Boulevard Vancouver English, April/May 2021

APRIL | MAY 2021

VANCOUVER LIFE AT ITS FINEST

GLITZ, GLAM

& GIVING BACK

Hometown Heroes Lottery has BC’s hottest ticket

A TASTE OF EUROPE Thierry’s divine French flavours

WHEN COLD IS HOT A deep dive into cold water therapy

THE SUN RETURNS

Fashion made for life on the beach

The home has changed And so have we Our assortment quality is better than ever before as we curate for comfort alongside flexible configurations, desirable textures & true craftsmanship.

We call it a point of memory & reference in our lives.

The living room is where community, connection & life happens. This season we look to modern, functional designs that are shaped for contentment & conversation.

MOESHOME.COM Moe’s Home Flagship Store, Vancouver Moe’s Home Flagship Store, Seattle

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99 YEARS OF QUALITY SERVICE IN KERRISDALE Watch your outdoor space

come to life Scan to book an appointment with a product specialist

6365 West Boulevard, Vancouver B.C. 604-261-4274 kerrisdalelumber.ca

Say hello to spring with these wonderful new looks from Marie Jo and PrimaDonna Twist! At Diane’s Lingerie we continue to be inspired by the amazing European brands that we partner with.

A combination of bold, bright colours, animal prints, and floral embroidery are among some of the fresh trends you’ll find in our assortment for spring 2021.

These two brands are part of the Van de Velde group which just celebrated their 100th anniversary. They are an award-winning, familyowned lingerie company which Diane’s Lingerie has had the pleasure of working with since the store began 38 years ago. Now is the time to refresh your lingerie wardrobe by visiting our store or shopping online!

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R I C H M O N D • VA N C O U V E R

REDEFINING L U X U RY O N E D E TA I L AT A T I M E We engineer steel to move as if it’s weightless.

We create features that feel anything but ordinary. We select materials that perform and add a luxurious presence.

At Monogram, it’s not just one detail, it’s many.

When you put them all together, you create appliances that look, feel, and perform as if they were designed perfectly for you.

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The Art Fine Custom Home Building of

SEA ROCK DEVELOPMENTS is a master custom home builder of luxury homes establishing a tradition of excellence.

From concept to completion we are different in the quality, artistry, and innovation we bring to every home. With top quality craftsmanship of our in-house team, access to latest technologies and materials from around the world, and creative solutions we build not just homes but lifestyles.

Our commitment to the principles of quality, efficiency and integrity ensures that each home we build is a reflection of the high standard of excellence associated with Sea Rock Developments.

info@searock.ca

CONTENTS 94

ON THE COVER Photo by Lia Crowe Sebastian Sevallo and Karen Khunkhun, spokespeople for the Hometown Heroes Lottery, are seen at the lottery’s

63 FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

48 GLITZ & GLAM

18

22 EDITOR

BC Lottery’s hottest ticket glimmers in South Surrey

By Lisa Manfield

stunning South Surrey prize home.

Story by Lisa Manfield HOT PROPERTIES

48

86 THE SUN RETURNS

Wools, knits and colours made for life on the beach

By Jen Evans & Lia Crowe

94 WHEN COLD IS HOT

14

B O U L E VA R D

Taking the plunge into cold water therapy

By Toby Tannas

CONTRIBUTORS

Family first

By Susan Lundy

30 LIFE. STYLE. ETC.

Sarah D’Arcey

By Lia Crowe

32 DESIGN NOTES

Top Shelf

By Shift Interiors

86 40

IN STUDIO

Elizabeth Cross

By Lin Stranberg

35 WEEKENDER

Wine, wildlife and a wicked little getaway

By Suzanne Morphet

42

GOOD TASTE

Thierry Busset

By Gail Johnson

46

WELL & GOOD

Nutritional navigation

By Kaisha Scofield

98

48

58 BUSINESS CLASS

112 NARRATIVE

Ozzie Jurock

Of dreams and travel

By Joe Leary

By Susan Beiderwieden

98 FOOD & FEAST

114

The (not so) humble egg

BEHIND THE STORY

By Lia Crowe

By Ellie Shortt

104 TRAVEL Malta the amazing

63

By Brian Argyle

The HAVAN awards

110 SECRETS AND LIVES

By Dawn Sondergaard

SPECIAL FEATURE

Eva Chan

By Angela Cowan

B O U L E VA R D

15

Dreams on demand.

The Porsche fleet at your fingertips.

Porsche Drive puts the Porsche fleet at your fingertips. Short or long term, Porsche Drive offers flexible and convenient mobility service solutions for your dynamic mobility needs. Experience the thrill of driving a Porsche. Delivered to you.

Coming to Porsche Centre Vancouver May 2021.

Porsche Drive.

PORSCHE CENTER VANCOUVER 688 TERMINAL AVENUE VANCOUVER, BC V6A 2M5 (604) 736-7911 www.porschevancouver.ca

AN EXPRESSION OF ITALIAN EXCELLENCE A contemporary design that is unique and powerful.

AVAILABLE AT

www.midlandappliance.com

GROWING BUILDER DIVISIONS · DESIGNER SALES TEAM · RICHMOND & VANCOUVER SHOWROOMS

contributors “Travel brings significant health benefits, according to a multitude of

BRIAN ARGYLE

WRITER MALTA THE AMAZING

PAGE 104

studies. In fact, even the anticipation of travel brings rewards. Visiting distant lands broadens the mind and lowers stress levels—save for the odd rush to make a connecting flight! It pays off with the experience of new people and cultures, smells and flavours, sights and sounds, and memories that will last a lifetime.” After an early retirement to Vancouver Island as a snowbird, Brian turned his lifelong passion for photography into a profession.

As a photographer, his greatest enjoyment comes from meeting new people and sharing—for a few moments—their lives, events, sports or hobbies. argylephoto.com

APRIL/MAY 2021

BLACK PRESS GROUP PUBLISHER Penny Sakamoto BOULEVARD GROUP PUBLISHER Mario Gedicke mario.gedicke@blackpress.ca 250-891-5627 PUBLISHER Harry van Hemmen harryvh@blackpress.ca 604-649-1707 MANAGING EDITOR Susan Lundy

“If ever there was a year perfectly suited to a home lottery, it’s this

LISA MANFIELD WRITER GLITZ & GLAM

PAGE 48

one. Supporting our invaluable health and emergency services heroes while getting the chance to win a spectacular new home is a combination I can heartily get behind. And you can bet I’ll be running out to get my ticket after my virtual tour of this gorgeous South Surrey home developed by the thoughtful and talented folks at BacchusWilliams. Mostly I love that everyone is a winner in this draw.” Lisa Manfield is a writer, editor and content strategist.

She was the founding editor of BC Living Magazine and is a regular contributor to Boulevard and Right Sizing magazines.

WRITER WHEN COLD IS HOT

PAGE 94

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Brian Argyle, Susan Beiderwieden, Lia Crowe, Angela Cowan, Jen Evans, Gail Johnson, Joe Leary, Lisa Manfield, Suzanne Morphet, Kaisha Scofield, Dawn Sondergaard, Ellie Shortt, Toby Tannas, Lin Stranberg DESIGNERS Lily Chan, Michelle Gjerde, Tammy Robinson, Kelsey Boorman, Crea Zhang ADVERTISING SALES Vicki Clark vicki.clark@blackpress.ca PHOTOGRAPHERS Alfonso Arnold, Lia Crowe, Dan Kirchner, Darren Hull, Sheila Say

“There’s a trend ‘afloat’ you may

TOBY TANNAS

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Lia Crowe

have spotted on your social media feed. A curiosity about cold water that’s sparked one of the biggest wellness trends of 2021. Cold Water Therapy definitely isn’t for the faint of heart, but if you can brave a bit more than a splash you could be in line for a whole host of health benefits.” A broadcast veteran, Toby cohosts Beach Mornings with Ara & Toby on Kelowna’s 103.1 Beach Radio. She’s a mother to two teenage girls and two four-legged kids.

ILLUSTRATION Sierra Lundy DISTRIBUTION Marilou Pasion Marilou@blackpress.ca 604-542-7411

VANCOUVERBOULEVARD.COM Boulevard Magazine is published 6 times per year by Black Press Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited. The publisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs.

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PHOTO BY LIA CROWE

family first

Family life began for me back in the mid-’80s when I moved in with my boyfriend of five months. The house, recently vacated by the boyfriend’s ex-wife, came with furniture, a pair of kids and a gerbil called Quasimodo.

“Don’t touch the gerbil,” Derrick warned his son, not five minutes after I arrived. “It bites.”

“It won’t bite me,” asserted Dylan. He reached into the cage to stroke the warm and furry Quasimodo who, startled from slumber, sunk its teeth into Dylan’s finger.

Dylan shrieked. “It bit me! You-you...asshole!”

“Dad!” Jessica shouted. “Dylan swore! And he touched the gerbil!”

I—21 years old and unused to children at all—watched the unfolding scene with quiet horror. I was a career-pining, quasi-academic, eager to write my way to fame and fortune. Parenting was not on the to-do list.

But this all changed over the next few years. And by the time my own daughters came along, I’d fallen in love with all things family—a love affair that has endured these past decades far beyond cares about career.

And as it turns out, this scene with my eventual first husband, now my ex-husband, occurred at the start of another decades-long project. The result is my new book, Home on the Strange: Chronicles of Motherhood, Mayhem and Matters of the Heart. The book, like parenting, has been a labour of love, and I’m excited for its release on April 13 via Heritage House Publishing.

Home on the Strange follows a cast of strange characters (me, my family and friends) in a collection of 75 essays that peer into the everyday world of family relationships. What drove this collection of stories? My compulsion to write, for one thing. Myriad crazy anecdotes, for another. And, thankfully, a series of deadlines over the past three decades that forced me to record this treasure-trove of memories in real time. Over the years, I’ve written dozens of columns, first for newspapers and eventually for Boulevard and a few other smaller magazines. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, the columns became perfect conduits for memories.

What inspired these stories? Well, when your younger daughter adopts a shop vac as a pet and you end up dragging it around everywhere by the “leash” (cord)—including the school play—you have to write about it.

When you can’t sew and your elder daughter wants to be a slug for Halloween, or you mangle an educational sex talk with your kids, you have to write about it. When you drive across the country in a road-weary hippie van, run out of gas in the middle of nowhere Alberta, or drive 40 minutes through the wilderness of Vancouver Island, dodging potholes and bear cubs, seeking morning coffee—to no avail—you have to write about it. All these strange and amusing experiences beg to be told. I’ve also experienced some trauma, including my daughter’s devastating cycling accident and my husband’s near-death heart attack, and those stories are in the book as well.

As for the cast of characters, I owe them a debt of thanks for gracefully accepting my gentle-but-rather-public teasing over the years. But all is well. Derrick can’t divorce me over it…that already happened years ago.

My daughters are safely tucked away in cities different than my own, and besides they’d never give up access to our liquor cabinet. That leaves my husband, Bruce, and I’m not worried about him at all. When I wrote my first book, Heritage Apples: A New Sensation, he was able to quote the pages on which he was mentioned and direct everyone to his photo. He’ll handle the notoriety. (See, I just did it to him again!)

Ultimately, the most mocked person in the book is me as I attempt to navigate this world as a mother, a wife, a journalist and, according to one reviewer, “a keen observer on the foibles and challenges of life.” This reviewer further states that I write with “humour, honesty, and humanity.

And hope.”

Hope, indeed—I hope readers enjoy it.

Susan Lundy Editor 22

B O U L E VA R D

APPLIED LUXURY Iconic and distinctive style with functionality and performance.

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Let Passion Lead Life

“It is music that makes me invincible”

Alaina Wang WORDS BY WEN ZHANG PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARTIN KNOWLES

Following her

heart’s calling While children may be eager grow up and reach independence, adults often long to revisit adolescence to take a path to different life.

Alaina Wang, an 18-year-old Vancouver-based pianist was a straight-A student, majoring in statistics at the University of Toronto, when she made the astounding decision to quit university and re-enter music school to pursue her true passion.

Alaina is described as a “charming young lady with a lovely personality and a friendly demeanor. She always seems to have a smile on her face.”

Her keenness to play classical music developed gradually. From needing supervision to practice to playing with enjoyment, and eventually making piano part of her life and profession, her story illustrates how powerful music can be.

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Music

changed her life

When she came to Canada to study at 13, Alaina had more time to explore classical music on her own, she noticed that music brought her peace of mind. She also discovered the positive impact music has on the people around her. Her performances in nursing home received sincere gratitude and praise from the elderly; her charity performance with a string orchestra brought colorr and joy to those in attendance; her playing brought comfort to her mother; and teaching made her students aware of how rich the piano sound can be. So although her choice of a career in music was accidental, it was also inevitable.

Alaina began performing on stage at the age of seven, and has participated in countless charity music events, large and small. She has achieved excellent results in various prestigious piano competitions such as the Richmond Music Festival. And as the recipient of the 2020 Canadian Young Artist Excellence Award, she believes that music can change the world. “It is music that makes me invincible.” she said, excited to share this with others.

2020 Canadian Young Artist Standards of Excellence Award.

Certificate of Excellence at the Royal Etiquette & Manners Class by Steinway Young Artist Club.

Conviction

through Love,

Perseverance

breeds Transcendence Like many teenagers, Alaina has an active life. She enjoys outdoor sports, being close to nature, hanging out with friends, watching drama and spending a long time on her own.

But it is music that makes her special, and it is music that makes her outstanding. As she said, no matter what career she chooses in the future—to become a performer or piano educator—she will always listen to her heart and strive to become an ambassador for music in the community, taking music as a mission and passing on her love for it.

2021 Music for Love Charity Concert fundraising for the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation.

The Resonance of The partnership of two like-minded brands, Bang & Olufsen Vancouver and Gryphon House, bring to you a new way of living, the Beohome at Gryphon House. A unique luxury residence with integrated home automation systems, with emphasis on aesthetic design. Arriving in Kerrisdale.

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life.style.etc.

SARAH D’ARCEY, CEO AT SARAH D’ARCEY STYLING WORDS + PHOTOGRAPHY LIA CROWE

“Insane, but in the best way” is how one of Sarah’s mentors, brand strategist Marc Stoiber, once described her.

The occasion was a photo shoot when Sarah turned a real croissant into a crossbody bag.

Moreover, Sarah has never met a red carpet she didn’t love, she thrives on working under pressure and lives by a mantra that there are no regrets in life, just lessons learned.

Sarah started styling with the goal of being a fashion buyer while attending George Brown College in Toronto.

“I thought I wanted to be a fashion buyer because you got

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to go to the shows and see the collections, but I didn’t think about what happened after that. Anyone who knows me knows that I am terrible at math and there is a lot more to buying than just choosing what you like. I switched gears and I volunteered backstage at the LG Fashion Week for Canadian brands.

I was drawn to how each outfit came together, so I took a styling course through George Brown and was hooked.”

Asked what fires her up the most about her work, Sarah says, “I love the thrill of finding the perfect look and the smile and confidence it brings to my clients’ faces. And, while I love the

red carpet, that mentality transcends into my work for editorial jobs and personal-styling clients. I am passionate about helping people find confidence through what they wear.”

Sarah says that gratitude has been at the core of her success.

“There have been a number of people who have shaped my journey and I wouldn’t be living this life without their mentorship and support. I have been really blessed by some amazing opportunities to grow my brand and, although it is sometimes scary to go to the next level, I love that uncertain feeling because to me it symbolizes growth.”

This past year, Sarah says, has been contrary to her usual fast-paced life, as she’s had the opportunity to slow down while helping her Dad renovate and sell his house.

“It made me realize that the most important things in life are not things. It’s time well spent, experiences and walking my Dad’s bloodhound, Guido. Who would have thought a little home renovation would teach that?”

When it comes to style, Sarah feels that Giorgio Armani said it best: “The difference between style and fashion is quality.”

Sarah adds: “My style has evolved a lot over the years. I used to think that every event, appearance or occasion required a new outfit. Now I am passionate about living with fewer, better things and I’m a huge fan of creating your own ‘you-niform.’

Mine is currently a slip dress, oversize blazer and a chunky pair of Prada boots.”

STYLE INSPIRATIONS & LIFE Style icon: Sarah Jessica Parker.

Favourite artist: Andy Warhol.

Piece of art: Campbell’s Soup Cans (Andy Warhol).

Favourite fashion designer or brand: Marc Jacobs.

Favourite musician: Eric Church.

Era of time that inspires your style: ’90s.

Film or TV show that inspires your style or that you just love the style of: Sex and the City.

Favourite cocktail or wine: Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc and Quails' Gate Pinot Noir.

Album on current rotation: 61 Days in Church (Eric Church). I am a huge country music fan!

Favourite flower: White roses.

Favourite city to visit: Paris and New York City.

Favourite app: Pinterest—so much inspiration!

Favourite place in the whole world: Anywhere that inspiration strikes!

But it’s hard to beat having an Aperol Spritz on the Seine in Paris.

One thing that consistently lifts your spirits during these hard times: People being kind and belief in the human spirit to do good.

FASHION & BEAUTY Uniform: Silk dress, oversize blazer, military boot.

All-time favourite piece: Chanel pin.

Currently coveting: Fendi medium Peekaboo ISeeU bag.

Favourite pair of shoes: Vince suede high-tops.

Favourite day bag: Marc Jacobs camera bag.

Favourite work tool: iPhone.

Favourite jewellery piece or designer: Birks Round Cut 3-Prong Solitaire Diamond Earrings.

Fashion obsession: Menswear for women.

Accessory you spend the most money on: Belts.

Necessary indulgence for either fashion or beauty: NARS Orgasm Blush.

Moisturizer: My skincare is from a clean beauty company called MisMacK.

Scent: Chanel N. 5—I am on my last bottle bought in Paris!

Must-have hair product: 8H Magic Night Serum Nutritive by Kerastase.

Beauty secret: Drink lots of water.

READING MATERIAL What you read online for style: WWD (the fashion bible).

Fave print magazine: British Vogue.

Fave style blog: Olivia Palermo’s The Edit.

Coffee table book/photography book: Bill Blass.

Last great read: Grace: A Memoir

by Grace Coddington.

Book currently reading: A Promised Land by Barack Obama.

Favourite book of all time: The Sartorialist by Scott Schuman.

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31

design notes

TOP

shelf

By SHIFT INTERIORS Project: Q. RESIDENCE Vancouver Designer: SHIFT INTERIORS Photographer: TINA FROM EMMA PETERS PHOTOGRAPHY Contractor: HEADLAND

The modern-yet-timeless Japanese sculpture design reminds us of the beauty of the simple things. Saikai Windvane in cast iron and wood

by Provide, $211.

Made out of natural onyx stone, the Tali Object is a great accent sculpture to add to your shelf.

Tali Polished Onyx Object by CB2, $139.95.

R

Simple in design and rich in textures, these work as bookends or as minimal and clean sculptures. Column marble bookends, set of two by CB2, $59.95.

ule number one in creating great-looking shelves: select a colour palette and stick to it! This will help limit the number of accessories and bring cohesiveness to the whole.

Here are some other tips: • Choose a small, sculptural light for lower shelves to create ambience and to curate your shelf in a more dynamic way.

• Use different applications. If you’ve added books laying horizontally on one shelf, use a vertically shaped vase below it to keep the eye moving from one shelf to the other.

• If you feel your accessories are too plain, add a bit more of the third colour you have chosen for your colour scheme.

Understated yet full of personality, this table lamp is a great piece for added functionality. 28 Table Light by Living Space. Call for pricing.

• Plants are extremely important. Fake or real, they always bring a fresh and clean look to your shelf.

• Play with different heights and shapes when combining two or more elements.

We love Cym Warkov’s ceramics. They offer a simple way to add texture and layers to any bookshelf without having to go bold. Cym Warkov Ceramics, oval and curvy #2 and #3, in white, by Provide, $653.

Footed bowl to hide knickknacks. Caroline Blackburn Ceramics, Bantam Collection, #439, by Provide, $548.

From the oldest and most prestigious wax manufacturer in the world, the Josephine awakens the dazzling fragrances of a garden with an imperial destiny.

Cire Trudon classic candle, Josephine, by Provide, $150.

Artificial plant. Potted coin plant in white pot, 8 inches,

by CB2, $79.95.

Mud Australia tray platter in slate by Provide. Call for pricing.

This textured porcelain collection helps add visual interest in subtle and refined ways. Cym Warkov Ceramics, burlap round and tall in white, by Provide, $653.

LUXURIOUS RESIDENCES IN NORTH VANCOUVER’S WATERFRONT COMMUNITY

Experience modern waterfront living at its finest. Inside, enjoy spectacular water, city and mountain views, gourmet kitchens, quality workmanship and European finishes. Outside, the luxury of being mere steps to the hub of Lower Lonsdale, with a plethora of restaurants, cafes, shops, The Quay market and the convenience of the SeaBus. Walk, hike or bike the newly extended Spirit Trail. Plus the privilege of membership to the amenities, indoor pool and gym at the Pinnacle Pier Hotel. Isn’t it time you made The Pier your home?

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weekender weekender

Wine, wildlife and a

wicked little getaway WORDS + PHOTOGRAPHY SUZANNE MORPHET

i

might have walked into a John Constable landscape from the early 19th century.

Clouds billow up a mountainside that’s dusted with fresh snow. In the foreground, a pond reflects the sky and surrounding forest in a watery blur of red, green and yellow. Beyond the pond, a river rushes past, eager to reach the sea.

But this is no painting.

It’s the utterly enchanting view from our balcony at the Cowichan River Lodge, located in the Cowichan River Valley, close to Duncan on Vancouver Island.

My husband and I have escaped here for the weekend with two thoughts in mind—wine and wildlife.

B O U L E VA R D

35

While the valley has been making a name for itself as a cool-weather wine region for the last 20 years, wildlife is also commanding more attention.

Take, for instance, the gregarious elk that moved into Youbou in the last decade, grazing people’s gardens and peering in windows. Locals even gave five of the bull elk names.

They’re Bob, Henry, Dennis, Howard and Mr. Hollywood.

Over on the marine side of the valley, hundreds of fat and frisky sea lions have been stopping in Cowichan Bay every fall recently on their annual migration from Alaska to California, flopping on docks and swamping boats.

And of course, the Cowichan River is famous for its fish.

Chinook, coho and chum salmon share this 47-kilometre stretch of running water with steelhead, trout and more.

Experienced fly fishers like fourth-generation fisherman Tristan O’Brian rave about it.

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“I’ve been up and down the island, explored a lot of remote rivers and never have I seen a river that supports the amount of life this river does,” Tristan tells us as we float down the river from Lake Cowichan in his fishing raft on our first morning.

In spring, the river runs high and fast. We drift past half a dozen boats with fishers, mostly men, standing and casting lines.

Passing over a shallow stretch, Tristan points out a couple of sleek rainbow trout.

“The salmon provide the trout with an unreal amount of nutrients,” he says, explaining that any salmon eggs that don’t hatch get scooped up by the trout.

Landing back at the Cowichan River Lodge, we meet up with lodge manager John Chilton.

With 16 riverfront acres, the lodge gets plenty of four-legged visitors. John shows me pictures of bear, cougar and elk, all captured by a motion-activated camera.

Fresh elk dung litters the lawn.

“About two years ago we had a young bull elk,” he explains, “and I thought he was a loser. He didn’t have any horn or anything. But then he left and came back with all these girls!”

Walking around the pond, John points out a beaver dam dug into the bank. The beavers aren’t usually around during the day, but occasionally a group of river otters will show up and then, “all hell breaks loose,” he chuckles. “They scream at each other!”

Driving to Youbou, we see signs warning about elk. Before long, we spot three bulls grazing in front of a trailer park. With their slender legs, big eyes and reddish racks, Tom, Dick and

Harry— or whatever they’re called—are impressive, but look hilariously out of place.

The next morning big, fat snowflakes swirl outside while we read by the fireplace. It’s hard to leave this lodge, but we’ve got a date with the winemaker at Averill Creek Vineyard down the road.

“I do as little as I can,” Brent Rowland tells us when we arrive for our tour and tasting. “If you had to put a list of ingredients on a bottle, mine would say ‘grapes’ and that’s it.”

That means no nutrients, enzymes, yeast, sulfites or any of the other “aids” that many conventional winemakers rely on.

“It’s much harder to make wines this way,” he says as we sample a fragrant young pinot noir from the barrel, but “a lot more pure and honest.”

Since arriving at Averill Creek in 2018, Brent’s been figuring out what works—“pinot noir is king”—and what doesn’t, such as Marechal Foch.

“I just took a chainsaw to the Foch and grafted on pinot noir,” he adds.

Sitting in the lounge and looking over this big valley from the sunny side of Mount Prevost, we realize some things in life really are that simple.

Coming to Cowichan for a weekend is one of them.

ELK IN YOUBOU.

CHARCUTERIE AT THE LODGE.

see.

The five resident bull elks in Youbou are just that—resident year-round. They often walk down the highway through town but can be difficult to spot if they’re resting in someone’s garden. Sunrise and sunset are the best times to see bigger herds including females and calves.

“You might see five or 35,” the waitress at Cassy’s Coffee House told us when we stopped to inquire. Even the resident bulls are wild animals, so keep your distance.

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FLY FISHING.

If you go: thecowichanriverlodge.com averillcreek.ca

COWICHAN RIVER LODGE.

do.

eat.

sleep.

Fly fishing is experiencing its biggest surge in popularity since A River Runs Through It was released in 1992. Guide Tristan O’Brian says young people are really getting into it, as well as more women. The Cowichan River Lodge can organize a guided fishing tour for you. For a different wildlife experience, take a Hawk Walk at The Raptors in Duncan.

Hawks and other birds of prey fly overhead and you might get the thrill of a hawk landing on your gloved hand. pnwraptors.com.

Breakfasts at the Cowichan River Lodge are filling and delicious with locally sourced ingredients such as sausage from Cure in Cobble Hill, yogurt from the Cowichan Milk Company and coffee from Drumroaster. Farm Table Inn, near Skutz Falls, is a great choice for dinner, serving locally raised beef and their own pork. We enjoyed their West Coast bouillabaisse and Jäger pork schnitzel, paired with local wines. Averill Creek Vineyards has recently introduced charcuterie boards that include locally made spreads and pates from Pickles’ Pantry and island-made cheeses.

The Cowichan River Lodge is a beautiful log structure with big picture windows, four comfortable guest rooms and peaceful natural surroundings.

Built originally as a fishing lodge, it now caters to a wide variety of guests looking for rest and recreation, on the river and off. Hosts John and Danielle can help you plan activities from hiking and biking to wine tasting and whale watching.

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in studio …

WITH ELIZABETH CROSS

E the colour of

passion WORDS LIN STRANBERG

PHOTOGRAPHY LIA CROWE

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lizabeth Cross is inspired by love, passion, art and the environment.

“This may sound cheesy, but I believe love is the ultimate thing in life,” she says.

It’s quickly apparent that for Cross, a free-spirited and prolific painter, serious businesswoman and busy mother of three teenage girls, painting itself is a great love affair and grand passion.

Cross has been painting for 30 years, but she held back on exhibiting her work publicly until 2018. It has taken off like a rocket ever since, and eliminated her reluctance for good. She has produced probably 200 paintings for exhibit and sale, and has shown in both Vancouver and Seattle at Art Vancouver, Lillian Gallery and Lynn Hanson Gallery, among other venues. She has also participated in “live” painting competitions throughout Vancouver. Her work is currently showing in Kitsilano at Stock Home Design and at Art Downtown, Vancouver’s newest outdoor art exhibition.

Her art is mainly abstract: she loves to paint flowers and faces in bold, bright acrylic colours that just explode off the canvases—bright reds, pinks, yellows and greens, plus black and white for special high-contrast pieces. She makes her paintings more textural with gels, glitter, sparkles and, unusually, bits of used fabric from clothing.

“It adds quite a bit of interest and texture and also helps to save the material from going to landfill,” she says.

Her deep feeling for sustainability and the environment is authentic—it’s part of her background as a bio-resource engineer and environmental specialist.

After earning her master’s degree in bioresource engineering from UBC, she worked as an environmental advisor in Vancouver for corporations like Telus and YVR. Now she runs

“I paint whatever I feel that day, in the colours I feel like using. If I’m in a yellow mood, I’ll paint in that colour that day.” her own start-up, Moda Circolare, a consulting agency for new and existing brands of sustainable fashion. The way she sees it, it’s a natural offshoot of her environmental advisory.

“The issues are the same: social and environmental issues, governance and so on. The difference is that in the case of Telus, for example, the issue may have been electronic waste, while with fashion it’s about things like fabric waste or solvents.”

As much as she helps people with her environmental expertise, her real ambition is to feel and communicate joy through the paintings she make and sells. Earning money through her paintings keeps the whole thing going.

“I love to paint big pieces and I can go a little crazy with paint,” she says.

She always paints outside, often under a big patio umbrella in the rain: “The cold and rain don’t bother me, but some days my hands feel like they’re freezing.”

She has no set plan when she begins a canvas. She never paints from nature, models or photographs.

“I paint it all from my head,” she says. “I paint whatever I feel that day, in the colours I feel like using. If I’m in a yellow mood, I’ll paint in that colour that day.”

She spends an average of four to eight hours on a painting, frequently returning to them.

“Sometimes they’re hard to leave alone—I’m always trying to improve them.”

She describes herself as a “hopeless, dreamy, ridiculously loving” romantic, and the titles of many of her paintings are overt references to her belief in the appeal of romantic love.

“My Lover’s Last Kiss,” “I Am So Attracted to You,” “Falling in Love For the First Time” and “Love Shines Brighter When You Are Near” are typical titles for both the flowers and faces she likes to paint. The colours all speak of passion. But some of the flowers have a darker aspect and some faces, while abstract, have a feeling of sadness about them that may speak to the mysteries and potential heartaches of love as well.

There are a pair of dress shoes on her website (elizabethcross.ca) that she has painted in orange, purple, blue and green that “represent the treadmill of daily life, the running out of time and that life is so very precious.”

But this romantic can be a sentimentalist too. As both a scientist and an artist, she lives in a left brain/right brain duality that is both charismatic and rare.

When she was completing her first degree (in agriculture) at UBC, she took some art courses and picked up the basics of drawing, mixed media, acrylic and oil painting. During that period, she had the pleasure of meeting Zbigniew Kupczynski, a Polish-Canadian abstract expressionist, at a South

Granville art store. Kupczynski’s wildly colourful portraits of children and celebrities made a lasting impression of her. As a young student, she could only afford his prints and bought two of them. Kupczynski, in turn, was impressed that a student was buying his work.

“I loved the vibrant colours he used and the expression of his work. I loved how he geometrically broke down the faces,” she said.

She took metalwork courses at Van Tech while studying for her master’s degree at UBC, and again at BCIT more than 10 years later.

“Welding’s very therapeutic. I used to make tables, beds, candleholders and mirrors and sell them at craft fairs,” she says, adding that her teenage daughters learned to weld in high school.

Cross, originally from Ontario, travelled extensively as a child. Her father, a geologist, had a career that took him all over the globe, and he moved his family wherever he went.

When Elizabeth was 12, they came back to Canada and settled in Vancouver, where she’s lived ever since.

She recently moved from the modern house she and her husband built in Dunbar into “a big old yellow house” in Kerrisdale. It’s a family home, full of love and artwork. One of her daughters’ larger-than life metal sculptures welcomes you at the door, making it clear that it’s occupied by a very creative family.

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good taste

How sweet it is Thierry Busset brings the flavours of France to Vancouver

WORDS GAIL JOHNSON PHOTOGRAPHY LIA CROWE

X

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In each location, these doors open to the aromas of France, from freshly baked croissants to all sorts of ganache chocolates.

M

acarons, brioche, financiers and sablés: these are a few of the exquisite treats on display, like so many pieces of art or jewellery, in cases imported from France that were specifically designed to showcase chocolates and pastries in the new Thierry Café in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant.

French-raised master chocolatier and pâtissier Thierry Busset has trained and worked with some of the globe’s top culinary talents, earning respect as a pastry chef the world over.

None other than Gordon Ramsay, a former colleague, once called him “one of the finest pastry chefs in the world.”

Now, Thierry is settling into his new home, the 2,000-squarefoot café and 4,000-square-foot production space at Main and Kingsway. Here, he honours his roots with all things buttery, chocolaty, flaky and finely crafted.

It all started in Auvergne, France, where Thierry learned to cook by his mother’s side.

“We grew up with plenty of food around us,” he recalls. “My mother always cooked for us. Every time we went to school, we came home for lunch. Cooking was all around me, and she encouraged me.”

Throughout his career, Thierry has taken on roles at several prestigious Relais & Chateaux properties and Michelin-star restaurants like London’s Le Gavroche, where he worked with the late Albert Roux and Michel Roux Jr. What skills he didn’t learn in one pastry kitchen he would set out to pick up in the next, acquiring time-honoured techniques such as how to make pâte de fruits and nougats. During mandatory military service, he made pastry for the French government. He has also worked in a ski resort in the south of France and on an island in the French Caribbean.

On a recommendation from Ramsay (whom Thierry knew

pre-Hell’s Kitchen and four-letter-worded fame), he spent several years working with legendary chef Marco Pierre White, helping elevate his London restaurant from two Michelin stars to three.

“The pressure is not to get the three stars but to keep it,” he says. “At a Michelin-star restaurant, you learn service. You have to be perfect, and you have to be fast and organized. It’s very great training.”

One of his day-to-day tasks at Marco Pierre White was to dip chocolate by hand. Even now, at his sophisticated, airy new digs—where he has access to chocolate tempering equipment and a chocolate cooling tunnel, along with temperaturecontrolled storage, test kitchens and packaging rooms—he prefers doing much of the dipping by hand rather than by machine.

“It’s a more natural technique, and it’s good to learn if the machine ever breaks,” he says. “For all the people who work for me, it’s good for them to learn it.”

The travel bug brought him to Vancouver, and he fell in love with his surroundings. He joined Toptable Group, first working at West before heading the pastry program at CinCin Ristorante.

The second location of Thierry comes almost a decade after the first on Alberni Street. Like its downtown counterpart, the elegant East Vancouver outpost boasts the group’s trademark palm wood doors.

In each location, these doors open to the aromas of France, from freshly baked croissants to all sorts of ganache chocolates. Made of milk and dark and white chocolate, the artful pieces contain ingredients such as gin, Quebec maple syrup, shaved tonka beans, coconut pulp and raspberry liqueur.

Macarons, in the colours of a Monet garden, are regularly B O U L E VA R D

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offered with different flavours, from cassis to salted caramel.

Among Thierry’s signature desserts is the goldleaf-adorned chocolate marquise: the rich, dense cake comprises hazelnut dacquoise, salted caramel, crisp praline and chocolate mousse. It’s a showstopper that his wife concocted with him. (The couple has three children together, ranging in age from seven to 12.) If it’s chocolate you’re craving but can’t make up your mind, the chocolate trio is for you; it’s a chocolate sponge cake layered with white, dark and milk chocolate mousse. The pretty passionfruit cake is especially popular, bright and refreshing with elegant miniature pink macarons dotting the bottom of a mound of passionfruit mousse with white genoise, all topped passionfruit gelée.

The café also offers savoury items such as quiche Lorraine with thick-cut bacon, organic vegetable quiche, a variety of croissants (including croissant au jambon) and more, with sandwiches coming soon.

Thierry loves the idea of coming in for a petit four with Thierry Café’s signature coffee—a special blend made in collaboration with 49th Parallel.

Except that he’ll be having something savoury: “I’ve been doing pastry for 36 years,” he says. “I like to cook for family and friends, but I don’t eat pastry except to test it.”

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well and good

nutritional navigation Understanding bio-individuality WORDS KAISHA SCOFIELD 46

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T

here is no one way to eat. We are biologically unique. Even if we all ate the exact same foods, our bodies would react in very individual ways. The countless differences between our lifestyles, dietary histories, movement habits, stress levels, age and genetics all make for varied nutritional needs. When it comes to nourishing and fuelling the body, we are all perfectly different.

Bio-individuality is the concept that there is no one-sizefits-all diet, and the understanding that our nutritional needs vary depending on a wide variety of factors. It reinforces the idea that eating the same food does not lead to the same digestive outcome from one individual to the next. Understanding bio-individuality can help us to navigate diet confusion and move toward a more personalized and empowered eating style.

Diets are oversimplified eating plans. For example, when I eat corn, it makes my stomach hurt, so I avoid it. Does that then mean that no one else should eat corn? What about dairy or meat? If my neighbour Jenny is living her best life as a vegan, does that mean Uncle Phil is wrong about the keto diet blowing his mind? Of course not—what works for Jenny isn’t necessarily going to work for Phil because their bodies are not the same.

Figuring out your own digestive needs can take time and can be challenging, so here are some tips on how to find what works best for you.

BE YOUR OWN DIGESTIVE DETECTIVE

Keep a digestion journal (note, this is not macro or calorie tracking) and record how you feel when trying something new. Not used to eating gluten? Give it a try and see what happens (unless you have celiac disease). If gluten bugs you, then try sourdough or sprouted oats. If you haven’t had meat in a while, try going to a well-respected butcher and buying meat that has been ethically raised and processed. These experiments may sound scary but as life changes, so too do our digestive and nutritional needs. Where you may have needed lower calories as a university student, those extra hours you’re putting in at the gym these days may mean it’s time to pay more attention to your fuelling.

BE CURIOUS

We can get excited when someone tells us about their new diet, especially when they are seeing great results. If their way of eating appeals to you, it is okay to try it out, but it’s important to resist digging in and to know when to accept it, if it isn’t working for you. This doesn’t mean that you are a failure at eating, it simply means that you and your friend have different digestive systems.

REJECT RIGIDITY

Excess sugar and highly processed foods should be approached with moderation, but all other foods can be approached with an open mind. If someone tells you that carbohydrates are bad, investigate which carbs work for you and which ones don’t. If you’re lectured about the dangers of meats, try eating meat that appeals to you and see how your body reacts. Think you need to eat nothing but vegetables?

How does that feel after a few days? Additions and eliminations should only be considered after you have taken enough time to make an informed choice.

BE SUPPORTIVE

It is important to recognize that everyone’s goals and needs differ, so try to approach food conversations with compassion.

We are all just trying to live our healthiest life, so when your coworker comes at you raving about his latest juice cleanse, simply recognize that he is also just trying to find what works for his body.

BE PATIENT

These things can take time and, sometimes, just when you get the hang of things, your life will change and along with it your nutritional needs. Your life, your body and your digestion are not static, and as with any organism, your body will change and evolve according to what it needs at any given time. That is why it is important to be patient and kind to yourself. Commit to taking the time to get to know what works for you so that when life takes a new path, you can keep up.

EAT HAPPY

When was the last time you ate something because it made you happy? We are so focused on restricting because it is expected of us that we often lose the joy of food. There is, of course, a very important distinction to be made between eating foods because they are cheats and eating foods because they bring joy. The former looks like binging on an entire pizza in the closet, while the latter is more akin to going out for fancy doughnuts with friends. It’s important to note that disordered eating is a very real and very common issue that affects people from all backgrounds. If this is something that feels like it might apply to you, know that you are not alone and please seek out help from a mental health and/or eating disorder professional.

Food doesn’t have to be complicated but it does have to be considered. We may have different digestive systems but we generally share the same goals: to eat well, be healthy and enjoy life. Acknowledging your bio-individuality is the first step to achieving these goals by supporting your digestive system.

Knowing that we all need different fuel helps us let go of the one-diet-fits-all mentality and approach food with curiosity and enthusiasm, empowering us to do the work and find the very best way to fuel and nourish our perfectly unique bodies.

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GLITZ&GLAM This sizzling South Surrey home is on BC’s hottest ticket: win big while giving back

Dress: Kika Vargas Pin: Chanel Shoes: SJP Collection

WORDS: LISA MANFIELD PORTRAITS: LIA CROWE HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHY: SHEILA SAY PHOTOGRAPHY STYLING: SARAH D’ARCEY HAIR & MAKEUP: HEATHER NIGHTINGALE, USING MISMACK COSMETICS WARDROBE: PROVIDED BY NORDSTROM VANCOUVER

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Jacket: Tiger of Sweden Pants: Tiger of Sweden T-shirt: All Saints Shoes: Vans PHOTOS BY LIA CROWE

“This year people are so aware of what’s going on with the healthcare crisis because we’ve all been living it. As a community we must support our healthcare workers. We need them more than ever.”

F

or decades, the Hometown Heroes Lottery has supported frontline healthcare workers and emergency services personnel via the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation and the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund. And never has this support been more critical than this year—a year in which we’ve all relied on healthcare workers and firefighters more than ever.

“It’s been a challenging year for those of us working to give the best care we can when we show up to someone’s house,”

says Vancouver firefighter Sebastian Sevallo, a spokesperson with the Hometown Heroes Lottery. “The level of burnout for frontline workers across the country is unprecedented.”

Sebastian and CFOX-FM morning radio host Karen Khunkhun have been working with the lottery to raise awareness of the causes it supports. “I’ve been lucky to meet recipients of the care and resources toward recovery, reconstructive surgery and mental health counselling,” Karen says.

“The lottery fund is there to support these programs that normally don’t get support, and these heroes who are in the thick of it. This year people are so aware of what’s going on with the healthcare crisis because we’ve all been living it. As a community we must support our healthcare workers. We need them more than ever.”

PHOTO BY SHEILA SAY PHOTOGRAPHY

Jacket and pants: Tiger of Sweden Belt: Dior (stylist’s own) Shirt: Ted Baker Shoes: Ferragamo Watch: Fossil

Dress: Dolce & Gabbana Shoes: Rachel Zoe Earrings: Kate Spade

PHOTO BY LIA CROWE

“We hand-select every detail— from cabinet hardware to lighting, plumbing fixtures, f looring, carpets, door and window casings—every single element you can see, and can’t see.”

SOUTH SURREY SPECTACULAR One of eight spectacular prize homes up for grabs in this year’s Hometown Heroes Lottery is this South Surrey residence built by Bacchus Williams Developments in partnership with Kinamore Gwilliam Developments and Meadowridge Ventures.

Its cosy West Coast-contemporary style, architecturally designed by Boston Construction Corp., is elevated with luxurious finishings, high-end lighting and appliances and gorgeous touches of brushed-gold elements that add glitz and glam throughout the home.

“We love hospital lottery homes,” says Radeyah BacchusWilliams, director of Bacchus Williams Developments, the family-owned building and interior design company behind this home. “We have always enjoyed visiting and viewing the lottery homes. We are so grateful for this opportunity to participate.”

Located in April Creek Estates, this 4,800-square-foot, fivebedroom, six-bathroom home comes complete with a vast amount of functional living space, including an exquisite master walk-in closet, a main-floor office, a spice kitchen, a theatre room and a one-bedroom separate-entry suite.

“We always endeavour to build homes that have a lot of functionality for families,” Radeyah says. “And we hand-select every detail—from cabinet hardware to lighting, plumbing fixtures, flooring, carpets, door and window casings—every single element you can see, and can’t see. We plan, design and build in line with trends in terms of what’s new in design and new in technology, but we also like to mix new trends in with timeless features, and add in luxurious design elements that are thoughtful and enduring.”

A case in point is Bacchus Williams’ signature patterned and textured feature walls, which build in visual interest using a variety of raised wood designs. This house has several— the first of which is right inside the main floor double-height foyer.

PHOTOS BY SHEILA SAY PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO BY LIA CROWE

MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME

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The main-floor entryway is warm and welcoming, showing off the home’s West Coast style and modern luxury with its high-end wood front door and natural-coloured oak wide-plank engineered hardwood floors, complete with radiant heating throughout.

“The floors give the home a beachy, airy feel, which is very desirable and on par with current design trends,” Radeyah says.

To the right and left, the first of several modern and sleek feature walls with cross-hatched texturing leads the eye upward toward the adjacent glassedin stairway and upper-level landing.

Just beyond the entryway and mudroom is the open-concept kitchen and great room, framed on the far wall by a series of French doors and sidelights that show off the spacious backyard and greenbelt. The kitchen is anchored by a large central eat-in island, featuring a massive 10- by five-foot quartz top with a waterfall edge on both sides, and tons of built-in storage cupboards and drawers.

The grey-coloured cabinets blend seamlessly up to the ceiling and give the kitchen a moderndesigner feel.

“The grey was a bold design choice for us,” Radeyah says. “But the flat-panel cabinets in this colour really brought in that West Coast feel paired with the added flair of brushed gold hardware.”

JennAir Professional appliances outfitted both the main kitchen and the adjacent spice kitchen, including a steam oven (“You can sous-vide and cook without oils, it’s fabulous,” says Radeyah) and a built-in fridge with charcoal interior (“It looks so upscale,” she adds).

The high-end Blanco Silgranit apron-front sink selected in charcoal is stunning and scratch resistant, and the beautiful gooseneck Delta Trinsic faucet offers another pop of champagne bronze in this space. A built-in coffee machine, sleek electric cooktop and pot filler round out the appliances and fixtures in the main kitchen. The pendant lights above the island are sheathed in two layers of thick smoked glass and perfectly illuminate the space.

“Those pendants, you’ll notice, also feature brushed gold rods instead of black,” Radeyah says. “It’s that subtle elegance again, it’s all in the details.”

The spice kitchen offers a separate space for high-intensity cooking and “a ton of additional storage,” Radeyah says. It also features another built-in fridge-and-freezer combo, a six-burner gas range with built-in high-BTU hood fan and a second dishwasher that matches the range.

“I love hosting and entertaining guests,” she adds. “It’s great to be able to do all of your prep and real cooking in the spice kitchen, where you can close the door so all of the mess and clutter is

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out of sight from the rest of the home.”

Back in the great room, another glamorous touch is revealed in the form of a floor-to-ceiling porcelain-tiled column that encases “a gorgeous large linear fireplace,” Radeyah says. “The ambience it provides is just beautiful in the room.”

On the opposite side of the great room sits a generous dining area with a built-in butler’s pantry and ample space to sit and sip.

“This area offers highly functional counter space for beverage and food serving as well as decor and display,” Radeyah says. “There’s also another touch of gold here, found in the beautiful chandelier above the dining table.”

Upstairs, the bedrooms offer generous comfortable quarters, with another impressive feature wall design in the master bedroom, along with a double-entry walkin closet, a sitting/make-up area and a large en suite.

“It’s all the rage these days to have a lot of closet space for the couple of the home,” Radeyah says. “We did mirrored glass closet cabinet doors here as well to add that depth and make the walk-in feel really glamorous.”

On the lowest level, which is a partial walk-out, is an inviting lounge area with another fireplace, wet bar and wine cellar.

The large theatre room around the corner is equipped with a high-end projector, in-wall speakers and a massive fixed screen to round out the home’s entertainment space.

The entire house is also outfitted with Control4 home automation, which enables full and remote control of the security cameras, doorbell, sound system, lighting and Nest thermostats for heating/cooling.

Finally, a one-bedroom separate suite that’s attached to the home but accessible only from its exterior private entrance offers a mudroom space, full kitchen, large bathroom and laundry, all with similar high-end finishes as the main house. It offers a perfect in-law suite or income rental unit.

Dress: Isabel Marant Earrings and ring: Kate Spade Shoes: Bally

PHOTO BY LIA CROWE

GET YOUR TICKETS EARLY With last year’s lottery selling out in record time, organizers suggest buying your tickets early this year.

“We’re coming off our biggest year to date,” Sebastian says. “And this year, we first responders need the help more than ever.”

Need a little additional incentive? The lucky winner of this prize home will also be taking home an $80,000 furnishings-and-design package, a 2021 Tesla Model Y and $25,000 in cash.

“We have heartfelt gratitude for everyone who’s ever taken part,” Karen says. “BC is such a special place. People really do care about community and come together in times of need.”

For details on all the Grand Prize Homes & Prizes visit heroeslottery.com 56

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THE

VISIONARY Ozzie Jurock wrote the book on real estate WORDS JOE LEARY PHOTOGRAPHY LIA CROWE

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“So I got the license and became a realtor and through a series of very fortuitous events, I [eventually] became the president of Royal LePage Canada with 10,000 employees.”

H

e is featured in Who’s Who in Canada,

Who’s Who in America, BC and the US, as well as Louis Rukeyser’s Who’s Who. But the name Ozzie Jurock is synonymous with real estate. Ozzie has played a vital part in leading the real estate ranks over the years, including taking on roles as president of Royal LePage Canada and Royal LePage Asia, based in Taiwan.

He’s been chairman and CEO of NRS Block Bros. and has served on the boards of the BC Real Estate Council, the Vancouver Real Estate Board, the Quality Council of BC and the advisory board of BCIT, and done stints such as president of the real estate boards of Burnaby, Coquitlam and New Westminster.

He is also a best-selling author and an in-demand speaker, giving more than 80 speeches per year. He has appeared regularly on TV and continues to air on CKNW radio as he has for the past 26 years.

Ozzie is a fellow of the Real Estate Institute of Canada and is one of this country’s leading business motivators. And that’s just the thumbnail sketch. With such a loaded CV, one has to ask how it all began.

“I came to Canada in 1966, fell in love with it and became a Canadian as soon as I could,” Ozzie says. “I started in the hotel business as a waiter at the Hotel Vancouver and within a year I was the maître d’ at the brand new Devonshire Seafood House.”

Here, he says, he saw people who were “doing well” financially.

“There was the head of a brokerage house who had a monthly lunch account of $400—and I was making $300 a month. I thought to myself, ‘What does he have that I can learn?’ I didn’t have the education and I certainly didn’t have the standing, but I kept watching him.”

When Ozzie asked the question “What is out there for me?” people often suggested he get into the real estate business.

“So I got the license and became a realtor and through a

series of very fortuitous events, I [eventually] became the president of Royal LePage Canada with 10,000 employees.”

Next, it was time to go solo.

“By 1993, I decided that I wanted to go out on my own.

I started writing a real estate newsletter and then went more into real estate investing,” Ozzie recalls. “Around then, we [launched] two major conferences that we’ve continued doing for 27 years—one in the spring, one in the fall.”

The one constant takeaway from a conversation with Ozzie Jurock is that he’s a visionary, as fully evidenced by his early forecasts.

“I wrote a book in 1998 called Forget About Location, Location, Location! In 1963, the average home price was $13,500.

By 1998, it was $278,000 and if you extrapolated that for the next 35 years— as I said in my book—every house in Vancouver would be worth $5 million. Everybody thought, ‘What are you smoking?’ But I never changed my view. Two years ago on the West Side, the average price clocked in at $4.4 million.”

Ozzie says the current real estate market is a veritable hotbed.

“Right now the market is an absolute madhouse,” he states emphatically. “It’s on fire in a number of different areas.” As an example, he says, Etobicoke, Ontario is up 27 per cent in single-family home prices; in fact, there are nine areas in Ontario that are up over 30 per cent.

“And we’re not talking Toronto—we’re talking, like, Barrie,” he says. “This is unusual, but it is exactly what I forecast.”

His basic philosophy, he says, is: “Inflation is number one; number two is supply and demand, and number three is immigrant/migration. You read that on the basis of affordability, Vancouver and Toronto are the numbers five and six worst cities in the world, yet that doesn’t determine prices.

Vancouver has never been affordable in over 40 years. If you wanted to live in Vancouver or Hong Kong or Manhattan or Berlin, you had to pay over 65 per cent of your income

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towards a mortgage. Vancouver is actually better off than most places, but it’s a worldwide phenomenon.”

As active as Ozzie remains on the real estate circuit, his life is a split between work and play.

“Every year I go for a three-month cruise with my wife,” he says. “We love cruising. I have a boat, and in the summer months we go to places like Secret Cove [on the Sunshine Coast], and in the winter we have a house in Kimberley and I ski. But in between, when we have our big events, I work very hard.”

And for his personal philosophy on living in the current environment: “This is a new world; truth is in, bluffing is out. As Jordan Peterson says, ‘Tell the truth, or at least don’t lie.’ When you look at the world right now—stay committed to yourself, stay committed to your family. I’ve been married 53 years and I’m proud of it. My mother used to always say—and it’s an old quote—‘Your actions speak so loudly, I can’t hear what you’re saying.’ Just make sure that your actions are congruent with what you say.”

That aptly describes Ozzie Jurock and by his own description of life, it’s been a charmed existence: “I could not have written a scenario that could have been more exciting.”

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Award Winning Renovations & Custom Homes

Now offering 15% off preliminary design services*

Finalist for 14 Havan Awards for Housing Excellence in 2021* including Greater Vancouver's Renovator of the Year

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FINALIST- Best Condo Renovation Under $250,000

WINNER - Best Certified Whole House Renovation

myhousedesignbuild.com Call 604-694-6873 today and schedule a Covid-friendly consultation.

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Contact us today - What ever the project size, our award winning team is ready for you.

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HAVAN AWARDS The HAVAN Awards for Housing Excellence, presented

by FortisBC, place a spotlight on the accomplishments of Metro Vancouver’s homebuilding industry.

Capturing the very best new-home construction, renovation and design projects in Metro Vancouver, the awards showcase sublime custom-built homes, inspiring laneway homes, opulent whole-house renovations, townhome and condo renovations, single- and multi-family developments, outdoor living spaces, and the latest in high-performance building technology, as well as innovative housing choices that maximize the land with affordable housing solutions. The 2021 finalists, named in March, are vying for gold, with the winners to be announced April 30.

Find inspiration and connect with the builders who can help bring your dreams to reality. havan.ca/awards

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Photo: PD Moore Homes

>

BUILDER: PD Moore Homes DESIGNER: Design Work Group Ltd. PROJECT: Downsizer’s Dream LOCATION: Vancouver FEATURE: Aging in place PROJECT FINALIST: Best New Small-Scale Home

Respecting the character of the main house, this single-storey 832-square-foot custom-built laneway home is designed with soaring 17-foot vaulted cathedral-style ceilings and with longevity in mind. Thoughtfulness is carried throughout the home’s design for aging in place, as the 93-year-old homeowner plans ahead with an accessible layout, including convenient bedroom placement, walk- or wheel-in shower with a bench, and side-by-side laundry configuration, which is more functional than a typical stacker design.

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Photo: Andrew Latreille

>

BUILDER: Niebuhr Construction and Renovations DESIGNER: John Henshaw Architect Inc. PROJECT: Modern Chic LOCATION: Vancouver FEATURE: Classic Shaughnessy home with modern twist PROJECT FINALIST: Best Custom Home: $2 Million – Under $3 Million

Designed to pay homage to estate homes found in Vancouver’s Shaughnessy area, the exterior façade features substantial overhangs, large-scaled brackets and columns, and verandas to while away the day.

Inside the home, the interior is decidedly contemporary, featuring clean lines with muted tones. Equipped with a comprehensive smart-home system to control security, heating, cooling, lighting and window coverings, this custom-built home is designed for maximum comfort and lifestyle.

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Building a Legacy ­— I N L A N G L E Y —

It’s not every day a builder has the opportunity to truly make a mark in a community. But for Erich Jaeger, leaving a legacy of quality craftsmanship is the perfect cap on a 47-year-long career that has spanned dozens of buildings throughout Metro Vancouver.

His latest—and last project—the aptly named Legacy on Park Avenue, located in the heart of Langley, is “totally different from anything else out there in terms of quality,” says sales manager Ben Gauer.

At 86 years old, Jaeger has realized his dream of creating “something people would talk about” and something that would endure for hundreds of years. Originally from Germany, Jaeger took inspiration from the European tradition of building structures that last for centuries.

“He’s always looking at buildings around the world and

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dreaming about what he could build that would incorporate his ideas,” Gauer says. “At Legacy, everything had to be the best.”

DEFINING FEATURES One look at Legacy and you can immediately tell it’s different. The architectural curves that define its external aesthetic required a unique construction process and materials. “It’s not a typical frame building; it’s made with cross-laminated timber (CLT),” Gauer says.

“The CLT construction allowed for the curves, and it’s also more sustainable than concrete and protective in the event of fire.”

Legacy’s 69 two- and three-bedroom units offer large indoor spaces and outdoor decks, floor-to-ceiling windows, gourmet open-concept kitchens with

Caesarstone countertops and luxurious bathrooms elevated by floating cabinetry and matte black fixtures. But most of all, they reflect a commitment to top-quality materials and innovative age-resistant designs. “The floors are engineered oak hardwood and can be refinished time and again,” Gauer says.

“And the ceilings are hung from the floor system above which makes for far superior sound insulation. There is an anti-fracture membrane under the floor tile to keep the grout from cracking and protect from water damage.”

SAFETY AND SUSTAINABILITY Many people know someone in BC who’s had leaky-condo issues, or who has been hit with a special levy. But Jaeger wanted to avoid that possibility at all costs. “He didn’t want people getting special assessments,” says Gauer.

That’s why outdoor decks are designed to prevent condensation and rot. And inside, recessed sprinklers as well as drains in the bathrooms and in-suite laundry rooms mitigate flood risks. Even the building’s foundation is a higher quality. “It’s made with extra strength concrete and buttressed and anchored into the ground for earthquake proofing with high-grade steel reinforcing,” Gauer says.

While Legacy opens in May, it’s already had its share of visitors. “Before the pandemic hit, bus loads of architects and engineers were coming to take a look at all the innovations in this building,” Gauer says. “This is the crown jewel.”

CONTACT OUR SALES TEAM TODAY: Ben Gauer and Bronson Job 1.888.880.8283 sales@legacylangley.com

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Kit

U

n che

R PG

AD

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Kitchen Upgrade With Liebherr Refrigeration Liebherr columns are the perfect combination between impressive design and food and wine preservation technology. Of all rooms in your home, there’s no better measure of style and good taste than your kitchen. With impressive size, clean lines, innovative features and whisper-quiet operation, Liebherr refrigeration was designed to inspire and integrate seamlessly into your kitchen - today, tomorrow and for years to come.

MW 2400 Built-in wine storage cabinet 101-1014 Homer Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 2W9 604-235-3980 | 1-855-ELA-WEST (352-9378)

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> BUILDER: CCI Renovations PROJECT: Modern on the Lake LOCATION: Summerland FEATURE: Modern lakeside living PROJECT FINALIST: Best Custom Home: $1 Million – Under $1.5 Million

Photo: John@ccirenos.co

Built to fit a narrow waterfront lot, this modern lakeside home is designed for socializing at its best. It has multiple living and social spaces on the main floor that seamlessly connect indoor and outdoor living, while each bedroom includes an en suite, providing owners and guests with privacy. Windows are maximized floor-toceiling and wall-to-wall to soak up the views, with bump-outs and wing walls maximizing living space.

High-insulated polished concrete floors stand up to the summertime beachfront foot traffic. Pack your bags.

Life is easy at the lake!

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> BUILDER: VictorEric Design Group PROJECT: A Creek Runs Through It LOCATION: Vancouver FEATURE: Daruma gym PROJECT FINALIST: Best Renovated Space, Best Custom Home: $1.5 Million – Under $2 Million

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Photo: Upper Left Photography

Motivated by a boldcoloured, backlit, graphic ceiling that anchors and enlivens this newly renovated state-of-the-art home gym, the homeowners are dedicated to living a healthy lifestyle. A red, oval-tiered juice bar with glass pendantlights forms a modern hangout spot. The pool offers an essential part of this fitness hub with a steam room to complete the spa experience. Floor-to-ceiling glass sliders allow easy access to the pool and hot tub, and a sunken patio in the backyard comes complete with cascading water feature, adding Zen and inspiration for those working out.

Hall Belvoir Belvoir Hall Luxury Estate with a Rolls Royce Corniche Luxury Luxury Estate Estate with with aa Rolls Rolls Royce Royce Corniche Corniche Offered at $8,990,000 | 5 Bedrooms | 10 Bathrooms | 17,576 Square Feet | 20 Acres | Saanich Peninsula, Victoria Offered at $8,990,000 | 5 Bedrooms | 10 Bathrooms | 17,576 Square Feet | 20 Acres | Saanich Peninsula, Victoria Offered at $8,990,000 | 5 Bedrooms | 10 Bathrooms | 17,576 Square Feet | 20 Acres | Saanich Peninsula, Victoria

For For more more information, information, visit: visit: www.BelvoirHall.com www.BelvoirHall.com For more information, visit: www.BelvoirHall.com

Michele Michele Holmes Holmes Michele Holmes

Debra Bartlett & Erin Mackenzie Debra Bartlett & Erin Mackenzie Debra Bartlett & Erin Mackenzie

Expect the Exceptional Expect Expect the the Exceptional Exceptional

2481 Beacon Ave. Sidney British Columbia | 250.656.0911 | www.holmesrealty.com 2481 Beacon Ave. Sidney British Columbia | 250.656.0911 | www.holmesrealty.com 2481 Beacon Ave. Sidney British Columbia | 250.656.0911 | www.holmesrealty.com

> BUILDER: Good Castle Real Estate Development Ltd. DESIGNER: Beyond Beige Interior Design Inc. PROJECT: Queens Estate LOCATION: West Vancouver PROJECT FINALIST: Best Custom Home: $2 Million – Under $3 Million, Best New Kitchen: $100,000 and Over, Best New Space, Best Special Feature: New or Renovated

Ample natural light and expansive ocean views provide the backdrop for this custom-built house designed with dark brown, double herringbone hardwood flooring and a palette of rich blues and browns. These deep tones are accented by gold lighting fixtures and hardware throughout. Complex mosaic tiling and custom millwork are uniquely designed for each area as decorative accents to the dark blue walls. To mirror the mountainous landscape, a pair of two-storeyhigh stone veneer columns frame the front elevation of the house, while the patio showcases cedar purlins for a luxurious-yet-leisurely atmosphere suited for west coast outdoor living.

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Photo: Good Castle Real Estate Development Ltd.

FEATURE: Custom luxury

Staycation 2021 Create the Outdoor Living Space of your Dreams

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604.530.0818 102-20460 Langley Bypass, Langley

> BUILDER: Reisinger Homes PROJECT: The Gatsby LOCATION: Surrey FEATURE: Piano bar PROJECT FINALIST: Best Renovation: $700,000 - $1 Million, Best Renovated Space

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Photo: Reisinger Homes

The classic lines and prime location set the stage for this bachelor’s dream home renovation. With entertainment and relaxation in mind, plus an eye for the finer things in life, the front living room was transformed into an art-deco-inspired piano bar boasting backlit onyx, golden dragon quartz, full 13-foot-high built-ins with integrated 65-inch, cool-touch gas fireplace, TV screens, custom furniture and gold velvet drapes. Open on two sides, the addition of an ornate, custom laser-cut staircase complete with handembellished gold rosettes leads to an upper lounge games room retreat, while creating the perfect piano nook, adding a sense of drama and opulence.

A rare find indeed.

778-320-5471 alleylanehomes@gmail.com

Let Us Create

Your Dream Home

Now is the me to elevate your space

Share a ‘Before’ Photo of a space in your home that needs an update to be entered to win a $1000 credit @AlleylaneHomes #HelpMeAlleylane

Your Custom Home and Renovation Specialist

Queen’s Estate

Good Castle has built another gorgeous home, indulging the clients with its luxurious perfection. This stunning home has been nominated in four categories of the 2021 HAVAN Awards. Built within budget, this dramatic family estate—located on a soughtafter slope site in West Vancouver—manages to include exquisite custom craftsmanship and achieve timeless appeal. Emma Wang, the founder and lead project manager of Good Castle Real Estate Development Ltd. is always looking for better practices in the construction process. Focusing on the big picture as well as the numerous small details are the keys to success, she says.

Emma has extended her thanks to the talented designers and tradespeople involved in this magnificent build.

Good Castle Real Estate Development Ltd.

Emma Wang, President/Director

Good Castle Real Estate Development Ltd. 604-618-1868 | emmacyw@gmail.com

®

ADVERTISING FEATURE

AT HOME WHERE CITY MEETS SEA

It is in the convergence of these elements that we find the essence of Vancouver: city, sea and mountains. How rare it is to find them in one place—a place we might call home.

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Around the world, a home on the waterfront is the coveted idyll of a life well-made. From the canals of Amsterdam to the lakeside villas of Italy, we are drawn to water in all its forms. In Vancouver, it is the very best our city has to offer.

A city is built to nestle into its landscape and, indeed, to celebrate it. The most illustrious cities boast famed waterways or views to legendary mountain peaks. In Vancouver, we have it all. If the soul of our city is water, the mountains are a daily reminder of enduring power and beauty. Our city of glass is in the space where they meet: where internationally renowned dining, culture and lifestyle take place on this spectacular stage.

It is in the convergence of these elements that we find the essence of Vancouver: city, sea and mountains.

How extraordinary to find them in one place—a place we might call home.

RARE URBAN WATERFRONT In False Creek, the definitive blend of waterfront, mountain views and city proximity coalesces at the crest of this singular urban cove, creating a sophisticated manifestation of the west coast experience.

Perched prominently on these shores, landmark architecture forms a remarkable opportunity for waterfront living in the heart of the city—a rarely found phenomenon on Vancouver’s limited coastline. This is TESORO, the Italian word for treasure. Uniquely curved to open each waterfront home to spectacular water and mountain views, and mere minutes from the city’s cultural and business centre, TESORO offers that gilded existence of urban life by the water.

“We had the opportunity/want to create a true icon for Vancouver,” says Colleen Anderson of Concert

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Fifty per cent of these rare waterfront homes have been claimed, yet a superb selection of residences is yours to discover.

Developments. “We knew we needed to encapsulate the magnificence of the city, while offering residents a truly refined lifestyle on the waterfront.”

It’s the epitome of Vancouver living.

Sailboats and dragon boats bob brightly in the bay. A winding seam of seawall, just outside the door, invites sunny strolls and rainy-day wanders. See the city bejewelled by lights at night; take an aquabus over to Yaletown for dinner.

The shopping, culture and nightlife of downtown is less than 10 minutes away.

And a variety of charming cafés, eateries and conveniences make this vibrant neighbourhood a friendly, energetic, walkable place to call home.

WEST COAST ELEGANCE There is no treasure without beauty and no beauty without design, whether by nature or craft. “For TESORO, we wanted to capture a sense of appreciation and richness for life by the water,” says Sharon Bortolotto of BBA Design Consultants. “We selected beautiful, quality materials and created an elegant simplicity in their application. The result is an understated modern approach to classic luxury.”

Opulent slabs of richly veined Italian marble layer with the fine wood grain of Poliform cabinetry and closets, custom crafted in Italy, while soaring windows frame the world-class views that become an intimate part of each home. High-end Gaggenau appliances and Savant home automation systems further refine the contemporary luxury of these west coast modern homes. A full suite of building amenities rounds out the TESORO lifestyle, including hot and cold plunge pools and spa, with spaces for connection, celebration, wellness and relaxation.

The waterfront experience defines our city and our most treasured moments within it. Rarely is there an opportunity to make a part of the coveted Vancouver waterfront your home—and your daily existence.

Visit tesorobyconcert.com or contact 604.681.8282 for more information.

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Cedar Specialties • Buy Mill Direct

All in one convenient Location TSLEIL-WAUTUTH ADMIN AND HEALTH CENTRE, NORTH VANCOUVER Photo Credit: Architects: Lubor Trubka Associates Architects Photographer: Dr. Roman Trubka

Vancouver Island Construction Association Awards: Longhouse Cedar – Manufacturer/Supplier of the year 2019

Longhouse Forest Products is a family owned company established in 1985. We are a fully integrated manufacturing facility, producing high grade coastal softwoods custom cut to your project specifications. Longhouse markets directly to the building project resulting in better quality control, costs savings, and increased customer satisfaction. Join us in celebrating 36 years of mill direct sales, to over 15,000 high-quality building projects around the world.

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THE SUN RETURNS Spring is here! Boulevard celebrates with a family-bubble visit to the magical Crystal Cove Beach Resort near Tofino, dressed in some of the best Vancouver Island has to offer in outdoor wear made for life on the beach. There are wools to keep out the chill of the salt air, knits for cosy beach fires and colours that reflect the sea, the sand and the sun.

PHOTOGRAPHY DARREN HULL

On Lia: Dress by Free People ($138) from Merchant Quarters General Store; sweater

by Des Petits Hauts ($150) from Bagheera Boutique; recycled cashmere toque ($50) from Anian.

On Peter: Heavyweight Henley ($95) from ecologyst.

X

STYLING BY JEN EVANS + LIA CROWE

Two recycled wool “Scout” blankets ($95ea) from Anian.

On Djuna: Merino wool sweater ($345), the “Fisherman” toque ($95) and “The Merino Jogger” pants ($165), all from from ecologyst.

On Corbin: Yellow anorak ($325) from ecologyst.

The “Painters” coat ($165) and “The Sunday Flannel” ($135) from Anian.

On Lia: “The Fisherman Sweater” ($395) from ecologyst.

On Peter: “The Fisherman Sweater” ($395) from ecologyst.

On Lia: “The Modern Melton” shirt ($189) from Anian.

On Djuna: “Painters” coat ($165) from Anian.

On Simone: Merino wool sweater ($345) from ecologyst.

On Corbin: “Ridgefield” flannel by Marmot ($140) from Merchant Quarters General Store.

On Peter: “The Puffy Jacket” ($445) from ecologyst.

Makeup by Jenny McKinney Models: Lia Crowe, Peter Zambri, Corbin Jones, Djuna Nagasaki and Simone Nagasaki.

Photographed on location at Crystal Cove Beach Resort.

A huge thank you for hosting our team!

A VIEW

FROM ON HIGH From the sparkling Burrard Inlet on a sunny day to the glittering lights of the Lion’s Gate Bridge on a clear night, south facing views on Vancouver’s North Shore don’t lack for sparkle and shine.

And the same could be said for the Lion’s Collection, eight penthouses perched luxuriously atop the two Park West towers at Lion’s Gate Village, designed by renowned architect Foad Rafii.

The 2,500-square-foot three-bedroom and three-bedroom-plusden spaces, each with private garages, chef ’s kitchens and the best wrap-around North Shore views money can buy, are “everything you’d expect of a West Vancouver condo in a North Vancouver setting. And at a North Vancouver price point,” says Craig Anderson, marketing and sales director.

With 95 percent of its condos already sold, Park West’s developer, Keltic Canada, has just released these eight opulent homes, one of which has been included as a Grand Prize option in this year’s Hometown Heroes Lottery, in support of the Vancouver General and UBC Hospitals as well as the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Association’s Burn Fund. “Keltic is a big community supporter, and this is a really big honour,” Anderson says.

THE DAZZLE IS IN THE DETAILS

No detail is left unimagined in these incomparable residences, which are built and designed to a high standard spec that’s either move-in ready or able to facilitate further customizations. “We’re not just going for big spaces and big views,” Anderson says, “but also clean and refined contemporary design.”

This is evident the moment you exit the elevator, to be greeted by double six-foot entry doors and a mosaic tiled entryway. “It has a different feel than any other floor,” Anderson says.

Inside, name brand fittings, elevated luxury elements and earth-

toned colour palettes echo the natural beauty just beyond its walls.

And Italian kitchens with Cellini cabinets by Benson, Gaggenau appliances, bedroom closets with LED lighting and touch latch doors, and designer light switches bring eloquent functionality to daily living.

Finally, spectacular rooftop patios offer an unmatched outdoor living space all set up for hot tub installation, also known as your perfect front-row seat for sky watching or a little sun-kissed relaxation.

Advertorial

when cold is

hot

More and more people are taking the plunge into cold water therapy WORDS TOBY TANNAS X PHOTOGRAPHY LIA CROWE

Victoria’s Tran in R D BOU L E VA 94 Neil the water off Ross Bay.

i

t’s been a few years now since I first dipped my toe into the proverbial waters of cold therapy. It was more of a plunge, really, and it occurred on New Year’s Day, 2018.

After enduring a particularly challenging year, I was convinced by a German-born man (who would later become my husband) that submerging my body in the frigid waters of Okanagan Lake would signify a new beginning and help me to better tackle whatever challenges lay ahead.

I don’t think I was quite ready to receive any of the benefits from the water on that day. The shock of the frigid lake made me angry. I was so put off by the extreme discomfort that I didn’t speak to my friend for the rest of that day (and maybe the next), and I didn’t go near any kind of water that might produce a goose bump for the next two years.

But early in 2020 something changed. I learned about Wim Hof and his theory that cold water plunges bring about a cascade of health benefits. Also known as “The Iceman,” Hof is a Dutch extreme athlete noted for his ability to withstand freezing temperatures. He has developed the Wim Hof Method, which is a program for good health based on breathing, cold therapy and commitment.

Hof claims that cold therapy can help with everything from anxiety and weight loss to boosting mood and strengthening the immune system.

So, on that first day in 2020, I flipped my shower to cold— just 15 seconds to start. I worked up to 30 seconds, then 45, 60 and ultimately two minutes. Deep breathing is the key and while it never gets easier, there is a certain rush that follows a cold shower, which I can only describe as addictive.

I’ve now graduated to weekly dips in Okanagan Lake. My gumption is fortified by a small group of hearty souls who are equally committed to what sometimes feels like self-induced torture. My husband (that German guy) is among them and he’s even joined a band of “ocean-dippers” in Victoria, where he frequently travels for work.

Through reading and mostly online research, we learned that three minutes submerged is the magic number; it’s enough time to kickstart the purported health benefits. We stay in four minutes for good measure.

Do I like it? No. Will I continue to do it? Yes. And therein lies the complexity of doing something solely for the perceived health benefits. Cold water therapy is the cod liver oil of the previous generation. It’s terrible, but “they” say it’s good for you.

“They” are a growing number of performance coaches, recovery specialists and naturopaths. Chelsea Gronick is a Kelowna-based naturopathic doctor. She says modern science B O U L E VA R D

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Do I like it? No. Will I continue to do it? Yes. And therein lies the complexity of doing something solely for the perceived health benefits.

Trisha Lees.

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is starting to actively research and look more closely at cold water therapy; however, versions of hydrotherapy have been used for centuries to stimulate certain responses from the body.

“When the body is exposed to cold, the sympathetic nervous system is activated. That’s the fight-or-flight response. Hormones like adrenaline are released, the heart rate increases and blood vessels constrict forcing blood to your core,” she explains. “Once the body regulates it switches to a rest/relax/ restore or parasympathetic nervous system. This training of your nervous system is a way to teach your body how to regulate when faced with various stressors, not just cold water but things that come up in daily life.”

The benefits have been shown to go well beyond improving stress tolerance. Cold water therapy can induce a stronger immune system response, increase metabolism, speed up weight loss (fat burning kicks in when shivering is induced), increase energy and improve sleep quality. It may even lower inflammation so the body can heal more quickly.

Dr. Gronick does have words of caution for those brave enough to explore cold water therapy. Go slow, she says: it’s important to gradually introduce cold water and increase your tolerance.

“A great starting point would be to end your showers at a temperature as cold as you can stand for 30 to 60 seconds.

Practice good judgment and slowly work your way into this therapy to mitigate the potential risks.”

Risks can include hypothermia, hives and blistered skin if the water is extremely cold or if you stay in too long.

With mainstream science just starting to come around to the idea, one can really only go on how cold water makes you feel. My small group of dippers is flourishing with repeated exposure. All of us agree it is a weekly rejuvenation, and more and more people seem to be feeling the same way. We’re no longer the only ones at the beach, proving a winter swim is no longer reserved for those New Year’s Day polar bear dippers and hardcore northern Europeans in Speedos.

A cold water dip always comes with hoots and hollers from passersby, some snap photos and without fail someone always shouts, “How’s the water?”

The answer is obvious—it’s always cold (really cold) but there’s a kind of magic about it that’s making it one of the hottest wellness trends of 2021.

Will you be giving cold water therapy a try? Tag us in your cold water photos @boulevard_magazine

food and feast

The (not so) humble egg These perfectly wrapped gifts from nature are anything but basic 98

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WORDS ELLIE SHORTT X PHOTOGRAPHY LIA CROWE

ragility. Fertility. New life. New beginnings.

Springtime. Sustenance. What comes to mind when you picture an egg? What kind of egg do you picture? Is it still in its shell or cracked open? Raw or cooked?

I think of my childhood. I recall comforting meals of omelettes with side salads or scrambled eggs on toast— more often finding their way into our dinner rotation than breakfast routine. I see the Passover Seder spread and feel my teeth sink into that satisfying first bite of a hardboiled egg after waiting so eagerly for those precious first courses. I’m transported to the kitchen table of my friend’s house, making pysanka—carefully poking a hole in the bottom of the shell, getting sore cheeks while blowing out the innards and meticulously dotting with wax, dipping into dye, wiping it down and repeating with patience and pride as I complete my delicate masterpiece. I hear the catchy jingle of those energetic “Get Cracking” commercials of the ‘80s.

There are seemingly endless associations with eggs and equally endless things to do with them. Is it going to be part of a cake? An ingredient in a salad dressing or sauce? Or an over-easy buddy to some bacon? Sweet, savoury, brilliant or bland, there is a world of possibilities all starting with the modest egg.

But these perfectly wrapped gifts from nature are anything but basic. At the beginning of any great foundation of appreciation comes the art of understanding, and for so many of us we crack, whisk, fry and poach without much awareness as to what has gone into this culinary staple, arguably the very “staple” of life as we know it—for without the egg, the ovum, the seed and the kernel from which all things spring forth...there isn’t life.

Let’s start with the shell. Made almost entirely of calcium carbonate crystals, an eggshell is surprisingly a semipermeable membrane, which means that air and moisture can pass through its pores. However, the shell also has a thin outermost coating called the bloom or cuticle that miraculously helps keep out bacteria and dust.

Fragile yet somehow resilient, an eggshell is almost unbreakable when squeezed from top to bottom, but a mere tap can crack open the armour exposing the contents within. This gooey core is cradled by inner and outer membranes, which provide further defence against bacterial invasions. The egg white is also known as the albumen, and contains about 40 different types of proteins, many of which are otherwise tricky to find in such bioavailable capacities.

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“An egg is always an adventure; it may be different each time” -Oscar Wilde

Then there are the chalazae—opaque ropes of egg white, which hold the yolk in the centre of the egg like little anchors, and attach the yolk’s casing to the membrane lining the eggshell. Finally we reach the yolk, the most nutrient-dense and, in my humble opinion, tastiest part of the precious package.

Held together by the vitelline membrane, the yolk contains less water and more protein than the white, some fat and most of the egg’s vitamins and minerals. These include iron, vitamin A, vitamin D, phosphorus, calcium, thiamine and riboflavin. The yolk is also a source of lecithin, an effective emulsifier so your body can better absorb the fabulous fat within. The colour ranges from just a hint of yellow to a magnificent deep orange, according to the feed and breed of the hen. Ideally we want our barnyard birds running around free and chatty on a farm, eating all sorts of yummy delights, including bugs and the like (nope—chickens aren’t supposed to be only veggiefed), which not only provides a happier existence for our fowl friends, but offers us more delicious and nutritious eggs.

Of course, this is all regarding the most commonly con-

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sumed egg in our western culinary paradigm, but there are many different eggs to explore, including duck, quail and ostrich, all of which present distinctive flavour and nutrient profiles. For example, duck eggs are notably rich, excellent in a fresh pasta recipe, for example. Pickled quail eggs make for a lovely little pop-in-your-mouth treat. Hard to acquire and lavishly priced, ostrich eggs are often eaten on their own, soft-boiled for an hour (yes, an hour), chiselled open and seasoned simply before offering a most-indulgent dipping pool for your bread. But many adventurous cooks will attempt mega omelettes and scrambles with these monstrous capsules of extravagance.

From a nutritional perspective not all eggs are created equal.

Duck eggs tend to contain higher amounts of many nutrients than chicken eggs, including folate, iron and vitamin B12 (as much as 168 per cent or more of the daily recommended dose of B12). Quail eggs contain more fat and protein by weight than chicken eggs, double the iron and riboflavin, about onethird more vitamin B12, but less choline. Ostrich eggs are

richer in magnesium and iron than chicken eggs, but contain less vitamin E and vitamin A. Perhaps one of the most versatile and adaptable, yet underappreciated applications of cooking an egg is that of the perfectly executed and timed boil. There are as many different methods and opinions on this subject as there are sizes and colours of eggs, but I personally stick to the simple method of placing an egg in boiling water for the allotted time and carefully relocating it to an ice bath for a couple minutes before peeling (or cracking in half as is the case for a soft boil). A slotted spoon, small sieve, or mesh basket with a long handle can really help in safe transfer in and out of the water, but aside from that, you just need a pot, a timer and your eggs.

See method below.

And where you take your boiled egg from here is up to you!

For soft-boiled, I’m a big fan of the quaint yet refined minimalism of salt, pepper and some toast sticks. Medium goes marvellously on a bed of greens, and there’s nothing quite like a hard-boiled egg salad to enjoy with crackers, or sandwiched between two slices of a rustic loaf.

Wherever your egg adventure takes you, perhaps take a moment to pause and appreciate the structural brilliance, the nutrient density, the gorgeous visuals, the rich flavours and the culinary possibilities of the (not so) humble egg.

How to Boil an Egg

While there are many differing opinions and methods, I find this simple approach to be efficient and effective, and most importantly, easy to peel! While it’s best to enjoy a soft boil fresh out of the water so that it’s still warm and lovely, the medium- and hard-boiled eggs are a great make-ahead option, and should keep in the fridge for a few days.

Directions Bring a saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat.

Using a slotted spoon or small sieve with a handle, carefully lower your eggs into the boiling water one at a time. Set desired time (3-4 minutes for soft, 6-7 for medium and 10-12 for hard), adjusting heat to maintain a gentle boil. Transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water and chill until just slightly warm, about 2 minutes.

Gently crack eggs all over and peel, starting from the wider end, which often contains the air pocket.

Egg Salad with Fresh Herbs and Grainy Mustard.

Egg Salad with Fresh Herbs and Grainy Mustard

Prep time: 15 minutes (including boiling time) Yield: 2-4 servings

Ingredients 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and finely chopped ½ cup mayonnaise or aioli 1 tbsp grainy mustard ½ tsp paprika 1 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped 1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

MEDIUM 6-7 min

SOFT 3-4 min

HARD 10-12 min

Directions Combine all the ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl, mashing and stirring to fully integrate them all together, and enjoy! Can be stored in the fridge for up to one week.

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Rainbow Breakfast Bowl.

Rainbow Breakfast Bowl

Prep time: 20-30 minutes (including cooking and boiling time) Yield: 2 servings There’s nothing quite like beginning your day with a splash of sunshiny colour, and this vibrant dish is sure to start you on the right foot. Satiating and sustaining, this abundant bowl of nutrient-dense goodness keeps me full and satisfied for hours.

Prep all the ingredients ahead of time to expedite the assembly process during your early morning routine.

Ingredients

FOR THE SALAD…

1 cup roasted sweet potato cubes (see instructions below) 2 medium-boiled eggs, peeled and cut in half 4 slices of bacon, cooked to your liking ½ cup cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half 1 cup cucumber, peeled, cored and sliced (you only need to peel and core it if it’s a field cucumber) ½ avocado, sliced ½ cup blueberries 1 cup shredded purple cabbage (I like to use a mandoline to get it extra fine) 4 cups mixed greens Sprinkle of hemp hearts

FOR THE DRESSING…

½ cup olive oil 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice 102

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1 tbsp fresh orange juice (or just more lemon juice) 1 tsp maple syrup 1 clove garlic, minced 1 ⁄3 cup fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped 1 tbsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (I did about ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper) Directions

FOR THE ROASTED YAM OR SWEET POTATO…

Preheat your oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel and cut the sweet potato into small cubes. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, toss the sweet potato cubes with a glug of olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Spread the cubes evenly on the baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes until fork tender. Set aside to cool.

FOR THE DRESSING…

Add all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined (you can also combine the ingredients in a small blender and whir for a few seconds until integrated).

TO ASSEMBLE THE SALAD…

In two separate dishes, divide the greens and sweet potato mix, creating a base for each bowl. Arrange the other ingredients evenly on top of each base, drizzle with desired amount of dressing, sprinkle with a bit of hemp hearts and enjoy!

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travel

MALTA the amazing

This European country has a little bit of everything 104

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WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BRIAN ARGYLE

“M

alta! How interesting.”

That was my Uncle Ray’s reply, when I emailed to say we were visiting Malta for three weeks. Ray, a prolific author, enjoys spending his down time visiting France, surveying the rural countryside while acquainting himself with local varietals of fermented grapes. So, let me explain...

While investigating travel packages online, my wife Maureen stumbled upon a long-stay holiday in Malta. Previously, we had taken one to Portugal and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Curious, we did some research and after talking with friends who had visited Malta on a Mediterranean cruise— and who unanimously declared it was their favourite spot— we decided to see for ourselves.

The Republic of Malta is a group of tiny islands south of Sicily. The two main islands, Malta and the much smaller Gozo, have historic sites that predate the great pyramid of Egypt by more than 1,000 years. Because of their strategic location and small size, over the centuries they were seemingly invaded by every civilization that sailed past with a fleet of ships. As time went by, the resulting mix gave rise to a unique Maltese culture, with its own language and customs.

Its current population is just under 500,000.

Ultimately, that travel package didn’t mesh with our timing, so we arranged our own flights and hotels. We opted for a week on Gozo and a week on Malta, and left the third week open in case we wanted to visit Sicily, just 90 minutes away via fast ferry or 30 minutes by air. But when the time came, we elected to stay in Malta, since there was still much we wanted to see and do. In all, we stayed in four hotels, each in different cities—all interesting and unique. And despite the country’s diminutive size, after three weeks we had nowhere near exhausted the many places to visit.

Rising sea levels at the end of the last Ice Age submerged the land bridge between Europe and Africa, leaving the Maltese islands and Sicily above water. In 1798, the Knights of Malta (rulers since 1530) were ousted by Napoleon Bonaparte. The Maltese, distraught by the subsequent raiding of churches and wealthy homes to finance Napoleon’s invasion of Africa, sought help from the British. In 1800, Admiral Horatio Nelson drove out the French and—on the condition the Maltese could retain their language, religion and culture—Malta became a British protectorate, which lasted until 1964. Most Maltese speak fluent English as a second language.

An Allied military base, Malta played a key role in the Mediterranean and African campaigns in both world wars.

Targeted by the Italians and Germans and under siege in the Second World War, Malta became the most heavily bombed site in Europe. In April 1942, Britain’s King George VI awarded the George Cross to the entire country, “to bear witness to a heroism and a devotion that will long be famous in history.”

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The Maltese were no strangers to hardship and resolve. One of the most celebrated victories of 16th-century Europe was the Great Siege of Malta, when the island defended itself against the Ottoman Empire. The Turks had mustered previous raids, including in 1551, when a strike force of 10,000 gave up after a few days, instead turning to invade Gozo, where they carried off the entire island population of 5,000 men, women and children as slaves. In 1565, they returned to Malta with nearly 200 ships and 40,000 men, confident it should take no more than three days to capture the island.

Four months later, after firing more than 130,000 cannonballs, losing their commander and nearly their entire force, they left, never to return. Malta had lost a third of its population.

Today, Malta is an independent nation, a member of the European Union but not of NATO. The capital city, Valletta, was chosen Europe’s Capital of Culture in 2018. Its Grand Harbour is one of the largest ports in Europe, often occupied with cruise ships and super yachts of the rich and famous.

With a modern international airport and a splendid public

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transit network, including frequent 25-minute ferries to Gozo, Malta is easy to get to and easy to get around in. Its sunny beaches may not be as grand as some countries’, but the range of activities and things to see are unparalleled, given their proximity.

Visit prehistoric temples or medieval castles, Roman catacombs or underground bomb shelters, and a wealth of museums with priceless artifacts and state-of-the-art multimedia presentations. Shop in rustic craft markets or upscale shops in trendy historic districts and new shopping malls, or visit a casino. There’s even Popeye Village, a film set fishing village built for the 1980 Popeye movie, starring the late Robin Williams, and now a small theme park.

And absolutely reserve some time to visit Gozo. Centuriesold stone farmhouses, now converted to boutique B&Bs, compete with newer international hotels, from budget to luxurious.

And of course, there are Airbnbs and Vrbos—pick your accommodation. Whether you’re a history buff, a party-goer that loves the night life, or someone who likes to walk the countryside or attend yoga retreats, Malta has places ideal for you.

Hungry? Everything from tiny hole-in-the-wall bakeries to gourmet restaurants abound, with choices from traditional Maltese food—a combination of Arabic and Italian—serving salads, seafood, rabbit stew or pizza (pizza is everywhere), to typical English pubs, Hard Rock Cafes and McDonald’s. One thing we noticed was the friendliness of the Maltese and excellent service, whether it was at restaurants or hotels—even the bus drivers were helpful and courteous.

In part due to the short distances involved, we did not rent a car. In Malta they drive on the left, like the British, and given the many older, narrow streets with virtually non-existent parking, buses were a more convenient and less stressful option. We bought Explore Plus passes that got us on all buses as well as the water taxis that run across the harbours to and from Valletta. Buses are everywhere and have free onboard WiFi—as do many public spaces—so with your smartphone you can easily access routes and schedules and see your current position.

With direct flights from major European cities via Air Malta and other carriers, getting to these tiny specks in the middle of the Mediterranean is a breeze. If your timing is flexible, check for special events before booking your flights; things are going on year round. We were there during Carnival week and the running of the Malta Marathon.

I sent Ray some photos when we returned. His comment was, in part, “Clearly, Malta is a fascinating place and you made a good choice.” In retrospect, I believe we did.

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secrets and lives —

AND THE 7 SINS with EVA CHAN

E

va Chan is owner and operator of Energy Wellness Medispa located between Kitsilano and Point Grey.

She is a licensed aesthetician, holds a CIDESCO Diploma in Beauty Therapy and has been in the beauty industry for the past three decades.

Eva, who moved to Vancouver with her parents when she was seven years old, has been treating clients since 1990. She opened Energy Wellness Medispa 11 years ago, moving to her new location in 2015. She’s loved seeing how the industry has grown and developed as newer technologies become available.

“I’ve always had a wellness attitude towards skincare and beauty,” says Eva, adding that “giving and receiving of energy” as part of this “marriage” between the individual and the technology is her “secret” to success.

“This is how the name Energy Wellness Medispa came to be,” says Eva. “I recognize the importance of customizing a treatment plan that works for my clients’ concerns and goals…I see each client as a partner and enjoy building relationships as we embark on their beauty and wellness journey together.”

WORDS ANGELA COWAN

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PHOTOGRAPHY LIA CROWE

Because there are now so many treatment options, she says, it’s “amazing to be an aesthetician and beauty expert today.”

She point specifically to new, non-surgical technologies like TempSure Envi and FlexSure from Cynosure.

“Envi treatments tighten up the face and feel like a hot stone massage,” she says. “FlexSure is like the ‘ultimate body boost,’ and it can be done in 15 minutes, so my clients come in on their lunch breaks.”

Combining the technologies with natural healing methods like facial reflexology and acupoints targets both the inside and outside of the skin, she adds.

Enthusiastic, friendly and knowledgeable, Eva is a natural fit for a business that is based on building a relationship with clients, and it was the people that drew her to the industry in the first place.

“Even after 30 years in the industry, I love that there are always more things to learn and opportunities to grow every day.”

Outside of work, Eva enjoys swimming, tai chi and gardening, and is an active member of her neighbourhood, supporting the many local businesses in the community.

GREED:

You’re given $1 million that you have to spend selfishly. What would you spend it on?

Oh, I would go to Byron Bay in Australia and do yogalates. Immerse in the culture and get pampered with massages and facials anytime I want.

WRATH:

Pet peeves?

Something that really bothers me is people hanging things off the backs of chairs! It seems so odd, I know, but if I see a coat or a scarf or anything on the back of a chair, I just really feel the need to hang it on a hook. It might be saying something about my love for an organized and tidy space.

SLOTH:

Where would you spend a long time doing nothing?

I have never been great at doing nothing, but I would have to say my favourite place to sit and relax is my balcony on a summer evening. It’s great to bring a cup of tea or even a nice cocktail out onto the balcony and watch the sun set over the mountains when the sky is clear.

PRIDE:

The 7 Sins ENVY:

Whose shoes would you like to walk in?

My father. He is a man who is a fine example of someone who lives in the present moment. He’s found his passion in life and pursued it.

GLUTTONY:

What is the food you could eat over and over again?

I would say a peanut butter and jelly sandwich! When I moved to Canada when I was seven years old, this was one of the first sandwiches that I ate, and I remember it just made me glow from head to toe. To this day, that feeling is still there every time I bite into one.

What is the one thing you’re secretly proud of ?

I am truly very proud of how I have handled everything professionally during this pandemic. In early 2020, I employed an aesthetician and skin specialist who had prior experience with the Australian skincare line O Cosmedics, which I bought into the spa. This was a really big commitment and with Melissa flying in from Australia just two weeks prior to the lockdown, things didn’t go exactly as planned! However, we used the time to develop a website, launch our social media presence and completely overhaul the salon to create a beautiful, safe place to welcome our clients back. I am so proud of what we achieved; I feel we really managed to make the best out of a less than ideal situation.

LUST:

What makes your heart beat faster?

I get such a thrill from attending industry trade shows around the world. I really feel like a kid in a candy store, exploring all the new treatments and products and making sure I keep my own salon up to date.

narrative

WORDS SUSAN BEIDERWIEDEN ILLUSTRATION SIERRA LUNDY

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OF DREAMS AND TRAVEL

“B

amfield or bust” was our rallying cry and the destination for a mini-staycation last August. In a year of suspended hopes and upended dreams, we stretched the definition of home in Victoria on Vancouver Island to include the entire island, the 43rd largest of 322 listed islands in the world.

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With mounting deaths in the spring due to COVID-19 and travel reduced to trips to the grocery store or walks around the block, our world had shrunk. As the curve flattened by summer, the provincial health officer gave her cautious blessings to venture beyond our neighbourhood. Wanting to expand our horizons, we set sight on the tiny west coast village of Bamfield, population 179 (2016 census).

Now, if planning to stay in an isolated location in a year already full of self-isolation seems strange, it fit the times. Our

mini-staycation was intended to helped normalize an abnormal year—a year in which I had intended to travel and to write about traveling. To celebrate my 70th birthday, I had planned a solo walk in Northern Spain on the Camino de Santiago.

Relinquishing dreams takes time, but knowing my losses are insignificant compared to many helped me accept altered plans. But my exploring nature chafed under the restraints. As spring approached and many were debating the future of the travel industry, I became restless. Pico lyre wrote reassuringly in The Globe and Mail that, “The desire to travel is as universal as the urge to eat or drink.” It helped knowing I wasn’t the only restless Canadian, despite my countless urban walks and hikes, and after completing the Vancouver Island portion of the Great Trail.

Bamfield—with its two-lane, washboard, pot-holed gravel roads that narrow to a single-lane bridge, where 18-wheeler trucks hurtling toward you—tends to discourage the average tourist. Or at least, it discourages those without a pick-up truck or four-wheel-drive vehicle. And with its lone hotel, two general stores, limited food options and water taxi as the only transportation between East and West Bamfield, it is not designed for mass tourism. It was perfect.

Despite COVID-19 restrictions that kept the Marine Science Centre and the Marine and Lifesaving Station closed to visitors and prevented access to First Nations lands, including Pachena Bay and the terminus of the West Coast Trail, or the ability to visit the historic and actively manned Cape Beale Lighthouse, established in 1874 as BC’s first lighthouse, it was still idyllic.

Strolling the wooden 0.8-kilometre boardwalk, maintained by the Department of Highways, in the late August weather can only be described as halcyon days of summer. On a flawless day we discovered some history of the village, spoke with a few people and walked in the sand on Brady’s Beach. We enjoyed happy hour sitting on a bench looking out at Barkley Sound as fishing boats and kayakers returned to the harbour.

We seemed to be the only tourists that day but knew all fishing resorts and cabins around the area were filled, as were most Vancouver Island accommodations. I discovered this while trying to book a place to stay earlier in July after interprovincial travel restrictions had been lifted. It seemed half the population of Canada was discovering BC in 2020. Campgrounds, motels and fishing resorts were all booked, with some visitors even sleeping in their cars. That caused us to scrap plans for Cape Scott with stops in Telegraph Cove and Sointula, as everything was already booked by the time I began planning. And casting our sights on a place more remote and off the beaten path allowed us to find a room in Bamfield.

Always curious about the world as a kid, I loved geography and projects involving travel. I loved learning about other countries, and how others lived—exploring lives that were different from mine, in my safe, traditional mid-western environment. Travelling, I hoped, would allow me to discover what lay beyond my neighbourhood.

As a 21-year-old, I was about to embark on my first trip, or as I called it, “The Grand Tour of the Continent.” Holding the ticket overhead and dancing for joy, I felt I was on the precipice of something bigger than just a trip. I couldn’t have told you exactly what “it” was back then, but I knew “it” was a precipice and exciting. I booked three weeks in Europe with a friend, planning to stay with her sister who would be our personal guide. Then, the two of us would leave Germany on our own and get lost in Europe. The day the ticket came in the mail, I heard a voice in my head saying, “you have arrived.”

Like many baby boomers growing up in the ‘50s, I knew adulthood came as a gift wrapped in expectations and tied up with social pressures. Once I had settled the issue of career, marriage and family still loomed. Unlike some friends, I had managed to delay that path by pursuing an education and working another year to save for my first trip, all the while attending countless weddings and baptisms.

Now, as a 70-year-old, I can see that I traded one adventure for another kind. When a surprise proposal and diamond ring came along with the promise of life in Canada, I ripped up the flimsy, four-page ticket and cancelled my flight. I remember a fleeting feeling of loss as I tossed the brochures in the waste can, as if something was slipping away. But “it” was beyond my ability to define or articulate then as I turned my attention and resources to plan a wedding and a new life. I recall telling myself, “Europe will always be there.”

After a journey of nearly 25 years together in Canada with three kids, two degrees, career changes, the loss of both sets of parents, and the death the family dog, my husband and I were finally able to embark for Europe.

Now, nearing the milestone of almost 50 years together as we remember past trips, I can say with confidence that Europe will be there. Maybe a different Europe as we will also be different after coming through these traumatic and trying times, but Europe will wait.

I wonder what my 21-year-old self would have experienced and learned in the Europe of the 1970s? Whatever “it” might have been, I now know that the 21-year-old who was poised on the brink of self-discovery embarked on a different type of adventure, one that outlasted a six-week whirlwind tour.

As for solo travel? I learned to navigate Europe on my own after taking my first long walk on the Camino de Santiago a few years ago and I am hooked. I eagerly anticipate walking from A Coruña on the Bay of Biscay to Muxía on the wild Atlantic next. When my self-proclaimed “non-walker” husband and I return to Europe, I’ll remain to complete my delayed birthday hike. Meanwhile? We wait.

Our rallying cry is “Sointula or bust!”

Do you have a good story to tell — and the ability to write it? Boulevard readers are invited to submit stories for consideration and publication in the Narrative section. Stories should be 800 to 1,200 words long and sent to managing editor Susan Lundy at lundys@shaw.ca. Please place the word “Narrative” in the subject line.

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behind the story

Boulevard’s Mario Gedicke provided the initial impetus for writer Toby Tannas’ foray into cold water therapy (When cold is hot, page 94). Mario, who has been practicing the therapy for two years, swims five times a week with groups in Kelowna—in Lake Okanagan—and in Victoria, at Ross Bay. Mario, says he started cold water immersion because of the several health and mental benefits it provides. “It’s the most rejuvenating feeling you get coming out of the water,” he says. “Just do it!”

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PHOTO BY LIA CROWE

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