, 2557 W Broadway In this adorable picture book ($26), Portland author Dane Liu opens on a snowy Lunar New Year’s Eve in China, where best friends Dandan and Yueyue say goodbye as one of the pair moves to America. It has a happy ending, don’t worry. kidsbooks.ca 5

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VINE ST

W 5TH AVE

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The neighbourhood notorious for yoga and vegans yields big-brand athleisure, all-natural skincare and boutique finds (think minimalist homewares and goodies in jars).

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GIFT AN EXPERIENCE

You Better Work Core Community, 1926 W 4th Ave. The equipment looks like a Pinterestworthy medieval torture device, but Pilates studio Core Community is a pretty cool place to sweat it out (and it’s even better if you’re with a friend). The intro offer ($44) includes two classes for the price of one. It’s also right next to Rain or Shine, just saying. corecommunity.ca 7

Vintage-Style Notebooks Stepback, 2936 W Broadway At any given time, you’ll find an array of vintage globes, time-worn furniture and other unique antiques in this cozy store (they post new goods on Instagram, so give ’em a follow: @stepback_ca), but these adorable notebooks (from $6 each) are a constant. stepback.ca 6

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Honeyboons Bird on a Wire Creations, 2950 W Broadway Disorganized shoppers, this is your haven—Broadway’s most browsable store. Bird on a Wire has the coolest art prints, artisan mugs, dainty jewellery and handmade eats, like these jams, salsas and pickled veggies from North Vancouver’s Honeyboons (from $7). birdonawirecreations.com 8

Pro Spin Tights Samsara Cycle, 1622 W 1st Ave. For the friend obsessed with their stationary bike, there’s Samsara Cycle’s Pro Spin tights ($169). They snagged a runner-up spot in our Made in Vancouver Awards for their discreet chamois and eye-catching prints by local artists. samsara-cycle.com 7

WHILE YOU SHOP... EAT HERE

Their There 2042 W 4th Ave. If you hit every store on this page, you’ll definitely have your steps in for the day—so a salted caramel espresso cruller from Their There should quell those retail rumbles. theirthere.ca 9

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GIFT GUIDE | KERRISDALE

Show You Kerr

LIGHT PACKER

It’s a little off the beaten path compared to more bustling ’hoods, but Kerrisdale’s adorable boutiques and great sushi selection (we couldn’t pick from our top five) make it a go-to for shopping and snacking. 11 6

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Alu Fit Wallet Forero’s Bags and Luggage, 2186 W 41st Ave. Samsonite makes functional wallets ($80) that are great for travelling locally and abroad. The inner card mechanism operates kind of like a Swiss Army knife—want to see my ID, vax card and long-form birth certificate at the same time? No problem. foreros.ca 1

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Desert Fox Raincoat Blake and Riley, 2150 W 41st Ave. Boutique apparel store Blake and Riley is your go-to spot in Kdale for adorable kid’s clothes, like this raincoat ($259) from Dutch brand Gosoaky. The faux-fur lining keeps little ones cozy, while the waterproof exterior is ready for rain (and, realistically, mud). blakeandriley.com 2

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 Digital Camera Kerrisdale Cameras, 2170 W 41st Ave. Another local institution, Kerrisdale Cameras has been around since 1961. But it’s also staying with it—good news for the one on your list who’s been trying to take artsy photos with their iPhone 9 for far too long. Get them a needed upgrade with this compact point-and-shoot camera ($550, marked down from $850 until January 2). kerrisdalecameras.com 3

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Jellycat Toys Petit Pont, 2045 W 41st Ave. Jellycat, Jellycat, how’d you get so popular? The London-based company has been making plush toys (from $20 to $200) since 1999, but they’ve become immensely popular with children on this side of the Atlantic as well. Petit Pont has a sizeable collection that would be hard to resist even for a corporationhater like Phoebe Buffay. petitpont.ca

WHILE YOU SHOP... EAT HERE

Ajisai, 2081 W 42nd Ave. Asa, 2178 W 41st Ave. 9 Jiu Jiang, 5707 Balsam St. 10 Nakamura, 2055 W 41st Ave. 11 Shota, 5688 Yew St. There are a lot of great spots to fill the tank in Kerrisdale, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t hit on some of the places cranking out excellent, top-of-the-line and oftenunderrated sushi. Between Ajisai, Asa, Jiu Jiang, Nakamura and Shota, there are more than enough options (with enough variety between them) to satisfy your hankering for sashimi and soy sauce. sushibarajisai.com; asasushi.ca; jiujiangrestaurant.com; shotasushi.ca 7

Indian in the Cabinet: Speaking Truth to Power Hager Books, 2176 W 41st Ave. Jody Wilson-Raybould’s book ($35) made waves around the recent federal election, but it’s a good read at any time of the year—and for any reader, not just the politically inclined. And where else to get it than the awesome, locally owned Hager Books, in JWR’s former Vancouver Granville riding? hagerbooks.ca 5

GIFT AN EXPERIENCE

Painting Classes Academy of Modern Art, 2408 W 41st Ave. Get the burgeoning Michelangelo in your life a painting class or two (prices vary) at AOMA, which offers both public and private classes most days of the week for all ages. aoma.ca 6

Ooni Koda 16-Inch GasPowered Pizza Oven Kerrisdale Lumber, 6365 West Boulevard Unless you’re one of our (much) older readers, Kerrisdale Lumber has been operating longer than you’ve been alive. But the neighbourhood institution is still keeping up with the times in its centennial year. That includes this gas-powered pizza oven ($735) with a powder-coated steel shell for superior heat retention and weather resistance. For the pizza aficionado in your life, that’s amore. kerrisdalelumber.ca 12

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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE BC Liquor Store EXCLUSIVE

Sauvignon Blanc

17.99

Cabernet Merlot

18.99

Holidays Menu Box by

(n) The pleasant, earthy smell after rain

These Holidays, forget about cooking and relax with your loved ones with El Mercat’s Holidays Menu Box featuring a selection of gourmet dishes and tapas by award-winning Barcelona chef, Jonathan Sanz.

Pre-order yours at elmercat.ca

Open this bottle, breathe in the evocative smell of our wine, and let it remind you of the best of the West Coast. As timeless and enduring as our rain.

VOTED 2021 BEST NEW CANADIAN WHISKY Gray Jay Deluxe Canadian Whisky is perfect for all occasions. Smooth and unpretentious, it lets you make your own rules. Buy a bottle today, and enjoy every sip, just as you like.

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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

PICTURE IT... A PEACEFUL & RELAXING HOLIDAY SEASON Your gift shopping is done, with weeks to spare. Others are out frantically searching for gifts, but you’re cozy at home, quietly bubbling with excitement about the beautiful gifts you found; everyone will be talking about them for years. You feel warm & fuzzy because you supported a local Vancouver artist - and the whole experience was way better than anything Amazon could have possibly offered. All while staying on budget! Now, you get to savour the anticipation of your loved ones glowing with happiness as they open and try on their nature jewelry for the first time! Order online by December 16th for delivery by Dec 23. We provide complimentary gift wrapping, so you can relax & enjoy that extra moment to yourself! SHOP THE ONE OF A KIND NATURE JEWELRY AND LIMITED EDITION GIFT SETS THAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT!

VISIT

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KBA Christmas Atmosphere Design Full Page Vancouver Magazine November 2021

Trim: 7.875" x 10.875" Bleed: 8.125" x 11.125" CMYK

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

K YLE KONG

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T H I N G S TO D O / L E AT H E R W E AT H E R / R I P L M G

VA N M AG .C O M/C I T Y

Culture THE TICK E T

K YLE KONG

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT When Kevin Vidal took his first drama class in high school, he was looking for a quick credit, not for a career. But the stage, as they say, called—and he answered. “Rehearsal was the only thing that was getting me into school, because I wasn’t going to any other classes,” he laughs. The actor and comedian (he’s a Second City alum) was born in Toronto and relocated to Vancouver in 2020, though he made the journey back east to shoot the first season of CBC’s Strays. A spin-off of the hit show Kim’s Convenience, Strays follows a ragtag team of Hamiltonians running an animal shelter. Vidal plays Liam, chair of the shelter’s board and a “lovable developer” (the character’s words) always on the lookout to sell a condo. He describes Liam as larger-than-life and eccentric, and equates playing the part to “channelling pure fun.” Most of that fun comes from freedom. “I was able to relinquish any anxieties and fears I had about being too feminine,” he says. “It’s been very therapeutic.” And while Kim’s paved the way for contemporary Canadian comedy, Vidal is looking for more industry change, in his current ventures and beyond. “Representation and diversity mean everything to me, not just in front of the camera. We have far to go. I want to see different stories told by different people—always.” Strays is on CBC on Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m.

@notkevinvidal

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Culture T H E T I C K E T

Have a Holly Jolly Calendar Museum exhibitions, local markets and holiday theatre to cure all your humbugs. Alyssa Hirose

SANKOFA: AFRICAN ROUTES, CANADIAN ROOTS DATE November 4 to March 27 VENUE Museum of Anthropology COST $15 for adults moa.ubc.ca This new exhibition features works from both Vancouver and Nigeria, and explores the relationships between African art and Black Canadian art. Look out for local Chantal Gibson’s multimedia installation, Souvenir, which features 2,000 souvenir spoons from countries all over the world. PADDLE SONG DATE November 9 to 21 VENUE Firehall Arts Centre COST From $15 firehallartscentre.ca Mohawk actor and singer Cheri Maracle stars in this dynamic one-woman musical that tells the story of Pauline Johnson, an Indigenous poet who made a name for herself in the late 1800s—when white men hogged the literary spotlight even more than they do now. DOLLY PARTON’S SMOKY MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS CAROL DATE November 18 to January 2 VENUE Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage COST From $43 artsclub.com This adaptation of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol features original songs from Parton (so you can bet the show is charming as hell). The classic tale is set in Tennessee during the Great Depression era.

COHO MAKERS MARKET DATE November 27 & December 11 VENUE Coho Coffee coho.coffee After the success of their summer pop-ups, Coho Coffee is again bringing local makers together (but this time, it’s not just food). Check out handmade jewellery, candles and other very giftable goods at these Saturday markets. COMBINE ART FAIR DATE December 2 to 5 VENUE Griffin Art Projects COST Free griffinartprojects.ca As much as we love the VAG, little arts organizations are a low-barrier way to get in on the culture—like this collab between five emerging galleries (Franc Gallery, Griffin Art Projects, Mónica Reyes Gallery, Unit 17 and Wil Aballe Art Projects), which has free entry. LIVONA ELLIS + REBECCA MARGOLICK DATE December 17 & 18 VENUE Scotiabank Dance Centre COST From $25 thedancecentre.ca This pair of young local dancers (they trained together at the Arts Umbrella, #throwback) are showcasing a collection of solo work, plus the world premiere of their new duet Fortress, live for the first time. A BROADWAY HOLIDAY DATE December 16 to 23 VENUE Online and at Gateway Theatre, Richmond COST From $29 gatewaytheatre.com

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Tote bags from the Coho Makers Market. A Kriss Munsya piece from the The Eraser series, on at Griffin Art Projects from December 2 to 5.

Livona Ellis and Rebecca Margolick present their duet live for the first time on December 17.

Rickie Wang and David Adams take the Stanley stage November 18.

Tune in online or get your butt in a seat (this is Gateway’s first indoor show since February 2020!) for A Broadway Holiday, a concert covering the greatest festive hits of New York’s most famous stage. WEAVING THE FUTURE DATE Through January 30 VENUE Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art COST $13 for adults billreidgallery.ca Three established West Coast weavers have partnered with three students in this textile-focused exhibition. It honours the traditional practice of weaving and celebrates the art’s renaissance in recent years.

The MOA’s latest exhibit features Ibeji Project from Nigerian photographer Stephen Tayo.

WEAVING THE FUTURE ARTISTS: RACHELLE GEORGE, POEMS PHOTOGRAPHY; COHO MAKERS MARKET: RICH WON; COMBINE ART FAIR/MRG: KRISS MUNSYA; LIVONA ELLIS + REBECCA MARGOLICK: FAVIOL A PEREZ; DOLLY PARTON’S SMOK Y MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS CAROL: EMILY COOPER

Weaving the Future artists, clockwise from top left: Anita Tetreau (Squamish), Aleen Sparrow (Musqueam), Deanna George (Tsleil-Waututh), Angela George (TsleilWaututh), Janice George (Squamish) and Debra Sparrow (Musqueam) .

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B go ea sa

En 1, pr an m

FullPage_

Aleen il-

WE WANT TO GROW YOUR BIG IDEAS

Photo credit: Cahoots Kitchen, Harpur Farm, @leviandvictoriaphotography

Invest in your future. Expand your horizons. Choose Salmon Arm. Bring your culinary passion to a community that savours long table dinners and goes all in for global cuisine. From farmers’ markets to grocery stores to downtown eateries, we serve a regional market of 50,000 consumers who are just waiting to sample your unique product or food experience. Entrepreneurs in the food and beverage sector, find your home here. With over 1,500 unique farms in our region, you’ll have access to plenty of locally grown produce. We’re located directly on two major highways, midway between Calgary and Vancouver and just four hours from the US border, so getting your product to market has never been easier. Salmon Arm has an appetite for new food businesses. Come join us. There’s a seat

DISCOVER ZEST! Zest is Salmon Arm’s food business incubator, providing affordable shared use space, processing equipment, knowledge and support. This unique facility is a reflection of the community’s commitment to growing local food businesses! Zest aims to cultivate local food businesses, connect local food resources, and build the community food system. Check it out at zestfoodhub.ca.

at the table for everyone.

Visit saeds.ca to find your opportunity!

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Culture O N T H E R I S E

Every single thing I make will last for two lifetimes.”

Better Leather From the quirky OK valet tray (above) to handy Dopp kits and card cases (below), Tess Gobeil and Ariss Grutter (left) are crafting classic goods while challenging industry norms.

ONE FOR AWL

Awl Together is giving local leather goods— and the entire industry—a fresh look. Alyssa Hirose

While most university students wait tables or work retail to pay for school, Vancouverite Ariss Grutter took a more traditional approach to their part-time job: they started shining shoes. By the time they finished undergrad, Grutter had fallen in love with leatherwork. “I really enjoy how durable and environmentally sustainable leather is,” they explain. “Every single thing I make will last for two lifetimes.” The enduring nature of the material also made it perfect for Grutter’s first custom work. “I’m queer and trans, and I started making custom harnesses for my friends,” they say. “I want to make sure that trans people and queer people have access to apparel that fits them, that accentuates their gender, and that makes them feel great.” But the male-dominated industry of leatherwork wasn’t exactly a welcoming community. While working in cobbler shops and doing alterations, Grutter struggled to find their place. “I’ve found it really hard to be trained in this industry, and for people to take

me seriously,” says Grutter. “People just assume that a man should be doing this job.” So, last April, Grutter and fellow queer leatherworker Tess Gobeil launched a Kickstarter and raised over $22,000 to launch Awl Together Leather—the only female and queer-owned leatherwork and shoe repair shop in Western Canada. The East Van shop specializes in custom work (from vests to chaps to a seven-foot leather rhino) but offers ready-made accessories, too: think wallets, coasters and decorative trays. According to WorkBC, 82 percent of leatherworkers in the province are male, but more than half are approaching retirement. “The industry is changing,” says Gobeil, “and we want to lead the change in Vancouver.”

ADELE THOMAS

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ADELE THOMAS

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Culture T H E D I S H

DRINK THIS

MEAT CUTE It’s been a messy two years, so can you blame us if we just want something that’s neat and orderly and packaged so gosh darn cutely that we have a tough time even digging into it? These little bundles of joy are the brainchild of Yuzu, which is a store within a store of the always-solid Shiro Sushi on Cambie and 15th. But within the confines of a modest restaurant in a nondescript strip mall, magic happens. There’s a softly rotating selection of sandwiches (please don’t call them handhelds), but there’s a core group that are noteperfect: a pork katsu that’s the perfect mix of lean and fatty; an ebi with prawn tempura and Kewpie mayo; a beef with teriyaki and American cheese that melts after 3 seconds in the microwave (to name but a few). They’re all packed as charmingly as Pokémon cards—if Pokémon cards were $4.50 and you ate them immediately after buying them.

Neal McLennan

photograph by

Leila Kwok

VEUVE CLICQUOT L A G R A N D DA M E 2 0 1 2 X YAYO I K U S A M A , $ 216 This collab between the prestige bottling from the house that Mme. Clicquot built and the legendary Japanese artist is not a bottle that sits quietly on the gift table—it’s the perfect marriage of iconic polka dots and some juice that is off-the-charts good. It’s pinot dominant but never overbearing, with elegant notes of white flowers followed by crisp apple skin and tied together by almost 10 years of bottle age.

A L B E R TA PREMIUM CASK S T R E N G T H R Y E , $ 66 It was two years ago that this unassuming bottle from Calgary’s unassuming Alberta Distillers took home World Whisky of the Year honours, and in true AP fashion they underplayed the achievement. But the latest incarnation this paragon of rye may be even better than the first go around. A spicy, cereal crunch jumps right out of the glass and even at a whopping 66% alcohol it still feels manageable. But mellow arrives with a splash of water and the beast is tamed (a bit). If this rye were American it would be twice the price, half as good and sold out everywhere.

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Visit our showroom and discover the latest in lighting design and technology.

NORBURN LIGHTING & BATH CENTRE

4600 Hastings Street | Burnaby, BC | (604) 299-0666 www.norburn.com

SHOWROOM: 8585 123 St. Surrey, BC V3W 6E2 HOURS: M-F 8am – 4:30pm 604.590.5999 | sales@pacificartstone.com | pacificartstone.com @pacificartstone

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Culture R E V I E W S

Pizza Coming Soon chef/ owner Keith Allison.

THE DEETS

Pizza Coming Soon 179 East Pender St. 604-558-4900 pizzacomingsoon.com

The historic neighbourhood is leading the pandemic bounceback. by

Neal McLennan

In many ways, Chinatown is perfectly positioned to blossom post-pandemic: out of all the neighbourhoods in town, it’s the one that’s perpetually had to be on its toes thanks to successive waves of racism, gentrification, relocation, urban encroachment— repeat. But the marvel of the ’hood is that it just puts its head down and moves forward, accepting whatever challenge comes next with a “been-there, done-that” resolve that seems absent from, say, Kerrisdale. And it’s this mettle that’s attracted yet another cadre of restaurateurs who, perhaps emboldened by the resilient environment, pressed on with opening their spots at just about the worst time possible.

The chicken was excellent—a PortugueseJapanese mash-up of flavours imbued into a mahogany-skinned bird with just the perfect amount of moistness while still retaining the firmness you want in a roast chicken. I resolved to be the first in line when in-person dining resumed. I wasn’t, of course. I got busy and by the time my wife and I returned, the secret of this spot had leaked a bit. I had heard rumours that it was “impossible to get into,” so was pleasantly surprised that a 6 p.m. phone call on a Wednesday resulted in a “come on down”

HANA PESUT

CHINATOWN 4 WAYS

Is it moxie or madness for a restaurant that opened late last year to have a name that appears created to stymie the dreaded Google search engine? For the record, it’s in no way a “pizza” restaurant, nor is it any longer “coming soon,” and while the old crank in me decries the overly meta name, the writer in me (whose words also seem to—unwittingly—stymie the Google search engine) feels a kindred spirit with these kooks. My connection was deepened with some takeout before in-person dining was re-happening: they were offering a smoking deal on dinner for two built around their periyaki chicken and, swinging by the retro room (it looks one part A Clockwork Orange and one part... well, it really just looks like A Clockwork Orange) reinforced the lovingly oddball nature of this operation. Again—and I can’t stress this enough—there is no pizza, but there was a really well-curated selection of (what else?) natty wine lined up on the counter and the friendly dude giving me my takeout was reminiscent of Brad Pitt’s turn as Floyd in True Romance.

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HANA PESUT

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Sal Bo Tra

Culture R E V I E W S

Pictu with Lt. Co

from the other end. The room at Pender and Main really echoes the vibe of the Bino’s it once was a long while ago, and not in any sort of studied way. Some of the team here hail from the long-closed Mark Brand outpost of Sea Monstr Sushi, but the vibe is less “world domination” and more “who’s up for a good time?”

Damn near the entire menu at Nancy Go Yaya.

The Boa rece BC D This sup add hom add Dow year ope East serv

It’s an ethos that can grate on ones sober nerves if left to fester: the service was very chill, the food comes out in a random order that makes no dining sense and finding someone who knows about those aforementioned natural wines can be a trick—but it’s just so much fun that it seems Burnsian to quibble. And the food is really solid. In person, the peri-yaki chicken is even better—the peri-peri pushing it toward the perfect amount of heat— and a half-bird at $20 is a deal for an order that could feed two. There’s a dynamite mushroom tempura with Ponzu mayo that comes out with an array of wild fungi in a beautifully light batter, a wonderfully deft hamachi tartare and nasu dengaku, a dish of roasted eggplant topped (slopped, if we’re being honest) with a thick, sweet miso sauce that takes the gold for the best-tasting, least-appetizing-looking dish. At $8, it could be your dinner should you so wish. So while the servers may seem relaxed, whoever is rockin’ the kitchen—the chef/owner is Keith Allison—is dialled in. It’s funny: while most of us who write food reviews report on “atmosphere,” I can’t recall ever focusing on whether the staff appear to be having a good time. COVID made many of us re-examine what worked and what didn’t work about the restaurant industry, and I like to think that both owners and diners want it to be something that makes everyone happy—servers, patrons, cooks. And on that basis, Pizza Coming Soon is nailing it.

Nancy Go Yaya

265 East Pender St. 604-559-6181 instagram.com/nancygoyaya

And if this is them in beta-mode... wow. My first visit, I go full baller and order everything on the breakfast menu—all three items. The first two are sandwiches—the Roti John, which Singaporean

LEIL A K WOK

The place has been slammed solely by word of mouth, and visits saw as much Instagramming as actual eating.

In terms of restaurants, I think it’s fair to say that Tannis Ling and Alain Chow get the ethos of present-day Chinatown more than almost anyone. Their Bao Bei opened on Keefer Street in 2010 and was a huge part in bringing in a new, thoughtful cross-section of diners to the neighbourhood. Then they (plus partner Joel Watanabe) did the feat again in 2016, with the more upscale Kissa Tanto on Pender. This time, they’re partnering with chef Jian Cheng to open a spot directly below Kissa called Nancy Go Yaya, and its COVID (and other) delays have been epic. The project—which is said to evoke a Singaporean coffee shop—was started in early 2020 and, as of October, was still in a very soft opening phase with only daytime hours. But soft or not, the place has been slammed solely by word of mouth, and both visits saw as much Instagramming as actual eating.

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Salvation Army Board Makes Transformational Gift Pictured here is Board Chair Bob McFarlane with the Divisional Commander in B.C., Lt. Colonel Jamie Braund.

LEIL A K WOK

The Greater Vancouver Advisory Board of The Salvation Army recently made a donation to the BC Division, totalling $2,370,000. This money is going to be used to support the Army in its efforts to address the effects of poverty, homelessness, mental health and addiction that currently impact the Downtown Eastside. For over 65 years, The Salvation Army has operated on the Downtown Eastside providing essential services to those in need.

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Culture R E V I E W S

pint of Guinness. The Sunday roast is also a warm embrace of the customer, with a rotating menu that, at $16, is one of the best deals in town.

Blnd Tger Dumplings

251 East Georgia St. instagram.com/blndtgerdumplings Blnd Tger’s “freezer” door.

The lunches are likewise currently limited: an exceptional, deeply hued laksa and an authentic nasi lemak, a rice dish that goes solidly with an oil-fried egg and plenty of little tiny anchovies along for the ride. By the time you read this they should be open at night with a casual wine bar that will serve Singaporean snacks and “tacky in a good way” drinks, according to Ling. If the daytime experience is any indicator, you might want to start lining up now.

...yep, just regular freezer fare here.

The Irish Heather/Shebeen 248 East Georgia St. 604-688-9779 irishheather.com

At first blush, the relocation of Seán Heather’s iconic Irish pub from its Gastown perch to anywhere else seemed sacrilege, but the spot was the unwitting victim of its own success—it did such a bang-up job of revitalizing the neighbourhood that the rent crept up to the point of unsustainability (ah, landlords, you never disappoint). But on reflection, Chinatown is the perfect landing spot. What made the original Heather such a draw was its unabashed sense of welcome, and the only entry requirement was the love of a good pint, a worthy dram... and not being a dick. And they’ve brought that comeone-come-all approach to their new environs, with the sign on the street proudly listing the restaurant’s name in Cantonese characters right below the English. I’m not naive—the two times I visited did not suggest this place was going to become a new gathering spot for the old-time residents here—but one gets the impression that it would be so happy to fulfill part of that role. As for the food, the Heather has never garnered the love it deserves for its fare. The corned beef—courtesy of master Mike Vitow—is the anchor here: salty, fatty (but never excessive), served on proper sharp rye. It’s one of our great sandwiches and, Lord, does it pair with a proper

Irish Heather’s Sunday roast and corned beef.

Directly across the street from the Heather is this new dumpling spot that seems to be cut from a different cloth. I would say it’s a dumpling spot and speakeasy... but shhhh, the speakeasy is a secret. The menu is a panoply of Chinese cuisines, with six different dumpling offerings. And like the other spots here, chef Phong Vo is trying to ingratiate himself to his new surroundings by using a selection of local purveyors—like nearby Gar-lok—in his creations. Sadly, there are more misses than hits here: the zhong, with a snappy jolt of Szechuan oil, are excellent, but the bison momos suffer from a lack of juiciness in the meat and a problematically thick skin that affects all the offering. The single malt XLB had no soup at all, let alone any discernible single malt taste (and in this town, a nod to the Dumpling King might be in order for such a recipe). None of this is damning—it’s just a bit odd to sell only-okay dumplings for $9/3 when so many of your immediate neighbours, like Kam Wai and Sun Fresh, are selling more traditional (and, in part, better) takes for $4.50. Ah, but here’s the rub—and promise not to tell anyone. If you order dumpling #7, the freezer door behind the counter opens and you’re ushered into an uber-luxe, designed-by-afancy-London-firm spot called Laowai. A word on that: early on, a friend mentioned they were a bit iffy on the name, which is a Chinese slang word for foreigner that, while generally considered a bit more mild than gweilo, is by no means a compliment. My guess is that the co-owner—Brit ex-pat Lewis Hart—was trying to poke fun at himself for opening a dumpling spot in Chinatown, but the name comes off as a bit tone-deaf to me. There’s reams of debate online about whether the term is offensive or not, but there’s just something that feels off about it, in this neighbourhood, at this time, and in particular for a secret room that opens only to those in the know. Sadly, I can’t comment on the back room: when I asked the counterman about it, he insisted there’s no backroom and that behind the door is where they keep the frozen dumplings. I was tempted to ask, “You freeze the dumplings?” as it would explain a lot, but I demurred and instead gave the guy a head tilt and a “c’mon, man” look. I suppose I should have just played along and ordered dumpling #7, and then the door would have opened and I would have been able to luxuriate in the fancy digs evoking 1930s Shanghai and have a cocktail made by the very talented Alex Black, but I was just not in the mood to play the secret password game. To his credit, I suppose, he didn’t budge, and to my discredit, nor did I. I had just spent the past few days in places where every door was wide open to everyone—aunties and hipsters, millennials and octogenarians—and if it took a password to get past this door I was happy to keep walking.

BLND TGER: EMA PETER; L AOWAI: JOSH NEUFELD

friends tell me is an iconic sandwich back home, and something called Kaya toast—and then a side of curry puffs. The latter have a beautifully flaky crust the colour of Magda in Something About Mary and they’re wonderful, if oily enough to need to wipe your fingers after each touching. But the sandwiches? Maybe the best one-two sanny combo I can recall. The Roti John with the added cereal-fried chicken is everything you could want: ultra-cushy milk bread (the best for squeezing everything tightly together) holding in some flawless omelette, chili sauce, curry, chopped herbs and a piece of fried chicken that reminds you that this once-humble offering has become the litmus test of great chefs in this city over the past five years, with successive geniuses inventing and reinventing flavours. Holy hell, it’s a good sandwich. The Kaya toast is the wacky yang to the RJ yin: I was unprepared for the sweetness when I took my first bite, but the combo of salted egg yolk, electric green pandan mochi toast, coconut jam and plenty of cold butter is what I’ve been searching for evidently all my life: it manages to simultaneously channel crème brûlée, French toast and that trip to Hawaii you took in grade eight.

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BLND TGER: EMA PETER; L AOWAI: JOSH NEUFELD

LOV E LET TER

now firmly in my mid-30s, I’m probably too old to have a clubhouse. But there’s something irresistible about a place where everybody knows your name. I personally started showing up at Little Mountain Gallery, Main Street’s most seismically unsound performance venue, to timidly watch comedy shows back in 2013. Since then, I’ve gotten into comedy myself and have really made myself at home—yes, I know where the key to the dumpster is, brag. I’ve taken classes here, produced my own shows and festivals, totally bombed on other people’s experimental talk shows and been shushed for talking at the bar during a standup set. I’ve laughed until I cried (I’d need a whole other column to explain what “the Lotion Man” is), pushed myself to new creative highs (perhaps you’ve heard of my parody of “Born in the U.S.A.,” “Born in a Chipotle”) and fostered friendships with the city’s funniest, weirdest people. The walls are plywood. The stage is too small. The bathroom doesn’t have hot water. It’s a rotten little hellhole, but it’s our rotten little hellhole, and it’s my favourite place in the city. And, naturally, after living on the brink of bankruptcy for two decades and squeaking through a pandemic, it’s about to be knocked down. When we got the notice that the building would be turned into condos in late 2019, it felt inevitable. Why does the city coat of arms show a fisherman and a logger when it should just be a development permit? Little Mountain Gallery has always been the antithesis to the more consumer standup clubs that used to be here in town. Nothing against YukYuks or

ComedyMix, but those were the places where road comics would draw in the suburban crowds for a night out. LMG offered (offers!) something different: a sandbox. Gatekeeping here is fairly minimal. If you’re not an asshole or conspiracy theorist and have $150 to risk on a booking, this little black box theatre can be yours for a few hours to do with as you wish. Sell some tickets, or perform for five of your friends, it’s up to you. The low barrier to entry makes it a place for comic experimentation, for better or for worse. I’ve seen comics turn it into a standing-room-only comedy hiphop concert (shout out to Ese Atawo’s iconic “Lil Clitty” character), or into a high-concept variety show where comics compete to impress the host’s alien roommate. Even more pedestrian improv groups and sketch shows are a high-wire thrill for the audiences: Who are these people? Will they soar? Will they bomb? These cultural spaces are what make cities matter. This is why we’re here: to make things, to see things, to find our people. Vancouver allegedly sees the importance of the cultural industries, but too often the emphasis is on “high art”: the ballet, the symphony. All noble causes, to be sure. But the scrappy, dirty, poorly air-conditioned spaces are where the most exciting art—and yes, my sketch show about a party bus was art, thank you—always happens. I have hope that LMG will spring up again, better faster stronger, in an equally crummy-charming space where the landlord isn’t looking too closely. In the meantime, the show goes on—until January 1, at least. —Stacey McLachlan

EHREN SAL A ZAR

The Little Orange Comedy Club That Could

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EHREN SAL A ZAR

Cactus Gift Cards Because you can’t wrap butternut squash ravioli Get up to 20% back in bonus gift cards

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Vancouver Magazine, November/December 2021

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